#kicks happy home paradise

[witchyman]

I got Kick's amiibo in a pack so i decided to give him a lil vacation home !

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

Almost Paradise S01E01 Finding Mabuhay.

[beaconislandupdates]

[anch-vaviel]

The first half of my little project is done! Polaroid amiibos!

Here's the shots used for the amiibos! Jack's didn't show up as well as I'd hoped but it's film so 🤷‍♀️

[lilacbokeh]

me playing style savvy styling star™️ after hacking my 3DS & downloading a bunch of shit for free 🥰

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

girl on fire 1

Warnings: this fic will include elements, some dark, such as cheating, neglect, noncon/dubcon, and other untagged triggers. Please take this into account before proceeding. It is up to curate your online consumption safely.

Summary: neglected, you find comfort in another home.

Characters: Jonathan Pine, Loki

Author’s Note: Please feel free to leave some feedback, reblog, and jump into my asks. I’m always happy to discuss with you and riff on idea. As always, you are cherished and adored! Stay safe, be kind, and treat yourself

Another lonely morning greets you. The chirping of birds and the yellow haze of sunlight does little to warm your bed. You stretch your arm out, feeling the empty space beside you. You lift your hand and stare at the ring you forgot to take off, as you often do. Sometimes, you just don’t want to. Sometimes you think if you do, he’ll truly be gone. 

Your husband isn’t gone though. Just absent. Just away on business. What's the difference?

You sit up and that knot under your shoulder pangs. You don’t sleep well without Loki near. Even after all this time, you’re not used to it. You wonder if he lays awake in his hotel beds. 

You go to the bathroom and wake yourself up with a splash of cold water. The day unfolds slowly around you as the dregs of sleep recede to painful reality. Alone. Again. Just like every day. When you said til death do you part, you didn’t think it would be a walking death. 

You wash and dress, for no reason in particular. You suppose because you should look human if you go outside. You sit and drink your tea in the kitchen as you watch the news on your phone. Current events only make you feel worse about the world. Even in your suburban paradise, there is no joy. 

You close out the player and tap on your messages. The last text you got from your errant husband was two nights ago. He landed safely. He doesn’t respond unless you message first. You’re starting to forget the days when he would rush in the door and sweep you off your feet. There is only numbness left where once you tingled. 

You’ll talk. Yeah, you’ll sit down and communicate and make it all better. Sure, that’ll happen. You laugh at yourself as you rinse the mug and leave it in the sink. You say that to yourself every time and then he comes home and it’s just silence. 

This isn’t a home, it’s a prison. At least you get outdoors time here. 

You step into your slippers and go outside, grabbing your gardening gloves as you tie on the tool belt with trowel, rake, and spade tucked in the pockets. You roll your shoulders and stretch, groaning as the dull jab remains under your shoulder blade. You need to stop reading in bed. 

As you near the soil along the walk, you stop short. Dirt litters the pavement and petals scatter all around. You near fall to your knees, staggering instead as you grasp at your stomach. No, no, no. 

You stare down at the ruin of your tulips. Not just any tulips but the pink and white ones you’d been nursing for weeks. The ones you bought yourself to mark your tenth year of marriage. The gift you never got from your husband because he couldn’t fit you into his calendar. 

“Ugh!” You exclaim and stomp the broken stems. “I hate you!” 

You stamp your feet in the dirt, spreading the mess, jumping up and down as your anger swells and your hurt flows over. That damn squirrel! That pest! That horrid creature! 

You kick through the other flowers, crushing peonies and pansies and violets. You don’t care about any of it. It doesn’t matter. It all just wilts and dies. It’s all just a bunch of bullshit. 

You clutch your head and collapse on your heels, sitting on your knees as you hang your head forward. It’s not the flowers. You know it’s not. The one thing you don’t want to think about is the only thing you can think about. 

You stay like that, sobbing into the ruin of your front garden. How pathetic you must look in your old Gap tee shirt and oversized sweatpants. If any of those HOA cyborgs walked by, they’d surely give you a citation. 

“Pardon,” a voice breaks through your tragedy and you close your eyes.  

You’re delusional. You have to be imagining things. It sounds just like him. Like your Loki. You turn your head and open your eyes, lashes webbed with tears. You sniff and quickly mop them away. Of course it wouldn’t be your husband. 

“Are you alright? I saw you fall from across the street,” the slim tall man stands on the other side of your iron gate. “Oh my, well, what a mess that chap made of your garden. I’m afraid he had a go at mine as well.” 

You squint and shake your head, “who?” 

“That squirrel fellow. He broke one of my planters as well,” he points with his long index finger. How peculiar. He reminds you of him. Tall, slim, and his nose... 

“That’s... yeah,” you sniffle and look down, using your shirt, to wipe away what’s left of your grief. 

“They must’ve meant very much. Even if they are just flowers, I can empathise,” he says. 

You shrug, “I’m being dramatic.” 

You stand and sweep off your pants. He lingers and you avoid looking at him. You’ve humiliated yourself enough. 

“Tulips,” he remarks. “I’ve some lovely blue ones from Holland if you’d like some bulbs. Can never have too many.” 

“That’s nice of you,” you keep your head down, turning your back to him, “who are you exactly?” 

“Oh, yes, I suppose I’ve not made the rounds yet. I... do you perhaps know a Hattie?” 

“Yeah, across the street,” you mutter. 

“That would be her. My aunt,” he explains, “she’s in need of some assistance, she’s due for surgery, so I’ve volunteered myself as her minder. She always did make the nicest biscuits, I only think it fair.” 

“That’s... nice,” you nearly choke on emotion. It is very sweet and selfishly, you feel worse for hearing it. 

“Needless to say, I’m a bit of a stranger around here,” he continues, “I’m Jonathan, though, if you... care.” 

You take a breath and lower your head, trying to get yourself together. You face him and try to force a smile but only feel like you might start crying again. You enunciate your name through the tension in your lips.  

He repeats it and it nearly takes your breath away, “do I have that right?” 

You have to hold back a gasp as you nod.  

“Beautiful,” he remarks, “happy to have a name to the face. I hate to be trouble but you might see me around.” 

“That's… That's okay. I'm sorry. I'm just… having a day,” you try to laugh out your distress but it only sounds fractured. 

“We all do,” he says, “I might be so lucky you never catch me in one.” 

“Sure, uh, I'll… I gotta go inside.” 

“Of course,” he purrs, “I shall let you know if I do catch the menace.” 

You put on a perplexed face. 

“The squirrel,” he says, “I am merciful, never worry. I'll only give him a good fright.” 

“Mm, thanks, er, I'll keep an eye out too.” 

“I do hope your day turns for the better,” he dips his head slightly, “can't complain for the sun, can we?” 

He turns and struts to the curb. You watch as he looks both ways then strolls on, hands in his pockets, a man without a care. You envy him that, but you can't quite place that other thorn in your chest. 

[denaliwrites]

f i c m a s t e r l i s t

p o l i c i e s (please read before making requests!)

b a d s a m a r i t a n The Best of You, Honey, Belongs to Me Blackthorn Cover Myself in the Ashes of You Dumb Ways To Die Enough of You to Dull the Pain (18+) Hellbent Looking For A Godsend Hit Me With Your Best Shot I Got This Feeling On A Summer Day (18+) I'm Gooey in the Middle Baby Let Me Bake In His Eyes A Flaming Glow Intrigued and Afraid Keep You Like An Oath (18+) Killing Me Softly My Baby Shot Me Down (18+) Not Much Between Despair and Ecstasy (18+) Only Touch That Gets Me Melting (18+) Run Rabbit Run (18+) Say My Name Send a Thousand Kings Away Shia Surprise Something Good to Celebrate Stop, Look and Listen, It's Halloween! Taste of a Poison Paradise Trust in Me, Just in Me With Your Scars and Your Lonely Heart Your Body's a Secret Girl and You're About to Spill It (18+)

t h e b o y s Watch That Butcher Burn

b r o a d c h u r c h Always Leave Me With a Hungry Heart Am I Doing This Right? An Art to Life's Distractions Beating Like A Kick Drum Catch & Release Girls Like Girls Like Boys Do It's Been a Long, Long Time Love's Perfect Ache Now and Again We Try to Just Stay Alive Regale You With A Gourd-geous Tale Say You'll Remember Me Say You'll Remember Me (Denali's Version) Tell Me It's A Nightmare

d o c t o r w h o Cuddle, Meet Puddle Cute Things Don't Blink (Part 1) Don't Turn Your Back (Part 2) Don't Look Away (Part 3) Dreams See Us Through (Part 4) Hate the Feeling of Falling Have a Holly Jolly Christmas Horrible Things Isn't That Wizard It's How I'm Made Let Me Come Home Little Creepy House On the Brave Shit The Origin of (Love Bug) Species What Beautiful Things I'll Wear When the Crypt Doors Creak You Know That I Would Jump Too

d u c k t a l e s Tales of Daring

g o o d o m e n s All I Want For Christmas Aziraphale's Favorite Author Dance on a Tightrope of Weird Free as My Hair His Love is All in Me How the Wine Plays Tricks on My Tongue Lockdown Blues Making Biscuits My Heart's a Stereo Naked in That Garden (18+) Out There Making DuckTales Pickin' Up the Pieces of the Mess You Made Road to Hell Something Meaty For The Main Course Step Too Far Tongue Tied Your Love is Holy (18+)

f a l l o f t h e h o u s e o f u s h e r Tomorrow I Shall Be Fetterless (18+)

f r i g h t n i g h t Emptiness to Melody Everybody Scream in Our Town of Halloween Fixed Up to the Nines Howl Like an Animal in the Darkness I'm So Hot I'd Fuck Myself (18+) I'm Starvin', Darlin', Let Me Put My Lips to Somethin' Late Night Devil Put Your Hands On Me (18+) Make Me Glow Night of Long Fangs (18+) Parade of Dancing Skeletons Talk So Pretty (18+) Who Are You Supposed To Be, Criss Angel? (18+)

h a u n t i n g o f b l y m a n o r ???

j u r a s s i c p a r k / w o r l d Best Behavior The Future Ex Mrs. Malcolm

p r o d i g a l s o n But Then My Stupid Phone Beeps Never Fallen From Quite This High Office Supplies Rude Boy They are the Hunters, We are the Foxes Trigger Happy With a Sense of Poise (18+)

[sparkbeast20]

My thoughts of Chapter One: Pt 1 (1-2 and 1-3)

I decide to not include the prologue, since we have that in the official YT in PrettyBusy.

1-2 "The Death of Belial...?" aka what the fuck is this title XD

The story start with us opening our eyes and seeing Sitri and Ppyong kneel

Goddamn!!! Look at that arm- *Cough*

I like that MC was really awe at Sitri and it took Ppyong greeting Satan to snap MC out of it

Now, I was so happy that Ppyong isn't one of those annoying characters. He manage to be right spot of being cute and smart... More that later.

So, of you unlock part 1 of Naberius' comic and part 2 or 3 Leraye's comic. It has said that Ppyong and devils like him are lesser devil.

It finally sink in to MC that Satan is what he said.

And that where MC and Satan is right now is Gehenna

Now, I want to talk about this. So Ppyong only mention the four region and not all seven, which made me wonder why?

I wanted to counter this with, "well technically we do have called hell all does names, is just within different languages XD"

Again... why not mention the other three region?

Also, through out the story you'll see that all these devils are bias for their home region. I see this as like a sports fan screaming their home team XD

Tho, this makes me wonder about characters that weren't originally from the region they are currently staying at. Like Buer and Bathin.

Bathin was originally from Paradise Lost and Buer was from Tartaros.

I think that they'll show more loyalty to the kings instead of the region.

What makes it sad that Bathin's Homescreen dialog.

Next, Satan asked the two where is Belial.

It ends with Sitri telling Satan that he and Belial was ambushed by angels. And both Satan and Sitri think that Belial is dead...

1-3 "Sitri's kiss"

So... Satan is dumb

Hell, Ppyong is the smart one here

But... Sitri is a yes man

And Ppyong is so done with them

This made me love Ppyong, while he can be loyal to Satan, and the nobles, he has his own thoughts.

After this, Ppyong ask who we are.

After getting a little nervous with all eyes on you, Satan answered

This is really important later, that Satan mention our name first rather calling us Son/Daughter of Solomon.

Then, he show Sitri and Ppyong the brand

After getting some... thoughts about Satan and our situation, Satan notice and tease us

Sir, stop!! I'm getting hot and flustered 😳

Then Sitri and Ppyong saw and reacted shock upon seeing the brand

Satan made sure to mention that it was a Seraphim that branded us.

Which... After seeing the other two Seraphim in the event, yet... It's a good idea to mention that its a Seraphim that did this.

Sitri is in disgust upon hearing it and start grinding his teeth like Satan, which is rare. He is mostly calm... Passive aggressive, but calm.

Then he asked why did a Seraph brand us.

As soon as he mention Solomon, Sitri was suddenly happy to the point he was in tears.

He rushed towards us and kissed us either on the lips or cheek it wasn't clear, it only describe the feeling of the kiss.

There was a moment where Sitri was crying and MC can either pushed him away (Who would do that!?!?) Or wipe away his tears.

Then Satan kicked him and yelled

Now, here's my hot take. I think that Sitri didn't do this with Solomon like what he did here with MC, and people would like to bring up that Satan kissed Solomon in that one comic. But that wasn't Satan.

The clothing is different and the horns are different, and this devil is wearing a earring, plus Satan's eye brows are red not the same hair color.

I do see Satan and the others kissed Solomon on the cheek when greeting him, but people saying this is Satan is wrong.

And the story ends with Ppyong asking Sitri why he kissed MC and he's responds is.

Now... I could admit that maybe Sitri did have feelings for Solomon, but I see that as a one sided love turned into (unrequired love) thing and he knew that he is just happy that he can see Solomon.

Tho that's all speculation. And seeing that this is a Otome game, I'm not holding my breath.

However, I'm hoping on a Sitri arc where he stops calling MC as Solomon when he can finally move one. Maybe in the future.

That's where I end this post (More so I'm limited with 30 pics XD)

[allmoshnobrain]

𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫: 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

part 02 of 06 | masterpost

word count: 5,4k | ao3 link | fic's playlist

He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, and I wondered if he too would be feeling the happiness that sang in my chest at that moment, like a little miracle had just unfolded before us. It was hard to find another word to describe it. He’d found me. After so many years, he’d found me.

✦ on this chapter: james hetfield x female!oc, dave mustaine x female!oc, oc is cliff's cousin, +18, language, slice of life, angst, grief, smut mentioned/implied

✧ Once you told me, "Look for the North Star, then you'll see" / Heavenly, I hear / Found my way to the beach / There were waves over me / I was lost at sea 'til you found me / 'til you found me ✧

May 20, 1984

Settling into the new home my parents had bought for me turned out to be easier than I’d expected, especially since my friends had moved in with me; we all shared the same space and, slowly but surely, it was shaping up to be our own little slice of paradise, buzzing with music, chatter, and laughter as we got everything sorted.

But everything felt eerily still when I arrived home on that Sunday afternoon. I opened the front door, spotting a few moving boxes still hanging out in the living room. I glanced around, puzzled, eyeing the empty space and wondering where the gang had vanished to. That's when I caught the distant murmur of voices drifting from the kitchen.

"You can't just go after him, James. It's gonna wreck our reputation, have you even thought about that?" Lars' voice carried down the hallway, tinged with irritation.

"You think I give a damn about our reputation when he's out there dissing my girl?" James shot back, his voice tinged with anger. I arched an eyebrow, definitely intrigued now as I made my way closer. I reached the kitchen door to find Lars leaning against the sink, his brow furrowed, while James, so much taller, paced back and forth, his fists clenched. "I couldn't care less. Let him yap about us all he wants, but lay off her. I'm gonna beat the crap out of him, then maybe he'll learn to keep his trap shut."

"Hey, guys," I interjected, and James halted his pacing immediately, both him and Lars shooting me a startled look, like they'd just seen a ghost. A knot twisted in my gut as I realized they were probably talking about something they didn't want me to know about. "What's the deal?"

"Nore!" Lars chirped, a bit too brightly, as he hastily snatched something off the table. I narrowed my eyes, noting it was a cassette tape he was awkwardly trying to stuff into his pocket. "Oh, it's, uh, nothing important!"

"What's that?" I inquired, nodding toward the cassette in his grasp. James shot him a pointed glare, and Lars swallowed hard.

"It's, um, nothing, really! Just..." He stumbled over his words as I closed the gap between us, grabbing his arm and snatching the tape from his grip. "Hey!"

"If it's really nothing, then you won't mind me taking a look, right?" I challenged. James shot me a worried look before striding over towards me.

"Nore, hand it over," he demanded, his tone grave, his brow furrowed. I stared at him, torn between defiance and confusion.

"No," I shot back, turning on my heel and bolting up the stairs.

"Nore!" James called out, chasing after me, but I was already too far ahead. I reached our shared room and slammed the door shut, locking it behind me. James pounded on the door, growing increasingly frustrated. "Nore! Come on, give it back!"

"Unless you've got another girlfriend, this has gotta be about me, right?" I challenged, and he grunted, kicking the door in frustration. "You’re gonna start keeping secrets from me now?"

"You don't get it. It's for your own good. Just let me in!"

I brushed off his demand, which only earned me a frustrated growl from him. Fixing my gaze on the tape in my hand, my heart skipped a beat when I spotted the band name: Megadeth. There wasn't much else on the tape besides handwritten song titles on the label. I'd been keeping tabs on the Californian metal scene enough to know this wasn't just any old tape — it was a demo. I couldn't help but wonder how Lars and James got their hands on it, and what the hell it had to do with me.

"Come on, Nore!" James's pounding on the door grew more urgent as the music began to play, the cassette inserted into the tape deck in our room. "You don't wanna hear this. Trust me!"

I stayed silent, my heart doing some churning uncomfortably in my chest as I recognized Dave's voice emanating from the speakers. I blinked in surprise; I remembered he was scouting for a vocalist for the band back when we were together, but I had no clue he'd decided to take on the role himself. Somehow, that made it all worse; I wasn't prepared to hear his voice. I wasn't ready for the flood of emotions that hearing him but not being able to talk to him, see him, or touch him brought crashing over me. I wasn't ready for the fury radiating from his voice, blazing like a wildfire, channeling all his pain into his music. And then, it hit me what he was singing about.

My only love, something I've never felt / Now you've gone to heaven and I'll burn in hell / I loved you to death!

Oh. Was that why James was so adamant about me not hearing the tape? Could that song possibly be...?

And now I'm down below / And what do I see? / You didn't go to heaven / You’re down in hell with me / And now you’re coming back / “baby take me please!” / I really think I would, if you weren't such a sleaze / I loved you once before, you kept me on a string / I'd rather go without than take what you would bring / I loved you to death!

I chewed on my lip, my stomach twisting as the song came to its end, struggling to make sense of everything I'd just heard. Suddenly, it all clicked. I understood why James had tried to shield me from it; Dave's lyrics were harsh, dripping with anger and bitterness, a far cry from the sweet and caring Dave I once knew. For a fleeting moment, I tried to convince myself it couldn't be about me — but who else could it possibly be about?

For months, I'd been wondering what he'd say if I ever found him. Would he listen? Would he let me explain? And for months, I'd been living with this fear — that he'd hate me, that he wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore. But I'd always held onto hope; hope that I could make things right, that I could clear things up somehow. Yet, that song... It crushed whatever hope I had left.

It hurt me more than I could say.

I stood up and swung open the bedroom door, finding James right there, his blue eyes filled with concern. I threw myself into his arms, trying to hold back the tears. He sighed and hugged me back.

"I warned you not to listen," he grumbled.

"And you were just gonna keep this from me forever?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"If it meant not hurting you, then yeah."

"James, I deserved to know," I said, pulling back to look at him. He reached up and wiped away a tear, his touch gentle on my cheek.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he said softly, planting a light kiss on my forehead.

"Where'd you snag this tape, anyway?"

"Our producer gave it to Lars. Said Dave's using that Mechanix song we had on our album as The Four Horsemen..."

"Those were his songs, James. He's got every right to do so."

"Why do you still stick up for him, even after all this?" he frowned, a hint of annoyance in his voice, then sighed. "Sure, he can use his fucking songs. But he doesn't get to pen this garbage about you."

I shook my head with a sigh.

"It's so not fair," I said, trying to push down the shake in my voice. "He jumped to thinking I'd just cheat on him, replace him outta nowhere. Didn't even give me a chance to explain; just up and left. And I..." James pulled me into another hug as my voice hitched, making it tough to keep talking. "I still miss him. And I wish..."

"Nore..." James murmured, squeezing me tight, and I sighed, shutting my eyes. "You miss him that much? Aren’t you happy with me?"

"Course I'm happy with you," I replied, my voice muffled against him, hugging him close and soaking in the comfort of his scent as I buried my face into his chest.

"Then stay with me ," he said, his voice gravelly, stroking my hair tenderly. "I'm here. And I would never hurt you like that. Maybe it's time to... let this go. I can make you happy, Nore. Promise."

"You already make me happy," I murmured, sniffing softly and pulling away from his embrace, wiping away the tears that insisted on falling. James cupped my face in his hands, giving me a gentle, affectionate kiss on my lips.

I loved James. That certainty had grown in my chest over the past few months until it became unbearable, impossible to ignore. But could I allow myself to forget Dave like that? Could I allow myself to move on and leave behind a love that had changed my life? Even if he hated me, my heart still beat for him. Could I allow myself to let go of that feeling? 

Could I?

September 5, 1986

Ever since James and I’d started dating, James had always been warm. Warm and cozy, like a lit fireplace on a winter night, enough for me to always want to be around — always there, always comforting. As we lay together, both totally spent after spending most of the night pleasuring each other, he started planting little, lazy kisses on my neck, his hand resting flat on my belly. His blond locks tickled my cheek, his breath warm against my bare skin. 

"I feel like something's off with me," I mumbled, and he stopped kissing me, his lips lingering against my neck.

"I’ll stop if you want me to," he whispered, his arms enveloping me, drawing me snug against his bare skin. James had this knack for drawing me in tighter whenever I hinted at pulling away. He just couldn't resist keeping me close, and honestly, I didn't mind one bit. "Just say the word if you need me to back off," he murmured softly.

"No, it's not that," I replied, turning to face him with a sigh. His blue eyes locked onto mine, curious. I let out another soft sigh, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. He responded instantly, pulling me closer, his grip firm.

"What's on your mind then?" he asked, his lips trailing from mine to my neck once more. I sighed again, closing my eyes, my fingers tangling in his hair as heat pooled between my legs.

"I don't want you guys to leave," I admitted, and he paused his kisses, pulling back to meet my gaze. I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks as I looked away. "I know it's part of your job. I know you've been on countless tours, and this one won't be any different. But... I just wish you'd stay, just this once."

James gave a nod, pulling me into a tight hug and planting a gentle kiss on my temple. The whirlwind of tours and gigs wasn't a walk in the park for either of us. Sure, it had its perks, but the constant movement, the jam-packed schedule that I struggled to keep pace with, and the long stretches of time apart definitely took their toll on our relationship. Especially now that the band was hitting new heights of success; I wanted to be there for them every step of the way, but reality dictated otherwise with my own commitments.

It hadn't been such a big deal in the past; after over two years as James's girlfriend and spending loads of time with Cliff and the boys, I was used to the drill. But this time, there was this gnawing feeling in my chest, like something wasn't quite right. It wasn't exactly that I wanted them to stay or that I wanted to tag along but couldn't; it was more like I just didn't want them to leave. I didn't want them out there while I was feeling this jittery, like something was about to go south any second.

"I'm probably being a bit selfish," I admitted, meeting James' eyes.

"Nah, not at all," he countered, running his fingers through my hair and flashing me a grin, clearly trying to lift my spirits. "I'll make it up to you, promise. I'll bring back souvenirs from everywhere we hit. What do you say? We'll be back before you know it, Nore. Trust me."

I gave a nod, a small smile tugging at my lips. There was no point in dumping all my worries on James; things would work out, somehow. I nestled closer to him, giving him a hug before planting a soft kiss on his jawline.

"Meanwhile..." he started, his lips meeting mine as he settled over me. I let out a soft chuckle, looping my arms around his neck; he leaned back, giving me a smile tinged with mischief, his hands trailing up my thighs in a way that sent shivers down my spine, anticipation building within me. "I think we should make the most of my being here while we still can. What do you say?"

"Hmm... sounds like a plan," I answered, and he chuckled, leaning in to kiss me once more.

March 13, 1987

Backstage used to be my sanctuary, but not anymore.

The buzz, the drinks, the laughter, the pounding music — those were the things that used to make me feel alive. Completely in the moment. But ever since Cliff had left us, the whole scene had just become another stress trigger. It was cruel, how I would still catch myself hoping to spot him any minute, beer in hand or puffing on a cig before hitting the stage, tuning his bass with that grin of his like he was born to rock out. Then reality would hit me seconds later, reminding me that I would never see him again.

That he was gone.

That night’s gig marked my first outing since the accident. I only agreed to go 'cause I knew James was missing me like crazy, especially after everything went down. It stung how Cliff's death had torn us apart, making it damn near impossible for us to even be in the same room despite still loving each other; it was all just too raw, too painful to wrap our heads around.

But I stuck it out for the whole show, even though my heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice seeing the band up there with a different lineup, knowing it shouldn't be that way. Jason, the new bassist, was actually pretty damn good; I knew my aunt and uncle had loved him, and knowing he had their stamp of approval made things a bit easier to swallow. I didn't know him too well yet, but he came off as friendly and laid-back. Plus, his passion for the band and music had me smiling, thinking about how Cliff would've dug having someone with that same fire taking his spot.

Once the show wrapped, I didn't stick around for the inevitable after-party. While James and the guys were all caught up sorting out post-gig stuff, I slipped out the back, lighting up a smoke with a sigh. A persistent headache throbbed away, making me regret coming in the first place.

"Miss you, you dumbass," I muttered to myself, feeling the sting of tears threatening to spill over.

If I'd known that accident was coming, I would've done anything to stop Cliff from stepping foot on that bus. I would've volunteered to take his spot, even crawled into the bed he was in when it all went down. I would've traded places with him in a heartbeat, and I would've gone to my grave with a smile on my face. 'Cause living in a world without him was a nightmare worse than anything I'd ever imagined.

And now, all I could do was wish I would wake up back in our cozy home, catching a whiff of the coffee he used to brew up and hearing his gentle chuckle as he teased Leanne about tying the knot some day, all in that playful tone that barely masked his real longing — to live . To start a family, maybe have some kids, buy a house for his folks, and grow old doing what he loved, soaking up the rewards of his talent.

But none of that was in the cards anymore.

And I had remained, an empty, unrecognizable shell of the lively girl I used to be. I didn't know a life without Cliff — he had been my rock since forever. He'd been there since day one — I mean, literally, he was around before I was even born. We grew up side by side, like two peas in a pod, and now what was left of me was rotten, alone, and meaningless.

What was I without him, if he was such a huge part of who I was?

How many more losses in my life would I have to take?

Suddenly, I remembered Dave. The first boy I'd ever really loved, that kind of love that shakes you to your core. Losing him hurt like hell, no doubt about it. But compared to losing Cliff, it was like small fry. Still, Dave was the first real loss I’d ever faced. When all my efforts to track him down hit dead ends, I had to learn to live with the hole he left behind. After all these years, I still thought about him from time to time, but it didn't sting as bad as it used to.

I couldn't help but wonder if the ache in my heart from Cliff's absence would ever dull down like it had with Dave. Or if I'd have to face an even bigger blow, something that'd make this pain seem like child's play in comparison. 

After roaming the city streets for hours, I finally headed back to the hotel. When I got to the floor where the band was crashing, I bumped into Jason, standing by his room’s door.

"Hey, Nore," he said, his voice sounding rough, and I gave him a puzzled look. Was he crying?

"Hey, Jason. You all good?"

"I-I'm good," he mumbled, voice low, avoiding eye contact as he sniffled and wiped his face with his hand. Yeah, definitely not okay.

"You're not out there with the guys. What's up?" I asked, and he glanced up, his brown eyes a bit bloodshot, cheeks flushed.

"It's just... It's been kinda rough trying to fit in with the band. Especially with all these pranks they pull..." he trailed off.

"Pranks? What do you mean?" I frowned.

"Oh, it's nothing!" he rushed to say. "You know, just dumb stuff. It's just that it always catches me off guard, like now... I went back to the room to grab a jacket and found they'd messed it all… Up…" He slowly stopped talking as I brushed past him, turning the doorknob of his room and pushing the door open.

I froze in my tracks, utterly stunned by the sight before me. Jason's room was a complete disaster zone — suitcases torn open, clothes strewn all over, mattress gone, and beddings tangled up in the ceiling fan. Furniture flipped over like a hurricane had blown through. I just stood there, dumbfounded. Whoever did this wasn't messing around — it was straight-up hostility, so blatant it snapped me out of my own sadness and fired me up with anger.

"Jason, who did this?" I spun around to face him, my expression blazing, and he took a step back, clearly rattled.

"Nore, it's no big deal, really..." he started, but I cut him off.

"Whoever trashed your room needs to answer for it. This is not okay! I'm going straight to James; he'll sort this out..."

"No, please," he pleaded, cutting me off. "Please, that'll only make things worse! Don't talk to them, I'm begging you…"

I gawked at him, trying to wrap my head around what I was seeing, the pieces slowly fitting together in a puzzle that made no sense. 

"Jason," I began cautiously, "did James and the guys pull this stunt on you?"

He stayed silent, which I interpreted as a confirmation. My gut twisted in discomfort. What were they thinking? That wasn't our style. Sure, we'd get a bit wild sometimes, drink too much, goof around — but deliberately messing with someone? It just didn't add up.

Just then, the elevator chimed, and out stumbled a clearly wasted James, grinning when he spotted Jason.

"Hey, Newkid!" he slurred, stumbling over his words as he came over and slung an arm around Jason's shoulders, who shot him a nervous grin. "Check out the new decor in your room, dude! Pretty rad, huh?" He burst into laughter.

"James, what the hell is this?" I demanded, my voice shaky. He glanced up, looking surprised to see me there.

"Hey, babe. You dipped out, what's the deal?" he asked, dropping his arm from Jason's shoulders and stepping toward me. I folded my arms, taking a step back. He furrowed his brow, confused. "What's eating at you?"

"You tell me. What's the deal with this mess?" I gestured to the chaos in Jason's room. James just grinned, shaking his head.

"Princess, it was just a prank... Come on," he said, reaching for my hand, but I shrugged him off, stomping heavily toward our room. "Hey, hold up... Baby!" James called after me, trailing behind.

Ignoring him, I swung open the door and grabbed my bag, hastily scooping up the scattered clothes and belongings. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall — not now.

"Nore, what the fuck are you doing?" James rushed into the room, grabbing my arm. I shook him off, backing away, glaring at him through teary eyes, my breaths coming in uneven gasps. "Babe, what's going on?"

"How can you even ask? What, you think it's funny to be some kind of bully now?" I demanded, my voice quivering. James shook his head, looking utterly baffled by my reaction.

"Nore, chill out! It was just a prank..."

"What kind of prank is this? This isn't us, James. Why are you guys messing with him?" I snapped, continuing to pack up my stuff. "Cliff would never stand for this."

James took a step back, looking like I'd slapped him. His brow furrowed, jaw clenched.

"And how would you know?" he shot back, and I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"You think you knew him better than I did, James? Seriously?"

"Nore, it was just a joke..."

"A joke ? Really?" I shouted, tears finally breaking free. "I can't deal with this, James. What's gotten into you? He's not to blame for what happened to Cliff!"

"I get it. Nore, just try to calm down," he said, coming closer and taking hold of my wrists, locking eyes with me. "Take a deep breath, okay?"

"James, this isn't fair," I choked out through sobs. "Can't you see? We've been falling apart since he left. You're angry, and you're bitter, and you're mean , and sometimes I don't even recognize you anymore, and I hate it! And I feel like nothing — I don't feel like me anymore without him. You don't need me like this."

"I do need you."

"I'm fucking broken, James."

"No, you're not!"

"I am !" I burst out, my voice cracking. "You deserve someone who won't lose it over every little thing like this, James. You deserve better than me. I'm not good for you anymore. I'm not good for anyone, for anything."

"So what's the fucking deal?" he asked, his voice shaky, desperate, his blue eyes brimming with pain. "You’re breaking up with me now?"

I didn't say anything, just locked eyes with him, feeling my heart twist painfully as I realized something had broken right then and there. I loved James, but how could I love anyone fully when my pain consumed me like this, leaving little space for anything else? How could I let myself be loved when his anger kept driving us further apart, drowning out our love in all the noise?

I let out a heavy sigh, my breath trembling, and released his hands from mine.

"I'm heading back home. I'll pack up and catch the next flight..." I mumbled.

"Nore, don't do this," James pleaded, reaching for my hands again, but I pulled away.

"I can't, James. I'm sorry. Just... Please, let me go," I sobbed, burying my face in my hands as I sank onto the bed.

Not too long ago, James would've never left me like this. He would've been there, comforting me, holding me tight and never letting go. But things weren't like they used to be, and the world didn't work the way it should anymore.

So, he just walked away, leaving me alone with my pain.

Over the next few years, James and I attempted to patch things up time and time again — but it was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. We just couldn't get back to where we were before. Eventually, we drifted apart and started seeing other people, searching for happiness in different eyes, different embraces, different kisses.

But it was useless.

The ache in my chest lingered, a constant reminder of the emptiness that echoed in both of us. And no matter how hard we tried to keep our distance, we always found our way back to each other. We never went back to using those labels — boyfriend, girlfriend — but we couldn't deny the pull between us. I always found myself drawn back to James, and he always found his way back to me.

Eventually, I got used to that kind of love, a mix of joy and sorrow that felt like the only steady thing in a crazy world, a way to bury my own unhappiness. Over the years, me and the guys stayed tight, because what other choice did we have? They were my family, and I was theirs.

I tried to tell myself that maybe I'd never feel that same spark of life again, but hey, at least I wasn't totally miserable. Even though I'd lost a lot and sadness seemed to follow me like a shadow, I still had some good things left — maybe with time, I could figure out how to move forward again. Maybe this was as good as it got.

I almost bought into it.

Until Dave found me.

February 18, 1992

In the end, it was him who found me.

After all the failed attempts, all the heartache, all the rage, all the emptiness I'd been carrying around for years without him, it all came crashing down in that moment when our eyes locked. Time seemed to stand still, his hand on my shoulder sending a jolt through my body, making my heart lose any sense of rhythm.

"Dave?" I whispered, and the sound of my own voice seemed to stir something in his eyes, an old and familiar pain, but also hunger, happiness, and ecstasy.

It was really him.

It was really, really him.

"Hey," he said, and the normalcy of his answer made me chuckle. He grinned at my laughter, that old, beautiful smile, and my heart seemed to melt into pure warmth and affection.

How could I have lived so long without him?

"Hey," I replied, a smile stubbornly appearing on my face. " What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Junior's dating that Music Now anchor; she hooked us up with some tickets. David, David Ellefson," he clarified, noticing my confusion. "I ended up calling him that. Can't have two Daves in the band, and I called dibs first, so..." He trailed off, a small grin playing on his lips that I couldn't help but mirror. "Wanna grab a table? You were getting some food, right? We can catch up for a bit..."

"Sure thing," I nodded eagerly. We snagged an empty table and settled in. I poked at my food, but my appetite took a backseat with him sitting across from me. Dave seemed both different and the same, all at once. He was still as good-looking as ever, with his ginger hair cascading over his shoulders, warm hazel eyes, and that familiar crooked smile that always got me.

"So, what brings you here?" he asked.

"Oh, I work here," I answered, grinning when he raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

"Really? What do you do?"

"I act. Just landed my first lead role in a TV series."

"So you ended up in the arts, huh?" he remarked. "I remember you were tossing around the idea of studying something like that back when... Well, back when we were a thing."

I blinked, feeling the flush rise to my cheeks. I was so thrilled to see him again that, for a moment, I almost forgot how our last encounter had been a train wreck for both of us. How the end of our relationship had left us both hurting and confused. How so many misunderstandings had ruined our love beyond repair. 

"Dave," I began, my voice faltering with nerves. "I know it's been forever... But there's so much I want to say. So much I need to explain. I—" I trailed off as he reached for my hand, his grasp enveloping mine, so much larger and warmer, sending my heart racing.

"No worries," he answered, his voice gentle as he kept his gaze locked on mine. "We can talk. I reckon doing it here might be a bit tough, huh? How about we pick a day just for that?"

The idea of meeting up again brought a wave of relief to my face. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, and I wondered if he too would be feeling the happiness that sang in my chest at that moment, like a little miracle had just unfolded before us. It was hard to find another word to describe it.

He’d found me.

After so many years, he’d found me.

We chatted away for the rest of the party, mostly about work stuff. Everything felt oddly familiar yet different at the same time, and we kind of danced around the real thing: all the emotions we'd been through during our time apart, the fights and secrets that tore us apart when we still cared about each other, and whether we still felt the same way. 'Cause, honestly, I could barely look at him without feeling my whole body fill with a wild happiness, feeling alive like I hadn't felt in a long, long time.

As the party wound down, we lingered by the entrance, chatting quietly while Charlie made the rounds saying her goodbyes. We seized the moment to swap phone numbers, sharing hopeful smiles and whispered words. The night air was chilly, sending shivers down my spine. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the cold.

"Feeling cold?" Dave asked, already slipping off his blazer and draping it over my shoulders before I could respond. I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks flush, and he grinned. "You can hang onto that. Gives us a good excuse to make sure we see each other again."

The ride home flew by in a blur; I hardly paid attention to Charlotte's excited chatter about the party. Instead, I clung to Dave's coat, feeling its warmth seep into me. His scent lingered in the fabric, intoxicatingly close, like it could drive me crazy.

I must’ve been dreaming, right?

It felt like I was living in a dream. Running into him after all these years, completely by chance, seemed too good to be true. For so long, I'd convinced myself that happiness and hope were out of reach. Turns out, I was dead wrong. I had no clue what the future held — no idea what would come of this unexpected reunion. But the chance to make things right, to clear up the misunderstandings of the past, even just a little bit, felt like a gift too good to pass up.

All I could do that surprising night was hope it wouldn't all vanish by morning. Hope his voice would be there when I called the next day, because I could hardly wait to see him again.

That night, I didn't have any nightmares.

✧ if you'd like to be tagged on the next parts, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list! ❤ ✧

tag list: @killazilla777 @whatsupvic @70srogah @genswine9 @twice360noscope

[the-girl-wh0-cries-w0lf]

Picnic Dates, plus two - Dr James Wilson x peds!reader

Description: You've got a lunch date, but it's not with James.

word count: 1.8k

Masterlist

REQUESTS OPEN FOR PEDS!READER - request here

Y/n skipped down the halls of peds, smiling to herself. Each room she passed she waved to the patients inside. Holly, Trevor, Milton, Magnus, Bea, Molly, Jo, Josh. She knew all their names and knew how they should look, so that if anything was even slightly off she could spring into action.

She reached the last of the rooms on the hallway and pulled out a pink glitter file from her stack. Truthfully, she wasn’t allowed to decorate her patients files, but it turns out if you are not swamped with malpractice lawsuits and actually have a good bedside manner with your patients, Cuddy can be quite lenient.

“Hello y/n!” the little girl jumped up from her bed showing off her finding nemo pyjamas. Her blonde curls fell in front of her face, being batted away by her tiny hands.

“Good morning, Lisa! And how are you doing this fine day?”

“I good!”

“Can you give me anything more specific?” Y/n teased, raising her eyebrow.

“I feel really, really, really, really well!”

“I am so pleased to hear that Lisa. I am just going to do a quick examination, not that I don’t fully trust your own medical degree.” Lisa laughed and her parents lovingly looked at how happy their daughter seemed despite her condition. That was all down to y/n.

Lisa had become a regular of the hospital, brought in many times with asthma attacks so severe each trip to the hospital seemed to be a death sentence. Every time, y/n was there so Lisa could wake up to a familiar face. Stroking her hair and talking to her so she didn’t have to come to terms with her scary surroundings.

As y/n went to leave the room she was stopped by Lisa’s mum.

“Hi Dr y/l/n, I just wanted to say thank you.”

“It’s nothing, it’s my job.”

“No, it’s not. Examining her, diagnosing her, that’s your job. No one’s making you sing her songs or play her games. So…thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Y/n left the room, her heart feeling just that bit warmer seeing that little girl babble to her parents about everything that was in her tiny head. She felt a presence next to her and her heart practically set on fire when her eyes met his.

“Hi.” It was soft, like she was sharing a secret.

“Hi. How’s Lisa doing?”

“She’s doing well, she’ll be home this afternoon. Just in time for SpongeBob.” Wilson raised an eyebrow. “Her favourite.”

“Now, remember last week when we went to that deli in the town over and you loved that sandwich. Well, I went to the shops and got all the ingredients and made us two of your sandwich with chips, coleslaw, and everything. My office, 12?”

A sorrowful look crossed her face, and she seemed to retreat into her mind.

“You have other plans—it’s fine, enjoy.”

“Believe me, that sounds amazing and usually I would love to but—I can’t.” Wilson nods but his gaze is on the floor. He shoved his hands in his pockets. She grasped his arms in a silent question that he is okay with this. He covered her hand with his own.

“I’m okay.” Despite feeling unsatisfied with his answer, she picked up her files and made her way down the corridor. Every few moments she turned back around to look at the oncologist who now was weakly kicking at the floor.

---

The door to House’s office slams open.

“At what point in each marriage did my wives start retreating from me.”

“Catherine of Aragon, 3 years, and 4 months. Boleyn, 2 years, and 11 months.”

Wilson falls down onto the chair in his friends office.

“Please don’t call my ex-wives that.”

“I’m a history buff, what can I say, Henry.” House smirks.

Ignoring the ill-placed humour, Wilson continues.

“My point remains that they were all after a lengthy period of time—”

“And/or directly after you cheated.” He looks towards House’s smug face, disapprovingly.

“But neither of them were after 2 months.”

“Trouble in peds, oh I’m sorry paradise.”

“I don’t really know. It just feels like she doesn’t want to spend time with me.”

“Well, she is a paediatrician, so every day she meets people more emotionally mature than you.”

“Ha ha. Just today she blew me off for lunch, and, thinking about it we haven’t had lunch together at the office in a week. What if she’s pulling away? What if she doesn’t love me anymore?”

“What if she’s busy?” House still refused to look up from his Gameboy.

“She’s not, I checked. She just has 10 patients she’s monitoring, none of which are severe.”

House paused his game. “You checked her files? I’m rubbing off on you. Boy wonder oncologist, we may have found your bad bone yet. Maybe we should get a noun to replace your last name as well.”

“I’m going to confront her.” Wilson abruptly stood up and opened the door.

“The word you’re looking for is communicate.” Wilson went to leave. “WAIT! Wilson-“ House picked up the phone “It’s for you. It’s God. He say’s you’re bad at relationships.”

Wilson angrily left the room and slammed the door which echoed with the cackles of his best friend.

---

Y/n opened the door to leave her office, armed with a pasta salad and an iced coffee.

“Do you want to break up?”

Y/n was startled by her flustered boyfriend who had jumped out in front of her.

“What? No! Why would you think that? I love you of course I don’t want to leave you.” She reached up to cup his cheek and used her thumb to stroke under his eyes.

“I can’t believe you were thinking that! I can’t believe I made you think that! Oh, baby I’m so sorry.” After her rambling she threw her arms around his neck, ladening his neck with so many kisses as way of apology. Wilson chuckled before completing the hug and squeezing her waist.

She pulled back from the hug.

“Why did you think I wanted to leave you?”

“Well, lunch. You didn’t want to, again, and we haven’t had lunch together in about a week. And in all my past relationships, there comes a time when they start to retreat,” He scratched the back of his neck “I just thought it had come sooner than usual.”

“It’s not that I didn’t want to, I couldn’t.”

She bit her lip and tried to find the right words before blurting out. “I’m seeing a 12-year-old.”

Wilson simply couldn’t find the words.

“Please—”

“Oh, not like that. Come with me.” She took his arm and began to lead him to the elevator.

---

They stood in front of the window that showed a boy, small for his age, curled up on the hospital bed playing with two power rangers. His room was devoid of balloons, toys, cards: the decorations that covered every other peds room.

“That’s Lucas. He came in last week with pneumonia. He’s on antibiotics and he’s improving. His dad died when he was 2 and his mum works constantly to make enough money. She can’t visit him a lot, she only managed 2 visits last week. He’s never even left his house. And now he only knows two things: he’s sick and he’s alone. This hospital can look like a big scary place when you’re a kid so –”

“So, you eat lunch with him every day so he has at least one visitor.” Her boyfriend finishes her sentence flawlessly.

“I’ll bet you even tell him that you choose to be with him, probably say that all the other doctors are boring.” She laughs at how well he knows her. She steps back from the window and pushes open the door.

“Lucas, there is someone very special I want you to meet. This is Dr Wilson.”

Lucas perks up at seeing, not only his favourite doctor, but also another boy enter the room.

“Is he your friend, Dr y/l/n?”

“Yes, he is, he’s my special friend.”

“Mummy always said Daddy was her best friend. Do you love him like my mummy loved my daddy.”

“Observant kid.” Wilson quietly remarks.

“What do you have for lunch today, Dr y/l/n?”

Y/n sits down on Lucas’ bed. “Actually, Lucas, today Dr Wilson and I have—"

“Have to tell you that I took over Dr y/l/n’s clinic hours so she can have 3 more hours to spend with you. She’s been nagging me to have more time with you for weeks!” He rolls his eyes jokingly. “I’ll leave you two to it.”

She turns away from Lucas to mouth ‘Thank you’ towards him. In return he waves as if to say see you later.

---

the next day

“I have the tickets, Thursday night!” House limped down the hallway flanked by his exasperated friend.

“Can’t.”

“Liar. Your girlfriend’s ignoring you so unless you’ve already found the next next potential Mrs Wilson, you’re free!”

“Actually, we –”

“Boys!”

Y/n slid into the two’s line of vision. Her pink scrubs not as cheery as her smile. Wilson quickly checked his watch.

“y/n/n, baby, isn’t Lucas waiting.”

“Who’s Lucas? You guys open now?”

“Actually, he gave me a message to give to you two. He told me to invite to lunch, and I quote, ‘your boyfriend and the mean cane guy he’s always with’”.

Wilson beams at how chipper his girlfriend seems at this news.

“Wait, both of us? You two into foursomes now? I mean I respect it.”

Rolling her eyes at House’s comment. She grabs the two by their arms and drags them to the ‘lunch’ room. They stop in the doorway, seeing Lucas who was looking into a gigantic bag of food but who quickly retreated sheepishly when he was caught.

“I retract my previous joke.” House looks down, embarrassed. He goes to approach the boy but is halted by a pressure on his ear as it was held by the smiling paediatrician. She yanks him back to her and harshly whispers “Be. Nice!”.

“Yes ma’am.” Happy with this response, she releases him. She then turns towards her boyfriend. “I even managed to get an order in from that deli. Do you like it?” she fiddles with her fingers nervously.

“Yes. Very much so.”

She skips towards Lucas but is brought back by Wilson’s hands on her waist. They turn so they are nose to nose.

“I love you.” “I love you too.”

Before their lips could touch they are interrupted.

“Ew gross!” they glare towards the bed to see that the juvenile remarks are not coming from the 12-year-old but rather the overgrown 8 year old.

---

The four ate lunch and talked and each managed to bring back a little joy for the bed ridden child. Even House slowly warmed and began to care for the boy. Every so often y/n would get up to check his stats but also to fluff his pillows, bring him his toys and juice. She cared so deeply and wanted every child who passed through her care to feel special and heard.

Wilson sat back and watched the scene unfold, happy to be an observer. And as he watched the woman, he loved be a mother for a child who wasn’t even her own, he couldn’t help but imagine her with their own.

—-

Props to anyone who spots the joke about one of Robert Sean Leonard’s other films ;)

[secretly-tumb1r]

I loveeeee the jj, enemies to lovers 🫦

masterlist

omg yes absolutely (btw in this story JJ’s dad is called James bc we don’t stan L*ke)

JJ was a part of your life since you can remember. He was the son of your dad’s best friend. But that didn’t keep you from absolutely despising his guts.

He was the type of guy to rip off all you dolls heads and shave their hair off. The type of guy who would kick you with the muddiest ball he could find, ruining your perfect pink dress, the type of guy that you hated.

Whenever your Uncle James (your dad’s best friend) would come over with JJ, which was basically everyday, you hid in your room to avoid the mischievous blond.

You had overheard your dad and James talk about how James is moving out of OBX for a job, their tones heartbreaking. Sure you hated JJ, but you loved your Uncle James, he was like a second dad to you and it wasn’t his fault his son was the spawn of satan.

A part of you was devastated they were moving away, but a bigger part was happy that you will finally gain peace from JJ and his doll killing ways.

it was a Saturday morning, when your mother woke you up to go to the Maybanks’ house, as it was their last day in OBX.

“ma do i really have to go? I already said bye to them last night! Plus i hate JJ!”

“y/n don’t be so mean, get up and get dressed”

That was 3 years ago. You were 13 and JJ was 13 and 2 months. Even though he was Only 2 months older, he always would make fun of you for being younger.

“Y/n you do as i say because i’m older” he’s say with a proud look on his face.

Flash forward to 3 years when the maybank family have decided to move back to their home town. The outer banks, paradise on earth. As expected you were not excited at all, remembering how awful JJ was before he moved away. You also were not eager to lose your peace to JJ Maybank.

“y/n come downstairs!!” your mother called eagerly. She did not see JJ’s evil side like you did, and never understood how you could hate him so much. In her eyes, he could do nothing wrong. He was like a second child to her.

You groan and get up, slowly making your way down the stairs to attempt to make your peace last for even a few minutes.

Once you come down the final step, JJ, sitting on your couch, turns around to face you. You cant believe your eyes. He’s.. gorgeous.

woah you think to yourself he’s changed so much in the last 3 years

“y/n! c’mere i’ve missed you!” JJ stands up pulling you into a hug. You freeze. For the first time in your life, your opinion about JJ changes. He looks and feels different.

You allow yourself to melt into his touch as his hands rest on your waist, yours on his shoulders making the hug much more intimate than you intended, and less than he did.

You see, you never knew but JJ had a massive crush on you, and he was devastated to leave you, but now? now that he’s moved back? He was gonna make you his.

Please comment if you want a part 2!!

[scekrex]

Can I request some hurt/comfort for the overlord!reader series, that angst hit me hard, mostly cause I kinda come to see it as a comfort story, like Wow

Reader said his piece and Adam heard him but there is now a tension between them, Adam is avoiding reader again, like in the beginning but it feels like this won't be fix with just time. Reader throw himself into work, trying to ignore the empty couch that is just in his line of vision but when he went to the balcony in a force of habit, the lack of fluttering gold feathers finally push him to action

Confronting Adam, he gave him 2 options, reader can move to another place so Adam can have the place to himself or he'll escorts him safely to the hotel so he can contact Heaven and go home. They both have a blowout fight that finally clean out the wound so it could heal.

Optional dialogue, "just say you're tired of my ass and kick me out", "I sneer down at them like I'm any difference, that I'm not a sinner, I'm greedy, I want, I wanted the riches I could gain from you then I wanted your trust and your love, and now I want you to be happy and like a drug addict willing to do anything for their next fix, I will do anything so you could be happy again"

Okay first of all I'd like to say that I LOVE the optional dialogue. I adore it, I ate it and I used it bc it fit them sooo well. Also I hope ya like them solving their problems somehow - in their own kinda way I guess

Bird of Hell's Paradise

Tell me who you wanna be and I will set you free

pairing: Adam x male!reader

warnings: language

note: not beta read bc fuck you

The time Adam had asked you to give him was the hardest time in all of your afterlife - not only for you but also for him. It was doing a number on the both of you and that showed. There were no sleepy cuddles, no lazy morning kisses and no cocky comments anymore.

The mansion felt empty and loveless, like a pit of depression that swallowed you both whole. The air once full of love, desire and trust had turned freezing cold and the only way you were able to ignore the hole in your chest where your heart used to be and the lack of a certain golden winged angel was for you to overwork yourself. You avoided the couch Adam had carried into the small room one day, it held too many memories.

Memories of you two cuddled up, memories of him carrying you over there to put you to bed because your stubborn self had been too proud and too determined to stop working by yourself so your little bird had to force you to get some sleep more than once. But throwing it out was not an option, not when you hoped that time would close the wounds and bring back the old times. So you remained in your office for most of the time, only left it when your body screamed at you to eat or when you had to use the bathroom - those were the only exceptions though.

And because you stayed in your office so much you were not seeing Adam at all. Sometimes you heard the rustling of his wings outside your door and though that happened rarely, whenever it did happen you felt the urge to get up, pull him into a warm hug and speak to him. But you never actually got up to do so. The angel had requested time and though it was painful to stay away from him for that long, you hoped respecting his boundaries would fix it all like a miracle.

But it did not. Adam never came in, when he heard you walking through the endless hallways, he would take a different turn and avoid you - he seemed neither willing nor ready to face you and the consequences this might bring so he stayed away.

Your head fell onto the table and you sighed, this would not do. You hoped the fresh air of your garden would lift the fog that was covering your mind and therefore your thoughts so you pushed yourself up, headed over to open the balcony doors and watched the green that lay beneath you. The synthetic sun gave no reflection of golden feathers away. Golden feathers which would usually peek out from behind trees or bushes. Golden feathers which would lay on the grass with its owner attached to it if it would have been a normal day. But it wasn’t and Adam’s wings were not visible - a thing you had hoped to see.

Time would not bring your angel back, time would not fix this conflict - not when the conflict seemed to eat Adam alive. So you pushed your body away from the railing and crossed your office to go seek your precious bird. Maybe talking to him would bring closure. Just as you opened the door to your office to seek for your golden feathered bird, said bird popped up in your door frame. He had not expected you to open the door, his eyes gave the surprise he felt away the second he spotted you. His reaction time was quick though, within a blink he tried to get away, tried to rush to the other end of the hallway, but you were quicker. Your hand grabbed his wrist, silently holding him into place and this time he did not flinch at your attempt to touch him. Though he did try to wiggle his wrist out of your grip to get away eventually.

“Adam,” oh how badly you wanted to call him all the sickening sweet pet names, how your mind told you to call him ‘dear’ or ‘my love’, but none of those were appropriate, not when Adam was mad. Or well rather hurt than actually mad - either way the former exorcist was upset with you and while you still weren’t blaming him for his reaction, you desperately wanted to sort things out. You had been avoiding each other for too long and you felt your mental stability crumbling slowly. Decisions needed to be made and if that meant you and Adam would part ways, then so be it.

“We should have a conversation,” your voice was soft, held neither anger nor disapproval, it sounded rather desperate if you were honest with yourself - and you were. You were desperate for clarity, desperate for this fight to finally end. “About what?” the brunette spat, clearly not liking the idea of talking to you at all, let alone about the fight and a solution for the situation you both were stuck in. You let go of his wrist and despite his body language saying that he would rather avoid you than talk to you he stayed. He stayed and waited for you to answer his question.

You considered your response for a moment, then answered, “About us.” And given the shock reflecting in his gorgeous golden eyes, Adam seemed not too fond of that answer, in fact he seemed to fear it. Something inside of him seemed to click into place and his mood shifted, instead of hurt and betrayed, he seemed now actually angry with you. His voice raised as he yelled, “Just fucking say you’re tired of my ass and kick me out already.” His words caused confusion to bloom inside of you and you frowned at the other male. Why would you kick him out? What made him think you would throw him to the flames willingly, knowing that the people of hell would tear him to pieces the second he would leave your place without you?

“I won’t kick you out, my love,” the pet name slipped - it was a force of habit. That, or you just longed for a time that was already gone, a time you had ruined by your own greed. “But I don’t want to fight with you either,” and for a moment your words seemed to calm his energy, for a moment you were able to see his eyes clearing up from the hate and the disgust he must be feeling towards you. But then his voice sounded so heavy when he spoke, too heavy for you to swallow, “Oh I forgot, some bitch will probably fucking pick me up right after signing that fucked up contract, right?” No. No, there would be no one coming to pick him up, not as long as you remained and considering that the only way to change that was angelic steel, you were quite confident to roam Hell’s rings for a couple million years more.

“I want you to choose, to prove that though I was greedy for money at first, I refuse to give you up, so instead of t deciding myself, I want you to have the choice of where this will go and what the outcome will be,” and those words actually seemed to make the brunette realize that you were being serious, that you were interested in what the former exorcist had to say. So Adam nodded, giving you the non verbal okay to continue speaking. “You have two options, de- Adam,” the fact that you interrupted yourself to call him by his name instead of the pet name that had almost slipped from your lips a second time caused the first man’s expression to sour, though he did not comment on it.

“I offer you to stay at this place here by yourself, I will move out and seek something new,” you watched his reaction carefully as you spoke and the offer you made him seemed to sound even worse to his ears than the fact that you had called him Adam instead of dear. Yet he continued to remain silent, he seemed really willing to hear you out - a thing that, though you appreciated it, also made you feel uneasy. Adam was no one to remain silent for that long. “Either that, or I will escort you to the hotel safely so that Charlie can try and-” “Fuck you, I’m not staying at the fucking place I almost died at,” the brunette growled, interrupting you quickly. You nodded, a point that was very valid in your eyes and because the choice was all Adam’s, his decision would force you to leave this place. The only thing holding you had been the first man and now that he didn’t want you anymore, there was nothing left that prevented you from leaving.

“I’ll have my things packed as quickly as possible,” you were about to turn around to enter your office again and start packing, Adam grabbed your upper arm firmly before you had the slightest chance to get away from him. “I don’t want you to fucking leave, you stupid fuckhead,” he hissed. His usually bright eyes seemed so much darker though they were glossy. Tears were about to be shed - a thing you had tried so hard to avoid. “I- fuck I don’t even fucking know what I want, “ the brunette mumbled as his eyes darted to the floor, inspecting it like it was so much more interesting than you.

Gently you put your hand on top of the one from Adam that was holding your upper arm, you gave it a single pat but that earned you his attention. “I sneer down at them all like I’m any different, like I’m not just as bad as them, like I’m not a sinner,” you started to explain yourself - would it help? You were not able to tell, but you hoped it would. “I’m greedy, Adam, I want. I want many things,” you gently removed his hand from your arm and took it in both of yours, squeezing it gently. His eyes looked down at it, carefully watching you holding his hand, he seemed not against it so you did not remove your hands from his.

“I wanted the riches I could gain from you before we knew about each other, then I wanted your trust and your love and now, in the end, I simply want my beautiful songbird to be happy,” his eyes met yours at your words and something inside of him seemed to crumble - it was the wall he had built up again to shield himself from the pain you had inflicted on him by breaking his trust. “And like a drug addict willing to do anything for their next fix, I will do anything so you can be happy again, even if that means that you will be happy without me by your side.”

Adam reacted differently than you had thought he would, instead of yelling at you and shoving you away, he pulled you in. The first man pulled you into a tight hug and before you knew it, it was not only his arms that were wrapped around your body but also his soft, golden wings. “Shut the fuck up,” the former exorcist mumbled as he buried his face in your hair. You felt how his body relaxed, how the heavy stones this fight had forced him to carry fell from his shoulders. You heard him inhaling your scent deeply, as if it would get him high, as if it would be the solution to all his problems. “We both fucking know I’d die without you,” his voice was nothing more than a whisper, almost as if he was afraid it would change the meaning of his words if he dared to speak louder.

“Not because the fuck-ups of Hell would tear me the fuck apart over and over again, but because my soul would start to fucking rot without its motherfucking sunlight. And that’s you, bitch. You’re my soul’s sunlight.”

[irondadfics]

hi! i’ve been looking for this fic for a ridiculous amount of time for some reason i didn’t bookmark it, but basically it’s post endgame, tony lives although he’s in a coma, but somehow peter ends up on the outside of it, there was a brief interaction with pepper, and he stays in the town for a bit before happy kicks him out? he can’t find may, and it isn’t until tony wakes up from the coma that they realize they completely neglected peter. i think that sam took him to his old apartment building but may wasn’t there and it was later revealed that may was dead? thank you so much, i’ve been searching for so long, please help-

here you go, enjoy!

Paradise by last_of_her_kind

After the battle and Thanos is defeated, all Peter wants to do is go home. Except... it turns out he doesn't have a home anymore. Aunt May is gone, and the only family Peter might have left is in a hospital recovering from saving the universe. All Peter wants is to fall into Mr. Stark's arms and let him fix everything, but Tony has his own life now. A life Peter hasn't been a part of for five years. He can see the new family Tony has built for himself, and through a series of misunderstandings, Peter comes to the conclusion that there isn't any room left for him. But Peter is used to the short end of the stick. He can survive this... can't he? Being on the outside?

[f10werfae]

idk if u still write for him but imagine a chris evans x reader where reader is 6 months pregnant and chris comes home from work to find her watching the new groot series while getting all emotional and he tries to comfort her but finds it too funny, i love ur writing 🫶🏻

I Am Groot

Pairing:Husband!Chris Evans x Pregnant!Reader

word count: i dont know ♥️

Warnings: none

Summary: With hormones at an all time high, Chris has to be prepared even in the most funniest scenarios, obviously leading to kisses and cuddles + a smidge of horniness

- Requests are open! (They’re a bit slow because there’s a lot 😭♥️)

Likes, Comments and Re-blogs are appreciated!

Welcome To The Fae Station: Full Masterlist✨

Library Of Chris Evans: Chris Evans Masterlist💫

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

(Chris' P.O.V)

Pulling up into the driveway, I physically felt myself relax at the sight of our country home. Away from the harsh pollution and lights of the city, our own paradise.

With my bag in hand, I started heading towards the dark oak front door, a warm invite coming from the soft lights emitting from the window. Opening the heavy door, I thought to myself 'where is everyone?'

Usually Dodger greets me every time I come home from work, his hyper self jumping onto my newly washed clothes. Shaking off my jacket and shoes by the entry, I ventured into the house to find the love of my life simply watching T.V.

Dodger the best boy, sitting snuggled into her side protectively, something he’d been doing for the last six months.

“Ya know I can’t believe you’re usin' our baby as a table” I joked with my hands on my hips, a bowl full of ice cream resting atop her protruding stomach, her tank top hiked up to reveal it.

“I-it’s not my fault. I need sum comfort” She sniffed looking up at me with those big doe eyes, instantly tugging at my heartstrings. Her hair loosely tied into a ponytail, as her hands reached out for me.

My hands instinctively went to her stomach, sitting beside her, I felt her sink into my touch with her arms going around my torso.

Moving the ice cream bowl to the table, I took her fully into my arms, the scent of her mint lotion reminding me of home.

“What’s wrong mama?” I asked, her sniffles dying down the more she went on.

“I was watching the new Groot series, and he’s just t-too cute” By the end of her sentence she had started tearing up again, ending with me shushing her bringing her head back into my chest.

Taking a deep breath in I tried to hold in my laugh, clearly failing as she held her head up with a glare,

“Are you laughing at me?” A grumpy pout present on her lips, her arms now crossed across her bump, accentuating not only her bump but also her growing breasts which immediately caught my eye

“Are you serious Christopher? My eyes are up here you pervert” Y/n snarked with a hand slapping my bicep.

“I can’t help it baby you’re just so cute and sexy at the same time, gettin' me all excited” I whispered nuzzling my nose with hers, her angry front now disappearing as she wrapped herself around me again.

“Wait so let me get this straight honey, you’ve spent the past few hours or so crying over Groot?”

“Pretty much, he’s so cute Chris, reminds me of a little baby sometimes” She laughed out, sitting upright as I wiped away some of her tears,

“I love you so much” I beamed, getting an overwhelming feeling of happiness and love at the sight of her

“Now what about our little man in here, how’s he been treating his mama today?” Caressing her bump gently, I spread light kisses over her neck and face causing giggles to erupt.

“He’s been extremely calm today, few kicks here and there but that’s just because he’s been missin' his dear old dad”

“Oh is that so?” Nodding her head assertively, she brought my hands onto opposite sides of her bump, light thumps hitting exactly where my hands were. I still can’t believe we made him, an actual life in there.

“See, he missed you, and so did I” She whispered out softly, her hand going round my neck to play with the hair on my nape, shivers immediately going down my spine at her touch.

“And how can I make it up to him?” I teased, an eyebrow raised as she played off as if she was in deep thought about the whole thing.

“I dunno I think he wants the ice cream bowl refilled?” Scoffing I stood up with the bowl in hand, retrieving more chocolate and chocolate ice cream, to return to her sitting like an excited child reaching out for the bowl.

“Say aa” Holding a spoon to her lips, she opened it complying with my game, her body doing that same wiggle she does whenever she eats something delicious.

“I can feed myself ya know”

“I know, but i’m feeding you and our baby now” Spoon after spoon was just followed with nothing but words of adoration and affection, her hands holding onto the hem of my shirt due to my hands being occupied.

Seeing her soft lips pout at the sight of the empty bowl, I swooped in and laid a soft yet passionate kiss on her lips. My hands urging her up to straddle me as much as she could, her bump leaving a bit of room between us.

“Mhm chocolatey” I joked tasting some of the ice cream in her mouth, a deep crimson blush rising on her cheeks visible due to the light given off by the fireplace.

“Okay bunny, I need to go get changed alright? i’ll be five minutes tops” I whispered between us, leaving kisses on her chest which was exposed by her wide neck tank top.

“C-can I come watch?” She whined, her arms staying clasped together around my neck,

“And you call me the pervert”

[exoticalmonde]

Part III. Hortus de Escapismo Dr. Evealia's Reaction

Transcribed: [The executor suddenly points.

Federico: Come out.

Lively Child: Ah... he found us.]

They are so cute but god do I need Executor with his gun pointed at the little kids and their reaction being... 0. Like, absolutely not impressed and simply disappointed he did find them so quickly.

---

READ MORE to find out what happens to the cute little blue-haired child with the adorable duck sock puppet by clicking this funky little button.

(But WARNING, the following post contains spoilers about the entire Hortus de Escapismo event, including the story, art and my commentary. I think this part is covering HE-4 to the first half of HE-6)

THEY ALMOST FREAKING EXPLODE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS HOLY MOLY STOP TRYING TO GIVE ME HEART ATTACKS ONE OF THOSE WILL BE REAL!!!

---

No... My heart, oh no, not the flowers...

Transcribed: [Gerald once said the Sakraz have no home, only war that follows them wherever they go. They swore to their lord in the hope of finding a home of their own.]

---

Oh Clément I am so sorry... Stupid wench was she the one who set the chapel on fire? Is she even capable of using that kind of arts? Or is this an illusion? I am actually really heartbroken, I like Clément and I was really happy that he existed as a fellow Felafia, but... Why is it just not working out for this guy?

I'll get you a greenhouse with all you need it in babo, stay strong.

---

Yeah, my heart is.

---

Transcribed: [Race is not proof of innocence. I would not hesitate to destroy the sacrarium if I thought it necessary.]

*Hands Federico the 'best not racist' award*

Or ultimately

*Hands Federico the 'most racist' award*

At this point I don't know, but you do what you're doing.

---

Hey, the baby ducks found a new mom.

---

Transcribed: [

Lemuen: Quiet. This is a resedential area. You'll bother the others.

Twisted Monster: (Growls)]

You know what, forget the whole 'amazing strong character' trope that Arknights has going on for everybody, can we just sit and enjoy the fact they always talk to themselves, or to something that is supposedly incapable of understanding them the same way every person speaks to their pets. They don't expect a reaction, and in moments where it FEELS like it was a reaction they have a kick out of it, but otherwise they're... so sweet to watch. In a horrendeous and terribly traumatic way.

---

Transcribed: [The Executor kneels down. No one pays attention to the dirt on the edge of his robe, and the adornments that represent his status.

Federico Giallo gazes straight into the children's eyes.

Federico: The disappearence of an inhabitant is within the scope of my mission.

Federico: Yes, I will find your mother.]

What a wonderful, wonderful, amazing scene. To watch Federico retain his personality but also grow as a character after being introduced to his tasks in the new role he carries is so refreshing. Reading the story feels so short, the levels are hell, but the way he is growing is GOOD and well-paced.

---

Honestly, bast scene. I don't care what terrors and sadness or how cool they will be, this is peak interaction.

---

[Quite the lady's man, aren't you?]

GERALD YOU TEASE!

---

Shots fired, yet no guns were raised.

---

What do I feel about Aulus apart from the fact he kind of reminds me of a taller Pantalone (Genshin Impact)? He fed the creature, he protects it and then just shows up here and there to talk to people and refuses to elaborate. What is your plan? What are you even doing with your life, Father Aulus?

Though guys, I think he found the coolest stick...

---

SHE STOOD! SHE STOOD UP!! LEMUEN???? STOOD UP??? FROM HER WHEELCHAIR????

---

[You may not set foot in Paradise.]

LOOK AT HER GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

---

[The thin door plank is pushed open from the outside.]

I want to die.

ANYTHING BUT THAT PLEASE

[The unsuspected visitors do not disturb their soft breathing.]

[It falls into the soft, meek little 'prison'.]

Wait a second...?

[Twisted Monster: Eren... Sara...]

Oh thank GOODNESS, my heart was about to leap out from my chest. What a rollercoaster. I am so glad they're safe, thank you.

[blade-that-was-broken]

Maybe a spoiler question but where are all of the brothers/ what are they doing in Wrath and Ruin

Alright *cracks knuckles* this might be a little vit vague/not in depth cause I don't have everything entirely blocked out yet.

Wrath and Ruin

SPRUCE CLAY FLOYD HISTORY

SPRUCE

Spruce found Vacay Island, almost drowned, and began working for the inhabitants at a restaurant. He liked the fast movement, the relaxed personalities and learning to surf. He learned to cook new foods and was rather happy there. He stayed there for many years, probably at least 8 years up to ten. However, when the war sparked up again (several years after the destruction of the Troll tree that Spruce does not know about), the resort owner feared retaliation on his paradise for harboring a pop troll. Vacay Island was rather close to the Troll Kingdoms so they once in a while got some news. Thrash made bounties on any found Pop trolls (he’s looking for the string). And although the resort owner didn’t want to turn him in, he ended up kicking Spruce out. Spruce was heartbroken and forced back into the Troll Kingdoms. 

He didn’t go through Pop borders but rather whatever the closest one to Vacay Island was (excluding what used to be known as Techno) and was caught by a convoy of Rock Trolls. When they asked him what kind of troll he was, thinking perhaps pop, he couldn’t answer because he didn’t even know there were other trolls and he didn’t really understand he’s a pop troll. But some people in the town that he was found in backed him up, claiming as one of their own, which led to giving him a subgenre that he learned. 

He ends up living there for quite a while and has to learn a new type of music. This is where he learns about not only the other genres, but what happened to the Pop trolls and what is going on with the invasion and war. He is devastated and confused and overwhelmed with grief - as he thinks everyone, he loves is dead. 

CLAY

After the breakup, Clay goes back and forth between the Tree and not in the Tree. He has taken a few trips into the city - mostly to learn things - and therefore has gotten some more education but he keeps coming back to it, although he avoids his home and stays with friends on the outskirts of the Tree. (Tentative) 

Clay actually ends up with the Pop trolls and does not escape with Viva and gets to the Golf Course. Due to Thrash’s invasion (which to the Pop trolls, they do not understand and it mostly just causes chaos) the escape ended up being a little different and it did give the Pop trolls some better movement and time to escape. 

He does try to go back to his home when the escape occurs but he is cut off. He gets close and he may have spotted John Dory within the fray (Tentative) before getting cut off. One of his friends is zombified and Clay has no idea why his friend is going after him. Clay does escape him, although his friend is taken by a Bergen. He is dragged out by others and can only watch when the Troll Tree explodes. 

Later, when the pop trolls regroup, he discovers his Grandmother is not among them and receives reports from people that they had seen her taken by Bergens. When he cannot find his baby brother, he assumes the worst. He is devastated and blames himself - since he was in the Tree. His colors dull because of this but due to his desperation to prove himself, to be taken seriously, he does not go entirely hopeless/gray. 

So he puts himself to work. Or at least he tries to. After the village is constructed, he tries to build up defensive capabilities (possibly even electricity, not certain) and there is a learning curve - as he is still very young. Due to his desperation to be taken seriously, other trolls sometimes find him rather annoying and rarely do. This is mostly because of how he acts, as it can be kind of obnoxious. Part of the reason they don’t take him seriously as well, is less because of the old fun boy persona and more because he is so young. Coupling that with his actions/new personality, it’s not a great combination. 

Trying to appease everyone, King Peppy gives Clay a task of creating a library. It is away from people and Clay pours everything he has into it. He takes it all very seriously - to the point that people don’t really want to affiliate much - and although over the years, Clay believes the people are taking him seriously, they mostly aren’t, thinking him childish. 

Due to his personality, aversion and such - and because that is who she is - Poppy makes a point to befriend him. She becomes a bit of a bookworm because of him and learns new ways to scrapbook. Clay wasn’t exactly friends with Viva at the Tree but he knew about her. He never really got the memo that she doesn’t exist anymore so if the topic may come up (it might not), he would be the one to tell her. 

FLOYD

Floyd left and found some bandmates on the outskirts of the Troll Kingdoms before Thrash’s attack. They thought they could make it big in the city, since the kingdoms were pretty isolated. Some bandmates might not be trolls but live near the borders. Uncertain. Either way, everyone was kind out of out of the way small town types so they never got the news of Thrash’s invasion before they left. 

There was some struggle but they found a niche and got semi famous. They had no idea what was happening in the Troll Kingdoms - the rest of the world didn’t know. Although they shared some good fortune, Floyd’s band broke up after about 7 years, after their second album. Some decided to go home, others decided to go solo. 

Floyd blamed himself for the failure (it wasn’t) and didn’t think he could return home with that failure. He fell onto some hard times and turned to gambling (which runs in the family) and became a bit addicted to it. It got to the point that he has spent time in prison. Between the music slump, the gambling and the prison time, Floyd accrued quite the debt with loan sharks. 

And then he heard the news. He got a letter from an old bandmate. It was explained that it took a while to find Floyd’s address and condolences were sent. The letter mentioned the war, what happened to the pop trolls and told Floyd not to come back. 

He doesn’t listen.