#it feels so weird and uncomfortable trying to pitch myself and my ideas in places where im not guaranteed reciprocation of interest

[maxillo]

just now occured to me that maybe I have vastly different expectations and presentation methods of content specifically because i got my start on wikia

[snailsrneat]

A painstaking entrance

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Synopsis: Our protagonists wakes up in a strange place with no memory of how she got there. With no other choice, she trudged through the painstaking challenges ahead of her.

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"Uggh, my head." I whine, as my brain slowly begins to reenter consciousness. My head pounds violently. "Motherfucker..." I hiss, trying to nurse my aching skull between my palms. 'Why does it have to feel like a knife is in my head?'

Groaning, I open my eyes, my vision full of darkness. 'Huh? Are my glasses not on?' Lowering my hand to my face, my fingertips brush against the cold acrylic of my glasses. 'Weird..' I try to reach my hand forward, but am stopped by a piece of wood. The gritty material scratching uncomfortably against my dry fingers.

'Eugh, I hate that.'

Grimacing I retract my hand before reaching to the left, same result. Then to the right, even tried above me, same thing happened every time.

'I should probably start using hand lotion.' I note to myself. I sigh, bored. I'm stuck in a box with nothing to do. Except pay attention to the waves of discomfort that travel through my brain.

I sigh again, this time deeper. I try thinking back to last night to give me some sort of clue as to where I am. However my memory is as good as a goldfishes, I can't remember shit.

"Well fuck."

I really am too tired for this right now.

Just as hope of ever seeing the light of day began to fade, the box caging me in began to shake. My eyes widen, 'FINALLY! I'm tired of being held captive inside this stinkin' box!' Suddenly the shaking stopped, and high pitched voice coming from outside began to speak.

Honestly I didn't really care to listen to what it was saying, the only things on my mind right now is trying to get out of here. I suppose that's why I was surprised when I was met with a ball of blue flame. Practically to the face.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" I screamed so loud I'm pretty sure people in North Korea could hear me.

Now trauma aside, that fire ball did do something good for me. It blew the wall in front of me off. 'YES!' I excitedly jump out, landing much lower than I had expected. Turning around to see what held me captive for so long, I was met with an unexpected surprise. A floating coffin with it lid now on the floor and burn marks covering it. 'OH!'

"HEY! YOU, HUMAN. I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

A high pitched voice sounds from behind me. I think it's the same one as before, but I can't be sure. Swinging around, I don't find the owner of the voice. That is until I look down.

The owner of the high pitched voice is a grey cat creature with blue flames inside its pointed ears, and a pitch-forked tail. The cat seems to be happy that it finally caught my attention. A smug grin covers its face. It clears its throat and begins to speak.

"I am the great mage Grim! And you stupid human need to give me your clothes! Now! Huh- HEY!" It tried to yell out for me, but all it was met with in return was a loud slam of a large door and a muffled "FUCK THAT!"

Listen, I know it probably wasn't a good idea to try and run away from that thing. But what other choice did I have? What, sit there and listen to it's stupid speech and strip? Fuck no. Currently I have no idea where I am, I have nothing but my own fists to defend myself, and I don't know ow if I can call for help. Running is my best choice if I want to keep my dignity and humility.

I bolted as fast as my stubby legs could allow away from that room. With the weird cat thing chasing not all too far behind me. Occasionally yelling profanities and telling me to strip.

'Damn pervert cat.'

Occasionally the thing would spit blue flame my way, which only made me run faster from it. My lungs began to burn like I just smoked fifty packs of cigarettes, and my legs were aching for rest.

But it I stopped right now, I know it would only mean more danger. So I have to keep moving. Even through the pain.

After what feels like an eternity of running from that weird cat monster. It's voice begins fade and I slow my pace down dramatically. My heart is still pounding against my chest, my lungs are still struggling for air, and my legs ache like I just ran a marathon but I need to keep moving.

I don't know where that thing is right now but I don't want to have another chase scene like that again anytime soon.

I take a look around the area I'm in and notice that I made it to what feels like the words largest library. No joke, this place looks about the size of a football stadium but instead of all the overpriced seating and food, added on to all the people screaming for their favorite team; It's walls are lined top to bottom with bookshelves all full to the brim with books of varying genres and topics.

Looking up higher I finally notice the books floating midair. Occasionally they flap their pages to keep afloat.

'I don't know what kind of drugs I'm on right now, but I want off. Now.' I think to myself.

Choosing to ignore the floating books I shove my hands in my hands into my pockets and just continue walking. Feeling around the pocket, my eyes light up in excitement. 'MY PHONE! OH MY LOVE HOW I MISSED YOU!' Pulling the device from my pockets, I almost kiss my phone in excitement. Before remembering just how many germs a single cell phone carries and I stop myself. I don't want that on my lips. Hurriedly I stuff the phone into my bra, for safe keeping obviously.

I makes sure it's secure before I begin my quiet trudge forward. Just as I made the first couple steps I am yet again stopped. This time by the stupid pervert cat from earlier.

"MYHAH! FOUND YOU!" The cat thing yells, and adds to the ache pounding in my skull. Turning around I look down at the thing, it's breathing is heavy and it looks like it might pass out any second from now. "Oh no, you caught me." I exclaim flaty. It smirks through it's huffing and puffing. "Of course I did! I am the great and magnificent Grim! Now..", it stops for a moment to catch it's breathe, "Give me your clothes human!"

....

A moment of silence passes between us, as I quietly contemplate kicking the thing and running away again. Luckily I am saved from the trouble this time. As a suave, masculine voices picks up from the shadows.

"Ah, there you are."

A swift slap sounds through the quiet room as the cat thing is suddenly wrapped up in a whip. It thrashes about wildly, trying to be let go but is unable to escape the tight grasp of the whip. 'A little cruel, but given that thing is a pervert it's for the greater good.'

A man steps up from the shadows. A tall man with dark hair and bright, almost electric, yellow eyes. He wears a dark blue glittery vest and black slacks, a giant key tied to his belt. He has a masquerade mask that hides the majority of his face except for his mouth and eyes. He also has a top hat and feathers that lay on his broad shoulders with a cape that flows to the floor. His presence exudes confidence and wisdom.

He's attractive looking for sure.

He clears his throat before he begins to speak, "What do you think you were doing!? Running away from the entrance ceremony, leaving your gate. Have you no manners?!", He exclaims loudly, "And to bring an unruly familiar too. Is your goal to break as many rules as possible on the first day?"

'Okay, attractive looking but the moment he opens his mouth all that attractiveness is lost.' I think, while the cat thing begins to try and bite through the whip. Causing the guy to scoff and glare at me.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" He asks me. I can only shrug and fake an awkward apologectic smile, "Oops?" I answer nervously.

This action appears to not only offend him but his ancient ancestors as well. Oops.

"Oops? OOPS!? YOU BREAK MULTIPLE RULES ON YOUR FIRST DAY AND ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IN RESPONSE IS "OOPS?"." He yells in my face, blood vessels pop out at the the top of his forehead and his pupils are so small you can barely see them. I decide against replying to him. It isn't worth it if all he's gonna do is yell at me.

Slowly, he begins to calm down. Now pinching with the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger and mumbling a bunch of nonsense whilst I have to wait until he finally pulls himself together. Soon enough he does, looking at me with a frown and saying, "I suppose it can't be helped but still, I hope you know that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated from a student of Night Raven College." I raise my eyebrow, "Student of what now?"

His own eyes widened in shock, "Night Raven college only but the most prestigious school for mages in all of Twisted Wonderland?" I deadpan "Never heard of it." This causes his eyes to blow even wider like an owl. "Oh my. Uhm, do you pray tell happen to know where you are currently?", he asks like I'm some sort of schizophrenic psyche patient. "Ain't gotta clue buddy." I answer crossing my arms. "Oh dear. It seems the teleportation magic must've messed with your brain.", He deduces, "Fear not young one! I, Dire Crowley, will help you by leading the way for I am ever so gracious."

The smile on his face gives me chills.

He spins on his heels and starts walking out of the library. "Come now", he calls out, "We musn't dilly-dally! We're already late as it is."

I silently debate in my mind whether or not I should go with him, 'An older man leading a teenage girl somewhere she doesn't know? That story never ends well...but what other choice do I have?' Sighing, I decide to follow after him. My short, stubby legs have a little trouble keeping up with his much longer ones.

Awkward silence fills the air between Crowley and me, with the occasional grunts from that cat thing. I pull up the hood on my new clothes that I am positive I didn't have on when I went to sleep.

'I don't know, and I don't want to know. Currently this hood is my only comfort here.' I think to myself as I stuff my hands in my pockets and keep my head down. After a couple more minutes of pure awkward silence, Crowley clears his throat. "Ahem, may I ask you a question?" "Shoot." "Do you happen to be a..uhm, female?" The question made me stop in my tracks. Not the question itself, but the way he said was just so...nervous.

I can't help but wanna tease this guy.

"Yes I do happen to be a woman. Why do you ask? Is it cause you're scared of us?" I ask teasingly. From the way he asked the previous question it sure seemed like it. Also who the hell says female? Just say woman.

"No-it's just-hmm, never mind." He fumbles over his words. I can't help the chuckle that falls from my lips. "I ask because it's not often the dark mirror picks out women for our student body." He explains. "The what now?" I ask, tilting my head. "You don't know of the dark mirror?", his face is full of shock, "Oh no, the magic might've messed with your memory more than I realized." He sighs dramatically. "The dark mirror is a magical artifact that can see one's soul. We use it to determine who goes into what dorm." He explains.

Despite not fully understanding what he said, I just nod my head because I don't want to talk anymore. He seems to be okay with this as we go back to our awkward silence.

Walking past a lot of stuff I had barely seen when I was running away from the cat thing. Just a while bunch of classrooms and hallways. 'I guess this place might actually be a school.' I eye Crowley, who seems to be caught up in his mumbling. Something about a ceremony, I don't really fully understand. 'Whatever, either way atleast I know he is a lot less dangerous than that stupid pervert cat.'

Speaking of the creature, he seems to given up on fighting and is now just glaring daggers at Crowley.

Cute.

After what seems like forever we make it back to the door from before. It stands tall and somewhat threatening. Like behind it holds some sort of terrifying beast. 'Well I already dealt with one beast today. What's another, right?' I think to myself, gulping.

Following Crowley through the doors and through a large crowd, something I wasn't expecting. He leads me to the middle of the room where I see a floating mirror. 'What's with the floating stuff today?' It's something I clearly hadn't caref to notice before. He gestures me forward, towards the mirror. While I do obey and walk to the mirror, all I can focus on is the sound of whispers floating about the crowd, and eyes burning through me. It makes me want to shiver. I hate the feeling of eyes one me.

Looking over the crowd for a moment there's one group in specific that sticks out to me. There were six people in the group in total, all with their own opposing 'Aura's' shall we say. There was a boy with crimson hair and a stern face, a boy with lion ears and tail who seemed very uninterested in everything around him, another was a boy with silver hair and seemed to eye the large crowd with some sick amusement. Like he was planning some devious plot.

'Yeesh..that guy is a little too creepy for my liking.'

Looking through the group again, I notice a boy with crimson eys, and another boy very striking violet eyes and blonde hair. The last member of the group was a...floating tablet.

Okay yeah, I'm definitely on drugs. That or I've officially lost my mind. Whatever I'll just ignore the floating I-Pad. For the sake of my own sanity I need to ignore the floating I pad.

The group seem to be mumbling some things to eachother. Occasionally ones looks over to where I am. 'Now I'm a little curious, what are they talking about?'

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"As I said, there is no room in Heartslabyul for troublemakers. No matter what their reasons may be." I say firmly. Crossing my arms, my eyes glare harshly into the Freshman who was already reeking havoc on their first day here.

"I have to agree with Riddle on this, Kalim.", Vil states, "I'll already have my hand full training one freshman. Training two will be too much of a hassle." The explanation causes the normally chipper Kalim to turn sour. His smile deflates into a sad pout at our words. "Yeah, but still it isn't fair to judge him based on the fact that he ran away before the ceremony.", He argues, "Mayne he was running from something? You guys saw the lid to that gate, it was burnt to a crisp."

"Kalim you're too empathetic for your own good.", Azul butted in,"Even if he was running from something wouldn't it be smarter to go find a staff member? Instead of just leading it across the school where it could run into one of the dorms? Or maybe find another student to maul." Azuls face was smug, more so than usual, as if he just won an argument. Which to be fair, he just did.

"Who cares?", Leona finally speaks up, "Either way it doesn't matter unless she's sorted into one of your dorms." "Oh so the sleeping lion finally rises to talk with the 'Herbivores'?" Vil teases, causing Leona to glare daggers into the blonde. "Shut yur' trap. If it wasn't for you all yapping like a gaggle of seagulls I wouldn't be awake." He growled out. Venom dripped from his voice as he glared into Vil. A moment if tense, awkward silence fills the space between us. Before Idia finally speaks up, "Uhm, is no one gonna point out Leona said 'She' and not 'He'?" His voice boomed low through his tablet.

......

"Huh? But he doesn't look like a...she." Kalims sentence slows down towards the end when he turns to look at the new student. All of our gazes follow his. Lo and behold, Leona was right. The new student was a she.

"That's even more reasonable not to want her in my dorm. This is an all boys school, no females are allowed on campus." I huff out. "Agreed, however I think it'll be interesting to watch what she does next." Azul says slyly. All of us keep our eyes trained on her form as she approaches the mirror of darkness.

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'They're staring at me now..yeah nope. Too creepy and weird for me.' A shiver crawls up my spine as I turn away from the strange group. Staring straight ahead me at the mirror, my nervousness only rises as it begins to speak.

"State thy name." It asks me. It's voice deep, bellowing throughout the crowded room. 'Do I really wanna say my name in a room full of strangers?' I suspiciously eye the room full of people, which I am slowly starting to realize might actually be full of only men.

I didn't want to believe Crowley earlier, but this is not good for me if I need to fight my way out.

Gathering all the courage I have within me, which isn't very much, I finally spurt out, "U-uhm, Twyla Blythe..?"

'Oh fuck me and my godforsaken stutter.' Is the thought running through my head as the mirror hums in thought. Shortly after it begins to speak again, saying, "The shape of thy soul is...unknown."

Gasps erupt through out the the room. 'I have no idea what just happened but my guess is that I was just publicly diary with chlamydia. That or cancer.'

"What do you mean, "The shape is unknown"!?", Crowley questions the mirror. "The one who stands before me, their soul is colorless, shapeless, and odorless. I can sense magic from this soul. Very powerful magic, but without knowing the shape of their soul I cannot place them into any specific dorm." Even mire gasps come forth from the crowd that slowly shift into murmurs.

'Okay so from that reaction definitely chlamydia.' "But thats not possible! In the hundred years since the Ebony Carriage has been used, not once has it picked upa student unfit for a dorm. This must be some sort of mistake." Crowley reasons, the look on his face that of complete bewilderment and fear.

The mirror doesn't answer him this time. Instead the one answering him is that pervert cat thing that looks like he came straight from a knock-off Pokémon game.

"MMHEE! *HUFF HUFF* LET ME TAKE HER PLACE INSTEAD! I'M SURE I'D FIT INTO ONE OF THESE DORMS." It exclaims proudly.

"Not so fast you hyperactive cat." Crowley attempts to order, but the pokemon reject refuses to listen. Stating, "Unlike that human, I'll be able to actually to actually get into a dorm with my great and powerful magic. Here let me show you! MYHAH!"

'Aaaaaaand now the rooms on fire, fantastic.' I think, my sarcasm unable to contain itself. The cat thing started shooting out fireballs at the large crowd, which was a bad idea because now everyone is screaming and trying to run from the blue flames. I just slowly back myself into the corner farther from the flames and closest to door. I decide it would be better for me to just watch.

Crowley begins pointing at the group that had caught my attention earlier, ordering, "One of you catch that blasted cat before it sets flame to the entire school!"

The group doesn't react much, except for the red eyed boy exclaiming that his butt is on fire. The blonde looks over at the boy with lion ears and tail and begins teasing him. "There why don't you go grab yourself a little morsel of that plump piece of game, hm? You can finally put those hunting skills of yours to use." "Shaddup." The lion boy growls.

"Bothe of you shut it, if you two aren't going to help I'll just do it myself." The red head says, glaring at the two. "How about I join you Riddle? It'll be a great way to show off to our freshmen." The creep butts in, the red head named Riddle just side eyes him but agrees.

The two pull out pens with different colored gems on the top, and begin shooting multicolored sparks at the cat. Which only made him panic and run whilst throwing fire back at them. Not very helpful. Their little chase ended very shortly when Riddle finally struck the cat, putting a collar on him. “FNNYAA! WHERE DID THIS THING COME FROM?!” It screamed in terror. “The queen of hearts rule 23 states, ‘One must never bring a cat to a formal affair.’” He informs the cat,

“You must vacate the premises or else.” “How many times do I have to say it?! I’M NOT A DAMN CAT.”

‘This is getting super boring and repetitive at this point..’ Instead of listening to their conversation I just tune them out. Their voices sound like quiet muffles whilst I stare out at the rather bright moon shining through the large windows. For the first time in what feel like a hundred years, it’s peaceful. Just me, my thoughts and the moon.

“Miss Blythe!”

‘Aand there it is, the end to my peace.’

Snapping out of my trance, I look over at Crowley, who now is holding the cat. ‘The hell does he want?’ “Ahem, was I not clear when I said to watch and take responsibility for your familiar?”, He lectures, “Now would you please discipline your familiar.”

‘This motherfucker- HE NEVER SAID THAT‘ Before I jump this man and beat the stupid out of him, I decide it would be better if I just calmly talk to him. “He isn’t mine.”, I say as calmly as I possibly could. Which isn’t calm at all, if my death glare didn’t prove as such.

Crowley’s pupils widen, if they really could widen given that they’re slits,

“Oh! Really?” He asks. “Yes I’m sure that he isn’t.”, it takes everything in me not to punch him, “You would’ve known that if you’d asked me beforehand .”

“Oh, uhm, then I shall have it expelled from campus.”, Crowley responds awkwardly, “Would you do the honors Mr. Ashengrotto?” “It would be an honor.” The creepy boy with silver hair answers back.

Grabbing the cat by the red collar around its neck, and dropping it out of a window. The cat screams some unintelligible nonsense as he quickly descends to the ground.

Without missing a beat Crowley claps his hands and turns to the large crowd, “I call this ceremony dismissed! All freshman please follow your dorm leaders to your respective dorms.” He calls out.

The group of boys I had noticed before began to lead individual groups of people out of the room, each shouting different commands and orders. Slowly the crowd empties out of the room, with almost every person staring at me on their way out. ‘Don’t these people know not to stare?’. Honestly it pisses me off.

After what feels like an eternity of being ogled at, it’s just me and Crowley left in the room, oh and that weird ass mirror. He turns around to look at me, his face full of confidence before immediately getting shot down by my glare.

Awkwardly he clears his throat, “Ahem, Miss Blythe it’s time to get you back home.”, he averts his eyes, “You can only leave the way you came so if you could please step into one of the gates and think of your home that would be greatly appreciated Miss.” He seems to be really nervous around me, good.

I guess he lied when he said he was scared of women. Oh well, at least I have something I can use against him now.

I step into the coffin from before, burn marks still on it from the cat thing. Crowley swiftly closes the lid and begins a sort of incantation.

“Oh great mirror of darkness, take this soul back from whence it came.”

………Nothing happened.

He starts again, “Oh great mirror of darkness, take this soul back from whence it came.”

…………Think this guy might need a new mirror cause this one ain’t working.

He starts up again, “Oh great-“ “It is nowhere.” The mirrors voice bellows throughout the room, a familiar shiver crawls up my spine.

“What do you mean ‘It is nowhere’?” Crowley huffs, clearly annoyed at the mirrors antics today. “The place this soul comes from, it does not exist. Therefore it is nowhere.” The mirror answers.

Crowley gets only more upset at the response, “Well this is just preposterous!” He shouts in annoyance, before lifting the lid of the coffin. “You.”, He points his finger at me, “Where is it that you said you’re from.”

“Uuuhm, Florida.” ‘Damn my nervousness.’ “Hmm, I’ve never heard of that place before.”, He seems to be deep in thought for a moment, “*Sigh* Follow me, we must investigate this strange anomaly.” He motions with his hand to follow him.

‘Oh great not again.’ I roll my eyes as I try to hurriedly stand without falling over. Crowley makes it halfway across the room before I finally rid myself of the coffin, and begin to catch up to him. ‘Damn tall people with their stupid long legs.’

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A/N

Hehe, I had this in the works for a minute. I hope y'all enjoy Twyla's entrance. She can be quite eccentric. Only when she wants to though.

Btw I made a Playlist of songs that just remind a lot of Twyla so for everyone whose curious here's that playlist. It's a bit a of a mess but it's exactly like her.

Oh and @cyanide-latte first of all hii, second of all I know this isn't the oneshot that I promised but isn't this a little bit better than a oneshot right? I think it is.

Anyway thank you all for reading this far, if any of yoy feel like sending in asks or questions I'd love to answer. Much love to all of you. Mwah 💋💋

[angelsfalling16]

Swimming and Baking

I came up with the idea for this fic while I was in the pool this morning and it's a little rushed and barely edited but it feels so good to be writing again 😁 also, it's very small, but there's a mention of Simon's birthday at the end, so happy 25th birthday, Simon! 🥳🎂

Summary: Simon never learned how to swim when he was a kid, and when he finally decides to learn how, he's surprised to run into an old nemesis/crush.

Word count: 2182

Read it on ao3 or down below

Simon

It’s embarrassing enough that I'm 24 years old and never learned how to swim, but I'm even more mortified when I see who my swim instructor is. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, I never really had an opportunity to learn how to swim - no one cared enough to teach me - and now, seeing Baz pitch of all people, I'm wondering if this was a mistake.

Baz was the hottest guy at our high school. Not that I would have ever admitted that back then. I didn't begin to understand my feelings for him until it was far too late, and then we graduated and I never saw him again. Until now, at one of my most humiliating moments.

I want to turn around and leave, pretend like this never happened, but it's too late. He's already seen me.

He seems just as surprised to see me, but he's very professional as he explains to me the basics of swimming.

"For today, we'll just focus on learning how to float. To start, I'm going to have you lay back in the water, and I'm going to help keep you above the water."

I nod and follow his instructions. He places one hand under my back and the other under my legs. My body feels tense all over, as I try to react to the feeling of his hands on me.

"Relax," Baz says gently. "Just breathe and relax."

 Baz

In high school, I imagined a million ways that I could have my hands on Simon, but none of them were quite like this. It was surprising to see him after all of these years and even more surprising given the circumstances.

He's not the only adult we've had to teach how to swim, but it's weird how things have aligned in such a away that I'm his swim instructor. This is going to be an interesting few weeks.

***

Simon 

Shit. I'm running late.

"Tish," I call out to the front of the bakery, and a moment later, she enters, her blue and black striped hair swinging. Her color of the month.

"Yes?"

"Can you watch these cakes and pull them out to cool? Cal will be in first thing in the morning to decorate them."

They're a last minute order, but I couldn't say no to making one more pride cake. It is pride month after all.

"Of course," Tish nods, but I'm still skeptical. Tish is amazing when it comes to making cool and crazy coffee flavors, but she's the opposite when it comes to baking. "It'll be fine. Aren't you late to be somewhere?"

I sigh because she's right.

If Baz had just given me his number, I could have texted him to let him know that I would be late, but he refused, saying it was unprofessional. And now he probably thinks I flaked because of how terrible I am even though this will only be our third lesson.

 Baz

Simon is late. I shouldn't be so surprised. He was always late back in school, but since he's paying for this, you'd think that he would try to actually show up on time.

Maybe he quit. I can't tell if I want that or would hate that.

Seeing Simon again after all these years has brought up a turmoil of feelings in me. I thought I had gotten over him years ago, resigning myself to the fact that I'd likely never see him again. But then he walked back into my life, bringing those old feelings along with him.

Teaching him has been kind of difficult because I don't want to push him too far or make him feel uncomfortable by touching him too much. A lot of my instruction has been solely verbal, which is a struggle for him, but he keeps showing up anyway.

I should suggest that he find a different swim instructor, but I can't seem to find the words to do so. I don't want it to seem like I'm pushing him away, and if I'm being completely honest, I like spending this time with him and am not ready to see him walk back out of my life.

It's stupid, I know, but as long as he still wants to come, I'm going to let him.

***

Simon

"Who is that?" Sam says a couple of weeks later, loud enough that even Cal looks up from the cookies they were carefully decorating with rainbow stripes. We've been struggling to keep the baked goods that they've been decorating for pride month in stock for more than a couple of hours each day no matter how many I bake or they decorate.

I look up at the door to see who has just walked in and am shocked to see Baz here.

"Uh, that's my swim instructor," I murmur. They all already know I've been taking swim lessons, but it's still embarrassing to admit.

"Damn, he's hot," Sam says, only a little quieter this time. "I would have take swim lessons too if I'd known the instructor was going to look like him."

"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Tish asks from behind the register, where she's ringing up a young girl who is politely pretending not to be listening in to our admittedly too loud conversation.

"Yeah," Sam replies, "but I can still look."

I shake my head and turn my attention back to Baz who has joined the line to order. His hair is down today, falling in loose waves a few inches past his shoulder. I hadn't realized how long it was because he's always got it pulled up into a bun when we're in the pool. It looks really nice like this.

Tish clears her throat, and I jump. "Perhaps we should all get back to work," she says, looking pointedly at me and Sam. I nod and turn to help Cal with a few cookies watching Baz from the corner of my eye.

I can't believe that Baz is here. In my bakery. Well, mine and Tish's bakery. We opened it together a few years ago. But still, what is he doing here?

"I think he's watching you," Cal murmurs with a knowing smile after a couple of minutes have passed, right before Tish says, "Hey, Simon, will you cover the cash register while I make these coffees?"

It's obvious what she's doing, but I play along anyway. Baz is second in line now, and I force myself to keep my eyes off of him until he's standing directly in front of me.

"What can I get for you today?" I ask. At least, that's what I mean to say. Instead, it comes out more like, "What are you doing?"

God, I'm an idiot. No wonder Baz hates me. I can't even talk to him without making a fool of myself.

He raises an eyebrow at me, and one corner of his mouth turns up in an amused version of that oh-so familiar smirk that has my heart skipping a beat.

"My friend was telling me about this place, and I thought I would stop by and try it. I had no idea that you worked here."

"Actually, he owns the place," Tish says from somewhere behind me, apparently not too busy to eavesdrop on our conversation.

"Wow." Both of his eyebrows raise now. "That's cool."

I nod. "I'm not that stupid boy from high school anymore."

The corners of Baz's mouth turn down, and I wish I could stuff the words back into my mouth. Why can't I speak around him?

"I never thought you were stupid. I just thought you could have applied yourself a little more."

"Right." I don't want to get into this. Our past is messy, and I don't really want to relive high school right now. "So, what I can get for you?"

He pauses briefly, and for a moment, it looks like he wants to say something more but seems to think better of it. He orders some really sweet coffee that only Tish knows how to make and one each of our pride cupcakes and cookies.

Tish manages to wait until Baz has finished eating and left before confronting me, but as soon as the door closes behind him, she's dragging me into the kitchen and demanding answers.

"What's going on with you and Baz? And do not say he's just your swim instructor. Clearly, there's more to it than that."

I shrug, my go-to response when I don't know how to talk about something. I try anyway because Tish is my best friend, besides Penny.

"We went to high school together. I had a crush on him but never told him. We haven't seen each other in years. And now he's teaching me to swim. That's it."

"That's not it. There was some serious tension between y'all. Do you still like him?"

I shrug, then nod. Of course, I do. He's gorgeous and kind and funny, and I don't think I ever really got over him. But I know he could never like me back. To him, I'm still that immature boy who drove him mad in school. And now, the boy who never learned to swim.

Tish shakes her head at me. "I love you, but you can be really thick sometimes."

"What are you talking about?"

"That guy likes you. You should have seen the look on his face when he saw you behind the counter. I don't even know how to describe it."

I want to argue with her, but I know it's pointless. She may not be into romantic relationships herself, but she's really knowledgeable when it comes to this kind of thing.

It's hard to believe her, though. Why would Baz like me?

 Baz

I don't stray far when I leave Simon's bakery. I end up walking aimlessly around a small bookstore a couple shops down from it, but my mind is still at the bakery, watching Simon in his element, joking with his friends and relaxing in a way that he hasn't been in the water these past few weeks.

Maybe it was selfish of me not to tell him to find a new swim instructor. I thought that we could work through our past, but if he can't even be comfortable around me, there's no way I will be able to teach him.

Coming to that conclusion, I head back out onto the sidewalk and towards the bakery. There isn't a line this time, and Simon isn't behind the counter anymore. I could still turn back. But I don't.

The girl with the blue streaks in her hair is being the counter, and when she sees me, she rushes through a door to the back. A couple moments later, she comes back, Simon following behind her.

"Hey," he says slowly, tensely.

This is going to hurt like hell, but it's the kind thing to do. I have to let him go and quit holding on to my crush for him.

"Can we talk for a moment?" I ask.

His brows furrow, but he nods. "I'll be right back," he murmurs. Then he makes his way around the counter towards me.

Aware that his coworkers are watching and probably listening, I take a few steps away from the counter.

"Listen, I've been thinking about it, and I think that you should find a new swim instructor."

"What? Why?" He sounds hurt, but I'm probably imagining it.

"You obviously aren't comfortable around me, and I think you would be better off with someone else teaching you."

He doesn't say anything, just stares at me.

"I'm sorry, Simon," I say, then turn to go. I barely make it a step before he grabs my wrist and pulls me back around.

"Wait. I don't understand. I thought things were fine. I thought I was getting better."

"You are. I just think you would be better with someone you can be comfortable around."

"It's not that I'm not comfortable around you. I just—." He hesitates briefly, and his voice is barely above a whisper when he says, "I'm afraid."

"Of me?"

"No," he says quickly, shaking his head. "Of my feelings for you."

It's my turn to be stunned into silence. His feelings for me? What is he talking about?

"I like you, and I was afraid that you would find out. That's probably why I've seemed so closed off around you."

I don't know what to say, but I don't think words are necessary at this point. His hand is still on my wrist, so I bring my free hand up to cup his cheeks and with paper rainbows dancing above us, I kiss him.

 Simon

I should probably be at least a little bit concerned about kissing someone in the place I work, but I can't seem to find it in me to care in this moment.

Because I'm kissing Baz. The boy I never thought would like me.

I don't think he knows it's my birthday, but he's just given me the best birthday present ever.

[there-must-be-a-lock]

Blind Spot

Spencer Reid x (Gender Neutral) Reader

Word Count: 2640

Warnings: Hair pulling kink! Bucketloads of sexual tension but no actual sex. Gratuitous facts about bird nests. Dorks being oblivious. Lots of fluffy heart-eyed banter. Accusations of intercourse with fictional tree-beasts. 

A/N: I saw a gif that made me want to pull Spencer’s hair. That’s it. I have zero shame. 

For the “friends to lovers” square on my @cmbingo​ card! Proofread by @fangirlxwritesx67​ because she’s the best. 

“You look like you fucked an Ent,” you commented cheerfully, stealing sideways glances at Spencer while you waited for the light to change.  

“Thanks, that’s helpful.” He grimaced, trying to tug another burr out of a snarled curl. 

“Oh my god, you’re just making it worse! I’ll help you when we get back to your place. Leave it, you goober.” 

“Did you just call me a goober?” Spencer asked, trying not to laugh. 

“You’re like the dictionary definition of a goober,” you said fondly. 

“I have three PhDs!”  

“I really wish I’d gotten a video of that tumble, Doctor Goober.” 

Spencer was blushing, grinning down at his lap as he shredded a piece of leaf. It was hard not to stare at him when he smiled like that. 

He’d essentially face-planted into a burr bush earlier, somewhere in the Virginia woods — he’d been so excited about explaining some wonky bit of Star Trek physics theory to you that he just forgot to pay attention to his feet — and he’d floundered out with half a hedge stuck in his hair before picking up exactly where he’d left off. 

In other words, Doctor Spencer Reid was a ridiculous human being. You knew that, objectively. It didn’t stop you from having a massive crush on him. 

Either he was pretending not to notice, to spare your feelings, or he was socially oblivious; you tended to believe the former, considering how well you’d seen him read other people, but you appreciated it. There was a chance you’d make it out of this — if you could just get over it already — with your friendship intact. 

You cleared your throat and told him, “You look like the bastard child of Grandmother Willow and the Wizard of Oz scarecrow.” 

“Even if they were real, the anatomical —” 

“You didn’t mention that when I brought up the Ents. Something you want to tell me about you and Treebeard?” 

“You’re ridiculous,” he huffed, trying to sound exasperated, but he could barely keep a straight face for a second before he was laughing, that scratchy sunny childish giggle that only came out when he was really relaxed and carefree. 

“Close the window before a bird sees you and decides to take up residence.” 

“How about you watch the road?”

“What, no facts about bird nests?” 

“Is that a rhetorical question?” 

“Nope.” 

“Well in that case… gyrfalcon nests are frequently re-used and passed along for generations. The oldest one that’s been discovered was in Greenland, and it was actually estimated to be approximately 2,500 years old.” 

“Seriously?” 

“Yes! In fact…” 

You had to remind yourself, yet again, to stop staring. 

Maybe someday you’d get sick of hearing Spencer talk, but you couldn’t really understand the way most of your teammates reacted to his rambling. Even if you didn’t care about what he was saying, there was something amazing about the way his eyes lit up and his hands fluttered around to illustrate his point.

You parked in front of his building and followed him upstairs. His apartment had become comfortingly familiar — ever since you and Spencer bonded over a shared love of sci-fi, you’d taken to driving him home and, if it wasn’t too late, sticking around for an episode or two of Doctor Who.  

He got his ancient little DVD player up and running, and you settled on the couch, fluffing pillows and shoving aside his nest of colorful crocheted blankets, getting cozy. There was something about Spencer’s space that always felt like home; maybe it was the smell of books, or just the general Spencer-ness of the whole place. 

Just being around him had always kinda felt like home, too. Sometimes you forgot you’d only known him for six months. 

He disappeared into his room for a second and came back with a comb. It was cheap plastic, missing a couple teeth, and looked like it hadn’t been used in a while. You looked from him to the comb and back again. 

“That actually explains a lot,” you said, grinning. Spencer rolled his eyes and sat down on the floor in front of you, leaning back against your shins, and after a dismayed glance at his curls, you commented, “We could always just shave it all off.” 

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer,” he said primly. 

You started with a couple of the less tangled pieces, finger-combing carefully through one soft lock at a time. You half-expected some comment about primates and social grooming, or at least a few facts about the quantum theory behind the TARDIS, but Spencer was uncharacteristically quiet and still, his eyes fixed on the TV. 

You separated out one of the worst knots, and he tilted his head to the side to give you better access. You were being as gentle as possible, but you knew you were hurting him at the first tug — he sucked in a breath, knuckles going white as his fingers clenched on his knees. 

“Sorry, I’m trying,” you sighed. 

With his head tilted like this, you could see the muscle clenching in his jaw and the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. 

“S’okay,” he whispered hoarsely. “It’s not — not your fault.” 

He sat there stiffly as you worked. His hair was silky, where it wasn’t hopelessly knotted, and you were close enough that you could smell whatever clean, sweet shampoo he used. Something about it made you want to hold your breath; it felt like you were too close. Spencer rarely let you inside his little bubble of personal space. 

Maybe that was why he seemed uncomfortable. He was usually so fidgety, tapping out a rhythm or twirling a pen between his long fingers, and it was strange to see him motionless like this. 

You ran your fingers through a de-tangled section, slow and careful, and Spencer shivered, his shoulders trembling for a moment before he went unnaturally still again. 

Spencer blurted out, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

At the same time, you asked, “Are you cold?” 

You paused for a moment, surprised by the reaction, but after hesitating, Spencer just muttered, “Yeah. Cold.” 

You couldn’t shake the feeling that you were missing something. It was too warm, if anything; Spencer had a patchy flush crawling up his neck and over the sharp lines of his jaw and cheekbones. 

“Here you go, goober,” you said, awkwardly cheerful in an attempt to cover your uncertainty as you grabbed an afghan from the couch and draped it around his shoulders. 

“Thanks.” He pulled the blanket down onto his lap without looking at you. “But maybe I should just do this myself.” 

“You’re never gonna get this loose on your own, not without scissors,” you warned, plucking at the knot around the last burr in his hair. “I’ll just, um — I’ll try to be more gentle.” 

“Maybe just go for it,” he said. “Get it over with.” His voice had gone all high-pitched and strained, like he was on the verge of a panic attack. If this was how much he disliked physical contact, no wonder he always avoided hugging you. 

You tried to go quickly, figuring that one quick moment of pain was better than another ten minutes of making Spencer uncomfortable. In your nervousness, you ended up tugging the burr out much more abruptly than you’d intended, and Spencer let out this rough, low, choked-off sound. Before you could apologize, he was jerking away from you, curled in on himself with his shoulders up around his ears like he was worried you were going to hit him, and — 

“Sorry,” he said, voice cracking. 

— what? 

“Spence?” you said tentatively. “What—”

He was still just curled up on the floor in a ball of gangly limbs, but he half-turned to you, twisting around. He wouldn’t make eye contact, though; he was staring intently at the pillow that was on the couch next to you. It felt weird, looking down at him like this, so you slid down onto the floor, hoping it wouldn’t spook him. He shifted back slightly, but at least he didn’t flinch away. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t — this was a bad idea.” 

The profiler in you couldn’t help but notice a few details. He was blushing, for starters. His lower lip was red where he’d been biting it, and — this was the part that surprised you most — his pupils were huge. 

You knew what Spencer looked like when he was panicking, and this wasn’t it. 

“Oh,” you breathed. “Oh.” 

He looked down at his lap, frowning as he played with the loose thread in the cuff of his sweater. 

“Sorry,” he repeated. “I know you don’t feel the same way, I wasn’t trying to — I didn’t realize it would be like that, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, and—”

“Wait, what?” 

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable! I shouldn’t have asked—”

“I don’t feel the same way about what?” 

“I know you’re not attracted to me,” Spencer said, barely audible. 

“You’re… you…what?” 

He looked up, at that, genuinely startled. There was something sweet and vulnerable shining in his eyes, and your heart was racing. You slid a little bit closer, so that your knees were almost touching Spencer’s as you faced each other, cross-legged. 

“I thought you knew.” His hushed, croaky voice broke on the last word. “I thought I was being obvious.” 

You gaped at him for a second before letting out a sharp, hysterical giggle. 

He ducked his head again, hiding behind a curtain of hair, but not before you saw the hurt expression that flashed across his features. 

“No, that’s not—” you blurted out. “Spence. Spencer.” 

“Forget it,” he said sharply, his body going tense like he was about to bolt. “Can we just forget this happened?” 

Before you could think better of it, you reached out and pushed a few curls back behind his ear, and then you grabbed, twisting your fingers in his hair to tug him forward. You cut off the startled noise he made with a clumsy, eager kiss. 

The angle was all wrong, both of you leaning forward awkwardly, but it felt like sparks all down your spine.

You pulled away just far enough to get the words out: “I thought I was being obvious.”  

Then Spencer was surging closer on his hands and knees, crowding into your space, until you had a lapful of rumpled doctor pressing you back against the couch. He cupped your jaw with gentle spidery fingers, gaze locked on your mouth, and leaned in slowly like he was still waiting for you to push him away. 

There was nothing awkward about it this time. If the first kiss was sparks, this was fireworks — it was such a goddamn cliche you wanted to kick yourself for thinking it, but it was true. Your head was spinning. Every pillowy press of his lips and soft slide of his tongue seemed to steal the breath from your lungs. 

By the time you broke apart you were panting, but at least you weren’t the only one. Spencer’s chest heaved as he pulled away. He was still staring at your mouth like he couldn’t help himself. Part of you wanted to kiss him again and maybe never stop, but another part of you was paralyzed, trying to process the fact that this was actually happening. 

You just wanted to put the world on pause so that you could memorize everything: the way he licked his lips, the smell of his laundry detergent, the barely-perceptible movement of his pulse — you’d never seen that before because you’d never been this close to him before. You wanted to hold onto it, even the less-than-perfect details — the soundtrack of buzzy Dalek screeching in the background — the way you were folded together on the floor, all too-long legs and bony elbows, which was going to get uncomfortable fast.  

Spencer seemed to feel the same way. He grazed the pad of his thumb over your lower lip, then followed the curve of your smile out to your temple and traced the shell of your ear with careful fingertips. When he brushed his curled-up fingers along the ridge of your cheekbone, you turned your head and kissed his knuckles.  

His hand came to rest on your shoulder, and you wrapped your fingers around his wrist, holding it in place, feeling the blood and bones shifting under the skin.  

“You really didn’t know?” you whispered. 

He shook his head shyly and gave you one of those incandescent smiles that always made your heart race. “No idea.” 

“I thought you were just ignoring it to spare my feelings,” you confessed. 

“I thought you were doing that.”  

“I thought you were good at your job!” you laughed. “Aren’t you supposed to be a genius or something?” 

“I think I have a blind spot, where you’re concerned.” He was blushing again. “But I was so distracted by you that I walked into a bush! How did you not —” 

“I’m the one who stares at you all the time like a creep.” 

“You thought you were being creepy?” he said sheepishly. “As soon as you started touching my hair — oh my god that’s embarrassing.” 

“That’s not the word I would’ve used.” 

You tangled your fingers in his curls, tugging experimentally. His breath hitched. 

Both of you were utterly still for a moment, watching each other, and the tension between you seemed to fill the air like a living thing. You were excruciatingly aware of all the places your bodies were touching.

You considered all the places you could touch. It would be so easy. You could tug him in, kiss him, melt into each other… there were so many possibilities, suddenly, and there was something incredible about that: the electricity, the excitement, the moment of pure potential in the pause between certainty and action. 

Spencer sighed, long and shaky, and you were so close that you could feel the current of exhaled air. 

“I couldn’t think straight,” he murmured, with a twitch of a smile. “That doesn’t happen to me often.” 

“So you didn’t know…” 

You scritched your fingernails down his scalp, marveling at the way he shivered and swayed closer like he was hypnotized. He curled his hand around the side of your neck, thumb slowly stroking the hinge of your jaw. 

“I knew I liked it,” he confessed. “But — within a certain context? Not out of nowhere like that. I didn’t think it would be... like that.” 

“Like what?”

“Intense.”  

“Yeah?” 

“But I think maybe it’s just you.” His eyes had gone all glassy and heavy-lidded, and you could barely breathe. “Maybe you drive me crazy no matter where you’re touching me.” 

“I can think of a few ways to test that hypothesis.” 

You caught a glimpse of his grin, but then he pressed his forehead to yours and his features went blurry, too close for you to focus.

“Never really thought I’d be into dirty talk, but if you’re going to start quoting the scientific method…” 

“Funny, most of the time you never shut up,” you said, giddy and overwhelmed. 

The tip of his nose brushed yours. There was maybe an inch of space between your mouths, and you wanted to close that gap so badly it felt like a physical ache. 

“I mean, if you want me to start rattling off statistics—” 

“Spencer.” You fisted both hands in his hair, tugging sharply, and he shuddered. “Take a hint.” 

“Blind spot, remember?” he whispered, lips brushing yours as they shaped the words, feather-light and maddening. 

“You know, for a genius—” you started, but he kissed you, hungry and sweet like he was making up for lost time, until you’d completely forgotten what you were going to say. 

.

.

There is now a sexy follow-up here! 

.

If you enjoyed this, please reblog or leave a message! 

[anystalker707]

Bet?

Pairing: Frank x Reader Word count: ~ 1 800 Genre: Fluff / Smut Summary: (Y/n) suggests something new in bed - edging - and tries to convince Frank it's not as boring as he thinks. Kind of content: Restraints / Praise / Overstim / Oral / Fingering / Hand job / Edging

Requested by @angie-migel

Taking a pause from the tour is agonizingly terrible sometimes. All we want to do is to continue the tour as soon as possible, though we’re also equally eager to spend some time back home and visit a few people and places – something we’ve already done, actually, so what actually rests now is only wanting to get back on that bus. The break still lasts for four days now.

A sigh escapes my lips as I shift on the couch, my legs on Frank’s lap whilst we watch TV, mostly staring at the images of a movie we’ve watched a hundred times already and alone with our thoughts.

“Y’know, we could use this time to actually fuck because we can’t do that on tour.”

“I–” Frank furrows his eyebrows, looking at me. “How random.”

I chuckle, rolling my eyes. “I mean, yeah, but it’s not like it’s a bad idea, hm?” I nudge his thigh lightly – he shrugs, tilting his head. “We should, dunno, try something new.”

“What do you suggest?” He breathes, a hand placed on my leg. So he’s actually interested, hm?

“Edging.”

“Nah!” He pouts lightly. “It’s boring!”

Boring? I scoff. “Why do you think that?”

“Well, like…” Frank scratches the back of his head. “There’s not a lot of action going on. Just a person jerking off the other, not letting them come a few times and all that stuff. I think it sounds boring– It is boring.” I snort. “What?”

“Bet?” I can’t help but to grin.

“Bet,” he replies almost immediately. That’s going to be fun.

The TV is turned off before we can move upstairs; Frank sends me weird looks the whole time, apparently still not understanding how edging can’t be boring. Either he’s never done it or whoever did it to him, did a very bad job.

“Good thing you got me.” I chuckle – he hums questioningly, but I only give his ass a slap in response, making him squeal as we reach the last steps of the stairs. He curses under his breath, rushing when I threaten to do it again, a race that only comes to an end after he walks into the bedroom and sits down on the bed, looking at me with a grin. “Let’s see how long that attitude will last,” I challenge, seeing his grin drop a little. “Strip.”

Frank stands up, sending a glare my way as I probably spend a bit too long staring at his ass once he starts lowering his boxers. I look away with a chuckle, resuming rummaging through the dresser’s drawer for a tie, opting for a red one that’s good enough for the job.

“Lie down,” I tell him.

Frank follows the tie with his eyes whereas doing as told. The mattress sinks under my knees as I climb on it and straddle him, taking both of his wrists; he tenses up, compelling me to pause, but soon relaxes again and I carry on to tie his wrists together before tying them to the headboard, making sure the red fabric isn’t digging into his wrists too tightly.

“Is that needed?” he mumbles, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Oh, if it is!” I move off to the side then spread his legs so I can position myself between them, letting my hands rest flat on his thighs at first.

“Not gonna get rid of your clothes?” Frank looks at me. His Adam's apple bobs up and down with an audible swallow and he fidgets with the tie, though not uncomfortably, apparently.

“I don’t think you’re exactly understanding what’s going to happen,” I say softly, taking a hold of his cock to start with a few slow pumps. “It’s all about you, hun.” My thumb runs along the underside and, though not completely hard already, his thighs do twitch in response.

Nothing comes from Frank in return this time, though; he bites down on his lip and exhales, actually relaxing, so I spit on my hand before I can continue, snatching a moan from Frank this time. That’ll be good. I wrap my hands around his base, going up again by letting my fingers trace the veins along the underside, eventually reaching the tip and letting my thumb run around it.

“Fuck,” Frank breathes, pulling his legs up.

“Still boring?” I fondle his balls.

Air is caught in his throat, making him struggle a bit to answer, only groaning at first. “In comparison to other things we do? Yes, a lot.”

“Oh,” I say with fake amusement, earning myself a glare, but as said, the attitude doesn’t last long since he’s soon shuddering under another stroke, twitching in my hand as he’s finally completely hard. There we go.

I wrap my hands tightly around Frank, making sure to have most of his cock covered as I twist them around him, pleased with all the moans I snatch from him, only growing louder after I let my thumb sink in his tip and play with a spot right under the head. I don’t want to give him all of the best now, so I go back to only pumping, letting a hand fondle with his balls, letting my thumb occasionally press down on his perineum. It doesn’t seem so boring for him now, to be honest.

At some point, Frank’s practically doing all the work by himself, thrusting his hips up into my hand – I only occasionally change my grip to gather the precum from the tip and spread it over, hence the wet sounds slowly fill the room, sometimes disappearing under the pleased sounds coming from Frank.

“Fuck,” Frank whines, getting a bit too excited, so I wait for the exact moment to let go and hold him down instead by his hips. “I–” He never finishes the sentence though, breathing heavily.

My hands lower to his thigh, thumbs now sinking into the insides of his thighs. He is granted a pause so he won’t cum once I start touching him again, still, he gets close faster this time – a teasing I repeat two times before I can give him a proper pause, chuckling at his face. Looks like he’s ran a mile.

“So boring,” I mock.

“Okay, but– Fuck, let me cum!” Frank tugs onto the restraints, uselessly. “Please, it’s been enough, fuck.” A quiet cry comes from him and he starts to shift his hips around, which’s pretty much just as useful as the tugging. Amazing.

“No!” I shake my head, giving his thigh a slap. “I don’t think you’re in position to plead for anything right now and get so excited with things because, if I remember well, this is so fucking boring and has nothing much going on, so it’s not a big deal. Calm the fuck down.”

“Yes, boring!” he cries. “But I still wanna cum!”

“It’s just been half an hour, honey,” I say softly after a glance on the clock. “You can handle it for a bit longer, don’t you think? Don’t you wanna be a good boy for me? Look at where you’ve come so far. I think you can go on for a bit longer for me, can’t you, baby? You’re so pretty with your hands tied up above you like this.” I smile then press a kiss to his tummy.

Frank meekly hums in response, sighing shakily. “Alright,” he mumbles.

“Sweet.” I smile, rubbing his thigh softly to ease him – his skin rises under the touch, but he does relax, not fighting anymore against the restraints.

Enough has passed so I’m yet again wrapping a hand around Frank’s cock, this time working on avoiding all of the places and touches he likes the most, only pumping him in an agonizingly slow pace. He whines, but quiets down with my grip around his thigh tightening.

Frank’s anger slowly melts away each time I drive him over to the edge and pull away until an hour has already surprisingly passed by. The sounds escape his throat so easily, strings of wanton moans going past his lips even with the slightest movements in a way I can’t help but to watch him carefully each time I let my finger wander around his tip. He can’t even beg anymore, only babble and mumble incoherently among all the gasps.

It’s been enough, I believe.

I give Frank no warning as I start to pump him while fondling his balls, not taking it slow or anything this time, only jerking him off fast and not stopping at noticing he’s getting close. Frank’s fucking surprised when he’s finally coming, throwing his head back and tugging onto the restraints with a loud cry, thighs quivering.

Frank slowly gets down from his high with thighs twitching and chest heaving up and down and seems like he’s going to say something, but there’s only a gasp instead; I bend down to take him in my mouth at once, humming around him.

The oversensitivity has Frank whining, immediately bucking his hips up and, honestly, it’s always been something he’s into, so it’s no surprise he tries to move his hips to fuck my mouth, only to be held down so I can work properly.

Probably all the denied releases accumulated in a pleasure yet to be satisfied considering how he’s quickly hard again and moaning so fucking loudly at my cheeks hollowed around him.

“(Y/n),” he manages to cry out at some point, among all the poor mess he is in.

I press down on his perineum, letting my tongue circle his tip once and it doesn’t take long until he’s fucking coming again. Even with a bit of difficulty, I’m able to swallow it all after giving myself a pause and quickly continue with it all, making Frank fucking sob at feeling my fingers circling his entrance, lubed up with his own cum.

Frank’s thighs are pressed to my sides tightly, not too much as I sometimes give him a nudge, but he’s barely able to hold himself back anymore.

A couple of my fingers slip in and a few tapping around is enough to find his prostate. I only move my fingers a few times, eventually deciding to just press down against his prostate – he’s so loud and so high-pitched by this point, but the safeword never escapes his lips, only more and more moans until he’s fucking sobbing again at reaching his release yet another time. Now, however, I finally pull away, cleaning my chin as I swallow everything.

Frank’s chest still heaves up and down as he gasps for air, staring at the nothing as his eyes are still dark, pupils still dilated. While he calms down, I untie him, playing with his hair until he’s back to reality, blinking before his eyes meet mine.

“Boring?” I raise an eyebrow.

“I…” He breathes and swallows. “I’ll think very– very well now before… accepting any bet.”

[lottiebagley]

Snow covered courtyards- Oliver Wood

When he'd asked her to the ball he'd been certain she would say no. They'd been friends for a while but never particularly close, simply in the same year and house and therefore knew each other through mutual friends.

He'd always thought she was kind of unattainable, she seemed to always look perfect, she was smart and funny and kind and top of her classes. He never knew why but she always avoided Oliver a little, he spent nights laid in bed listening to Percy's snoring and racking his brains for any reason she might avoid him, an insult from years ago, a history between him and one of her friends but nothing quite came to mind.

It wasn't until a few weeks before the ball that he realised that maybe the reason she avoided him was because she wasn't quite as unattainable as he'd thought. He'd laughed at first when his best friend shrugged that she probably just had a crush on him, mouthful of cereal and a slightly bemused look on his face.

After that conversation he slowly allowed his brain to convince himself she just might like him back. After all why else would she blush when he catches her eye? why would she go to every quidditch game no matter how awful the weather? why would she giggle a little with her friends when he passes?

And so, Oliver Wood let a little spark of hope light in his heart and he began to plan how he would ask her to the ball.

He thought about asking her after they won a quidditch match when he was high on adrenaline but he didn't like the idea of being muddy and sweaty and with the fucking Weasley twins, their relentless teasing playing in his mind before it even happened.

Next he thought about making some production out of it in the great hall like he'd seen a few other people do, but he knew she'd hate being the centre of the entire school's attention.

He contemplated asking her at a party, figuring some liquid courage might make the prospect of asking his dream girl on a date a little easier, but didn't want her to think it was some drunk decision.

He settled on approaching her with a bouquet of flowers and just asking it, after all, he knew he was a good looking guy and most people found him charming if not a little intense. What he didn't think about though was that most people didn't make his heart beat too fast, his hands go clammy, and his words come out a stuttering mess.

Oliver announced to his friends one morning that today was the day he'd ask her out, they'd grinned widely, given him a pep talk, mocked him a little for his nerves and sent him on his way and Oliver had every intention to ask her out.

It was then that Oliver learnt the age old lesson.

Girls travel in packs.

No matter how hard he tried she was surrounded. Between classes, at meals, in the common room, christ even on her way to the bathroom. Whenever he saw her she'd have a gaggle of girls with her all of which would eye him with curiosity and smirks when he attempted to approach.

It took Oliver a further three days of attempting to catch her alone, his friends seeming to find the entire situation funnier by the hour, before it had happened. He'd caught a glimpse of her with Cedric.

Oliver Wood hated Cedric Diggory, hated that he was so often compared to him, hated that he had swoopy hair that made girls swoon, hated that he too was a good quidditch player. His newest reason though to despise the boy who showed him nothing but kindness was that he didn't clam up around her. He talked to her with ease and made her laugh.

If he'd done a little digging, Oliver would have easily found Cedric was a family friend and she viewed him like a brother. Through exasperated mutual friends sick of both their pining he'd have probably also learnt she had a massive crush on Oliver and had turned down multiple boys in the hopes Oliver would ask her to the ball.

He didn't dig though. Instead he scowled in the direction of Cedric and her, they were laughing by the quidditch pitch as the Hufflepuff practice ended and the Gryffindor's arrived for their own. She had been on her way to the greenhouses to grab a book she'd accidentally left there when Cedric had jogged over, unknown to Oliver actually asking if the Gryffindor had plucked up the nerve to ask her out. She had brushed her friend off, thinking it would be a miracle for Oliver Wood to fancy her back.

"Hurry up Wood, she's a good one, she'll get swept up all too soon," Fred smirks as he passes Oliver on his way into the changing rooms.

And with Fred's words in his mind Oliver grabs the bouquet of flowers from the office and marches towards her, Cedric spotting him coming and quickly taking his leave.

"Hi," He calls, cursing himself for not thinking to say her name when she doesn't even turn around, not used to him approaching her, "Hi-Y/N,"

She turns then, still clad in her uniform, hair blowing in the light wind and a small smile on her face.

"Oliver-uh-hey," She blushes a little as she falls over her words

"You're a really hard girl to get on her own," He comments. Fucking christ why does he sound like a stalker? The question spins in his mind but she seems to not think anything of the comment, instead blushing a little

"Oh- my friends and I are kinda inseperable," She shrugs lightly, not wanting an awkward silence so instead opting to ramble "They only aren't here now cause they are busy. Meg's at detention, Ali's with her boyfriend and Katie's tutoring some second year in potions. I'd have waited for one of them to be with me because honestly I kind of hate walking alone- not cause I'm weird or un-independent or any thing, I just, well I get a little anxious and feel like people are staring at me and-" She silences herself, suddenly coming to her senses and realising how crazy she's making herself sound. "Sorry,"

"Don't be. I think it's cute when you ramble," He admits, blushing as red as his quidditch robes when he realises what he's said.

"Did you need something or have I just embarrassed myself over a polite hello?" She questions, he chuckles a little making her feel mildly less uncomfortable.

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to go to the ball?" He questions. He feels a weight off his shoulder's once the question has been asked. Like suddenly even if she says no at least he could tell himself he tried.

"With you?" She questions, she realises she probably sounds more idiotic by the second but can't quite convince herself to believe her long term crush would actually ask her out.

"Uh-yeah," He's taken aback by the question and feels stupid for even thinking she'd consider it and suddenly the even if she says no bullshit is just that, because shit if the girl in front of him with wide eyes and a nervous smile doesn't say yes he thinks his heart might break in his chest.

"Like a date?"

"I was hoping,"

"I'd love that,"

Oliver feels like the luckiest person on earth. Watching as she blushes a little, but her smile is wide and god if he doesn't want to kiss her right there.

"Great,"

"Good,"

"Cool,"

"Yeah,"

Neither of them is quite sure what comes next and the interaction seems to run even more awkward. "You'll pick her up!" Oliver rolls his eyes at the sound of George Weasley, although thankful for the prompt, she blushes, peering behind him to see the entire Gryffindor quidditch team watching them.

"I'll pick you up," He confirms

"Right," She nods

"At 7? Outside your dorm?"

"Sounds good,"

"Okay," He grins brightly, still thinking this entire thing is his mind playing some cruel tricks on him.

"So you should go, your team awaits," She reminds, he nods, partly wanting the interaction over before he can make even more of a fool out of himself or ruin something before it even has a chance to start and partly wanting to live in this moment of pure joy for the rest of his life.

"Right, so I'll uh- see you at the ball- and- uhm- around before obviously," He stutters a little

"Great, I'll see you in both those places," She confirms, realising only after she's spoken how idiotic she sounds.

"The flowers Wood! Christ you're bad at this!" Fred shouts

"Always thought he had game," Harry comments

"We all did kid," George agrees.

"Sorry about them," Oliver apologises

"It's okay," She smiles gently, waiting patiently as he stands staring wondering why her eyes are flickering from him, to his team to his hands and-

"Oh right, these are for you," He confirms, passing the bouquet over and grinning when she blushes a little

"Thanks Oli,"

"Any time," He nods

**

When she pulls open her dorm door Oliver is certain time stops.

She looks like an angel, her makeup perfect, hair flowing in curls with a small section pinned back as to see her face clearly, Oliver is certain nothing else has ever looked as beautiful. She's dressed in a golden gown that shimmers in the light and makes her look like a princess.

"You- I mean- it- you look beautiful," He stammers over his words and his face goes redder by the second but she smiles at him

"Thank you Oli," She smiles up at him and when their eyes meet both of them feel their hearts hammering in their chests.

"You ready?" He questions, she nods, smiling when he grabs her arm in his and they walk together to the hall.

The hall looks like something out of a fairytale. Seeming to glow an ice white, lined with glittering trees and a glance at the ceiling showing a sky full of stars that gleamed in the air.

"You want to dance?" Oliver questions, eyes falling to the already slightly crowded dance floor, the students dancing to the waltz that plays.

"Think you might loose a foot if we try," She admits, glancing at the girls who swirl around the floor effortlessly and feeling a little self conscious she can't do the same.

"It'd be worth it," He grins, pulling her along with him.

"Hey Oli?"

"Yeah?" He questions as they come to the edge of the dance floor

"These heels are really high. Please don't let me fall,"

"I've got you," He assures, smiling when he notices her physically loosen the panic in her eyes dissipating.

It takes them a few stumbles and a couple of toe treads but eventually they pick up the dance. He watches with a grin as she stares at her feet in focus and with time, and a few glasses of the punch Fred and George spiked, she relaxes, feeling at ease in his arms and becoming more comfortable with the slightly confusing dancing.

Oliver whispers commentary about the ball that makes her laugh and he loves the way she talks with such excitement that he can't help but follow along with every word. He's pretty sure in that moment he could die happy and she's almost certain this is the best night of her life.

As the minutes tick into hours they become more and more comfortable with each other, sure there's still an awkward teenagers with crushes layer to the conversation, but they learn they have a lot in common and find it easy to make small talk that they both actually enjoy.

"Do you wanna go get some air?" She questions at around 11, the dancing has changed from formal waltzing to jumping around to the band who'd been hired for the event and they were both hot and a little sticky from the crowd.

He nods in confirmation and smiles to himself when she immediately takes his hand in hers to pull him along behind her, she seems to have no idea he'd follow her to the ends of the earth if she asked.

She takes him to a small moonlit, snow covered, empty courtyard.

"Anyone would think you wanted to get me alone," He teases lightly, she blushes a little but playfully shoves him

"Maybe I did," She shrugs, he grins cockily "Or maybe it was a little crowded in there and I'm a polite date who didn't want to just abandon you," She isn't quite sure where her newfound confidence around Oliver is coming from

"I'm going to go with the first option," He grins, she laughs a little before shivering at the cold December breeze that wraps around them. He's quick to shrug of his black formal jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders and blushing when she leans up to press a kiss to his cheek in thanks.

"You wanna dance?" She questions, he laughs a little at the idea of leaving a ball to go and dance but nods.

Her arms wrap around his neck as his circle her waist, he hums gently and she smiles a she glances up at him. Oliver Wood looks like a god in the moonlight and she thanks her lucky stars that it's her who got to be in that moment with him.

They dance slowly, eventually pulling each other closer. She laughs when he twirls her under his arm and he grins when her hands begin to brush through the ends of his hair.

"Tell me something," She speaks quietly, his arms pulling her even closer.

"What do you wanna know?"

"Anything about you," She decides, he takes a deep breath, figuring now's probably the best moment he'll ever get to tell her this.

"I've had a crush on you since first year,"

"You have?" She sounds shocked and he can't help but laugh at the idea of her not realising he's practically head over heels for her

"I have," He confirms with a grin

"Why'd you never say anything?" She questions. Her heart feels like it's beating a million miles a minute and she's almost certain he can feel it

"You kinda avoided me," he shrugs

"Yeah I did," She laughs

"Why'd you do that?"

"I was scared to make a fool out of myself," She admits

"Yeah I get that," He nods

"You do? You always seem so- I don't know- at ease,"

"Around everyone but you I kinda am," He shrugs, she blushes a little at that. "You wanna know something else?" He questions.

They're still swaying a little but there's not much movement at their feet, instead the entire thing looks like a loving embrace and she figured to an extent it kind of was.

"Sure,"

"All night I've thinking about if I were to try and kiss you. If you'd kiss back or you'd pull away and laugh in my face and I'd have made a fool of myself," His words leave her breathless and his charming grin only makes it better

"There's only one way to know for sure," She whispers.

His lips crash to hers in the moonlit courtyard, the snow falling around them. It's slow and gentle. Holding years of emotion and there's no need to rush, in that moment they both know they have forever to hold each other this close. It's a little toothy from both their wide grins but as his hands cup her cheeks she's sure nothing has ever been as perfect as this moment and the boy she's sharing it with.

MASTERLIST

[smutandfluffohmy]

His Sweater

From: Smutandfluffohmy Pairings: George X Slytherin!reader A/N: This is written a bit weird? Uuu tell me what you think of the writing I’m trying something out. Summary: Slytherin! reader wonders around the castle and comes across George and Fred.

Read Part 2 here

I had a nightmare that night. I’m sure it was a horrible dream but I didn’t remember or perhaps I didn’t want to remember once I woke up.  The morning was not there yet but I could feel it, it was not early enough for others to be awake nor was it late enough to go back to sleep. I rose my head looking around the room hoping my roommates would for some miracle be awake; but everyone was still fast asleep. 

I got myself out of bed slipping my feet in the slippers. My pajamas bundled awkwardly around my thigh and knee, using my foot to tug it back in place. The dorms were warm but so quiet, I felt that this is what it must feel like to be the only person in the world. 

Walking out of my dorm and making my way into the common room I expected to bump into someone at any second, but I didn’t. I was the only one awake me, the kraken and the fire. 

Making my way out of the Slytherin common room I looked around the stretched out halls.I wondered who was awake at this time, why they were awake and what they were up to. Perhaps they were always early rises and they will be surprised to see me.

The usually loud halls were deadly quiet. I wonder if I’m dead, a curious thing it would be if I was because I don't remember dying.Looking around the halls, watching all the sleeping paintings that framed the tall halls. Despite walking down these halls hundreds of times they felt too big, too old and my bunny slippers felt too out of place. 

My mind started to wander, not enough that I didn't know it was wondering but enough to not keep my wits about me. 

Someone bumped into me , making me stumble backwards before a hand reached over and kept me on my feet. Looking up at who it could possibly be that bumped into me with the entire hall free. I looked up to see George Weasley’s eyes that were filled with worry and confusion as to who would be awake at this hour as if he himself wasn't awake at this hour as well.“Jesus Weasley you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“If you want I could finish off the job.” Fred sneered appearing from behind his brother.

Shooting him a glare I tried ignoring the burning spot growing where George was touching me “Haha very funny. What are you guys doing up.” I said straightening my already straight pajamas, cursing myself for wearing my green pajamas and white bunny slippers, I looked like a walking Slytherin banner.

George looked from me to his brother to my slippers before speaking “Could ask you the same thing.” he said.

“I asked first.” I retorted, scrunching my eyebrows together.

“Shame you’re outnumbered.” Fred shrugged hiding something behind his back. Technically they’re outnumbered if they would only count my bunny slippers.

Shrugging my shoulders I looked between them “Had a bad dream.”

“So you got out of bed to wonder the halls.” Fred said scrunching his nose at me.

“Your turn.” I said 

“Counting the paintings wanted to make sure they hadn’t hopped off the walls.” George said with a face splitting smile that seemed too bright and too happy for an hour when the sun wasn't even out.

“Fine I’ll just follow you two around if you’re going to be like that.” I said, maybe I’ll get another smile from George even if I had to put up with Fred.

“No.” Fred said spinning around walking in front of me, his hands still behind his back hiding water it was.

“You can’t stop me.” I answered confidently, as confidently as someone with no wand and no socks could sound.

George snickered beside me “We can.” he said. But his threat was empty, a sweet empty like an empty sweets wrapper.

Fred seemed to catch on to the tone in his brothers voice because he rolled his eyes before saying “Whatever hurry up we have lots to do, places to be”

George shifted uncomfortable besides me, Fred rhythmically tapped the thing in his hand, the silence too loud for us to ignore.I shivered from the cold and the awkwardness.

Fred laughs “Did you think Hogwarts was warm at 3am? In the winter? A bit dense aren't we.” he says stretching his arms over his head, my embarrassment spread across my face.

George broke my silent embarrassment “Don’t mind him he’s upset were awake this early.Here you can borrow my jumper” he said tugging the jumper off, messing his hair in the process. 

The color returned to my face, was it possible for someone to be attractive with bed head? Apparently it was. I just wish I realized this in a less compromising moment “Are you sure? Aren’t you going to be cold?” I said hesitant to take the offered jumper.

George smiled “I’m sure. I hardly get cold” he said putting my head through the jumper, the flappy arms hanging off my shoulders.

My thoughts left my head, I couldn't even remember what it felt like to have any. “Thank you I re-” I mustered out

Fred sighed making George and I jump, forgetting he was there at all “Barf. Can we hurry up.” He said. Putting my arms through the sweaters arms, smoothing out my hair trying to get rid of the static.

“What are you guys doing.You never said” I said speed walking trying to keep up with their long strides.

“Feeding the narwals the live around the castle I reckoned they were a bit peckish.” Fred said pointing at deep dark corners in the hallways.

“Narwhals live in the ocean.” I said, far too serious and far too matter a factly that made me wince inside.

“It doesn't matter they’re not real.” George said with a laugh tugging at his shirt collar.

“Mate...” Fred said with a mix of bemusement and a horrified look before laughing, shaking his head and continued making his way to wherever they were going.

“What?” George said looking from his brother to me, trying to figure out the punchline he felt we’ve hidden from him.

“George narwhals are real animals.” I said quietly to him.

“Oh.” George murmured his face getting as red as his hair, a task I didn't know was possible.

“Besides can’t tell you, you might go on and tell your boyfriend Malfoy.” Fred said waving me off. Now it was my turn to turn red.

“Yea can’t say we can trust a Slytherin with our plan.” George said with a hint of something in his voice and a different spring in his step.

“First of all Malfoy isn’t my boyfriend. Second I love a good laugh come on Weasleys spill.” I said, excitement running through me at the thought that I could be part of one of their pranks.

“I still don't think we can trust them.” Fred said looking over my head to talk to George.

“I don't think so either, feel like she’s a secret spy sent out.” George said pretending to whisper.

“Just tell me.” I said looking up at them, as they averted their eyes up to the ceiling. 

George let out a laugh “Slytherin and Gryffindor quidditch game today so we’re hexing Slytherins area to turn into-” he said

“Gryffindor colors.” Fred said finishing the sentence his brother had started. 

“Hmm brillant but-” I said cracking my fingers, wincing at the loud sound promptly dropping my hand.

“But?” Fred said cocking his eyebrow at me, wanting and not wanting to hear what I had to say.

George mimicked his brothers expression looking down at me “I don’t think it gets more brilliant than that.” he shrugged.

“BUT.” I said poking both of the on the arms. “What if you changed our horns to cheer for Gryffindor instead.” I said, unsure if it could work or not but I’m sure if it could be pulled off the people to come to was the Weasley twins.

“Well take it into consideration.” George said, side eyeing me perhaps sizing me up or perhaps a bit crossed he didn’t pitch the idea first. I could feel myself beam at the thought I might have possibly contributed to a great Weasley prank.

Steps echoed through the empty halls. Stiffing at the sound the three of us froze, too unsure or afraid of the volume of our own voices afraid they might come out too loud and give us all away.

“Fucking hell someones coming.” George said barely above an audible whisper but it felt like he was shouting at the top of his lungs in that moment.

“Told you they’re was a mole” Fred scoffed at his brother eyeing me with fake anger and trying to hold back a laugh. Or perhaps he was in fact a bit crossed with me.

“Shut up. Go on I’ll take care of it.” I said stepping in front of them, shooing them away to continue on. Offering myself as a sacrifice, I only wonder if I was going to be a eye rolling encounter or an after class eraser dusting sacrifice.

“I knew they weren't a mole.” George smiled from me to his brother.

“Perhaps.” Fred said dragging out his s, not believing me until I proved it.

Rolling my eyes I took a step backwards “Go on carrot tops.” I smiled up at them.

“Oi no need to come after the hair.” Fred said in moving his hands up in defense, a laugh threatening to leave his mouth and running his aloof demeanor.

“I’ll be cheering for you Wesley. Even if you don't hex the horns.” I said smiling at George, I wondered what smile wouldn't give my crush on George but it didn't matter because I couldn't see it.

“Thanks glad to see I’m finally being appreciated.” Fred said puffing his chest out pretending to throw a bludger, a faint smile spreading on your face.

“Oh guess I’ll cheer for you too carrot top. Now go hurry” I said shoving them as I started running towards the source of the sound, my bunny slippers ears bouncing in different direction with each step.

Harshly stopping, and turning around “Wait George your jumper.” I shouted, a shouted only above a whisper but still too loud.

“Give it to me later!” George whisper shouted towards me a lopsided smile on his face, a smile I don't think I’ve seen on others.

“Earth to George hurry up.” Fred said slapping his brothers arms to get his attention that I’m sure he had as soon as he said his name.George turned to his brother as they ran side by side. “I think you’re carrot top and I’m Wealsey.”

“Ha whatever makes you feel better.” George laughed shoving his brother before running towards the Quiditch field.

[yandere-daydreams]

Kinktober - Day Twelve

Prompt: Closet Sex

Pairing: Asmodeus/Reader (Obey Me)

TW: Non-Consensual Touching, Mentions of Violence/Dismemberment, Jealousy, Claustrophobia, and Unhealthy Mindsets.

“I feel like you’ve been avoiding me.”

Maybe, in another situation, you would’ve believed him. Asmodeus didn’t have a reason to lie to you, he wouldn’t lie to you. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, putting both his pride and his insecurity on display for the world to see, and even if he could be subtle, he’d never been that subtle. You must’ve missed something. There must’ve been an expression you haven’t noticed, a conversation you hadn’t caught the underlying purpose of, something you didn’t see or chose not to, without meaning to. Asmodeus wouldn’t do something like this, if you hadn’t - he wouldn’t have taken you by the wrist and dragged you to a storage closet between lectures, and he wouldn’t have locked the door behind him, after shoving you inside. It just wasn’t like him. He was never so outright.

It wasn’t like him, and yet, it was exactly the kind of thing he would do.

“I mean, I can’t put all the blame on you.” The closet was too small, too cramped. There was barely enough room for two people to stand side by side, but Asmodeus had been more than happy to drag you against his chest, an arm around your waist while the other played with the collar of your shirt, one leg bent and positioned between your knees, forcing you to be a little more dependent on his support than you would’ve liked. It was all you could do to lean against him, to keep your arms crossed and your expression stern as he went on. You weren’t claustrophobic, but anyone would’ve been uncomfortable like this, especially with someone else’s breath ghosting over their back. 

“Lucifer’s selfish, and the twins can be so clingy, don’t you think?” There was a heavy sigh, a shake of his head, leaving longer portions of his hair cascading over your shoulder. If he wanted an answer, he didn’t bother waiting for one, only going on in that labored, languid tone of his. “It’s so hard to get you alone, most days, and it’s impossible to fend the others off for very long. Sometimes, I feel like it’d be easier to cut off one of your fingers and string it around my neck. At least then, I’d have a part of you I can actually keep to myself.”

You swallowed dryly, your mind struggling to process his confession and his levity in tandem. It was so shadowy in here, too, so dark, light only spilling in from the small, almost unnoticeable crack under the door. You doubted you’d be able to see your hand, if you held it out in front of you. “Is that all you wanted to talk about?” You asked, looking for a way to appease him. Your next class was going to start soon, and the other brothers were probably getting worried. If you were being honest, you wouldn’t mind having this heart-to-heart somewhere more open, too. “You shouldn’t scare me like that,” You chuckled, doing your best to sound as unfazed as he did. “If you’re jealous, we can always--”

“I’m not jealous.” It was a hasty correction, swift but practiced, rehearsed to the point of instinct. It took you a moment to realize he’d interrupted you, and another for Asmodeus to, but he was quick to laugh it off, to peck at the corner of your jaw as he tried to find an excuse for his slip-up. “It wouldn’t make sense for me to be jealous, would it? I mean, look at me! What do they have that I don’t?” Another laugh, strained, humorless. As performative as yours had been. “It’s not like you love them more than you love me, right? That just wouldn’t make sense.”

“If something’s bothering you, you can tell me.” It was for your own sake as much as it was for his. Your heart was beating faster, now, the pervasive chill the Devildom suddenly more intense, suddenly more unbearable. It didn’t help that Asmodeus was starting to melt into you, his free hand falling, trailing past your hip before taking hold of your thigh, nimble fingers rubbing slow, deep circles into tender flesh. You didn’t want to hate it. Usually, something was wrong if Asmodeus wasn’t touching you, but this felt like a consolation prize, like an absent-minded attempt to fall into an old habit. It didn’t feel affectionate, it felt possessive. Like he was only bothering with it to remind you that he was still there, and that he wasn’t letting you go. “Don’t-- this isn’t like you, Asmo. Something’s wrong, but if you aren’t going to tell me what it is, I’m not going to pry it out of you. I just… I don’t have time mess around, right now.”

“You’d have time if it was Mammon.” You stiffened, but Asmodeus didn’t seem to care. This time, he targeted you neck, the tips of pointed fangs dipping into the space just below your jugular before pulling away, only playing with the idea of biting down. “You’ve always had a weak spot for him. Is it because he’s stubborn? No, you like Levi, too, and he’s a pushover. A strong gust of wind could probably overpower him, on a good day.” You felt your breath hitch in your throat as Asmodeus’ attention drifted, a hand working itself under your shirt. He didn’t move to do anything, but you almost wished he would. Having him rake his nails over your stomach, sharpened and talon-like but never utilized, never pushed down with any real force… At least pain would break the tension. At least pain would be something. “Or, are you running off to meet Satan? I wouldn’t blame you, he’s so ambitious, and so strong, too. Strong enough to take my place as a fucking newborn--”

There was a high-pitched yelp, a stifled curse as he bit down on the side of his tongue, forcing himself to stop before he said something too treacherous. Instead, he buried his face in the dip of your shoulder, mumbling a string of garbled, incoherent profanities as he pulled you closer, as he pressed down on your chest so tightly, you had to wonder if he was trying to restrain you or suffocate you. “Let me go.” You were past the point of trying to talk him down, past the point of wanting to. “You’re being… you’re being weird. I don’t know if I can--”

You didn’t get a chance to finish, this time. Abruptly, tortuously, he teeth clamped down around the crook of your neck, a soft palm shooting up to cover your mouth as you tried to scream. You took it back - the pain wasn’t better. It was searing, burning, as bright and as blinding as the deep, jagged gashes he clawed into your stomach, as awful as he feeling of his hauling you against him, his chest heaving against your back. “You’re not going anywhere,” He growled, his composure shattering, splitting apart in the blink of an eye, in the space between one second and another. Fracturing like a pane of glass, already weathered by the elements.

Like the confidence of a man who’d had one too many hits to ego, and had long since started taking them to heart.

“I finally got you alone. I’m not letting go until I get everything I deserve.”

[pixieungerstories]

Quarantine - 4

Nick had changed his tactics.  Now, instead of growling, howling and creepy laughter, he whispered.  It was like living in an ASMR app.  Somehow the lights were always dim and Nick was occasionally purring sweet nothings in my ear.

Someone came to inspect the wine.  They had questions I could not answer, I parroted back the approved line that Nick was the one selling and they would need to call or email him.

A week later, someone came and took away a box that Nick had packed and there was a hell of a lot of money in my bank account.

Which was just as well, I had my hours further reduced.

I lay in bed that night staring at the ceiling and listening to Nick whispering about how he was planning how to spend the wine money on the house.

I was dancing around asking if I could use some of it to cover my living expenses.   He wasn’t getting the hint.  I realized that was very nearly fair.  He had been very clear he was here for the house not for me.  It had been his wine.  Of course, I was the one who had the income from the wine sale to claim on my taxes.

“Nick?  Would you pay me to paint the place?”

That made him stop.

“And why would I do that?” he breathed against my cheek, making me shiver.

“I have no idea how long I will be without work and I’m afraid of running out of money,” I admitted.  “And of having strangers coming in, possibly bringing the infection with them.  We don’t know if people can get Covid twice.”

He didn’t reply.  In fact, there was no sign of him for the better part of a week.  That was a whole other level of creepy.  The house just felt empty.  There was no one to talk to and I hadn’t realized how often Nick would brush past me until that stopped.

I was soaking in the tub on Saturday night, wishing for a glass or wine or a beer.  There was still wine in the basement, but it was all the stuff Nick was saving for a special collector.  It had come as a surprise when the wine appraiser said that I had drunk a twelve hundred dollar bottle of wine out of my coffee cup the last time I had cracked one open.

No, the wine was wasted on me and deliveries from the liquor stores were booked for weeks if I wanted to schedule a delivery.

The lights flickered.

“Nick?” I asked.  There wasn’t any reply.  I pulled the plug with my toes and climbed out of the tub.  I had been avoiding the second floor of the house as much as I could but it was where the tub and shower were.  The lights flickered again.   There was a huge crash of thunder signaling the start of a summer storm, then the lights went out and the rain started.

“Shit.”  OK, I told myself, no need to panic.  It’s just a storm. I am just trapped in pitch blackness, in a storm, while naked and I have to not trip over my clothes and make it safely down steep and narrow steps by memory.  The thunder rolled again, a huge almost double crash that had to be really close.  My feet were wet and the tile was slippery.

“Nick?”  I tried.  “I could use a little help here.”  I bit back a scream as the bathroom door creaked open.  “Nick?”  I whispered.

I shrieked when something brushed my hand then tried to relax as I realized it was a towel.  I wrapped up and tried to feel ahead of me with my feet as I inched my way towards the door.

That familiar low voice growled in my ear, “it would be safer if I carried you down the stairs.”

I swallowed, then nodded.  I was scooped up and cradled.  There was no real sensation of movement until I was placed on my feet and he guided my hand to what turned out to be my bed.  Then he was gone.  The room was briefly lit by lightning and I swore for a moment I could see him standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  The thunder followed in an instant rattling the whole house.  I was glad I had gotten the roof fixed.  

Looking toward the front window, it looked like the street lights were out too.

I hate storms.  Objectively, I know that I don’t have to be afraid, but storms completely bypass the objective part of my brain and reach right into my fear response.  I sat on the bed, shaking with fear in a way that I hadn’t felt since Nick tried to lock me in the bedroom.

“Lift up your hand,” he whispered, near enough to make me jump.  “I can’t turn on your hedgehog night light but I can hand it to you.”

I tentatively held up my hand and he didn’t so much pass me the light as drop it into my hand.  I fumbled for a moment before finding the right place to press to make it light up.  It didn’t really help, but I slid back across the bed until I bumped into the wall and sat clutching it anyway.

“You are very afraid,” he observed calmly from somewhere to my left.

“I’m trapped in a haunted house, during a storm and I am only wearing a towel.  This is where the sound track plays the creepy music and the audience tenses up in anticipation of my imminent death.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment, so that when he did speak, I made an undignified squeak and jumped.

“You can’t see me bring you clothes.”

“What?”

“I can’t bring you your clothes unless you turn off the light.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t see me.”

I thought about arguing about whether it was that I physically couldn’t see him or if he just didn’t want to be seen.  Still, I had trusted him to carry me down the stairs.

I turned off the light and fought not to hyperventilate.  My robe was placed in my lap a moment later.  That raised more questions.  If I turned on the light to get dressed did that make it easier or harder for him to see me.  Was the dinky little nightlight really going to keep him away in the storm?

I turned it back on and looked wildly around the room as it cast strange shadows.

“I used to like that,” he murmured.  “The taste of fear.  Its smell.  All the little noise that humans make when they are afraid and trying to be quiet.”  He paused and there was a moment of uncomfortable lack of talking filled with the sound of howling wind and driving rain.  “I have never lived with one of you this long before.  Your fear is different.  You become afraid at times when I am unable to see the threat.”

“Like now,” I mumbled, as I scrambled into my clothes.

“No.  This fear I can understand.  Primal fear is very familiar to me.  It’s my bread and butter, so to speak.  You are afraid of when I am here and when I don’t answer and you are afraid of your job.”

I stopped for a moment and tried to understand that last one. “I am afraid for my job,” I countered.  “If I can’t work, I don’t earn money.  Without money, I can’t pay my bills.  If I fall behind in my payments, the bank repossesses the house and this is an even more shitty time to be homeless than usual.”

“Hmmm.”

I shivered and tried to pull the blankets around me.

“You can lay down,” he suggested.  “You would be warmer and more comfortable.”

“It would be easier if I could see you,” I muttered.

Nick snorted, “No it wouldn’t.”  The wall where his voice was coming from got darker, then a swirling shadow detached itself from the wall and drifted towards me.  It was vaguely humanoid but with soft wavering edges like ink dropped into water.  His eyes still shone in the darkness.  

“That’s a little scary,” I whispered “but I could get used to it.”  Then he grinned showing entirely too many teeth and I started to doubt my words.   The way he stalked towards me wasn’t entirely comforting either.  The bed dipped under his weight and I found myself pulled into his lap.  It was the first physical contact I had since he left.  It was weird to realize that he was the only other person to have touched me in months.  I tried to relax against him, he was warm and dry. 

I couldn’t hear a heartbeat.  It was weird.  “You could rub my back, if you want.  It was nice the last time you did that.”

Nick gave a low chuckle, then he began stroking me.  We sat like that in the storm until the wind died down and I drifted off to the sound of the rain.

[laurie-stark]

Bags

(not my gif)

Summary: After another duffle bag of supplies washes up on shore, the girls realize that they’re going to be stuck here for a while. Episode six rewrite. 3.0k words. 

Pairings: Toni Shalifoe x fem!reader 

Warnings: Swearing, throwing up

A/N: Okay listen I just wanted Toni fanfic but no one was writing it so here you go. Also I really tried too hard to get the bed sharing trope LEAVE ME ALONE I LIKE IT PSLFDLJ (this is your reminder to turn on Interactivefics xx) oh and also theres a bit in here thats heavily inspired by @ drewstarkeys Toni fic which you all should go read asap its amazing. 

This was weird. It was really fucking weird. It had only been four days since we found Jannette’s grave empty. Four days since we found a clean water source. The longer we stayed on this god forsaken island, the more it felt like we were never getting off. And now another round of duffle bags have shown up. You know, as crazy as I think she is sometimes, Leah’s starting to have a point. Something is way off about this place. 

Nora and Rachel were the ones who spotted the bags. They washed up on the rocky side of the beach, covered in weeds. Dot was hoping for some more food, maybe more medicine if we were lucky. But to all our confusion, all the bags contained were blankets and pillows. Ten pillows and five blankets, Dot so cheerfully announced. My first red flag was that the insides were completely dry. I didn’t want to say anything though. I was sure there was a reason for this.

“There’s enough shit here for us to double up,” Dot told us while Nora and I laid out the makeshift beds. “Except for one person who gets to sleep alone.” 

“Well that’s not fair, why does one person get a bed all to herself?” Rachel asked, standing up defensively. 

I rose to my feet as well. “Why don’t we rotate it?” I suggested, hoping to relieve some of the tension. “W-with our off days. That way whoever’s off can have an extra good night’s sleep before they have to work again?” The girls all nodded their heads and mumbled words of agreement. Rachel sat back down on her log. 

“Great idea y/n. So who’s bunking with who?” Dot asked. Rachel and Nora instinctively reached out for each other. Beside me, Toni looked to Martha. Martha gave Toni a weary look before reaching a hand out in the opposite direction. Towards Shelby. Even I had to stop myself from dropping my jaw. 

Fatin gleefully agreed to pair with her “new bestie for the restie,” Dot. That left myself, Toni and Leah. I glanced between them. Leah was avoiding my eye and Toni...Toni just looked mad. It’s not that I don’t like Leah, I just don’t know her. Not that I know Toni any better, but at least Toni hasn’t gone batshit crazy more than once. On the other hand though, I didn’t find Leah unbelievably beautiful the way I did with Toni. And Toni would never want to bunk with me anyway. I crossed my arms, not doing a very good job at hiding my uncomfortableness. I was about to open my mouth to ask Leah to share when Toni called my name. 

“Y/n,” I turned to face her, eyes wide. “You’re with me?” I nod and swallow hard. Fuck. 

The sun was getting lower and lower in the sky, just like our food supply. Rachel offered to go foraging for something meatier in the morning, so at least I could look forward to that.

I shuffled under the blanket Toni and I shared. “Sorry you got stuck with me,” I whispered. “I can go sleep with Shelby if you want, so you can be with Marty?” 

“Nah,” Toni shook her head. “I don’t mind. Besides, I don’t really think Marty wants anything to do with me right now.” I didn’t know what to say. I felt bad for her. A lifetime’s worth of friendship thrown out of the plane. Literally. 

I wondered if anyone else was awake. The light from the fire was enough to see everyone’s feet but that’s about it. I still wasn’t accustomed to how dark it got at night. I was limited to just my hearing after the sun went down. I would try not to listen though. The more you listen, the more you realized how we definitely were not alone out there. Focusing on Toni’s breathing beside me was enough to keep me sane.

Couldn’t say the same for Leah though. She sat straight up and I thought she got bit by a crab or something. 

“Does anyone else think that this is crazy?” She asked us.

Fatin groaned. “Leah, we got into a plane crash. Is that not enough crazy for you?” 

“No seriously Fatin, what the fuck is going on?”

“What are you talking about,” Dot sat up. 

“I mean these,” Leah held up a fist full of her blanket. “Where did they come from? Do none of you think that something’s up?” 

I pushed myself upright. “I’m starting to agree with Leah.”

“Oh God, not you too,” Dot flopped back down onto her back. 

“No, think about it,” I started. “A bag with medicine just happens to show up? And then we find Jannette’s grave empty!? And now these duffles appear with nine peoples worth of blankets and shit? Who brings that to a resort retreat? That’s weird. It’s really fucking weird.” Everyone was sitting up at this point, staring at me. “I didn’t say anything when we opened them, but these things were dry. Everything bone dry. Rachel and Nora found the bags on the shore, like they were washed up. They should have been soaking. Hell, they should have sunk!” I took a shaky breath in. “Every day we stay here the more it feels like we’re not leaving. It’s like someone wants us to stay here. I know I sound crazy but come on!”

“Y/n...” 

“We don’t even remember the crash!”

“We all blacked out.”

“That’s not how plane crashes work though!” I realized how loud I had gotten. I noticed how Nora was sitting, hugging her knees tight. Shelby’s face was pale, even in the orange glow from the fire. I closed my eyes. “This isn’t my first crash.” I kept my eyes shut. I didn’t need to see their faces while I told this story. “I got into another one like eight or nine years ago. The engines broke and we crashed in a forest somewhere near Chicago. And I remember it all. I remember the engines failing, and the plane falling and the back coming off when we hit the trees. I didn’t black out until I was on the ground. So yeah, I think something is fucking off. This isn’t right, none of this is right! We shouldn’t be here, we shouldn’t-” 

I started to choke on my own words. I think I was starting to throw myself into a frenzy. Something grabbed at my hand. It was Toni. She looked me in the eyes. There was something in her gaze that told me I was safe. Told me to calm down.

“Okay,” Dot said slowly. “I think we’re all starting to lose it a little bit Y/n. And no sleep isn’t gonna help. Let’s all try to get some shut eye, yeah?”

I nodded profusely and flipped onto my side, embarrassed now from that outburst. I guess I didn’t realize how far off the rails I’d been slipping. Silently, I started to cry.

I tried to stay as far away from Toni as possible. With my back to her, I figured that my crying could be somewhat camouflaged. I was very wrong.

“Hey,” Toni murmured. When I didn’t respond, she tugged on my shoulder to roll me over. I quickly wiped the tears off my cheeks. I couldn’t look at her directly. Her gaze softened. I realized then how close we were. Even in pitch darkness, I could still make out the outline of her face, her cheeks, her nose, her lips- I prayed she couldn’t hear how loud my heart was thumping. Toni reached a hand out and brushed another tear away. Had I started crying again? Jesus I was so far gone. “I know how you feel. I wanna get out of here too.’ I said nothing.

Toni moved to create some more space and put her arm out. I looked at her, questioning, though I doubt she could see my face. “Come here,” she said quietly. “I heard what you told us yesterday, about what your mom says? Sometimes you just need a hug.” I nearly started crying again right there. Slowly, I squirmed closer until my body was curled into hers. I smiled inwards. Besides the fact that my heart was trying to beat right out of my chest, I felt better. We both drifted off soon after.

 I woke up to the sun shining way too bright and the sound of…snickering? I opened my eyes and tried not to get totally blinded by the light. I looked up to see Nora, Fatin and Dot standing over me, all chuckling.

“What?” I mumbled. I must have woken Toni up because she started moving underneath me.

Oh.

That’s why they were laughing.

I had fallen asleep curled into Toni’s side and woken up completely entangled with her. It wasn’t a one-sided thing either, she was holding on to me for dear life. What. The. fuck. I jolted upright, maybe a little too fast because the three girls around us started to laugh more.

“Good morning love birds,” Fatin cooed.

“Shut up,” Toni said, using a hand to shield her eyes. “We were conserving heat.”

“Yeah, what she said,” I smiled. “Is it breakfast already?”

“Not quite,” Dot shrugged. “Martha and Shelby are still getting some berries and shit.”

“Oh well in that case I’m going back to bed,” Toni grunted, rolling over. Her and I were on water duty today, so technically we had no need to be up before breakfast anyway. Dot and the girls made their way back to the fire. I was half awake though. Might as well start the day early too. Except that Toni seemed to have other plans.

Before I had the chance to get up Toni was tugging at my arm, silently asking me to come lay down. I gave in immediately. “Come keep me warm,” she mumbled. And so I did. As I laid my head down onto her chest, I noticed Shelby looking at us. She turned away when she met my gaze, but there was something behind her eyes. Disgust. Great, just what we needed. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with a fucking homophobe.

“Do you think Shelby is homophobic,” I asked lowly.

“I dunno, maybe? Why?”

“No reason, I just….That would be pretty awkward if she was.”

“Yeah…”

 Nora woke me up a second time that day for breakfast. We ate in silence like we had done for the last few days. Food was running short and we were getting antsy. Toni and I broke away from the group after we ate with half of Fatin’s luggage bag. We trekked up and through the forest towards the waterfall. Neither of us said a word the whole trip. I was starting to overthink. Like, heavily overthink. In normal circumstances, overthinking might be appropriate. The night before was…not normal. But these were not ordinary circumstances. The middle of nowhere is probably the best place to have not normal and still be fine. Whatever. Right? Was it weird? Does she think I’m some weird crybaby now? Was that just a pity hug? Am I going absolutely crazy for no reason?

I’d gotten so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn’t even notice we’d arrived back at camp. As Toni and I got to work, filling bottles to boil, Rachel was shouting from the top of a cliff. She was holding up a sack of something, I couldn’t quite make it out.

“Who’s ready to fucking feast?”

Mussels. Rachel found mussels. Now, I’d never been one for survival training but the one thing I knew was that seafood was a no.

“I really don’t mean to be a bubble burster, it’s just that seafood can be really dangerous,” I explained. Rachel looked like she wanted to take my head off. “And we do not have the vicinities to properly prepare these.”

“So what, you’re saying I’m trying to poison all of us?” Rachel challenged.

“No! No, no, not at all Rach. This was a great find, you did good.” I smiled wearily. “All I’m saying is that maybe someone should sit this one out, you know? Just in case. If we’re all sick then we’ve got no chance.”

“Great then who’s gonna be the starving one?”

“I don’t mind. I got berries.”

 Turns out Shelby wouldn’t eat either. An allergy, I think she said. It felt good to see everyone this happy. Leah was genuinely smiling, Dot seemed a little less stressed. For a second it felt like we were actually on the retreat we were supposed to be on. Toni started to make out with her mussels. Or…well you know, with them. We all found it hilarious. Except for Shelby...

“Fuck you.” And with that Toni was off, running down the beach. I myself was on the brink of tears. Some churches man…they’ll brainwash even the best of 'em. I stared at the sand, not sure where to go. I wanted to chase after Toni, I wanted to stay right here and hide in the sand. The rest of the girls had gone quiet too.

“What?” Shelby asked. “Am I not allowed to have my own beliefs?”

“Not those ones,” I spat. I pushed myself up and jogged around the bend.

I saw Toni near the shoreline. She had her feet in the water. Cautiously, I crept up behind her. I didn’t want to startle her. “You good?”

Toni turned and her stance signaled she was ready for a fight. Her shoulders relaxed when she realized it was just me. “Yeah. No. Whatever, I just need a break from barbie bitch.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” I chuckled. “Will you though? Be okay?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.” She looked back out at the sea.

“G-good. Okay, I, uh…good, I’m glad,” I was muttering. I mutter when I’m nervous. Avoiding eye contact, all that fun stuff.

“Why are you so nervous?” Shit. So she did notice. “I mean you’re chill around everyone else but you get all twitchy around me. What’s with that?” She paused and her face fell a bit. “Do I scare you?”

“Oh god no,” I grasped her hand. “No I promise Toni, I’m not scared of you.”

“Then what?”

I look down at my toes. “I-I um…you-“ I swallow hard. “You’re pretty.”

She didn’t say anything and I was about ready to jump into the ocean and never come back. And then she laughed. She fucking laughed! Oh my god I was going to cry. I felt like I had just been publicly rejected in middle school all over again.

“That was cute,” Toni said, still chuckling a bit. I looked her dead in the eyes and she wasn’t kidding.

“Okay, I’m gonna go back now.” I turned on my heel and started walking back, very briskly might I add. I could not believe that just happened. 

“Yeah me too-“Toni cut herself off and started heaving. I looked back. Toni was throwing up her entire stomach and then some. I rushed to her side, brushing the hair from her face. In the distance, I could see Rachel throwing up too. Oh Jesus Christ.

Shelby and I spent the rest of the day running from girl to girl, holding hair and passing out water. It was one huge haze of running back and forth, trying to make sure no one died. I knew that the mussels were a bad idea. God, how could I be so stupid? This was all my fault. Once Dot resurfaced from the dead, she took charge. Leah was sent to go find the medical bag while Dot and I boiled more water. She had me look over Toni and Marty while she took after the twins.

Toni was not good. By the time I got back to her, she was practically lifeless. Fatin was trying to get her to drink some canned water but it wasn’t working. Matha, who was equally unwell sat by idly, crying into her can of water and trying not to throw up again. I pulled Toni off of Fatin and into my lap, trying to get her to drink the water from my bottle. She kept turning her head away or pushing my hand. I pulled her closer and upright with one arm and got Fatin to hold her face in one place.

“Drink,” I told her. She couldn’t even speak but she shook her head. “Toni, drink. Please. You need to rehydrate for me okay?” I got her to drink a little, but she just couldn’t swallow. Martha started crying at some point. Luckily, Leah made it back with the medicine. 

Trying to fight Toni into taking the pill was not working Especially not when everyone started crowding and screaming at myself and Dot. Shelby crouched to our level and took the pill from Dot. This only made things worse. No way in hell was Toni ever going to accept anything from Shelby. But blondie wasn’t going down without a fight. In one motion, she’d shoved me out of the way and climbed on top of Toni, dropping the pill into her mouth and forcing her to swallow. 

 Night fell and everyone was exhausted. Toni hadn’t woken up since Shelby drugged her and honestly I was getting a little worried she died in her sleep or something. Martha wasn’t looking too hot either. She’d broken into a sweat despite the cold of the night. Everyone else is tucked into their respective beds, dead silent. The cold night air made it easier to relax. After a day like today all i wanted to do was curl up next to Toni and never wake up. 

Beside me, Toni started to stir. The weight I’d been carrying finally lifted off my shoulders. “Toni?”, I chimed. “Are you alive?”

“No,” she grumbled as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. I didn’t give her a moment more to readjust to life before I tackled her in a hug.

“Oh my god, you’re okay.” She laughed at me again, but this time I didn’t mind. Cause she wasn’t dead. Or close to dying. I pulled her back down on top of me. She fell asleep again in my arms. I smiled down at her. Once again, there was a moment where I wasn’t in living hell. It was just me and Toni. Somewhere safe. And warm, preferably. Everything was going to be okay.

 And then Marty dropped dead.

[amindofstone]

Match up, No. 9

@starlightbydaybright hat gefragt:

Hello! Saw you were taking match-ups and I was wondering if I could request one. Only done one before for another fandom, and I was wondering who I’d align with for One Piece ^^

I'm an INFP and generally an introvert, finding it difficult to express myself when I'm around people I'm unfamiliar with or just not close to. I can be both quiet and shy; quiet when I have no interest in making good impression on that person (a stranger I'll see once and never again) and shy when I'm genuinely trying to make myself acceptable to them. But, I do trust easily, so it's not hard to get close enough with me that I'll open up about almost everything, so long as they understand have my boundaries (that'll shift depending on how close). I'm also very affectionate with people I'm close with, particularly through physical touch, since I've been pretty touch starved. If you're close friends with me, you can find me constantly looking for a hug, but I can respect boundaries since not everyone enjoys contact.

The situation would be a bit different romance wise, since I’d revert a bit back to my introverted side, but also very affection-seeking at the same time. I say affection seeking as in I’d crave time and activities spent together with them, but I’d be afraid to ask/initiate, at least during the early beginnings of the relationship. I’d be constantly seeking affirmation of their love, and since I’ve never been in a relationship before (but desperately wanted one), they’d be constantly receiving my love too ❤️

While being an introvert in reality, I find it much easier to speak with confidence online. as I actually have time to contemplate what I can say. It's when I'm either with close friends or on the internet, that I can go on passionate endless rants or show my passive aggressive side. I'm usually pacifist, but if something irks me enough, I can and will pitch in snide/sarcastic remark or two, or if it's more serious; I will write out whole sophisticated and well worded paragraph that'd sound all polite with a hidden snarky tone.

I'm pretty much a hopeless romantic, so there's lot of couple things I want to try when I find someone. Back hugs, bridal carry, tickle fights, you name it. While I do enjoy these displays of affection (comes with the happy kind of embarrassment aka. I feel embarrassed that others sees it but I’m happy because I know they’re not doing it out of maliciousness and because they truly love me), small gestures are appreciated too; a gentle squeeze of the hand, a passing smile, etc.

As for hobbies, I enjoy reading, writing, (occasionally) drawing, but most of all; probably singing. I enjoy a wide variety of songs, depending on what mood I'm in, but I particularly like songs about love. Looking for someone to sing the duet love songs with me, doesn't matter how good or bad they are at singing. They can be tone deaf for all I care, it's the thought that matters 😊

I'm very emotionally sensitive, and can both laugh and cry easily. A random stranger online wished me good day? I'll be in good mood for awhile. Watched a 'mildly' sad movie? (Extra emphasis on mildly) I better have new box of tissue on the side just in case. It'd be nice to have someone that can either comfort me or at least tolerate my emotions, so I wouldn't be irking them 😞

I don't really have a type when looking for significant other but being an INFP does make the romance thing complicated. It'd be nice to have someone that's far along on the extroverted side (just not happy go lucky and can be serious) since, despite being introverted, I like to experience new things. I'm just too afraid to try alone and prefer it if someone else recommends it first. Someone to prompt me and nudge me to do something, but won’t take it too far if I really looked uncomfortable. (I’m also a procrastinator so they gotta find out the right ratio between pushing vs. taking it too far 😅) In relationship, I'd value trust and loyalty the most, since both are important in keeping the healthy relationship. If both sides could equally trust and be trusted, then there wouldn't be place for insecurity or fear. This ties in with another part of me being an INFP; I want a relationship that lasts forever. While it's weird to decide how long lasting the love will be early in the relationship, I don't think I can fully commit myself to someone, knowing that it'll end (through the other side falling out of love with me, finding interest in someone else, etc.) (natural causes like death are fine, even though I will still be sad 🥲)

As for appearance, I’m a 5”4 female with slightly wavy black hair that reach nearly to my waist. I don’t think I’m particularly short, but then again, every anime character seems to be straight up giants XD (Man, I was born with the wrong genes) I’m overall very plain, with black hair, brown eyes, but I’ve always been told I had pretty long eyelashes and big bright eyes. Average weight for my height, and flat chested :’)

As for the preference for gender, I’m mainly attracted to guys. I had some (very few) crushes on a small selection of female anime characters, but that were very rare, like 3, compared to my (insert large number) male crushes

Thank you in advance and sorry for how long this is 😔

P.s. I feel like I need to emphasize I’m still an introvert, since the personality I described is only limited to my very small friend group

a/n:

Hey there? How are you doing? Thank you so much for requesting. First off I should be apologizing for making you wait so long. I hope you´re not mad at me but lately there is a lot happening in my life. In my private life but also in my college life. But let´s put that aside and get to your request.

I have to thank you for the detailed info about you because that helped me to choose a match up for you so much. Like I instantly could think of someone. Not only did it help me to match you up with someone but also to come up with a plot. So I came up with this little imagine/hedcanon… I really don´t know what to call my work for the imaginies so I go with work. XD Anyways I really don´t know what to do at this point. Your request and your personality gave me such a good idea for a plot that I tried my best to keep it short because I decided to turn this request and my ideas and thoughts that are flying around in my mind to an actual FANFICTION! AHHHHHHHH. I can´t stop thinking about it. The idea sounds so damn good in my head that it makes me smile like an idiot right now! Uff I can´t wait to find time writing it down. AHAHH, but I fear that I already gave aways so much with this!!!! *pouts Doesn´t matter I´ll do it anyways. AHHHHHHHHHHH Thank you so damn much for requesting!

Anyways! Back to my work now. If there is anything that bothers you or you simply hate please make sure to tell me so I can change it and give you whatever you´d like. Other than that happy reading my dear!

Match up rules can be found HERE.

Warning(s): Maybe grammatical or spelling mistakes since English is my third language and I´m still improving in every aspect (Please have mercy on that.)

!!! Please do not steal my idea or work. Credit me if this is shared or published in any other platform or any other way. Please respect me as the writer and my work. Picture is not mine. Credits to: I sadly don't know. Please tell me of you know so I can give credits. Thank you in advance. !!!

· I decided to pair you up with KILLER

· Like am I the only person that thinks that he is not getting the screen time and appreciation he deserves? Because that is the damn case! ODA GIVE THIS MAN THE LOVE AND APPRECIATION HE DESERVES. And while we´re at it I wouldn´t mind if I would get a bit more of Eustass Kid too… Thank you in advance. <3

· But that’s not the point. Please dear requesting beautiful human being give this man and me, your hopelessly dreamy author a chance. Thank you, I really appreciate. <3

· aNyWaYssssS.

+

· “y/n? Are you still awake?”, asked the blond man softly. “No worries I won´t make you carry me to bed again.”, you said with a giggle. You couldn´t see his face but you knew that he was smiling. “I don´t mind that you know? I like having you close to me without having to fear to see you hid under the blanket for who knows how long.”, you rolled you eyes and hit his arms. “That only happened because that idiot captain of yours annoyed the hell out of me. That was embarrassing Killer.”, you slowly put one leg over the railing and then the next one. Making sure you don´t fall down the ship. “What happened? Didn´t you drag me out our cabin to watch the stars?”, asked the muscular man who held you close to him while making sure you didn´t fell. “I did but now I´d like to look at something different. Something even more beautiful. Something that gives me warmth and happiness. Something that keeps me alive and always makes sure I am doing fine.”, talking to the blond pirate while sitting at the railing was one of the rare moments you were close to an eye level with him. “You mean my mask?”, asked the man with a tiled head that got you to roll your eyes and hit his chest. “Great you destroyed the sweet moment. I hate you. Make a step back so I can get down. I want to go back to bed and drown in regret of dating you.”, you tried to push him away but he was obviously stronger and threw you over his shoulder. “Of course you hate me. That was also the exact same thing you were moaning a while ago. Let´s go back to bed nerd.”

· As sweet and loving your relationship was now with the pirate it also started like that. Wanna know how? Alright let me get comfortable in my bed and get started. Story TIIMMMEEEE!!!

· An island well known for their universities and scientist. An island full of top ranked doctors.

· Physics, chemistry, biology, astrology was well thaught in the schools of the island. An island well known around the world. An island ruled by a powerful devil fruit user.

· An island in which every civilian had a talent in another field. And you? You sadly had an impressive talent for languages.

· Why sadly you wonder? Well the amount of times you had to run for your dear life because some pirates could come and kidnap you and make you read the poneglyphs is immense.

· Once even the infamous Red haired Shanks came and asked you with the hope to have someone who could read them. But sadly you couldn´t. You told him that you were done with pirates coming for you or your best friends. You regretted learning all of that and hated yourself for that. Shanks and Beckman to whom your were talking to really felt bad for you and claimed the island as their territory after they had a chat with ruler and made a deal.

· That was that saved you and your friends for years and made you happy. You were thankful to the red hair pirates and always treated them with meals and drinks when they came visiting the island. You were happy for 5 years. 5 years until these stupid reckless pirates came.

· And now? Now you hated yourself all over again

· You knew that not every pirate was like the red hair pirates. Nice and respectful. They didn´t kill innocent people and destroyed civilizations only to get some gold and diamonds. But these? These were horrible. Cold and cruel.

· “Someone make this btch talk otherwise I´ll do it by cutting her into pieces only stropping when IT actually starts to answer my god damn questions!”, screamed a tall and guy with red hair.

· You were scared. Tied on a mast on their ship, you feared for your life. Screaming for help was not an option since you were already on the sea since a while now.

· The man that was yelling at you none stop was now holding a blond man with a mask at his collar and growling at him. The man might have a mask on but you somehow had the feeling that he was talking to the man with the red fur coat. “Clear the deck! NOW!!”; yelled the man before he left inside the ship. Slowly every man on deck was leaving you alone. You wanted to ask them were or why the left but you knew that they wouldn´t give you an answer. You were a prisoner. A captive. A pathetic human they took on board. With the last pirate leaving you behind, a door that was located behind the mast you were tied on closed while the need to cry grew inside of you. How long am I here by now? One hour? Two or three? Was anyone missing me back at home? Were they already looking for me? Thoughts that occupied your mind were blurring your vision. You were looking right in front of you but also not. Your eyes were wide open but your vision was back at home. Home were you belonged.

· “Hey. Hey can you hear me? Hey you alright, woman? Hello?”, a man was squatting in front of you and waving with his hands in front of your face. You were deeply lost in your thoughts that you neither heard him coming nor saw him sitting right in front of you.

· But the moment he touched you tight you screamed and got back to reality. “Please don´t touch me. Please don´t hurt me. Please I beg you. Please.”, fear was written all over your face. You saw yourself death with a huge puddle of your blood. “Alright I won´t touch you. It´s just that I´ve been sitting in front of you for 5 minutes now and the only thing you did was breath and say no. Anyways here is something to drink. You´ve been her for four hours now. Half of the time unconscious and the other one either basically mute or in a trance.”, the guy in front of you was the same one who got the mad man to leave and clear the deck. It made you wonder who he was that he had such a power but you didn´t dare to ask. “Here I hold it for you and you drink.”, the glass was put on your lips and you drank. You didn´t knew how thirsty you were until your lungs were wetted by the water. Finished drinking he put a blanket over your legs since the position your were in didn´t allow you to cover yourself properly. And the fact that you were wearing a dress wasn´t helping at all.

· “Alright. You had something to drink I got you a blanket now tell me are you able to talk to me and answer my questions?”, you nodded. “Good. Now listen to me. There is this language that is called Krisanasy. As far as I know there is a tiny amount of people who are able to speak that and you are one of these. Am I right?”, you nodded. “How well are you in it?”, you gulped and looked at the man with the mask “I know the most important basics. I remember basic grammar rules and a good amount of vocabulary but I´m not that good in it. I didn´t worked with anything that included this language since years now.”, the masked man nodded and fully sat down now. “Would you be able to get back in it if you had some books and scripts to work with?”, slowly you understood where this was supposed to lead. You knew that if you said yes they would keep you as their prisoner and make your work for them. And if they had everything they would kill you because there would be no more use for you. But if you said no now and refused to talk to him he would probably also kill you. You were in a dilemma. You didn´t wanted to die but also didn´t wanted to die after you helped them. They were criminals. Feared and hated by the government and any human around the world. You looked down on your lap and let your head fall forward so your long black hair covered your face. “Hey I asked you something. Would you be able to do that?”, his voice was deep and rough but in the same time soft and gentle. That irritated you. it make you realize that him being nice to you now was just a way to get under your skin and make you do whatever they wanted. And then they simply would kill you in the most brutal and cruel way. “Hey, woman. Are you listening?”, you felt helpless. “I don´t want to die. Please let me go. Please. I beg you. Please.”, tears were streaming down you cheeks you couldn´t hold back anymore. He came closer and lifted you face. “Listen here you are a smart woman. Stop crying for fcks sake. If I would be you I would have made these pirates work for me. Use your damn brain and stop crying. Do you really think anyone in here would kill you? Heck no! They need your help. They need your brain because all of them are basically stupid. Like damn I need you to answer all of my questions before my captain with anger issues comes and beats the sht out of me. Now answer me woman. Are you able to get back in it if we got you some scripts to work on?”, you nodded while more tears streamed down you cheeks. You felt pathetic. You felt worthless and used. Helping them would turn you into a criminal too and ruin everything you worked on. Everything the emperor did for you and the island would be wasted. “See wasn’t that hard to answer.”

· The questioning went on for a while you didn´t know for how long but you knew that a long time passed since the sun stared to set. “Alright. Now I give you two options. One, stay here. Tied up on the mast no matter what kind of weather we face. Two you swear to obey me no matter what kind of order I give you and you will be able to sleep on a bed. You will get food and tomorrow you will start working on the scripts we give you. You choose.”, with your head hung lowly you said number two and instantly got released from the chains and handcuffs. He helped you stand up and covered you in the blanket before he led you into his cabin. “Wait here. Sit there and don´t do anything stupid as long as I´m not here. If you do anything stupid I won´t be able to help you. Got it?”, he didn´t even wait until you answered or gave any reaction he simply left and closed the door after him. So you waited while sitting with a lowly hung head. Minutes passed and he came back. “Your clothes are dirty. The bathroom is empty so you can take a bath or shower. Anything you want but I´ll be in the room with you. Because of one I have to make sure no one is coming in and secondly to watch over you and make sure you don´t do anything stupid. Got it. Fine. Take this towel and these clothes. We don´t have any female crewmates so you have to be wearing with my clothes until we dock on another island and you get to buy clothes.”

· The man with the mask took care of you for the rest of the day. He took you to shower and gave you fresh clothes. You had dinner with him alone in the kitchen when no one was around and got back to sleep. And no matter what you did he made sure to keep a respectful distance towards you. Whenever he had to come closer or touch you to take care of your wounds he would warn you. The day kept going like that. Nothing else was said about the following days and the thing they wanted you for. Only necessary things were said that were needed at the moment. And you only gave short replays or only answered with a head movement.

· Slowly the day passed by and the night took over with the moon putting the world alight. You were back in his cabin with him sitting on an armchair and you lying in bed sleeping with one hand tied up on the bed.

[unmanageable-day]

Come to me

PART 26.75 - next

masterlist / previous chapter: 26.5

Summary. After what happened in a relationship in the past, you found it difficult to trust someone with the gentleman image. ‘Gentleman’ seems like merely a concept and it was probably impossible for someone to be a genuine one. Now that you’re stuck with the number one gentleman at campus for a group project, how would you cope with the one and only Joshua Hong?

TAGLIST.  @samemagicpoint @unravellyn @nonuuu @seventeeneration @skylions-den @wooziverse @infinitemoods @haoraecane @sunflowergyeomie @flower0930 @riashushu — [ send ask or dm if you’re interested to be added in the list! 🖤 ]

a/n: pls bear with me i'm on mobile apps when i post this. i cant think of more words for this chapter, and i'm actually not very satisfied with this but anyways :")

Joshua had been preparing himself if in the end, it was you and Seungcheol that were meant to be. But still, he still wished that he could earn a chance from you, now that you were willing to hear him out.

"Y/N, do you like Seungcheol?"

"Honestly it's hard to not to.." you said.

Joshua acknowledged that. He wouldn't argue about it. "But do you like him that way?"

You inhaled deeply. "I'm not very sure right now. Yeah, he's nice and all. But something feels.. I don't know, not in the right place?"

"I'm not going to ask you to choose between me or Seungcheol right now. I just.. I don't think it's fair, at least to me, that you rejecting me because of only my image. We barely know each other, Y/N. I don't know about you, but if you notice I have been trying to get to know you better each day. Meanwhile you always look uncomfortable with me, yet you never tell me. I really have no idea as I keep trying to figure out what I could have probably done and when and how things start going wrong. I must admit that I really like the days during our internship and you started to open up. I had my hopes high, you know.."

"You have good points there." You smiled at him. "Uh, how do I put it, about Seungcheol.. I just thought it would be much easier if it's him."

"Y/N, you know what? Seungcheol won't back off."

Obviously, you said internally. Otherwise he won't keep calling me, or asking me to go eating out or something. Two hours had passed since he called when Joshua just literally sat down and breathed for a minute in your living room. And your phone was bombarded by not only texts from Seungcheol but also from Mingyu, so you had to set your phone in utter silent mode.

A small oh slipped your mouth, not sure what to say again.

"I always feel like there's a big wall, with layers of doors between us, Y/N. It feels like, as I'm trying to walk around the wall looking for the entrance and trying to unlock the door, Seungcheol already has the access card to go through every door to your heart."

Your expression softened as he went on.

"Even so, Y/N, I said to you before too, right? I won't give up yet. I won't back off either. Unless the real issue is my personality, my traits or anything about the real Joshua Hong that you can't tolerate."

You stared at him, completely forgetting the melting ice cream in your cup.

"So please use this opportunity to see me as myself, and don't let what people say about me define me. I'm nothing like that. You are allowed to ask me anything you want to know, including my secrets. Then you can decide to genuinely hate me or to continue what we may have."

You took a deep breath. Never had you thought to actually share your stories and your past to one man who you had been trying to avoid. "Jisoo, when I look at you, all bad memories in my life come back."

That was something very unexpected coming out of your mouth. Joshua was speechless.

"I just made it weird, didn't I? Especially when you have nothing to do with me before college. It's like I'm an antagonist who hates the protagonist for no reason."

Joshua calmly shook his head. He was caught off guard. "Go on."

"I know it sounds bad, but that's really how I feel. At the same time, there were something about you that intrigued me."

"May I ask what kind of bad memories that you have?"

"You and your gentleman image. Kind, well-mannered, always smiling. Don't get me wrong, it is good that you have all that traits. But you are too perfect. You remind me of my dad—or ex-dad if I could call him like that. He was a man like you, a sweet gentleman. Any women would fall for him, of course including mom. But it turned out he wasn't any of that. He was a low person who two-timed my mom, and left the family with another woman. Or women maybe. Women who actually fell into that smooth trick because of his image." You cleared your throat. "Basically I already experienced the same thing with my exes. So.."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Joshua paused for a while, seemingly trying to find the right words. "Until this moment, I just want to be someone who you can lean on. I want you to know you can come to me anytime, especially when you have a hard time. I didn't know that I was the one who gave you hard time this whole time."

"Jisoo, it's not your fault. My mom and I, we just don't want the same thing happens again. She always told me to be extra cautious when it comes to boys. I don't want to experience those times again when I fully trusted one, and at the end of the day the genuine feelings were never there. I don't want to keep having that thoughts, that I'm afraid I will be left again. I'm not lucky with boys too. I only have a short list of ex-boyfriends but they were all the same—that typical sweet and gentle and everything but only on the outside."

Your eyes were fixated on the pitch black TV screen. Your hands were fidgeting and playing with the spoon, stirring the melting ice cream in your cup. "You see, there are some times when guys like Seungcheol being playful and flirty does look more trust worthy to me," you continued.

"I know. I heard you and him talking over the bonfire when we went camping. What he told you, his dream, his goals, and his insecurities, he doesn't tell it just to anyone. Because it's like standing naked and people can see all of you, your flaws, your imperfection, according to him. He must have trusted you. If I were you, I would trust him too. So, if your heart chooses him, I will respect your decision and I hope we can be good friends. I'm sure you will be happy with him. I know he will always stay by your side."

He knew he just said it with his own mouth, yet his own words wounded him. Clearing his throat, he faked a chuckle. "Look at the time, it's almost 9. I'm really glad we talk about this, Y/N, so why don't we wrap it up?"

You were flustered that you went speechless knowing he would let you choose Seungcheol. At this rate, when you knew you were not sure of yourself, the last thing you would want to happen is you making a decision without thinking further. Just one more push, you could end up choosing that other guy for real. But, would that be a right thing to do?

Joshua got up and you followed. He began to clean up the remaining food and put the ice cream pint back in to the fridge. In no time, he put on his shoes and was about to bid you a good bye.

"Hey, Jisoo, you know what? I, too, enjoyed the first weeks of our interns days," told you as he finished tying up his shoe laces. He stood up and smiled at you. "It felt surreal even for me to finally get used to be with you. When I thought I could trust you, then it happened. The sushi bar, and the rumor between you and Siyeon.."

"Oh my God, I know, I'm terribly sorry about that. I can promise you it won't happen again, and I swear there is nothing going on between me and Siyeon. I.. if I have to I will go down on my knees and apologize, Y/N. I—"

"Geez.. no, no. Sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up again. That's already in the past. I'm at fault too for holding on to what happened in the past for too long. You see, I'm kinda that holding grudge type."

You crossed your arms, your eyes were looking everywhere. The mood hanging in the air was suddenly awkward again. Your guest was supposed to leave but why did you even bring up another topic again?

"I really wish we can start again, Y/N," Joshua broke the silence.

"Yeah, me too."

Joshua nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Also, I owe you an apology for trying to kiss you that night, and one more for not showing up at the sushi bar."

"Accepted." A warm smile curved on your lips as you looked at him softly. "I think you owe me another apology."

"What is it?"

"That horror movie. Let's never watch one again."

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Best of 2020

Better late, than never. I enjoy seeing other people’s top-10 lists and I said I’d do one for 2020, so here we go. I haven’t had the chance to watch EVERYTHING I wanted to, but you’ve got to pull the trigger at some point. When the Academy Awards took place on Sunday, I felt like I hadn’t seen ANYTHING nominated but I could remember dozens of times where I felt like I wasted my precious minutes with cinematic detritus. I assumed putting this list together would be easy. It wasn’t. I’ve got a lot of runner ups but for now, here are my Top 10 “Best” (by which I kind of mean my favorite) movies of 2020:

10. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Never Rarely Sometimes Always gave me a lot to think about. On the surface, it's about a teenager who has to travel outside of her hometown to get an abortion, but it could've been any kind of procedure she's uncomfortable (or unable) asking her parents for. It's about the lengths she has to go to when her main source of support is cut off. You feel uneasy throughout, wondering what lengths the girls will have to resort through and whether something horrible is just around the corner. For this reason, I think many parents would find the film enriching.

9. Mank

I haven’t posted my review of Mank yet - just haven't had the time so consider my star rating for it "spoiled". If you don't know, it's about Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) and the time he wrote Citizen Kane for Orson Welles. I can’t call Citizen Kane one of my favorite films, but I do often think of it. The story, the characters, specific shots, the overall look, etc. Every time I revisit it in my memory, my appreciation for it grows and in a way, Mank helps complete my relationship with the film. For that reason, I foresee myself revisiting Mank in the future - probably as part of a double-bill. I’d love to see it enough times to memorize some of Gary Oldman’s best lines.

8. One Night in Miami

One Night in Miami addresses the present while being set in the past but something about it clicked with me more than Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. It's essentially a series of long conversations, the kinds that force you to really examine tough questions and see these legendary figures as normal people. Unlike Mank, it isn't so much the individual lines that stand out, it's more the vibes you get from the exchanges. Out of all the movies on this list, it's probably got the best ensemble cast.

7. Sound of Metal

I'm sure you've seen that clip from Un Chien Andalou where an eye gets sliced with a razor? It gives me the willies just thinking about it because if I were blind I wouldn't be able to watch movies or draw. In Sound of Metal, we're dealing with a career cut short because of deafness but the dots are easy to connect.  I immediately connected with this movie, which made its ending feel like a punch in the gut.

6. Tenet

I keep telling myself that I won’t love a movie Christopher Nolan directs just because his name is attached to it. Hopefully, this doesn't make me a fanboy, despite my falling for pretty much everything he's released. I love how ambitious Tenet is. The plot is so complicated but then again it isn't because once you're able to grok the mechanics of its reverse-entropy technology, you'll probably figure out most of the plot's mysteries. For me, that was the fun part. It felt good to see my understanding of the story and theories confirmed. I'll be watching it again once groups can gather so my friends and I can discuss everything in detail.

5. Trial of the Chicago Seven

I know The Trial of the Chicago Seven fudges history in ways certain people would say is irredeemable but I never go into a film “based on true events” assuming liberties won’t be taken. At the end of the day, I care about being entertained. My enjoyment was also amplified by the fact that I didn't know what the verdicts would be - my American history is spotty, at best. It's got laughs, outrage, drama, and inspirational moments. Aside from romance, you've got pretty much all the bases covered.

4. Palm Springs

Out of all the pleasant surprises of 2020, Palm Springs was the biggest. I thought the Groundhog Day thing was played out and the 0-star-worthy Love Wedding Repeat did nothing to convince me otherwise. Then, this movie comes along and does everything you want in one of those movies, and then some. Not only did Palm Springs give me the romantic comedy I'd been craving for (feels like we haven't gotten a good one since "Crazy Rich Asians" it also examines what love and relationships mean through smartly written metaphors.

3. Possessor

No, I didn’t put this movie on the list just because it’s Canadian; Possessor is on this list because it’s the most unsettling movie of 2020. I mean that in a good way. I've already talked about how unsettling the premise is but it's also the execution. Those bizarre “dream” scenes with the different identities merging in unnatural ways is unforgettable. That mask of Tasya's face, half-melted is already creepy enough, when worn by Christopher Abbott as he re-enacts her memories is just so weird it makes you wonder if you’re actually seeing what you’re seeing, or if you’re going mad. Then, there's that shot with the fingers at the end! Makes me wince just thinking about it.

2. Soul

During the Oscars, I get a little mad at Pixar. They effortlessly churn out these masterpieces that mean no other studio has a chance of winning an Academy Award for the Best Animated Film category. It makes me wonder if the voters even bother to watch the competition but I don't think anyone could argue against Soul. It's among their best films. It’s gorgeous, profound, and modern without showcasing any issues that might flush your day down the toilet.

Runner-Ups:

Enola Holmes

I never believed Enola Holmes would end up on my "Best of the Year" list but this movie is a lot of fun. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. Just wanted to remind you.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) I was disappointed when audiences didn’t seem interested in Birds of Prey. Seeing Margot Robbie go all-out and given a script that actually makes good use of her character was lots of fun. I also found it refreshing to see a superhero movie (not really, but kind of) that didn’t involve a plot to destroy the world, upheaval all of civilization, or shoot a giant beam into the sky. I think this is one people will discover down the line and go “why didn’t I go see this in theaters when it was playing?”

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm I’m not 100% in love with Borat 2 but boy am I looking forward to showing it to people who have no idea what’s coming. That scene with Rudy Guliani might not have the same impact down the line as it did when I first saw this sequel, but that’s ok. It’ll still have you picking your jaw off the floor.

Nomadland It’s a great movie and I might’ve put it on my list of the best… but I just don’t see myself watching this one again anytime soon. Great movie though. It deserves every accolade you see directed towards it. Chloé Zhao is shaping up to be a major talent. While before I might’ve said “Eternals who?” Now, I’m excited.

The Vast of Night Until I saw Possessor, this was my favorite horror film of 2020. I love the way this movie does so much without showing anything. It’s all about letting your imagination do the work.

Hamilton I’m still unsure how I feel about the casting in Hamilton. Everyone does a terrific job. I understand why actors of color were chosen to portray the historical figures we meet during this story. It still doesn't sit 100% comfortable with me. Then again, who can argue with those results? I’ve seen the movie twice and the songs are still playing in my head.

1. Promising Young Woman

I only had so much before this post went up. Enough for one more movie. It was a tossup between The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, and Promising Young Woman. As you can imagine, I’m pretty satisfied with the choice I made. Writer/director Emerald Fennell takes the rape-revenge genre and reshapes it into something that feels completely new. Like many of the other films on this list, it also feels relevant to what’s going on today. There are many reasons why I could’ve given it this slot. The writing, the performances, the way it puts your stomach in knots as you wonder what’s going to happen next, the pitch-perfect ending… but I’m going to pick a more personal reason. I try to look at films as snapshots of when they were made. There’s a part of me that winces when I look at Gone with the Wind but I’m also able to take a step back and say “but other than that…” and then just enjoy the movie. In Promising Young Woman, the past is confronted in a way that made me pause and think about two movies on my shelf: Wedding Crashers and American Pie. The Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson comedy, in particular, has a lot of questionable bits of comedy, bits made even more eyebrow-raising by the fact that it isn't an "old" movie whose entire cast is now dead. Let’s just say that when a movie makes me go “This movie is replacing X”, makes me think this hard about things, and does everything else you want in a thriller… it’ll stick in your head for a long time. That's why I'm calling it the best/my favorite movie of the year.

[skylarmoon71]

AU Leonardo x Blind Murdock Reader (TMNT 2014/2016)- Chapter 8 (A)

“Pizza!!!”

Mikey tosses a slice, and you just step to the side as it falls flat on the floor. The orange clad turtle lets out a loud gasp, over dramatic. You just roll your eyes.

“Can you for a minute just pretend that you know, maybe I’m blind and I’d appreciate it if you placed the food on a plate like a normal person?”

Donnie nods. “I apologize on Mikey’s behalf, sometimes he forgets. I guess we all do.”

Donnie lets out a little snort, and you laugh. “I’m touched, still. Don’t throw food Mikey, it’s rude.”

“Man, you’re like a bossy little sister.” Mikey comments. You can’t stop the smile that graces your lips this time. It doesn’t fail to warm your heart when they make statements like that. To Mikey, it may not seem like much, but to you it means the world that they actually consider you family. Raph walks up from behind you, resting his hand on your head, giving a quick pat.

“Hey kid.” He knows that title annoys you, that’s why he does it. There’s probably a stupid smirk on his stupid face. It’s then that you really think about something.

“Your face…” You have absolutely no idea what they really look like. Apart your morphed view of what the world looks like, you don’t have an actual visual.

“What’s that?” Donnie is sipping on a juicebox, and he just barely hears what you mutter.

“I have no idea what you guys look like.” you say solemnly.

“Umm, I could be wrong but isn’t that how blindness works.” Mikey gets a tap on his head from Raph at the remark.

That sparks Donnie’s interest. 

“You’re right, why didn’t I think of this before!” he rushes to stand right in front of you. “Feel my face!” you take a small step back at his excitement.

“Uhh are you sure?” You’d never really tested that theory, and it was kind of weird asking to feel around someone’s face.

“Yes! According to what I’ve recorded on your abilities, you assess most of what you internalize is done kinesthetically. Therefore you should gain a very decent mental picture from the feel of our facial structure. Please, begin. “ Donnie really was a scientist.

You take a seat, and Donnie is beaming with excitement. When you reach out cautiously, you don’t know why you’re so hesitant. Maybe it’s the fact that no one’s ever asked such a thing of you. The minute your hands make contact, your body straightens and you marvel at the feel of his skin. It’s a bit rough, but also smooth, and the image that’s slowly building in your mind, you can almost see him. Your fingers nudge the glasses perched on his face, and you apologize, but you're grinning just as wide as Donnie because it’s been years.

The only other person that you’ve ever felt is your father. Donnie's smile drops slowly when he sees the tears now rolling down your cheeks.

“A-Are you okay!!”

He’s concerned that possibly he crossed a line. You hate this and he’s forced you into something. The smile doesn’t leave and you pitch forward, wrapping your hands around his neck. Donnie’s confused. You seem happy, but you're still crying.

“Thank you Donnie..” you whisper. It’s then that it hits him, and he smiles too, returning your embrace.

“You don’t have to thank me.”

One by one, you take chances, you’re shocked that even Raph agrees to let you touch his face. Your fingers dance along his nose, down to the scar. The mental picture of Raph is pretty handsome, and maybe somewhat rough. You guess his face fits his personality perfectly. You poke his nose, letting out a giggle. This particular feature is so cute, you can’t help it.

“You’re really enjoying yourself aren’t you.” sarcasm is expected.

“Definitely.”

“What are you guys doing?” It’s at that moment Leo walks in. You pull away, fidgeting with your fingers

“(Y/N) was touching our face so she can tell what we look like, Donnie says it works!!” Leo's gaze refocuses on you at the explanation, and your face turns red. You can feel his gaze just boring into you. Even without sight. “Is that so..” the way he says it, almost contemplative. Somehow thinking of touching him, it erupts a completely different feeling.

You don’t know what to say, or do stop your own erratic heartbeat. It’s so loud, to the point that you feel like you’ll get a headache.

The beeping from Donnie’s machine’s catch everyone’s attention.

“Thank you..” you mutter. Saved by the beep.

“Looks like we have a busy night, gear up.” Nods around the room, and you’re already moving into fight mode. You keep an extra pair of clothing at the lair, just for moments like this. Good thing too. You’re heading for Donnie’s room to grab the outfit. As you buzz pass, you feel the air, and you can tell that it’s Leo you dodge on the way over. He doesn’t say much, just watches, and you guess that’s why you’re a bit nervous. You try to ignore it, if nothing but to keep your body from reacting to him.

“It’s gonna be a tough night.”

You already know.

~~~~~

By the time you make it back your knuckles are sore. Mikey and Raph are as energetic as ever. They seemed more hyper than when you left. You dodge a ball that Raph tosses to the orange clad turtle. You just lift your hands with a ‘really’ look.

“I knew you’d avoid it. “

Sure he did.

“(Y/N), your knuckles are bleeding. “ Donnie notes, removing his goggles a bit concerned. You’ve figured as much. You can smell the faint scent of iron in the air.

“It’s fine, it doesn't even hurt.” That’s not enough to convince him.

“Let’s get that cleaned up. “ Leo walks into the room, and you guessed he’s heard from around the corner.

“Yeah, Leo’s amazing when it comes to injuries!!”

Mikey shouts a bit too enthusiastically. Poor Leo, with the way the youngest turtle was so reckless, it must be a regular thing. You kind of want to deny him. Being alone with him, it’s not something you think you’ll be able to handle. But you don’t have a choice. If you refuse, the rest of them may realize that something’s up, and you really don’t want his brothers in on what’s going on with you two.

“S-Sure.” That was a terribly unsteady response.

So you followed Leo, and he didn’t say a word the entire walk to his room. He opened the door for you to walk in, and you did. Standing a bit awkwardly at the center. Leo smiles from his spot, moving and taking your arm gently as he guides you to the bed. His touch is so soft, and far different from the ones you’re given on a daily basis when individuals try to help you cross the street, or get up a flight of stairs. He’s actually holding your hand, and you love the warmth. You take a seat, and Leo moves to get a few things.

“I think this is the second time that I’ve had to patch you up. I’m starting to think you’re getting hurt on purpose. Just so you can get me alone.”

There’s a playful teasing in his voice, and although you know he’s not being serious, you blush. Leo notices, and he’s come to realize that the sight makes him a bit nervous as well. Lately everything you did affected him. Your head lowers, and you’re picking at your dark pants.

“Sorry, I’m sorry if I’m making things awkward between us.” Leo walks over, and there’s a little bit of defeat in his words.

He rests the items down, moving closer. He stops when he’s just a few feet away, and you have to assume it’s because he thinks that’s what you want.

“The last time we spoke I assumed and I didn’t even ask if it was something you’d be interested in exploring. I didn’t give you a chance to tell me what you feel and I realize that must be the reason you’re always so tense around me now. “

That’s far from the reason. You aren’t uncomfortable, just a bit stunned.

After his little confession you started going over everything, and you realized that until now, you’ve never really opened up to anyone. You’ve distanced yourself to keep from experiencing anymore pain. The worst way to live. So when Leo said those things, it threw you off. You weren’t sure how to respond, because at some point you’ve come to care for him so much, and the prospect of him returning those feelings was horrifying.

“I’m not uncomfortable, and you didn’t just assume Leo.” His head lifts.

“Leo I...I haven’t had a very good opinion of myself for as long as I can recall. Until now I’ve..I think I’ve hated myself. That’s why I couldn’t believe it when you said those things, I didn’t want to because I feel like I don’t deserve it. “

“(Y/N) you deserve far more!” you smiled at the indignation in his voice.

“The way you treat me, talk to me...It makes me believe that. That’s why I need time Leo. I just think I can’t fully get into something with someone when I’m still learning to love myself. I need a chance, because the way I feel about you, I want to keep it for as long as I possibly can. “ Leo moves in, and he hesitates for a while, but then eventually, his palms rest on your cheek. You close your eyes, entranced.

“I don’t care how long I have to wait (Y/N). If it’s guaranteed that I get even a chance to be with you, then I’ll wait for as long as I have to. “

It’s not going to be easy, but you're thankful. For Leo, his brothers. Everything that has led to this point. Given you a chance to trust again.

[daydream-believin]

The Never-Ending Roadtrip (kmart’s haunted)

Summary: (part 1) Reader has joined Douxie on the quest for Nari’s safety. He’ll need company. (part 2) - Missouri 1     (part 3)

Warnings: swearing, very light spooky?

Word Count: 2245

A/N: so we’ve established that Doux wasn’t the one who burnt the bookstore, but they don’t know that. look, have you been in a Kmart recently? its apocalyptic. also, you know that post about people repeating their default work greetings by accident? yeah

“Do you want me to split the bill or?” The waitress asked, not sure if the group at the table was a young couple and their child or just three college kids hanging out. It was kind of hard to tell. On one hand, that one kid was so small, wearing a little deer costume, and had been helped to order. The other two radiated the energy of an old married couple and talked mainly to each other. But on the other hand, college kids are just like that sometimes.

“Nah, I got it.”

“What? No. I’m paying for us.” Douxie insisted.

“I have the cash, Doux.” (Name) turned to the waitress. She put some honey in her voice. “Just bring us one bill, please.” The waitress nodded nervously before heading off.

“No. I don’t want you paying for too many things while we’re traveling. You’re unemployed.”

“And who’s fault is that Mr. Mephits-Are-Vulnerable-To-Fire? You fucking burned down the store and put us both out of work here.” Nari was squirming at the negative vibes going on. It helped that she didn’t exactly understand what was going on.

“It was magic fire!” Douxie interjected in outrage. He looked so cute when he got defensive.

“Yeah, okay, sure.” (Name) shook her head, looking up to the ceiling. She let out a huff, “look, I invited myself onto this trip, Douxie. I want to pull my own weight. You’re going to have to let me pay for something eventually.”

“We’ll see about that, Love,” he said as he grabbed the ticket from the waitress’s hands as quick as lightning, tucked his card in and gave it right back before (Name) could further protest.

“Ugh! FINE! Then I’m getting the tip.” She pulled out a tenner and slapped it onto the table. She glared right back into Douxie’s hazel eyes. He glared right back into hers with a matched intensity. Nari looked back and forth between the two and whimpered. (Name) broke the standoff to assure Nari that they weren’t actually angry at each other so she shouldn’t be worried. That seemed to ease the forest child a bit but not by too much. She could still feel the weird aura they were putting off.

“Okay! So here’s your check back and here’s that lox bagel you ordered to go.” The waitress handed (Name) a doggy bag.

(Name) took the bag gingerly. A big fake smile spread across her face as she was momentarily possessed by that good spirit of customer service. “Thank you! I hope your experience was spellbinding! Have a magical day!” (Name) said on autopilot in that high-pitched voice and winked exaggeratedly. It was like she was an NPC and her talk button had been accidentally pushed. The waitress laughed forcibly and scurried away to the kitchen. Douxie cracked up.

“You do know that when I told you to say all that stuff after ringing people up, I was hazing you, right?”

“Oh yes, I am completely aware, Doux. Did you think I’d not pick up on how ridiculous that sounds? But I still say it to spite you.”

He shook his head. “Of course.”

***

Archie scarfed down his bagel sandwich with almost disturbing speed. It was like watching the void consume, well, a bagel sandwich. It just disappeared. Down his furry maw and out of existence. Being a dragon works up an appetite, after all. (Name) was a bit baffled and asked him if she should go get him another bagel. He assured her that the one was just fine and said something about trying to catch some birds later. She leaned back on her elbows against the boat’s railing, trying and failing to not think about the details of that.

Douxie cleared his throat. “So,” He folded his hands together for emphasis, “Since the subject of money came up earlier, I think we should also discuss the topic of our accommodations.”

“Well, you two obviously cannot afford lodging every night.” Archie snarked, flicking his tail.

“Thank you, for that, Arch. No, I was thinking more along the lines of a tent.”

“A tent?” the cat asked incredulously.

“Oh, that could work.” (Name) pointed at Douxie animatedly, “keep us close to nature for Nari. And also could keep our possible property damage bills down. Good idea, Doux.”

“Thank you,” Douxie puffed up, “see Arch? Someone appreciates my ideas-”

“Wait. That’ll be a short-term solution. We’re just barely into September. It’s going to be much, much colder in about a month. By October it’ll be too cold to bear. Even if we all huddle together like penguins.”

Doux looked away to hide his blush at the suggestion. “That is a problem. Okay, um-”

“Maybe we could just cross that bridge when we get there? Who knows what could happen between now and then. We could find so temp work in a little town somewhere.” (Name) shrugged, smirking at Doux. She didn’t want to admit that ‘we could be dead by then’ was also definitely a possibility on the table, so she tried to further distract from that thought. “Maybe we’ll find a creepy abandoned cabin in the woods we can squat in. Maybe some nice trolls will take us in as novelty pets. Maybe my rich Aunty Josie could just suddenly die under some ‘mysterious circumstances’ and leave her lavish fortune to her beloved niece,” she smirked at Doux, “I dunno, just spit ballin’ here.”

“I’m electing to ignore that you just suggested we ice your aunt because you were onto something there.”

“I was?” Her tone was a mixture of sarcasm and disbelief.

“Yes! New Jersey!

“New Jersey?” The wheels turned. “Oh! New Jersey!”

Nari looked confused. “What is special about this ‘New Jersey’?” she asked

Both Douxie and (Name) turned to her, “Trolls.” They said in sync.

***

(Name) stood there with her hands in her pockets. Somehow this Kmart was still standing, out here in The-Middle-Of-Fucking-Nowhere, Missouri. She was standing here, in a Kmart. It might as well have been 1986. There was barely anything on the shelves. Half the shelves themselves were missing. The floor had a layer of grime to it, in spite of the wet floor sign along with the shiny patches that said that it had clearly been mopped recently. The air smelled like something (Name) couldn’t quite place, but it was nostalgic. A strange scent that took her back to her childhood. Or at least she thought it was her childhood. It had to have been. Taking deep breaths, she couldn’t quite get enough of it.

Continuing that vibe, a muzak 80’s tune played over the speakers. Funny enough, despite (Name)’s brain seeming to recognize that it was playing a song from the 80’s, she just couldn’t quite put her finger on it as to which. Every time she thought she’d figured it out, she’d hear a few notes that would somehow change her mind. It was a pop song at least, to narrow it down. It’d been going on for about six minutes now. Must be one of those extended tracks.

She’d ask Douxie what he thought the song was. She turned her attention to him and noticed he was still just staring at that same shelf like he had been for, what, ten minutes now? Even though this fucking Kmart barely had any shelving in it, by some miracle it not only had exactly what they were looking for but an entire aisle of them. How lucky was that.

Douxie was taking very careful consideration into this tent purchase. This was going to be their new home, after all. He just couldn’t decide which one was best. They all had fancy camping terms on the packages that meant nothing to him. He’d been trying to decipher the code. The secret outdoorsman code. Nari shifted uncomfortably in the basket.

“Hisirdoux, you should maybe, hurry this along?” She sounded strained.

But she was right. He should just pick one already. It’s all a gamble anyway. He decided on a dark green one that boasted a water-proof material. Good natural color, not easily spotted, and it wouldn’t soak through with rain. That should work well enough, he figured.

“I’ve hurried along. Sorry Nari.” He casually tossed the box into the cart next to her. She sniffed the box and nodded to him.

Now that they had their goal item, the quest party started for the checkouts. Douxie could have sworn that it had been on the side of the store they were in. They had passed it when they came in. Now it was completely across by the other door. Did he get turned around? Or maybe they did come in from that side of the store. He actually couldn’t remember.

As they walked, a few things caught (Name)’s eye. They passed a display of dark leafy plants in oddly shaped pots, a table stacked high with various books and a clearance sign, a knife case that had been left open, a candle display with a few that had already been lit and were dripping wax, a bargain bin of CDs, and lastly a sad box of no-longer-in-season pool noodles. There was a sale on bloodmeal apparently. Perfect for perking up those roses after the summer heat.

They arrived at the checkout after what felt like an endless journey. (Name) hadn’t noticed any other customers the entire time they had been there, and yet the line for the only check open had seven people in it. She grabbed a couple bags of red licorice from the impulse shelf to add to their cart while waiting.

Nari was really interested in that checker. (Name) took her in. The teen was taller than most and had very, very long blonde hair that cascaded down her back like a shiny golden waterfall. Her cheeks were slightly sunken in. Must be going through a diet phase. Poor girl.

The young woman was obviously not one for small talk. Name couldn’t blame her. Retail sucks. Her perfect red fingernails clicked against the keys of the register in a practiced beat. She turned around and told them their total in a bored monotone. As Douxie fiddled with his wallet and payed, (Name) found herself staring right into the cashier’s eyes. They were such a light icy blue, they were almost white. It was striking. (Name) was almost in a trance. It was broken as the cashier turned around swiftly to rip off the receipt off the machine, and, in an uncharacteristically cheery voice, told them to have a nice night. Night?

They returned the cart back to the stack, grabbing their one singular shopping bag and helping Nari out. Of course Nari could easily just jump out herself, but that wouldn’t be something a human child could do. They didn’t need to draw any unnecessary attention to themselves here. They made their way to the automatic sliding doors that lagged so that they didn’t open until you were standing right in front of them. This allowed Douxie time to catch a glimpse of the reflection in the glass. The reflection of the store was completely devoid of people. Not even the checker was at her station. He sucked in a breath. After walking through those first doors, he stopped. He took a moment to turn back. There she was, right where she should be, checking out another customer with three more in the line.

Douxie hurried along the doorway to catch up to (Name) and Nari. It was darker outside than he expected, and he was taken aback. He found them right outside the store, waiting for him. In one hand, (Name) was holding Nari’s, in the other, the plastic shopping bag. Her head was tipped up to the sky, transfixed by the moon. He came over, grabbing her shoulder as he pulled her along, in an attempt to urge her away from this place. She looked back at him, eyes wide with distress. He tried to convey that he understood with his eyes. All three of them instinctually knew not to say anything more why they were still in this parking lot.

It had barely been half past noon when they had started this little Kmart side quest. It was now at least seven by the looks of it. They had spent six and a half hours in a Kmart? How had they spent six and a half hours in a Kmart. There went their entire travel day. But no time to dwell on this, they needed to get back to Archie and the boat as soon as possible.

As they walked back towards the ship, (Name) and Douxie both took one of Nari’s hands so that she was in the middle, like how those couples walk with their children. The streetlights glared up at them in the slick pavement. Apparently, it had rained while they were in shopping limbo. Poor Arch. (Name) let out a puff of air.

“Well. That sure was something.”

Douxie nervously chuckled, “If we had stayed in there any longer, I think we might have died.” (Name) mirrored that nervous chuckle.

“Oh, no, dying would be much simpler than what would have happened to us.” Nari said sweetly, like what she was saying was somehow better. Nari liked being helpful. (Name) put on her best fake smile.

“Thank you, Nari.” She tried her best to sound as sincere as possible to spare the veggie lady’s feelings.

[heartofether]

Episode 15 - Elderberries TRANSCRIPT

[You can listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts, or go to our “Listen” page if you’re on desktop.]

AUTOMATED VOICE

[LOWER-PITCHED AND SLOWER THAN NORMAL] Please state your message.

[THEME SONG PLAYS.]

VAL

Three-eyed Frog Presents: The Heart of Ether.

[THEME SONG FADES TO A STOP.]

[PHONE BEEP.]

[INT. THE POPPY GARDEN MOTEL, AGENT MAY AND JUNES’ ROOM, EARLY MORNING.]

AGENT JUNE

Oh, is it on? I dunno how this recording device works. Would have been, like, ten times easier to just record on our phones, but, eh.

Anyways, it’s just me right now, which means I get to do all the talking. Guess I should, I dunno, talk about the mission? Daughtler?

Oh! I know. There’s this candy store downtown that displays massive gummy bears in the window, only it’s so hot outside that the bears have started melting. It’s some mix of disturbing, but also hilarious? Seriously, those bears look so sad, I can’t help but laugh.

Let’s see. Say, what’s that stupid thing he always says? [DRAMATICALLY MOCKING AGENT MAY] This is Operation Saturn, phase 1.2. Conducted by Agents May and June. All recordings are property of the—

[AS AGENT JUNE TALKS, THE DOOR IS HEARD OPENING AND CLOSING. THERE ARE FOOTSTEPS AS AGENT MAY WALKS IN.]

AGENT MAY

Here’s your coffee.

AGENT JUNE

Much obliged! Oh, you got it with oat milk, right?

AGENT MAY

[SLIGHTLY BITTER] It cost extra, but yes.

AGENT JUNE

Aw, hell yeah.

[AGENT JUNE TAKES HIS DRINK.]

AGENT MAY

I’ve never understood the excitement behind alternative milks.

AGENT JUNE

Hey, I’m lactose intolerant. Not that that would stop me from consuming dairy in most scenarios, but oat milk hits, alright? You should give it a shot.

AGENT MAY

I don’t put milk in my coffee, just sugar.

AGENT JUNE

Mm. Gross.

AGENT MAY

[HE HUFFS A SIGH.] Well, I’ll stop judging your coffee order if you stop judging mine.

AGENT JUNE

I’ll agree to that, sure.

[HE TAKES A SIP, THEN] See anything of note in the coffeeshop?

AGENT MAY

[UNCOMFORTABLY] Maybe. There was this girl sitting at a table. She was wearing all-black, which is strange considering the weather.

AGENT JUNE

Uh, ever heard of fashion? Dude, you literally wear a suit every day! No wonder you overheat. I mean, why do you think I skip the blazer?

AGENT MAY

[IRRITATED] At least I wear my tie correctly.

AGENT JUNE

I leave it undone on purpose, alright? It’s a statement.

AGENT MAY

Do you know how to tie a tie?

AGENT JUNE

[DEFENSIVE] Yes!

[AN UNCOMFORTABLY LONG PAUSE.]

AGENT JUNE

So, there was this girl in the coffeeshop.

AGENT MAY

She seemed fairly young. Must have been in either high school or college. She was staring at me over her laptop the whole time. Like she was, I don’t know, stalking prey. It was like her eyes were knives, and she was trying to carve my flesh off.

AGENT JUNE

So, she defo wasn’t just idly looking or whatever. Like, you’re pretty sure she was thinking about killing you?

AGENT MAY

Well, there’s no way I can know for certain, now, is there?

[A BEAT.] She was wearing a black fabric surgical mask, though.

[A TENSE PAUSE.]

AGENT JUNE

Do you think she was—?

AGENT MAY

I can’t say for sure.

AGENT JUNE

I mean, it might have been an accessory, but we’re in Daughtler, Washington—

AGENT MAY

I’m not going back there to check. Okay? If we see her again, maybe we can consider interviewing her, but I don’t feel comfortable going back to see her.

AGENT JUNE

[UNDERSTANDING] Alright.

[AGENT MAY SIGHS.]

AGENT JUNE

[CONT.] Alright. I won’t force you.

AGENT MAY

I—I appreciate that.

[THERE'S A PAUSE.]

AGENT JUNE

Uh, how’d you sleep?

AGENT MAY

About as well as I could in a car seat.

AGENT JUNE

Okay, I can’t just keep letting you sleep in the car. It was kind of funny at first, but now I just— [HIS SENTENCE TRAILS OFF IN VAGUE STUTTERS.]

AGENT MAY

[BEAT.] Well?

AGENT JUNE

I feel bad! Alright? I mean, look at me, I have this whole room to myself, and meanwhile, my partner is sleeping in a company vehicle that may or may not have bloodstains in the backseat.

[BEAT, THEN] Actually, I’d love to talk about those weird dark stains later, because uh, what, but I’ll let it slide for now. It’s still gotta be super uncomfortable, though.

AGENT MAY

We could always take turns.

AGENT JUNE

No, what I’m saying is I don’t think either of us have to sleep in the car! There has got to be a better solution.

AGENT MAY

The Foundation already declined giving us a second room, or trying to transfer us to a larger one. Trust me, I tried.

AGENT JUNE

Dammit.

[A LONG PAUSE.]

AGENT JUNE

It's king-sized, you know.

[ANOTHER LONG PAUSE.]

AGENT MAY

Do you think the motel has spare blankets? I think I could try sleeping on the floor.

[THOUGH UNSEEN, AGENT JUNE LOOKS INTO THE CAMERA LIKE HE’S IN THE OFFICE.]

AGENT MAY

…I’ll go down and ask later.

AGENT JUNE

Good idea.

[A BEAT. THERE'S SUIT RUSTLING AS AGENT MAY CHECKS HIS WATCH.]

AGENT MAY

We should head out soon.

AGENT JUNE

You’re really glued to that watch of yours, huh?

AGENT MAY

Excuse me?

AGENT JUNE

Not that it’s bad, you just check it a lot. I don’t really know what watch etiquette is, but I think you look at it more than most people do. I’ve also noticed you tend to look at it more around specific times? Is there a reason, or—?

AGENT MAY

[MORE SERIOUS THAN THE CONVERSATION WARRANTS] It’s none of your business. Perhaps I simply prefer to keep on schedule. Let’s go.

AGENT JUNE

[SLIGHTLY CONFUSED] Oh, um, okay. Sorry. [UNDER HIS BREATH] Jeez. Let me just—

[PHONE BEEP.]

[RECORDING ENDS.]

[ANOTHER BEEP.]

[INT. THE OPEN EYES BOOKSTORE BACKROOM, EARLY, EARLY MORNING.]

HOLLY

Are you recording?

PHOEBE

Yes, yes, I am.

HOLLY

Kind of weird to be doing this so early in the morning.

PHOEBE

I’m sorry, I know it’s super early. Night just felt…well, it felt more dangerous, I guess? Even Grandma Doe recommended not doing it too late. I wanted to get it done before the shop opened, though.

HOLLY

Oh no, I don’t mind. I guess people usually just consider night to be “the witching hour.”

PHOEBE

This isn’t really witchcraft, though, is it?

HOLLY

Guess not. Most modern witchcraft is a lot more…chill, I guess?

PHOEBE

Right. [A BEAT.] Do you think it’s really a good idea to be doing this in the back room?

HOLLY

Well, it’s not like we have anywhere else. It’d be super shady if we did it right outside, and your forestry friend would be pissed if we went out into the woods to do it.

PHOEBE

[NERVOUS] There’s so much paper, though. I mean, we could easily set the whole thing alight. My apartment’s really small, I know, but maybe we could—?

HOLLY

Don’t worry about it. We did a pretty good job clearing stuff out to make space, I think. It should be fine, I mean, a lot of the most flammable stuff either got moved out or shoved against the wall.

Besides, didn’t she say that it might be good to do it here for like, symbolic purposes?

PHOEBE

Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right. [SHE CHUCKLES.] Maybe this will finally give me incentive to organize everything.

HOLLY

[SHE LAUGHS, SOMEWHAT NERVOUSLY.] If this works, then hopefully you’ll be able to do that anyways.

PHOEBE

That’s true, yes. I, um, guess we should get started. Can you read the directions?

HOLLY

Of course.

[HOLLY IS HEARD UNFOLDING A PIECE OF PAPER.]

HOLLY

[READING] The purpose of all of this is energy. You are lighting fire to produce energy. You are grinding berries and eating them to produce it as well. Ether functions under this key desire for vitality. If you can understand this simple principle, this keen need it has, it will treat you much more kindly.

By designing this ritual for you, my hope is that it will spell out as clear as day to Ether what you are trying to achieve. It rarely gives people what they want, rather it gives what it sees fit for them. You must steer it in the correct direction, or else it will choose a different fate for you.

These instructions are similar to what Valencia and I did, as well as symbolic for what you hope to achieve. However, nobody has ever developed an exact science for how these rituals function. We may only rely on guesswork and hope. While I would like to develop more specific procedures and instructions, I do not know if I ever will. Perhaps that could be your task.

[BREAKING READING] Could I skip her whole monologue? We already read it, and I don’t think it’s important in-the-moment.

PHOEBE

Sure.

HOLLY

Cool.

[SHE FLIPS THE PAPER.]

HOLLY

Materials needed: Yarn or string to create a casting circle. Some people use salt, but it produces an awful mess. Several circles of yarn around you and your workspace will work just fine.

PHOEBE

We did that already.

HOLLY

Yup. [READING AGAIN] Three white candles with words carved into them. It does not matter what the words are, they simply have to be legible and completely cover the candle. No numbers. I just wrote out song lyrics on that one.

PHOEBE

Oh, that’s neat! I, um, did poems I like.

HOLLY

Cute. [A BEAT.] A lighter or match of some kind. Someplace to safely burn paper—we got a metal bin, so we’re good. Did you turn off the smoke alarm?

PHOEBE

I did, yeah.

HOLLY

Let’s hope the place doesn’t burn down, then. [CHUCKLE, THEN] I’m joking, I promise. It should be fine. [SHE CLEARS HER THROAT.]

A book—you will be tearing out each individual page, so to save time, I suggest a children’s book. A bowl or container of some kind. Elderberries, I recommend you cook them beforehand, but make sure none of them are pre-mashed. Something to mash the elderberries with. Finally, a few drops of your blood, or something to draw blood with. That’s what the sewing needle is for, right? You sure you don’t want a blade? I have a pocket knife.

PHOEBE

[UNCOMFORTABLE] I get nervous around knives, but thank you for the offer.

Oh—actually, I wanted to ask, um, where did you find elderberries? I couldn’t find them anywhere.

HOLLY

I asked the bartender down the street.

PHOEBE

Huh.

HOLLY

Yeah, they make all sorts of weird cocktails. Are you ready? Once we start, we can’t stop until it’s complete.

PHOEBE

[WITH WEIGHT, NERVOUS, BUT DETERMINED] I’m ready.

HOLLY

Okay.

[HOLLY FLIPS THE PAPER AGAIN. THERE’S A PAUSE.]

HOLLY

Phoebe?

PHOEBE

Yeah?

HOLLY

Whatever happens, I—we’ll be okay, alright? No matter what. I’ll make sure of it, I swear.

PHOEBE

[TENDERLY] Thank you.

[THERE’S A PAUSE AS THEY ARE HEARD KISSING. HOLLY TAKES A DEEP BREATH.]

HOLLY

Create a circle around— Okay, we already did that. Um, Start by lighting the candles.

[PHOEBE IS HEARD LIGHTING A MATCH AND LIGHTING ALL THREE CANDLES.]

HOLLY

Tear each individual piece of paper out of the book. One by one, burn each piece of paper using fire from the candles. Once you have burned each page, burn the cover. Do not attempt to put any of the fires out. This tedious process shows care and dedication. The blood in later steps is there for a similar purpose.

[PHOEBE IS HEARD TEARING PAGES OUT OF A CHILDREN’S BOOK AND LIGHTING THEM ON FIRE. THERE’S A LONG PAUSE AS SHE DOES SO.]

PHOEBE

Good thing this book only has twenty pages. [A BEAT.] What’s next?

[PHOEBE IS STILL TEARING PAPER IN THE BACKGROUND, AND THE BURNING SFX GOES ON FOR SOME TIME.]

HOLLY

Uh—place your elderberries in the bowl and begin mashing them in a clockwise motion. As you do this, speak out loud and ask Ether to grant you knowledge and the ability to see what others do not. There should be no misunderstanding in what you are trying to achieve, and if you have garnered Ether’s attention, it should have already decided what it shall do with you. [MUTTERS] Fuckin’ weird.

[PHOEBE CEASES HER PAGE-TEARING.]

PHOEBE

The book is done. Pass me the spice grinder with the berries?

[HOLLY PASSES PHOEBE THE SPICE GRINDER.]

PHOEBE

Thank you.

[PHOEBE IS HEARD GRINDING THE ELDERBERRIES.]

PHOEBE

[WHISPERING TO HERSELF] Ether, um, whoever or whatever you are, if you are listening to me, please grant me knowledge. Grant me the power to see what others do not. Let me see and know everything.

[THERE IS A RINGING HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND AS HOLLY SPEAKS.]

HOLLY

If this works, the words on the candle should begin to—holy—God!

[HOLLY STUMBLES BACK.]

PHOEBE

Glow?

HOLLY

[FREAKING OUT] Yup? Uh—they’re actually glowing, what the—

PHOEBE

[OVERLAPPING] What’s next?

HOLLY

Sorry, sorry. [SHE RUFFLES THE PAPER IN HER HAND.] Mix a few drops of your blood into the elderberries.

PHOEBE

Pass me the sewing needle.

[HOLLY PASSES PHOEBE THE NEEDLE. SHE PRICKS HER FINGER.]

PHOEBE

[UNDER HER BREATH] Ow.

[SHE LETS A FEW DROPS COME OUT, SUCKS ON HER FINGER BRIEFLY, THEN MIXES HER BLOOD IN.]

HOLLY

Drink the elderberry mash. You must consume every bit of it, or at least as much as you can.

PHOEBE

[GROWING IN A MIX OF PANIC AND EXCITEMENT] This is it—I mean—wait, I’m about to consume my blood, that’s weird, but—this is really it.

HOLLY

[ENCOURAGING] You can do it.

[PHOEBE IS HEARD DRINKING THE ELDERBERRY MASH. THERE IS A PAUSE.]

HOLLY

If successful, the candles will—

[THE CANDLES ARE HEARD EXTINGUISHING.]

HOLLY

…blow out.

PHOEBE

[SLIGHTLY SICK] I think I got it all.

HOLLY

How do you feel? Is—has anything changed?

PHOEBE

I feel…I feel like there’s a part of me that was never there before. Like, my internal self expands farther out than my physical self, like I’m floating, it’s—I need to go lie down.

HOLLY

I’ll take you upstairs. It worked, though?

PHOEBE

I think it did. I mean, Grandma Doe said I would feel some sort of immediate change, but the rest of it would trickle in slowly. I feel different, though.

HOLLY

[SLOWLY, CAUTIOUS] Does this mean you’re not human anymore?

PHOEBE

[A BEAT.] I haven’t thought about that. I mean, I think I might just kind of be human plus? I’m not sure. Grandma Doe was still mortal, after all—she felt pain, she got ill—her mind was just super advanced. Does that make me inhuman?

HOLLY

I…I don’t think so. I think you just have mind powers or whatever.

PHOEBE

I’ll think about it later. I’m just going to try to get some sleep before the shop opens.

HOLLY

You don’t even have to open today, you know. People will understand if you just say you’re ill. Or I could run it for today, since there’s usually less traction on weekdays.

PHOEBE

[SINCERE] Thank you.

HOLLY

Of course.

PHOEBE

[SHE SIGHS.] Okay, time to—

[PHONE BEEP.]

[RECORDING ENDS.]

[ANOTHER PHONE BEEP.]

[INT. IRENE’S HOUSE, MIDDAY.]

IRENE

I just got home from work. Apparently, Phoebe did that ritual early this morning. It went well, from what Holly told me, though Phoebe’s been taking the day off to rest.

Oh, and they also posted that advert on the bulletin board yesterday. You know, for someone to develop Valencia’s film.

That’s not important right now. You know what is important?

This morning, at work, I opened up a folder on my computer and guess what was in it? A new audio recording where there shouldn’t be one. Guess the technological gods have decided to be generous today.

I decided to wait until I got off to listen to it. It’s dated shortly after the incident, so I think it might be important.

Besides, work has been…well, different, since the Spread. I haven’t told Carol or Aden that’s what it’s called, though. The whole incident brought us closer together, but I think that’s a double-edged sword. They know me well enough, now, I think they can tell I’m hiding something. Aden definitely knows I am—I mean, what I told him was pretty cryptic, but Carol I think just…knows. She’s just like that. [SCOFF] Maybe that’s part of her motherly instincts.

Right, that’s beside the point. Back to the recording.

Here goes nothing.

[IRENE CLICKS ON THE FILE.]

[PHONE BEEP.]

[INT. DRIVING, LATE AT NIGHT.]

[THERE IS THE AMBIANCE OF DRIVING DOWN A DESOLATE FOREST ROAD AS THEY TALK.]

UNKNOWN GIRL

Does it work?

ROSE

I believe so.

UNKNOWN GIRL

[SHE SNORTS.] About as well as a cheap cell phone from Walmart could, I imagine?

ROSE

It just has to be able to record and make emergency calls. I’m not too worried about it. Thank you, again. Really, I owe you.

UNKNOWN GIRL

Hey, I didn’t buy it. I just walked into the store and handed your money to the guy behind the counter. It’s not a big deal.

[DULLY SKEPTICAL] You’re trying pretty hard to cover up your tracks, you know. Destroying your phone, not wanting to be seen in public to go get a new one, only paying in cash. Almost makes it sound like you’re a criminal or something.

ROSE

[FRANTIC] I’m not! I swear, I’m not.

UNKNOWN GIRL

No need to get defensive. Look, I get it. We all have reasons to want to disappear. I’m surely in no position to judge.

You know, I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I feel like we might actually have a lot in common.

ROSE

Why is that?

UNKNOWN GIRL

We both don’t know where we’re going, or why.

ROSE

[UNDER HER BREATH] Oh, I know why.

UNKNOWN GIRL

So you do have a reason?

ROSE

It’s not a big deal.

UNKNOWN GIRL

Your secret’s safe with me, you know.

ROSE

It’s nothing. Really. Just…do you have to know or—?

UNKNOWN GIRL

Well, do I have any reason to?

ROSE

No, but do you even have a reason to be helping me?

UNKNOWN GIRL

[DEADPAN] What can I say? I’m a generous soul.

[A BEAT.] Say, why did you want something to record with, anyways?

ROSE

I, um—it’s stupid.

UNKNOWN GIRL

Try me.

ROSE

It’s—well. I guess I don’t want to be forgotten? I want some way for people to find out what happened to me when…if…you know. There’s…if something does happen to me, there’s at least one person who deserves to know.

UNKNOWN GIRL

You think you’re going to get yourself killed?

ROSE

I don’t know. I suppose it’s better to be safe than sorry?

UNKNOWN GIRL

But you have someone you know will want to listen. [CONNECTING THE DOTS] You weren’t a loner before you left, were you? You left someone important behind, and now you feel bad. You owe them an explanation.

ROSE

[UNCOMFORTABLY] Yes. Right. I guess.

[A BEAT.] I don’t want to talk about this anymore.

UNKNOWN GIRL

Who did you abandon?

ROSE

[RAISING HER VOICE SLIGHTLY] I said I’m done.

UNKNOWN GIRL

Alright, alright.

[A BEAT.] If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you prod at me a bit.

ROSE

[HESITANT] Where did you get your name? Wednesday is such a unique name, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it outside of stories.

WEDNESDAY [UNKNOWN GIRL]

It’s certainly no ‘Mary,’ is it?

ROSE

I mean, obviously. My name’s pretty basic.

WEDNESDAY

I actually chose it after I left home. Not like that, just never liked the name my parents gave me. Kept the last name ‘White,’ though. It has a ring to it.

ROSE

Was there a reason for it, or did it just sound nice?

WEDNESDAY

When people meet someone with a weird name, that tends to be the thing that most grabs their attention. “I met a girl named after a day of the week today, isn’t that bizarre?” I didn’t want to be remembered for anything I didn’t want people to see. If one thing was going to stick with them, it would be my name, but not quite the face that goes with it. Just the girl with an odd name.

ROSE

So you want to be forgotten?

WEDNESDAY

Not forgotten, but I want control over the memory of me. I want to fade away into obscurity, but not obscure enough that it’s suspicious.

ROSE

[KIND OF UNCOMFORTABLE] You’ve thought about this a lot.

WEDNESDAY

When you’re like me, you have to.

ROSE

Wh—what does that—

WEDNESDAY

[OVERLAPPING] Do you need me to stop at the gas station up ahead?

[THERE’S A SLIGHTLY TOO LONG PAUSE.]

ROSE

Um, yeah, I have to—

[PHONE BEEP.]

[RECORDING ENDS.]

[INT. IRENE’S HOUSE, EARLY EVENING, THE SAME DAY.]

[THERE’S A LONG PAUSE.]

IRENE

[STILL PROCESSING IT AS SHE SPEAKS.] Okay. Okay! This is definitely a start. A great start, actually!

Okay, let’s see, uh—after you ran away, you destroyed your phone—no wonder the police couldn’t track it—and then you went with some person named Wednesday.

That’s definitely a start. If I can figure out where Wednesday—White, was it?—yeah, Wednesday White. I know Wednesday probably isn’t her legal name, but I might still be able to find her somewhere. If I can find Wednesday White, I might have a good shot at finding you. That’s great news!

[A SLIGHTLY TOO LONG PAUSE.]

IRENE

[HER ENTHUSIASM DYING] I don’t trust Wednesday, though.

[A BEAT.] Okay, maybe I shouldn’t be so skeptical. I mean, you’re not an idiot, Rose. You wouldn’t hitch hike with just any random stranger. Would you? Doesn’t even seem like you gave her your real name, she called you ‘Mary.’

[SHE HUFFS A SIGH.] Maybe I’m just being defensive. Still, she seemed off, didn’t she? That whole thing she said about her name just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. She prodded a lot, too. Almost as if she wanted to make you uncomfortable.

I could be reading into it too much. I guess I won’t know until I find her. Hopefully, she didn’t fade into obscurity too much. There’s gotta be some record of her existence online. If I’m lucky, she might be on social media or something. Who knows? Lots of time has passed.

[A PAUSE, THEN, SOFTLY] That person, you—were you recording for me? You wanted me to know you hadn’t abandoned me on purpose. [HURT] And here I was, thinking you would just leave without reason. That you had betrayed me in some way. I’m—Rose, I’m so sorry—

[JUST AS SHE SAYS “SORRY,” HER PHONE BEGINS VIBRATING. SHE PICKS IT UP.]

IRENE

[SKEPTICAL] There’s an unknown number calling me.

[SHE ANSWERS.]

IRENE

Hello?

CALLER

Hello? Is this the person who posted an ad outside of Open Eyes Bookstore?

IRENE

Oh! Um, yeah, that’s me. Wow, I didn’t expect to hear from someone so fast.

CALLER

I’m an observant person. I like to make my rounds throughout the town. You’ll never know what you’ll find, after all. Or who.

Anyways, you have some film that needs to be developed, right? Well, it just so happens to be your lucky day, because I have a dark room.

IRENE

That’s fantastic. I can pay you however much you want, just—

CALLER

[OVERLAPPING] Oh, that won’t be necessary. I’m studying photography, so the experience is payment enough. No worries!

IRENE

That’s very kind of you, thank you.

CALLER

Of course!

Oh, where are my manners? My name is Sadie. Sadie Creed. And you are…?

IRENE

Irene.

SADIE

Irene! How cute. Where do you want me to pick up your film?

IRENE

Um, I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but I would prefer to meet out in the open? Is that a problem?

SADIE

Not at all. How about Lemongrass Park?

IRENE

That’s actually perfect, yeah.

SADIE

Great! I’m happy to meet you tomorrow night at 8:00, if that time works for you? I know that’s a bit late, but I work at the candy shop until then.

IRENE

That should be fine, yeah.

SADIE

Looking forward to it! Pleasure doing business with you, Irene. Bye-bye!

[SADIE HANGS UP.]

IRENE

Huh. Well, I guess that solves that.

Time to go find Wednesday White.

[PHONE BEEP.]

[RECORDING ENDS.]

AUTOMATED VOICE

Today's quote is: A wave of grass engraves upon the stone: ‘There is more than one good way to drown.’

Sylvia Plath in "Epitaph in Three Parts," 1955.

[OUTRO MUSIC AND CREDITS PLAY.]

MICRO-COSMOS PROMOTIONAL AD [written by Jesse Smith]

[THERE ARE STATIC NOISES.]

ATHENA

This is Communications Athena Romero of OEC #0137-F recording from a… still, unknown location on the infant planet Ophiuchus-22. Though I have my… well, rational, doubts, something in me feels as though this transmission might actually be reaching someone. Might just be desperation, though. Most likely just desperation. Regardless. We would appreciate any and all OC representatives or employees, or individuals otherwise receiving this transmission, to please send a response. We have been recording mandatory and otherwise necessary emergency chronicling logs for days now. Please.

[WE HEAR MILES'S FOOTSTEPS APPROACH.]

MILES

(distant) Athena, are you sending out another transmission? They’re not going to-

[C41 APPEARS WITH THEIR USUAL PING.]

C41

Shhh, let her do her thing, Miles. She needs to set her character up correctly for the new listeners that are hearing this promotional advertisement.

MILES

The new— what?

C41

What?

MILES

What are you talking about?

FELIX

I believe what Cal is doing is called “breaking the fourth wall,” my friend.

MILES

Breaking the what now?

C41

Oh, just forget about it.

[MILES GROANS; WE HEAR ALEX APPROACH.]

ALEX

What about a promotional advertisement?

ATHENA

Guys, could you… [SIGHS] I am trying to finish this log, so could you please give me a moment?

ALEX

Sorry, Starshine, I just got a little caught up in the whole “self-aware and breaking the fourth wall” thing.

ATHENA

It’s… fine.

C41

If I were you, Athena, I would close your log out by telling the listener to tune in to Micro-Cosmos: A Science Fiction Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts! The show is created by a crew of LGBTQ+ people, and features strange infant planets, brief romantic scenes before epic tragedy, cool sci-fi terminology, and adorably talented AI units, like myself!

ATHENA

Micro-?

C41

More information on the show can be found on its website: “microcospod.space”, OR its Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, or TikTok, which all have the handle “@microcospod.”

MILES

… uh huh.

[THE CREW SITS IN SILENCE FOR A SECOND.]

C41

That’s just what I would say, though.

MILES

… Cal, we really need to figure out what is going on with this new phase of yours.