#she runs off to a quiet side of town to let all the built up stress and energy out

[shanks-the-wino]

Shanks x CisFem Reader

Sake8zero is offline.

He hadn't been online since he foolishly suggested meeting you a few days ago. Now he sat at his desk phone in hand debating over deleting the app all together.

He'd just have to find happiness the old fashion way. What even compelled him to try speaking to someone ten years his junior? He did miss your snarky come backs and just general conversation. There was a strange lonely feeling akin to what followed his divorce. Nothing that deep or heart shattering of course, but the two of you had built a routine. There were certain times of day when you spoke as if you were on a schedule. Now he didn't know what to do with himself. He ran his hand through his crimson tresses and sighed dropping the phone onto the desktop. A light tap on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"It's almost time to go. Yasopp is bringing the car around." The deep voice of his VP resonated off the walls as he pushed the door open.

"Thanks Benn." The redhead frowned.

"Still upset about your little girlfriend?" Benn crossed his arms.

Shanks rolled his eyes, "You are well aware that she wasn't my girlfriend. I did fuck up pretty bad though."

"You didn't even let her respond. How do you know?"

"You have a point." Shanks stood slipping his phone into his pocket.

"You'll have time to play around later. The resort is thirty minutes away." Benn turned for the door, "Did you at least remember to pack an overnight bag?"

"Right here." Shanks pulled a small leather bag from the bottom drawer of his desk, "Did they get the sample bottles loaded?"

"Yes, you wanted the '96 and '98 correct?" Benn glanced at his boss for confirmation.

"Our best years!" The redhead chimed.

The two men made their way out of the small office building to the black town car that was idling in the circle drive.

They were headed for a resort located on the outskirts of the city to hopefully sign a contract for resort guests to get a discounted stay if they booked a package that included a tour of Shanks' vineyard. The resort was owned and run by Edward Newgate and his adopted sons. Shanks had known the old man for a long time and though he'd strained the relationship a bit by trying to recruit his second eldest son, they managed to get along fairly well.

Newgate arranged a dinner meeting and rooms for Shanks, Benn and Yasopp to stay for the night.

They were greeted by the two eldest sons when they arrived at the sprawling resort.

"Marco, Thatch! So good to see you." Shanks called stepping out of the car.

"It's been a while yoi." Marco commented, "Business going well?"

"It's getting closer to our busy season." Benn replied shaking Thatch's hand.

                                                                     _______________

You clocked in and crossed the empty conference room connected to the hallway that lead the resort's lobby. Nami sat behind the counter flipping channels on the enormous flat screen TV.

"Quiet night?" You asked rounding the corner.

"Just a few VIP's the old man is entertaining." She replied monotonously.

"Great." You tossed your purse in the back office and plugged your phone into the computer at the front desk.

"Still nothing from the online guy?" She quirked a brow.

"Nope." You shrugged.

"He's probably beating himself up about it."

"He didn't even wait for me to answer." You took the remote from her flipping to the travel channel.

"Mind if I head out early?" She asked already pulling her bag from the cabinet.

"Yeah sure. Are these guys rowdy? I don't want to have to call the cops." You sighed.

"Well they've been drinking for a while in the side conference room. It's some guy that owns a vineyard, that's what Marco said, seems he's a friend of the family as well though." She explained walking out the way you'd just come.

"Alright. Have a good night." You waved her off and settled in behind the desk.

Sometime after 1AM the lobby door swung open startling you.

"Is there coffee in here?" A soft baritone bounced off the walls in the quiet room as you stood to greet the stranger.

The handsome redhead fumbled briefly with his phone and sighed massaging the scruff on his chin. He didn't look old enough to be friends with the old man much less own a vineyard.

Must be an assistant or something.

"The coffee bar is to your right. Please help yourself." You smiled as his onyx eyes trailed up from his phone widening a bit.

"T-thank you." He stammered staring at you.

You shifted a bit under his gaze unsure of what cause the change in demeanor.

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything."

Crap crap crap.

Of course he'd fuck up any chance he had with you and then, by complete chance come face to face with you while trying to send you a message.

Maybe it wasn't you. Maybe it was a girl that looked like you. Profile pictures are different from real life if you factor in angles and filters.

*Ping*

Your phone hadn't made that particular notification in a few days. You picked it up while the redhead made his way to the coffee bar.

Sake8zero: How's the night shift?

He peeked at the small smile that crept over your lips before it faded into a pout. Your brows knit as if you were just now remembering you were mad at him.

Pyt07: Don't 'how's the night shift me'

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

Witchy Woman (9/10)

64.media.tumblr.com

0.5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | AO3 | 10

LOOK AT THIS STUNNING ARTWORK BY @cocohook38

Summary: When Emma came into her position as Storybrooke Coven Leader, she ended things with the powerful Vampire Overlord, Killian Jones. She’s spent over a decade working alongside him and ignoring the growing tension between them.

During his best mate’s wedding, Killian decides he is done waiting. He is ready to have his mate back in his arms (and bed) again. Emma is not an easy woman to woo, but Killian has never backed down from a challenge.

When Emma’s jilted ex-boyfriend returns to town and Emma goes missing, Killian will stop at nothing to get her back and ensure that nothing can ever separate them again.

Rating: E

CW: Mention of domestic abuse, blood and blood drinking (vampires), threatening situations, minor violence, death, mention of parental death

Entry for Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 2023 (@cssns)

Tag: @anmylica, @deckerstarblanche, @elfiola, @goforlaunchcee, @jrob64, @kmomof4, @pirateswhore, @stahlop, @teamhook, @tiganasummertree, @undercaffinatednightmare, @xarandomdreamx, @zaharadessert (let me know if you want to be added or dropped)

Killian woke up with Emma on his chest and the blankets wrapped tightly around them. Emma had built her cocoon around them both sometime in the night. Her sea-coloured eyes were already on his and she wore a contented smile while she twirled her finger in the patch of hair on his chest. 

“What a lovely sight to see upon waking, Swan.” 

“I've been admiring the view myself,” she said before placing a chaste kiss on his chest. 

He ran his hand along her side, squeezing her tight to him as he did so. Her soft skin pressed against his beneath the blankets. Everything was perfect. These moments were becoming more frequent - they were no less precious in their frequency. With these once fleeting moments of warmth, contentedness, and connection becoming commonplace between them, their relationship felt more real, more substantial, than it had before. She wasn’t going to vanish from his grasp between one second and the next. 

“I need to get up and shower and help Anna with the beach party preparations and…” Killian interrupted her task list with a sweet kiss.

“Let’s start with the shower - that is something I can help you with.” 

“Okay, yeah.” Emma shifted off him to the en suite. “But after coffee, I have to go.” 

“Hmm, that is a while from now,” Killian answered as he followed her into the bathroom to run the water for them. He tugged her into his shower and water engulfed them from all sides. He chuckled at the deep groan that she released when the side jet nearest to her hit her lower back. He kneaded his hand and his blunted arm into her lower back muscles, enjoying the sounds of her sighs and moans when he hit upon a particularly sore spot. 

“I’m never going to leave if you keep this up.” 

“That’s the plan, love.” Killian smiled cheekily at her as she turned to hug him in the warm water. 

“This is nice.”

“Aye, that it is.”

“I like waking up with you,” Emma admitted softly. Killian broke their embrace to lather soap on them both.

“Should you move in with me, we would never need to wake up any other way.” Killian hadn’t intended to ask her, but he did not regret it. He wanted her to be the first thing that he saw every morning, the blanket thief in his bed each night, the clothing left strewn about the immaculate house, the other coffee cup on the counter top, and all the thousands of tiny things that are involved in sharing a life together.

“Hmm. You want me to move in with you so that we can always wake up together?” 

“Aye. That’s one reason.” He answered after they rinsed off the soap. 

“Not the only one?”

“There are so many reasons that I want to share a home with you, Emma. Move in with me and let me show them to you?” 

The water seemed to roar more loudly in the quiet that followed. Time slowed in that cruel way it does when the next second will irrevocably impact your life. Perhaps, it is meant to help you prepare in case the ensuing second arrives ready to break you beyond repair. Maybe it is less malicious than that, a moment stretched out so that you know to pay attention and be fully present because what happens next matters. 

Killian intently watched as thoughts and emotions flickered wildly behind Emma’s eyes, as she drew in a breath to answer, as she formed the words that propelled time suddenly forward.

“You do have a kitchen full of my favourite snacks,” Emma smiled excitedly up at him. His heart was cliche as it soared with joy.

“Aye, and these plush towels you love so much,” he said, wrapping her in a towel as they stepped out of the shower. 

“And, that insanely large and comfortable bed.” 

“Aye, and coffee,” he offered, “with cinnamon.”

“All with the vampire that I love.” 

“All for the witch that I love.” 

§§§§    §§§§    §§§§    §§§§

The connection that they’d forged between them last night felt like a thread pulling and guiding them together. It was a bit strange at first - when she left to catch up with Anna, it had felt like a rubber band angry with being stretched to its limit. But, it quickly became a comfort, especially, after all the time they’d spent apart. 

As he went about his day, checking security for the beach party and of the town, he grew accustomed to the gentle nudge at his chest urging him ever closer to her. At times, he was sure he could detect echoes of emotion that belonged to his witch. 

There was also a new awareness of the strands of magic flowing around him and through him that he knew meant he’d absorbed some of her powers. He was a magical creature, his magic was an essential part of his being and ruled him, but her powers gave her control over magic. He wanted to explore this with her further, to ensure he could use her gifts without a cost to her and to experience the world as she did. Plus, he thought up some positions and games for them to try once he learned how her telekinesis worked. 

He was completing a final check of the security plan for tomorrow’s event before heading to the beach party when he received an email from Smee reporting a new possible security risk. 

“Bloody,” Killian cursed as he opened the missive. He couldn’t afford to overlook any potential situation just because he was anxious to get to the beach. 

He skimmed the report - a non-issue. But, he’d been delayed far longer than he wished. He shut down his computer and cleaned off his desk when the echoes of emotion that had accompanied him through the bond all day fell silent. 

His heart pounded as he pulled out his phone and called David. He was travelling at the height of his vampiric speed, the beach almost in view, as he listened to the phone ringing out. 

The band was playing and the party was in full swing when he reached the shoreline. The tether to Emma tugged him away from the party. Fear that didn’t belong to him crawled up his spine - Emma. 

“Hey, it’s David. Leave a message.”

Killian cursed, waiting for the beep. “Something has happened to Emma. I am tracking her and sharing my location with you. When you get this, find me. See you soon, mate.” 

He followed that wonderful tug toward the abandoned mines. When he reached the entrance,  he caught her scent mixed with another he knew well. Smee? 

As if in answer to his question, Smee emerged from the dark. 

“Sire?”

“Mr Smee,” Killian acknowledged. “Why aren’t you at your post?” 

“I got a call about some werewolves causing trouble nearby. I came to check it out.” 

Liar. The thought came from the magic swirling around him - Emma’s lie detector was more literal than he ever considered. The betrayal stung for a moment. The way his scent was so intermingled with Emma’s suggested that Smee was a part of what was happening with Emma. He wanted to demand answers, to hurt Smee the way Emma’s fear was hurting him, but he had to get to her. He didn’t want to waste time on Smee’s games. 

He smiled at Smee, all teeth and predator. Smee had a moment to process the threat before Killian rushed him and tore his head from his shoulders in one quick movement. He left the body and head at the mouth of the shaft and entered the mine. 

He could feel the anger radiating from her through the thread that connected them now. Anger meant she would find a way to fight, that would buy him time to reach her.

As he raced deeper into the mine, Killian’s chest started to burn as if it were being set on fire. What the fuck is happening? 

He set his teeth against the crippling pain and pressed on. He encountered a few weak werewolves blocking his progress. A wave of his hand sent them into the rock wall, knocking them out, and clearing the way forward. 

Screaming bounced around the dark walls around him and the scent of Emma’s blood was thick in the air. A growl tore through him as rage, red and hot, overtook him. He stormed forward, entering a cavern lined with sigils and one large stone slab where Emma was restrained and screaming as she battled a force he could not see. 

Regina and Neal stood in the space, watching the brutal scene unfold before them. Regina’s mouth was moving quickly, chanting the spell that was attacking Emma. Neal turned to face him with a broad smile on his face. “She’s going to be mine, now,” Neal gloated in way of greeting. 

Killian flung him against a wall to be dealt with later and turned his attention to the witch harming his mate. He darted toward her. She raised an arm, suspending him in mid-stride. Her chanting continued as she held him with little effort. He fought against Regina’s magic with all his strength but failed to overpower her magic, failed to stop Emma’s suffering. 

Regina smiled. 

Now would be a fantastic time to arrive, David. 

Killian stopped fighting against Regina’s power. It wrapped around him and held him in place. A witch’s magic would always be more powerful than the raw strength of either a vampire or a werewolf. It was how the gods kept the balance between the creatures. He just needed to figure out some other way to best her. 

An itch in his fingers alerted him of a change in the magic restraining him. It was gathering at his fingertips, aligning with the magic at his call, no longer holding him in place but awaiting his commands. 

He snarled forcing the magic back into Regina. It halted her chanting before tearing her into pieces from the inside out. A pile of purple dust gathered where the villainess had just stood. “Bloody hell.” Emma’s magic was a truly terrifying and wonderful thing. 

Turning to the slab, he waved away her restraints and pulled her into his arms. She was unconscious as he turned to take her out of this hell. But she was safe, now. He gripped her tight to him, the relief of her heart beating against his chest almost brought him to his knees.

“I think I hear something in this direction.” 

“David, my magic says they are this way.” Mary Margaret’s voice rang out through the tunnels. 

“Mary Margaret. David. We’re here.” Killian called, his voice breaking with emotion. She’s safe, now. She will be okay. 

§§§§    §§§§    §§§§    §§§§

For every day that Emma did not wake, Killian carved a reminder into Neal’s flesh. For every time she called out Killian’s name during her endless slumber, he would break a bone, heal it, and break it again. The hisses and cries of her tormentor did very little to ease his anger, but even a drop of water is worth collecting if you’re dying of thirst. 

He entered the cell holding Neal, for now, ready to claim his flesh as the seventh day passed without any change. They had healed her with his venom, the bones in her hand knitted together days ago, her body was healthy but her mind was still out of reach. He felt like he was slowly losing parts of himself every day she stayed in this state. Perhaps, it was why he was enjoying taking parts from Neal so much. 

Neal looked up as Killian entered, the fear behind his eyes dulled from the day before, and his posture seemed resigned but no longer hopeless. A dark feeling crept through Killian, his jaw clenching against it.

“How’s Ems?” 

“You don’t get to ask.” Killian shut the door behind him, the lock engaging automatically behind him with a quiet click. “I do apologise, Neal, for you seem to have mistaken yourself for a guest in my home. Or a plaything that I intend to keep around for some time.” 

Neal’s eyes widened and the sharp acidic scent of fear filled the air as it dawned on him that tonight was going to be different than the previous six. Killian’s smirk was all hungry predator toying with his prey. “I assure you that I intend to rectify those misconceptions most thoroughly before I leave tonight. I am afraid that does mean that you won’t live to see tomorrow, mate.”

Killian smiled when Neal rallied his courage to make a last stand against him. He was hungry for a fight. Neal attacked first, lunging for Killian with his fangs extended as if they would pose any threat to Killian. Killian laughed without humour knocking the weaker vampire to the ground. He put his boot against Neal’s arm, pinning him to the floor. 

“She will never forgive you for killing me.” Neal spit out. Killian increased the pressure on Neal’s arm until a satisfying crack split the air. Neal grunted in pain, tears leaking from his eyes.

“She doesn’t like you nearly as much as you’ve told yourself,” Killian said smoothly. 

“She’ll leave you. That’s what she does.” Neal’s voice was between a whimper and a whine, a pathetic sound befitting the creature he was. 

A light knock at the door prevented Killian from responding. Killian’s heart squeezed in his chest, he knew what that knock meant. 

“Goodbye, Neal.” Killian dug his hook into Neal’s chest piercing his black heart. Neal pulled in one last wheezing breath before Killian grabbed a fistful of his hair. “I can’t say you’ll be missed,” Killian growled as he pulled. 

Killian kicked the heap of Neal’s body before turning on his heel and leaving the cell. David stood outside of the door. He nodded slightly to Killian, a small smile tugging at this lips, as Killian emerged from the room. Pulse racing, Killian turned to the guard he’d posted at the door, “Will, dispose of the tosser and ensure he is properly turned to ash.”

“Yes, sire.” 

“Good man.” Killian made his way back to his room in the best spirits he’d been in all week. 

Emma was waking.

[atlasscrumpit]

So... last of us huh? Yan!dad's Bill and Frank?

(I kinda veered off the path and kinda went more wholesome than yandere) 

You fell into a large dirt hole, groaning when you heard a bone practically snap in half on your leg.

You screamed and fell on your back before you heard the cock of a gun.

You shielded your eyes from the sun and looked up to see an older man pointing a shotgun at you.

You didn't make it all this way just for someone to shoot you. You slowly put your hands up.

"I-I have no weapons, I'm not infected." You said as he narrowed his eyes.

Suddenly another man came into view.

"Bill, she looks like she's just a kid. Lower your damn gun." He said as you stared up at them.

The other man threw a rope down and you groaned.

"I can't move. I broke my leg." You said as the man known as Bill groaned and walked away.

"Bill! Wait!" The other man said rushing after him.

A few minutes they came back with a large ladder and put it into the whole.

The nicer man climbed down and looked you over, making sure you weren't infected or armed.

"I'm Frank, what's your name?" He asked as he knelt down and examined your leg.

"I'm Y/N." You said as he nodded.

"Okay, now this is going to hurt but I need you to just power through it." He said as you nodded and he began to pick you up.

You screamed in pain as he managed to get you on his back and you gripped onto him as tight as you could.

You cried in pain as he climbed up the ladder, finally getting you out and laying you on the ground.

It was only now that you could see how bad your legs was.

The bone sticking out.

You covered you mouth and looked away.

"Oh god." You muttered before falling unconscious onto the ground.

"Just leave her here." Bill grumbled making Frank roll his eyes.

"No, I'm not leaving her out here to suffer." He grumbled, gently picking you up on his arms.

"She needs help and I'm going to help her. Now, open the gate for me." Frank demanded as Bill groaned and opened the gate for him.

Frank carried you through the streets before getting the house and laying you down on the couch.

"I'll have to perform surgery... Well, the equivalent of surgery." He muttered looking down at your leg.

"I'm going to get drunk, or throw up. Or both." Bill grumbled walking away.

--

Hours passed and Frank had kind of pulled it off, the best he could without a hospital...or google.

He carried you to the guest room and tucked you into the bed, looking down at you.

"I always wanted a girl...just like you." He whispered, running his hand through your hair.

"You must've gone through a lot to get here, huh?"

--

You woke up feeling pain run through your body.

You cried out in pain before the door to the bedroom opened softly and you saw Frank carrying a tray of food.

"Y/N, you're awake." He said as you slowly sat in bed.

You stared down at the sheet and slowly felt your leg.

"I was scared you would cut my leg off." You said with a small chuckle before groaning in pain.

He set the tray down and handed you some pills and a glass of water.

You quickly took them and sighed.

"I haven't had pain killers in years... What is this place? How is it so...untouched?" You asked as he sat on the side of the bed.

"Bill built all of this himself, well rebuilt what was left of the town. He was ready to live out his life completely alone and safe when I just happened to stumble upon this and Bill took me in. Ever since then it's just been us two." He said as you nodded a little.

"This place is amazing, it's so...quiet. I've never slept without fearing for my life." You said with a small chuckle, but there was definitely sadness behind your voice.

"I know what you mean. All we do is survive...and then I ended up here and it was like I could take a breath." He said as you smiled and looked down at the tray to see a croissant and some juice.

"Oh my god... I can't remember the last time I saw real food." You muttered as you slowly began to eat.

"I still need to talk to Bill, but I can't let you go back out there." He muttered not looking at you.

"What do you mean?" You asked wiping your mouth of any food.

"You're just a kid... I want you to stay here." He said as you looked at him in shock.

"Really? But, I'll like ruin your supplies and stuff." You replied making him chuckle.

"You won't, don't worry. I have to talk to Bill about it...but I couldn't live with myself if I let you go back out there." He said as you smiled a little.

"No one's ever cared about me like that... But, I don't want to overstay my welcome and I don't think Bill will agree." You said as he smiled reassuringly.

"I'll talk to him, okay?"

--

"She isn't staying here!"

"She has no where else to go! She is staying, Bill!"

You hid behind a wall listening to the couple fight.

"Y/N, I know you're there." Frank said as you slowly came out of your hiding spot.

"Sorry..." You muttered making them sigh.

"I can help out around here! No offence but I'm a lot younger, there's some jobs you guys can't do as well as I could." You said as Bill thought for a moment.

You did have a point.

"Fine, three weeks, you have three weeks to prove you're useful." Bill said a you clapped and smiled.

"Yay! Thank you!" You shouted happily as Frank smiled.

He was looking forward to you adding a little bit of sunshine to their dark lives.

[ssahotstuff]

Lie To Me

Characters(aside from the reader)

Aaron Hotchner

Marty Byrde (readers boss)

Wendy Byrde (Marty's wife)

Charlotte & Jonah Byrde (Wendy & Marty's kids)

Ruth Langmore (readers best friend, works for Marty

Darlene Snell (a side character, temporarily has custody of Zeke, which is Mason Young's son. Mason is not a character in this story however he is mentioned once or twice.

Maya Miller (fbi agent, one of the good guys mostly)

Frank Jr. (pre penis shot injury/I'm tweaking his character and giving him a redemption arc. He and Ruth have butted heads in this universe but that's all it ended up being.)

Some Plot & Backstory: This takes place in the Ozarks. The readers boss is Marty Byrde, who launders money for the Navarro Drug Cartel. Hotch is leading an investigation to take Marty down, and the reader has no idea she's going to be stuck in the final cross fire, forced to choose between love and loyalty. The reader has no knowledge or involvement in Marty's crimes (I do change some details to better fit but Marty do be laundering money in this, I just don't go into too much detail)

Warnings: The reader is 24, Hotch is 40 so age gap, cursing, mentions of food, drinking, smut, penetration, unprotected sex, oral m&f receiving, fingering,

Word count: 2.4 k

This is part one! I hope you enjoy it because I've all but thrown my life aside to work on this lmao

You were inclined to believe that everything happened for a reason. So when Marty Byrde was the first person to be nice to you after you moved to the Ozarks, you quickly fell under his wing, and didn't think anything else of it. He gave you a job, running a restaurant and lodge he owned called The Blue Cat, after being in town a month. You quickly built a mutual trust with him when you became his daughters tutor, and your friendship grew from there. You were close to his whole family, but you saw the most of Marty.

You'd met several people now that you could consider friends, one of them being a girl named Ruth Langmore. She was Marty's business partner at a few other places he owned, and she'd quickly become one of your closest friends. The two of you didn't talk much--you had a relationship kind of like you and Marty. After a long day, the three of you would assemble at the Blue Cat and drink a couple of beers, just blowing off steam.

You were closing things up for the night half an hour early because the boats had stopped coming in and things were quiet on the lake. It wasn't until the bell rang signaling someone's arrival that you realized you weren't alone. A man in a black polo shirt stood on the other side of the bar, his stern facial expression making him look more than unapproachable.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

He didn't bother moving, he just took a look around, standing in place.

"You don't look like Marty Byrde," he said, taking a seat at the bar as you stood in front of him, your bar towel over your shoulder.

"That's because I'm not. I'm Y/n, I run the place for him."

He nodded, scanning the menu before he sat it down, looking to you.

"I'll just take whatever your favorite is," he said finally, pointing to the beer cooler behind you, "You can pick my beer too."

You handed him a bottled beer and decided you'd make him one of your famous inside out burgers. It was something Marty let you put on the menu because people asked for them so often. All of the ingredients were on the inside of the burger, giving you a totally different flavor experience. You brought him his food without explaining what it was and let him take a bite, a satisfied hum escaping his lips when he realized your twist on the normal burger.

"This is what everyone told me to get," he told you, taking a sip of his beer. You cleaned up around him, staying close just in case he had any more questions.

"What did you need with Marty anyway? I can probably get him over here," he shook his head, finishing his bite before he answered you.

"No, it's okay. I'll be seeing him later. What all do you know about him? He a good guy?"

You were confused on why he was asking but you gave him your personal opinion on Marty, telling him how much he'd helped you since you moved there and that you trusted him.

"Why are you asking?" You finally asked him why he was so curious about Marty, but the stranger simply shrugged you off and told you that it wasn't important.

"You seem like a good girl. You sure you want to be involved with a guy like Marty?"

You stopped what you were doing to stare at him, unsure of what he could possibly mean. Marty was harmless--he'd done nothing but good since he moved to town, always trying to help people out.

"What do you mean?"

He looked you up and down, trying to decide what he thought about you. It made you feel exposed--you didn't know him, but he was handsome. You felt insecure under the scrutiny of his gaze, crossing your arms over your chest as you waited on him to say anything.

"You're sweet. Just be careful, okay? I just came into town, so I'm sure I'll see you around. I'm Hotch," he held out his hand and you shook it, wondering what was bringing all the new faces to town. You'd moved there for the scenery and the opportunity; your cousin originally had lined you up a job working at Marty's casino, but he felt you were a better fit at the Blue Cat.

"You may be the most elusive man I've ever met," you chuckled as he tried to pay for his food. You wouldn't let him, since he was the last customer of the night, but he left you a $20 dollar bill anyway and showed himself out. When you finally closed things up for the night, you cracked the top on a beer, waiting for your usual visitors. When Marty showed up, he seemed more tense than usual. He went for the liquor instead of a beer, taking a shot quickly as he joined you behind the counter.

"I need to ask a favor," he looked at you, his face more serious than you'd ever seen it.

"Anything," you told him, and he placed his hand on your shoulder briefly before signing heavily.

"I'm not asking you to lie, but there may be some people that show up asking questions about me."

You went ahead and explained what had happened with Hotch, but he didn't seem too worried about him; he didn't recognize the name. He was however worried about a group of men from Kansas City that may want to know things about him. He warned you that they were dangerous, and that it was best if you didn't know any more than that. He didn't think they'd come to bother you, but he wanted to prepare you just in case.

"What's this about?"

He took another shot before explaining that they were supposed to be his partners in the casino but the Snells had beat them to it. He was worried about the casino, about them showing up to cause trouble there. You hoped Hotch wasn't a bad guy; he hadn't seemed bad at all. In fact, you found yourself wanting to know more about the man that thought you were sweet.

"You're fine, I promise."

Ruth came in and Marty filled her in, since she was working at the casino. She'd already dealt with Frank Jr. once, and she wasn't afraid to do it again. Those were her exact words.

"What's got you all starry eyed?" She looked to you, which made Marty take a closer look at you, a smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, you're awfully smiley."

You shrugged because you weren't sure what to say; the small compliment had made your day, and something about the way he looked at you when he left made you think he didn't exactly want to go.

"It was just a good night," you lied, and neither of them pressed the issue further. You all had your nightly beer and went your separate ways, and when you arrived home, you noticed someone unpacking into the empty house across the street. It was too late to go knocking to find out about them, but their blacked out SUV was nice.

You fell asleep quick, anxious for the day to come, thinking of Hotch, the mystery man.

✨✨✨

It had been a week and you still hadn't caught a glimpse of the new neighbor. You were headed to the Blue Cat for the day, hoping to get a clue about them from the outside of their house. You were still unsure if it was a man or a woman, but you were definitely curious.

The day went by quick, boats coming in like crazy since you'd started a Facebook page and actively promoted it on the vacation sites and got it the traction it deserved. Marty's daughter Charlotte helped wait tables after school, and his son Jonah would often hang out while she worked. She had just walked in and he sat at the bar, working on his computer. You spent a lot of time with the two of them; you were close, like family.

"You haven't stopped smiling since we showed up," Jonah commented, looking up from his computer to look at you.

"Been a good day," you told him, but secretly, Hotch was on your mind. You wondered what he was up to, if you'd see him again.

"You're working a double. Usually you'd be miserable at this point."

You shrugged, knowing if you told Jonah anything, he'd keep it a secret.

"I just... a guy came in the other night," you weren't sure what else to say. Your fixation on him was a strange one that you couldn't explain.

"Different than any other guy that comes in here?"

Charlotte had overhead your conversation and was peeping in to throw in her opinion since you wouldn't come right out and say it.

"She liked him, Jonah!" She whispered excitedly, putting her hands under her chin as she looked at you expectantly.

"Tell me about him," she gushed, and you rolled your eyes, but there was no one else around, so you told her all about him--you left out the part that he was asking about Marty, but you told her how handsome you thought he was. You also told her that he'd said you were sweet. She blushed, grabbing your hand.

"That's so cute! Oh my gosh, you get hit on all the time. Ruth and I have been wondering what your type is," she admitted, your love life a popular topic of conversation among your friends.

"I don't have a type, but if I did, it's him."

You didn't have to wait long to see him, because he walked in about the same time as before, long after Charlotte and Jonah had went home. He sat at the same barstool and asked for the same thing, only this time, Dave, the cook was still around, so he could make it while you talked. You cracked open a beer to drink with him, his eyes crinkling up as he grinned at you.

"Been a good day?"

You nodded, looking at the overflowing tip jar. Charlotte had already counted out her half and it was still full; you'd been making especially good money lately since the weather had started to get warm.

"It's been a great day. It's still warm outside, makes me want to have a fire," you thought about using the pit in your backyard, inviting Ruth to drink there instead of the Blue Cat. You shot her a quick text asking if she wanted to do that instead, leaning against the bar as you talked to him.

"I just moved into a new neighborhood so I'm not sure how my neighbors feel about fire pits," he answered, his suit tailored perfectly for him. You'd liked his polo before, but this look was a good one; you loved his Gucci tie, his gray dress shirt against his black blazer. He looked delicious, and it was hard not to stare.

"My neighbors are really cool. Someone new just moved in, haven't talked to them yet, but the rest of them are nice."

He thought for a minute before asking where you lived. You told him the general area your neighborhood was in before he smirked, and you turned around to get his food, sitting it in front of him.

"You've talked to them more than you realize," he chuckled, and you smiled back at him, baffled that he was your neighbor.

"No way! I almost came by last night to introduce myself but it was late," you tried to multitask, cleaning while he ate.

"You should've. I was just unpacking some stuff. I can't believe you're my neighbor."

It was a pretty wild coincidence, and you couldn't wait to tell Charlotte. Ruth had confirmed she'd be at your house later, so you told Marty too, and he told you to just grab some beer from the freezer there so you didn't have to buy any.

"I won't be around tonight, I'm doing some stuff for work, but I'll see you around, I hope," he said as he tried to pay, doing the same as last time, leaving a generous tip for you instead. You let Dave go home for the night and finished things up, grabbing beer and heading for your house. You had a fire made by the time Marty arrived, taking a seat in a lawn chair as he cracked open a beer.

"Seen anymore of that Hotch guy?"

You were surprised he remembered. You told him that he'd came back tonight, but he hadn't asked about him at all.

"Sounds like he came back to see you," he pointed out, and you were able to avoid his comment because Ruth was showing up.

"Tell me again why you thought a casino in a town of drunks was a good fuckin' idea," she grumbled as she sat down next to you, opening her beer and taking a swig.

"It's where the money is," he said matter of factly, turning back to you.

"What's going on with you? Jonah said you were so cheerful, and that you made like $600 tonight."

Ruth was looking at you too, smirking at you with a wild look in her eye.

"I just like my job," you told him, and he scoffed, pushing you playfully.

"Is it a guy?" Ruth asked suddenly and you felt your cheeks go hot from the fire and the question, turning to look at her.

"I don't know what to say. He's just so handsome, but he's like, way out of my league. He had on a Gucci tie," you frowned, knowing that he was probably into women his own age, women with their lives together, college degrees and homes they owned.

"It's this Hotch guy, isn't it?" Marty said, his tone slightly accusatory.

"Yes," you admitted, and he groaned, rolling his eyes at you.

"Of course it is. Some guy starts asking questions and you fall head over heels for him," he was a bit more teasing now, but you could tell he wasn't quite sure how to feel.

"Like I said, he's out of my league."

Ruth shook her head, grabbing another beer.

"Don't say that. You could have anyone," she countered, and Marty nodded.

"It's true. This guy is not coming to the Blue Cat just for the burgers. He's coming to see you," you decided to tell them what you found out today, just to see how they reacted.

"He lives across the street," you said, and Ruth smiled wide, clinking her beer against yours.

"Well, if that ain't perfect, I don't know what is."

[maple-writes]

WHG 21 - The Reaping

This took way longer than it should have but it's something ~1.6K words.

tagging @concealeddarkness13 @pen-of-roses @ratracechronicler

POV: Rantha

---

I’d never seen Wayton so busy before, crowds likely larger than the population itself seemed to have gathered from what I’d glimpsed on the way in, led by Jack’s tight grip on my arm. He shoved me into the small town hall building, hardly more than an office to discuss town planning and hold important records. Inside Hannah and Mark, who I’d seen around but never really spoken to, were waiting for me.

Jack shut the door behind him and drew the blinds letting only a sliver of light shine in through the dusty window. No one spoke. All I could hear was my heartbeat in my ears, feeling it hammer against my chest. My breath seemed too loud in the quiet, standing still under everyone’s eyes. Was I supposed to break the silence? Nervously I fiddled with one of the chains around my wrists, running my hand over the links that matched the one around my neck and around my ankles.

Outside muffled noises of chatter came from the those passing by on their way to the town center. I’d gathered that there was something happening today, and that I would be sent away. No one would tell me where and I got the sense that they didn’t really know themselves.

“Did she suffer?”

Hannah’s voice surprised me, directed and poignant in the small dark room. She didn’t need to tell me who she was talking about. Irene had come in after her mother’s funeral, furious that Cecil had been gone and I had performed the ceremonies on his behalf. Drunk and spitting insults and threats there was nowhere for me to run. She stood between me and the door with only a desk between us. When she reached for a gun I shot first.

I shook my head, heart heavy and eyes lowered. “No, it was quick.” We were close enough that I shot her in the forehead. “I wouldn’t have left her there if she was alive and in pain.”

Beside her Mark growled, arms crossed tight across his chest. “Good thing you didn’t because if you did I’d consider beating you myself before handing you over to that ambassador.”

A hand closed around the back of the chain around my neck, pulling up and making me gag at the pressure on my throat. Jack yanked me back. I stumbled and choked, hands at my neck to try and fight the pressure as panic and breathlessness built in my lungs.

He sneered, pulling higher on the chain necklace. “A monster like him should never have been allowed to train under Cecil in the first place. Didn’t we all know this would happen?”

I struggled against his grip, choking like a hanged dog. This was wrong. It was wrong for anyone to touch a mage’s chains like this, especially in anger. Hannah and Mark watched cold and uncaring as dark closed in from the edge of my vision inwards, my head light and dizzy and my hands weakening. I stopped feeling the pain of the chain digging into my throat and my eyes grew heavy.

Jack let go and pushed me down. I landed on my side on the hard cold floor, gasping and panting to catch my breath.

“Lucky for you they want you alive.” He glared down at me. “Now get up and dust yourself off to make yourself at least half presentable.”

I took a couple more long deep breaths and pushed myself to my feet. My throat ached, sore and tender where I brought my hand to my neck. My other hand clenched to a fist by my side but I didn’t dare act on it. Keeping my head down I chewed on the anger threatening to come up from my stomach, on the curses I wanted to utter.

It would only prove them right.

I kept my head down when they lead me outside and a roundabout route to the center of town. A stage had been built, or maybe brought in, the material far too shiny and new looking for it to have come from around here. We stopped tucked away by the side of the stage where a strange looking woman had stepped up to the front of the stage. I tried not to stare but I couldn’t figure out how any of her many dazzling layers connected to each other, or even where one piece ended and the other began.

I wouldn’t say it to her face because that would be rude, but she looked weird.

She started a speech, one I couldn’t hear very well from where I stood. Jack held my arm in a tight grip, fingers digging into my skin hard enough it would bruise by tomorrow. Not that there was any need for him to hold on so tight. Where would I go? Where could I run to unarmed and against everyone who’d ever hated me?

Maybe they would let me say goodbye to Cecil before they took me wherever this woman had come from.

“There’s your cue, hope they eat you alive.”

Before I knew what was happening Jack pushed me towards the stage, pointing towards the stairs. The speaker had stopped speaking, waving enthusiastically for me to come join her. I took a deep breath to steady myself and walked before I could think too hard about it, putting one foot in front of the other. My skin burned under the stares of the crowd as I crossed the stage.

My legs wobbled and my heart worked its way up into my throat but I kept my breathing as calm as I could and kept my back straight like Cecil had taught me. In times of stress, crisis, and fear a mage was to appear calm before others. A mortician mage especially at times. Serving those who were grieving, preparing and investigating the bodies of those whose lives were taken too soon, sending loved ones off and calling for the attention of spirits and gods, I could show no apprehension. The last thing anyone needed was a nervous mage to set everyone else on edge.

Would he be proud of me now despite what I had done?

“And here he is!” The woman standing center stage grinned wide, her teeth unnaturally straight and white. She tossed her arm around my shoulders and pulled me in beside her. “Rantha Cathartes!”

She flashed another smile, and out of the corner of my eye I saw it waver just a moment when no one reacted, as if she’d expected fanfare. I took a deep breath and tried not to make a face at the strength of her perfume. The pause went on way too long before she decided to move on.

“Well then, wish him luck and he may just end up among the best of the best!”

Her smiling mask slipped again when the crowd didn’t give her what she wanted, some even scowling at the idea of wishing me luck.

She sighed, muttering under her breath, “huh, tough crowd…” A quick breath and the showmanship was back. “Thank you all for your hospitality. We’ll be setting up some equipment so you can view the whole show from right here once it all gets started. Farewell and may we meet again!”

This time she didn’t spare a moment to wait for a reaction, turning me with her arm still over my shoulders to guide me off the stage. Even if I knew I wouldn’t like what I saw I looked out at the gathered crowd as we walked. Familiar faces, people I’d grown up alongside, people who lost parents and children and friends by my mother and father’s hands.

At the far end of the square I found Cecil. He stood leaning against the side of a building with his lanky black dog Taiga sitting by his side. Dressed in his mortician mage’s cloak he watched and I faltered for a moment at the look in his eyes.

I’d never seen anger like that on his face before. Sharp eyed and strong jawed like that it looked like he could damn near burn Wayton to the ground. Taiga mirrored his expression with her ears pinned back and lip curled to show sharp teeth bright against her black muzzle. Together they noticed I’d seen them, heads moving in unison to follow my path across the stage.

Cecil’s face softened, eyes closing while his shoulders raised in a deep sigh. He nodded once. The same nod he’d given me countless times, a quiet token of approval and praise for something well done.

I was lucky we’d reached the other side of the stage and down the stairs because I couldn’t keep up the unreadable facade. Tears ran down either cheek, joining together under my chin and dropping down to my shirt. What ever happened next I knew that despite everything I’d made him proud. That in what was more than likely the last time he would ever see me he did what he could to show me thought as much. That he didn’t hate me, hadn’t washed his hands of me after finding a bloodied corpse where I should have been waiting for him to return. That he probably still loved me.

[welldonebeca]

the devil in the marble (12)

WC: 900+ words Warnings: Tension. Canonical violence.

masterlist

Cato made a stop to talk to Enobaria before walking off, holding your hand and guiding you in a different direction than your neighbourhood, and it took you until you were almost there to realise where he was going.

"Victor's Village?" you asked, surprised.

Your boyfriend glanced back at you.

"I got an uncle," he explained. "Now that the competitions started he was assigned to watch it over a different town, so his house is empty, and I got his permission to use it."

You raised your eyebrows, surprised.

Oh, you didn't know his uncle was a victor. It made a lot of sense.

"My aunt died in the last Quarter Quell," you told him. "She was 17."

Cato watched your face, careful. Aunt Y/N was the oldest of your mother and her sisters.

"I think that's why my mum always gave me space to not be a fighter," you told him. "Her sister was like me, and it was what killed her."

Your boyfriend frowned.

"How could it have killed her?" he asked, sounding both confused and concerned.

You faced forward, looking at the quiet Village. Your aunt could have lived there, if she had won.

"The sound of the canons was too much," you told him. "She got overwhelmed and someone saw it as a chance of ending her."

When you turned to look at him, Cato looked both impressed and a bit sad.

Your families had very different experienced with The Hunger Games.

"What was her name?"

"The same as mine," you told him. "I was named after her."

"And your grandmother," he added. "Mrs Astoria..."

You giggled as he trailed off.

"Sloan. Astoria Sloan," you finished his sentence, remembering your mother's maiden name. "And yes. I was named after both of them.”

"Sloan," he echoed, taking you past the gates.

His uncle's house was beautiful, large enough that it would accommodate a family of a dozen, with large windows that let all the light in, and built with perfect marble.

It was covered in snow - at this time of the years everything was - and by the looks of it, no one had really been in there for a while, because your feet were buried really deep in the snow with every step you took.

Cato guided you, unlocking the door with his thumbprint and letting you in before closing the door behind himself.

The house was very nice, classic and very warm. Even with the lights turned off, sunlight was perfectly enough to keep everything perfectly lit.

"It's beautiful," you looked around.

But you frowned a little bit as your eyes ran over it. There were no decorations. Nothing that made it look like it was more than a place someone sometimes occupied.

You could see a group of children playing from afar, running and throwing snowballs at one another, looking like they were having the most fun in the whole world.

"Come here," he called, and you turned around to find him warming his hands by a big fireplace, and walked to his side;

You took off your jacket, relaxing with the warmth from the fire, and he smiled a bit at you.

"You didn't think I'd leave you out there in all that snow, did you?" he teased, eliciting a giggle from you.

You shrugged playfully.

"I don't know," you rubbed your hands together. "I didn't even know you were going to surprise me.”

It was the point of a surprise, right? Taking you out to do something in the snow would be a surprise.

Cato chuckled a bit.

"You have a point."

He stood up, offering a hand to you so you could move.

"The house does a good job of keeping warm," he told you. "My uncle complains a lot that he has to travel around this time of the year, he says it makes his bones hurt."

You walked with him through the house and into a room with a large covered indoor pool, right beside a large window that let the sun into the room, and the prettiest of views.

Right by the window, there was a long sheet, thick and comfortable looking, with a bunch of pillows and a large picnic basket.

"Surprise," Cato squeezed your hand.

You beamed happily. Oh, that was so nice!

"An indoor picnic!" you exclaimed.

"We had a long morning," he reminded you, guiding you along. "And I'm starving."

You two sat down, and you watched quietly as he pulled the food from the basket, spreading it carefully over the long sheet as you adjusted the pillows to sit comfortably.

Your boyfriend put the containers around, very focused.

"Okay," he spoke slowly. "We have strawberry tea and hot chocolate, spinach and potato soup."

You lit up. Oh, you loved spinach!

"Little pastries," he looked into the basket, putting them down. "Cheese..."

He really liked cheese.

"Lots of cheese," you reached for the long plate, uncovering it to take a square of the soft one.

Cato chuckled a little.

"Lots of cheese," he agreed. "Some dried fruit, and normal fruit too."

He sat back on his spot, and you reached for him, putting a hand on his cheek and leaning in to kiss him.

"Thank you," you caressed his cheek. "It's all really nice. It's really beautiful."

Cato smiled openly.

"I did my best," he told you. "I made the soup and the hot chocolate, and the tea. And I bought the rest of it, cause I knew you liked it."

You smiled more, not knowing what to say.

He was so sweet, so thoughtful!

"Well," you began slowly, looking for words. "Since you put in so much effort, why don't you guide me? Tell me, what do you think I should have first?"

. . .

. . .

“the devil in the marble” was posted on my Patreon on June 2022. To read all 23 available chapters now and have early access to the last arc as it is posted, subscribe to my page! It’s just $2 a month and I promise you won’t regret it.

…

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[elizapreg]

Z2A - Chapter 1: Laundry Day

Chapter 1: LAUNDRY DAY “Things are quiet in the Boundary today, marking nearly a month since the last Eniyx sighting. We remind all citizens to stay vigilant and report any strange sightings to the Authority. In other news, Buybest has extended its weekend sale so shoppers can look forward to many savings across” *Beep beep beep beep* Closing the timer on her phone, Amy stood up and stretched a bit, looking over at the static filled newscast on the old tv in the corner of the laundromat. Swinging open the machine she was using, she began to pull out the warm clothes. She couldn’t help but notice the strange stares she was getting from the toddler sitting on the bench about five machines down. Children always seemed to have a hard time not hard locking their eyes to where her arm would be, and the pattern of discolored skin surrounding the area. Or at least she assumed that was what the kid was looking at. Amy looked down at her rounded orb of a middle, the tank top she was wearing not exactly hiding things. It’d been long enough at this point, that she hardly even noticed it. She’d grown accustomed to the shift in her balance, the strange looks, and the constant inquiries of what many assumed to be impending motherhood. At first she and Zoey would try to explain the truth of the matter, but eventually realized it was both much more convenient and much faster to just smile and nod. Only problems ever came with people they saw often enough to question why she had never popped after all these months. Chuckling to herself, she continued to grab her clothes from the machine. ‘I bet Zoey would love to head off to a good sale, we are running low on some things…’ She thought to herself, ‘Honestly she’s probably already there.’ Stuffing the clean clothes into her bag, she headed to the front desk, “Thank you Mr. Parker! I’ll see you next week.” She said to the elderly store owner. “Oh of course Ms. Grey, and give my greeting to Ms. Lal if you will, and if it's not too much of a bother, ask her when she would be available for her services, a few of our dryers have been struggling lately.” “I’ll be sure to let her know Mr. Parker!” Amy replied as she made her way out the door. Looking up and down the street, she didn’t see any taxis in sight. Shrugging to herself she started to make her way down the block herself.  The sidewalks were empty except for one or two people on the far side of the street, so she had all that concrete to herself. Every week more and more people moved towards the more central parts of the country. Even though it had been years since the Eniyx had last taken any territory, people still were on edge, and the bigger cities forming in the central lands were being built with all the latest defenses.  Old towns like this, with their worn brick-and-mortar walls, were becoming ghost towns. 

The only reason Amy lived here was the low rent, at least before she met Zoey. Turning the corner she could see a set of empty apartment buildings, one in a state of disrepair, but nothing compared to the sorry state of the other, the top half of the building more or less blown apart with no visible efforts being made to repair it. Amy winced a bit looking at it, she could still remember the night she did that. It was shortly after Zoey finished the arm, and Amy’s aim did not live up to her confidence on that encounter. Noticing a cab coming up the road, she waved it down and climbed into the back seat. Rummaging around her bags to find some payment, she told the driver the directions. Doing some math in her head, she sighed a bit of relief realizing she still had barely enough to leave a decent tip. Looking down at the plating on her shoulder, Amy gave thought to how things had been since Zoey had completed it. Given the nature of the project, the government had been quick to come looking for what Zoey had developed. Seeing the prototype, an organization known as Charcom had stepped in to provide funding…and a tsunami of paperwork, red tape, and stipulations.  Yet here they were, still living in this dusty old town, yet to see their lives get properly funded. Arriving at her stop, Amy thanked the driver. Walking into her building, she passed the out of service elevator and opened the doors to the stairwell. “We should really consider not living on the 8th floor…” She grumbled before starting her way up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zoey leaned back from her desk, and tapped her watch. “Amy? Are you back yet?” After a bit of silence she pulled out her phone, sending a message to her girlfriend. Zoey got up, having to push a schematic she was working on back onto her desk before it fell off.  She made her way out of the apartment, down the hall, and to the stairwell, opening the door and looking down the shaft. “Amy?” she called out, voice echoing just a bit. “Yeah, I’m here, just about to set this down and reply to your text. Laundry was a bit slow today,” Amy called back. “See if Martin is home and tell him to come carry this damn sack of clothes.” Zoey laughed, “Oh what? You know if he helps us, he’s gonna wanna stay for dinner right?” She hurried down the stairs to give a hand herself. “Yeah, I guess we gotta stretch it to payday don’t we?” Amy called back.

“Mhmm, and I’ve gotta hit up that sale at Buybest to get things I can use for your arm,” Zoey said as she skipped down some stairs, “I think we’ve got just enough with that.”

  “Any luck with Charcom?”  Amy asked. Zoey turned down the next flight, reaching the floor Amy had made it to and grabbing the laundry bag from her. “No, no, they are still ghosting us.” Zoey said dejectedly. 

“Oh so they are sure to show up the second I use the Arm once, but when we want some help in return for all we do for them its radio silent?” Amy replied. 

Shrugging Zoey continued, “Guess we are too good at solving their problems, they don't have as many jobs for us these days.” Reaching the top floor, they made their way back into their apartment.  Zoey went straight through the living space and tossed the bag into the bedroom. Amy shut the door behind her, making sure to prop it up with her foot so that it closed properly, then turned around and took a seat on the couch, perfectly filling that worn out spot on the cushion.  Her eyes scanned the place over.  Aside from the heaps of parts and papers on Zoey’s desk, most things seemed to be in order.  She questioned whether the schematics near the bedroom door were there before, but she hadn’t memorized each one that Zoey had hung up, and they changed just about every week.

 “Oh yeah, Mr. Parker wanted me to ask you when you’ll be available to fix up some of the dryers. To be honest they do really need a tuning, part of why I’m so late is how long it took to finish all that.”  Amy said. “Oh yeah, I’ll run by there tomorrow, after I run to Buybest. I know it's not exactly convenient for you to have to go without the Arm for this long, so I want to get that fixed ASAP.”  Zoey came back into the living space and pushed some more things into a pile on her desk.  She flicked off her computer and then sat down next to Amy on the couch. “I keep telling you, I can manage just fine running solo.” Amy jokes, flexing her arm. “I managed for 6 years before you came along after all.” Amy added, putting said arm around Zoey’s shoulders, with Zoey resting her head on Amy. “I know, but I made it to make your life easier didn’t I? Plus I don’t want some Eniyx showing up with you unprepared.” Zoey teased. “I don’t trust you to walk away from a fight without your firepower.” Amy opened her mouth to retort, but simply laughed. “Hey, I’ve chilled out a bit… Mostly… But anyway, what’s the plan for the rest of the night?” “Well, I was thinking we cook up the last of the top ramen, get nice and snuggly, and finally get around to watching that new documentary series Martin told us about.” Zoey said excitedly. “Ugh, can’t we watch something more…exciting than the history of Olympic Squatting?” Amy complained back with a pout. “You know he’s just going to keep asking us what we think until we watch it right? And given the lack of jobs we’ve had recently, we are running out of excuses for why we haven’t.” Zoey scolded. “He’s your brother, and given how much he helps out I think we can watch a silly…” She pulled out her phone and checked the show length. “4 HOURS?!?” Amy burst out laughing. “See!?” She stood up, heading into the side of the room that is the kitchen, and started filling a pot with water. “How about we watch it at double speed, or at least look up the summary, and watch something more our speed? We have a whole free streaming service of cheesy low budget garbage to laugh at.” She set the pot on the stove, and waited patiently for the flame to kick on before walking up behind the couch and looking over Zoey’s shoulder. She’d gotten good at not bumping her middle into the couch doing that now. “Ok fine… But if Martin wants to quiz us on it, I’m throwing you under the bus.” Zoey chuckled back. “The government funded mechanical genius refusing to take a quiz? Couldn’t be my Zoey! She can’t help but show off that big brain.” Amy teased, planting a quick kiss on the top of Zoey’s head. “She’s too proud to let other people know more than her!” Zoey blushed. “Engineering and Mechanics are not exactly the same as random sports trivia you know!” “Neither is sitcom trivia and who is the reigning champion of Building 2?” Amy retorted, raising an eyebrow as she pointed at the shelf of cheap plastic trophies from the annual complex trivia nights. Blushing even more now, Zoey turned to look at Amy. “Well master chef answer this quiz question: how long does it take before water boils over on a stove that runs hotter than its dial?” 

“Shit, now our gourmet meal will be ruined!” Amy yelled, quickly running over to turn down the heat.  Her belly maneuvering skills were not so great in a panic, and her belly knocked some of the plastic dishes off the counter in the process. She blushed as she heard Zoey howling with laughter. “I keep telling you this wouldn’t happen if you’d made this battery smaller!” Amy called as she struggled to bend over and pick up the fallen dishes, before seeing Zoeys hands already grabbing them from off the floor. They both stand back up and Zoey puts a hand on Amy’s round middle. “We’ll aside from the fact I couldn’t really make it any smaller given what we had at the time, I still stand by the fact it makes you look adorable.” Zoey said softly, leaning in and putting a soft kiss on Amy’s warm cheek. 

Blushing even more still, Amy turned for a moment, putting the overcooked ramen into bowls for the both of them. “Bon Appetit, my love.”

“Cheers” Zoey said back with a wide smile, tapping her bowl to Amy’s in a sort of toast. “Now let's hurry up and watch this before it gets too late… I don’t think we stand much of a chance making it through once we start getting tired.

[aoicourier]

November 6th, 2281

This may be the last entry I will ever write. It'd be a shame to leave you on a cliffhanger after all this, but there's a high chance I'm about to walk into an ambush. I suppose we'll see.

This morning, after our miserable night at the El Rey Motel, we headed to nearby Camp McCarran. Boone told me that it was the NCR's main base in the Mojave, and had a monorail that ran directly to the New Vegas Strip. NCR soldiers use it when they go on leave, to gamble away all their caps and spend their winnings on booze and floozies. McCarran was a fortified airfield before the Great War. Now it was filled with NCR trucks and tents full of soldiers. Inside the terminal building, we met with Colonel Hsu, who had taken command when General Oliver had travelled to the Hoover Dam. Caesar's Legion continued to mass their forces on the other side of the Colorado River, no doubt preparing for their second takeover attempt.

Side note: General Oliver is the reason the NCR never make a move. Boone referred to him as "General Wait-and-See", and Hsu said he refuses to approve any offensive manoeuvres in case they lose their positions. At least I know who to blame next time I'm forced to do the NCR's dirty work for them.

Hsu confessed that things were going poorly for the NCR in general, between the Legion, the chem-addicted Fiends who were launching raids from a nearby Vault-Tec Vault they'd captured, and even a traitor in their ranks who was feeding their enemies information on troop deployments and patrol routes. After seeing what the Legion did to Nipton, I have no desire to see them seize any kind of power in this region, or any other. Perhaps, when I've exacted my revenge on Benny, I'll offer the NCR my courier services: transporting bullets into human skulls at high speeds. For a fee, of course. I'm not planning on enlisting any time soon.

Anyway, Hsu gave us leave to use the monorail, and a short time later, I stepped out of the station and onto the New Vegas Strip.

Even in the daytime, the neon lights from the casinos were blinding. Drunken tourists staggered up and down the street. Off-duty NCR women danced in their underwear in a fountain of pure water. I didn't have much time to take in the sights, though, as I was immediately confronted by a familiar "face". Victor, the cowboy robot. He let me in on his little secret: it seems he can move his "mind" between different Securitron units. Even he doesn't know how he does it. Still, it does explain why he keeps popping up in every town I visit. He told me that Mr. House, the man who built New Vegas and created the Securitrons, wanted to meet me in his casino, the Lucky 38. Before I could ask him any more questions, Victor's cowboy mind vacated the premises, and the big metal body he had inhabited became just a regular patrol robot. Unexpected. But I have more important things on my mind right now.

Casinos are scattered all around the Strip. The Ultra-Luxe. The Gomorrah. But my target, the one owned by Benny and the Chairmen, is The Tops. Fittingly, it's shaped like a huge spinning top, with flashing yellow lights running all the way around it. Somewhere inside one of its thirteen floors, Benny waits for me. The Man in the Checkered Coat. The one who shot me in the head and left me for dead over a platinum poker chip. My revenge is so close now. But I need time to prepare.

Right next door to The Tops is Vault 21. You heard me right, an actual Vault-Tec Vault, now mostly filled with concrete and turned into a gift shop and hotel. The young woman who runs the place still wears her blue-and-yellow leather suit and speaks like she hasn't been outside in 200 years. It's actually the same Vault that Doc Mitchell and his wife came from. Small world. Boone and I got a room there for 20 caps, and that's where I'm writing this. It's strange in here. The corridors are a maze, and it's eerily quiet even with so many tourists renting rooms. The common areas are spacious enough, but it's hard to imagine generations of people spending their entire lives down here, never seeing the sun or knowing the outside world. The wasteland may be an irradiated shithole, but there's possibility there. And community. And so many other things that you couldn't get in a tiny metal box buried in the desert. But then, it's not like they were given a choice.

I'm going to drink a few beers, get a buzz going. And when the sun goes down, I'm going to waltz into The Tops and finish this, one way or the other.

If you're the one reading this, Benny, then fuck you. I just hope I went down fighting.

[noetic-noesis-noein]

Anonymous sent:  19. What are their biggest secrets?

   “Other than the whole, ‘secret identity of a super hero’ thing? Um, well,” she looked off to the side, fingers hiding her lips. “There’s been several times where I’ve up and left relationships and straight ghosted people because they’ve gotten too close. Either too close to me where I just can’t deal with them anymore, or that they’ve been close to figuring out my secret identity or the fact that well. I genuinely think about hanging up the Super Suit because of it. 

    “Helen thinks that I have a god complex. Sometimes I feel myself at the brink of disaster, all the time. Like no matter what I do, something is going to straight, push me over the edge and I’m just going to become some raging black hole, swallowing the sun. She says she’s seen it in me, and that I could. I don’t,” her breath hitches, “I don’t like that I’m capable of something like that. So I keep people away. I stay with someone that could shut me down and throw me into a coma at any given point if I start going ‘supernova’. Or, as we’ve both dubbed it, ‘grimdark’. I’ve lost control and been at that point before.

    “I don’t remember anything that happens. Helen says it’s something about using too much power of the mind and makes it near impossible to form memories because of all the circuits I fry overdoing it. I lose my memory, I do damage, and my hair turns black. It’s why the under sides of my hair is so short, I constantly cut it off when it happens. It’s, the biggest guilt and burden I carry.”

    “I’ve killed before.”

[spikedhe4rt]

Dallas Winston x Insecure!Plus!Reader

Word Count: 1824

Insecurities is basically all I'm made of, confidence had been one of the most foreign things to me my whole life. Most of my life I've been on the bigger side per-say or what my "better" twin sister says, fat. Her name is Iyana and she's considered "the perfect girl" in my family but I don't blame them she had everything, she was skinny and beautiful unlike me which they made sure to remind me of everyday no matter what since i was only 7. "You look like a pig eating that y/n" and "Stop eating the whole table of food y/n" is what my mom and dad said to me the day of grandma funeral at the repass. It made me cry even harder because it just reminded that my grandma was the only person who didn't comment on my weight and she was gone.

Years laters , I officially turned 18 and decided to run away to the town of Tulsa to escape my family, unfortunately I carried my insecurity and built up walls that seem like they could never be torn down. I found a job at the so-called dingo. It paid pretty well and i was able to find a small house. It was a rather quiet neighborhood apart from my next-door neighbors, The Curtis's. There was Sodapop, Ponyboy, and the eldest, Darry. I'd met them couple times and they've invited over for dinner but I've always declined because i hate people watching me eat. Even tho there was only the three boys living there, they always had 4 other boy basically living there also. There was Keith "Two-bit" Matthews, Johnny Cade, Steve Randle, and the infamous Dallas Winston. I've met them multiple times also, Two was the funny one, Johnny is the shy one, Steve is the car one and Dallas is Dallas. They've always been pretty nice to me and all, asking me how I've been and occasionally flirting but I always brush it off because it's probably just for laughs.

Months later, I decided to grow a garden since nature has always been an enjoy for me. I watered my plants twice a week to keep them healthy. I woke up to find that it was one of the most hottest days in Tulsa, damn you heat waves. That meant that it was most likely for my plants to dry out which meant they needed to be watered. I put on my red floral sundress and hat to head outside.

When I was about half way done watering the garden I heard some of the boys coming down the sidewalk. I continued my business until I heard "Hey Ms.L/N" come from three boys, I turned and saw Dallas, Two-bit, and Johnny then I proceeded to reply "Hi boys." I went back to my plants and thats when i heard something strange come from the one and only Dallas Winston, "when you gonna let me fuck Ms.L/N" in a whisper that sounded almost purposely loud as hell. "What you say honey?" then he replied a loud nothing, and walked in the Curtis house. I shrugged, maybe i heard him wrong, I thought.

After weeks of playful banter and flirting, Dallas decided to ask me out, i was extremely skeptical because my weight and thought it was bet or something but he convinced me. Which is why months later were dating now. I was skeptical about dating someone like him because of who he is but he ended up having unexpected soft side to him. We decided to take things slow, which was cool at first but Im starting to get worried. Dallas started to get distant from me. Even after months of dating, we haven't had sex and it was all my fault, he tried a couple times but i just couldn't bring myself to do it, it wasn't that I wasn't attracted to Dallas or I didn't love him, I was just insecure about my body and what he would think of me.

I tried my best to ignore it but he got fed up and finally asked "are you not into me doll?" My eyes widened and I turned to him "of course I am baby, why wouldn't I be?" He shrugged and said "We haven't you know...and Im a little worried" At that point I started tear up a little "Woah woah whats wrong?" he asked with a worried look. "Im sorry I just think you'll hate what you see if we do. At that point he told me to get up and grabbed my hand. We walked to the mirror in my room and he stood behind me. He then started to drag his hands up and down my body saying things like "I love everything about you doll" "I love your thick thighs and your legs" "Your so beautiful, I want you so bad"

Everything he said made me grow wetter and all I wanted was him at this moment, nothing else.

*************SMUT WARNING*************

I turned around we began to kiss passionately for a few moments..."I think I'm ready Dally" He replied with a breathy ok and began to kiss down my neck and chest. I let out and small whimper

"Please Dally" I said

"Please what beautiful?" he asked in a seductive tone

"Please make love to me"

"Of course baby"

I shuddered as he started to pull my shirt over my head and kiss my breasts, leaving hickeys on the hot skin. He then reached down and started to fiddle with the lining of my shorts.

"Can I take these off y/n?"

"yes sir"

"holy shit say that again"

"yes sir" I repeated

Dallas leaned down and started to kiss down my stomach and thighs. I let out a small moan when he sucked a sweet spot on my thigh.

"Lay down"

I walked over to my bed and scooted up to the pillows at the top. Dallas then took off his shirt showing his bare chest and small happy trail. He walked over and pulled me to the edge. He spread my legs and ran his pointer finger over  over my underwear.

"Baby you're soaked, is this all for me?"

"yes sir" I said as I moaned

He let out a low groan and kneeled down. Dallas then pulled my underwear down snd started to leave hickeys on my inner thighs.

"What are you doing Dally?"

"Thats not my name doll"

"Sorry sir"

"Now, what I'm gonna do is eat this pretty pussy, is that ok baby?"

"yes sir" I whimpered

Dallas then started to suck my clit hitting all the right spots. I let out a loud moan and started to pant. He then licked down and pushed his tongue into my hole.

"Dallas!" I moaned

"You like that baby?"

"yes yes yes"

"you gonna cum on my tongue?"

"Yes sir"

He continued to thrust his tongue inside of me.  As much I love this man and didn't want him to suffocate, my thighs began clamp around his head as i came. I rode out my high and he came up with my arousal on his mouth.

"I'm so sorry baby" as the tears started to form

"Sorry for what?"  he asked breathing heavily

"My thighs almost killing you" I said not knowing if i should cry or laugh.

"Would have been one of the best ways to go out" he said smirking

I giggled

"Now come here doll"

He pulled me up and started to unclip my bra letting my breasts fall. He then started to kiss all over them and suck my nipples

"Oh Dallas" I moaned

"That feel good huh?"

"Mhm" I said as i bit my lip

Dallas then stepped away to take off his pants and underwear to reveal his hard-on. I then reached to find condom but had no luck.

"Baby I don't have protection"

"I do in my drawer but I don't think we need it just yet"

"What?"

"Shh just lay down for me"

"You don't have too doll"

"Its ok I want to"

I kneeled down and wrapped my hand around his dick, starting to glide it up and down. He let out a low moan. I then took his tip in my mouth running my tongue along the slit and sucking. I then lowered my head to take him fully, lips and nose touching the base. He bucked his hips up making me gag a little.

"Yes take me down your throat baby"

"You love this dick don't you"

"yes dally"

"can I fuck your pretty mouth baby?"

"Yes"

He then lightly tugged my hair to make take his dick fully down my throat. Dallas began to thrust roughly into my mouth. He let out the most low groan and moans. He then said...

"Where do you want it?"

"Down my throat Dallas please"

Dallas then continued his thrusts in my mouth.  After a couple moments, i felt him twitch in my mouth and then I felt him cum down my throat.

"That was amazing doll"

"Thank you dally"

Dallas pulled me up from my knees and pushed me face first onto the bed. He then pulled my ass up so that I was arching. He began to rub his tip against my clit down to my whole mixing his precum with my arousal.

"you ready for this dick y/n"

"Yes Dallas!"

"say it baby"

"I'm ready for your dick" I said voice muffled by the bedding.

Dallas reached for the condom, ripping it open with his teeth. He then slowly slipped into my pussy, we both moan in pleasure as he starts to thrust slowly.

"Dallas!"

"You like that?"

"Yes harder please" I moaned in response

Dallas started to thrust hard into me as he moaned. I felt like I was in heaven with the pleasure I was receiving. My eyes started to droop and i start to drool a little. I felt like i was on cloud nine, clenching around Dallas with almost every thrust.

"You going dumb already babydoll?"

"Mhm"

"You gonna cum all over me?"

"yes dally" i spoke lowly

He then reached forward to rub my clit in fast and harsh circular motions. I cried out in massive pleasure. My legs began to shake and I clenched hard as I came, I rode out my high as Dallas's was approaching. He continued his thrusts as I started to feel that overstimulated feeling. He slowed his thrusts as they became sloppier and he came into the condom. He pulled out and disposed of the condom, then flopping onto the bed.

"Hows that for a first time doll?"

"You were so good Dallas" I said out of breath.

"That was all you baby, you were such a good girl"

"I love you Dallas"

"I love you too doll"

[THE END]

Feedback Section:

What do you think?:

What can I improve?:

What should stay the same?:

[anime-grimmy-art]

What do you do when there’s not much to an AU? You make up your own stuff, ofc. And as is per usual when I make Character Designs, I make up a shit ton of lore too.

The ramblings under the cut, but what I’m really interested in, is what you guys think. Do you guys have any headcanons/ideas for this AU? Let me hear them! Also, if you don’t wanna read on tumblr, here’s the Google Docs link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/151yshHxnb_--P6eMKkwkI2dee9xC_Llb/view?usp=sharing

Before I get into the characters’ roles, here’s some general facts and backstory of their town:

- Basically, it’s Undertale meets Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley. Well, kinda. I at least used that approach for coming up for the jobs for the characters. You know, how there’s always a general store, a doctor, a smithy, etc.

- The usual story of a HM game is that you come to a town that’s way past its glory days and you, as the player/farmer, help them get back to that. The “backstory” of the town is that that already kinda happened. I’ll get into it more in the character description, but basically when Asgore was still mayor, the town got really popular. Then yadda yadda, a certain tragedy happened, two kids died, and the town suddenly got very bad publicity. There was a lot of stuff going on back then, bad reputation being spread and also a lot of law stuff, cos, you know, supposed child murder ‘n all, so Asgore made the decision to shut off the town to ppl from outside. This was in the interest of most monsters living there, because as fun as it is to have a lot of people coming there, most just wanted to live a quiet life. Not everyone was happy with that though, so many moved away from town and some others are trying to get the town back on its feet. But more on that later.

On to the characters:

I’m just gonna start with the skelebros, cos it’s their fault in the first place I got so invested.

Basically, they are what the player is in hm/sdv. They just showed up one day, took over the abandoned farmhouse and began their life there. The two came to town way after it was “closed” and since then a new mayor has opened the possibility for new residents to move in. Their farm helps the economy of the town a lot and the mayor, like usually in hm games, is trying to use that to make the town more known again. The skelebros aren’t really working towards that goal however.

So, now a bit more detail on them individually.

Papyrus:

- The design is mostly based on what’s “canon” in this au.

- He works mostly on the fields and is in charge of the crops. Their fields aren’t spectacularly big, but still big enough to plant a few dozen rows of veggies. 

- Paps also helps out a lot in town when he has the time. He helps Asgore with his plants, he goes fishing with Undyne, helps Toriel carry crates around and so on. This is inspired by the part-time job mechanic in HM ToT.

- Unbelievably, in this AU Pap is not an absolutely awful cook. Since he helps out at Muffet’s and Grillby’s a lot, they tend to show him some tricks to cooking. Even though Pap’s not a big fan of the greasy or overly sweet cooking those two do, he picks up a lot.

Sans:

- Again, design mostly based on the “canon” look. Maybe a bit more baggy.

- This is finally an AU this dude gets to rest. Since there are no resets and he doesn’t have to see his bro die again and again, for once in his life, he’s not a sad ball of depression. He’s just a chill and lazy dude that loves to make puns. Though, since he’s not too experienced with the feelings of loss, helplessness or grieving, he still tends to hide behind puns and fakes smiles if he does feel bad.

- Sans is in charge of the animals on the farm. Papyrus begrudgingly gave him that role since Pap’s loud demeanour and hectic movements usually scare the animals. Sans’ relaxed attitude draws the animals to him naturally and even if Pap mostly finds him sleep against a tree, in a stack of hay or on one of the sheep, the animals are always fed, healthy and relaxed, so Sans seems to be doing his job.

- Sans always has a small chic sit inside his hoodie or hat. Is it always the same one? Who knows, maybe.

- Sans also, somehow, can produce eggs out of thin air. Grab into his hoodie pocket, in his pants pocket, in his hat, in his slipper, there’s suddenly always an egg there. On good days he can even make butter or cheese appear. 

Gaster:

- He’s literally just a scarecrow in this. Though, if you ask any of the bros why they designed their scarecrow that way, they won’t have an answer.

Frisk&Toriel:

- Frisk is mostly based on what I wore myself as a kid in summer. Just a loose shirt with a cappy. Toriel basically has her ut gown, just with an apron on top.

- Frisk just appeared outside the “magical” forest one day. Napstablook and his cousin found them and brought them to Toriel, who has been taking care of them since.

- Toriel runs the general store in town, but also often takes care of the few kids that still live there.

- Frisk usually helps out in Toriels store, plays with the other kids or sits around at Asgore’s. They’re notorious for nabbing small snacks, mostly from Asgore’s plants. You’ll always find them munching on something. 

- Frisk was in town before the skelebros. Since they’d moved in, Frisk often went to spy on their farm. After a small incident with angry chicken, Frisk got to know the two better and now they see them as something between brothers and uncles.

- But Frisk honestly gets along with everyone. Just like in UT, they’ve not only been adopted by Toriel but literally everyone.

- Toriel and Asgore’s relationship is not as bad as in the main game, since, you know, Asgore didn’t kill literal children, but there’s still tension between them. Back when Asriel and Chara died and the whole thing with the bad rep for the town began, Toriel felt betrayed by Asgore focusing more on the town than giving their deceased kids the grieving they deserved. They’re not divorced, but Toriel still moved out and said needed space to think. Now that Frisk is in the picture though, the both of them are slowly coming to even ground and may even be able to talk things out and clear up the uncertainty of their decisions.

Asgore:

-Asgore has his UT Ending / Deltarune clothes, just with a gardener’s belt.

- He’s the previous mayor of the town, but after all the crap that happened, he stepped down from the position. Now he has his own little shop and sells seeds, saplings, homegrown veggies and fertilizer. So, basically what e.g. the Marimba Farm is in HM AP

- His main customer is Papyrus and they’re on friendly terms. Asgore is worried about how much and how hard Pap works, so he often gives him a discount. 

- Since his family’s past tragedy, Asgore is kind of nervous around kids. So, when he first met Frisk, he hoped they’d not visit him too often. But to his chagrin, Frisk took an instant liking to him and spends a lot of time at his shop (and steals eats the fresh grown veggies). Now, he’s really grateful for that, because for one, he loves Frisk as dearly as he had his own children, and also because now the tension and mistrust between him and Toriel seem to grow smaller day by day.

Undyne&Alphys:

- I gave Undyne a pretty basic fisher’s outfit. Alphys basically has Elli from HM’s outfit, just a bit more doctory stuff added. She still has her canon lab coat too.

- In essence, Undyne and Alphys have 2 completely different jobs. Alphys is the resident doctor and Undyne runs the fish market.

Two things. Yes, I know Alphys is more a mechanic than a doctor, she fits the aesthetic though, so she’s the doc now. And no, Undyne being a fisherwoman is not cannibalism, think of it more as a shark hunting smaller fish.

- The reason I lump them together is because they act as the local “smithy”. Alphys is still really tech savvy in this (I mean, Mettaton is still part of this AU), so she takes on most problems with electronics and stuff. For Undyne, I didn’t want to lose her Royal Guard’s Captain image, so she’s really good at handling tools (and weapons, but Al doesn’t let her make them anymore). So basically, if there’s a broken tool, you can be sure that either Undyne or Alphys can fix it.

- As for relationships, those two are still an item. Alphys is still really shy and a shut-off, but since Undyne and Pap become best friends, she gets to know the skelebros better. She and Sans especially get along well, since most of the time Undyne and Papyrus are let loose, they sit back and talk about science-y stuff. (no, Sans doesn’t have a background in science but he’s still into sci-fi)

- Alphys has a bit of a strained relationship with both Asgore and Mettaton.

Back when Chara and Asriel died, it was because of “illness” (maybe poisoning?). Alphys feels awful because with her back then limited knowledge on medicine she couldn’t help the two. Asgore doesn’t hold anything against her but Alphys can’t help but feel guilty.

Alphys still built Mettaton’s body in this one. The two had a really big disagreement, because Mettaton hated the fact the town was going to close, and he couldn’t understand how Alphys could feel otherwise, even more so endorse the idea.

Mettaton, Napstablook, Mad Dummy/Mew Mew:

- Napsta and Dummy are pretty self-explanatory, they got straw hats. Mettaton’s outfit is a bit of a joke cos it’s a play on “work at the top and party at the bottom”. The tie has two different sides, one with the yellow red pattern, the other completely red. His “top part” is the business part, because when he’s on tv or in the mayors’ office, you don’t usually see his feet. The bottom is his party/dance part, cos his dancing/entertainment channels mostly feature his legs. 

- Mettaton, still a robot, Napstablook and Mad Dummy are all still cousins in this AU.

- Originally, they all lived and worked at the Blook Farm, the Animal Farm of this AU. Mettaton, however, despised that simple live and after befriending Alphys and her building him a body, he left the Farm to pursue bigger things. 

- Mettaton runs the local tv network. From weather to game shows, he does it all. He also runs the tailor shop in town that sells his designer clothes and merchandise. After Asgore stepped down, Mettaton also took over the role of town’s mayor and now works towards making the place more known again. Not everybody is happy with him doing that though.

- One of those people is the Mad Dummy. He can’t stand people anyways and he always claims that history would just repeat itself.

- Since the whole family is made of ghosts, they have different dummies and scarecrows they can use to take care of the animals. To mock Mettaton and kinda get back at Alphys for giving MTT such an opportunity, Mad Dummy found the blueprints for the Mew Mew robot and now modelled one of their scarecrows after it. 

- Napstablook isn’t fond of taking over obejcts like his cousins do, so he mostly takes care of the snails. Somehow, he can interact with them even when incorporeal. 

Muffet&Grillby:

- The two of them run the Inn together. Muffet cooks in the daytime and makes desserts, Grillby manages the bar in the evening. 

- The two still can’t really stand each other but working together like this benefits them both because their rivalry just spurs them on more.

- Even though Grillby is a patient person, somehow Muffet is the only person who riles him up enough to retaliate. (Well, maybe except for Sans, he’s a strong second).

So, basically everything between those two is a challenge in some way. Even if Papyrus doesn’t notice, even his cooking lessons are a challenge for them. 

- Even though they’re constantly bickering, after working together for so many years, there’s a strange level of respect and trust between them. Even if back when they first started this business, they’d pour salt into an already open wound, nowadays they’d know better and just take a step back from the other or even comfort the other (on very rare occasions only). 

Asriel&Chara:

- They be dead. Kinda.

Some Characters that’d live in that town too but that I haven’t made designs for:

- Gerson is the original smithy of the town. He’d grown up in a family of smiths, but he’d always had an appreciation for the sea. That’s why, when the town became more deserted and Undyne had a good enough skill level as smith, he took up the Captains hat and now mostly spends his days out on sea. He also ferries people to places if they need him to. Oh, and just like in canon, Undyne learned most of her skills from him.

- Burgerpants is a poor dude Mettaton basically kidnapped when he was trying to get fame in the city. Now Burgerpants works wherever MTT needs him to, be that as cameraman for the tv shows, cashier in his tailor shop or his slave secretary in the mayor’s office.

- MK is Frisk’s best kid friend. MK’s parents are in charge of shipping the goods out of town and paying the individual people. MK’s the one that usually collects the goods at the end of the day.

- Other than that, there are only a few people in town. I’d imagine the older folks or the really young families stayed in town after it was closed. I think the librarby dude would still run the library. Some Snowdin residents like the stone family or the dogs also might still live there. 

[hispipsqueak]

Hunger

Beel x F!Reader NSFW

Synopsis: After a chaotic week at the House of Lamentation, you need a night out and your favorite demon is there to accompany you in more ways than one.

A/N: Hello! Here’s another smut of my favorite demon brother. I just really like Beel and so this is some v self-indulgent content. As always, likes and shares are mighty appreciated <3 Also there is a mention of Beel lifting the reader up during this. I HC all the brothers as extremely inhumanly strong and big so they could EASILY lift anyone up regardless of size. I know some people may get uncomfortable with that, but we are inclusive in these parts.

Tags/TW: unprotected sex, drunk/tipsy sex, distracted driving, rough sex, demon sex, drinking, creampie, slight cumflation?

You woke up to the sound of fighting outside your door. 

  “Mammon, I know you took it. That’s LIMITED EDITION Ruri-chan merch, you scum!”

“I didn’t take ANYTHING! Why ya’ always accusin’ me?”

“Are you two going to keep fighting? I’m trying to get beauty sleep! I require at least 9 hours for my youthful complexion!”

“Ridiculous.”

“HEY! Don’t do that!”

“Tell him to give it back!”

“Or what?”

You grabbed your pillow and pressed it against your face. Living with the demons was an...experience, to say the least. You could still make out the muffled voices even through the soft fabric and let out a low groan. You threw open the door.

“Mammon, stop being an ass and give the figure back. Levi, keep your door locked. Asmo, your complexion is fine. SHUT UP.”

The boys stopped yelling and looked at you. It was rare for you to yell at them, but you were TIRED. They had kept you up half the night with pointless arguments and texts asking you to be on their side and you were exhausted from it.

Mammon was the first to speak.

“Yeah, you heard her. You guys keep trying to start fights and it’s exhausting the poor human.” He threw his arm around you, and you groaned. 

“You know what? You clearly don’t listen to me. It’s fine. But you’re gonna regret it. I can’t be so stressed all the time with this. I’m going out tonight. AND I DON’T WANT ANY OF YOU TO JOIN ME!”

Lucifer appeared out of nowhere and glared at you.

“That’s impossible. You know it’s too dangerous for a human to go out by themselves here. I’ll go with you.”

His stare was piercing into your soul, but you stood your ground. You fought the shakiness in your voice.

“No. I made it very clear. I do not want any of you to join me. Respect my decision.”

An audible gasp came from one of the boys. No one stood up to Lucifer. Sure Satan and Belphie argued with him, but coming from you? This was going to be interesting.

“You are not leaving this house without a chaperone. Now you can either stay in, or I will accompany you.”

You narrowed your eyes. And then an idea in the shape of an orange haired demon boy came walking down the hall.

“Fine. I’ll take Beel.”

The rest of the brothers began to protest.

“I’ll go!”

“No, me. She’s my human!”

“Seriously?? Beel?”

“ENOUGH.” Lucifer bellowed, silencing everyone. Before he could continue, you interjected.

“Beel will you go with me to The Fall tonight?”

Beel looked up from his bag of chips. His lack of situational awareness when he was focused on food was astonishing really.

“Of course MC, and we can grab dinner after too.”

You cocked your head at Lucifer.

“Then it’s settled.”

And with that, you turned back into your room and slammed the door.

-----

The night couldn’t come fast enough. You had been ignoring texts and knocks on your door all day from the rest of the brothers and you were ready to go drink, dance, and flirt the night away.

You didn’t expect Beel to do much of either but he was good company and you know he would get the best food in town. As you finished applying your makeup, you heard a knock at the door. Beel’s deep voice rang out.

“You ready, MC?”

You took another look in the mirror. Your black dress accented every curve of your body. The halter top showed off your shoulders and the keyhole cut showed off your cleavage. Your hair was loosely tousled and you spritzed a bit of perfume over yourself before heading to the door. 

“Yeah I’m—” Your voice caught in your throat.

Beel, the goofy, relaxed guy cleaned up WELL. He had a dark leather jacket over a white v-neck that accentuated his muscular figure. He had a few silver chains layered around his neck and a couple silver rings on his hands. He was wearing dark jeans and black boots and...fuck...he looked HOT.

You always knew Beel was attractive, but this...this was new. You had half a mind to cancel the night and drag him into your bed.

You turned away, to grab your handbag and hide your heated face and Beel took the opportunity to stare at you. He had always found you gorgeous, but knowing he was the lucky guy accompanying you to the club had him feeling some type of way. HIs eyes roamed your body and locked on every inch of skin exposed. He could feel his body heat up and when you finally had grabbed your stuff, he prayed you wouldn’t notice his apparent blush.

The two of you headed to his car, a shiny black Ferrari, and he opened the door to let you in the passenger seat. You could tell he had cleaned it, since the usual bed of snack wrappers that adorned the interior were gone. You smiled at the gesture and he waited until you were situated before closing the door and getting in on his side. 

As he drove to the Fall, you admired him. His body was massive and built and his hands, god his hands, looked so good gripping the wheel. You imagined what they would feel like wrapped around your neck or clutching the sheets —

“...I really think it would be cool!”

You blinked. 

“Sorry, I completely spaced out. What?”

He glanced at you and chuckled.

“You look like you’re thinking a lot about something. What’s up?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “I’m just happy I get to have fun tonight.” You shot him a smile.

Beel blushed. “I’m happy I get to hang out with you.”

He pulled into the parking space and opened your door for you. As the two of you walked towards the entrance of the club, he could see a few demons checking you out. He pulled you close to him and wrapped his hand around your waist, before throwing them a dark look.

Your mind reeled. You pressed into him and could smell the spicy scent of his cologne. You hoped the dimness of the club and the thumping music hid how much your heart was beating. You flagged down a waitress for a shot of something and handed one to Beel. The two of you toasted before downing the glasses.

The sweet liquid electrified you and you could feel your body loosen. You looked at Beel to see him licking his lips. He grabbed two more glasses from a passing waiter and passed one to you. Another clink of the shot glasses and this time the drink was rich and fiery as it slid down your throat. As the two of you polished off more drinks, you began to feel restless.

You tugged on his hand, emboldened by the alcohol.

“Dance with me.”

He nodded and let you pull him into the sea of moving bodies.

You pressed yourself against him with your back to his chest. His hands were wrapped around you, gently but firmly pulling you into him. The bass drummed in your body and you threw your head back into him. The combination of alcohol and the crowd, not to mention his fingers sliding down your thighs made your body heat up and you felt so good. 

Beel leaned into you, tilting his head down. His breath tickled your ear, as his low voice whispered. 

“How do you feel, cupcake?”

“Good, so good.” you breathed out, not even sure if he heard you. He must have though, because he twirled you so you were facing him. You looked up at him through your eyelashes. His skin was flushed and he had a cute smirk on his lips. The flashing club lights cast a hazy neon glow behind him. Before you could stop yourself, you pressed your lips against his.

His mouth tasted sweet and warm. He deepened the kiss as his hands ran down your back, gripping at your ass. Your tongues danced in each other’s mouths and you dug your nails into his shirt, feeling the hard muscles underneath. You could feel his excitement press against your thigh through his jeans and you let out a soft moan into his mouth. 

Beel let out a pained groan. 

“I need you, right now.” he whispered into your neck, pressing hungry kisses down.

“Not here. Home.” you gasped out. While you weren’t against fucking in the club bathroom, Beel was the largest demon there and it would be plainly obvious if you tried to sneak in with each other.

He nodded and pulled your hand as you headed out of the building. You made your way to his car while he continued to kiss and suck on every bit of exposed skin. He pushed you up against the door of the black car and kissed you eagerly.

“Fuck...cupcake, you’re so delicious. Need more of you.”

You moaned. It was taking all of your willpower to not let him bend you over the hood of his car, but you resisted. 

“Take us home and then show me how much you need me.” You whispered into his neck, before leaving a soft kiss. 

As Beel drove, his other hand was gripping your thigh, dangerously close to your heat. You leaned over and kissed down his neck, leaving soft bites on the sensitive skin. He let out a low grunt, and slid his hand up your dress, running a thick finger across your clothed pussy. You were soaked and he could feel your arousal through the thin fabric.

You grinded against his hand, craving any bit of stimulation from him. He pressed his fingers against you, teasing your slit through your clothes. 

The car slowed in front of the House of Lamentation and he pulled his hand away. He turned to you and whispered.

“We have to be quiet.”

The two of you stumbled into the house, looking around for any of the other occupants. It was dark and silent. Beel pushed you against the heavy front door and kissed you deeply. You wrapped your hands around his shoulders as he lifted you up with your back against the door. You wrapped your legs around his waist and he continued kissing your lips, trailing down your neck and shoulders.

“Beel we should go. Someone might see us!” You breathed out, half delirious from how good his mouth felt on you.

“Good. I want them to know you’re mine.” he growled into your skin, leaving what was sure to be dark marks to explain away later.

“Lucifer will kill us.” You giggled, though your resolve was crumbling away with every kiss. Beel grunted, and then pulled away, pressing his forehead to yours. His amethyst eyes sparkled from the moonlight.

“Yeah, actually that is a pretty scary thought. Let’s go to your room.”

The two of you crept to your door, being extra cautious when you passed each brother’s room. As soon as you clicked the lock, Beel picked you up and easily tossed you onto the plush bedsheets. 

“Finally.” He growled, before pushing up your dress and pressing hot kisses against your thighs. You let out a soft whimper. He tugged at the thin lacy material covering you and you felt him smirk against you.

“So pretty.”

He slowly dragged them down and pressed his mouth against your folds. His tongue flattened and lapped at your cunt, eliciting a loud moan from you. He circled your clit with his tongue, before sucking it into his mouth. You clawed at the sheets. 

“Fuck...Beel please! Need you.”

He continued his delicious assault on your body, pressing his tongue inside you.

“You taste so good. Please cum in my mouth. Wan’ taste you” He mumbled into your pussy. You writhed against his mouth and you could feel your thighs tense up and attempt to close on him. He gripped into the soft flesh of them and forced your legs apart while he continued, pushing you closer to your release.

“Fuck...Beel! I’m gonna–”, was all you could muster before you felt the rush of your orgasm hit you. He groaned into your cunt as he guzzled you down.  Your eyes fluttered and you tried to push his head away.

“No...mine...so good.” He moaned hungrily. Your body shook against him.

“S’ sensitive, please…” you begged. Beel was the avatar of gluttony and you knew he could spend days between your thighs but you wanted him, all of him.

He pulled away, his face wet with your juices. His eyes were hazy and unfocused and he looked drunk on you. He pulled off his shirt and jeans before pushing you back into the soft bed. You took this moment to take a look at his cock and your eyes widened. Before you could panic, he was on top of you. His silver chains dangled off his neck as he towered over you and his hands held your wrists above your head. You gazed up at him and your breath hitched as he lined his cock up with your entrance. Beel was BIG and you knew it was going to be a tight squeeze. Sensing your hesitation, he pressed a kiss to your lips.

“I’ll go slow and tell me if you need me to stop.” He looked at you waiting for confirmation. You nodded and bit your lip.

“Please…” you whispered and he pushed into you.

The stretch was intense and your eyes watered as he eased himself into you. But quickly the pain morphed into an intense pleasure. You felt every vein of his cock press against your walls and he stilled. 

“You okay, cupcake?” 

You nodded, and he pulled slightly out before slowly rocking back into you. You felt so full and started to buck your hips against him. He started fucking into you faster and you cried out as his cock hit the most pleasurable spots inside you.

“Fuck...fuck...fuck. So good! Feel’s so fucking good.” you moaned out as Beel slammed into you. You opened your eyes and noticed Beel had transformed into his demon form. His horns glinted in the light that streamed in from your window and your eyes rolled back. 

“So good. Squeezing me so tight...I wanted this so long. Let me claim you, MC. Make you mine.” Beel grunted as he fucked you into the mattress. You could feel his claws dig into the skin around your wrist and you squeezed your legs around him, pressing him closer into you.

“Yes...I’m yours! Please...fuck me, use me. I need you so goddamn bad!” you wailed, feeling your second orgasm of the night rapidly approach you. He kissed you hard and you tasted the desire on his tongue as you thrashed under him. You could feel the soft walls of your cunt clenching tighter against his cock and every cell in your body was on the edge of explosion. You felt stars dance behind your eyes and you gripped at his biceps, dragging your nails down across the lightly tanned skin.

“I’m gonna–gonna…” Beel grunted, his thrusts getting sloppier and faster. His breath was ragged and he pushed his cock as deep as he could. 

Your pussy clamped down around his cock and you arched your back from the sheets as you gushed around him. Beel’s eyes rolled back and he groaned as he shot his cum deep inside you. You could feel his hot cum spurt into your cunt and he gripped your shoulders tightly as he rode out his release. He slowly pulled out of you, before using two fingers to scoop the dripping cum back into your hole.

“So good. So full.” He mumbled. You looked down and could see the slight bulge from the amount of cum he had filled you with. You laid back down and sighed in satisfaction.

“Fuck that was amazing.” you whispered, suddenly aware of how loud the two of you had been.

He got up and pulled you against his chest, running his fingers through your hair.

“It really was. I wanna do that again.” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to your head. You giggled and buried deeper in his chest.

“Maybe not tonight, but yes we will definitely do that again.” you mumbled into him, smiling as your eyes started to close. Before the both of you drifted off to sleep, your eyes widened.

“Beel!” you whispered, startling him awake, “We never got dinner!”

It was silent for a moment before the two of you burst into laughter. Beel grinned before softly speaking.

“It’s strange MC. When I’m with you, I don’t feel as hungry. It’s like another part of me is full.”

You looked up at him, your eyes meeting his. A soft smile danced on your lips and you kissed him, pouring as much love into the kiss as possible. You pulled away and buried yourself into the crook of his neck, and as your breath slowed and you fell deeper into sleep, Beel wrapped himself around you and let himself rest.

[dingusfreakhxrrington]

More Than A Feeling, 21

pairing: eddie munson X fem!reader

fic summary: life only gets harder for y/n wheeler when she develops a friendship with the town freak, eddie munson. as one of the most popular girls at school she should absolutely not be associating with the likes of eddie but she couldn’t help but feel more herself when he's around. what will happen when she finds herself struggling with the expectations put on her by her friends, catching feelings for the local freak, and finding herself swept up in the latest town mystery?

chapter warnings: swearing, brief (mild) panic attack, mentions of weapons

chapter word count: 2k

song of the day: master of puppets, metallica

chapters: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, more coming soon...

read on ao3 here | masterlist | playlist

Chapter 21

“Hey, y/n. Help me with this.” Eddie huffed as he came over to you, holding part of a wired fence in his hands.

You wasted no time rushing to his side and grabbed ahold of the other end, helping him carry it over to the trailer. It was going to be the last of your DIY defences. Dustin was already running over with what tools you had brought with you and found lying around, excited to finally be done with the heavy lifting.

“We’ve just gotta fix this on and then we’ll be ready.”

You couldn’t help the heavy feeling that dawned over you when he said those words. We’ll be ready.

You’d been quite happy with how you were. Fixing up the old trailer with defences had been a quiet job — a safe job — but now it was almost time for the battle to truly begin. As ready as any of you said you were, there was nothing that could truly prepare you for what you were about to do, although none of you could pretend you didn’t feel the spike of adrenaline running through your veins.

The three of you stepped back when you were done, giving the trailer one last look over to make sure you hadn’t missed anything while you admired your work.

Eddie slipped his fingers between yours, holding your hand as if you were on a walk through the park as a smile stretched across his face. “Not bad.”

“Not bad at all.”

Dustin mirrored his smile and they turned to look at each other with a satisfied chuckle rumbling off Eddie’s lips. “Now for the fun part.”

Despite the danger you knew you would soon be in, you would have been lying if you said you weren’t looking forward to seeing what came next. The plan you had come up with to distract the bats was a crazy one but one you knew both Eddie and Dustin would enjoy every second of.

When you reached Eddie’s room his movements slowed, his voice low and quiet as his eyes settled onto his most prized possession. “Jesus… It’s like… she was destined for an alternate dimension.”

He stepped closer, gradually moving across the room as he admired his guitar. He was right, she did look like she was meant for this. It was as if she were built for this very purpose like it was meant to happen. Like he was supposed to be here, destiny falling into place.

“What do you say, Henderson? Y/n?”

He lifted the guitar from her stand, looking up at her as if she were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. You were almost jealous for a second but you too couldn’t help but look at her in awe.

“Are you ready for the most metal concert in the history of the world?”

He made eye contact with the two of you, his once smiling face now so serious. You knew this was going to be a story he’d be telling for the rest of his life. If you all made it out alive, that is.

“That a rhetorical question?”

“Let’s do it.”

As funny as it was, that was the moment you realised just how much you adored Eddie’s cute little smirk. The way his eyes sparkled, dimples caving into his soft cheeks as he slung the guitar onto his back and marched toward the door. That was it, that was the moment you realised just how much you loved him.

That’s what you had wanted to tell him back at Max’s before you’d all even cooked up this crazy plan — before Steve came in and interrupted you. It wasn’t just some crush or a seedling of romantic feelings. It was a fully grown bouquet with pinks and reds and yellows and oranges and blues. It was the smell of morning dew on a spring day, pollen drifting through the air carrying you up to the clouds.

That was how you felt about him — about this scruffy metalhead who smelt of cigarettes and leather and hadn’t bathed properly in days, not that that was by choice. No matter what life threw at him, he always managed to smile and laugh and care about those he held close.

You loved him for that, for how he never apologised for being himself. For how he never turned bitter even when the sun refused to shine its warming rays on him, shrouding him in darkness instead.

You just loved him. So, so much and you were sick to your stomach at the thought of losing him.

But you’d all made it out before. Well, almost everyone had. You still missed Barb and wouldn’t ever be able to forget Bob and Billy and Hopper. Everyone had lost something, someone to the Upsidedown. Still, you were a strong group and, for the most part, you’d had more wins than losses. Although that feeling in the pit of your stomach still continued to eat away at you and you couldn’t help but think back on Robin’s words.

I have this terrible, gnawing feeling that… it might not work out for us this time.

What if she was right? You had that very same feeling too, after all.

You were almost in a trance as Eddie helped you up onto the top of the trailer. Dustin worked on making sure the amp was ready to go, only needing to be plugged in when you were given the green light.

Your chest started to constrict, cutting you off from the dark, thick air around you.

“Wheeler? You okay?” Eddie questioned, his hands coming to rest on either side of your arms.

He held onto you, grounding you.

Your gulp echoed through you when you swallowed but still, you nodded. “Yeah. Just, uh, just…”

“Hey, it’s going to be fine.” He could feel you trembling under his touch, he could see the way your lip quivered as you spoke.

You closed your eyes, nodding still as your calm breathing started to change into slow pants. You were starting to panic, a bundle of deep, dark, negative emotions threatening to drown you.

“You’re okay, y/n. Just breathe, okay? I need you to focus, I need you here.”

His voice barely got through to you, sounding like a muffled echo to your ears. In an instant, he pulled you to him, holding you close. His hand gently cradled the back of your head, the other wrapped firmly around your waist as his head rubbed slightly against yours.

You’re okay. You’re okay.

Finally, your breathing started to return to its usual pace and your blurred vision started to clear again.

I’m okay.

“I-I’m okay.”

The words crumbled as they pushed themselves past your lips and Eddie stepped back a little, his hands now on either side of your face as he searched your eyes.

“You sure?”

Your head bobbed again, nodding out the words you were struggling to speak. “Y-Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”

His thumb brushed lightly against your cheek for a moment, wanting to make sure you were okay. When your eyes finally lifted to meet his own, he smiled. It was a small smile, one just barely there, but it was sweet and genuine and had all the things you were feeling melting away until only he remained.

You were going to be okay because you had him. You had his back and he had yours. Both of you were going to be fine. All of you were, you had to be.

One of his hands dropped to your shoulder and began to slowly drift down your arm in search of your hand as he leaned closer. Close enough to kiss you, his gentle lips meeting yours as the rest of the world fell far from view.

“She’s in. Move on to phase three.”

You only parted when you heard the static echo of Robin’s voice from the walkie, both turning to Dustin as he replied, “Copy that. Initiating phase three.”

Eddie gave your hand one final squeeze and you moved with Dustin, helping him connect the amp for Eddie’s performance.

“Let’s hope they hear this.” He connected the cables and the amp started to buzz.

You breathed a heavy breath, turning to give Eddie a reassuring nod. “Here goes nothing.”

He nodded back and grabbed the pick that hung around his neck. “Chrissy, this is for you.”

Your heart skipped when he said her name, reminding you that she was finally going to get justice — finally able to rest in peace. It skipped again when he yelped and started to play, the music louder than you’d ever heard it before.

You recognised the song immediately, it was one that had not so long ago come out. Metallica, master of puppets. A song he’d spoken to you about a few times before, going as far as making you listen to it in his van. He told you he’d been practising since the day it came out, determined to learn it.

Now was truly his time to shine and he did just that.

You could hear the faint snarls of the distant swarm. You knew they were coming.

“It’s working!” You couldn’t help the grin that spread across your face, your adrenaline taking over once again as he played.

Dustin banged his head along to the thunder of the guitar before grabbing the binoculars to check on the distance of the swarm. He still couldn’t see them quite yet but he knew it wouldn’t be long.

Your heart was racing, threatening to pounce out of your chest when you spotted the cluster of fast-moving specs in the sky. “They’re coming!”

Dustin looked again and turned to Eddie, yelling over the amp, “Eddie! We gotta lock down in T-minus thirty seconds!”

Eddie nodded and somehow started playing with even more vigour than before.

You watched the swarm grow closer and froze still on the spot, your previous fear settling back into your bones. Anxiety took over and your head flicked back to Eddie.

“T-minus twenty!”

You cursed under your breath as he hit the riff, playing through the solo like his life depended on it.

“T-minus ten!”

“Eddie!” you cried out, body fidgeting as the bats drew nearer.

“Five!” Dustin continued to count down, the song reaching its crescendo.

With one last burst of red flashing through the sky, Dustin held up one finger. “One!”

He swung the guitar over his back and grabbed your hand, pulling you along after Dustin as he jumped down onto the truck to get off of the roof. The two of you followed close behind, fleeing to the safety of the trailer.

“Move! Move! Move!” Eddie dragged you along beside him, pulling so hard your arm felt like it was going to tear off.

“Guys, come on!”

Eddie started shouting curses as your circled around to the front of the trailer, the bats only seconds away when Dustin opened the gate you’d built. Eddie pushed you through first, following right behind.

“Hurry! Eddie, shut it!”

Without a second to spare, he closed the gate and the bats started crashing into it. Sounds screeched past their teeth as they tried to get to you but they couldn’t reach. You had done it. You were safe.

His hand was in yours again, holding you close as Dustin hurried the two of you inside the trailer. The three of you stopped to catch your breath, each leaning up against the wall the moment the door was shut firm behind you.

“Dude! Most metal ever!”

Like children they started to jump, holding onto each other’s shoulders as they yelled. A soft, tired laugh tumbled from your lips as you watched them.

The celebration only lasted for a moment though as the sounds of bats bashing against the sides of the trailer grew stronger every moment and more and more of them arrived.

“What now?” you asked, turning to the both of them.

“Now, we wait. Hold down the fort until we hear from the others.”

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[unfoundhoney]

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↠ jschlatt x male!reader , ted nivison x younger brother!reader ; fluff ; requested one two

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You’ve been up for maybe twenty minutes when Schlatt finally wakes up beside you. You can tell he’s awake by the way he rolls clumsily towards you and shoves his face into your stomach.

“Morning, sunshine,” you greet him.

You get a groan muffled in your stomach in response.

“Big mood.”

Schlatt lifts his head up, “You talk like someone in gen z.”

“I am gen z.”

“Disgusting.”

You laugh and push Schlatt’s hair out of his face for him, “You know you’re also gen z.”

“I don’t claim them.”

“So, everyone in the world from age twenty four to six you don’t claim to be a part of?”

“I’m a forty-year-old from Kansas.”

“Oh.”

“You’re okay with that, right?”

“Let me think.”

You tilt your head to the side, pretending to consider the reality in which you’re dating a Kansan twice your age.

“Nope, too weird,” you decide, “I’m breaking up with you.”

You try to climb out of bed but Schlatt holds you back. Using his remaining grogginess against him, you’re able to pull yourself from his grip and evade his attempt to grab you again. You start to leave the bedroom.

“You’re telling me you wouldn’t still love me if I was a middle-aged man from Kansas?”

“Yes,” you call over your shoulder.

You continue out of the room and into the kitchen where you start the coffee pot. When you return to your bedroom, Schlatt is sat up and checking his phone. After you get ready, he’s gone from the room. You find him on the couch in the living room with a cup of coffee; you make your own and join him.

“Um, excuse me,” Schlatt protests, “This couch is for loyal boyfriends only.”

“Do you want me to pull up the Schlinx videos? Because I will.”

“...touché.”

“Mhm.”

You check your phone for anything important as the news plays on the TV; the current story is something about a soup kitchen that’s got an influx of volunteers recently.

“When’s big brother picking you up?” Schlatt asks during the commercial break.

“Eleven.”

“I’m depending on you to not let Ted sully my good name to your mother before dinner later.”

“Maybe if you didn’t do anything that would ‘sully your good name’ we wouldn’t have that problem.”

“If that’s who I was, I’d be a completely different person.”

You hum in agreement.

“And we wouldn’t want that.”

You don’t respond this time, anxieties about your dinner later tonight numbing your mind to anything else. Your mother is in town for the first time since you and Schlatt got together. You had been “talking” when she visited last, but that’s hardly meet-the-parents worthy.

Now, however, you’ve been dating Schlatt for about six months and have been living together for a few weeks. You two are in this for the long run and your mother’s approval is very important to you.

“Babe, you good?”

Schlatt’s voice is softer than normal in his “I’m being genuine” way, a tone of voice saved almost exclusively for you. He’s looking at you with mild concern which is likely a result of your silence and possible ignoring of something he said previous.

“Yeah,” you lie too quickly.

He gives you a look.

“I am very very nervous about you meeting my mom,” you immediately concede.

“Y/N-“

“And I know- I know her approval or blessing or whatever isn’t going to be a deal breaker but I just really care about what she thinks. She’s always supported me. Like, as a son and a person. When dad wanted space from me when I came out, she convinced him to let me stay. She is so so important to me. What she thinks is important to me.”

Schlatt is quiet as you talk, listening intently and waiting for you to finish.

“And I love you. I really really do. I don’t want you to change; I love who you are. It’s just that my family’s really protective of me and you’re kind of... you. ...y’know?”

“I know.”

“Especially when it comes to first impressions. I just-... I want her to give you a chance.”

Schlatt remains quiet after you’ve said your piece for several moments, thinking of how best to respond.

“Don’t you think, for you, she would? Give me a chance?”

You look over at him, having looked away during your anxious monologue.

“I haven’t met much of your family yet,” Schlatt says. “But I do know Ted. And I know he adores you, as much as he bullies you. And even though you’re a child of satan over half the time, the entirety of the internet adores you just as much. If that’s any indication, I think that no matter how much of a dickwad I come off as at first, your mom will wait to actually get to know me before passing verdict. Because you’re her darling baby boy.”

“May I request you try to come off as little of a dickwad as possible?”

“I don’t know if that’s in my vocabulary.”

“That’s doesn’t make sense.”

“Doesn’t it?”

You blink at him confusedly, “...n-no?”

Schlatt laughs and you chuckle, knowing he only meant to confuse you.

There’s a knock at the door. A glance at your phone tells you you missed Ted’s “I’m headed up, please don’t be naked” text. You stand to get the door, but Schlatt calls you back. He stands and looks at you.

“Even if your mom doesn’t love me immediately, which is highly unlikely-“

“Eh...”

“It’s highly unlikely but in that case, she loves you. Your word- and hopefully Ted’s, too, unless he’s being a bitch- should mean more than my... ahem, brutish personality.”

“I like to think of it as a persona.”

“Nah, I’m just built different.”

“Sorry, what was that about not being gen z?”

Schlatt moves to make a run for it, “Boys, we’ve been made.”

You laugh and grab his hand to keep him from running. He comes back to stand in front of you. He cups your face.

“If it makes you feel better, I will try to be on my best behavior tonight.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t know how little of a dickwad that will make me, but...”

“Hopefully, one day, she will eventually come to love you, dickwad-ness and all.”

Schlatt laughs, “One day.”

He kisses you.

There’s another knock at the door, louder this time.

Schlatt nudges you towards the door, “Alright, go have brunch before your brother breaks in and accuses me of murdering you again.”

You hesitate, “What do you mean again?”

“...Have a good brunch!”

Schlatt quickly retreats into your bedroom and you roll your eyes, continuing toward the door.

“I’ll see you later. Love you!”

“Love you, too!” Schlatt yells back from the bedroom.

You open the door and there stands your brother, Ted.

“What took so long?” he asks, stepping inside so you can put your shoes on.

“What happened to greeting your brother?” you counter.

“Is that you avoiding telling me you were sucking Schlatt’s dick?”

“If you must know, we were having a very deep and meaningful conversation,” you say, standing from tying your shoes.

As you grab a jacket, Ted says, “...is that code for giving head?”

“Y’know, with how often you mention sucking dick, someone might think you’re the gay brother and not me.”

Ted grabs the back of your head and shoves you forward playfully, “Shut up.”

You laugh and step out of the apartment, head down to street level where Ted has parked his car. Waiting for you in the passenger seat, is your mom, who opens the door and gets out upon seeing you.

“N/N!” she greets you happily, immediately pulling you into a hug.

The three of you are soon off to the diner you’d picked out for brunch, worries about Schlatt meeting your mother quelled for now as you focus on spending time with your family. You can deal with your dickwad of a boyfriend later.

[applesontheground]

what mama left us 🕯️

saw sinclair sister talk on the dash again and it made me dig up this little draft i’ve been picking at and finish off. hope you guys like angst. 🥲

SFW | Word Count: 2,108 | The Sinclair Brothers & Sister!Reader

contains: canon typical/mentions of murder, mentions of abuse, controlling/manipulative behavior

🎼: x, x

It was maybe four months since reuniting with your hometown, and the biological siblings that had been left right where your parents said they'd be, that the first fight broke to the surface.

They had been fucking killing people like it was nothing, doing it for a reason unbeknownst to you or to anyone besides them. For the sanctity of the wax museum? No, far beyond that. It couldn’t be just for that.

What lied under the uncanny sculptures had been a secret between them all, and you didn’t know how long it had been intended to be kept that way. The fact that your brothers had tried to play it off and lied to you had just made the truth an even harder punch in the gut.

You never considered yourself easy to aggravate, but the boys could be – specifically the oldest of the clan, Bo and Vincent. Despite being twins, the rage that they held were two different strains of the same trouble. Built from the same struggles.

While Vincent was more patient in the face of disagreement, fit to listen before he reacted, Bo was an entirely different battle.

“Think she was doin’ this for nothin’!?”

His boot slammed against the back door, causing a clatter on top of the absolute tantrum that you were in the midst of. You couldn’t help responding like this, especially after you had tried to run from him after seeing blood on his shoes, fanning each others’ flame with every tug of clothing and gritting teeth telling you to stop pitching a fucking fit. He hauled you into the house, through the kitchen and into the living room, hoisting you completely off the ground with his arms barring you to his chest when you became too difficult to drag.

He threw you down when he had you where he wanted, watching the front door that was to your back as you immediately scrambled to the other side of the room. You circled around when he tried to approach again, and before he could let another sharp set of words flick off of him, you bit back with the same volume and ferocity, “I never said that! I said that I don’t…I don’t know how I’m gonna handle this shit, man!” Your arm flew to the window, “These were real fucking people, Bo. Why’d they have to die?”

You looked around the living room of the family home, the home you had let become yours in the short time you had spent in it. It was as though the place was falling apart around you. It was on fire in your mind, and the furniture was wax that melted to the touch of the flame.

Bo tried to reign in, sucking in a breath through bared teeth, “If we let them go, they’ll tell everyone-“

You gasped mockingly, “What!? That we’re murde-“ He refused to let the word leave your mouth, almost turning it into a competition of who could interrupt the other quicker, “Mom’s work wasn’t murder!”

You shook your head at him slowly, and demanded, “What is it, then?” Eyes shot towards the window, where the town lay waiting, “An art project that requires fucking blood to keep afloat?”

Bo wagged his finger at you and warned, “Don’t you dare disturb what she’s done, [Y/N]. I don’t give a fuckin’ damn if you’re our sister, you show some respect for her vision. It’s the least you could do.”

Your voice fell down to a furiously cold and quiet rumble, holding back the contempt that you felt for those words, “Oh, the least I could do?” You echoed, spitting between your words, “Why the fuck should I? So you guys can keep pretending I’m part of this fucking hokey-poke show you’re putting on? I’m not the second coming of Trudy, no matter how much you wish she was still h-”

Overcome with the wrath that he had shown the last set of visitors you had welcomed in, Bo moved towards you and rose his trembling hand. The words were slurred from how clenched he kept his jaw, but it was something akin to ‘How dare you.’ After that, it all began to unfold in slow motion. Lester and Vincent had both followed from where they had been when they heard wind of you two screaming to the heavens, holding out in the hallway and the kitchen in a last-ditch attempt to keep their distance because they knew that their brother was a live wire. And you? You had never screamed at any of them like you were ripping into him now.

They both now acted from seeing the way he stood over you. Lester choked something out, but it fell on deaf ears. Bo stopped, eyes registering your flinch, and then the way you stood straight despite it. You were afraid of being hurt, sure, but you weren’t afraid of him. That made him immediately release his brow. Both of your faces caught fire, your teeth slowly starting to peek from under your lips as it all became solid intention in your mind. You only stared in defiance, refusing to break eye contact as everything started to shake: your vision, your body, and your sanity itself.

He quickly took the motion back, his hand falling to try and touch you at a lower level instead. “[Y/N], I didn’t mean...Listen, just ta-“ He began, but as you rolled your shoulder away from his reach, you felt your brain drop every ounce of sympathy that you had tried to cling to. In turn, your self-control slipped and shattered at your feet.

Before your brain processed what came next, your hands were driving into his chest. “You fucking asshole!” You roared, shoving him back, “You were gonna fucking hit me, huh? You were gonna fucking hit me, you fucking-”

He stumbled back, but before anything else could happen the other half of the family were on the both of you. It wasn’t hard to keep you pinned to Lester’s chest as he tried to soothe in your ear, but you just kept screaming at Bo. Hysteria was blanketed over your normal disposition, and your brother was also struggling within Vincent’s hold – more so for the sake of not being restrained then any urge to lay his hands on you. Deep down, you wanted to believe he never would, but after the day you had you weren’t sure what to believe any more. You had woken up this morning thinking the Sinclairs were just a family with a slightly muddled past and a wax museum that held up over the years.

It was held up by the fucking dead.

You suddenly turned your head, looking Lester in the eye. He became rigid, and you seethed, “You fucking knew too, huh?” The sigh that left his chest was so profound that you felt yourself compress against his ribcage along with him, but then you turned back towards the twins. Vincent was not looking at you, trying to shake some sense into Bo but no longer holding him by the arms.

“What the fuck does blood have to do with this, right?” You snarled, feeling every set of eyes fall on you, “I came here because I wanted to know what you guys were like, my only fucking family that I had left, and you know what? I know now.” Your eyes had been glaring at each of them in intervals, but now they fixated on Bo as you spoke, “You’re a fucking monster.” Your heel dug into the coffee table, shoving it with a hefty drive of your heel in the direction of the man. You heaved another breath, and that exhaustion coupled with how Bo immediately flinched at your words did you in. Vincent and Lester even seemed to pause with their readjusting of the two of you.

The first tears fell from your eyes, and you sputtered with one final lunge, “I fucking hate you! I’m not fit for this mold that you bastards want me in so damn bad. I’m not her! I’m not Trudy, and I’m not even Victor. I’m…I’m…” You were overtaken by your own words and toppled to your knees, breaths careening into juvenile sobbing that racked your entire body and choked everyone into utter silence. Lester let go of your arms when you pulled this time, and you immediately shielded them over your face.

You were scared, scared before anything else you might be. Even before [Y/N]. Even before a Sinclair. You had known that was what it was ever since you registered there were bodies behind the glimmering wax faces and intricate outfits.

It hurt to say it all, knowing it had been a rash decision that snowballed into the display you had just put on, but you couldn’t take any of it back yet. They were your words, and you had to own them until there was some way to move forward from it. You let it all sit, carefully moving to pull your knees up and over your face, further absconding into yourself.

Maybe they’d kill you too, you thought, because they sure as shit weren’t going to let you walk out and drop everything like that. You knew too much to be a stranger now, but you also wouldn’t put it past them to do something drastic to make sure you never left. You had began clasping your head to try and ground yourself. Trying to find some sort of dignity to what just happened, or what would happen…

The hands brushing gently around your shoulders shocked you out of your head, and out of the pity puddle you had melted into. You expected Vincent to be the one to try it, or even Lester, picking up the pieces as they had with each other – and as you had with them. No matter how ugly the fighting had gotten, it was what siblings felt inclined to do, but you couldn’t fathom how they could right now.

To look up, bleary-eyed and forcing breaths through your chest, and to see Bo kneeling down to the floor made you flinch. Even after everything you had said, he was trying to pull himself as close as he could to you through the bent limbs and tense muscles. When you immediately barred your arm against his that tried to touch your face, he looked at you and weakly pleaded, “Don’t you go hatin’ me...”

You growled as you tried one last time to shake out of his hold, begging with a hoarse voice, “Stop-“ Your jerks slowed and softened as he effortlessly fought them, his stare demanding surrender while pulling his arms under yours to cradle your shoulders. Overwhelmed, you melted against his chest as he pulled you in, voice muddled from a deep-cut pain that dared show itself as his arms encircled you even tighter – just in case you tried to run again, “Stop, stop... ’m sorry, [Y/N]. Don’t know why the fuck I did that. Never fuckin’ hurt you. None of us would.”

“Promised her that. If you ever came back...” Lester spoke from behind you, a little awkward and fighting his own lump that was sitting in his throat. Bo’s hand began brushing your hair out of your face, petting you in an attempt to calm the vicious shaking that went through your body. He had you as close to his chest as he could get you and buried his face into your shoulder, a bit of an awkward bend. His furious breaths quickly fell away to repressed sobs that still wouldn’t let themselves breathe, even now as things were crashing down around the both of you. There was no anger left to hurl at each other now, and it was getting too late to attempt to fit any more of these revelations that you had together to make a cohesive understanding.

The pieces still wouldn’t fit neatly in the morning. Despite knowing that, you finally kept your forked tongue in your mouth and looked over his shoulder.

Vincent had come up from behind him, arms on his brother’s shoulders with a feather-light hold. Unsure what else to do, your fingers found themselves pulling at his shirt, crying into him as he began to restlessly rock you back and forth, more from the agony that he was feeling than a motion of comfort, like he was doing it to ease the scorn he felt for both himself and for you. He shuddered out the words between broken gasps for air, right into your ear.

“Can’t have you fuckin’ hate me. I can’t.”

[topazy]

Inside, outisde

Pairing: 10k x reader, Addy Carver sister!reader

Warnings: Blood, swearing

Chapter: 1.02

Slowly, you open your eyes, feeling the sweat sticking to your clothes as your eyes adjust to daylight. Groaning, you looked up to see 10k standing next to you. He was keeping watch with his hand wrapped securely around his gun.

Leaning forward, you noticed the cars had stopped moving. "What’s going on?"

"Ohh she finally wakes," Addy teases. "Warren has run out of gas."

As you jumped out the back of the truck, Mack motioned for you to get back. "Heads up," he pointed to the left. "We got company."

The group waited in silence as two men on motorbikes approached.

"That's right," Warren said quietly as she stared at them as they rode past. "Keep rolling and we all live to see another day."

The men started revving their engines before speeding off. Your eyes stayed glued to Casandra, who was trying to stay completely out of sight of them. You weren’t sure why, but something about that was off.

"We ran over some fun stuff," Doc chuckled, before Warren stabbed the z that was trapped underneath the wheel of her.

Warren turned and looked back at the town your group was leaving. "Even after all this, it's still beautiful. Take a good look. Might not be back for a while."

Addy let out a deep sigh, "so long New York. See ya in the next life."

—

Addy continued to take pictures and videos of the dead to document what was happening, while Warren and Garnet tried to figure out the group's next move.

You began scavenging for anything that could be useful in old cars. It was sad seeing all the belongings left behind, knowing all the owners were dead. You just hoped that somebody had granted them mercy. You felt slightly distracted from the task at hand when you overheard the conversation next to you.

"So what's your name, kid?"

"Ten Thousand."

"That is not a name," Doc laughed before pointing towards you. "It's a number. It’s almost as mad as her name."

"It's my name. I made it up myself."

Doc nodded, "Well I suppose you'd have to. Does it mean anything?"

10k just shrugged, "That's how many zombies I'm going to kill."

"How many have you killed?" You asked while looking through a kid's backpack.

"Already on 1,055."

Wow. That was impressive.

"So what happens when you get to 10,000?"

"Change my name."

For the short time that you’ve known him, 10k didn’t tend to speak much. His answers were usually short, and you got the impression he didn’t want to get too close to anyone.

"To what? Twenty thousand?" The older man laughed.

"Jeff."

Doc pulled a funny facial expression at you. Why Jeff? You wanted to know what his real name was, but decided against asking him at that moment. You were sure he wouldn’t appreciate any more questions.

You smiled at 10k, "I like that name."

Warren stepped down from the car roof she was standing on. She looked worried. "Where did everybody go? I haven't seen a survivor except for those two bikers."

"Black Summer," You eyed Cassandra carefully as she spoke, "Everybody starved to death."

"But you survived." You and Addy shared a look, "how did you survive?"

"Did what I had to do," Cassandra answered bluntly.

Frowning, you handed the bag with bottles of water you found to Mack before heading in the other direction to look some more. After a few moments, you heard a commotion, followed by a voice you didn’t recognize. You readied your bow and arrow as you walked back towards your group. One of the scruffy looking bikers from before was standing between Garnet and Warren. "I see you're scrounging for gas. You know, like we used to say, ass, gas or grass."

Murphy looked the man up and down, "Nobody rides for free."

The stranger looked smug, "I know where you could fill up."

"Now would be the time to share that information," Warren said, stepping closer to him.

"Place called Jersey Devil Refinery, maybe five miles off, just off the turnpike."

"How do you know there's gas there?" You asked, unsure whether to believe him or not.

"Got overrun day number one," he answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "All the tanks are still full, just rusting away."

"All right, take us to this refinery," Warren replied. "And if there's gas there like you say, you can ride with us to the next outpost."

The man grinned, "you won't be sorry."

Garnett looked unsure but went along with it anyway. "Let's get out of here. I'll be riding with Warren and a new guy. Everybody else load up in the truck."

Murphy groaned. "So are we just gonna pick up every sketchy loser at every place we stop?"

You scoffed, "well we brought you along, didn't we?"

Once you got into the back of the trunk, 10k leaned in to you and whispered. "You don’t trust him, do you?"

"There’s a lot of people here I don’t trust."

—

When you reached your destination, Murphy scrunched up his face as Addy parked the car.. "What’s that smell?"

"The undead and gasoline."

The group discussed the best way to draw the Z’s attention away from the pump that was drawing them in. Eventually, Cassandra pulled out a necklace that had a music box built inside it.

"That's great," Warren nodded. "You're our decoy."

"I'll go with her," the sketchy guy said.

"I’ll come too," you volunteered. Your gut instinct was telling you to not trust the two of them together.

Cassandra glared at you. "I don't need his help, or hers."

"No, you need cover. Take them." Warren paused and looked around before letting out a deep sigh. "Where'd that kid go?"

"He was here a minute ago," Doc said with a shrug.

You added, "His name is Ten Thousand."

"Well, he'd better be back by the time we're ready to go," the older woman frowned. "Change of plan. Astra, I need you to stay here with Doc, and Murphy." You opened your mouth to protest, but Warren cut you off. "No arguments."

—

"Wonder how it's going?" Doc asked. "I haven't heard anything blow up."

"Yet."

You kicked Murphy lightly in the thigh for his insensitive answer. "Don’t be such a negative jackass."

After watching Murphy and Doc play cards for a while, you turn to face the ‘saviour’ of the world. "How'd you get to be the savior of the human race?"

He let out a grunt, "you really wanna know?"

"Yeah."

"Truth is for a guy who's been wrongly convicted, I'm actually very civic-minded. I volunteered."

"So the doctors gave you the vaccine, and then they let the zombies bite you?" He nodded. You didn’t like him, but nobody deserves to have that happen to him. "How many times?"

"Eight."

You sighed, "I’m sorry that happened to you. It must have been awful."

He shrugged, "I blacked out."

"Shut up, you two," Doc said quietly. "We have some nosey neighbors."

As soon as you noticed the group of zombies that were starting to walk past the truck, you shuffled down in your seat, but Murphy started frantically yelling. "Call the others! Get us out of here!"

"Stop yelling." You frowned, "you're attracting them to us."

"Astra, keep him inside," Doc instructed you. "I’m going to draw them away."

"Wait, it’s too dangerous to go out there yourself!" You pointed out, "I’ll come with you."

The older man shook his head. "He might be our last chance. Whatever happens, keep him alive."

You watched as Doc disappeared into the crowd of Z’s. You just hoped he would come back.

—

You tried to try and calm Murphy, who was panicking loudly. The occasional zombie would bang into the car, but as long as you stayed out of sight and quiet they would hopefully pass by.

"Get us out of here!" Murphy yelled as the car began to move slightly.

"Stop being so loud, you're attracting them."

When a Z managed to get its finger through a crack in one of the windows, you leaped forward and cut its finger off, causing blood to spray onto the seats, and Murphy to be even louder.

Oh fuck. We are screwed.

In the distance, you could hear Doc shouting. "Ten thousand! Cover the car! Murphy and Astra are trapped inside."

Gunshots filled the air as the dead began to fall to the ground. You let out a sigh of relief. 10k, and Doc had your back.

"Hey, it's going!" you exclaimed, only to be cut off by the so-called saviour, who shoved you to the side and jumped into the driver's seat. You jolted back when he slammed his foot down. "Where the hell are we going!"

Losing control of the car, Murphy crashed into a wall. You let out a scream as you felt something cutting into your skin, before blood began dripping from your hand. "You stupid son of a bitch! You almost got me killed!"

The door to the truck swung open as Warren helped you out. You were vaguely aware of somebody helping Murphy to get away as well. You knew from the snarling noises coming from behind that the Z’s weren’t far behind. You made it back to the others just in time, as the truck you were just in exploded. At least it’s taken out some of the dead.

Warren raised her hand for everyone to be quiet. There was a ringing noise coming from a phone box. Garnett, who was the closest, answered it.

"Sergeant Charlie Garnett," he paused before continuing. "Please tell us where to drop him off - California? Hold on - That's not gonna happen," he turned back to face the group. "We need to go somewhere closer."

"Closer?" You asked questions.

What in the world have you gotten yourself into?

Shaking your head, you turned to face the other way. "Oh shit. Dead, coming right at us."

Addy and Mac held off the dead while the rest of you ran towards the only vehicle your group had left. "Wait, we can’t leave. We aren’t all here."

Doc looked around worried until he spotted 10k running. "Wait! Here comes the kid!"

"Found these."

You smiled as he handed Warren the small gas tanks he’d found.

As the group rode off, 10k’s smile fell from his face, and was quickly replaced by a frown. "What happened to you?"

You glared at Murphy. "I cut my hand with my blade when we crashed. I have some bandages in my bag, I’ll be fine."

Without saying anything, 10k began rummaging in your backpack and pulled out a first aid kit. He bandaged up your hand before returning the kit to you.

"Thanks."

He shrugged, "no problem."

You shifted awkwardly. You wanted to talk to him, but weren’t sure what to say.

10k took you by surprise when he leaned into you, and spoke quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, yeah."

"What does Astra mean?"

A warm feeling spreads through you, "well…"