#killing stalking chapter 23

[notsobeautifuldisaester]

On another note on Ks; why did I think Seokho had a daughter or something.

[grimoireofhayley]

Of Friends and Horror

Stu Macher x Fem!Reader x Billy Loomis

WARNINGS: Graphic content, Smut (MINORS DNI), Language, Talks of SA, Cheating, Obsessiveness, Gore, 18+ Content, Stalking, Possessiveness, Dirty talk, Religion talk, Suppressed Mental Health problems (I.e., reader has some issues that she isn't aware of)

Word Count: 1k

Tag List: @ev3ningrain @nerdytif @fanfic-enjoyer123 @darkenwolfie @juda-the-simp @colsons-baker @junnniiieee07 @octaviablakeslove

A/n: YES, two chapters in one night? Let’s gooo! I was squealing and kicking my feet like any normal 23 year old would writing Fanfiction, lmao. This is by far my favourite chapter ever written, let me know what you think! Did I get Billy’s personality a-okay?

All chapter links! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

OF&H Masterlist

Chapter 9

Billy ignored your attempt at trying to help him, though, it was true, it wasn’t entirely…

He did kill Casey and Steve that night, but he didn’t do it alone, Stu was with him, he did just as much as he did. After the slaughtering was done, he made it clear to Stu that he needed an alibi, hence his short and brief sexual encounter with Sidney before he went to your house for ‘help.’

Billy hated how you were covering for him despite not knowing what was happening, you were smart, but stupid, stupid enough to believe him. You knew better than to do that. However, what he didn’t get was why Stu decided to go to your place, when he knew Billy was going to try and murder Sidney tonight.

He overheard other officers talking about another incident involving the ghost face that took place at your house, something about a heart in a box and a mask that was found… But how could Stu be this dense?

“Officer, I didn’t kill anybody.” Billy defended himself, not wanting to stay the night locked away, especially with his slip up at Sidney’s and Stu’s arrogance because the cops now know there’s two of them instead of one.

“This is bullshit.” You slammed your fist down, startling the taller-male. “He didn’t kill anyone…” Your ears started to flare red.

Officer Brinks drummed his fingers on his lap, “I’m sorry, are you his girlfriend or something? Why are you still here, interfering with my interrogation?”

Your heart skipped a beat at the mere mention of ‘girlfriend.’

“I-I’m not his girlfriend…” You stuttered, “You couldn’t tell by the way he was talking about Sidney? Sidney is his girlfriend…” You licked your lips, looking away, confidence coming back. “I’m just a really good friend who strongly believes he didn’t do it… I mean, the evidence is there. So, why would he try to kill his girlfriend?” You gave the officer a side-eye.

He coughs, clearing his throat, ignoring your comments.

“We’re gonna have to hold you, son, until we get those phone records.” Brinks explains, making Billy look down, upset. A small tear rolling down his cheek as he shakes his leg, nerves taking control of his body.

“This is crazy,” Billy murmurs, turning away, looking at Sidney through the glass pane. “You know that? I didn’t do it.” He finishes.

You step in front of the window, closing the blinds, shielding Billy from Sidney’s scared gaze. “Bil, look at me…” You mumble, taking your index finger and placing it under his chin, tilting his head upwards to look at you. “Can you two give us a moment…” You asked both Hank and Brinks, “Please?”

They nodded, understandingly, leaving the two of you alone.

“I know you didn’t do it and the police will find out soon enough that you didn’t do it, that you didn’t make those calls.” You reassured your friend, trying to cheer him up, “I’m sure it’s all just a big misunderstanding; you know, wrong place wrong time.” You smiled, and for a second, Billy’s eyes softened, his big-brown orbs looked at you with a glint of love and temptation; a hint of possessiveness lingering in them. If only you knew that it was him, that he was the Ghost Face, that these tears and sudden relations with Sidney was all a facade, nothing but lies, he wanted you and only you, he wanted this to be all done, but his revenge was far greater than any feelings he ever had, or was it?

“Billy, honestly, I know you better than any of them; better than Sidney, your father and the police…” You pucker your lips, a small giggle falling from them. “If it was you, I’d know, right? You’d call me to come help with the bodies.” You joked, “We’re a team. We always will be.” You ran your hand through his hair, playing with it, “I would do anything for you.” You blushed, still playing with his strands of brown.

Right then and there, he knew.

“Forgive me…” He whispers.

You were confused, but that quickly faded as his lips crashed into yours.

Your grip tightened in his hair out of surprise as he cups your face, kissing you with such force you’ve never seen him do with Sidney.

He knocked the chair over with his body, tumbling forward in the process. His lips never leave your now plump and swollen ones as you kiss back.

You stumbled into the window from Billy’s movement, a quiet thud emitting around the atmosphere.

He moved his hand from your chin, pressing you harder against the pane, the blinds moving ever-so-slightly, but not enough to reveal the heated session surfacing.

He roughly grabs your sides, making your gown shuffle upwards, his thumbs pressing into your skin, leaving dents. It was painful, but also very rewarding. There were sure to be bruises there tomorrow.

“B-Billy…” You moaned, feeling him press his knee against your cunt, a shrill of excitement bubbling inside the pit of your stomach

He continued to kiss you, his face pink with lust, his eyes undressing you, slowly devouring you whole.

“You have no idea how long I waited to do that…” He started breathlessly, letting go of you, but not completely as he fiddled with the hems of your nightgown.

‘God, why am I now just noticing what she’s wearing?’ He thought, biting the tip of his thumb, soaking in your beauty, his one hand never leaving its grasp on you.

You bit your lip, realization finally hitting you in the face like a bunch of bricks.

“Oh, god…” You whispered, “I-I… We can’t…” You mumbled, pushing away, “I have to go…”

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[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 25

I make two promises about the end of this chapter. It's not what it looks likes, and that it WILL be fixed in the next chapter.

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6 Pt 7 Pt 8 Pt 9 Pt 10 Pt 11 Pt 12 Pt 13 Pt 14 Pt 15 Pt 16 Pt 17 Pt 18 Pt 19 Pt 20 Pt 21 Meta Pt 22 Pt 23 Pt 24

****

Steve was keeping busy. He was! Running a shop full time and his apprentices were only half way through their training, he didn’t have time to moon over Eddie.

But as much as he wanted to lie to himself he knew that there were too many times that he spent checking his phone for text messages, voicemails, and IG DMs. It was lame. And worse?

He had to watch this.

Vickie walked up to Robin. “Hey, babe. Can you show me how to do the multiple scheduling again? The time I tried, I accidentally scheduled all the way out to the year 3025. Which really, really shouldn’t be possible.”

Robin giggled. “I think they had to put in an end date and went as obscene as possible thinking that they wouldn’t have to update it in their life time.”

Vickie blushed and ran her hand up and down Robin’s arm. “Thanks for showing me again.”

Robin nearly fell out of the chair. Vickie quickly grabbed her and barely managed to prevent her from taking a nosedive.

“Right,” Robin said, ducking her head to hide her flush of embarrassment, she showed Vickie how to do the scheduling again.

He turned to Chrissy. “Please save me from this disaster, Duchess. It’s killing me.”

“You wish is my command, my liege,” she purred and stalked toward the reception desk.

Her outfit was barely this side of professional, but considering what other artist wore in their shops, he couldn’t call her out on it. It was pretty much the preppy pastel version of those other shops. Tight, light blue, skinny jeans with a baby blue tank top and white suede jacket, draped artfully on her elbows to show off her tattoos.

She leaned over the desk giving Robin and Vickie an eyeful of her perky breasts. She reached over and curled one of Robin’s loose strands of hair around her finger. Robin turned absolutely red.

‘You coming to Club Rainbow tonight?” Chrissy simpered, using the easier to say nickname for the Rainbow High Club.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she said, glancing over at Steve and then back to her. “With E–with it being so quiet lately, I figured we weren’t going.”

Chrissy smiled. “I’m always down for bright lights, pumping music, free flowing booze, and...” she leaned closer, “pretty girls.”

If Robin had been red before she positively scarlet now.

Chrissy twisted so she was leaning back on the desk. She flicked a long nailed finger under Vickie’s chin. “How about you, green-eyed girl? You coming, too?”

Everyone’s jaws dropped.

But it worked.

Suddenly Robin was tripping over her feet to say that of course she was going clubbing tonight, that of course she was. And that she was clearly out of her head to even think to stay home.

“Good,” she said, tilting her head back to look at Robin upside down. “Now convince your boy over there to join us.”

Steve gasped. “Traitor!”

Chrissy laughed. “Come on, Steve, you need to get out and feel the earth move under your feet for a night!”

His phone rang and suddenly his was on his feet in an instant.

“Hey, Eds...”

“Baby,” Eddie breathed into the phone. “You sound tired, you okay?”

“No, I’m good.”

“That’s good to hear, sweetheart,” Eddie said softly. “You doing anything fun this weekend?”

“We were thinking of going to the club tonight,” he murmured. “It won’t be the same without you.”

“Go, have fun, babe,” Eddie said. “You deserve it.”

“I guess.”

“Hey, while I’m thinking about it,” Eddie said nervously. “Did you find someone to fill my tattoo slot?”

“Oh, no. I didn’t,” Steve replied, pained. “I wouldn’t just have someone come in and fill your spot, Eds. That’s your three hour block of time, because you’re coming back, right?”

“Of course, I am, Stevie,” Eddie said gently. “I just worry about you losing money you could be making.”

“I know it’s twelve hours I could be making more money, I know that. It’s just–”

“Hey, babe,” Eddie said. “I’m being rushed out the door. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“No, of course. Miss you lots.”

“Miss you more.”

He hung up feeling worse than before he got the call. It had only been three days, but he felt his heart had been ripped out of his chest.

He walked back to the reception area, rubbing the end of his nose. He cleared his throat. “You guys go on ahead without me tonight. I don’t feel so good.”

The three girls shared glances but nodded.

Argyle took a deep breath. “Why don’t Jonathan and I come over with pizza while the girls go to the club?”

Erica came out her room with a grin. “Did someone say club?”

Chrissy cheered. “Hell yeah, girlie. We are going to have so much fun.”

Steve thought about the offer while the girls made plans, then nodded. It was better than being alone and he was really starting to like Jonathan now that he had broken it off with Nancy.

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

The entire shop breathed a sigh of relief.

The club would have been better with its loud music, lots of people, and free flowing beer, but pizza night with the guys was good, too.

“Wait!” Steve said, his brain catching up through his fog of misery. “Erica is only eighteen!”

“Buzzkill.”

*

Sunday was awful. Dustin and Suzy kept gushing about how cool it was that they knew someone who was playing with Metallica.

He was thankful when his phone rang. He walked out to the front porch to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, kid,” came the warm voice on the other end of the line.

“Wayne?” Steve looked at the time on his phone. It was a little after seven.

“I figured since we were both missing our boy, I’d give you a call.”

“I didn’t really think about it,” Steve murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose, “but yeah I guess he can’t call you if he’s on stage.”

“This is alright, yeah?”

“No, course it’s okay, I appreciate you thinking about me.”

“How have you been holding up?”

“It’s only been four fucking days and it’s liking I’m missing a limb. I can’t imagine what you felt when he moved to Indy.”

“That’s different,” Wayne murmured, “I knew it was coming. This was sprung on ya, it was bound to feel like shit. What’s eating ya?”

“God, I don’t even know. It’s just when we were finding our feet, the rug got pulled out from under us and I feel like I’m the only one that fell on my ass. And I know that’s not fair to Eddie. I get to live my dream, but he’s not allowed to live his? What kind of shit boyfriend would I be?”

“A hurt one,” Wayne muttered. “I always tell Ed when he gets like this he has two choices with me. You do all the talking and I listen. Or I do all the talking and you let my voice wash over you like a warm, comforting blanket.”

Tears slipped down his cheeks and he hurried to scrub them away.

“You talk, I just need a kind voice on the end of the line.”

Steve listened to him talk about the book club and a used car he bought recently when his truck finally gave up the ghost. He let the warm slow Southern drawl just wash over him and soothe his soul.

Finally Wayne ran out of things to talk about, but by then Steve was feeling better and they said their goodbyes.

And somewhere in Hawkins Wayne stood his kitchen with tears of his own streaming down his face, missing both of his boys.

*

Steve’s heart leapt every time he got a call, a text, a voicemail. He tried not to sound disappointed when it wasn’t Eddie. He made doubly sure he didn’t sound like that when Wayne called. They were both missing Eddie and he wasn’t about to take it out on him.

Robin was getting more and more concerned. She knew that he wasn’t sleeping, that he was barely eating enough to function and was pretty much living off Monsters and coffees too large to be sane.

She really got concerned when he ordered a six shot espresso and downed it in one gulp.

“Steve...” she said warningly.

“I took it slow like everyone wanted,” he spat out bitterly. “I respected his space and his pace. I rescued him from his evil ex. I dotted all the Is and crossed all the Ts and I’m stuck here wondering if he’s going to find someone better than me. Someone who likes metal, not just go to his concert because he’s the playing. That he’ll find another tattoo artist. A better one. One that will really let him fly. That he’ll pack up and move to LA and I’ll be here with a broken heart and shop I will learn to resent.”

“Oh.” Because what else could she even say to that. Because sure, he could do what Max did and just follow Eddie to LA, but he couldn’t do it immediately. He still had at least four months mentoring Chrissy and Argyle. Eight months on the outside. And by then what would be the point of moving out there.

If Steve was like this after a week, six months would kill him.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen,” Robin said. “You just have to trust him to talk to you and do what’s best for both you. How has he sounded when he calls?”

Steve frowned for a moment. “I guess like me, happy to hear my voice, sad that we’re apart. But there is this tiredness underneath and a hint of anger.”

“At you?” she asked, putting her arm around him.

He shrugged. “I don’t think so, but he won’t talk to me about it.”

“He probably doesn’t know how to say it,” she said wisely. “Just give him time.”

Steve nodded.

*

Steve made the first impulsive decision he’d made since deciding to be Hop’s apprentice.

He was going to get a tattoo. He made the appointment with Hop and calmly explained what he wanted and where.

Hop leveled him with a glare. “You sure you want this? You’re an artist yourself, Steve. You know how hard it is cover up a mistake. If I do this there is no going back.”

Steve nodded. “I want it because even if it doesn’t work out, even if we go our separate ways, I want something to remember him by.”

Hop took a deep breath and started his work. It didn’t take long. It was a small tattoo, simple enough in its design. He would have done it himself if Robin hadn’t stopped him.

Soon it was done and Hop scooted back on his chair. He cleaned Steve up, bandaged it, and wrapped it in plastic wrap.

“There you go, kid,” Hop said. “I hope it’s what you wanted.”

Steve nodded. “It is. I promise I won’t regret getting it.”

Hop sighed and got to his feet. “You’re smart man, Steve. A good tattoo artist, too. You’ve been through so much in such a short time. I think you need to take a break and just think. About the shop, your apprentices, your employees, friends, Eddie. Decide what you want and then go for it okay?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah. It’s just I’m the only full artist at my shop, I can’t take time off without closing it.”

Hop nodded back. “I’ve been there. I just worry about you.”

Steve sighed. “I worry about me too.”

*

Steve was vibrating out of his skin. The band was coming home today. He was going to see Eddie today.

But when the bus pulled up to the depot and they all filed out, there were only three of them.

Miranda and Jeff were hugging and kissing, Brian and Cecil were hugging. Even Gareth was getting swamped with hugs from his twin and mom.

But–

“Where’s Eddie?” Robin asked first. And Steve was grateful that she was there.

The other three members of the band looked at the ground, around them, anywhere but at Steve.

“He made us stop in Hawkins,” Jeff murmured and even Miranda was starting to look concerned.

“He wanted to spend a couple days with his Uncle Wayne,” Gareth said.

Steve heart plummeted to his stomach. “He’s not coming home?”

“It’s just for a couple of days,” Brian hurried to explain. “The tour just gave him a lot of things to think about.”

“Oh.”

Steve turned on his heel and ran out of the depot, shouts of his name following him out.

****

Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue

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[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 23 ~ Broken

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 2

✧ Word Count : 5.2k

In this chapter ~ In the midst of everything, Rick and Shane weren't able to leave the stranger behind like they had planned. It all led up to a pretty ugly discussion about how they would take care of him, fighting for whatever humanity they could hold onto. But they quickly come to realize they can't prevent the inevitable forever.

It was a silent morning, quieter than usual as we waited for Daryl to come out of the shed with the dreaded news.

Rick and Shane came back late that night still with Randall attached on a leash, claiming they couldn't just leave him in the middle of nowhere, leading to a pretty ugly disagreement. Apparently, part of it was because Randall knew of Maggie from around the small town and knew where the farm was, so they were left with a tough decision. In the end they decided to play it a bit more safely and bring him back, and Daryl offered to "have a chat" with him this morning to get the information we needed out of him.

But as we all stood there waiting, my mind was elsewhere.

Yesterday was a rollercoaster of emotions for not only me, but the Greene family. After Daryl talked to me, I did feel a little better but also couldn't hide the embarrassment I felt after what he watched me go through. Practically the five stages of grief in two minutes. But after our talk I soon fell asleep, emotionally exhausted from everything that had happened that day. Then this morning I woke up and he was already gone, so I haven't gotten the chance to talk to him about everything he did for me last night. Though I would eventually, I didn't really know where to start.

I didn't know if he fully realized how much he had truly helped me. How much he proved that he was always there for me for the good, the bad, and the ugly just by simply comforting me in a time of need. It made my heart swell, and I wanted to thank him for all of it.

The shed doors opening and closing with a slam is what brought me out of my thoughts, seeing Daryl coming out only seconds later looking pissed. He made his way over to us quickly and stood close by while informing the group about what he got out of the man.

"Boy there has a gang, thirty men, got heavy artillery and ain't lookin to make friends. They roll through here our boys are dead and our women...they're gonna wish they were." he said.

"What did you do?" Carol asked him cautiously with her arms crossed, looking at how bloody his hands were.

He shrugged, "Had a little chat." he said simply.

Once Carol had brought attention to his beat up knuckles, I couldn't help but stare as well in slight concern. I then mindlessly took his hand in mine and raised it up to my face, examining the blood and cuts he had gotten. I felt his gaze on me while I did so, yet everyone else around us seemed to pay it no mind as they stewed over Randall's words.

"No one goes near this guy. We don't have a choice, he's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat." Rick stated.

Dale's ears perked up at that, "You're just going to kill him?"

"It's settled, we'll do it today." Rick announced before stalking off in the other direction.

My eyes followed his figure, along with Dale's whom was following close behind, thinking back to Rick's sudden decision. I didn't feel one hundred percent comfortable with killing him, but I also didn't want his group to show up in the one place we felt safe. There was no limit to the possibilities on what these people could do, Daryl only proved that further when he told us everything he said. So when it comes down to it, I think killing him is our best option.

But Dale was clearly quick to argue, chasing after the man as he began to talk his ear off for no doubt a better option. But clearly there wasn't. With the way we've gone over this a thousand times already before, we had already talked it out for far longer than we should've. And I for one didn't want to go through that endless loop again. No amount of time or patience would prepare me for another similar discussion.

My eyes then connected with Daryl's momentarily and I nodded my head towards our tent and he nodded back, quickly slipping away from the group. As we made it back to the small space we shared, I wanted to grab some things to help clean the fresh gashes on his hands.

"Sit down here, I'll be right back." I said briefly.

"Yes ma'am." he said with a knowing smirk as he sat himself down on the log I pointed to.

I fixed him with a glare as I felt the familiar heat creep to my cheeks before turning around and going into the tent to get a first aid kit out of my bag. Once my fingers grazed over it, I pulled it out and made my way back outside and sat down beside him, taking his hand again to help clean everything up.

Taking some water first, I gently poured the cool liquid onto his knuckles, trying to wash them as best as I could from the dirt that lingered there. I then took some cotton balls and rubbing alcohol, warning him before I began to gently graze it back and forth. He flinched a little at first but then slowly got used to the stinging, relaxing a bit more as I continued.

It was silent between us as I focused, but I could tell he had a lot on his mind with the talk he just had with Randall. It was a lot I will admit, but I could tell he was overthinking about it far too much. So I decided to break the silence.

"Stop thinking about it. Everything will be okay." I muttered quietly, my eyes still focused on his hands.

He huffed quietly, "What you can read my mind now?" he asked playfully.

My gaze lifted then with a little smile, "No, your thoughts are just too loud, they're hard to ignore you know."

He only smiled in return, nodding to himself like I had a point. I then finally finished wrapping up his hands in white bandages a bit tightly, before dropping them back into his lap, prepared to take the silence as an opportunity. It started off almost awkward as I didn't know quite how to put it, but I felt that I had to bring it up sometime.

"I uh...never got a chance to say thank you by the way, for yesterday. All the shit that went down. So, thank you. You have no idea how much that meant to me." I said honestly.

He scoffed and shook his head, "Ya don't gotta thank me darlin, I'll always be here when ya need me."

My heart jumped the smallest bit once I heard the nickname he had never used before, fall effortlessly off his tongue. But he had a much different reaction than I, pressing his lips together tightly and closing his eyes as if he regretted saying it at all. And just like that his thoughts were running wild once again, stuttering as he tried to apologize and find the right words for the slip up.

"Shit...sorry, it just- kinda...slipped out."

I gently grabbed his hand again, getting him to actually look me in the eye, "It's okay," I assured, "I think it's sweet."

He was quiet for a moment as he stared a me, before muttering, "Ya don't hate it?"

"I love it." I responded.

He smiled a bit shyly, before cupping my cheek and bringing me towards him to place his lips on mine. It was a soft and loving kiss that I never wanted to pull away from. Looking at Daryl you would assume he would be rougher with this kind of thing, but he truly was the gentlest person I had ever met. He treated every touch like he was nervous he would completely break me somehow, like I was glass.

But that alone only made me crave it more.

I leaned in further to him, deepening the kiss as his hand slowly moved down my back to inch me impossibly closer. But then my mind wandered a bit, completely forgetting about the vest I had gotten him, but never had a chance to show him. So I reluctantly pulled back before my head could get any further in the clouds, sighing almost at the loss of contact.

"What's wrong?" he asked, tucking some hair behind my ear.

I shook my head, "Nothing. I just completely forgot I have something for you."

He raised a single eyebrow at me, "What is it?" he asked, almost dreading the thing I could put in his hands. His tone sounding like he assumed the worst.

"Well shit, don't sound too excited." I joked, "It's nothing bad, just wait here for a second." I said as I quickly got back up to my feet, heading back towards the tent momentarily.

My hands fished around through my bag where I had kept it hidden since I got it, finally feeling the leather material amongst everything else and pulled it out. I gave it one last glance before putting it behind my back, exiting the tent and looking towards him expectantly.

"Okay, close your eyes." I said.

He looked at me suspiciously for a moment or two, before his eyes fluttered closed anyway, trusting me blindly. My feet moved further towards him, standing right in front of him and bringing out the item to hold it out so he could see the back of it first.

"Open them."

He slowly peaked one eye open, both of them then getting wide once he saw what I was holding. I then handed it over to him so he could actually get a better look at it, but he was only wearing an expression that I couldn't read as he sat there quietly.

"I found it on a run yesterday with Glenn...I don't know, I just thought of you when I saw it. Plus, I never got you anything in return when you got me my sketchbook, so I thought this was perfect...do you like it?" I asked, his silence only make me grow uneasy.

He then finally met my eyes, not wasting another second before he picked me up in his arms, spinning me around in the air as he hugged me tight. I yelped in surprise, before I was laughing at the enthusiasm I had never seen from him before, wrapping my arms around his shoulders in return.

"I love it." he said seriously, placing me back down on my feet before turning it around and throwing it on over his long sleeve button up, "How does it look?" he asked, turning around to show me the back as well.

I nodded to myself as my eyes roamed over his figure, "Great." I confirmed as he turned back around to face me, "You look good in leather."

He cocked an eyebrow at me, "Yeah?" he asked to which I simply nodded my head, "Then I'll wear it till the damn thing falls apart."

A genuine smile made its way back onto my face at that, getting close enough to pull him back in from the new collar of his vest. He sighed deeply, his hands falling in place at either side of my waist as he showed me how much he truly loved the gift. But like always, the moment didn't last nearly as long as either one of us would've liked, him pulling back after only a few seconds.

He rested his forehead against mine with a sigh, "We should probably head back." he muttered, clear disappointment lacing his voice.

I groaned, "Why can't we just stay? I'm a lot happier here, without all their negative bullshit."

He only laughed, "I know, but don't ya think they're gonna start wonderin where we are?"

I let out a heavy breath before fully pulling away, "Yeah, alright." I muttered.

He smiled and pulled me back into him for one more quick kiss before we headed back towards the house, dreading what the rest of today would bring.

For the majority of the day, everyone was going back and forth about what to do with Randall who continued to make himself comfortable in the shed. Just like I dreaded. Another pointless conversation that would leave us all yelling and pointing at each other while nothing would get settled.

Dale was making his way around to anyone in the group he could sink his teeth into, asking if they truly thought killing him was the right thing to do. He was basically a walking survey for the entire day, but a really annoying survey that doesn't respect your opinion and wants you on his side. When he asked me my thoughts, I just told him that I didn't want him to die, but I didn't want him to live either. I had to let him down saying I wouldn't stand with him when it came time to make a decision, and I could tell he was disappointed in me, but quickly picked himself back up and moved onto the next person.

He left me alone after one last disapproving look that I couldn't get out of my head while I continued to sharpen my knives. I didn't want it to be this way and he knew that, no one did, but this is what it's come to in the end and we just had to deal with it. The world clearly wasn't the same as it once was, and though it was something that would take a while to get used to, we all at some point had to accept it.

Glenn eventually made his way over to the same spot we sat in yesterday, plopping down on his ass right next to me as I stopped my movements mometarily to see what he needed.

"We have to stop meeting like this." I joked.

He sighed heavily, "Do you think it's the right thing to do?" he asked, ignoring my comment and looking out towards Dale's retreating figure.

I followed his gaze before placing my weapons down with a huff, "I don't know, not really. But I also don't trust him enough to let him go. And we can't keep him locked up here forever."

He nodded his head, "Yeah, I know. But it still feels wrong."

"It is." I said bluntly, "But I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone here because of him. Especially you." I winked.

That caused him to let out a small laugh, and I moved closer so I could rest my head on his shoulder, in hopes of feeling some comfort at a stressful time like this.

"I don't want anything to happen to you either." he continued, "Or Maggie... or anyone. That's why I'm not trying to stop this." he said.

"I know," I whispered, "You're too good for this world, Glenn."

He scoffed at my comment, but didn't make any attempts to argue. In my mind I assumed he didn't say anything else because he knew it was true, though he didn't want to believe it, he was too good of a person. A people pleaser on steroids. Just simply wanting the best for everyone around him.

There was a long and comfortable silence that followed after my last words, soaking up the air around us before he suddenly opened his mouth again.

"So, what's going on between you and Daryl?" he asked casually.

I preferred the silence.

My eyes widened at the sudden question I wasn't expecting, my mouth becoming very dry at the thought. I couldn't tell him, not now at least. I wanted to respect Daryl's privacy and also I kind of liked the idea of nobody knowing about us. It was nice to not have watchful and knowing eyes constantly glued on us, and if I told him about the big secret, that would surely change. In fact, I would never hear the end of it.

I slowly lifted my head to look at him casually, "What do you mean?" I asked.

He gave me a pointed look, "Come on, I've seen the way you two have been acting lately. Leaving at the same time, stealing glances at each other, the way he looks at you now is like... even more intense than it used to be."

I scoffed at his words, brushing them off as if they meant nothing, "I don't know what you're talking about, we're just friends."

"Uh huh, okay, sure." he muttered, "You can lie all you want but just remember, I'm your best friend and I know everything. So, whenever you decide to tell me the truth, I want details." he stated.

"Is this really what you think about to help you sleep at night? That Daryl and I are together?" I asked him playfully.

He shrugged, "No, not necessarily, but I think you two are good for each other."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever you say."

"So, it is true?" he asked with wide eyes and a hopeful smile.

"No." I deadpanned.

He sighed but dropped the topic completely upon hearing my tone, and our conversation continued like normal. That is until we were called into the house to finally have the discussion on what to do about Randall. It was like a reality check slapped me across the face and believe me when I say, it stung. I didn't want to fight about this, not anymore. But clearly there was no way out of it now.

The two of us made our way back up to the house and into the living room, finding a place to stand as we waited for everyone else to fill the empty space. I found myself leaning up against the wall while Glenn sat down on the couch in front of me, watching the group slowly pile in with anxious looks on their faces.

Daryl was one of the last ones to come in the room and I watched him out of the corner of my eye.  He seemed to be scanning the room before his eyes landed directly onto me, making his way towards my direction only a second later. His frame leaned up against the wall right beside me, bumping his shoulder with mine as we both stood with our arms crossed in front of our chests silently.

I glanced over at him and gave him a small smile before turning back to face in front of me again, my eyes finding Glenn's amongst the crowd of people. His gaze was already on me, looking back and forth between Daryl and I as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. My eyes narrowed as I gave him a pointed look that seemed to shut him up fast, now looking everywhere but me as he awkwardly started the conversation.

"So...how do we do this? Just take a vote?" he asked.

The room was silent for a moment as everyone thought before Andrea piped in, "Does it have to be unanimous?"

"How about majority rules?" Lori suggested.

Rick sighed and shook his head, "Let's just see where everyone stands, then we'll talk through the options."

"Well, the way I see it, there's only one way to move forward." Shane spoke up.

"Killing him. Right?" Dale asked without missing a beat, "I mean why even bother taking a vote? It's clear which way the wind is blowing."

"Well if people think we should spare him, I want to know." Rick spoke.

Dale nodded a little to himself, clear disappointment in his eyes as he scanned around the room, "Well, I can tell you it's a small group, maybe just me and Glenn."

My gaze then snapped back towards Glenn in utter confusion, not even five minutes ago he was telling me the opposite, that we were on the same page. But then I saw the guilty look in his eye when he looked back at Dale and I knew he hadn't told him he changed his mind.

He kept his eyes down as he spoke quietly, "Look I-" he took a breath, "I think you're pretty much right about everything all the time but this-"

"They've got you scared!" Dale exclaimed.

"He's not one of us," Glenn said calmly, "And we've lost too many people already."

There was a painful silence that followed, the older man looking everywhere to try and confide in someone else, before gesturing to Maggie, "How about you? Do you agree with this?" he asked.

She stayed silent, biting her lip subtly in thought before she turned to Rick, "Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?"

"Just another mouth to feed." Daryl spoke lowly.

"It may be a lean winter." Hershel pointed out.

"Well, he could be an asset, give him a chance to prove himself." Dale pleaded.

I shook my head, "No way in hell we're just letting him walk around freely." I spoke.

"We could put an escort on him?" Maggie suggested.

Shane scoffed with a nod of his head, "Yeah, and who wants to volunteer for that duty?"

"I will!" Dale said as he raised his hand in the air.

"I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy, okay?" Rick said.

"Look," Shane started, "Let's say we let him join us. Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down, maybe he runs off and brings back his thirty men."

Daryl tensed up the slightest bit from beside me, enough so that I was able to catch it just out of the corner of my eye. Without looking over, I subtly found his hand beside me and intertwined our fingers together, giving it a squeeze in reassurance.

"So, the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime he may never even attempt?" Dale snapped, "If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilization."

"Oh my God." Shane suddenly muttered as he ran a hand over his shaved head.

I didn't know what possessed me to do this, truly I didn't. The whole situation was stressful enough as it was without his little negative comments, so when I heard him mutter something even slightly, I didn't hesitate to pick up one of the apples in a bowl next to me and chuck it at him. As soon as it bounced off of his head, his eyes snapped towards me almost instantly in silent anger, clearly just as fed up with my shit as I was with his.

"Shut up." I slightly snapped before crossing my arms back over my chest.

Glenn immediately covered his mouth as he tried to hide his laugh that threatened to escape, while something else brushed up against my arm to get my attention. It was Daryl holding out his hand for a subtle high five which I gladly accepted, looking up after to see his lips pressed together trying to suppress a smile.

There were a few seconds of silence, everyone left shocked and somewhat speechless before Hershel cleared his throat, "Anyway... could you drive him further out? Leave him like you planned?"

"You... barely came back last time. There are walkers, you could break down, you could get lost." Lori stressed.

"Or get ambushed." Daryl said.

"...Maybe we shouldn't put our own people at risk." Glenn said.

Patricia then stepped up with a worried look on her face, "If you do go through with it... how would you do it?"

"We could hang him, just snap his neck." Shane suggested, glaring back at me every chance he got.

I was tempted to get another apple, wanting to get it through his skull that not everything was about him and his own opinion, but I refrained. Even though it would be just as hilarious the second time as it was the first.

"I thought about that, shooting him may be more humane." Rick stated.

"Well, what about the body?" T-Dog asked, "Do we bury him?"

Dale then stepped forward again with widened eyes, "Woah, woah, hold on you're talking about this like it's already been decided."

"We've been talking about this all day and then some." I said, "Going around in circles, you just want to go around in circles again?"

"This is a young man's life!" he snapped, "And it is worth more than a five minute conversation...Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him!" he pointed towards Rick, "Now look, he's been tortured, he's going to be executed. How are we better than those people we're so afraid of?"

That's what made everyone stop and think for a moment. I could see Dale's point on some things, but I wasn't planning on changing my mind, nor was anyone else here it seemed like. We didn't know him or his group and when Daryl came back from talking to him earlier, I could just tell that this guy couldn't be trusted. Not when his people were so proud of doing those horrible things.

"We're better because we don't kidnap children. We don't torture women. That right there is just the tip of the iceberg of what his people have done. So yeah, I'd say we're a little bit better than them. He can't be trusted, and you know it, not after everything he spilled about his group." I spoke.

"So, what is the solution?" Andrea suddenly asked, "I mean we haven't come up with a single valuable option yet. I wish we could-"

"So, let's work on it!" Dale interrupted.

"Stop it! Just stop it." Carol suddenly cried, "I'm sick of everyone arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this, I didn't ask for us to decide something like this. Please decide, either of you, both of you. But leave me out of it."

Dale then pointed a finger at her, "Not speaking out, or killing him yourself, there's no difference."

"Hey!" I snapped, "You don't get to put all of this on her just because she doesn't want to be a part of this fucked up decision."

"That's enough!" Rick yelled before I could continue, though I saw Carol smiling towards me gratefully. "Anybody who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance now." he concluded.

There was just silence. Nobody wanted to talk about this anymore. Nobody wanted to think about it anymore. We all just wished for something to happen, something that would cause us just to move on from this.

Dale then couldn't take the silence, "You once said we don't kill the living." he said to Rick.

"Yeah, that was before the living tried to kill us." he said.

"But don't you see if we do this, the people we were, the world that we knew is dead... and this new world is ugly, it's harsh, it's survival of the fittest! And that's a world I don't want to live in. And I don't believe that any of you do, I can't. Please... let's just do what's right." he begged, tears now flooding in his eyes.

I assumed the room would stay silent, finally sealing in the realistic decision to eliminate the threat. But Andrea stepped forward, almost hesitantly, but yet sure that this is what she wanted to do.

"He's right." she muttered, "We should try to find another way."

Rick only nodded, "Anybody else?" he asked.

Everyone now sat perfectly still, avoiding Dale's gaze as much as they could with him now looking towards everyone pleadingly.

He nodded his head with a scoff at the silence, "Are you gonna watch too?" he asked, "Nah you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. I won't be a part of it." he mumbled before heading towards the door to walk out of the room.

His head was hung low as he made his way past everyone, briefly stopping to glance at Daryl and placed a hand on his shoulder, "This group is broken." he said quietly before making his way towards the front door, leaving with a slam.

Processing everything all at once, including Dale's exit, I was the next one to leave after that. I didn't want to think about it anymore than I had to, and the decision was already made. That was it.

I walked until I felt like I couldn't anymore, out onto one of the many fields to watch the sun go down in front of me. I always loved this part of the day, where the sky was filled with the most beautiful shades of color I've ever seen. It made me feel calmer, it made me somehow forget everything just for a while. Even back when life was normal, I would always watch the sunset to just clear my head from the things that were bothering me the most. And right now I felt I needed the quiet more than ever.

I never thought life would come to this. Truly I didn't. Pushing us to a point where we would kill a man just because we didn't trust him. It was all fucked up seeing what the current world had come too after the dead began to rise. But in the back of my mind, I silently knew all of this could've been prevented.

If Rick hadn't helped him, brought him back here in the first place, we wouldn't have had to deal with this at all. Deal with something that was clearly tearing this group apart. I by all means wasn't blaming him for just trying to do the right thing, but you bet your ass if I had a time machine right now I would use it.

Though it wasn't long before I wasn't alone anymore, Daryl's heavy footsteps slowly came up behind me, taking a seat close to my left as he followed my gaze. Neither one of us said anything for a while, just simply enjoying the view in front of us along with each other's presence. It only lasted a few minutes before he finally spoke up.

"Ya okay?" he hesitantly asked.

I turned my head towards him once I heard his voice, "Yeah." I nodded, "I'm just thinking."

He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, "Bout Dale?"

I shrugged, "About everything." I muttered vaguely before tilting my head at him in question, "Do you think he's right?" I suddenly asked.

I was surprised how quiet the question came out of my mouth, but Daryl heard it nonetheless, "Nah, we gotta keep everyone safe. We can't do that if we have him here. Can't trust him."

I nodded, though a part of me was still unsure. The last thing I wanted was to put someone down, saying that their opinion wasn't important or didn't matter, and I assumed that's exactly how Dale felt. But another part of me was sure that the decision we came to was the right one, even if the older man didn't agree with us right away, maybe someday he would thank us.

Although Daryl sensed I was thinking too much, tilting my chin up so I would look him in the eye again, "If it makes ya feel better, Shane's got a big ol red mark on his forehead from where ya hit him." he said, starting to chuckle halfway through.

I found myself laughing right along with him as the memory played back in my head, "You know what, that does make me feel better. Thank you."

He shrugged almost bashfully, "Anytime."

I found myself staring at him with such admiration without even meaning to, the sunset making him look more perfect if that was even possible. As I looked into his eyes, I felt a wave of comfort and happiness wash over me. He made me feel safer than I had ever felt before and I knew I could count on this man for anything. Though I didn't know what the future held for us, I somehow had a feeling we would be in it together.

~ Thanks for reading!

[ecstasyhighway]

YOU & I | an ellie williams fanfic series

this is a fic that will be posted and mostly updated on wattpad @ecstasyhighway this ff is heavily based off of you the netflix show and inspired by a ff on here which i cannot remember who wrote it but if yk lmk so i can give proper credit.

there is not smut in this little part here but its a filthy ah fic that will become darker as it goes on.

MEN DNI - 16+ i fear (im 17 so if u feel uncomfortable reading from a minor who will be 18 at the end of the year then u dont have to read this i really dgaf.)

ch 1 ch 2

silly story and more ff info under the cut

Ellie had seen you walking around the music store she worked at... her attention automatically shifted from the customer in front of her to you. Your hair, your curves, your eyes. Everything about you was just...

"hello? did you hear me?" the woman raised her voice slightly to get her attention,

Ellie snapped out of her thoughts and focused on the clearly irritated woman in front of her.

"yea my bad, what was that..?"

The lady rolled her eyes and started asking questions about guitar lessons for her son or daughter or some shit, she wasnt really paying attention to the nonsense floating from her mouth.

"yeah, im not the one you go to about that, uhhh my buddy Jesse is in the back, he can help you"

"thanks" and with that, she headed towards the back, muttering words under her breath.

Ellie's attention quickly turned back towards you. She examines you closely. Watching you grab a vinyl from the shelf, Call Me If You Get Lost, is what you had grabbed. Ellie wants to walk over to you, and talk to you but shes scared. What if she says the wrong thing? What if she freaks you out? What if you think shes a weirdo.. She turns away to stop looking at you, her cheeks are red and shes shaking, she is just so nervous and she's not even planning on talking to you... She puts her face in her hands and begins to calm herself down.

"Hi! hello"

A voice chimes from behind her, she turns around and a lump forms in her throat.

Its... you.

———————————————————————————

YOU & I | ellie williams.

this is a DARK fanfic. Based heavily off of the show you on netflix and inspired by a fanfic I saw on tumblr. This story has adult themes, sexual themes, stalking, thoughts of killing (no actual killing just thoughts), themes of hate, ellie has slight mental issues (obv shes stalking) age gaps (only 3 years and they're adults). idgaf how old u are this is dark and you have been warned, i am not responsible for any type of reaction you may have to this as ive given you a warning. I will give warnings at the beginning of chapters that might be too dark. again you have been warned.

important - ellie might be a tad ooc, shy!ellie, switch!ellie if you squint. this is a lesbian ff.

MEN DNI I WILL FIND YOU.

reader is afab and 20

ellie is 23

modern au

jessie, dina, joel, tommy, maria, most of the main tlou cast is in this (not everyone will be mentioned or even really have a place in the story, just know they are present)

based in New York (obv)

i am not a professional writer, im simply a girl who writes shit when shes bored, do not expect me to have an upload schedule. I get drained v fast and i want to enjoy writing, its not a job with deadlines. so with that my grammar might be bad, spelling might be ass and if there is any math it will probably be wrong, it might be written in third, or first person i be fuckin up with that but yall will be fine.

YOU & I | ellie williams.

story created and written by @ecstasyhighway

tlou and the characters belongs to Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog

the story of "YOU" belongs to Netflix

Story was ib by a ff i saw breifly but i don't remember who wrote it so, if yk pls lmk so i can give proper credit

THIS IS FICTION. DO NOT DO THIS SHIT IRL BRUH ITS ACTUALLY WEIRD ASF. AGAIN THIS IS PURELY FICTIONAL. thank yew

uhhhh yeah enjoy ig and i do appreciate any supportive criticism as i am not a professional writer and shit could just be wrong.

also im new to tumblr fanfic writing so yeah 😭.

[ao3feed-peterstiles]

Count to Ten

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50504293 by Anonymous After dealing with a witch that was specialized in illusions, Stiles can't tell what is real and what isn't, which becomes a bit of a problem given he is alone at night, in the middle of the woods, possibly being followed. Peter tries to help, which would be great, except Stiles is not sure if the man is real or not.   “You reek of anxiety and fear.” “We did just kill a witch; I really do not know what you expected.” “No.” Peter says. “That's not it.” He furrows his brows. “You're not hurt.” He half states, half questions. He makes it sound so casual, and yet, if Stiles did not know better, he would have thought Peter seemed to be bordering on what may be concern.   Whumptober day 1: “How many fingers am I holding up?” Whumptober day 23: Shadows | Stalking | “Who’s there?” Words: 3043, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Whumptober 2023 Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Peter Hale, Stiles Stilinski Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Post-Nogitsune Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski has Trauma from the Nogitsune, Good Peter Hale, Protective Peter Hale, Dreams vs. Reality, as in Stiles cannot tell for the life of him what is real and what isn't, Whumptober, Whump, Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Pre-Relationship, Panic Attacks, Stiles may be going through it but he will always be a sarcastic little shit, Angst with a Happy Ending, We are diving into the Nogitsune trauma like the show should've, Stiles figures out Peter cares and promptly ignores that revelation for later Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50504293

[sunflowersoldat]

All is Fair~ In Sabotage & Sucker-Punches (Drabble)

Drabble takes place immediately after Valkyrie leaves Steve's office in chapter 23 and right before chapter 24: Sabotage and Sucker-Punches

Main Master List

Series Master List

Series Summary: Family is important, but so is the Family business. Everyone has secrets, some are deadly. Your the best in the business, but no one knows who you are. Tensions are high, will you raise the stakes or fold under the pressure?

Series Warning: 18+! Mentions of blood and violence, bad language words, smut, manipulation, gaslighting, death, trauma, please follow the warnings for each chapter.

Chapter warnings: 18+ Only! Violence, Bad language words, mentions of torture, death.

Pairing: Mob!Steve x Assassin!Stark!reader

Word count: 1K

A/N: The finale is so close! Can you taste it? I am sooooo excited! Anyway hope y’all enjoy! 💕

Jake and Yelena made their way through the woods, it was midday now, the spring sun warm against their uniforms. Jake sniffled, the air thick with pollen and the smell of fresh sap from the birch and hickory trees. Jake nods to Yelena who has settled herself on one of the giant hickory branches, pulling her rifle from her back. 

The Cabin is in view now, stealthily Jake makes his way closer, the com in his ear crackles to life, 

“Patrol at your two o’clock Заря (Zarya).”

Jake’s eyes snap in that direction, as he maneuvers behind cover to not be seen. Stalking behind the patrol, his arm wraps his hand around his face, covering his mouth so he doesn’t alert the others, he drags him backward, bones snap and the patrol goes limp. Jake lets the body drop behind a bush with a thud, before stalking behind the cabin, two patrols stand in his way, their backs toward him as they make small talk.

Jake rolls his eyes before pouncing, taking down one of them, the other falls next to him, his rifle clattering in the grass, blood from a single bullet wound is the only evidence he’s dead. Jake turns, shooting Yelena a thankful nod and wink, placing his hand to his ear, “Are there any more out there Удача? (ydacha)”

“Nah.”

“Care to join me then?”

“Already on my way. I’ll breach from the front, you take the back. We’ll meet in the middle… Ready?”

Jake smiles beneath his mask, “On three?”

Yelena agrees, starting the count, “One.”

“Don’t kill them all without me.” He chuckles.

He can hear the smile in her voice when she responds, “Don’t take too long to kill them… Two.”

“Three.” They finish in unison. 

Jake kicks down the door, “Try not to have too much fun, Дача (dacha), remember this is the boss’s family.”

—

Loki leans back in his chair, Thor is in front of him, pacing his office when Valkyrie bursts through the door.

“We have a situation.”

Thor turns, his thumb and pointer finger massaging his temples, “Rogers is still missing, I’m aware.”

Val swallows hard, her fists clenching at her sides, “It’s worse.”

“Spit it out then!” Thor’s voice booms in the office and Loki raises his brows, with the way Valkyrie is acting, he can only imagine what information has come to light.

“Steve has been located, he is back at his office…”

“That should be good news Val, at least we know where–”

She shakes her head, “There’s more, the little Stark is alive.”

Thor freezes, his brows drawn together, his eyes narrow in thought, “Impossible, they found her body in the harbor.”

“It was her, I wouldn’t have recognized her, but Rogers called her by name.”

Thor raises a brow, but Valkyrie continues, “Funny thing though,” a conniving smirk lifts her lips as her eyes move to Loki, “She had a very peculiar mask strapped to her belt and a fascinating set of playing cards hidden in her belt.”

Thor scowls, and Loki frowns. How could you have been so careless, to be seen in public, alive, without your gear to hide you. He wants to shake his head, to roll his eyes, but can’t risk the reaction giving him away.

“What does that have to do with…” Thor stops, realization dawning on his face, “Our little Ace of Spades… would explain quite a lot.” He purses his lips, eyes flicking in Loki’s direction, he opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by the walkie-talkie on Valkyrie’s belt. The abrupt static hurts Loki’s ears, and his eyes snap to it as a panicked male voice breaks through,

'Charlie-One to Hotel-Bravo!'

Valkyrie rips the walkie from her waist, “Hotel Bravo copies.”

On the other end, it's chaos, gunfire, and screaming, “We have a situation, two tangos—” there is more gunfire, then static. Val looks to Thor, ready to receive her orders, but the walkie comes back to life. “Aces! They’re fucking Aces! Mayday, Mayday! Charlie team is—” the mercenary’s voice vanishes into static.

Loki shifts uncomfortably in his seat, he needs to get out of here. Now. He rises from his seat, casually making his way toward the back door to Thor’s office, but doesn’t get very far. Thor’s hand closes on his shoulder firmly, guiding him back towards his desk. Loki’s jaw clenches, this can’t be good.

Valkyrie screams, squeezing the walkie in her hands, “Fuck! How did they find the cabin?! We’ve been careful, there is no way–”

A familiar voice breaks through the static, Loki recognizes it, Удача (Ydacha ) “Woohoo… Man, that was fun,” she’s out of breath, but he can hear the smile in her voice, “Sorry boss-man, it looks like a pair of Aces beats a King.”

Loki looks at his brother, Thor’s face is a deep shade of red, and there is a roaring fire in his eyes, his grip tightening on Loki’s shoulder. Loki winces, this is bad.

“The dealer sends his regards, he also says you should never bet against the house.” The channel goes silent as does the room. Loki can swear the silence is going to swallow him whole, his heart is roaring in his ears. His gaze finds Valkyries, she’s already staring at him, and he can feel Thor’s gaze burning into the side of his head. 

“Brother I—”

His words are cut off when Thor’s hand finds its way around his neck, “You have done enough brother.” His head slams into Thor’s desk, vision blurring as Thor’s grip tightens around his neck, “You are lucky I happen to be able to fix your messes. I have a few more cards up my sleeve.” Thor whistles, and moments later, a gag is tied around Loki’s head, along with a blindfold. Thor releases him, but more hands grab him, escorting him out of the room.

Thor turns to Valkyrie, “It seems we require a family meeting, their new Don has found the culprit behind all this chaos, and justice must be served.”

@dontbescaredtosingalong @texan-tazzy @tianamontag @daiseychaindisaster @silently-killing-you @buckyfan12 @leyannrae @justlovelifeblog @austynparksandpizza @capson-of-coul @betareader7 @vicmc624 @bigphattygyal @calwitch @buckysteveloki-me @curlyladylazarus111 @talesofadragon @trudy-shams

[slashyrogue]

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Hannigram AU: The Rise and Fall of Wehem and Hanbal - Chapter Ten - 8/1

Hannigram AU: Captive Heat - Chapter Twenty Three - 8/1

Hannigram AU: Chomp - Chapter Four - 8/2

Hannigram AU: Captive Heat - Chapter Twenty Four - 8/3

AU-gust Day 6: Domestic - Chapter Two - 8/7

AU-gust Day 6: Domestic - Chapter Three - 8/7

AU-gust Day 6: Domestic - Chapter Four - 8/7

Hannigram AU: Moonlight Becomes You - Chapter Eleven - 8/10

Hannigram AU: Captive Heat - Chapter Twenty Five - 8/14

Hannigram AU: Chomp - THE END - 8/16

Au-Gust Day 6: Domestic - Chapter Five - 8/21

Hannigram AU: Captive Heat - Chapter Twenty Six - 8/23

Hannigram AU: Captive Heat - Chapter Twenty Seven - 8/24

Hannigram AU: Mylimasis - Chapter Twenty Seven - 8/30

Hannigram AU: Killing Stalking - Chapter One - 8/28

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Failed Twitter Attempts - Spacedogs AU: Prisoner of My Desire - 8/18

[skylarsin7]

Chapter 1: The Hellfire Club

My name is Liliana Rose Halen-Ramsey. A level 23, chaotic neutral Lunar Elf Ranger adept in arcane archery and healing magic. You may call me Aezadora.

The Hellfire Club was my home. Is my home. A place where I could get away from the Perfect House, the Perfect Family, the Perfect Life. Everything I was not. It was a place where I could just let go and be my wonderfully weird self, where I was among friends. But it was their leader who taught me that I didn't owe the world perfection. That I was perfect for just being me. His name is Eddie Munson. The DM of the Hellfire Club. 

“Absolutely not.” Eddie’s voice had a slight edge to it as if he didn’t quite believe that they would even dare make such a ludacris suggestion. Dustin and Mike stood before the head of the table with Erica Sinclair, the younger sister of the turncoat benchwarmer that had gotten them into this bind in the first place. “You asked for a sub. We delivered.” Dustin protested. “This is Hellfire Club, not Babysitting Club.” Eddie countered, his voice clearly displaying how thin his patience was wearing. “I’m eleven, you long-haired freak.” Erica corrected, clearly not intimidated by the two-time super senior. Eddie scoffed. “My, my, the child speaks.” He said with heavy sarcasm. The other members of the Hellfire Club snickered as Eddie rose from his ‘throne’. 

He stalked towards her, looking every bit like a prowling wolf, the reigning DM, whose will was absolute. “So, what’s your name, child?” He mocked as he approached her. “Erica Sinclair.” She replied, her tone bored as she cocked an eyebrow at him. Eddie chuckled, clearly enjoying this little back and forth. Clearly enjoying the challenge this little spitfire brought. “So, this is Sinclair’s infamous sister.” Erica rolled her eyes at Dustin and Mike. “He’s sharp.” She said sarcastically over her shoulder. 

Eddie’s smile did not fade but became lethal as his eyes glittered dangerously. “What’s your class and level? Level One Dwarf?” He asked, still holding the mocking lilt to his tone, but it had become a razor's edge. She stared at him, undaunted by the note of menace in his voice. “My name is Lady Applejack. I’m a chaotic good half-elf rogue, level 14." Eddie's eyebrows rose as she spoke, but he said nothing. Erica continued as she stared him down. "I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way and stab them in the back with my poison-soaked kukri. And I’ll smile as I watch them die a slow, agonizing death. So…we gonna do this, or are we gonna keep chit chatting like this is your momma’s book club?” Erica did not back down, didn’t move or raise her voice. But her words rang with power as they faded into silence. The rest of Hellfire Club all but held their breath. Eddie glanced back over his shoulder. 

“Did you get all that, Aez?” He asked. The walkie setup to the left of the throne crackled with static. “Loud and clear.” Came the answer. The voice was female, and even though it was slightly distorted from the static, it was melodic and soft. “What do you think?” He asked. There was another moment of static. “I like her spirit. We could use that kind of spark in our party.” Aeza answered. Eddie smiled, the action lighting up his entire face. “You heard the Lady.” He extended a hand for Erica. “Welcome to Hellfire."

***

“The hooded Cultists chant… Hail Lord Vecna…Hail Lord Vecna…” Eddie’s voice held them all captive as he laid the scene. “They turn to you, remove their hoods. You recognize most of them from Makbar. But there is one…you do not recognize.” The players around the table held their breath. “His skin…shriveled, desiccated. But there is something else…” No one dared move, their eyes trained on their DM. “He is not only missing his left arm… but his left eye!” Eddie said with a flourish. He relished this part of D&D more than anything else. The table erupted with protests and outraged cries. “Vecna is dead!” One shrieked. “He was killed by Kas!” Mike pointed out. Eddie laughed, rising in his chair. “So it was thought, my friends, so it was thought…But Vecna Lives!” He bellowed as he placed the mini figure in the arena. “You’re scared, you’re tired, you are injured…do you flee Vecna and his cultists? Or do you stand your ground and fight?” There was an unspoken challenge in his words. The players exchanged a glance amongst themselves. “Aeza, what do you think?” Dustin asked. There was another crackle of static followed by another loaded moment of silence. Aeza took a deep breath. “Through dangers unseen, and challenges unnumbered, we have fought our way to this place. Our goal is near at hand. I, for one, will not cower before likes such as these when what we seek is so close. I say we fight….to the death.” She said, her voice carrying through the room. A shudder rippled over the table. “To the death.” Dustin repeated. “To the death.” Mike agreed. And one by one the players repeated the oath, their words rippling into a roar. 

Eddie’s laughter carried above the din, and gradually the players quieted. “Very well…as you wish. Roll for initiative.” He commanded. There was a flurry of motion and static from the walkie. The players each looked up in turn. “16.” “12.” “18.” “7.” “15.” “4.” Another crackle of static, and a sigh. “19.” Came Aeza’s voice. There was a collective intake of breath around the table. Eddie smiled almost wickedly.

“Aeza, Lady of the Night, Archer of Shooting Stars, you stand before the Archlich and his Cultists, weary but determined. How do you proceed?” Eddie’s voice was somehow softer, taking on an affectionate quality that he didn’t usually use. A moment of silence followed before the Lady answered. “I draw my bow. It is blessed by the Goddess Tou Mu, and I carry with me her Light of the North. I notch a black arrow. The tip crackles with barely contained light, as if housing a captive star.” The players sat in rapt silence, even Erica unable to make a sound. It seemed that Aeza was as gifted a storyteller as their DM. The players shivered. “My gaze meets the Archlich’s single good eye unwaveringly. My eyes glow amber in the lantern light, refusing to back down. I lift my bow, drawing the throng back.” There was a clatter of dice as she rolled. “18. I fire an arrow inscribed with the sigil for Starlight Smite, for…” Another Clatter. “Twenty points of divine damage.” All eyes fell on Eddie, who scanned over his sheets. He paused, calculating. “It’s a hit. Well done, Aeza.” The table erupted into a chorus of cheers. 

As the game progressed, the other players began to lose HP, and one after another, they fell. Even Lady Aeza was beginning to sweat. Now, only three players remained. “Time out! Time out!” Nick cried, his eyes wide in his chubby face. Dustin grabbed the walkie, gesturing for the others to follow after him. They ducked into a huddle, Dustin cradling the walkie in the center. “Guys, I hate to say this, but we have got to flee.” Gareth the Great said quietly, his voice defeated. The boy brushed an errant curl from his face.  “I concur.” Nick agreed without hesitation. “Didn’t we just agree “to the death?” Erica asked, annoyance an edge to her words. 

“That wasn’t literal.” Gareth argued. Nick nodded. “Vecna just decimated us. We can’t kill him with three players.” Jeff added. Dustin scoffed. “You too? He only has fifteen hit points left. Don’t be pussies.” He said fiercely. “Pussies, really? ‘Cause we’re not delusional?” Gareth argued. “Delusional? How about not cowards?” Erica added, rolling her eyes. 

“Hey!” Eddie’s voice caught their attention and the group turned to face him. “If I may interject gentlemen, ladies, whilst I respect the passion, you’d be wise to take Gareth the Great’s concern to heart.” His tone managed to be both friendly and condescending all at once. “There is no shame in running. Don’t try to be heroes. Not today.” A sadistic smile curved his lips. “Kay?” Dustin stared at him a moment before holding up a single finger. “One sec.” He turned back into the huddle, pulling the others with him. 

“Aeza, we have not heard you speak in favor or in opposition. What say you, Lady?” The familiar crackle of static preceded her answer. “While I agree that it will not be without its costs, we have banded together before and defeated other foes, against the odds. In honor of our fallen comrades, I say, let's finish this.” There was a moment of silence that followed her declaration. Dustin turned to Erica. “Lady Applejack?” The unspoken question hung for barely a second between them. “You really gotta ask?” She said incredulously, pursing her lips. Dustin nodded with determination. "Okay, let’s kill the son of a bitch.” 

         Dustin approached the table, his lips set in a harsh line. He stared Eddie down, walkie still cradled in his hand. “The odds of winning are twenty to one!” Jeff said beseechingly. Dustin held up his hand to silence him. “Never…tell me the odds. Just give me the D-twenty.” He said harshly. Eddie chuckled wickedly, tossing the die to him. This was the reason he played. You could never underestimate the mettle of some players. Some of them just didn't know when to walk away. And this time, whether it was fortune or folly, they would find out very soon. Dustin took a deep breath, rolling as if his life depended on it. “11.” He said as it landed. “That’s. A. MISS!!!” Eddie’s voice was giddy as there was a collective groan from the other end of the table.

“Lady Applejack, you’re up.” Eddie lounged at the head of the table, clearly comfortable and confident that he would have this victory despite their best efforts. Erica plucked the dice off the table, cupping her hands around it and shaking it hard. The players held their breath, praying with every ounce of their strength. She flung the die, all eyes fixed on it as it rolled to a stop. Nat twenty. “CRIT HIT!!” She exclaimed, and the players erupted in cheers. Eddie’s surprise was written all over his face, covered quickly by a genuine smile. “That’s why we play.” He said, repeating his thoughts and bowing gracefully in defeat. The players cheered, high fiving one another. Aeza’s pleased laughter could be heard over the walkie. Eddie rose, taking the walkie back from Dustin.

“Excellent game, as usual. Same place next week.” He said to the others, turning to gather his things, casting a side eye at the younger Sinclair. “Sinclair, feel free to come back anytime. Welcome to Hellshire once again. It was a pleasure facing a most worthy opponent.” He bowed once more to her. Erica beamed, her features radiant with pride. “Great.” She replied, gathering her own things. Eddie turned his attention to the walkie. “What a game Aez. Good call on Sinclair.” He praised. There was a hum from the walkie. “I only offered my opinion, it is you that allowed her to play." She countered. Eddie chuckled. 

“That’s true, but you know I value your opinion, oh great leader of the Party.” He teased. She blew him raspberries. “Smart ass.” She quipped. “So?” He drawled, grinning before switching gears. "Quoting that trailer already, Aez? That movie doesn’t come out until what…June?" He teased. She huffed. "June 27th, to be exact. And I happen to love the concept of Labyrinth. Don't judge." He shook his head even though she could not see him. "Sure, the concept being David Bowie in tights. I can't understand the appeal of Bowie in tights." He said as his nose wrinkled. He really didn’t see the appeal of any man in tights, but he had heard it from several girls around the Hideout that the Goblin King looked ‘dreamy’.  She sighed heavily, and not privy to his inner tirade, didn’t bother trying to explain it to him. He clearly enjoyed needling her.

“Headed home now?” She asked, changing the subject herself. “Shortly, I have something I have to do first, but I shouldn’t be too long.” He answered. A moment of crackling static. “Alright, I’m going to grab a bite. I have something I want to talk to you about when you get home.” There was a rustling that indicated that she was packing up her stuff. Eddie smiled. There was a world of possibilities there. He looked forward to it. “Alright, talk to you then.”

***

A little over seven hundred and fifty miles away, in the basement of a plantation style home in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Liliana Halen-Ramsey closed her character binder, slipped it discreetly into the hollowed-out cover of a bible, and placed it back on its shelf. Her parents would've had her hide for boot laces if they ever found out she played D&D. Her stepfather, one Pastor Arland Ramsey, believed that everything in the fantasy genre was made by the devil and therefore forbade it in his home. She rose, stretching, popping a few joints as she did so. She could hear the television upstairs, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she could faintly hear the religious channel blaring. She had some time to kill before Eddie would be home, and while she preferred the solitude and judgment free zone of the basement, her stomach rumbled in demand for food. She sighed, turning and stalking up the stairs into the rest of the house, her dragon slippers rubber soles slapping the polished wood as she went. 

She padded into the kitchen, careful not to make a lot of noise and disturb her stepfather. Her dragons bounced a little as she walked, their wings and tails fluttering with the motion. They were her favorite, and one of the few of her father’s gifts her mother let her keep after his death. She was grateful her feet hadn’t really grown since she was fifteen.

She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter, and set to work peeling and slicing it, lobbing a healthy spoonful of peanut butter into a bowl. Her mother would have frowned at her choice of dinner, but knew better than to argue with her daughter about food. It was one of the few points they agreed on these days. Pick the fights you can win. And with Lily’s blatant distaste for her stepfather, her mother didn’t push the issue of her sharing a meal with them. Arland was a whole other story. He would force her to join them when company was present, but for the most part ignore that she existed any other time. As she ate, her eyes wandered to the idiot box, watching some wrinkly pastor as he paced back and forth on a stage, his movements animated as he spoke of hellfire and damnation. She couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at her features. She’d take Hellfire any day. In more ways than one.  

When she finished, she washed her dishes, placing them in the rack. She climbed another set of stairs into her room, changing into her most comfortable pajamas. Bats and pumpkins danced across the short set’s purple fabric, the edges trimmed in delicate black lace. She let her long hair down from its bun, running her fingers through it like a comb to loosen the worst of the tangles. The wine-colored curls hung in ringlets down her back, swaying just past her hips. She was proud of her hair. Had been growing it since she was very young, despite her mother’s protests. Stretching again, she worked her hands back and forth, the long coils joining in a neat french braid. Once she had tied it off, she set back down for the basement.  

As she neared the door, she could hear the static of Frequency, the nickname of the walkie rig she used to speak with Hellfire. Her heart leapt, butterflies instantly fluttering in her belly. He was earlier than she expected.  What she heard however, had her stopping dead in her tracks. “Chrissy? Chrisssssy…?” She could hear Eddie’s voice, but it was terribly muffled and distorted. “Eddie?” She asked as she picked up the walkie. He didn’t seem to hear her. “Hello? Helloooo….Chrissy! Hey, Chrissy wake up. Hey, hello?” Lily’s face wrinkled in confusion. “Eddie, what is going on?” She spoke a little louder. “Hey, Chrissy.” Heavy static distorted his voice and he still didn’t respond to her question. Who the hell was Chrissy? “Time to wake up! Hey, hello, can you hear me?! Wake up, Chrissy!” His voice grew frantic and Lily’s heart dropped into her slippers. “Chrissy, wake up! I don’t like this Chrissy, WAKE UP!!” He continued to call that name, over and over, every repeat even more frantic than the last. “What the- Jesus Christ!” There was a crash, and a heavy thud. “EDDIE!” Lily cried, cupping her hand around the receiver, her blood rushing painfully through her veins. There were a series of cracks, like gunfire, followed by a blood-curdling scream. Eddie's scream. “EDDIE! EDDIE!!” She cried, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. Another loud thump sounded, then the line went dead. 

  Lily stood in shock for a moment, her heart hammering so fast that it threatened to leap right out of her chest. She felt for all the world that at any second, she would double over and vomit. Without indulging that and without a second thought, she turned, bounding up the stairs two at a time. She skidded into the living room, her thoughts so erratic that she didn’t even notice that the television was off, and that her parents were upstairs, likely getting ready for bed. She snatched her mother’s car keys from the rack and tore through her mother’s purse for her wallet. Stashing the wallet in her pocket, she sprinted up the stairs to her room, grabbing her own driver’s license and go-bag before bounding out the front door.

        Her mother’s station wagon was old, but reliable, and it turned over without much fuss. Lily glanced up to her parent’s window, watching it a second for movement before flicking on the headlights, throwing it into reverse, and slamming on the gas. The tires squealed as she tore into the night, heading west, to Hawkins. She only hoped she wasn’t too late.

[13tinysocks]

around what time/chapter do da boys™️🥶😈😝 start liking y/n? like romantically?

I believe you're talking about YCYD. That's a sort of hard question to answer as the boys in this fic are obsessive freaks and stalking to them is a sexual act. YCYD is very much about sexual and romantic attraction and the timelines for each attraction is different. You can not be a romantic option to them if first you aren't a sexual one.

Sexual attraction is nearly immedate for all of them. Violence is foreplay to them. Them killing you is inherently sexual. Though as the fic progresses this attraction grows deeper.

If you're okay with spoilers I can give a very general idea of where romantic feelings develop for each of them.

Toby: the fucking second they start stalking yn (chapter 2/3) though this becomes more sincere chapter 22

Brian: really hard to pinpoint- around the mid to late 20's chapters but more sincere in the 30's

Tim: also difficult to pinpoint. Harbored a bit of a crush since the ski arc. is more sincere around chapters 23-25

[asha-mage]

17, 23, 49! Gratz on finishing the next chapter of Sworn btw!

[Send me a number and I'll answer your fanfic related questions!]

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

This is hard to answer because my first response to most new media is 'a WoT AU would make this better'. It is my Forever Fandom.

That said, to delve into the Deep Cut Zone for a moment (and maybe expose myself as utter nerd), I got pretty far into an outline for a Danganronpa X WoT crossover where pre-War of Power versions of the Forsaken + Rand and Moiraine where locked up to play the Killing Game together. The idea was to show off the flaws that led to the Forsaken falling to the Shadow, and examine the disparity between where they started/where they ended up/what drives them. I'd like to say more but I've always vaguely kept the idea of doing it around in the back of my head, and its' the kind of thing can't be spoiled and still be good.

For a non WoT contender? I have the first two chapters of a Adam Taurus/Jaune Arc fic written out that I want to go back to one day. Basically a 'they get stranded alone in the north of Anima and have to work together to survive' type thing that is meant to get into a lot of what makes the two characters tick. Love me a good Dark Knight/Paladin combo. It would have a potential audience of like, four people, but I still might go back to it one day if I get back into RWBY again.

23 - What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

This will come as a shock to absolutely no one who knows me but- ABO. I find ABO fascinating less for horny reasons and more for the potential it has to impact world building, character relationships, and general societal fuckery in interesting ways ways. A good example is WoT- one day I really want to write a ABO that would explore the weird intricate of Omega Rand for example, and how that effects the already profound Gender Fuckery of WoT.

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

Heh. I should have known this was coming when I posted about finishing the Sworn Chapter 15 rough. Have this preview:

Rand resisted the urge to shiver at the sound of dead grass and fallen leaves crunching underfoot. So many layers of it had fallen and turned to mulch and fallen again that it made a thick blanket of under brush through which only peaks of strangely veined marble where visible, at least on the outer edges of the grounds. Even with his height, the grass rose well past his knees out here, and would likely grow taller and thicker, as spring turned to summer. It was late in the evening he thought, but it was hard to tell in this place. The trees made a thick canopy over most of the grounds, some towering higher than the highest oaks Rand ever seen in the Waterwood. That canopy let in only thin rays of light that allowed a vague sense of the time of day. He had slept more he knew, after they had settled with a fire in the main hall, out the way of the strange Aes Sedai, but how long before he had awoken he wasn’t sure. He hadn’t dreamed again, or if he had, he didn’t remember anything beyond unsettled lurching darkness. He would have stayed in the hall still, to keep watch over Mat, waiting for him to awaken, but Loial and Selene between them had managed to convince him that he wasn’t helping by looming. Stalking about Loial had called it, though Rand hadn’t agreed with that assessment. Still he had needed some fresh air, so he had come out here, to the edge to wander about the manor grounds and try to avoid brooding over Mat’s fate. It had been that or submit to a lecture from Loial about how beautifully preserved the ruins where as he made notes in his little book. Mat will be fine. Rand told himself firmly. The Aes Sedai had said as much as she worked her healing over him and they could not lie. If you believe that- A voice began in the back of his head, the one that sounded like Moiraine. Rand crushed it ruthlessly. Moiraine was wrong. It was that simple. It had to be that simple. He was not the Dragon.

More then a few lines. I hope that's okay 😉.

[celestiall0tus]

Miraculous AU - Chapter 23 - Invitation

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Tikki stared up at the empty night sky. She sat in the Unseen as she waited for Mullo and Fang to return. Three weeks since her and Plagg had activated. Three weeks since the first attack. Three weeks since Fang and then Mullo were activated. Even still, there had been no sign of the snake.

            Fear crept through Tikki. Each day that passed she feared what was to come. The current butterfly holder was ruthless. The monsters he crafted didn’t bat an eye at killing. Have left hundreds wounded in the wake of their chaos. It would only be a matter of time before something could happen to their holders. Even if they were safe from most danger, it wouldn’t be long before more kwamis showed up.

            They already had Fang, Mullo, Pollen, Duusu, Kaalki, and Fluff. The spider, rooster, and fox were out there, activated before them. They were lucky that Duusu was on their side, but she couldn’t say the same for the other three. They may show up and side with the butterfly, then they’d be in trouble. Aside from Duusu, the rooster was dangerous and violent, same as his holders. The spider was quiet but would stab them in the back the moment she had a chance. The fox wasn’t malicious, but he couldn’t be trusted. That’s not counting for other unclaimed kwamis.

            They needed the snake. Tikki didn’t want to face the deaths of any holders. Especially with them all being so young. She didn’t want to see her fellow kwamis wounded. Especially not as bad as she once was. It would only be a matter of time before she’d truly fear for everyone’s safety.

            “Tikki?” Fang asked.

            Tikki turned to Fang. “Any luck?”

            Fang shook her head.

            Tikki looked away. “What are we going to do?”

            “It’s ok, Bug. We’ll find him.”

            “But how long will it take? Days? Weeks? Months? So much could happen in that time.”

            “I know, but we can’t stress ourselves out over this.”

            “How can I not? We’ve got a mad butterfly holder, a number of violent, treacherous kwamis active and inactive that will make their way over here.”

            “I know, but we have time.”

            “How much time though? It didn’t take you guys long before you joined Plagg and I. How long would we have before any others decided to show up?”

            “I don’t know, but we mustn’t give in to despair, Bug.”

            “I know, but I can’t bring myself to take that chance the more time goes on. Especially when more kwamis will show up. Ones like Duusu.”

            “Come now, Bug, that’s not fair to him. He chose a good holder this time around.”

            “But can we expect the same of the others?”

            Fang sighed. “No, we can’t, but I stand by what I said. We can’t give in to despair. We must be patient.”

            “Patient? Patient so I watch another holder walk to their grave? Patient so I can be-?”

            Tikki cut herself off as she broke down. She curled up into a tight ball. Ethereal tears gushed from her eyes as she whimpered.

            Mullo squeaked to announce her arrival. “Tikki? Are you ok?”

            Tikki shook her head. “I can’t lose a holder soon after the last. I don’t want to be hurt again like that.”

            “Last time was… messy, right? Besides, this is different. You have all of us. And hopefully the snake.”

            “Did you see him?” Fang asked.

            Mullo shook her head. “But! I did see the lynx. He was stalking this teen boy that kinda looked like a girl at first glance.”

            Fang frowned and considered. “Maybe… maybe it’s time.”

            “For what?” Mullo asked.

            “Send an invitation.”

            Mullo gasped. “Are you insane? Last time Tikki did that it triggered the human hundred years war.”

            “I am well aware, and I hate suggesting this, but it would be the best way to get his attention. I mean, we’re both active, Mullo, and he hasn’t shown up yet. We’ve searched, but we can’t find him. And, quite frankly, I understand Tikki’s concern regarding our holders and ourselves.”

            “But-,” Mullo started.

            “My holder has already been injured and scarred. We were both struck by lightning. Kaalki’s holder was poisoned and nearly killed. Granted it was before Kaalki’s activation, but my point stands. We’ve already been put in life-threatening situations and more will only follow.”

            “But we’re sure to draw certain kwamis if we do that. And those kwamis may very well side with the butterfly holder.”

            “Not all of them will. We can direct the allies we have to proper holders if we can. But this way, the snake will have to see we need him. He won’t be able to ignore us.”

            Mullo sighed. “Fair points. I guess it all really falls to Tikki and what she decides.”

            Tikki dried her eyes and uncurled. “I’m counting on both of you.”

            They nodded.

            Tikki took a deep breath. She focused her energy. She created a message with her purpose and location. It manifested into a glowing red orb.

            Tikki paused. “Fang, is this really a good idea?”

            “What’s your cat say? Something like the best ideas are the worst ones?”

            Mullo rolled her eyes. “He just says that justify his own carelessness.”

            “I don’t disagree. And I believe this to be a terrible idea, but what else can we do? Fluff has been sending messages to the snake, hasn’t she?”

            “To my knowledge, she has been. But it’s Fluff, so it’s difficult to say.”

            “Then do it, Bug.”

            Tikki nodded. She touched the orb. It dispersed into a pulse. The message delivered to all kwami who would hear her.

~~

            A spider kwami sat on a vanity table. She watched as her young holder planned out her travel arrangements with the mother. The spider smiled as she admired the fragile thread that tied the two together. Ideas ran through her head on how to turn the daughter from the mother, when she received an invitation from the creation kwami:

            “To all who will hear me, I need your help. The butterfly is in the hands of a dark man in Paris, France. To all who will help, come, please.”

            The spider giggled to herself. She flew over to where the daughter kept her ticket. The spider checked the information. She gasped with delight when she saw it was to Paris, France. This could be the perfect opportunity to see the creation kwami and the spider’s very own little bee. Their flight wouldn’t be for a few more weeks, but that gave her time to plot.

~~

            A teen girl dressed in a fox-themed outfit slipped through her window into her bedroom. She opened her mouth but paused when she heard an unfamiliar voice that spoke of a butterfly and Paris.

            “Trixx, let’s rest.”

            A fox kwami emerged from a fox tail necklace around the girl’s neck and transformed her back to normal.

            “Trixx, what was that voice?”

            Trixx smirked. “Why, that was none other than the creation kwami herself. Seems she’s desperate for help. Or maybe she’s looking for someone. Either way, bold move.”

            The girl hummed. “Paris, huh? Quite a ways away. I think Mother is in Paris still.”

            “Would you want to join the creation kwami in her fight?”

            The girl laughed. “That’s silly. Why would I want that?”

            Trixx grinned. “Are you thinking about having some fun?”

            “The best kind of fun. I’ll need your help, partner. What do you say?”

            “Let’s do it!”

~~

            A rooster kwami sat on a desk as it munched on corn kernels. He moved to finish the bag when he heard the creation kwami’s message. He broke into a maniacal laughter, then finished his treat. He phased through the house until he found the pig kwami.

            “Daizzi! Did you hear it?”

            Daizzi nodded. “What do you think, Orikko?”

            “I don’t know. However, we are a ways from Paris, but aren’t our holders relatives in Paris?”

            “Amelie isn’t my holder yet, Orikko. But I do remember Amelie mentioning her twin quite often. Sometimes a man named Gabriel, but mostly she speaks of Emilie.”

            “I know my holder speaks of some cousin named Adrien. There’s a special hatred there and I love it.”

            “Oh! What if I convinced Amelie to take her and her son on a holiday over there? Then we can see what the big fuss is about. Plus, who doesn’t love some good old-fashioned family time?”

            “Yes! Excellent idea! Why don’t we wake then and tell them now?”

            “But Amelie just entered deep sleep. She looks so peaceful and happy. Oh, and it’s cute seeing her eyelids flutter when she enters REM.”

            Orikko leaned back with a sneer. “You watch her sleep?”

            “Of course! She looks so sweet when she’s asleep. Plus, I can wake her if she’s having a nightmare. That way she can only ever have the best dreams and never have to experience such horrible visions.”

            Orikko slowly nodded. “Right. Well, I’m going to scavenge about in the kitchen. I know where Felix hides my snacks.”

            “Please don’t eat them without his permission. He gets angry and I don’t like it when he yells.”

            Orikko grinned. “That’s the point.”

            “To scare me?”

            Orikko’s eye twitched. “Forget it. Go watch over Amelie. Who knows? She might be having a nightmare.”

            Daizzi gasped. “No! Amelie! I’m coming, Sweetpea.”

            Orikko rolled his eyes. He phased through into the kitchen. He vanished into the cabinet where Felix kept the good snacks. He grinned and dove into the bag as he relished everything. Come the morning, Felix would learn of the message and that he had eaten the good snacks. In time, Amelie would force him to go to Paris. Felix would be near the cousin he hates.

            Orikko grinned. In the coming dawn, he would get to bask in the all-consuming hatred that was his holder. It would be glorious.

~~

            A dragon floated about in the Unseen. It curled around itself as it meditated. Golden rays hit its eyes as the sun reached over the trees. It smiled as it basked in the glow when it heard the creation kwami’s message. It blinked and flew down to a hollowed-out tree. Within in was a snake curled up. The dragon transformed into its kwami form.

            “Sass? Are you awake?”

            Sass flicked his tongue.

            “Did you hear that message?”

            Sass flicked his tongue again.

            “Should we go?”

            Sass sighed. He transformed into his kwami form and flew up to meet the dragon. “Why?”

            “Why not?”

            “Last time Tikki sent an invitation like that it resulted in a war.”

            “So? It was fun. Didn’t you have fun?”

            Sass’ eye twitched. “No, I didn’t. I spent a good portion of that war healing the sick and injured. So, no, I didn’t have fun.”

            “But this time could be different. Besides, isn’t Mullo and Fang active? Shouldn’t you be with them right now anyway?”

            “I’m hesitant, ok?”

            “Because of that Black Death virus still?”

            “We can’t be so careless, Longg. You, me, butterfly, turtle, and peacock. We have to be extremely careful who we pick as holders. Otherwise-.”

            “I know, I know. I’ve had my powers warped a few times too, but that shouldn’t stop us from choosing holders. Oh, what if we go together?”

            “And if I refuse?”

            Longg smiled a big, sharp-toothed grin.

            Sass sighed. “Very well, let’s go.”

[therealandian]

not me drugging jon for fun~

“I really don’t care what you have to do,” Jonny spat, “just fix him!” Marius held up his hands. “I can’t ‘just fix him’! That’s not how this works!” “Why not!?” “Do you want me to start listing reasons, or are you just mad that I can’t instantly cure him?” Jonny shoved his finger toward Marius’s nose. “This is why you’re the only Mechanism without a doctorate.” Then he stalked away, back to where Jon was laying on a medical cot looking cold and lifeless. He was dead, of course, but that was beside the point. The point was that Jonny was tired of having to repeatedly kill his kid brother who was so desperate to get back on his drugs that he’d tried to take over the Aurora. Sure, in his brain fog, he hadn’t been able to do much, but he had tried, and he could still pose a threat to the safety of everyone onboard. Jonny didn’t particularly want to have to locate crewmates floating in the abyss; it was always such a pain in the arse. “J-Jonny?” Oh. It appeared Jon had decided to be alive again. At least he recognised him this time. Jonny sat down beside him and felt his forehead. There was already a thin sheen of sweat coating it, and he was absolutely scorching. “Hey, kid.” Little Jonny shifted slightly, wincing. “Hurts.” “I know. It’s gonna take a while for you to be back to yourself, I think.” “Don’t want to- to remember.” “You’ve got to.” “Why?”

[snowdice]

Big Bang Editing Story [Day 109]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story years ago, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag ‘proofread stories.’ I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51

Not going to do this for much today, but I want to finish the chapter.

Chapter 52 (Mr. Deknis)

It was Jeffers Deknis’s second busiest time of year right after the fall harvest. However, unlike the fall harvest, not all of his workers were yet at the castle. The winter had been harsh and while the last snowfall had been a month ago, many of his workers whose families lived far from the castle had sent word they would be late arriving for various reasons. A few were dealing with sick relatives and others had to help fix things broken by storms for their families before making the trek. One who lived in the mountains up north was still snowed in.

So, he was dealing with only about 70% of his usual staff, meaning he was even busier than he usually was in the spring.

However, despite how busy he was, he didn’t mind taking a bit of time out of his schedule to help plant a little plot of land he’d reserved for a special selection of plants.

Virgil has spent a lot of time deciding on what plant he wanted to grow in the plot Jerffers had given him. He’d combed through multiple books even though it quickly became clear he couldn’t read well and talked to Jeffers about his options extensively before finally coming to a decision.

He’d decided on a flower called Zygopetalum maculatum which was a type of orchid. It wouldn’t be an easy flower to grow considering they didn’t naturally have the right climate for it, but with a bit of magical fertilizer and ruins in the ground near them, it was feasible.

Since Virgil had chosen his flower, Jeffers had dedicated a bit of his time each day to explaining what they needed to do for it to grow and had set him up with the correct materials. Virgil had spent a good chunk of the last two weeks outside on his marked off plot of land doing as instructed to get the soil in the right condition.

Sometimes Logan and Patton joined him and sometimes he was alone, but he was clearly dedicated to his task. Jeffers had stopped by and tested the soil the day before and found it was adequately prepared for planting Virgil’s flowers and had told the boy as much.

Despite being already very busy, Jeffers had allowed for an hour out of his schedule to help Virgil plant his flowers this afternoon.

Even though Jeffers had told him exactly where in his schedule he’d made time for it, Virgil had come early.

Very early.

He’d stalked Jeffers’ footsteps all day. If the boy were a cat, Jeffers would have assumed he’d accidentally left a slice of meat in his back pocket after breakfast.

Jeffers ended up letting him help with a few other things in the morning which he seemed to enjoy. He seemed to appreciate planting things even if they weren’t his flowers. He was also good at it if a bit slower than necessary in his caution to make sure he didn’t mess anything up.

Jeffers ended up sending Patton to get an extra packed lunch from Helen for Virgil (as people didn’t like when the gardeners tracked mud into the dinning hall) and they ended up eating while sitting on the base of the fountain by the plot of land Virgil had been tending to.

The water in the fountain was now flowing, having recently been cleaned and turned on and birds were chirping in the distance. It was a nice, calming environment. This was why Jeffers liked to spend so much time outside. Or at least, it was one of the reasons.

There was a soft meow from beside them that drew Jeffers’ attention. Jeffers looked down to see one of the castle’s many cats standing on its hind legs with one of its paws on the fountain’s base. It was staring at them expectantly. Jeffers recognized the yellow stripped cat as one of the friendlier ones that Patton had tamed as a kitten. It meowed again when it saw him looking.

“What?” Jeffers asked it, raising one eyebrow. “I know you’re not starving.”

It meowed again in complaint. Then it turned to Virgil. Virgil was instantly tearing off a bit of his chicken sandwich to feed to the cat.

“You don’t need to feed him,” Jeffers said. “Patton takes care of that plenty well.”

Despite what Jeffers had said, the cat gobbled up the piece of chicken Virgil had fed him like he was starving.

“It’s Buttercup,” Virgil informed Jeffers. The name vaguely rang a bell.

“You remember all of Patton’s names for them?” Jeffers asked, honestly impressed. There were so many cats.

Virgil nodded and ripped off another piece of chicken. The cat went flying at it with gusto.

“Keep some for yourself too,” Jeffers said. “You look less fed than the cats.” Thankfully he was looking more fed than he had at the beginning of winter.

“But he’s hungry,” Virgil replied with a frown.

“He’s a glutton is what he is,” Jeffers said. “He’s already had his lunch by now I’d imagine and is more than free to hunt down rodents in the barn if he needs a snack.”

Virgil frowned and gave the cat another piece of chicken.

“You’re too good of a kid,” Jeffers said with an eyeroll.

Virgil just frowned at him and took a bite of his sandwich for himself this time.

“Make sure to eat extra dinner if you’re going to feed the cats your lunch,” Jeffers said. “Though I’m sure Helen will be feeding you extra by default when she hears you’ve been helping me in the garden all day.”

“I’m fine,” Virgil said, stubbornly. He took another bite of his sandwich and fed another to the cat.

Jeffers considered him. ‘Fine,’ was a very vague word and his powers didn’t ping on it as a lie because it could mean a variety of things. He had a feeling Virgil knew that.

Jeffers wasn’t a fool. The kids had been talking around his powers about something all summer, though he couldn’t figure out what exactly it was about. Virgil was almost as good at it as Logan. Maybe he was even better.

“Not hungry enough to eat the entire sandwich by yourself then?” Jeffers asked.

Instead of replying verbally, Virgil just shrugged. Clever little bastard.

Jeffers sighed. Helen had packed some of the canned peaches in their lunches, so Jeffers pulled his out and set the container next to the boy. Virgil looked at the offering in surprise.

“Cats don’t eat peaches,” he cautioned. “It’s bad for their digestion.”

“I don’t need to take your food,” Virgil said with a frown.

“Yeah, you do,” said Jeffers. “I’m and old man, not a growing boy. You should eat them.”

Virgil frowned and looked like he was about to argue.

“Eat your lunch so we can plant your flowers kid,” Jeffers huffed.

Virgil hesitated, but the idea of getting to plant his flowers seemed to trump his desire to argue with Jeffers about lunch and he picked up the dish of peaches.

Jeffers went about finishing what was left of his lunch as Virgil continued to eat his own. The cat ran off when it noticed there was no more meat available.

Jeffers rolled his eyes. The thing was probably running off to go scam more people out of their lunch. Patton had spoiled them far too much and they were too good at making cute starving expressions.

“Alright,” Jeffers said once they were done. “Are you ready to plant your orchids.”

Virgil nodded eagerly and Jeffers packed away their trash before getting up.

“Good,” Jeffers said. “You have all of the supplies I told you we needed gathered?”

Virgil nodded and started to list off everything that Jeffers had said.

“Then, we can get started planting,” Jeffers said with a smile.

  Chapter 53 (Virgil)

Virgil and Mr. Deknis took their time planting the orchids. Virgil had done everything Mr. Deknis had instructed him to do with the plot of land prior to planting. He’d had Mr. Deknis write it all down, so Logan could read him the instructions each morning, and had dutifully followed each step. The sheet of paper was in Virgil’s pocket even now. He knew the words so well at this point that he could have recited each list item even if it had words he still couldn’t read.

It had been hard work getting the soil just right for the flowers he wanted to plant, but it was fun hard work. Working hard was different when he didn’t have to do something but wanted to do something. He’d also noticed it was easier to do physical labor when he wasn’t hungry, something he hadn’t been all winter in the castle.

He’d thought since he hadn’t been training as much as usual over the winter months that he’d be weaker when Spring came, but he actually felt stronger and had much more energy.

He’d also grown taller without realizing it thanks to Logan’s nutrition potion. He’d noticed when he’d been in the shed earlier. When he’d first hid in the shed upon arriving at the castle the previous fall, he’d been able to walk under all of the hanging tools in the back. Today, he’d hit his head on some of the them.

His body had changed a lot in the past few months. It made planting with Mr. Deknis much easier.

Virgil had already helped Mr. Deknis with planting some vegetables this Spring, but he still was careful to pay attention as the gardener showed him how to plant the first few orchid bulbs.

Then, Virgil was handed the container of bulbs for himself to try planting. Mr. Deknis watched him plant the first few orchids and Virgil glanced up for approval before moving on each time. He always got a nod and small smile.

Eventually, Mr. Deknis took a few bulbs himself to the opposite end of the patch of soil and started planting some himself, trusting Virgil to plant his portion of the flowers right without supervision. Virgil couldn’t help but be happy about the show of trust given to him.

“Good job,” Mr. Deknis said after the two of them had planted two rows of orchids. “You’ve got an eye for planting things.”

“Thanks,” Virgil said bashfully.

“How old are you again?”

“I’m 14,” Virgil said, unsure why he was asking.

Mr. Deknis nodded. “Maybe in a few years you’ll want to get a job as one of the gardeners here,” he said. “I could always use one who knows how to respect plants like you and with how much you’ve been volunteering to help already, you’ll know a good amount by then.”

“Really?” Virgil asked.

Mr. Deknis nodded.

“Why not now?”

“You’re only 14,” Mr. Deknis said. “You don’t need to worry about working. I’m happy to let you tag along and watch or even help a bit with planting when you want, but you should just be a kid.”

That confused Virgil. He’d been considered out of training to be an assassin as soon as he’d turned 14-years-old last fall. Now he was being told he needed to wait a few years to help plant seeds?

“I could do it,” Virgil said.

“I know you could,” Mr. Deknis said, “but you don’t need to. Have a little fun this summer.”

“But I want to,” Virgil said.

Mr. Deknis huffed out a laugh. “I know,” he said, “and you can feel free to care for your orchids and help me out all you want, but no jobs until you’re at least 16.”

“It’s better than any other jobs I’ve had,” Virgil muttered, honestly annoyed he couldn’t become a gardener right now because of his age.

Mr. Deknis raised an eyebrow. “And what other jobs have you had?”

Virgil froze. That was not a good line of questioning. “Uh…” Virgil said and Mr. Deknis’s expression was changing in an alarming way. “Different things. I’ve carried things for people and, uh, cleaned.”

“Carried things and cleaned, huh?” Mr. Desknis said. It felt like he wasn’t only testing Virgil’s words for lies but observing his face and posture too.

Virgil should be good at lying. He should. That was a major part of being an assassin, but Virgil had started to slip after spending so long around people who were not a danger to him.

At least not a danger to him as long as he didn’t get caught in a lie.

He’d been sloppy with the way he’d frozen when asked a question and with the stuttering. He should have been prepared; he was prepared for the next question.

“You only had to carry things and clean some things up?” Mr. Deknis asked, his eyebrows still raised.

Virgil carefully smoothed out his face, forcing his shoulder to relax as he shrugged. “And some other things,” he said easily. Not a lie. He could feel his heart race anyway.

Mr. Deknis’s eyes bored into him for a long moment and then he titled his head to the side and squinted at him.

Virgil just shot him a small smile. “Can we finish planting the flowers, please?” he asked politely. “I was very excited about it and would like to finish it today.”

Mr. Deknis did not reply for a long moment, and Virgil was careful to keep his expression blank.

Finally, the gardener relented, breaking his stare. If this was because he believed Virgil or not was unclear.

“Yeah, kid,” he said slowly. “Let’s finish planting your flowers.”

Virgil nodded, and he didn’t have to lie as much now as cautious eagerness returned to him. He really did want to finish planting his flowers in addition to stopping Mr. Deknis from asking uncomfortable questions about where Virgil had come from.

Mr. Deknis nodded to the bag of bulbs. They went back to work planting the flowers, but Virgil could feel Mr. Deknis’s eyes on him almost constantly. He had a feeling that this time, he wasn’t watching for how well Virgil was planting the bulbs, but something else.

Virgil was careful to not let his mask slip at all the entire time.

When they were finished planting Virgil’s entire plot of land, they cleaned up the equipment and stored it back away in the garden shed.

Another day Virgil might have stayed and helped Mr. Deknis with other things. Today he was still trying to cover for his bad lying earlier, however, so, Virgil decided to just go back to the castle and shower.

To his surprise Mr. Deknis also started walking off in the direction of the castle.

“Don’t you have more planting to do?” Virgil asked when they got to the door. He knew the man was very busy and his workday was only a bit more than half over.

“I do,” Mr. Deknis confirmed, “but I needed to talk to the king about something first.”

“Oh,” Virgil said. “Okay. I’m going to go shower.”

Mr. Deknis nodded. “I’ll see you sometime later then,” he said.

“Thank you for helping me plant the orchids.”

Mr. Deknis smiled slightly at that. “Anytime, kid.”

  Chapter 54 (Patton)

“I still can’t believe he’s allowing this,” King Thomas said from next to Patton. The two of them were standing at the edge of the arena outside the horse stable, watching from a safe distance.

“If he hadn’t tried to bite me earlier, I’d think he was a different horse,” Patton agreed.

“He doesn’t even let Logan ride him,” the king said. “At least not ride him and give him directions.”

Patton was very aware of that. Logan did on occasion choose to get up onto Mr. Apple’s saddle. However, Mr. Apples was always the once who got to decide where they went after that. Logan had no say.

 With that in mind, Patton, Logan, and every stable hand who’d heard about the prospective riding lessons had tried to convince Virgil to learn to ride on a different horse. Virgil was just as stubborn as Mr. Apples however and had insisted. Logan, being the only one who could be around Mr. Apples without risk had become his defacto tutor.

Not even Logan could have expected that within a week, Virgil would be able to control Mr. Apples. Though perhaps ‘control’ was the wrong word. Nothing could control Mr. Apples, but for some reason, Mr. Apples seemed willing to do as Virgil asked.

 Even right now Mr. Apples was trotting around the training arena like he was a well-trained trick horse warming up with its rider.

“Logan told him we could go on an actual ride today if the lesson went well,” Patton told the king. The lesson seemed to be just getting over because Logan said something to Virgil and Virgil started to climb off. Mr. Apples was patient and still as he dismounted.

“Do you think he’d mind if I went with you?” King Thomas asked.

Patton shrugged. “Mr. Apples might.”

“Mr. Apples definitely will,” the king replied. “I’ll come anyway.”

 Logan had walked over to where Patton and the king were standing while Virgil fed Mr. Apples some apple pieces as a reward.

“I hear you are going to go riding today,” king Thomas said.

Logan nodded. “Mr. Apples seems to listen to him well enough,” he said.

“I might join you if that’s alright. Where are you kids going?” the king asked.

“I was thinking the main forest path,” Logan replied. “It’s not a particularly difficult route, but it’s also a part of the castle grounds Virgil hasn’t been able to see yet. Loraine told me it has been recently cleared after the winter.”

 “That sounds like a good idea,” the king said. “Are you going now?”

“Once Patton and I saddle up our horses,” Logan said. “You can come.”

“Great,” the king said with a smile. “I’ll ask for Bella’s saddle to be brought out. I haven’t gone on a ride yet this week.”

He turned then to walk towards the stables leaving Patton and Logan alone.

“Do you think he’s been acting weird?” Logan asked, turning towards Patton.

Patton frowned. “No,” he said. “Not really.”

“I’m just wondering why he wants to go horseback riding with us.”

“He likes spending time with you?” Patton guessed.

 “Yes,” Logan said, “but typically in a setting that doesn’t involve Mr. Apples.”

Well, that was fair.

“I mean, it’s not too weird,” Patton said, thinking back through the last couple of days. King Thomas had been a bit… clingy.

“He’s been hanging around a lot,” Logan said, echoing Patton’s thoughts with narrowed eyes. He glanced back at Virgil. “You don’t think Virgil let something slip, do you?”

“He didn’t say anything,” Patton said. “I think your dad would say something if he let slip he was an assassin somehow.”

“Unless he let slip something that didn’t quite implicate himself but invited suspicion.”

 “Your dad doesn’t seem suspicious,” Patton said. At least, Patton didn’t think he did. He hadn’t been acting mean in any way. In fact, he might have even been acting nicer.

Logan frowned. “We should keep an eye on him, especially around Virgil.”

Patton bit his lip.

“What?” Logan asked.

“Are we ever going to tell your dad about Virgil?” he asked.

Logan hesitated. “I don’t…” he trailed. “I’m not sure.”

“It just feels weird lying for so long,” Patton said. Patton didn’t lie a lot. Sure, maybe he’d pretend to not know what Mama was talking about when sweets went missing from the kitchens or he’d pretend to not know what Logan’s birthday gift was, but he’d never lied about anything serious before now.

 “I know, but,” Logan glanced back at Virgil once again, “even if we did decide to tell, we’d have to convince Virgil everything would be alright beforehand. I don’t think we’re at that point yet. He was terrified of Father until a few months ago, and he’s still cautious around him sometimes.”

Logan was right, of course. Virgil was getting more and more comfortable around the king, but he figured any of the progress made would go down the drain as soon as they brought up telling King Thomas about where exactly Virgil had come from. Patton didn’t know if Virgil would ever be comfortable enough.

 “We should go get our own horses,” Logan suggested, and Patton nodded.

Patton and Logan’s horses had already been saddled by the stable hands in anticipation of their ride and it didn’t take long for the king to saddle his own horse, Bella.

The forest path at this time of year was very pretty, Patton thought. The tree branches now had small green leaves on them after having been barren for the entire winter and flowers were starting to grow. In a few weeks’ time it would be even prettier, but it would also be harder for the groundskeeper to maintain as well as it was right now.

 Virgil really did seem less anxious around King Thomas now. The path was only wide enough for two horses to go at once, and he didn’t seem to mind that he and the king ended up next to each other while Patton and Logan lagged behind. In fact, he and the king seemed to be having a nice conversation about the local wildlife.

However, if Patton looked close enough, he did sort of see what Logan meant. Virgil may not be anxious talking to the king now, but the king himself seemed just a little bit nervous at least at the beginning of the ride.

 He seemed to relax a bit as they rode (even laughing when Mr. Apples tried to bite him when he got too close).

Logan had been teaching Virgil the basics about things like animals, but there was still a pretty big gap in his education when it came to anything that wasn’t about training to fight and kill. King Thomas seemed more than willing to answer any of his questions when it came to the animals and plants around them even if they were sometimes a bit silly.

He’d seen a bird that looked like a dove. (It may have even been a dove, but Patton hadn’t seen it.) This had been a source of endless confusion for him.

 “But shouldn’t it live in the dovecote?” Virgil asked.

“Not all birds live in a dovecote,” the king explained again.

“But it’s a dove,” Virgil said with a frown.

“Not all doves live in a dovecote,” the king replied.

“But it’s a dovecote,” Virgil argued. “It’s for the doves.”

“Yes, but there are also wild doves,” the king said.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Virgil replied.

“What about it doesn’t make sense?” the king asked with a laugh in his tone.

“Doves go in the dovecote,” Virgil said.

Patton was starting to have trouble following this argument.

“Dovecotes are made for doves,” the king said, “but not all doves go in dovecotes.”

“Why?”

[my-memed-tw-adventures]

Book 3 — Chapter 23

—

Oh fuck you all! Nah. Watch me get that photo bitch! You all suck

—

Woo! I love Ace trying the cauldron magic instead of Deuce lol. And Deuce even got mad. Sucks that it ain’t working tho

—

Dammit! I was really hoping it fucked the vault up. Azul is so pissed tho like damn. He cares a lot for this shit

—

Damn I’m enjoying listening to Azul and Floyd bitch it out. The voice acting is amazing. Their bickering is so good

AND NOW LETS FUCKING GO WHILE WE CAN GUYS

—

Yeah, Azul. Kinda rude to call someone out for letting their moods affect their behaviour when you’re the one losing your shit

Floyd is a mood tho. Being yelled at kills everything

—

Are they unbreakable tho 👀

Rip Jade having to do all this shit alone now. Stalking and babysitting at the same time. I feel that disappointment older brother sigh in my soul

—

YEAH! DON’T YOU GUYS DARE BLAME JACK FOR THIS! HE’S BEEN MORE HELPFUL THAN ALL OF YOU COMBINED!

—

What? The fact that Azul practically had a heart attack when Floyd hit the vault? I mean, that would seem to prove that the contracts aren’t invulnerable. But the question would be how we could possibly destroy it without touching it. Oven mitts? A knife? Shoot it with an arrow? Paper shredder? I do really wanna steal the photo tho. I wanna bully Azul with it

Actually if Jade is in charge of babysitting Floyd, then what if we split up? Go for both the contract and the photo at the same time? I know there’s two of them and they could split up, but would Floyd really be in the mood??

Masterlist

[inkribbon796]

Egotober 2022 Day 20: Red Flags

Summary: Anti finds himself in a bit of trouble, and somehow gets himself even bigger trouble.

Prompt: Alarm

Characters: Anti, Wilford, Dark

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Alarms were shrieking and blaring as Anti rushed from socket to socket. Whatever electrical currents were closer he jumped to immediately. He could feel it stalking him. Because he didn’t have the time to think about where he was going. He needed out, he needed to escape and fast.

Anti  was trying to find a way out of the hellhole he’d currently found himself in. Henrik was safe. As “safe” as he could be. But Anti had to escape and think about a plan of revenge.

He just had to—

Anti jumped into some random circuit when suddenly he heard another ringing going on. Someone was getting a call and he was in the circuit. So he instantly let it take him away from the situation.

The glitch demon would be back for blood. He would be back for Henrik. And he would never forget what had happened.

“Hello? Hell~o?” A familiar voice drawled out just as Anti flew out of the phone and right into Wilford, knocking them both to the ground. Anti was on top of Wilford and so elated he almost decked the guy on pure adrenaline alone.

“You fucker, you’re the best,” Anti told him.

Wilford smiled. “I always try my best.”

“Wil, who called?” Dark called out from outside the room and Anti realized that he was with Wilford in Dark’s home office. Alone . . . with Wilford underneath him.

Before Anti could jump off Wilford or even just turn into pixels, Dark walked in and froze when he saw them.

Dark’s ringing became shrill, reminding him of the alarm he’d just escaped from.

Anti violently turned into a staticky cloud of pixels before reforming next to Dark. “Make my tinnitus I got from Jackie worse, why don’t you?”

Dark glared at him, glancing between him and Wil. Anti braced to get hit, anger had caused him to get too close to Dark. The demon was known to strike quickly and violently. He was well known to be jealous and foul tempered and Anti could see the rage in his eyes.

“Have I interrupted something?” Dark asked, clearly a bait as Anti moved past him and into the living room. Through the window he spotted Chase Brody who was smoking out back and immediately looked right at Anti.

“Nah, you didn’t interrupt shit, was fucking busy escaping from the feds,” Anti said as he began looking for a way out. He needed to get back to his little hideout and lay low and then think of something.

Dark’s ringing was shrill and even if Dark was in any kind of mood to help him, he’d botched it with Wil in the office.

“Can’t Anti stay, ol’ boy?” Wilford leaned against the door frame of the office with a huge smile on his face. “He’s so much fun.” 

Which immediately made Anti want to kill Wilford.

Dark took in a rather angry breath, loudly taking in air through his nose and Anti felt Dark’s aura angrily coil around one of his ankles. A clear threat.

Anti knew Dark absolutely detested him. Sometimes he put up with Anti stabbing him. Sometimes Dark put up with the shit he pulled. But never when the guy was clearly in a bad mood. And when Dark discorporated him he lost entire weeks.

Weeks that Anti didn’t have right now. So for once, even though Anti wanted to punch him in the face, he needed to get out.

Then Chase walked into the room, one of his guns in hand.

“I’m gone, I got better things to do,” Anti said, turning into pixels and shooting through the lightswitch and onto the porch.

Dark followed after him, teleporting in. “Why the rush, glitch?”

“Like I said, got shit to do, people to kill,” Anti said, trying to get away from memories of the alarm sound. “I just got in through your landline, you old fuck.”

“Why the rush?” Dark said with contempt in his voice. “You were clearly enjoying yourself.”

“I wasn’t enjoying shit, just your electric bill,” Anti said angrily, he was trying to make it down the steps of the porch but his feet seemed to be moving in some cycle. Meaning he was stuck in the Manor’s grasp and he might not be able to easily slip out.

And Chase was following them out to the porch.

“You two are never very subtle, why become so evasive now?” Dark said, taking a step forward. And the stone steps refused to let Anti go. The ringing shrill and setting off all kinds of alarms in Anti’s brain.

“I ain’t being anything, you might be comfortable fucking that piece of sentient cotton candy, but I don’t wanna catch whatever weird STDs that fucker has.” Anti said.

“How dare you!” That seemed to get Dark angrier. “Shut up, you can fuck him, but not insult.”

“I ain’t fucking your man,” Anti said. “I’m fucking Henrik.”

“Then you’re doing both,” Dark said dismissively. “Right where his children can see you.”

“Fuck you,” Anti said. “If I wanted to fuck Wil I’d do it in front of you, because pissing you off would be the only reason I’d do it.”

The first one to strike first was actually Chase. The marksman shot at Anti, hitting him in the leg. Anti struck at Dark, their aura crashing before Anti was able to slip out of whatever hold that the Manor had over him.

Anti jumped into a nearby powerline under the ground and moved deeper into the city. He was away from Dark and could get back to Henrik’s apartment. He crashed there for a bit.

The glitch demon would lick his wounds and have his revenge. Tonight he needed to sleep, and he didn’t do it in the apartment. He did it in the apartment complex’s power grid.

Tomorrow, maybe the alarm sound wouldn’t be echoing in his ears as fiercely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post A/N: After so long of trying to get Dark to even hint about his problems, and it’s to Anti of all people. He might be getting therapy in the next arc.