#prey!tallulah

[skullsnbruises]

I’m so happy to finish this ugh, I think this is the best vore descriptions I’ve written so far? Let me know how y’all liked it :)

If I made any mistakes no I didn’t, we wrote this partially at midnight and then the next morning on very little sleep. Lol. (Also. One day I’ll finish my requests, HAHAH, don’t worry I haven’t forgotten them)

[Ao3 Link]

Taglist: @poprockpanda @brick-a-doodle-do @local-squishmallow @dingbatnix @da3dm

As the Sun Sets

(2722 words) [fearplay, miscommunication, violence]

Walking along the wall was Philza and his two adopted dragon children. The skull masked one, Chayanne, was leading the group, proud dark purple scales on display as his tail whipped from side to side, a much smaller Tallulah gripping onto it lightly with her teeth. She was speckled with brown and blue, and her features were quite reminiscent of being aquatic, while Chayanne’s features were sharp and like knives, and was more striking of a scorpion, if anything. His body was his armor, tough skin built for anything, while Tallulah was meek, her petite body built for beauty instead.

Philza walked behind them, keeping an eye on his oversized children as they attempted to slow to his pace. He felt a spark of pride flicker inside his chest, watching how Chayanne was so careful with Tallulah, making sure to defend her at any cost. He’d tear obstructions out of their way with his claws, and nudge a path out for her, as she’d shyly pass through.

Phil loved his children a lot. He’d do anything to protect them, just like how he knew Chayanne would do anything to protect Tallulah.

Chayanne always striked Phil as reminiscent of Technoblade. They were both deeply caring, and highly protective, going to great lengths to defend their loved ones, no matter the cost. It was a charming quality, but Phil always had a fear in the back of his mind that it could be Chayanne’s downfall. He always prioritized others above himself, and that was worrisome.

Philza looked up into the sky, and estimated the time, “Hey, mates, it’s gonna get dark soon, let’s head back okay?”

The dragons turned around, and Tallulah let go of Chayanne’s tail for a moment, brushing herself against him instead. Chayanne made a chirp of acknowledgement and Tallulah dipped her head.

The dad waved his hand in motion for them to follow along, “Alright, come on you two.”

The sun was setting, and admittedly, Philza should’ve realized earlier. If only he hadn’t been so caught up in his own thoughts. Neither dragons could fly yet, their wings weren’t ready for that type of work, so they’d have to make the trek back on foot. It’s not like they couldn’t handle mobs, it would just be annoying to deal with. Chayanne might get caught up in the fight, too.

At least they had the beautiful scenic view of the sun dipping behind the land in the distance, meeting the ocean around the island. No matter how many centuries Philza lived through, the sunset took his breath away everytime.

Tallulah met beside Phil, and she nudged at his shoulder. She was very small compared to Chayanne, but still at least two feet taller than her dad, when she was on all fours.

They traveled back along against the wall, occasionally peering out at the forest, the trees obstructing their vision of any threats that might be posed in the distance.

They would be safe, Philza assured himself. He wasn’t exactly anxious, but he wanted to be cautious anyway. No need to have any unnecessary injuries.

Everything was going okay so far. Philza was chatting with the two dragons, and they’d chirp back, but occasionally pause to write a response on a sigh instead. Their handwritings were scratchy, words written with claws, but legible. They were mostly making small talk, nothing too important. Phil had commented on how much he loved the sunset, to the agreement of his kids.

It was turning out to be a pleasant walk back. Phil might’ve realized his guard had slipped in any other scenario, but he couldn’t now, simply enjoying his time with Chayanne and Tallulah, walking between the two dragons who were his family and love.

The sudden flash of a neon green light shot out, and Phil was blinded by the sudden brightness against the now-approaching night sky. He shielded his vision, eyes adjusting to the light in front of him, and with horror, he realized the creature in the air before them was the binary entity. Phil’s heart sank and his body tensed up, arm reaching instantly towards his sword, drawing it with a vengeful glint in his eye. He watched as Chayanne stepped in front of him and let out an enraged roar. His spiked tail whipped warningly, and Tallulah cowered behind Phil, body shrinking like she was his shadow.

The formless figure shaped its code around to resemble arms outstretched from its main body, and it zipped through the sky like lightning. It was suddenly overwhelming Phil, darting past his body, leaving sharp cuts along him as it whipped around him. He could hear Tallulah squeak in fear, and Chayanne let out a booming shriek, swinging his tail around to smack the entity like a flyswatter to a pesky bug.

The code monster was thwacked out of the air and collided hard against the ground, kicking up clumps of dirt. It was a brief moment of getting reorganized. Phil turned quickly towards his children, as Chayanne approached Tallulah with a pinched up terrified expression. She bowed her head at him, and he widened his mouth. Philza felt his heartbeat throbbing in his ears, breath heavy, as he watched in terror; Chayanne’s maw stretched open and scooped Tallulah up in one fell swoop. She disappeared behind a click of Chayanne’s teeth, and a large bump followed down the dragon's throat.

He wasn't allowed to question it any longer, as the code monster had recovered and was flying through the air again. Philza braced for the impact of its knife-like cuts, but his world was suddenly til shifted as his body was thrown up into the air. Philza’s breath was knocked out of his chest, staring downward was an open maw. His son’s open maw.

Everything seemed to slow, as his immortal life flashed behind his eyes. Chayanne has just swallowed Tallulah whole, and he was the next victim. He hadn’t any time to mourn his daughter, nor himself, as time returned to normal and gravity plummeted the man straight into the open mouth.

Teeth were sharp all around him, and he clung onto Chayanne’s tongue like a lifeline. The squishy appendage rolled around, and the pointed tongue curled in on itself, trying to push Phil back to his throat.

The man was filled with anxiety, kicking and flailing desperate, like his brain was powered only by instinct to survive. The uvula dangled, curling up and contorting as the mouth he was trapped inside shifted about. The tongue nudged and prodded at Philza, but he refused to go down easy. Something was seriously wrong with Chayanne right now, and Phil needed to make it out alive to find out what. Maybe there was a chance to save Tallulah too, before it was too late.

Philza reached and tried to climb, but was only slipping and losing his grip under the squishy tongue, salvia being Phil’s worst enemy. He used his nails, trying to pry himself up.

Chayanne’s body dramatically shook, and it felt as if he had been knocked over. Phil’s spot was taken from him, and he fell a significant amount. Chayanne’s constant movement was making it impossible, and then the worst thing Philza could’ve hoped would never happen happened.

He felt as Chayanne’s head lifted upward, leaving Philza grasping to hold onto the dragon's uvula. His son swallowed hard, tongue pushing up against the already soaked man, and uvula shifting around so Phil was kicking. His sandal slipped off and felt into the abyss of Chayanne’s esophagus. Phil had tried so hard to hold it until now, but a sudden grief ridden sob took over his body, and it was his downfall. As his body shook, his grip was lost, and he found himself trapped between squishy walls within the blink of an eye.

The walls of the throat squished Philza, his body folding along the wetness. His struggles were pointless, and nothing was good enough to grab, so the hard swallows that followed were more than enough to drag Phil deeper into his doom. The man let himself cry. For himself. For Tallulah. For Chayanne.

Within short lived moments, Phil wasn’t being squeezed anymore, and he slipped into a pool of some kind. As his mind raced, he realized this was the stomach. Dark, drenched, and dangerous. His eyes squinted, needy for a source of light to judge how fast he was going to die, and if escape might still be possible. The darkness was hard, but a few seconds gave him just enough that Phil could make out outlines.

In front of him was Tallulah. His beautiful daughter. She was small, she had shifted into her humanoid form again. Philza sludged wobbly through the pool. His hands came around her body, and he hugged her.

She let out small chirps, aroused from the touch. Her pretty brown eyes blinked open and she looked up to meet eyes with her dad. His heart panged, so grateful that she was still alive.

The dragon was thrust around again, sloshing the wetness up and splashing against the stomach walls. Tallulah tightened her claws into Philza’s shirt, steadying against his weight. They silently decided sitting was less dangerous, and Phil sat Tallulah onto his lap, brushing fingers through her soaking curled hair.

“Oh my gods, Tallulah,” he swore he’d never cried so much, “I was so worried.”

She tilted her head and a small noise sounded from her chest. Her sweater paws wrapped around him in a warm embrace.

“I’ll find us a way out,” Phil bit his lip, the words feeling rotten on his tongue. It felt like a lie, and he wouldn’t promise a thing to her now. As much as he wanted to stay positive, things were looking hopeless.

Philza glanced around, the walls were a deepend purple hue, squiggly and textured. The faint shine reflected on them, showing off the small hints of blue and green. Everything felt small inside the stomach, the space was little, and the stomach contracted around them ever so often, a claustrophobic dread washing over him with every slosh of acid.

Chayanne’s body was no longer being flailed and thrown around, Phil realized. The only movement was a steady rhythmic pattern; walking, if he had to guess.

“I think things have calmed down, Tallulah,” Phil gulped, “Maybe Chayanne will realize now and let us out.”

His daughter made that same tiny movement. Confused body language.

“What is it?” He glanced down at her frown. He squinted, making out her limited sign language skills.

“S-a-f-e. No Tallulah, this isn’t safe right now, I’m gonna make us safe though, if it’s the last thing I do-,” he was cut off by her nudging him.

“S-a-f-e, yes Tallulah, I understood. I’m saying that-“ She crossed her arms and pointed at the spot they were sitting, then around in a circular motion towards the stomach walls. She repeated the word, emphasizing each letter in her hands.

The man was confused, and a little concerned, “Are you saying we’re safe right now,” a nod, “we aren’t, Tallulah. I’m going to-“

Their bodies were shifted around once more, tossed around inside the organ. The walls squeezed in on them again, making ‘gllk’ and sloppy sounds as the walls seemed to throb like a heart. Suddenly, Philza, with a death grip on Tallulah , was being pushed back up the esophagus. The man was overtaken by dizziness as light once again flooded his senses, and a hard thud knocked against his back. His hands still carried Tallulah’s meek weight, and his disoriented state kept him laying on the ground.

Several deep breaths later, senses coming back into fruition, Philza was ready to properly open his eyes and see what the hell was going on.

He was immediately met with Chayanne’s snout, exhales breathing over his body. He jolted up, backing up slightly. Chayanne and Tallulah were staring at him so calmly, like nothing deeply traumatic had just happened.

The deep purple dragon slowly shifted back, scales morphing into skin, entire figure shrinking, tail and horns sliding into a proportionate size to his child body. He tilted his head at his dad.

Breathless, the man tried to stand, “W-what the fuck?!”

The boy pulled out a yellow sign, placing it on the ground. He crouched the carve in his sentence. When finished, he scooted to the side, sitting with the duck floaty around his body comfortably.

“I’m confused dad, what’s wrong?” Phil read, “MATE. You just ate me and your sister! How is that not obviously the problem?!”

Chayanne shrunk into himself, tail curling around his legs. He looked ashamed now.

Tallulah took her turn to write, a purple sign displayed for Philza.

Again, he read it aloud, “This is a dragon thing.” He made a noise of disbelief, “You’re just able to swallow each other alive, no problem?!”

A casual nod from both children.

“How haven’t I known this sooner?! Would’ve saved a lot of panic!” His stern tone came to a halt, staring at the sad expressions of the siblings, “Okay. I’m sorry for how I reacted. You two need to let me know about things this important though, okay? Your dad needs to know if he’s going to get swallowed alive next time.”

Then the situation hit him, “Oh shit, is everyone okay?”

Chayanne had a few cuts. Nothing serious, upon inspection. Tallulah was unscathed. Phil had some nasty slices along his face, but it would be fine with some painkillers and days to heal.

Inside Chayanne’s room, Philza bandaged the boy up, as Tallulah bounced happily on the bed. Phil was knelt down, sticking another bandage over Chayanne’s arm. The blood was dried, so he’d wiped the dark remnants away with a damp cloth. The boy was peering down, and even through the mask, Phil could sense the sadness within him.

He hummed, “What’s up?” He patted Chayanne’s chest, finishing up the bandages and medicine. The boy sighed, taking his place beside his sister on the bed. He leaned against her, and Tallulah wrapped his arm around his waist.

Chayanne’s lower lip quivered, taking out a sign and slowly started writing on it. Phil waited patiently, putting the medical supplies away. He occasionally glanced over to his son, frowning at Chayanne’s sad expression. Tallulah watching over his shoulder, eyebrows furrowing as she watched his sentence form.

Chayanne turned the finished sign around, dipping his head and avoiding all eye contact.

Philza read it out. “Did I fail?” His breath slowed and instantly rushed over to wrap Chayanne into his arms, squeezing him tightly, “Of course not, you saved us. You protected us, Chayanne.” His heart twisted and he held him closer. Phil shifted, bringing Chayanne into his lap as he sat up on the bed, leaning against the wall with his son resting now on his chest, “Listen, mate, you did amazing. I’m sorry how I acted, I didn’t know what was up. But you got me and your sister out of there. I’m just so fucking sorry you had to fight alone.”

The little dragon whimpered, and Tallulah scooted over to join the hug. She held up a sign for him, reading, ‘We love you!’

He whimpered in response, biting his tongue to hold back the tears.

“It’s okay. You can cry. You’re allowed,” Philza whispered out. His son needed the confirmation now more than anything. His son’s hold tightened, and a bundle of tears and twitches broke through him. Tallulah and Phil kept him close, comforting him through his sobs. They rubbed circles into his clothes.

After a few minutes, his cries died out, and they were left holding one another. Philza wordlessly stood from the bed, and tucked the two under the blankets, fluffing their pillows and bending down to press kisses against either of their foreheads.

“You both were perfect today,” he spoke softly, “Get some sleep. I love you both so much.”

Tallulah held up a hand, sleepily showing the sign for ‘I love you.’ Chayanne made a few groggy clicks, before turning to hold his sister, wrapping around her smaller body in a protective cuddle. They both purred, closing their eyes and adjusting quietly. Philza smiled, waiting until they fell asleep before he silently left, shutting the door with a click behind him.

[isa-ghost]

Any specifically avian related qphil headcanons? I love that Phil being a bit more birdy is canon in the qsmp but whenever we get lore about it its angst

/I don't know why I'm asking if you have any, I know you got them /

*cupping my hands together and holding them out*

/give em here/

/pretty pleasee/

Oh fuck yeah man. I have an angel OC based off Phil, I've got PLENTY of avian headcanons >:)

Previous Headcanon Sets (x8)

MORE: Avian Edition

I've stated it in a prev set I think, but if you put this man in water his wings will sometimes involuntarily flap like he's in a birdbath. It's somewhat of a stim, bird brain just goes "you gotta."

I've also stated before that when he's stressed, his wings will flap kinda like the way someone might nervously shake out their hands.

Another restate, sometimes his laughs and startled yelps sound almost like squawks. Also his hiccups. It's very rare, but whenever it happens, he gets teased for it. Especially by Etoiles.

Another restate, sometimes his echolalia is his bird brain mimicking a sound he heard if it scratches an itch.

Yknow what just skim the previous headcanon sets I linked bc I talk so much about his wings & what he does with them & how he communicates using them. All those apply here.

Obligatory mirror and windows struggles mention.

Obligatory molting & preening struggles when stressed mention.

We've all seen the way he perches above everyone. It's probably his most prominent/noticeable avian trait.

Apparently camomile calms birds down. If this fool liked hot drinks, he'd have another way to settle his anxiety.

His obsession with noodles got him accused by Tubbo of enjoying them bc bird brain likes worms. He was NOT pleased. Almost gagged.

As long as you're careful around his wings, he LOVES back rubs. (It's bc the dumbass mf slept in that damn chair too much so now his back riots)

DO NOT THE WINGS. Petting them is one thing, he loves when Tallulah hugs them, he thinks it's cute. But omg do not dig your fingers into his feathers. They're very sensitive. And that could mean tickling OR pain.

However if you gently do it, his wings will spread a little and his feathers poof up, which is kinda funny. It's like how if you touch a cat's foot the right way, their toes will spread out to present The Beans(tm). Blessed.

He likes to gift his shedded feathers to people he trusts. Chayanne, Tallulah & Missa each have one. Although he's extremely close with Etoiles and Fit, he feels too awkward to give one to them yet. Feels a little too intimate.

Gift giving in general is a HUGE part of his love language though. Crow brain must give shiny things to people he loves yesyes.

Bird zoomies!! Wings poof up, he starts hopping all over the place like a big dork. He'd fly all over too, if he could.

Bobs his head to music. Those videos of pet birds dancing? That's Phil babey!!

Another one of his fave bits is pretending to understand and have a full-on conversation with birds. Loves pretending to gossip with them right in front of the person he & the bird(s) are "gossiping" about. However the crows he DOES understand & gossip with.

When he can fly, he's an expert at dive-bombing targets like a bird of prey. It's TERRIFYING. And very attractive depending on who you are (*cough* Missa *cough*)

Tallulah once tried to test if throwing a blanket over his head would make him fall asleep like how if you put a blanket over a bird's cage they'll think it's night time and go to bed. It didn't work. He was very confused.

Birds whenever they're happy to see you will stretch their wings out like "Hello yes!" Phil do happy wing stretches when he see the kids :D

His hearing and eyesight are fucking amazing. The only reason he's able to be snuck up on is bc he hyperfocuses on things or the things that sneak up on him are super fast.

Rare Isa Fluffy Headcanon: He make blanket nests.

When stressed or overwhelmed, he'll wrap his wings around himself or raise them to shield his head. He doesn't do this so much after his wings were clipped & injured. They hurt too much.

100% will spread his wings all the way out (when they aren't hurting a lot) to look more threatening towards enemies. They almost autopilot do it when he's angry, but if they hurt too much they'll stop. He's pissed they don't look as threatening after The Federation clipped his wings

[idfk-im-bad-at-names]

I can't stop thinking about how Ramon is the only egg left without a threat from the code. He's quite literally the one that got away from the code.

Ramon's death might've been turned around but Fit and Ramon have literally made it part of Ramon's lore. It wasn't a nightmare. It actually happened. But Ramon didn't actually die. Instead he was very close to dying. And now he has trauma surrounding the code that can't compare to the other eggs.

During the code attack on Tallulah, Ramon ran and hid because he was so terrified of being killed for real this time. That was very much not normal for Ramon but he has a reason to run from the danger for once.

Now every one of his siblings have been threatened by the code, but him. The code is saving Ramon for last.

The code is a predator savoring the thrill of the hunt for its prey.

[genevawren38]

What Impossible Means, a Leap of Faith

✨q!Philza & q!Foolish, q!Philza & Chayanne & Tallulah [Undying Duo] ✨3.9k W.C. ✨q!Philza-centric ✨QSMP & Non canon ✨Based on Jan 16th stream 🎵The Melting Point of Wax by Thrice

Air screamed past his ears, wings crying their own agony as he struggled to keep them spread out. The strength lacked though due to moons of neglect, eventually his limbs snapping shut, unable to hold his weight as he plunged towards the river below headfirst. Unable to fly and unable to escape his own crescendo, he waited for the cold embrace of unconsciousness.

Or even death.

For what was he without the sky he couldn’t embrace? An avian trapped on the ground was prey waiting to happen, for something stronger to come along and end his miserable existence.

He spoke of teaching his children to fly when he doubted his own abilities, hoping they wouldn’t be dragged to the ground like their father who had been bested by someone he still had yet to exact revenge upon. He hoped they would find their freedom while he withered waiting for his own to come. If it ever did.

What a stupid thing to attempt, Phil chastised himself before he crashed, wondering if he would drown in failure or the water that caught his landing harshly.

[aledanshi]

q!Philza x q!Cellbit x q!Roier AU headcanons

So, at this point I've created an entire AU of which Cellbit is in a polyamorous relationship with both Roier and Philza, but they aren't dating each other. Cellbit is dating both of them and is essencialy "married" to them in different ways. It's a lot to explain in a singular post, but I just wanted to share a glimpse of their dynamic in this AU.

*nsfw content under "read more" section*

In this AU, Cellbit is trans and a cat hybrid, Philza is a crow hybrid and Roier is a spider hybrid, each of them have different mating cycles, with Cellbit's heat happening once every month, Philza's mating cycle happening every three months and Roier's mating cycle happening every six months.

Cellbit's heat leaves him debilitated for more or less 5 days, he can't leave his nest until it is over and is frequently going through waves of hightened libido and exhaustion, which renders him essentially out of commission during those days. If one of his partners is too busy taking care of the eggs the other takes place in helping him, which is basically just making sure he is fed, drinks lots of water and "helps" him during the heatwaves. He will be back to work like normal after a day has passed from the ending of his heat.

Philza's mating cycle usually lasts for an entire week and makes him more possessive and territorial, especially in the presence of people who he might consider a 'threat' to his mates (*cough* BBH *cough*). He likes to stake his claim over Cellbit to the others by leaving bite marks and scraches on places that aren't normally covered by his clothes, making sure to also shield his body with his wings and keeping a mininum level of proximity (which is essentially maintaining physical contact at all costs). On the moments where Philza becomes too territorialist and tries to assert dominance over Cellbit in front of others Roier has to drag Philza away from Cellbit before he starts to try to mount him in public and takes them to their nest inside the wall.

Roier's mating cycle tend to last a maximum of 5 days, which means he doesn't require as much immediate attention as the other two, but those few days tend to be very intense to say the least. First of all, he lays eggs, these eggs are not fertilized and can't be incubated unless otherwise, which prompts to them being discarded after being laid *inside* someone, which happens to be Cellbit. He will not leave his web and if anything or anyone that isn't one of his mates tries to enter it they will be hunted down and eaten like prey (which is part of the reason as to why the children have to be kept away), he will not allow his mates to leave his web either.

In the twice-a-year occassion of which all of the three's mating cycles align, their nest goes into full lockdown and no one besides the eggs is allowed to enter their home inside of the wall. The entrance to the nest is blocked by a thick layer of spiderweb, guarded by little spiders that will not allow not even the eggs to get near it. The voices are tasked with keeping an eye out for the eggs while the crows warn anyone who wishes to visit to fuck off and come back after a week, otherwise they will be attacked and sent off.

Since Chayanne, Tallulah, Richarlyson and Pepito are the only ones allowed inside home, but not inside the nest, they have to make sure that their parents are making sure to feed themselves and being healthy, leaving trays of food every six hours and cleaning the dirty dishes that the spiders bring back to them.

Etoiles frequently volunteers to keep watch over the little ones, making sure that they don't try anything dumb like trying to enter the nest before the mating period has passed (looking directly at you Richas), but he does have the help of the voices and crows to watch over the eggs.

And at the end of the week, Baghera and Foolish come in clutch to clean the nest and help to treat those three. Baghera looks over to see if her father Philza hasn't lost too much of his wing feathers, Foolish makes sure that Roier's poisonous fangs are tucked as to not accidentally hurt anyone and both of them take care of Cellbit's injuries and any exposed wounds, feeding him health potions to help with his recovery. They essentially clean the excess of cobwebs and discarded eggs whilst also dressing up their family to make sure that the nest and it's owners are 'presentable' before the eggs are allowed inside.

Small, innocent Pepito is the first one to go running to the massive bed on their nest, snuggling against both of his fathers and enjoying the happy purs of his 'apa Celbi' and the low coos of his uncle Philza. Richas, Tallulah and Chayanne promptly join the snuggle pile alongside them, even though they're a little bit grossed out by the fact that they know what went down in said nest during the week that their parents isolated themselves.

[judgeanon]

Do you have other favourite DC chracters aside from Shiva and Cass?

Sure, a ton! I'm a huge fan of Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, Tallulah Black, El Diablo, Barbary Ghost, Cinnamon, Nighthawk, Madame .44, most of the Western crew really. Super underrated little corner of the DCU.

I also love me some war comics. Enemy Ace is my favorite, but Unknown Soldier, Mademoiselle Marie, Sgt. Rock and the Haunted Tank are all extremely fun. Blackhawks too, tho' I admit I haven't read as much about them as I'd like to.

Speaking of birds, I also had a year where I got really into Hawkman thanks to Tim Truman's Hawkworld. I have that on trade, plus two volumes of DC Showcase Silver Age Hawkman. Cool guy, that Hawk.

Also, I fucking adore Lobo, especially his 90s solo ongoing by the late great Alan Grant, rest his soul. That thing was a fucking hoot and a half.

And from around that same time, Ennis and McRea's Hitman is a classic. Arguably the most accessible Ennis story and definitely one of the most heartfelt. Beautiful stuff. And their Demon run ain't bad either.

Birds of Prey and Gotham Central are also two of my favorite titles from a little after that, and of those, I loved Lady Blackhawk and Renee Montoya. I tell you, post-Crisis to Infinite Crisis was an extremely interesting time for DC, warts and all, and that last leg in particular had all kinds of cool shit happening.

Finally, more recently I really enjoyed Gene Luen Yang's New Super-Man. That one's pretty much the first thing that comes to mind when I think recent DC runs that I really loved. Only wish there was more of it!

[svnflowervol666]

Ma Petite Chérie: Christmas Now (Harry Styles x fem!Reader)

Read more from this little universe, Ma Petite Chérie, in my masterlist!

Word Count: 3.7k

Summary: Their first Christmas as a family of four. Underwhelming gifts, naughty kitchen counter shenanigans, being suspicious of Santa Claus, baby kissies, oat milk. 

Author’s Note: Baby bub is here! I’ve been so excited to finally be able to write about them, and I’m even more excited that you all get to read about them! This is the second part of my Christmas bits for this year. Unlike the last one, this one is obnoxiously adorable and no where near as upsetting (I really hurt my own feelings with that one). Reblogs, likes, tags, and feedback of any kind is always greatly appreciated! If you don’t see me before the year is up, I want to wish you a Happy New Year! Enjoy, take care, and tpwk.

“Two.”

“No. One.”

“Two.”

“One.”

“Four.”

“Now that’s just bein’ greedy,” Harry spoke in a wounded tone with his brows furrowed together as if he were genuinely offended.

“But if Santa’s coming tonight and bringing more presents, why can’t I open these ones right now?”

Tallulah was on her knees in front of the sofa, fingers laced together with her chin resting on top of them. She was quite literally begging her father, who sat above her with one leg crossed over the other and an arm slung around his wife, to allow her to open the gifts that were prematurely nestled underneath the festive fir tree in their living room. Well, they weren’t married yet, but Harry couldn’t help that he preferred how the word felt rolling off of his tongue than “fiance.”

“Because they’re Christmas presents,” he stressed.

“Makes no sense t’ open them the day before.”

His freshly six-year-old daughter clearly didn’t like that answer - the pouty jut on her lip and subsequent huff told Harry all he needed to know.

“I already told ya, sweet pea. You can open one tonight. That’s it. The rest are for tomorrow.”

“Fiiiiiine,” the small girl said, although it was implied in her tone that it very much was not.

Tallulah hobbled over to the tree whilst still on her knees, and began riffling through the small litter of perfectly wrapped boxes to inspect which one would elicit the most satisfaction on her end. She seemed keen on a rather large one, decorated with tartan print and a red gift tag that read, “To: Lulah, From: Daddy & Mummy.” What she hadn’t realized, though, was that Harry had already made the selection for her. 

“Not tha’ one,” Harry reprimanded over the steaming mug of coffee in the hand that wasn’t rubbing circles on Y/N’s shoulder.

He typically strayed away from caffeine this late in the evening, but he knew he was in for a long night of waiting up until Tallulah was fast asleep so he could take on the role of Santa and deliver all of the gifts he had promised her for being good enough to make an appearance on the Nice List. Knowing how much shit he had packed in his office that stayed locked this time of year, he really wasn’t sure how he was going to do it successfully.

Another exasperated sigh left his eldest child’s lips, to which she replied, “But this one’s the biggest.”

“But it’s not the one we want yeh t’ open, Lulah. ‘S the one with polar bears on it,” Harry stated, though not with full confidence.

“It is the one with polar bears on it, right?” he whispered to Y/N.

This earned a laugh from Y/N, who muttered a quiet, “Yes,” in return. She laid her head in the crook of Harry’s neck, basking in the warmth that radiated from his body. He smelled like cinnamon and the nutmeg-flavored coffee beans he’d ground up just a few minutes before, and maybe a hint like baby barf.

Tallulah scavenged the space under the tree like a predator hunting its prey - all on the lookout for the present fitting the description Harry had given her. Harry and Y/N found themselves thoroughly entertained by watching her overturn almost every gift, and shared a similar giggle when she narrowed in on the box in question before letting out a victorious, “Aha!” into the room only lit by a firelog in the chimney.

“Grab the one for Olive too, please. Don’t want her feelin’ left out,” Harry called out to Talulah. 

“Okay, daddy!”

Her small arms stretched to the limit, trying to grab both packages without toppling over onto the others. Tallulah noted that they both felt the exact same underneath the wrapping paper, only her baby sister’s was much smaller than the one addressed to her.

“They feel like clothes,” Tallulah stated matter-of-factly as she took back her place on the floor with both presents in hand.

Harry sighed, leaning down to rest his mug near his feet against the sofa.

“Good grief. Just open it, will yeh?”

She needed no further instruction. Her fingers dug into the paper, piercing it with her nails and ruining the pastel blue parchment that was covered in dozens of cartoon polar bears partaking in various yoga poses. When Tallulah was able to tear the gift away from its wrapping, her hands grasped something soft.

“It’s....pajamas.”

Her tone was flat and unamused. Harry sensed her disappointment, though in his heart he certainly felt like he’d done a great job concocting his plan to have her open this particular gift on Christmas Eve.

“Yeah, but they’re Christmas pajamas. Don’t yeh want t’ look nice when Santa comes to visit tonight?”

This seemed to...disturb Tallulah. That was really the only way to describe how she looked at her dad - with her eyebrows scrunched up and her normally-plush lips pressed together in a thin line.

“...He’s gonna come in my room when I’m sleeping?”

Y/N hadn’t meant to, but a loud cackle erupted from her chest, which jostled the four-month-old baby girl that had the beginnings of sleepiness settling into her body. In contrast to the laugh from Y/N, Olive let out the tiniest of shrills, obviously upset that her mother had interupted the peacefulness she’d felt whilst being curled up against her chest.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, bubby,” Y/N cooed quitely, quickly moving to pat her daughter’s bum and comfort her.

“Mummy didn’t mean to wake you up.” 

Y/N pressed a quick kiss to the sparse tufts of hair atop Olive’s head before returning her attention back to Tallulah.

“Lulah, I promise you that Santa will not come in your room while you’re sleeping. What your dad means,” she snuck a glance in Harry’s direction in which he smirked back at her, “Is that you want to look nice on Christmas morning, don’t you? You know Nana’s gonna take a thousand pictures of you and Olive tomorrow, so now you don’t have to change when she gets here, yeah?”

Tallulah nodded, though it didn’t do much to lift her spirits. She fumbled the cream-colored thermal set adorned with gold stars between her fingers, the motion she was always somehow doing whether it be to her dad’s t-shirt while she laid next to him during a movie, Y/N’s lotus pendant when she was smaller and could fit on her chest, or otherwise.

“Plus,” Y/N added, a hint of irony in her voice, “I’d imagine the presents Santa’s going to bring you are much less boring than this.”

They shared a knowing smile, Tallulah’s cheeks growing rosey and her eyes twinkling at the mention of the magical, bearded man.

“I’m offended,” Harry scoffed.

“Really thought those pajamas were proper cute.”

“They are cute, daddy!” Tallulah chimed in, “I like them a lot. Thank you.”

It appeared that the young girl had realized her moping about not receiving the nail polish kit she’d asked for didn’t do her any good. And whether Harry was joking about being upset or not, she’d never want to hurt her dad’s feelings. He’d raised her too kindly to do otherwise.

“You’re welcome, bug,” Harry smiled at her.

“Let’s help Olive open hers, yeah?”

“I bet it’s pajamas,” Tallulah mumbled under her breath.

That earned her a light tug on one of her two braided plaits on her head from Harry. The two of them chuckled at each other, their faces almost looking like identical portraits of each other.

“Humor me for a second then, Lulah. ‘S your sister’s first Christmas.”

Tallulah scoots over on the floor to stand on her knees, this time by Y/N’s legs as she turned Olive around to sit up straight in her lap. Olive, who was once determined to fall asleep right there on the couch beside her mum and dad, was now awake and had taken an interest in the crinkling sound of the wrapping paper on the gift her big sister placed on top of her chunky thighs.

“Here, Livvy,” Tallulah cooed, “You tear it like this.”

She tried to show Olive how to tear away the present by ripping it halfway open, but her effort proved to be unsuccessful the second Olive managed to get her fingers around a scrap of paper and immediately placed it in her mouth. It appeared that Olive was much more interested in the gift wrap than she was her early Christmas present.

“Well, there goes that,” Harry said as he fetched the then soggy parchment from his infant daughter’s lips, making somewhat of a disgusted face as he wiped the excess drool on the leg of his pants.

Tallulah takes the honor of opening Olive’s present for her, and is unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes when her eyes meet a set of thermal pajamas like the ones she’d just received herself, only Olive’s were green with tiny, silver stars. She’d parted her lips to make an undoubtedly flippant comment, but Harry cut her off before she even had the chance to mutter the first syllable.

“Don’t do it, stink head,” Harry quipped, reaching for the discarded paper that was scattered on the rug beneath him so he could put it in the bin later.

“How about you go put on your lovely new pajamas so we can get everything set up f’ Santa to come, alright?”

“Okayyyyyy,” the small girl grumbled before snatching the thermal set from the floor and darting off to her room.

“That didn’t really go the way I hoped,” Harry mumbled as he reached over to take Olive from Y/N.

“It’s Christmas, baby,” Y/N reminded him.

“Kids want toys, not pajamas.”

“Yeah but,” Harry focused his attention at worming the tight-fitting pajamas up his baby girl’s abnormally chubby legs.

“’S what mum used t’ do for us when we were little. Always got pajamas on Christmas Eve. Figured it’d be nice t’ do it for the girls, too.”

“It is sweet, Harry. Just wouldn’t expect a six-year-old to be that enthused about it,” Y/N snickered.

Harry hummed in agreement, his tongue poked out as he fed Olive’s arm into the tight sleeve of her top, struggling a bit to get her balled up fist through the other side.

“Ahh, there we go. Thank god ya only have t’ wear these tomorrow, Chunk. They’ll be too snug by next week.”

“Leave my fat baby alone,” Y/N scolded.

“There’s nothing wrong with being well fed,” she added, leaning over to lightly pinch on her daughter’s round tummy in an attempt to get her to smile at her.

A gummy grin took over Olive’s features at the sight of her mother, a true mummy’s girl at heart. She was much like Tallulah in many ways, but so different at the same time. Olive was still nearly bald, whereas Tallulah’s hair grew like a sprout when she was Olive’s age. Tallulah had always been teeny tiny, no doubt due to her premature birth, and Olive clearly made up in weight for what Tallulah lacked when she was a baby. They both loved cuddles with Harry and listening to the sound of his voice as they fell asleep, but it always puzzled him when Olive didn’t respond to some of his antics in the way that Tallulah had. 

“‘M not bein’ mean. I’d jump on the chance to suck on your tits all day if I could, too.”

“Har-” Y/N began to reprimand him about how she can’t say that because there are little ears in the room, but was stopped short.

“I’m back! Can we set out the cookies now?”

Tallulah breathed heavily as if she just sprinted a marathon into the living room. 

“Sure can,” Harry responded.

“Come tell Livvy good night first, though. Mummy’s gotta feed her and put her t’ bed.”

She smiled at the mention of her little sister, whom she was always keeping at an arm’s reach. If Tallulah was awake, she was in the same room as Olive. It made Harry’s heart ache in the best way to watch the two of them interact with each other. The feeling he felt when he first saw Olive in Tallulah’s arms at the hospital never subsided. He was absolutely besotted for his girls.

“Bonne nuit, ma petite soeur,” Tallulah whispered to Olive, reaching down to hug her sister and kiss the crown of her head, which she happily accepted in the form of weaving her pudgy fingers into Tallulah’s braids and pulling them rather harshly.

Before he handed her off to Y/N to be fed and put down for the night, he gave Olive a kiss of his own.

“Bonne nuit, ma petite chérie.”

//

“‘How do you know Santa likes oat milk? Did he tell you that? Luna at school told me he likes chocolate almond milk.’ What kinda shit is that?!” Harry exclaimed with a mouth full of sugar cookie and in the quietest voice he could muster.

He’d just spent the last hour with Y/N, silently digging Tallulah’s gifts from Santa out of his office and placing them underneath the tree. Thankfully, he hadn’t tripped over his own feet and woken her up or else he would have cried right there on the spot.

All Y/N could do was giggle back at him from where she sat on top of the counter, bare legs swinging as she had a mouthful of the very same oat milk in question swishing in her mouth.

“She’s asking too many questions n’ I don’t like it one bit.”

“Think she’s just growing up, babe. The magic doesn’t last forever. She’s about at that age. Probably only have one or two more Christmases before she figures it out.”

Harry stared at the remaining half of the frosted cookie Tallulah left for Santa in his palm, eyes quiet and sullen.

“Don’t like that one bit, either,” he muttered.

“I know you don’t, bubby,” Y/N cooed, pulling Harry into her so he stood between her parted legs on the countertop.

“But you’ve still got Olive.”

He seemed to perk up at that, looking up at her through thick lashes with a smirk.

“Just Olive? We stoppin’ there?”

“I mean,” Y/N pursed her lips.

“Wouldn’t mind trying for a boy.”

Harry placed his hands on either side of her thighs, stroking her skin with his thumbs.

“Might not happen on the first go, though,” he tisked.

“Could take havin’ a few more for that t’ happen. Yeh alright with that?”

“As long as you’re not tired of me by then, then sure,” Y/N jested.

“’M never gonna be tired of you.”

He leaned in close to her, touching his forehead to hers. He was a split second away from kissing her, but then Y/N spoke up again.

“Harry,” she called out.

“Hmm,” Harry’s voice oozed with desire and darkness beginning to turn his eyes a deep shade of juniper.

“Can I please have a bite of your cookie?”

He softly bumped his forehead against hers as they both broke out into a fit of chuckles.

“Allumeuse,” Harry uttered, raising the sickeningly sweet cookie to her lips.

She chewed the baked good tantilizingly slow, making a scene of rolling her eyes back and moaning as if the taste was euphoric.

“Tu aimes ça,” she snided.

“Je fais.”

The two sat in silence after that, finishing up what was left of the small plate of sweets Tallulah had left by the chimney. It wasn’t often that the house was this quiet. Normally, there was a crying Olive to attend to or a needy Tallulah begging for one of them to get more paper out of Harry’s office printer so she could draw pictures of the plants in their garden out back. It would have been eerie, had the multi-colored lights from their Christmas tree not illuminated the majority of their open living space. The twinkling bulbs brought a sense of peacefulness about them. Maybe it was the season, or maybe it was because they’d been feeling so grateful for their small family as of late.

“Honey,” Harry broke the silence.

“What?” she looked up from where she’d been fussing with the hem of her shorts decorated with tiny snowflakes.

“Yeh got a little,” he gestured to her mouth before bringing his thumb to the corner of Y/N’s mouth.

Harry swiped a rogue dollop of blue frosting that rested there and pressed it onto her tongue. She wrapped her lips around his digit, sucking lightly to remove the sticky icing from his skin. Her eyes met his, not once straying as he applied just the slightest bit more of pressure with his thumb. He noted the way her breathing slowed and how she gently shuddered when he tightened the grip of her jaw with the rest of his fingers.

“So pretty,” he purred, marveling at the sight in front of him.

God, how Harry wished it weren’t just his finger resting on the soft, welcoming warmth of her tongue.

Y/N slid off his thumb with a calculated pop of her lips, licking them to ensure she’d rid herself completely of any stray crumbs.

“Kissy?” she posed, smirking.

“I’d be pretty rotten if I said no,” Harry replied before pressing his mouth against hers.

She wrapped her arms around him, forcing him to stand flush against the counter and even closer to her body. He teased her with this tongue, gliding it along the plush skin of the inside of her lip. Y/N welcomed him and parted her lips enough for Harry to get through. Both of them taste the saccharine remnants of the cookies they’d shared, and soon all that’s heard in the house are the suckling noises and heavy pants coming from Harry and Y/N. It’s not loud enough to be a disturbance, but it’s just enough to have them both yearning for more.

“Talk t’ me, lapine,” Harry broke away from her for long enough to mumble one sentence, still pressed against her lips.

“Tell me what yeh want.”

“Want you,” Y/N said in a shaky exhale, chasing Harry’s mouth to reconnect with her own.

“Yeah?” he taunted.

“Want me right here in the kitchen?”

“Ideally, no. But I wouldn’t stop you.”

She parted her legs even wider, attempting to rut against the thick fabric of Harry’s fleece sweatpants. Her center met something stiff and Harry pulled her even closer by the flesh of both bum cheeks, massaging them with his massive palms in a manner that he knew drove her mad.

“That’d be pretty naughty of us, wouldn’t it? Not sure if Santa would approve of that one.”

Before she’s given a chance to respond, Harry snuck his hand between their thighs and began softly petting Y/N over her shorts. Her head fell back in pleasure, temporarily detaching her lips from Harry’s. She knows she can’t make a single sound or else she’ll wake up the entire house so she just sits there with her brows furrowed, silently gasping and letting these sweet, broken moans spill from her throat that spur Harry on even further.

“Can feel you even through your fuckin’ shorts, Y/N,” he grunted, slowing grinding against his own palm that was the only thing separating him from her heat.

This time, it’s Y/N that reached between them, feeling for the stifness that lies between his legs. She wraps her fingers around him through his sweatpants, leisurely tugging at his cock. Harry’s all but forced to begin sucking on the sensitive skin of her neck to keep himself from crying out at the contact, working at blossoming deep lilac and mulberry colored bruises there.

“Bet you could cum just like this, couldn’t you?” he muffles into her collarbone.

Y/N hummed, crossing her legs around Harry’s back as he began to focus his attention to rubbing her clit over the material of her shorts.

“Bet you could too,” she whined.

“’S that what you want, hm? Want me t’ make you cum without even touchin’ you right?”

“‘M not gonna have a choice if you don’t do something else pretty soon.”

She sped up the work she’s doing near Harry’s crotch, paying mind to what she can make of his tip between his boxers. With her thumb, she rubbed expert circles around him, massaging him in the way that he’s doing to her. Both of them could feel it, the slow build up of pressure deep in their abdomen - a coil winding tighter and tight with the threat of snapping.

“Fuckin’ hell, Y/N.”

He was biting her neck now, completely consumed by the feeling of both the damp patch seeping through Y/N’s shorts and onto his fingers and the precum dripping onto her more delicate ones through his sweatpants.

In an attempt to not embarass himself like a horny teenager, Harry withdrew his hand from in between her thighs and places it around her bum all in the same breath. Y/N sighed defeatedly at the loss of friction against the place she needed it most, dropping her head into Harry’s shoulder and whining rather noisily. Before she even has the chance to curse him for stopping, he scooped her off the counter with all of his strength and began walking both of them to their bedroom so he could fuck her properly.

Their lips detach when Harry drops her onto the bed and a woosh of air leaves the down comforter, causing the hem of Y/N’s top to fly up and expose her tummy. She still wore the deep, almost-metallic stretch marks she’d acquired when she was pregnant with Olive, but it wasn’t with shame. Her and Harry had a talk not that long ago about how much he loved them because it reminded him of how much he cherished watching his baby girl grow before she made her grand, earthside appearance. She’d not mentioned the slightest bit of disdain for them after that.

Just as Harry tugged his jumper over his head and threw it off somewhere that he’d worry about in the morning, his eyes caught the digital clock that rested on the wooden night stand on his side of the bed.

“’S past midnight,” he said with a lopsided grin, climbing on top of the girl he vowed to spend his last dying breath beside.

“Yeah?” Y/N asked, for the life of her unable to understand why that was relevant when just minutes ago, he was rutting into her hands and aching for release.

“Yeah,” Harry smiled against her lips.

He pulled up once more to add, “Happy Christmas.”

She had half the mind to smack him, but all she did was shake her head and smile.

“Happy Christmas, Harry. Will you please fuck me now?”

“Think I can manage that.”

It was the first of many Christmas presents for Y/N.

[caseybanning]

The New Recruit

((a roleplay log from myself, @captainjanegreene, @ghosttmachine, and @zackoak from about a year ago, whoops. no big content warnings except maybe for a hand injury. not sure if Fay has their own RP blog?))

~

MONTHS IN THE PAST

The Dire Warning rests at dock, taking on cargo and crew for its next journey.  Visible on deck is its infamous captain.  Jane Greene was, legally speaking, perfectly within her rights to step into London, but, practically speaking, could not do so without inviting every other kind of trouble imaginable.

--

Make sure the blacksmith actually finishes this time," Casey's exhausted voice carries, coming up over Tallulah's deck. The captain, a scraggly-bearded fellow smelling of salt and tobacco shook his head.

"No second chances at zee. I've got a man who can finish in half the time."

Casey frowns, stopping at the bow to run their hand over the broken railing. "Fair enough," they concede, looking out to the docks. Zailors were milling about, quickly carrying cargo to and from the ships, boiling steam churning up from the pipes as one readies to head out, a familiar tall figure a couple ships down watching--wait, what?

--

Fayçal wanders the docks, scanning the ships and those accompanying them. They were searching for someone that met the description they had been given. They had been told that the captain they were looking for was rarely in London for long, and as such, were beginning to lose hope that they would find her. That is, however, until they saw someone that fit her description entirely that they had no doubt in their mind was her. They began making their way through crowds of zailors towards her ship.

--

Jane may have spotted Casey; she's looking in their direction, and while she doesn't wave she at least nods, and does a sort of beckoning gesture with her head.

(Down below...)

Fayçal finds that the crowd of zailors dries up a bit closer to the Dire Warning.  It's clear that this is a pretty dangerous ship to sign on with.

(Aboard Tallulah...)

The zailor follows Casey's gaze over to the Dire Warning and chuckles. "Careful with that one, she's--"

Casey is already partially down the staircase before hearing the end of his sentence. They almost run into a red-headed person who'd been staring up at Jane's ship ("Sorry!! So sorry!") before making a quick pace up to the stairs leading to the deck.

"Jane?!"

Fayçal hesitates before the ship when they see the others avoiding it, and hear the whispers and mutterings of passing zailors. They watch the ship for a moment before they are bumped into by someone else, running on to the ship and calling for Jane. That was all the more confirmation of her identity they needed.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Fayçal follows Casey onto the ship.

Jane stands with open arms, grinning as Casey approaches. "Good to see you, Casey.  Been a few months, I suppose?"

"Oh, just a few," They smile, giving her a warm hug. "It's good to see you too. I hope the zee has not been too cruel." There is a moment where it seems like they are about to say something else, but then pauses at the sound of footsteps close behind. Casey turns, seeing the person from before, and shifts a little to make they were standing partially in front of Jane.

"I'm truly sorry about earlier." Casey says. "I didn't mean to shoulder you, but if you needed to talk it out, we shouldn't be here to do so."

"Oh! No, no, it's fine," Fayçal says, raising a hand defensively. "I didn't come here for that. I was actually hoping to talk to, ah, Captain Greene," they say sheepishly.

"Here to sign on?  Let's have a look at you, then."  Jane  steps forward and circles Fayçal  once, assessing them.  They keep talking to Casey, however.  "I hope you'll stay for tea once I'm done here?  I figure we can catch up a bit more personally than through letters."

Casey is watching Jane circle the stranger with a slightly amused grin. "My business here is nearly finished... I'd love some tea." They tilt their head, studying Fayçal from where they're standing. "Have you ever been at zee?"

"I have, though not extensively," Fayçal says, glancing over at Jane as she circles them. They try to push the image of some small prey animal being circled by a hawk out of their mind. "I've also sailed on the surface, but I understand that's not entirely comparable."

"It's not, but your old skills will still help.  What's your name, then?"  Jane steps back.  Their eye bores into Fayçal, or maybe that's just the way Jane's face looks.

Casey leans in to Fayçal. "She's really a wonderful woman when you get to know her. Not entirely intimidating such as on a first glance." They said with a small smile.

Fayçal gives Casey a slight smile before glancing back up at Jane. "My name is Fayçal Descoteaux."

"French, eh?  Alright, Fayçal."  She says. "If you know enough about sailing I doubt you'll get under our feet when we're under way, but there's a few other things I have to check.  Strike me."  She instructs, with her tone obviously indicating she's not in the mood for objections. Casey is quick to stifle their surprise laugh, instead hastily coughing and stepping off to the side.

Fayçal looks up at Jane in surprise, before quickly looking her over. They knew there would likely be a catch to this- perhaps she would try to dodge or otherwise deflect the hit. This meant they had to act quickly if they wanted it be effective at all. They throw a hard punch at the most effective place they could reasonably reach- in the center of her torso, right under her ribcage. Jane grunts a bit, but far more important to Fayçal is the feeling of their fingers... crunching as they impact the armor hidden beneath the coat.

Fayçal quickly pulls their hand back, gasping and cursing under their breath. What the hell? They quickly look over their hand, then back up at Jane, surprised and perhaps a bit afraid. Had this meant they had failed her test? Surely she didn't actually expect them to have known she had armor on.

"Welcome aboard, zailor."  Jane says with a grin. "Let's get that patched up and get some tea brewed, then."

---

In the ship's kitchen, there's a table and some stools and a whistling kettle.  Jane proves to be quite a skillful surgeon, and quite a bit cleaner and neater as well; Faycal's fingers are now comfortably numb and bandaged up.

"You would have passed if you'd gone for the face as well, but I like that you went for the rib shot.  Shows you're thinking about more than my eyepatch."  Jane says conversationally.  "Tea should be in the cupboard right there, Casey." Casey patters about, retrieving the tea but also taking note of the ways Jane has secured the kitchen. They expected no less for it to be a central hub of safety, considering the who the captain is.

"I don't recognize most of these labels," They remark, carrying over a few selections. "It all certainly smells of tea, but... different."

"Some of them are from South, near the Mountain.  They'll clear a cough right up."  Jane says absentmindedly as she finishes patching Faycal up.  "There. Now, keep in mind... if we're boarded or otherwise find yourself in combat, and you see something wearing a coat, be wary of striking it with your bare hand.  There's no telling what's under there."

"I don't think I would have been able to reach your face well enough to actually hit you anyway," Fayçal says with a light laugh. "And yes, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," they say, and glance down at their bandages. "Thank you again for patching me up."

"It's not a problem.  We have quite a good surgeon working on this ship, but if they happen to be occupied you're always welcome to come to me for help.  I do my best to take care of my crew and compensate them fairly, but I won't hide that we go to dangerous places and engage in dangerous business.  That little test of mine covers quite a few bases, though... fighting instinct, reflexes, response to commands... pain threshold."  She grins at that morbid little joke.

"Nobody surpasses Jane in the pain threshold category," Casey chimes in, settling down on a stool. "That's one test that is rarely won."

"If you're in a situation where you're being tested at that level I'd be more concerned about you simply surviving than how well you're dealing with the pain."  Jane volleys back.

Fayçal laughs, albeit somewhat nervously. As time goes on, they were less and less sure that this was a good idea. However, that was not going to stop them. "I'm assuming you do that test with every new person who wants to join your crew?"

"Aye.  That's one of the reason I don't get the crowds some of the other ships do.  Word gets around.  Lots of zailors figure the Zee is dangerous enough without a madwoman who ventures its farthest reaches at the helm."

"Once you're in Jane's crew, however," Casey says. "You may find this is a startlingly safe ship. There is no protection left aside, so in truth she's probably the most sensible captain you'll meet. Everyone else is frightened."

"Were you on her crew?" Fayçal asks, giving Casey a curious glance.

Casey's smile is wry. "I just know her very well, and hear reports back from her crew. Her and I go back a few years."

Fayçal nods, and decides it'd be best not to question further. "My apologies for interrupting your visit with her."

"This meeting was a happy accident.  You weren't interrupting anything."  Jane says.

"Plus, the Dire Warning is set to head out of London as soon as everything is ready." Casey says. "You jumped on at precisely the right time."

"I don't stick around long.  There are groups who have... issues with me being in the area." Jane says.

"So I've heard,"  Fayçal says, frowning slightly. "You've got, ah, quite a reputation."

Casey, remembering the tea would be well brewed by now, starts pouring everyone's cups. "Rumours evolve and spread quickly in London. By now the most vile of the lot probably spreads the rumour that Jane ran from London and created a colony that cannibalizes infants."

"It's easier for everyone if I keep my visits short, at the moment."  Jane says stiffly.  "So, Fayçal.  Are you prepared to witness the sights of the furthest Zee?"

"I'm about as prepared as I think I could be," Fayçal says sheepishly, and takes the cup of tea in their non-injured hand.

Casey is quiet, casting a brief glance at Jane before looking back to Fay. "What stories have you heard about the risks that could occur at zee?" They ask.

"Well..." Fayçal says, considering the question a moment. "I've heard of many different kinds of sea-monsters, and a place where everything talks, and some place up north with deadly cold. I've also heard a great deal of stories of people going mad out there."

"All true.  Some of the more straightforward things, really.  Madness is a genuine threat.  The Zee is vast and dark; our lights can only define so much of it at any time, and there are many things out there happy to snuff those lights out if they take notice.  I've had a great deal of experience and practice sailing safely, but you must understand: you will need to learn how to wrestle with and overcome your terror if you're going to spend any length of time at Zee."

"That is precisely why I'm not a zailor," Casey says, pointing at Jane. "The sense of terror. I've been at zee, to the Iron Republic, but that's an experience best done once."

Jane nods solemnly at Casey. "I've learned to deal with it, but I'm sure you've heard the stories of how I must be a madwoman, doing the things I do, going the places I go."  She grins at Fay.  "Perhaps I am.  But I've learned a great deal.  I've gained quite a lot.  You could too, in time."

"For my sake I certainly hope so," Fayçal says with a laugh. They take a sip of their tea, and look back up at Jane. "Are you leaving later today? I'm assuming you're not staying in London long."

Jane rummages in their coat for a fine-looking pocketwatch of some silvery metal; it seems to be made of proper clockwork, not of moon-pearls. "Hm... Tomorrow morning.  I've got to give my existing crew time to enjoy themselves, after all."

"Any longer and certain unsavoury individuals will catch wind of her arrival here," Casey says. "But still enough time to try to relax and breathe for a moment... if you need me to hand off some information to Roland, I can do that tonight."

"Oh, yes, thank you for the reminder."  Jane nods appreciatively.  She goes to one of the cupboards, open it, removes a panel in the back, and then removes a panel at the bottom of that, then catches the sorrow-spider that leaps out of it with one hand; it's tossed to the floor and crushed underfoot a moment later, before she finally retrieves a small water-proof sack that seems just the right size to contain a journal of modest size.  "Nothing he hasn't anticipated, I should think, but still useful."  She tosses the sack gently to Casey.

--

Roland's office was one of the most luxurious in the city, provided your standards were nuanced.  There were no particularly gaudy displays, noting that, at a glance, would speak to opulent wealth... but simply existing within it for long enough would allow anyone with the eye to realize how comfortable the space was, how perfectly adjusted the feel of the space and its contents was, and how quietly stupendous the contents within were.

After knocking on the door and letting themselves in, Casey finds that both Roland and Elizabeth are already there.  Roland is at work, hunched slightly over the desk as he reads reports and writes notes, while Elizabeth has set herself up in the corner with an easel.  Dressed in a manner that would be scandalous to a stranger but which Casey knows from experience is simply what Elizabeth finds comfortable, she works steadily at a canvas, her eyes lovingly examining Roland every so often.

Casey has found themself settling on the chaise-lounge in the corner after hanging their coat up. "Jane acquired a fresh new crewperson for her ship... hopefully they'll last." They remark, flipping through but not really observing her notes closely. They're not one to follow zee life too closely. "She sends her love too."

That lights up Elizabeth's face.  "If you manage to catch her before she leaves again, give her mine as well?  Hopefully we'll be able to arrange for her to actually come into the city next time."

Roland looks up and smiles. "Oh, good. Has she been keeping well?"

"About as well as one can when living on a ship," They reply, standing back up to hand Roland the notes. "Whatever is in here was well protected behind several layers of security." Casey glances at Elizabeth with a silly grin. "Does she have any secret family recipes she'd like to keep safe?"

"Knowing our family, I doubt it."  Elizabeth's brow wrinkles for a moment, before returning the silly grin with one of her own. "She might have learned a thing or two of her own out on the Zee, though.  Perhaps we can convince her to make some fish next time."  

Roland sorts through the notes, then stands up, walking to a map of the Zee with them in hand. "These are supply lines and patrol routes for the Khanate. Places to avoid and blind spots to get through. If what I have in mind long-term will work, this is important."

--

The Dire Warning rests at dock. Most of its crew are out reveling; only a handful are at watch. They nod to Casey as they arrive, clearly familiar with them. The smell of darkdrop coffee wafts from the brew-up they have going.

"Captain's belowdeck. She'll be glad to see you before we ship out."

Beaming, Casey gives a courteous nod to the crew and a little wave. "Many thanks!" They call out as they stride aboard, making their way below deck.

The ship used to intimidate Casey only slightly, knowing there are far more hidden traps and defense mechanisms than one could immediately see. Regardless, they're at Jane's door in moments, and they knock thrice upon it.

There's a sound of heavy bolts sliding into the door, before a tiny slit opens near the top.

"Oh! One moment, Casey."

It takes several seconds for Jane to disengage the rest of the traps and locks, before the door cracks open.  Jane is in her nightwear, her prosthetic detached for the evening.  Casey can see a new scar along Jane's collarbone.  "Come on in. I was just updating my charts."

Jane's room is somewhere between a fortress and museum.  She carefully locks the door behind Casey.  "Elizabeth is well, I hope?"

"As always," Casey responds, removing their coat and setting it aside. "Working on a new painting last we met. You'll have to come back when it's finished."

Their eyes wander the room, trying to pick out what's new. Nothing seems to catch their interest until they look at Jane. "Hopefully you haven't had too much trouble.."

"I've been well enough." Jane says, rubbing her shoulder where skin met the prosthetic's mount as she double checks her charts. She always seems at least a little self-conscious around Casey.  "Maybe next time I'm in port I can sneak out to see her."

" That can definitely be arranged," Casey says, grinning. "We can all have a meal together and try to catch up! Make it a family affair. I have ways of sneaking around," They move to sit near her--just arm's length, as they sense she seems cautious, and continue. "I make a great body guard in a pinch too, should it come to that."

"That would be lovely." She does turn and grin at the bodyguard comment; absolutely towering over Casey and with the kind of build one associates with the battle-nuns of Abbey Rock, she doesn't seem the sort to need a bodyguard. "I have little to fear if you're watching my back." That part's completely sincere, at least. Jane takes a seat and lets her arm rest near Casey.

Their hand moves to rest stop her arm, then down to clasp her hand. "I've missed you," they say quietly. "Your reasons for staying away are valid, but the city feels strange without you here."

Casey glances at her. "Do you ever consider staying for good?"

"Of course. How could I not?" Jane's eye squints as she frowns. "But it would mean putting Elizabeth, and both you and Roland, in danger. Its easier for everyone if my enemies think I'm already out of the way. Besides, the pull it would take to make them forget what I've done to them..." Jane leaves it unsaid. Casey already knows a couple of the figures who would prefer Jane never step foot in London again.

"I'm capable of dispatching the risk," They say. There is a hardness to their expression, an almost too-direct way of looking at Jane to indicate they're serious, and then it fades. "Again... only if it comes to that. I've my own enemies to track and monitor."

"I appreciate your capability, but I have no wish to force you to bring it to bear.  As you say, you have problems of your own."  Jane squeezes Casey's hand. "Perhaps we'll see. Time might make them feel they have better things to focus their attention on, though my encounters with Hell's ships at zee suggest they're willing to bear the grudge for as long as it takes."

Casey sighs, leaning up against Jane's shoulder. "I hope your tiny new recruit can withstand it. Hell will remain here for long after we're all gone."

"Considering some of the things Roland has tasked me with finding out, he may have a plan for that.  As for my recruit... We'll see." Jane grins. "I've got a feeling they have quite a respectable amount of resolve." Jane's hand lightly grips Casey's waist.

"With the size of their overcoat, I imagine it'd have to be a lot of resolve, I mean... what else would that, uh.." their thought trails off when they catch Jane's eye.

"Conceal." Casey says. "...how late are you planning on staying docked?"

"Til' morning. We have quite a few hours."

--

Casey awakened groggily at the gentle shaking of their shoulder.

"I'm shipping out soon, dear.  I've got tea ready, but it's time you got back on shore, I think."  Jane had set a steaming cup of tea next to the bed; the good captain was looking perhaps a bit disheveled, her unbuttoned coat still open and her pants a bit loose, but she also wore a gentle smile.  To Casey, it might as well be the only thing Jane needed to wear.

"Mmm.  Don't you have time for-"

"I don't."  Jane said, her face growing a bit stern. "And you know that well."  She sat on the edge of the bed, cradled the back of Casey's head, and pulled them into a deep kiss.  Once their lips released each other, she whispered.  "Another time, I will.  But we both have things to see to. "

Casey did their best to delay. Underwear was lost, and all-too-rapidly found.  A second cup of tea was requested.  Finally, a mostly-clothed Casey was gently but firmly guided off the ship by Jane, even as she attempted to stifle giggles at the increasingly unlikely efforts of her lover.

[unovasrage]

...

* talk to hyu’s pokemon* @hxrmonia ( tallulah )* accepting

[ You are the man-child from before. ] Breath ripe of Octillery flesh seeps from between carnassial;  a low growl emanating from her chest seems to vibrate her heart between her ribcage – a drum to be heard and feared underwater, to let all prey know the huntress is among them. [ …you stink of the false prophet. ] Though eyes narrow, other indications of her demeanor remain entirely neutral. 

[ In your heart I can see you are not one to have knowingly caused such pain as that which my boy has suffered, ] A sharp exhale flung droplets of saltwater to from pink nostrils, a clearing which allowed her to draw fresh breath before she continues, words leaving as a small bark. [ …he is unsure about you. But I can sense your good, pure intentions. ] 

At last her eyes draw closed in a blink, before reopening – now lacking the greatest part of wariness which had previously cast shadow upon them. Now there is merely uncertainty; this human is largely unknown. [ Perhaps you and my boy could learn from each other. ]

[lupienne]

Comic Negan Fic Recommendations

Welcome to my compiling of compelling Comic Negan fanfiction! If you’re looking for fics that focus more on Negan’s comic incarnation, well, here you go!

I used to try to update this list monthly, but it’s going to be probably every few months from now on. New additions are at the bottom and in italics.

As of this update, I’m also including fics I’ll describe as (Exception To) These are fics that are either based off TV Negan or seem to be based off him, but I still think Comic Negan aficionados will enjoy as well.

As always, if you like a fic, please leave the writer a comment or give them a kudos/like/reblog or whatnot. Writers appreciate your support and feedback so very much!

(updated on Sept 1, 2018)

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In no particular order:

Stigmatic by 217. Follow Negan’s POV as he leads the Saviors in what starts off as comic canon, before venturing into wonderfully AU territory. Also featuring 217’s most excellent OCs; she is truly a master at crafting real, well-rounded and interesting characters. She also has such a talent for writing Negan true to the comics and yet making her own unique version of his character as well. The plotline of this story is always moving forward as the Saviors travel through the highs and lows of life in the apocalypse. On ff.net On A03

217 has also done some AU series within the Stigmatic verse:

Phlegmatic: which is an AU take on Alice and Negan if they had met before the ZA. On ff.net On A03

Haematic which is another pre-ZA AU take where Negan struggles to raise his and the late Lucille’s daughter, Lulu (and her pet lobster, Crusty!), all by his lonesome. On ff.net On A03

Fics by WattStalf. She has quite a few Negan fics, most of which are nice bite-sized reads and quite enjoyable. Here’s three of my favorites.

His Favorite Girl Smut involving Negan and his favorite girl… why, who else but Lucille the Vampire bat?

Making Like A funny and sexy Negan/Rick fic.

One Night Stand Negan and Olivia smut. Hell yeah.

And here is her complete TWD list

A Wolf at the Door by Misterkingdom: A very well-written fic where Negan makes sure Rick knows who the King Dick Motherfucker is around here.

Beautiful Tragedy by 217: Yet another gem by this master writer of ole Negan. However, RM (aka ‘Rude Motherfucker’) the OC of this story, doesn’t see Negan in the most flattering light. One of Negan’s (aka ‘Dumpy’s) wives, she uses his perks to support her ongoing drug addiction, that is, until Negan takes note…and he doesn’t approve. The dialogue in this story is absolutely a riot, as RM’s mouth and thoughts are every bit as vulgar and outrageous as Negan’s! On ff.net On A03

217 also has quite a few shorter fare for those that balk at lengthier stories (but trust me, they are worth every word!) My personal favorites are The Cleansing which is a pitch-back affair, Negan’s Number What? (a birthday present to me a few years ago, and the hottest Negan/Sherry smut EVER!), and Non-NEGotiable which is a Stigmatic smut where Negan loses a bet and his ass to Alice. On ff.net On A03

The Life of Negan & Lucille by TeamCarlisle: Based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory, it’s Negan and Lucille’s pre-apocalypse days before it all fell apart. Sweet and yet heartbreaking, it’s a treat to see Negan in his pre-Savior days. But get your tissues out for this one!

Recollection by 217: Another goodie by 217, this is based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory and contains part of his life with Lucille. On ff.net On A03

Embracing the Apocalypse by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightyDazed) Sanctuary and the Saviors has gained a new member, Rebecca, who struggles to find a foothold in this new society, but soon has captured the attention of Negan. He himself has been newly reinstated as the Savior’s leader and is also on unsure ground, unlike his previous bout of leadership. The two share a similar sense of humor and a need for a new start, but nothing is ever easy in the post-apocalyptic world.

This is yet another story that captures the charm, awkwardness and humor of Comic Negan, and features a very funny OC as well. Very much worth a read!

SomewhatSlightyDazed also has several shorts (mostly smutty, but a few aren’t.) They’re great for a quickie. A quick read, that is. ;) My personal favorites are: Post-Apocalyptic Driving School, Guys Like Him (Olivia and Negan, always a treat!), and Double-Dare (Smutty threesome with Negan and his wives. Yum!)

Through the Valley by Dusty Cookie Another merry jaunt into Sanctuary and the lives of the Saviors. Several Saviors, while out on a run, spot a female apparently living all on her lonesome and think she might be a good asset for Sanctuary. Now Negan just has to convince her she has a place there, and our story begins. :)

Dusty writes an absolutely fantastic Negan and her OCs are also well-written and interesting. Her dialogue and overall writing style is also so entertaining, witty, and just a pleasure to read. Try Chapter 1, and you’ll be hooked! On ff.net on A03

Dusty also has several short fics that are all equally great… but watch out for that catty Miss Fiona in The Hand that Feeds!

Tender Prey by bigcatsandkatanas I’m very bad and haven’t reviewed this one yet. I haven’t read a lot of them, so maybe it’s a bit pre-mature to say, but I think this is my favorite Regan fic. We have a bit more of a humble and lonely Negan due to his incarceration by good ole Prick Grimes, and it makes for one smutty tale I adore. Negan is written really great in this and despite being mostly smut, it’s also got some nice character moments for Negan. I really like it.

Gifts by redheadedwhat A nice little Negan/OC smut for your reading pleasure. Some humorous bits and of course, some very lovely smut.

Hurt by opheliadawnwalker3 Perhaps leaning more towards TV Negan, this is still a really good (and heart-wrenching) short about Negan and Lucille and her very bad news.

Satellite Days by Kinkozan After the Whisperer War, Negan has been living in an old outpost from the Savior days, and he finds himself in the company of Toni, another survivor who isn’t quite welcome around her old communities anymore either. They must try to survive in their new environment, as well as survive each other.

Backspin by Kinkozan Negan’s wife Charli’s plans of giving him a much-deserved spanking and trying to assert herself in the relationship might come back to bite her in the ass. Smut and angst.

Lupienne’s Negan fanfictions. Here’s my additions to the Comic Negan bookcase. I have a long WIP involving Negan and the boring domestic affairs of his wives, as well as a few shorter reads that are mostly of the smut variety. On A03 On ff.net (I don’t have them all on there, but if you prefer reading on this site…)

Enigmatic by 217: Based off Here’s Negan 15, where Negan receives a nasty wound from a fellow survivor. Upon going to clean out his wound, Negan meets an OC who is all too eager to give him some ‘healing.’ On ff.net On AO3

Love(d) by Dusty Cookie A pre-ZA short with Negan and Lucille. Dusty doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings, she rips them right out of your body.

WIP by Metal Butter Metal Butter mentioned a prisoner Negan fic they were writing, and upon my request, posted a snippet of it! It’s not complete, but it’s awesome just as it is. I love the way Negan is written as he narrates from his prison cell. Also contains shades of Regan. Yum!

In the Twilight Kingdom by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed) Filled with grief over his recently deceased Lucille, Negan struggles to live and find a reason for doing so in the dangerous new world of the apocalypse.

Decomposition by 217: “Do you know what decomposition is? Answer the goddamn question.” A dark short of Negan’s thoughts as Lucille claims another life.

Bedtime Stories by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightyDazed): What happens when Negan finds out some of the Sanctuary women have been writing porn about him?

Last Chance Revival by 217. This fic follows an AU, non-ZA Negan as he tends bar in a rough part of town, where the highlight of his night is watching quirky OC’s Murphy’s ass leave the bar in her tight leopard print spandex. On ff.net On AO3

Heart in a Blender by Bigcatsandkatanas. A Negan/Rick fic set in a non-apocalyptic AU verse. Negan, lonely and despondent after his divorce with Lucille, decides to take a chance and use a dating app. When he accidentally matches with Rick Grimes, it’s the start of an awkward friendship (and maybe more?) Bigcatsandkatanas writes an excellent Negan, from his personality to his dialogue.

I Bless the Rains Down at Sanctuary by Redheadedwhat. Negan’s wife Tallulah discovers the hilarity of a drunken Negan. And an important question is pondered…just what did happen to the band members of Toto after the apocalypse?

Exhaust by Spliced-up Angel. An AU take on All out War. What if Negan hadn’t lost that last battle? Told from Carl’s POV, the young Grimes struggles to adapt to Negan’s rule over Alexandria. Since the story is all from Carl, Negan isn’t painted in the most flattering light. His dialogue is hilarious and poor Carl finds himself in a few embarrassing situations due to Negan’s lack of shame.

The tumblr Masterlist for Dusty-cookie. Suitable for liking, rec’ing and reblogging!

Dixon Dallas by 217. An AU smut involving Negan as a porn star :D

Priorities by Dusty Cookie. A fluffy short, perfect for snuggling up with on a cold winter day!

Happy Fucking Birthday by Dusty Cookie. Negan gives the present of smut to his favorite birthday girl.

Careful What You Wish For by Dusty Cookie. More glorious smut! I only wish for more!

The tumblr Masterlist for Embracetheapocalypsewithme. Great for reblogging and giving this writer more exposure. Do it!  

An Enemy of the Crows by redheadedwhat. A chance encounter with a crow will change Negan’s life forever. :)

Cursed Land by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). This tale begins with a map with a blacked-out section Negan refuses to speak about… a fic to read with all the lights on!

The Love You Take by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). A lonely, exiled Negan investigates mysterious music he keeps hearing at night…

Yes, Mistress by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). Negan gets some new jewelry for Sherry to wear. She isn’t exactly enthused about it…but Negan can be pretty convincing ;) Glorious smut!

I’ll Always Be With You by Maggie Monster. Lucille has passed on, yet she has never left Negan’s side.

Irrational Fears by Embracetheapocalypsewithme. Even the fearless Negan has some irrational fears.

Hush by Dusty Cookie. Nothing like some public sex to get Little Negan all riled up ;)

Illicit Intervention by 217. This fic takes place before the apocalypse and involves Negan’s troubled marriage to Lucille and the woman he finds outside of it.

After Life by Dusty Cookie. Angsty Negan and Lucille.

Untitled (Regan smut) by Likeagoddamn cat. Some nice Regan smut based off Negan’s infamous ‘sad eye contactless handjob’ line from the comics.

His Beautiful Lady by Dusty Cookie. Negan foot-fetish smut! The world needs more of this! ;P

217fanfic’s Tumblr masterlist, suitable for reblogging and bookmarking. :)

Help Me Out by genevievedarcygranger. Prisoner Negan, Rick, and comments about handjobs lead to some Regan goodness.

Fics by Bunnylouisegrimes. Bunny is a new writer to the Negan scene and here’s some of her works I’ve enjoyed. Since I believe she writes more for TV Negan, these are (Exception To) :)

Lullaby of a Dead Man - Negan finds himself betrayed and fighting for his life.

Regret An intro to Bunny’s OC and a look into Negan’s regrets.

My Imaginary Friend isn’t that Imaginary AU in which Negan is the guardian to a young girl who is very special to him.

Gone Away, Out of Reach by Marium. (Exception To) TV based/AU and heavy on the angst. While in his cell, Negan learns some tragic news.

Fuck You by Annablack1102 (Exception To/seems comic-Negan enough to me) Sub Negan, smut, and strap-ons....what is not to like?

--

Ok guys, that’s it for this update! Happy reading! I’ve got a big ole reading queue to catch up on, so hopefully come next update, I’ll have another heaping pile of fictional joy for ya’ll.

(Reblogs of this post are appreciated to help give these writers more exposure. :))

[weekendwarriorblog]

The Weekend Warrior 8/13/21 - CODA, FREE GUY, DON’T BREATHE 2, RESPECT, THE LOST LEONARDO, WHAT IF, and More!

Well, that was kind of a disappointing last weekend as James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad pretty much tanked at the box office, making less than Birds of Prey did back in February 2020 with all sorts of backseat analysis explaining why it didn’t do well as anyone, other than a scant, few thought. I mean, I’m still kind of stunned, even though COVID and the Delta variant seem to be losing steam as far as being news. It certainly didn’t help that HBO Max decided to release the movie concurrently on HBO Max on Thursday at 7pm.

The nice thing about this week is that we have three new movies, none of which are on streaming or On Demand at the exact same time, so if you want to see any of them, you’ll have to put on your N96 masks and get yourself to theaters. Two of the three movies are originals, while the third is a sequel to quite an original horror movie from about five years back. All of them are pretty good, actually. We’ll get to them soon...

But first, let’s start with this week’s “The Chosen One” and it’s gotta be Siân Heder’s CODA i.e. “Child of Deaf Adults,” which will play in select theaters and on Apple TV+ starting Friday. If you hadn’t heard, it was the belle of the ball at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, winning the Jury Prize and Audience Award alike. Heder previously directed Tallulah and is the showrunner on Apple’s Little America, but this really is a very special film that I’ve enjoyed on repeat viewings now.

It stars Emilia Jones as Ruby Rossi, the sole hearing person in her family of Gloucester fishermen, who are out every day on the sea making the latest catch in their nets. Ruby has other aspirations, and when she joins the school choir, the teacher, Mr. Villalobos (Eugene Derbez) sees talent in Ruby that he thinks might get her into the Berklee College of Music. Ruby has to weigh that with her family’s need to have her as an interpreter while dealing with the other fishermen of the town.

I didn’t know what to expect when I saw this at Sundance back in January, and it still surprised me when I rewatched it again, because it’s a movie that involves a lot of elements that shouldn’t necessarily work, between the fishing and the singing and all the ASL between the amazing ingenue, Ms. Jones, and the deaf actors playing her family, including the one and only Oscar-winning Marlee Matlin. If not for these disparate elements, Coda might be a fairly standard indie family drama, but Heder finds just the right balance of showing how these disparities in Ruby’s life make it hard for her to pursue her dreams.

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo from Sing Street plays the classmate who Ruby is set up with to perform a duet at their high school recital, and of course, he also becomes an unwitting love interest. Unfortunately that’s the aspect of the film that’s the weakest, because Jones’ scenes with Matlin and the other actors, including Derbez, as well as Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant, as Ruby’s father and brother, are just so powerful and moving even if they’re all in ASL with no dialogue or even incidental score.

Coda is Heder’s second film after Talllulah, a movie starring Elliot Page that never really connected with me, but Coda is such a strong and exceedingly crowd-pleasing film that I have to imagine that this would connect with everybody. I’m not sure if Apple’s gonna be able to get this movie all the way to Oscar night, but I do like its chances for Adapted (?) Screenplay, and maybe Matlin and Kotsur Supporting? I don’t know, because it’s so early and hard to tell, but hopefully the decision to wait so long after the virtual Sundance won’t hurt this movie as it hurt other Sundance award-winning films. Coda is just a joy that I’m sure will be many people’s favorite movie.

You can read my interview with Ms. Heder over at Below the Line.

Incidentally, in last week’s column, I talked about the 20th New York Asian Film Festival, but I didn’t realize that it was only running at Film at Lincoln Center for a week before going down to the SVA Theater on 23rd Street, and you can check out the schedule of movies playing there at the official site. And of course, there’s still the Virtual Festival that’s running through August 22. Also, Fantasia is still going on in Montreal, and I still haven’t had time to watch very much. What can I say? I suck.

Let’s get to some wide releases, shall we?

First up and probably the most likely to win the weekend is Ryan Reynolds’ new action-comedy, FREE GUY (20th Century Studios), directed by Shawn Levy and co-starring Jodie Comer from Killing Eve. The high-concept comedy has Reynolds playing Guy, a bank teller, who actually is a non-player character in a video game called “Free City” that’s kind of a cross between Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite. When he meets Comer’s character in the game, he falls mady in love and decides to do whatever it takes to get on her level. (Get it?) In doing so, Guy ends up becoming a hero for Free City, as well as a viral sensation across the globe as gamers thrill to Guy’s adventures.

Free Guy is Ryan Reynolds’ first live-action starring role theatrical release since…. Oh…. the action-comedy sequel The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife a little under two months ago. Considering that barely made half of what its predecessor did, and that’s with Reynolds sharing the screen with Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek, one wonders if his draw as an A-lister can be maintained during a pandemic. Before that, you’d have to go all the way back to 2018’s Deadpool 2 for a fully live Reynolds movie, because he wasn’t seen as himself for most of his role in and as Detective Pikachu. Of course, Reynolds’ unmistakable voice was back in DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age, the sequel to the 2013 blockbuster that made the ballsy move to be one of the first movies to open during the pandemic. It grossed $58.6 million in theaters, which was slightly more than Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and even more than the Warner Bros. sequel, Wonder Woman 1984.

This is also a big movie for Jodie Comer, who won an Emmy and was nominated for two Golden Globes for Killing Eve, but hasn’t really been in too many movies, other than playing Rey’s Mum in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Later this year, she’ll star in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel and may possibly be back in the awards game again, we’ll see. The movie also stars Lil Rel Howery, who seems to be everywhere and in everything these days, as well as Taika Waititi who is super-hot right now due to 2019’s Jojo Rabbit, and his various television projects, as well as having a small role in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad last week.

In some ways, Free Guy is gonna be a test for a lot of things, the first one being whether Reynolds is a big enough draw when not playing Deadpool to get people into theaters, just as people are starting to get skittish again about going into movie theaters. More importantly, it will show whether not having a movie on streaming or VOD means that people who want to see it will put aside their fears and return to theaters… like they did with F9 and Black Widow and Godzilla vs. Kong. Is an original non-franchise movie like Free Guy enough to get people interested in getting their butts off the couch and into a far more comfortable movie theater seat? (I’m being facetious, if you didn’t guess.)

After The Suicide Squad last week, I’m really not sure whether I can trust my own instincts, but I also don’t want to lower my prediction to something ridiculous out of fear that the pandemic really is destroying any chance of the box office fully recovering. One thing working in Free Guy’s favor, besides its PG-13 rating is that it’s not available on streaming and VOD. Anyone who has been intrigued by the film’s great reviews will HAVE to go out to a movie theater to see it or else, they’ll have to wait 45 days.

Maybe if this opened last month, I could see it open in the $30 million to $40 million range, but with things being the way they are, I’d probably go with high $20 million, so close to $30 million but not quite.

You can read my review over at Below the Line, and I’ll have an interview with the film’s Production Designer, Ethan Tobman, fairly soon.

Also opening Friday is the horror sequel DON’T BREATHE 2 (Sony/Screen Gems), starring Stephen Lang as the blind former Navy Seal who terrorized a bunch of kids who broke into his house in 2016’s Don’t Breathe.

The original movie, which starred Jane Levy, reuniting with director Fede Alvarez after the two remade Evil Dead for producer Sam Raimi, opened in late August, on the fourth weekend of the original Suicide Squad, in fact, and it knocked the movie out of the #1 spot. Its $26 million opening in 3,000 theaters was impressive for the time, partially because late August has never been great. It stayed #1 for a second weekend, over Labor Day, and it ended up grossing $89.2 million in North America, which is great for an R-rated horror film.

Levy isn’t around for the sequel and Alvarez has moved into a co-writer/producer role for his creative partner, Rodo Sagayes, to take over the directing reins, but honestly, I’m not sure how many people will know or care, because Lang’s character and the film’s violence and chills are it’s real selling point. Like many horror movies, there isn’t much in terms of star power other than Lang, but that has never really hindered the success of a horror movie in the past.

As with every movie I cover in this column, there’s the pandemic in the room and whether that might hold people back from going to theaters. I wish there was a way to calculate the effect that’s had on moviegoing, because it seems to affect movies differently. For instance, the recent The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was able to open with $24.1 million just two months ago, although that was down from the $40 million of the previous two chapters. So that’s about a 40% drop-off in a similar five-year gap between movies. (Actually, it’s kind of strange that 2021 is replicating 2021 with three sequels to movies from five years earlier.) There’s no denying that the number of Covid cases are way up since June and movie theaters are still being painted as the “enemy” even though no significant cases have been traced back to the movies.

We also have to look at Sony’s last horror sequel, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, which I quite enjoyed, but it ended up opening with about $10 million less than the original movie a few years back. We can probably expect Don’t Breathe 2 to have a similar pandemic drop-off even if it’s another movie that won’t be on streaming or VOD this weekend.

I think Don’t Breathe 2 should be good for around $15 million this weekend since it’s catering towards a young audience that’s a bit more devil-may-care about going out to theaters. It will also probably appeal more to older single guys than something like Free Guy, which seems different enough to pull in a different audience.

My review will be posted over at Below the Line later on Thursday, plus I have a bunch of interviews coming, including this one with Rodo Sayagues and Fede Alvarez.

Next up is RESPECT (MGM), the long-awaited Aretha Franklin biopic (for those that didn’t see Genius, like me, I guess), starring Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson as the Queen of Soul. The movie directed by Liesl Tommmy was supposed to be released in January to take part in last year’s Oscars race, but I guess MGM wanted to make sure it got a proper theatrical release, which wasn’t possible since NYC and L.A. movie theaters didn’t reopen until March after the cut-off. But MGM had already decided to push the movie back to the summer in hopes of having more theaters able to play the movie, which is kind of true now?

It’s been a while since we’ve seen JHud in a high-profile theatrical release, and unfortunately, the last one was 2019’s Cats, a movie in which she probably was the best thing, although it still only grossed $27 million domestically, a flat-out bomb. Before that, she provided her voice for the animated blockbuster Sing in 2016, and then a bunch of smaller movies before that. She’s joined in the movie by the likes of Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Titus Burgess, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, and Audra MacDonald, quite an impressive array of talent that shows how many wanted to be involved with this project. Director Liesl Tommy is making her feature directorial debut after directing a ton of theater and TV shows like The Walking Dead and Jessica Jones.

Even so, it’s obviously that the ongoing popularity of Aretha Franklin, especially since her death in 2018, is going to go a long way into getting people into theaters, which includes a lot of older black women who really haven’t had much to get them out into theaters in recent months. Will this be enough?

Before Respect was delayed from its original January release, many thought that Hudson would receive another Oscar nomination for her performances. Having not seen the movie at the time of this writing, I can’t confirm or deny those chances. If that’s still the case, then releasing the movie towards the end of the summer (similar to The Help, successfully, and The Butler, not so much) is an odd decision rather than just holding the movie for festival season by holding until next month.

Either way, I think the love Aretha’s fans have for the Queen of Soul as well as Hudson’s fans, Respect should be good for between $8 and 10 million this weekend -- hard to pinpoint exactly without knowing how many theaters MGM is getting for it against the stronger summer movies.

Mini-Review: I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Respect, even after seeing the trailer a couple dozen times in front of other movies, but it’s a respectable biopic that cover 20 years in the life of the Queen of Soul from singing at a young age in her father’s church to returning to church for the gospel records as captured in the recently-released doc, Amazing Grace.

But first, we go back to 1952 where Aretha is a young girl (played by Skye Dakota Turner) is uncertain of her future as she’s being ordered about by her preacher father (Forrest Whitaker) and trying to find direction. The movie casually sets up the fact that young Aretha was sexually abused by a family friend, and maybe she got pregnant, too? It’s hard to tell and maybe a little odd since she would only have been 10 at the time, but it’s something that will be brought up (just as subtly) over the course of the film.

Jennifer Hudson takes over as Aretha as she turns 19 and goes to New York City to start recording, meets Marlon Wayans’ Ted White, makes him her manager and marries her, which basically has her going from one abusive man in her father to another one. It feels like the movie spends a long than normal time on the ‘60s, which is when Franklin’s career really took off with “Respect” and then a series of hits that took her all around the world. That whole time, she’s dealing with Ted’s abuses and jealousy while trying to write and record those hits, before her dark demons return and she starts drinking heavily.

As you might imagine, you go to see Respect to see how well Jennifer Hudson pulls off the Queen of Soul, and she’s an incredibly complex character that needs a nuanced performance, which Hudson tries to pull off by bringing different aspects of her life into different scenes.

There are some scenes that don’t work as well as others, and it feels like there’s a bit of time-crunching or futzing around so that at a certain point, her father seems to be de-aging, although I was just as impressed (possibly even moreso) with Forrest Whitaker, whose performance as Aretha’s father is more than just a full-on villain despite his violent treatment of his daughter. Wayans is also good and almost unrecognizable at first, and there are a few other nice performances in there as well, including Marc Maron as record label head Jerry Wexler.

But the performances Hudson gives as Franklin are goosebump-inducing, leading up to the recording of her record-selling gospel record as depicted in the aforementioned doc.

A fairly decent representation of Franklin’s little-known life leading up to her fame, Respect probably succeeds the most when Jennifer Hudson is performing as the Queen of Soul, but she’s also created a fairly moving portrait with strong dramatic moments that far outweigh any of the film’s issues. Rating: 8/10

With that in mind, this is how I see the weekend looking with two of the new movies bumping Suicide Squad down to third place where it will be facing off against Respect.

1. Free Guy (20th Century/Disney) - $28.5 million N/A

2. Don’t Breathe 2 (Sony/Screen Gems) - $15 million N/A

3. The Suicide Squad (Warner Bros.) - $10 million -62%

4. Respect (MGM) - $9.6 million N/A

5. Jungle Cruise (Walt Disney Pictures) - $8.7 million -55%

6. Old (Universal) - $2.5 million -36%

7. Black Widow (Marvel/Disney) - $2.4 million -39%

8. Stillwater (Focus) - $2 million -39%

9. Space Jam: A New Legacy (Warner Bros.) - $1.3 million -43%

10. The Green Knight (A24) - $1.1 million -56%

Donnie Yen stars in Bennie Chang’s RAGING FIRE (WELL GO USA), which premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival on Monday and at Fantasia in Montreal on Tuesday, and I’m not going to review this, because honestly, it’s such a cookie-cutter Hong Kong police action-thriller that I’m not sure I really have much to say about it, so I won’t.

On the other hand, I do have more to say about Andreas Koefoed’s documentary, THE LOST LEONARDO (Sony Pictures Classics), the Leonardo being Da Vinci, the master artist behind the Mona Lisa and many other works. Since I don’t really follow the world of art, I really didn’t know about the Salvator Mundi painting found about 10-12 years ago that was thought to be an original Da Vinci worth in the hundreds of millions, often dubbed “The Male Mona Lisa.” But it’s also a painting that was surrounded by controversy due to the 5-year restoring job that may have left very little of the original painting.

As the film began, I was groaning a little about sitting through another movie of art experts and historians talking about how important a find this is and why it’s either great or horrible, depending on who is being interviewed. Eventually, the film gets more interesting as it starts getting into the idea of selling it. After being sold to a wealthy Russian oligarch by an unscrupulous Swiss art dealer who made a nice profit on it, the painting ends up being auctioned by Christie’s, and the story just keeps getting more and more interesting as it goes along.

While I’m not one to go ga-ga over any painting by Da Vinci or otherwise, I do like a good mystery or suspense-thriller, so good on Koefoed for realizing about halfway through this movie that the talking heads will never be as interesting as actual footage. And that’s what happens here, too. I actually feel a little ignorant that I wasn’t aware this was going on as it was, maybe because I don’t really follow the art world in that respect. Maybe I just missed it, so it’s good that Sony Classics (who loves making movies about art) is giving this a fairly high-profile release following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival a few months back. In that sense, The Lost Leonardo is quite a gem.

Heinz Brinkman’s USEDOM: A CLEAR VIEW OF THE SEA (Big World Pictures) is a somewhat intriguing doc about the Baltic island of Usedom, the location of a number of imperial German health resorts, beaches and such, and how the Jews were kicked out by the Nazis before Usedom was split into a German and Polish half after WWII. I wish I could get into this more, but I just have a limited mental capacity for a lot of German talking heads.

Which brings us to Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein’s THE MEANING OF HITLER (IFC Films), the new doc from the team behind Gunner Palace, which looks at the cultural fascination with Hitler and Nazism and the recent rise in white supremacy, antisemitism and the “weaponization of history itself.” I don’t know what that last part means, because I got so swamped this week that I didn’t get to watch this, and like another recent doc on the subject of Naziism and the Holocaust, I just couldn’t get into the right head space to hit play on this doc. Maybe I’ll watch it sometime down the road.

Similarly, I didn’t get around to watching Dutch filmmaker Jim Taihuttu’s THE EAST (Magnet Releasing), which I may like as a fan of Paul Verhoeven’s Dutch WWII films, and I probably should give this a look, but I just ran out of time this week. It’s about a young Dutch soldier who joins an elite unit led by a mysterious captain called “The Turk,” and it takes place in the Indonesian War of Independence after World War II.

As far as TV goes, Wednesday sees the debut of Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF...? on Disney+. I’ve seen the first three episodes, and I was a pretty big fan of the comics in the ‘70s (sadly, part of the giant collection that I sold a few years back), and I guess this is okay. The first episode is the one with Haley Atwell voicing “Captain Carter” i.e. Peggy Carter gets the Super Soldier Serum, which is one of the more obvious What Ifs that could possibly done, so that we can get another “women are as good as men, and they need to be heard” storyline that’s in 90% of the Marvel movies already. On the other hand, the first episode does include the voices of Sebastian Stan and others, so it’s quite a coup in that sense, but whoever wrote it, clearly doesn’t understand that people spoke differently in the ‘40s. I liked the 2nd episode, a mash-up of Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy, which is a fun idea that brings together a lot of great characters -- including Chadwick Boseman’s last voice performance -- but again, hearing the voices just isn’t the same when the writing isn’t as good as the movie. I feel like the animation for the show is okay, maybe not quite on par with some of the great Batman or Superman cartoons we’ve gotten over the years. On the other hand, the entire series features the great voice of Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher, acting kind of like the Rod Serling for the series, much like the Watcher does in the comics. I also dug the music by Emmy winner Laura Karpman (Lovecraft Country), and I’ll watch the rest of the series as it debuts, but I’m not sure it’s as much a rush to see each episode to avoid spoilers as with Loki or WandaVision.

Hitting Netflix this week is the limited series, BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR (Netflix), starring Rosa Salazar, Eric Lange, and Catherine Keener. The tagline is: “Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar) comes to LA dead set on directing her first movie. But when she trusts the wrong person and gets stabbed in the back, everything goes sideways and a dream project turns into a nightmare. This particular nightmare has zombies, hit men, supernatural kittens, and a mysterious tattoo artist who likes to put curses on people. And Lisa’s going to have to figure out some secrets from her own past in order to get out alive.”

Also, TITANS Season 3 debuts on HBO Max, but since I haven’t watched seasons 1 or 2 yet, it might be some time before I get to it.

Next week looks like it could be a bit of a dog with four or five new wide releases but nothing that really jumps out, plus I’ll be in Atlantic City all next weekend, so who knows how much I’ll be able to watch or write about?

[ephigeniaoftheforest-blog]

Hounds of the Manor

@dance-of-war

Effie pressed her fingers against the trunk of an old pine tree whose bark was breaking off in minute pieces, and seemed to surround her on the moss that lurked on the pine’s protruding roots. There was nothing past this old tree besides neatly shorn grass and morning mist that made the manor before her look like a hallucination. She had been tracking the herd of Fallow deer for a night now, hoping to check in on the females that were to be with fawn this spring. Their tracks had continued back up towards the mountains and away from Wisteria if she had guessed correctly from the way their hoof prints continued up north and there were scrapings and strips of bark laying like a path of breadcrumbs.

That was not what had stopped Effie in her tracks however, and instead it was the overwhelmingly large canine print that was smushed into the moist dirt and shorn grass before her. A trail of fresh prints followed, and It would only make sense that a pack of large canines had been placed to guard this manor, but it seemed their path never went past the tree line, and for that, Effie was grateful to Erthe. This pack of beasts could have taken down a Fallow doe or more, and she was glad that neither parties had gotten involved. She was about to step out onto the manor’s grounds, to cover those paw prints with her own, but that was something Tallulah did, and never Effie. She never dared go outside the reaches of the forest because she believed there were monsters far more intimidating outside, and some would never be interested in peace as those of the forest were.

She frowned in contemplation, and caught her lip between her teeth. If Effie stepped out, then there was a chance that she could quickly leap back should there be another fae lurking by, or if the canines think that she is prey. Then again, Erthe worked in strange ways, and something was pulling her out onto the shorn grass and she needed to know just who these canines were.

“Erthe help me.” Effie said, closed her eyes, and stepped onto the grounds with bare feet and her white dress clutched in her fingers.

She squinted one eye open, and when she didn’t light on fire Effie sighed in relief. She returned to her normal stern stare as she looked past the most and beneath her feet the damp ground vibrated ever so slightly. The pack was coming and it wasn’t until she caught the hounds moving like ghosts in the mist that she sunk to the ground with her dress billowing about her. Effie could hear their pants and yips, and paws that tapered to legs that moved with the grace of deer. Everything was still for a moments as the pack slowed and all twelve held Effie’s eyes and she did not dare break the space in between. She had not seen creatures like these before, with the teeth of wolves and the slight build of deer, of deer had wiry fur and claws that is. Effie almost snorted at the thought, but she kept her attention on the pack as one broke forward at a sure, calm pace. It’s tongue lolled in its open mouth, and Effie calmly held up her right hand at its eye level. She didn’t move, didn’t invade its space but instead let it invade hers, let it see this new thing that she was as something besides an intruder. Her heart did not stutter when it growled at her, and neither did her faith waver that peace would appeal to the hound.

They were nearly eye to eye now, and the lead hound’s breath blew in her face and she felt the heat of its mouth on her outstretched hand. Effie let the mass of her gown slip out of her left hand, and her face softened as she felt the first touch of a wet nose press into her right palm, and the sight of a snake-like tail whip behind it’s hindquarters.

Safe.

Effie let out a breath she didn’t know she held in as the rest of the pack that lingered behind slipped into her space and surrounded her in a moving mass of fur and licks and gentle whines. She let herself be pushed and bumped into, and slid her hands across their fur to the point where Effie could not see the trail of her dress below her as the hounds got as close as possible, if she had been happened upon the pack of twelve would have obscured her from sight as there was only one of her and all of them. Everything was new to her and new to them, and she couldn’t help but feel peace. This was what Effie lived for. This heartbreak that surged every time she made new friends who didn’t need words to speak. They were simply more.

“You’re all simply riveting…” she breathed, and moments like this reminded her of all the sights and creatures she had yet to meet. The ones she could not meet in the depths of the forest, in the heart of Sparrow Clan territory.

Effie was lost in the magic of it all, far too lost in the animalistic introduction that she almost forgot they had to belong to someone. She looked back up at the manor, just getting a peek of it before the backs of the hounds covered her view, but she did not lose her wariness. Their master couldn’t be far behind, and she did not know if they would be as welcoming.

[sserpente]

Condolescence (Chapter XIII)

Pairing: Adam (Only Lovers Left Alive) x OFC Language: English Rating: M

Read it on AO3!

It took Tallulah about a week to warm up again. Always cool and taking her distance, she spent a massive amount of time outside in the evening, when the sun set and Adam was still asleep, or in the kitchen to cook meals only she would be able to eat. It was eight days in total that passed until he first found her smiling again.

When the night was still young, the vampire would silently work on his music. He put headphones on whenever he did so, so he wouldn’t disturb Tal in her reading. For the time being, his battered and old editions of Shakespeare’s works seemed to be the only thing that could calm her down, for whenever he was near her, her heart would threaten to explode in her chest.

It was fear she felt, this much he could tell but behind it, hidden deep inside of her, there was affection. Affection that had drawn her back to him when she had found out about his being, affection that made her still care for him despite his unusual nutrition.

Over the last couple of days, she had asked him more and more questions that he had been all willing to answer. Once, they had even talked about Eve and her sister Ava. He had told her about Ian and how he wanted his music to be published but remain anonymous.

Tal hadn’t left him. She was still here and it ached him physically how grateful he was.

His thoughtful expression softening, he looked at her, watching her reading form on his couch. A blanket covered her feet, his book on her lap. Occasionally, she would lick her lips or frown at the words in front of her, now and then she flipped a page.

She is inhumanly beautiful, Adam thought as his long fingers traced the strings of one of his precious guitars. Her skin was perfect to him. All of her freckles and dimples, the way she bit her nails when she got excited. Her long hair shone in the dim light of his living room and it always smelled like roses—a shampoo she used every day—and her beige eyes, glistening with condolescence whenever they locked with his, appeared to be the only thing to keep him sane.

His blood rations were getting rare, the portions per day smaller. It would be so easy to approach her now, heave her into his arms or press her weak body into the mattress of his bed. He could hover above her, hunger, lust and desire prominent in his eyes as he would grab her wrists firmly and hold them tight over both sides of her head. He would lower his face to her petite neck, listening to how the blood rushed through her delicious veins as he would bite her, marking her as his and drinking her sweet blood until she fell asleep from exhaustion…

“Adam? Adam, are you okay?”

Breathing in sharply, he forced his gaze away from her skin, instead looked her right in the eye. Tal’s lips were parted, her expression worried as she shifted on the couch to properly face him.

“You were frozen in place like a statue,” she explained smiling, a light shrugging following. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

The vampire nodded quickly, almost too fast. “I’m alright, sorry, I was… lost in thought, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You know maybe you should take a break, you’ve been working on this song for hours. We could play chess? I… I saw the chess board in your kitchen.”

“Do you know how to play?” He asked, surprised when he watched her nod.

“I used to play with my father when I was young. Back then I was obsessed with Harry Potter, so when Ron saved them all by playing strategically through the room, I told him that I wanted to learn how to do that as well.” She giggled then, the soft sound echoing through the room and ringing in his ears like a song.

Adam smirked. It was so much better when she was this carefree. “Let’s play then.”

Carefully, he put the guitar away and followed her into the kitchen, a little amused by how she dragged along the blanket to stay warm. He had already turned up the heat the other day, given he had heard her teeth clattering last night when she was asleep. Outside, it was getting colder and colder and soon, so he assumed, the first snow would fall. He needed her to stay warm.

“There is a job I would like to apply for. I found it online the other day, there was an interesting advertisement.” She said casually as she sat down at the kitchen table. Adam did the same and then, they started to play.

“That’s great, Tal,”

It was silent judgment he treated her with after, knowing that she was very well aware of his graciousness. Still, no matter, how hard he tried to convince her, she wanted to start working again so she would at least be able to pay for her own food. She was rather stubborn when it came to that matter and if anything, Adam admired her for that tenacious trait.

On the other hand, perhaps his muteness arose from his hunger that grew with every painful second that passed. He would have to feed soon.

“Do not let me win on purpose! I’m up for a challenge!” Tal complained. She giggled once more, moving one of her white pieces over the chess board in the process. He hadn’t even intended to but after he had made his next move, she would be able to beat her.

Frowning, he stared at the chess board as if it bore a solution for his aching problem.

“Checkmate,” The girl tilted her head slightly. “Adam, I don’t think you’re okay, you have centuries of practise and I’m an amateur. What’s wrong? You know you can tell me.”

He looked up then, hesitating. His canines pushed against his soft lips, threatening to break his own skin. When she flinched, he knew it had been a mistake to seek her company.

“Your eyes… they’re…” Not brown and not gold but something in between, the light blue of his iris had vanished. She had seen it before, knowing what it meant and still, she did not move. Was he using her powers on her, unwillingly? Had he already stunned her enough to claim his prey? No.

“Adam… w-when was the last time you fed?”

“Before I went to sleep... I had to ration it, there isn’t much left. I will have to get some more soon.” And I am hungry all the time when I’m near you. His voice was so quiet she barely heard it. Smooth but yet intimidating and somehow uneasy, it sent pleasant shivers down her spine instead of scaring her away.

She spoke the words before she could think them through, surprising both herself and the vampire before her.

“What if you… I mean… what if you fed from… from me?”

His eyes nearly seemed to pop out of his head then. Flinching himself now, he opened his mouth to reply but found nothing to say at first. Tal went on.

“I mean… I… guess I would be less scared of your… eating habits if I… a-and I trust you. Somehow. Somehow I still trust you. If you’re hungry… it looks like you’re suffering and if you’re hungry, then you could just—“

“No.” He suddenly snapped, making the girl flinch for the second time. “I will not… use you that way.” And I am not sure if I will be able to control myself, he added silently.

“I don’t mind! You said my blood wasn’t contaminated, so you could… you could drink it, right? Adam, you saved my life twice, you let me live with you and you pay for my food, if I can do anything for you in return, then I will do it!”

“You are a human being, Tallulah, not a living blood bag. I couldn’t forgive myself.”

“But I do. Please, Adam. Let’s try. If you… I mean if you don’t like it, then we don’t have to do it again.”

Like it? Could she possibly assume that he wouldn’t like it? Her blood tasted like liquid gold, filling him with energy and power unlike anything else he had ever tasted. The thought of him bringing his lips to her neck, kissing her soft skin lightly and then pressing his sharp teeth into her, breaking the skin, drawing blood… it drove him crazy.

“It’s not that,” he said calmly. “I might take too much. And I’d weaken you. Have you ever donated blood?”

Tal nodded, frowning as she did. “I have, once, in high school.”

“Then you know what it feels like. How draining it is. This can’t be healthy for you.”

“I mean… you won’t be drinking two litres at once, right?” Smiling almost mischievously, she leaned back, swallowing thickly.  Adam only growled.

“Tal, this is a bad idea.” He didn’t quite understand what had gotten into her. First she had been scared to the core, attempting to bring as much distance between them as possible and now she offered him her blood! Her delicious, sweet and tempting blood…

The vampire shook himself. Maybe if he took one sip, only one… it would be enough to satisfy his hunger until he could feed on some of his blood rations in the cellar again.

“You should go to sleep,” He said then, cursing himself for his egoistic thoughts. He wanted this—more than anything and yet, it was way too risky. He’d never forgive himself if Tal suffered because of his nature. “I can tell you’re tired.”

“You are, too.” She replied, the smile on her face not quite reaching her eyes. Hesitating, she got up but instead of heading downstairs to seek out her bedroom, she went straight to Adam’s living room and started towards his bed.

Clenching at one of the wooden bedposts, she waited for him to follow her.

She really wanted to do this, offering herself like a lab rat, like an experiment. Was she thinking so little of herself or did she really… want to help him? Ease the aching of his canines against his flesh and the burning hunger within him?

He fought with himself, coming up with dozens of scenarios where something could go wrong, one worse than the other. But Tal… she wasn’t scared, not too much, at least. She was standing there, that calming expression on her face he loved so much as her beige eyes locked with his, inviting him closer until their bodies were almost touching. Slowly—so slowly he questioned if he was moving at all, Adam brought his soft lips to her neck and took a deep breath.

➡️ Find all chapters on my masterlist!

[thefairefolk-rp]

Hey, Jacq! Your application for Pearl Sands has been accepted!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Nickname: Jacq

Age: 20

Preferred Pronouns: She/Her

Timezone: EST

Activity and Availability:  About a 6/10. Activity might be spotty as the workload increases, but I will always do my best to reach the post quota for the week, participate in challenges, etc. and will ask for a hiatus otherwise.

Have you read the rules and FAQ?: Yes

IC INFORMATION:

Desired Character: Pearl Sands

Second Choice Character: Tallulah Dill

What made you choose this character?: As much as I love playing the morally questionable Finn, I love to challenge myself and write vastly different characters. I love the juxtaposition of Pearl’s protection under Titus and her desire to be independent and discover herslef outside of her clan identity.

Are there any changes you would like to make?: Nope.

Questions/Comments: None.

Writing Sample: The glass sparkled in the sunlight, stained vibrant shades of blue that she was sure had reminded Titus of the Seraphine when he had chosen it for her. The piece was beautiful, especially when the sun shone through it as it hung in front of her window. The blue-tinged light danced against her wall, reminding her even further of the water. A smile turned up the corners of her lips as she thought of her brother thinking of her. There was no doubt that he meant well, and she knew that, but… She felt trapped. And her cage was beautiful, to be sure, but it was still a cage.

Pearl put her hand up into the blue light and wound her fingers through it like it was something she could touch. She imagined that she could, like it was a tangible thing brought to her from the far reaches of a vast fae city, carried across the world in a small piece of stained glass. She wondered who had made it; whose careful hands had crafted such a beautiful piece of art, and whether they knew how far it would have traveled. How she wished she could traced its steps and it followed its trail back to the city…

Her reverie was interrupted by a sound at her door, and she looked over her shoulder with the smile still on her face and her hand still reaching for the light.

“Brother,” she greeted. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She turned her gaze back to the stained-glass trinket, well aware that Titus knew of its beauty before he had named it hers. “Where did you get it? Was it from Wisteria? It could not have come from Olia, could it? The Artisan’s Quarter. It must have been the Artisan’s Quarter.” She spoke quickly, leaving no time in between questions for her brother to answer until she had come to the answer for herself. He confirmed that it had indeed been from the Artisan’s Quarter, and she thought that she would like it there most. Of course, she knew nothing of the conmen and thieves that preyed on fae just like her, naïve and unaccustomed to their trickery.

She could not discuss these desires with her brother. She had tried before, and learned her lesson in his disapproval. They would, for the time being, have to remain only for herself.

[lupienne]

Comic Negan Fic Recs!

Alright, guys! It’s high time I start posting this again! As of last update (July ‘17 I believe?) there have been some fics that appear to have been deleted :(, so I removed those. But never fear, there are new additions.

At the beginning of every month, I’m going to repost this. New additions will be in italics (and most likely at the bottom).

Here’s a little list of Comic Negan (or at least comic-leaning) fanfiction! These are all great authors and entertaining fics. If you’re looking for that good ole original Negan fiction(with each author’s personal twist, of course)… check these out. And if you like them, give ‘em a warm fuzzy feeling with a like, favorite, kudos, reblog,shout-out or comment!  (List after the cut)

In no particular order:

Stigmatic by 217. Follow Negan’s POV as he leads the Saviors in what starts off as comic canon, before venturing into wonderfully AU territory. Also featuring 217’s most excellent OCs; she is truly a master at crafting real, well-rounded and interesting characters. She also has such a talent for writing Negan true to the comics and yet making her own unique version of his character as well. The plotline of this story is always moving forward as the Saviors travel through the highs and lows of life in the apocalypse. On ff.net On A03

217 has also done some AU series within the Stigmatic verse:

Phlegmatic: which is an AU take on Alice and Negan if they had met before the ZA. On ff.net On A03

Haematic which is another pre-ZA AU take where Negan struggles to raise his and the late Lucille’s daughter, Lulu (and her pet lobster, Crusty!), all by his lonesome. On ff.net On A03

Fics by Harleyquinzel. She has quite a few Negan fics, most of which are nice bite-sized reads and quite enjoyable. Here’s three of my favorites.

His Favorite Girl Smut involving Negan and his favorite girl… why, who else but Lucille the Vampire bat?

Making Like A funny and sexy Negan/Rick fic.

One Night Stand Negan and Olivia smut. Hell yeah.

And here is her complete TWD list

A Wolf at the Door by Misterkingdom: A very well-written fic where Negan makes sure Rick knows who the King Dick Motherfucker is around here.

Beautiful Tragedy by 217: Yet another gem by this master writer of ole Negan. However, RM (aka ‘Rude Motherfucker’) the OC of this story, doesn’t see Negan in the most flattering light. One of Negan’s (aka ‘Dumpy’s) wives, she uses his perks to support her ongoing drug addiction, that is, until Negan takes note…and he doesn’t approve. The dialogue in this story is absolutely a riot, as RM’s mouth and thoughts are every bit as vulgar and outrageous as Negan’s! On ff.net On A03

217 also has quite a few shorter fare for those that balk at lengthier stories (but trust me, they are worth every word!) My personal favorites are The Cleansing which is a pitch-back affair, Negan’s Number What? (a birthday present to me a few years ago, and the hottest Negan/Sherry smut EVER!), and Non-NEGotiable which is a Stigmatic smut where Negan loses a bet and his ass to Alice. On ff.net On A03

The Life of Negan & Lucille by TeamCarlisle: Based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory, it’s Negan and Lucille’s pre-apocalypse days before it all fell apart. Sweet and yet heartbreaking, it’s a treat to see Negan in his pre-Savior days. But get your tissues out for this one!

Recollection by 217: Another goodie by 217, this is based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory and contains part of his life with Lucille. On ff.net On A03

Embracing the Apocalypse by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightyDazed) Sanctuary and the Saviors has gained a new member, Rebecca, who struggles to find a foothold in this new society, but soon has captured the attention of Negan. He himself has been newly reinstated as the Savior’s leader and is also on unsure ground, unlike his previous bout of leadership. The two share a similar sense of humor and a need for a new start, but nothing is ever easy in the post-apocalyptic world.

This is yet another story that captures the charm, awkwardness and humor of Comic Negan, and features a very funny OC as well. Very much worth a read!

SomewhatSlightyDazed also has several shorts (mostly smutty, but a few aren’t.) They’re great for a quickie. A quick read, that is. ;) My personal favorites are: Post-Apocalyptic Driving School, Guys Like Him (Olivia and Negan, always a treat!), and Double-Dare (Smutty threesome with Negan and his wives. Yum!)

Through the Valley by Dusty Cookie Another merry jaunt into Sanctuary and the lives of the Saviors. Several Saviors, while out on a run, spot a female apparently living all on her lonesome and think she might be a good asset for Sanctuary. Now Negan just has to convince her she has a place there, and our story begins. :)

Dusty writes an absolutely fantastic Negan and her OCs are also well-written and interesting. Her dialogue and overall writing style is also so entertaining, witty, and just a pleasure to read. Try Chapter 1, and you’ll be hooked! On ff.net on A03

Dusty also has several short fics that are all equally great… but watch out for that catty Miss Fiona in The Hand that Feeds!

Tender Prey by bigcatsandkatanas I’m very bad and haven’t reviewed this one yet. I haven’t read a lot of them, so maybe it’s a bit pre-mature to say, but I think this is my favorite Regan fic. We have a bit more of a humble and lonely Negan due to his incarceration by good ole Prick Grimes, and it makes for one smutty tale I adore. Negan is written really great in this and despite being mostly smut, it’s also got some nice character moments for Negan. I really like it.

Gifts by redheadedwhat A nice little Negan/OC smut for your reading pleasure. Some humorous bits and of course, some very lovely smut.

Hurt by opheliadawnwalker3 Perhaps leaning more towards TV Negan, this is still a really good (and heart-wrenching) short about Negan and Lucille and her very bad news.

Satellite Days by Kinkozan After the Whisperer War, Negan has been living in an old outpost from the Savior days, and he finds himself in the company of Toni, another survivor who isn’t quite welcome around her old communities anymore either. They must try to survive in their new environment, as well as survive each other.

Backspin by Kinkozan Negan’s wife Charli’s plans of giving him a much-deserved spanking and trying to assert herself in the relationship might come back to bite her in the ass. Smut and angst.

Lupienne’s Negan fanfictions. Here’s my additions to the Comic Negan bookcase. I have a long WIP involving Negan and the boring domestic affairs of his wives, as well as a few shorter reads that are mostly of the smut variety. On A03 On ff.net (I don’t have them all on there, but if you prefer reading on this site…)

Enigmatic by 217: Based off Here’s Negan 15, where Negan receives a nasty wound from a fellow survivor. Upon going to clean out his wound, Negan meets an OC who is all too eager to give him some ‘healing.’ On ff.net On AO3

Love(d) by Dusty Cookie A pre-ZA short with Negan and Lucille. Dusty doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings, she rips them right out of your body.

WIP by Metal Butter Metal Butter mentioned a prisoner Negan fic they were writing, and upon my request, posted a snippet of it! It’s not complete, but it’s awesome just as it is. I love the way Negan is written as he narrates from his prison cell. Also contains shades of Regan. Yum!

In the Twilight Kingdom by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed) Filled with grief over his recently deceased Lucille, Negan struggles to live and find a reason for doing so in the dangerous new world of the apocalypse.

Decomposition by 217: “Do you know what decomposition is? Answer the goddamn question.” A dark short of Negan’s thoughts as Lucille claims another life.

Bedtime Stories by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightyDazed): What happens when Negan finds out some of the Sanctuary women have been writing porn about him?

Wounds to Mend by Lupienne: A short based off events in Here’s Negan 14. Sherry tends to an injured Negan’s wound (with a little sexual healing involved.)

Last Chance Revival by 217. This fic follows an AU, non-ZA Negan as he tends bar in a rough part of town, where the highlight of his night is watching quirky OC’s Murphy’s ass leave the bar in her tight leopard print spandex. On ff.net On AO3

Heart in a Blender by Bigcatsandkatanas. A Negan/Rick fic set in a non-apocalyptic AU verse. Negan, lonely and despondent after his divorce with Lucille, decides to take a chance and use a dating app. When he accidentally matches with Rick Grimes, it’s the start of an awkward friendship (and maybe more?) Bigcatsandkatanas writes an excellent Negan, from his personality to his dialogue.

I Bless the Rains Down at Sanctuary by Redheadedwhat. Negan’s wife Tallulah discovers the hilarity of a drunken Negan. And an important question is pondered…just what did happen to the band members of Toto after the apocalypse?

Exhaust by Spliced-up Angel. An AU take on All out War. What if Negan hadn’t lost that last battle? Told from Carl’s POV, the young Grimes struggles to adapt to Negan’s rule over Alexandria. Since the story is all from Carl, Negan isn’t painted in the most flattering light. His dialogue is hilarious and poor Carl finds himself in a few embarrassing situations due to Negan’s lack of shame.

The tumblr Masterlist for Dusty-cookie. Suitable for liking, rec’ing and reblogging!

Dixon Dallas by 217. An AU smut involving Negan as a porn star :D

Sometimes You Just Need A… by Lupienne. My latest fic. It’s a fluffy short with platonic Negan/Rick.

Priorities by Dusty Cookie. A fluffy short, perfect for snuggling up with on a cold winter day!

Happy Fucking Birthday by Dusty Cookie. Negan gives the present of smut to his favorite birthday girl.

Careful What You Wish For by Dusty Cookie. More glorious smut! I only wish for more!

The tumblr Masterlist for Embracetheapocalypsewithme. Great for reblogging and giving this writer more exposure. Do it! 

An Enemy of the Crows by redheadedwhat. A chance encounter with a crow will change Negan’s life forever. :)

Don’t Look Back by Lupienne. Lucille’s last hours as she lays dying from her illness.

Cursed Land by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). This tale begins with a map with a blacked-out section Negan refuses to speak about… a fic to read with all the lights on!

The Love You Take by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). A lonely, exiled Negan investigates mysterious music he keeps hearing at night…

Yes, Mistress by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). Negan gets some new jewelry for Sherry to wear. She isn’t exactly enthused about it…but Negan can be pretty convincing ;) Glorious smut!

I’ll Always Be With You by Maggie Monster. Lucille has passed on, yet she has never left Negan’s side.

Alright! That’s it for this update! There’s some really good fics here, if I do say so myself. We need some more Comic Negan writers in the game though! Come on, people! ;) (And by all means, if you have a comic Negan fic, or know of one…be sure to let me know.)

For now, enjoy the fics and don’t be shy about commenting if you like any of them! Writers appreciate it so much.

And if you’d like, please reblog this post to give these authors some more exposure. :) See you in February!

[sserpente]

Condolescence (Chapter X)

Pairing: Adam (Only Lovers Left Alive) x OFC Language: English Rating: M

Read it on AO3!

„Adam,” He hadn’t heard her coming upstairs again. Frowning, the vampire shot a brief look over to his old-fashioned clock on the wall next to his dozens of portraits of scientists, writers and musicians and brushed off his headphones, tossing them aside. So much for working on new music but then again, he hadn’t been able to concentrate anyway. It was eight am already, the sun fighting to shine through his thick black curtains but failing the battle pathetically. “I barely slept at all. All I was doing was thinking about… Adam, I need to talk to you.”

“Do you?” His tone was questioning, careful and suspicious. The stone wall he had built up around himself rose to its peak, protecting his dead heart at any cost. He couldn’t possibly let her in again after what had happened just a few hours ago. He had drunken almost everything there was left. Soon, he would have to go for a drive and obtain new supplies for himself.

“Yes. I may not be a psychiatrist but I can tell if someone is suffering and you… you are. I’m so glad you told me about your dead wife, Adam, I know it takes a lot of courage to do so but still, I feel like you’re trying everything in your power to stay away from me, as much as this is possible, considering I live in your house. You insisted on me moving here when I lost my job and my apartment and yet, I feel so rejected. No, you… you make me feel like I’m rejecting you. I…” She took a deep breath. Her whole body was shaking as she spoke, her voice so loud Adam almost flinched.

“I know I don’t know how much pain you’ve been forced to go through and I don’t know what I could do to make it better but I really want to help you. I want to give you something in return for letting me be here until I’ve finally found something new but no matter what I do, you’re so… cold, and I just… I just… I just can’t keep going like this! It hurts so much seeing you suffer like this and not being able to do anything about it! I told you I trusted you but right now, I feel like a prisoner! Not because I am in this house with you but because I’m unable to break you out of this unbearable silence and grief you surround yourself with! You saved my life, Adam, I am grateful for that but why on Earth would you—“

Tal didn’t get to finish her sentence, for the vampire had rushed forward so fast she didn’t even manage to blink. Within a matter of seconds, his lips came crashing down on hers, his hands pulling her fragile body against his. Words could not describe how much he longed for her, how much he was into her, for everything she had said was true. He was cold, unapproachable and withdrawn but what was there he could do without revealing his true nature to her?

He knew he needed to stay away from her, focus on his music instead of her sweet blood but those words, coming from her beautiful lips… he couldn’t help it. Not quite.

He kissed her passionately, her eyes falling shut as she gave in, ravishing the feeling of being so close to him. It was like they were magnets—drawn to each other and unable to move away. It’s why she, unbeknownst to him, hardly ever left the house when he was asleep, it was why she had agreed on living with him and it was why she realised that she had long fallen for the mysterious black-haired man with the English accent.

A silent moan escaped Adam’s lips. Tal’s flesh was delicious, as tasteful as her blood and so soft. He could kiss her forever, never let go of her pretty mouth again. Almost shyly, his tongue asked for permission to enter, sneaking between her lips and starting a playful battle with hers. He felt her digging her nails into his black shirt greedily, so he pressed her even closer to him.

It was then she pushed him away with a start, her eyes widening in shock as she looked up at him. What had he done? Had he been too greedy, too ungentle?

“Adam… Adam, what…” Her fear stopped her from finishing her sentence this time. It radiated off her like heat, luring his inner monster to pounce on her, to scare his prey until it would surrender and give in to its inevitable death.

His fangs had appeared, growing longer and longer during the kiss until they were ready to bury them deep in her sensitive human flesh, his eyes as brown and golden as they’d been back in his cellar where he’d devoured a week’s ration of blood. As for now, he was exactly what he had intended to hide. A vampire. A creature of night. A blood-sucking monster. He had ruined everything.

Tal’s hand flew to her mouth. Stumbling back, she almost tripped over some cables on the carpet before hitting the wooden threshold of the door.

“What… what in the…” She swallowed, forcing herself to speak. It seemed like every single word was a stab right in her chest, causing her to choke on her tongue. “What are you?”

Was lying an option? Pretending it was but a lame joke to ease the tension? No, she wasn’t going to buy it. He had messed up. For Fuck’s sake, he had fucking messed up. Anger and hurt rose in him, forcing him to his knees. Only with all of his willpower he managed to remain as still as a statue, not moving an inch to not scare her even more.

There was no going back now. She had seen it. All of it. His sharp canines, his eerie brown and golden eyes… every lie he could come up with would be ridiculous and raise even more questions, scare her away forever.

Adam closed his eyes for a second. Slowly, he breathed in and out to make sure his appearance normalised before he spoke again.

“I’m a vampire.”

Trembling, the girl released the breath she didn’t notice she was holding. Then, she shook her head, staring at him wildly and full of defiance.

“No. No, you’re not, you can‘t be, that’s… that’s impossible. Vampires aren’t real.”

“I am real, Tallulah.”

“Is.. is that… this is why it’s always so dark in here, isn’t it? Why you work at night, why you never go out, why you never eat. Why you could take out those men with a single punch… and my ex… and you… you… you drink blood!” She shrieked hysterically, realising with a start what kind of deadly creature she had standing right in front of her.

“And i-is… is that why you took me in?” Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, torturing him with every sob that escaped her lips in between. Whether it was from fear or grief, Adam couldn’t tell. All he wanted was for her to stop, to calm down so he could comfort her, assure her that her knowing about his true being wouldn’t change anything. He snorted mutely at that. Of course it changed everything.

“Is that why you keep me in your house? W-what am I to you, a… a snack? Something you can help yourself to in case you get hungry?”

Anger? Anger. It was anger flooding through her delicious veins now, her salty tears full of rage and fighting her fear for just a second. That was good. It meant she wouldn’t lash out and loser her mind from the scare.

“It’s not why you’re here, Tal,” Adam shot back, perhaps a little more aggressive than he had intended to. This time, however, the girl didn’t flinch. She stood her ground, her chin held up high to declare she wasn’t afraid of him.

Yet she was. He could literally smell it on her soft skin, radiating off her like her natural body heat he had come to enjoy so much.

Carefully, he took a step towards her, his bare feet almost gliding over the soft and battered carpet beneath him.

“No! No! Stay away from me! Don’t you… don’t you come near me!” Tal lifted her shaking hand, pointing a finger at him. It was a pathetic attempt to keep him off, for he was a thousand times stronger and faster than she would ever be and still, he stopped dead in his tracks, remaining where he was, watching helplessly how she grabbed the jacket she had left on his couch and put it on.

Was she leaving? Where would she go?

Only when she shot him one last cold glare and then stormed downstairs into the small bedroom to grab at least some of her other belongings—a mobile phone whose bills Adam was now taking care of, her wallet containing nothing more than her ID, driving licence and an old KFC voucher—the vampire finally awoke from his rigour.

Quickly, Tal stuffed her things into a bag, making mental notes to get replacements for the few other things she would leave back here and then started at the door.

“Tal, please wait.” He was so fast the girl hadn’t even realised his presence until his hand appeared on the metal door knob, blocking her only path of escape. How did he even do that?!

“Let me go. Let me go, Adam!” It was him who flinched now, for the high-pitched tone of her voice screaming at him was a literal curse to his sensitive ears. Still, he didn’t move away; instead, he went for another try. Just one more.

“Tal… Tal, where do you want to go?”

She hadn’t thought about it yet. Adam was right, where did she want to go? Technically, she was homeless. Technically, she had nowhere to be and technically, she didn’t even possess a dollar to her name.

No. She also couldn’t stay, not with him. It was the fact he had lied to her, using her for nothing more than… for what? — rather than him being… a… a vampire.

“I don’t know. Away from you, as far away from you as possible!”

After all, she had trusted him. She had trusted a stranger when straitened, her guardian angel right from heaven and now, he turned out to be a bloody-thirsty demon in disguise like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Images of him hugging her flashed before her eyes, memories of how he had protected her. Of how he had kissed her. Had it all been a lie? A trick? A scam to feast on her at night? What if he’d already drunken from her while she was asleep? And what about all those times he had pushed her away, acted strangely when confronted with a hug or the sight of her blood? How could any of this make sense?

No. No questions. She had to leave. Her face distorted as she tore open the door, pushing him away with him letting it happen downright defencelessly, though he followed her into the small room presenting itself to the both of them, with another, heavy piece of wood blocking her route.

“Tal, wait. I never meant to scare you like this, there was a reason I didn’t tell you, please, you have to listen before—argh!” His clamouring got interrupted by a sharp pain on his right hand as he tried to force the door closed again. The girl had opened it hastily, allowing bright sun light to flood the small room and Adam’s skin connected to the beams, scourging it and almost setting it aflame as his hand began to burn like a piece of meat in a stone oven.

For just a sheer moment, Tal turned around, her eyes glistening with concern as she stared at his carbonised hand healing within mere seconds. He was hurt, was he okay? The sun had burned him. Reminded once more of why she needed to get away from this godforsaken place, she legged it, not looking back as she ran off in the broad light of day.

She didn’t know where she was headed, nor was she aware she kept crying and weeping for hours until she passed a deserted café and checked her phone for the time. It was noon. Tal was hungry and tired but most of all, she was mad. Mad for trusting yet another man so thoughtlessly, a man she had believed to be so different. He was different, in a way.

➡️ Find all chapters on my masterlist!