#she still hates when i leave but now she's a proper terror

[spoonyruncible]

.

I always forget that sometimes I get medically sick in a way that makes no sense but is also dramatically debilitating. Dramatically. Like, I sleep sixteen hours at a time, I have all the symptoms of a high fever with no fever, my stomach is ruined, I become moderately delirious, my anxiety spikes, and my whole body breaks out in a rash that looks a lot like measles. This lasts anywhere between four days to five weeks.

I dunno, I figure at some point I just kind of accepted it happens and that no one would ever help me. But I also kind of just put it in the back of my mind all the time because there doesn't seem to be any fixing or predicting it. Heat seems to, if not bring it on, at least make it significantly worse as I begin my Agonies ( I call this phenomenon my Agonies) by sweating so constantly that I am stickier than a lint roller and twice as miserable. There are chills, of course, there are always chills.

But the thing is that, through the joint pain and the extreme exhaustion, through the sweat slick fever mist, I always make sure my dog gets her goddamn walkies.

At the end of the day I'm the sort of a thing that's just going to feel bad rather a lot of the time. Much of this is no one's fault. But Rose doesn't know any of that, she just wants to sprint through the hot July air eating all the moths she can catch. And what I know is that, before she came to me, she was dumped in a crate full of her puppies which means that the most important reason for me is to make sure this stupid little animal is happy and loved no matter how terrible I feel. And I have felt terrible. I've missed two weeks of appointments, only barely made it to the pharmacy today (and my pharmacist had worried about me), and just kinda got by with the groceries I had on hand. But I'm not letting down my dog. I can't do shit to look after me, but I can haul my miserable corpse upright long enough to take care of dog.

[norrisleclercf1]

Who Runs the World? You Do

Pairing: Pierre Gasly x Mafia!Reader

Rating: R

Words: 2.0K

Warnings: Oral (f reciving) blood, violence, etc. Angst, fluff, Reader is the dom in this relationship and spoils Pierre

Requested: Yes/No

Request: What about kingpin mafia!reader x sugarbaby!Pierre? She’s just running an entire crime syndicate while spoiling her trophy husband Pierre. I think it be fun if he was still a f1 driver and all his fans think that she’s just a very introverted mysterious stay at home wife because they don’t know she’s actually a criminal. His fans think that Pierre is paying for all their expensive clothes houses cars etc because they think she’s unemployed but really she’s this terrifying international criminal that loves buying her husband pretty things. I’m to excited about this to come up with any proper plot points right now so I’ll leave you with this concept in case you have any cool ideas for it

Synopsis: Married to an F1 Driver isn't easy, but neither is running the largest crime organization.

French terms to know: Yeux bleus (blue eyes), Péché (Sin)

A/N: Merry Christmas Eve/Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays/ and Yule to those who celebrate! This is a yule gift to @chrysanthemonza now they can't bother me for it anymore! Love you bby!!!!!

Water cascades down your back, working to release the muscle tension. Groaning, you let the water burn your skin, trying to wash away the day's activities. Since you needed to be with your husband. 

It was easy to sneak past him as he laid out in bed, the cold French air licking your skin. He's gorgeous when he's asleep. The way his cross necklace sits on his chest, hating how you love the chest hairs curling around it. Dirty blonde hair, the color of wet sand, plastered to his forehead. His skin, kissed by the sun, is rippled with muscle due to his job. 

You knew he was asleep naked, the way the cover was showing off the happy trail and not stopping, his bare hip displayed. Everything in you screamed to just forget the shower and join him in bed. But, he wouldn't appreciate you ruining the expensive and handpicked Egyptian cotton sheets. Everything in your villa was handpicked and designed by him. He took pride in the home the two of you had built, hating when you dragged work through it. 

So, the shower had won to save from your husband's gripping and pouting. A pressure at your back has you whipping around, placing an antique shaving razor on the person's carotid. "Move, and you're fucking dead." You hiss. "Péché." A groggy French accent has you moving the weapon quickly. "Oh, oh my Yeux bleus. I'm so sorry." Terror and regret clenching your chest. 

You'd just raised a weapon to the person you swore never to hurt, and his eyes softened. "Hey....it's okay. You didn't hurt me." Placing a delicate kiss on your forehead. "I heard the water running and figured it was you." Your husband whispers, reaching behind you and turning the water off. "Where'd you fly off to this time?" Pressing the shower door open, he grabs your towel, taking his time to dry you off. Placing whispers of kisses on your skin here and there. 

"Shanghai. Had work and to acquire something for my Yeux bleus." You smile when he kisses the inside of your thigh, nipping at it. "You need to stop buying me stuff." Lashes fluttering, his nose bumping you. Fuck, his lips were so close to his goal that it was hard to concentrate on your words. 

"So? I wanna spoil my baby. Pierre, you've earned it." Smirking as you watch his eyes dart back and forth from your pussy to your eyes. "I have?" You are no longer talking about the gift you've bought him. "Of course, you've been so good for me. Besides, I figured you could use a nice treat to help you throughout the race." Pierre chuckles, his tongue sticking out, flattens it. 

Legs twitch when his tongue splits your lips apart, hand digging into those strands of hair. Moving his tongue from front to back, you whine, his teeth grazing your clit. Pulling away, lips already glistening from your juices, his tongue cleans them off, smirking. 

"Come here." You gasp when Pierre scoops you up like nothing, pulling the towel off and heading to the bedroom. "What are you doing?" Laying you on your back, his eyes clear as day. How blue they were, you could drown in them. "If I'm going to eat my wife out, I will do it properly." 

Sliding down, lips leaving burns on your skin from how feverish you burned. "And that means," He lifts both your legs, hooking them over his shoulders. "I'm going to have you shaking and leave you swollen and achy." Biting your lip, you hate the way he can take control from you.

"Okay." Pierre smiles, his head dips down, and a moan is torn from your throat, back arching. The sounds of his lips and tongue devouring you, your gasps and cries fill the still night. Pierre's hands hold your hips, feeling how you twist and arch, trying to escape. "Pierre....oh, right there." His teeth bite your clit gently, not enough to hurt but to send a wave of pleasure through you.  

Pierre chuckles as he works his tongue carefully and is drawn out. Arching your back up, you whimper, pulling at his hair. "Fuck, mmm." You whimper as you feel that bundle of nerves crawl up your stomach and to your throat. "Come for me, my gorgeous girl." With one last nip, your muscles tighten as you come undone by his mouth, feeling your heart shudder to a stop. 

Pierre slows down his tongue, pulling you down from your high slowly but delicately, almost like he'd hurt you if he went any faster. "Fuck, I think you deserve a treat." You tease; Pierre chuckles and moves up, devouring your mouth in a passionate kiss that has your toes curling. "A treat, you say," He whispers, pecking your lips as he lies down next to you, arms pulling you into his chest. 

"Yes? I want to spoil you some more. How about you pick out a gorgeous mountain house during Christmas break? I'll buy it. Say, an anniversary gift?" Pierre mulls it over and blushes at the thought. "I'd like that." Lips curling up, you move so his head can rest on your chest. "Perfect, start looking so I can buy it and have the cash on hand." 

-----------------------------------------

"She's scary," Yuki whispers as he watches you fix your deep wine-red lipstick. It was rare for you to be at a GP, and when you were, the others barely saw you. But Pierre had begged you, and with 2 orgasms later, here you were, sitting under the Italian sun. 

"She's not scary, Yuki," Charles grumbles, but he doesn't even know his best friend's wife well. It was odd not knowing who Pierre was married to. Not knowing where they lived, Charles knew Pierre lavished you with rare gifts. "She is. I said hello, and she looked me up and down like she wanted to step or eat me." He whispered and hid behind Charles's back when your sunglass-covered eyes landed on them. 

"Charles," Your accent drawls out his name, and the Ferrari driver stiffens as those lips curl into a cat-like smirk. "Mrs. Gasly." He curses himself for not remembering your name, but you seem content with his reply. "Good luck today," Is all you say as you stand, towering over him almost in your heels as you walk off. Not before two men stroll past and join you at your hip. 

"Yeux bleus?" You call out sweetly, looking for your husband. You find him with some reporters and stop short. Cursing, you throw on your sunglasses, hoping they don't catch any pictures of you. The last thing you needed was for the Italian Mafia to see you here. Stepping back, you notice that Pierre smiles at you gently and moves to cover your form. 

"We just heard you purchased a new house in the Swiss Alps. Gift for that wife of yours?" You tense at the question, hearing the venom and condescension in the reporter's voice. You wanted to rip his throat out for speaking to him like that. Pierre just smiles brightly and nods. "Yeah, it's an anniversary gift. We're delighted and can't wait to spend our holiday there." Pierre smiles brightly, and it hurts your heart. 

You sometimes wished he had married someone else. Someone could stand in the sun next to him instead of constantly hiding in the shadows. Pierre never cared. Honestly, he knew somewhat of what you did and the reason for you hiding, but beyond that, he didn't press. "Yes, but we know you're an F1 driver, but she's unemployed. How could you afford that house?" The reporter pressed on, and you could see the slight waver in Pierre's smile. 

"I work hard to spoil my wife. Do you have any questions about my racing now?" The reports raise their voices to get your husband's attention. Smiling, you drop it when you feel a presence join you. "Your Yeux bleus is quite good at handling the media. You, on the other hand. Have got some balls." The Southern Italian accent is vital in your ear and scuff at his bravery. 

"Yes, I do have balls. They're much larger than yours and sitting on my chest." You spit back, rapid-fire Italian, as you turn to face the second in command to the Mafia. "Leave me the fuck alone; I'm here for pleasure, not business. " The man grunts and presses up against you. Without thinking, you move quick and shove a knife into his crotch and cover his mouth. 

"Scream, I fucking dare you too." You seeth, hoping no one can hear you two. "Cunt," You twist the knife as he whimpers like a baby. "Tell your boss that if you ever, and I mean ever, come near me and my baby again, I'll take both your dicks." You quickly shove him off. Looking down at your outfit and hands, you curse and head for privacy. "Boss," One of your men runs up, but you shrug them off. 

"Protect Pierre. I'm sure there might be more of them around. Tell him I'm just freshening up if he's looking for me. The heat is ruining my makeup or something like that." He nods his head and rushes to join your husband's side. Walking into the private bathroom, you sigh as you wash your hands, watching the blood come off. "Can't even be here without spilling some blood." You whisper, feeling that self-hatred blooms in your chest. 

Pierre only ever asked one thing. Don't do work at his work. He could understand, but this time it was you who reacted when you could have easily just drugged the man instead of taking his jewels. "Mrs. Gasly, your husband is about to race." Sighing, you change into one of his shirts tucked into your pants and head out, sliding the thick sunglasses back on. 

Pierre is seen arguing with the bodyguard as he tries to move the guard steps in front of him. "Yeux bleus?" Pierre relaxes upon hearing those words and quickly gathers you in his arms. "I couldn't find you, thought you left." He whimpers, and you hate that you give him this anxiety. Sometimes, he does wake, and you are gone, without a trace or word, and not back for days, even weeks. 

"I'm still here, always." "Not always," It was a low jab, one probably deserved as he rested his cheek in the palm of your hand. "I know. Work keeps me busy." Pierre snorts but refuses to fight about this now. "Just promise me one thing?" He asks, you squint your eyes but nod. 

"Anything," You mean that you'd give him the fucking sun if he asked. "Leave that world, come back to the light for me?" Your face drops, and you step back, shaking your head. "No, if I leave, I can't protect you. Go race, we'll talk later." Pierre's baby blue eyes turn to a dark and stormy grey. "Yeah, right," Biting your tongue, knowing if you were in the privacy of your home, you'd have him being a whimpering begging mess for your forgiveness. 

Watching Pierre climb into the car, and soon the race starts, you stay back, watching as he works his way up the field and into a good position. 

"Boss, sorry but," You sigh, holding up your hand, knowing what he was about to say would ruin this. "Where are we going?" The guy makes a noise and shows you the phone. A text in angry Estonian. "Fuckkkkk," You loved Estonia but now you'd want nothing more than to stay. But you couldn't. 

"Alright, let's go home." Turning back, you nod to the guard that stays with Pierre. No words are needed as he'd explain everything to your husband for you. "We could always stay," Your guard whispers, and you see the silent plea for you to stay, knowing this would result in a huge fight later. "No, I have work. He understands." Walking to the car, you climb in, hearing the roar of the engines and the fading sound of the crowd. 

"He'll understand," You say to no one, leaving it in the air as a silent pray. But Pierre wouldn't understand, not this time. 

[jarofstyles]

FICTOBER DAY 7- I Wish This Could Last Forever

Fictober Prompts/Masterlist

Patreon

Ouchies... I got in my feelings

WC- 800

Warnings- mention of death/dying, vampires, blood etc

----

Harry watched the human sleeping in his arms, his chest feeling like it could disintegrate any moment. 

If his heart could still beat, he would be worried about it breaking. 

He knew he had to leave someday. He knew that this warm bundle of sweet, soft human would begin to age and question why he didn’t. The longer they spent together, the easier to spot his quirks. The closer they got, the more she would notice, the more that she would begin to bond to him. The sips he took from her were enough to sustain him, but for how long? How long could he go without a proper feed?

He knew his intentions were selfish. He had never had a problem being a selfish creature for all two hundred and forty years that his feet had been walking around the earth, and yet.. A silly, simply little human had tilted his world on its axis. Her soft breathing puffing against his neck making him bound to the moment, her fists curled around his shirt as her leg was tangled in his own. Trusting him, this monster of a creature, with her safety. Her body. Her blood. Something in her told her to go against instinct, if she even had any, and hand herself over to the very thing she should be running away from. 

The mere thought of her running away from him in terror ripped him apart. 

He had been biding his time for a while, and knew that he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye. His own throat welled up in a lump at the idea of her hating him for all her life once he left her, leaving a note explaining that their time had been fun but he had to move on or move for a business trip. He’d have to make her hate him, because this tenacious little human would scour the earth to find him. 

Her fiery ways despite her soft demeanor always brought a smile to his face. When she was determined to have something, to see something, she would do it. Sometimes she unknowingly put herself in danger and he had to wonder how she had managed to get on without him before- and it twinged his stomach. How would she get on without him?

His thoughts always turned to her deserving better. If she wanted children, the picket fence, the dogs, the familial dream that everyone spoke about. He could never provide that. The most he could do was be a decent partner, at least trying his very best now despite their undefined relationship. It was clear there was love between them.

Just how much, though, Harry kept under wraps. 

How could he let her know that he counted her breaths when she slept? How he hurt every time he thought about having to move from this place and exist without her? How she had become such a staple in his daily life, that he couldn’t go to the store without thinking about what she would like or scoff at. She had somehow, some way, engrained herself in his very being without his permission. Oddly enough? He felt okay with it. 

He’s had entanglements with humans before. He drank from them when they were in the midst of orgasm, taking what he could without harming, and moved on before the sun rose to try and find someone else. Being a creature like him, sex and blood were the mainstays of the life he was unliving. Y/N had been a one nighter that he couldn’t drag himself away from. They’d met unconventionally, something off his normal routine and had taken him off guard. Somehow it had turned into this. 

Cradling her warm body to his own, the thick blankets on his bed covering them up as he ran his fingers over her back. The city noises and her breathing were a background for the steady heartbeat, only wobbling when he shifted and she clung back to him. His own personal slice of heaven, having her seek him out when he was living in a monotonous hell. Every day had been so black and white before his little human had shattered the glass and threw color on every surface. 

She would always be his favorite memory, his biggest love, and his hardest regret. 

“I wish this could last forever.” His voice was too quiet even for her to hear, kissing over the top of her head a few times. “I would keep you for longer than that.”

[belit0]

2000 Word Commission (Uchiha Obito / Fem Reader) @moroseu

"Hello there! I hope you are doing well :) I just sent another ko-fi commission. I was wondering if it was possible to write Obito x Reader when she just came home after a long bounty hunt. She's covered in cuts and bruises, nothing too serious. He still thinks she should go see a medic, but she tells him that she needs him right now. Emotionally and physically which leads into soft nsfw moment."

EACH COMMISSION COMES WITH AN EXTRA SECRET SCENARIO, THAT I UNIQUELY AND ESPECIALLY ADD FOR THE BUYER. (I'll leave you an example of it at the bottom, but in Spanish, so you don't cheat.)

KO-FI COMMISSIONS

Obito holds a cup of tea in his hands, the hot liquid moving involuntarily through the anxious sequence his left leg carries, foot tapping against the ground to cooperate with the nerves. (Y/N) should be home by now, the mission being more long than complex, and for ninjas of the caliber that took responsibility for it, it should be simple.

The Uchiha begged for the ANBU leader to allow him to join the squad, hating every situation where his wife has to expose herself to battle hardships without having him by her side to help her if necessary, but his request was denied thanks to his new rank.

He left the Special Assassination and Tactics Squad to seek tranquility in his new qualification as a Jonin, under the strict recommendation of his best friend Kakashi, claiming that demotion is not bad, if not relaxing.

Consumed by the stress of his responsibilities and attacked by the darkness of facing the enemy in combat to the death, Obito felt his soul becoming more and more twisted, an overwhelming terror taking over his thoughts and making him act with unbridled cruelty, and decided it was time to stop before it was too late.

Being a Jonin and taking care of three children wasn't so bad, after all.

His last proper mission with the ANBU had been chaotic, a group composed of only the best of the squad, and yet it ended terribly. Obito had barely made it out of the encounter alive, losing all three of his teammates in the blink of an eye, having been ambushed by the enemy. Now having almost lost control of his actions, unleashing an unconscionable massacre against his attackers, he found himself tearing out the hearts of his enemies with pleasure, almost turning into a psychopath.

Before this could happen, he decided to step aside.

Something was occurring in the shinobi world, a revolution of extraordinary magnitude, and those who were once allies became enemies from one day to the next. Under this context, and with things as complicated as they are currently developing, there is nothing Obito hates more than leaving (Y/N) alone on a mission.

Yes, she is a ninja of marvelous capabilities, a strong and intelligent woman, sharp and firm in her decisions, someone to admire and fear at the same time, but the Uchiha can't help but think of her as his beautiful girlfriend, sweet and delicate in intimacy, vulnerable to the terrors of the world.

He promised not to intercede, not to get involved in matters that do not concern him, having already gone through situations where desperation wins him over, and goes out to look for (Y/N) without thinking of interfering with the mission.

It has happened about three times at least, where Obito cannot deal with his anxiety and fails to wait for his wife's arrival, going out to look for her and using the technical data she shared with him before leaving. Knowing she is out there, surrounded by danger and bad people, consumes him like an embracing fire, and he can't afford to abandon her.

On every occasion, the Uchiha tracks her and her group with the Sharingan, and always arrives at the moment when they must face off against their opponent. Watching her fight is a heavenly image, skills of all kinds and strong extent being deployed with harmony and direction, experience, but he prefers to be by her side and be able to protect her if necessary.

He does not know what would happen to him if something were to befall her, and he does not want to find out either.

The level of power Obito carries within himself, mixed with a dark and shadowy, cruel aura, would be a terrible combination. He prefers to keep his own person safe, away from evil, but this doesn't allow him to support (Y/N) on the battlefield.

His strictly professional and goal-oriented wife scolded him like a small child every time he infiltrated her mission, thanking him for the backup but claiming it was not needed, and she was right. Every time, the Uchiha simply watched from afar as his woman fought, battling with passion and eagerness, wiping out anyone who got in her way, making his presence known only in case she needed him.

Once the enemies were finished, (Y/N) would ask him to come out of hiding, only to make him understand there is no reason for him to follow and try to protect her.

After the same speech repeated several times, Obito finally understood, and agreed to wait after each mission sitting at home, without going out to look for her. Her tasks are usually performed at night, covered by the veil of the deepest darkness to go unnoticed and find along with her team what they need, claim it and return.

Leaving early in the morning, the Uchiha bids her farewell, and makes an inhuman effort not to follow her, to stop and hold her in his arms, to beg her not to leave. Restraining his tears and feigning an encouraging smile, he watches her disappear in the direction of the barracks, and huffs in frustration at his helplessness.

It will be a few weeks before they meet again, and he feels defeated.

In any case, he manages to go about his day calmly, attending to his group of Genin and concentrating on the harmony of his work. When the main distraction of his day is over, around noon, he decides to bother Kakashi, seeking reassurance from his best friend, something to fill his mind and help him not to worry.

Consumed by separation anxiety, he tries not to think about (Y/N), not to send any negative vibes to her, while he entertains a regular workout with his partner Jonin. The two spend a good few hours on the practice field every afternoon, even gathering an audience to watch the display of their skills, but when night falls, it's time to go home.

With the sun slipping over the horizon and darkness taking over the landscape, his anguish is amplified a thousandfold, and he begins to have genuinely intrusive thoughts about going out to look for her. He manages to fight his urges, but the nights drag on forever, tossing and turning in bed and getting very few hours of sleep.

The day she is supposed to return takes forever, minutes ticking by slowly, and he manages a terrible mood throughout his day. People avoid him like the plague because of his short patience, and when night comes, he is glad to be alone.

(Y/N) should be back soon, by midnight at the latest, he just has to stall until then and all will be fine.

In his distress, he carries out household chores, things he doesn't usually do, and tries to keep his mind occupied. He sweeps the whole place, dusts off ornaments from the shelves hanging around the living room, makes tea (something he never enjoyed in his life), does the laundry, changes the sheets....

Performing a myriad of simultaneous domestic duties, the Uchiha finds comfort in having his hands full, and when midnight arrives, he has dinner ready to welcome (Y/N). Delicacies in several different dishes are strategically placed on the table, having concocted her favorite recipes to comfort her heart once she gets home.

The clock strikes 12, but there is no sign of her.

He pours himself the third cup of tea of the night, hating the taste it leaves in his mouth, but seeking distraction where he can no longer find any. He bites his nails between sips, frantically tapping his foot against the floor and popping his knee with speed, trying to deal with the sudden emptiness he feels in his stomach from her absence.

Maybe the ANBU team decided to go eat after accomplishing the mission? To celebrate their success in a more friendly way? No... the specialty squad doesn't relate that way, always cold and distant, dedicated only to work as a team for their goal. Besides, (Y/N) wouldn't avoid going home, knowing about the anxiety his man feels in each of her departures.

Obito decides to move from the dining room, where he was sitting on a chair and trying to keep the food warm, and decides to sit on the porch. At the home's entrance, he descends to the third step of the small staircase leading to the door, and sits down to wait. Having forgotten the horrible tea inside, he nibbles his nails nervously as he stares at the point in the distance where (Y/N) might have to arrive.

He spends half an hour staring at the same place, no longer knowing what to do to continue waiting, and decides to stand up and go looking for her. At the very moment when he intends to start running, he sees his wife in the distance, walking slowly and torturously towards the house.

Obito doesn't hesitate and shoots off in her direction, reaching her in a second and taking her in his arms, squeezing her in his grip as if he were afraid she would disappear again. (Y/N) looks exhausted, full of bruises and scratches, dejected. She seems to have gone through an intense fight, and her companions do not presume to be nearby.

The Uchiha takes her home, depositing her immediately on the bed, and tries to understand what transpired. "(Y/N)... what happened there... where's the rest... why on earth are you like this?" he questions on the verge of tears, staying strong just for her.

"It's okay, we're all fine. We split up just so they wouldn't track us. There were no casualties." The woman looks sore, but active, awake, and that's a good sign. She doesn't carry any deep cuts or any worrisome wounds, so Obito tries to regain whatever calm he lost the moment she left. ""Okay, okay, okay... let's get this off you... you should see a doctor (Y/N), these cuts need disinfection and-"" The Uchiha babbles on trying to recompose his spirits, glad that she's back, worried about her bruises, trying to get the armor off her body. "How are you feeling? Beyond your injuries?"

"Honestly... not very well. I... I need you, Obito."

"It's okay... I'm here... let's get you cleaned up and-"

"No, Obito. I need you, now." She exclaims (Y/N) with daunting determination, looking him in the eyes and sitting up on the bed, taking him gently by the cheeks and bringing them together in a soft kiss of reunion. Her lips move in a mixture of love and anguish, holding complicated feelings she does not want to share at this precise moment.

The mission was more complex than expected, and she only needs the physical contact of her man to know everything is all right. Their tongues dance a familiar dance, intertwining and letting go for air, as she exchanges places with the Uchiha, guiding him to the bed and laying him down on the pillow.

They both let themselves go with the reconnecting, expressing all the anguish and anxiety between kisses and caresses, healing the despair of having been separated with gentle, controlled touches. (Y/N) climbs onto his hips, moving back and forth to wake him up, and it isn't long before they are both ready to begin.

Only removing their pants and underwear for the urgency of their movements, she guides his cock with her hands, rising a little on top of him to slowly lower herself back down, feeling full and complete for the first time in weeks. They both moan simultaneously, staring into each other's eyes with every movement she makes on his shaft. "Shit... (Y/N)... I missed you so much..."

It is not arousal or pleasure that brings them to this situation, but the need to reconnect on a deeper level, to feel each other again in the most intimate way possible.

Obito's hands close over her waist, unintentionally squeezing two large gashes in her skin, and making her hiss in pain. Before he can apologize, (Y/N) reconnects their mouths again, guiding a slow, deliberate pace, rising and falling between moans drowned out by tongues and lips. "Me too... love me, Obito."

She can feel moisture from the Uchiha's eyes, and knows those are tears of relief, but she doesn't dwell on the detail. After a few minutes of quiet sex, the pace increases, tracing a line of swiftness between their hips and pelvis, raising the intensity between touches and need.

Their bodies move in a plausible sync, connected by heart and soul, united in the physical and sentimental. Each thrust explains a different emotion, an I love you, an I adore you, and each moan expresses how much they needed each other in this time of separation.

Obito moves in and out passionately, debating whether to increase the pace even more or keep it quickly gentle, feeling (Y/N)'s skin under his hands and needing to lock her into his chest, keep her safe from everyone and everything.

He's the one who finishes first, inside her, not even thinking about the consequences and completely gone for the situation, filling her with his seed without leaving her body. She says nothing about it, allowing him to enjoy his release to the fullest and relishing the hot sensation inside her.

Once he's done with his peak, Obito gently switches places, resting her on the bed and laying on top of her, his knees supporting his weight as he touches her with his hands.

He will have to wait a little while to fuck her again, but decides he wants to make her come before then.

His fingers gently graze her clit, and (Y/N) tries to hide her expression of pleasure in more kisses, but Obito moves his face, needing to look into her eyes and devour every movement of her features. "I want to see you, (Y/N), at the very moment when your pussy explodes around my fingers and you moan like the beautiful, good girl you are."

His words disarm her, and it doesn't take her long to give him what he asks for.

EXAMPLE OF A SPECIAL AND UNIQUE ADDED SCENARIO

[brainyxbat]

Chapter 3: An Island Without Doctors? Adventure in a Nameless Land!

(episode 80)

"Attention, pirates! Leave this place at once! This instant!"

"We came to find a doctor!"

"We have a sick person onboard!"

"We won't fall for that trick, you filthy pirates!"

"They really hate our guts. And we've just met too."

"Don't talk back!"

"They're shooting!"

"You didn't just do that! Bastard!"

"Stop, Sanji-san!"

-

"Vivi!" Luffy screamed, before turning to the culprit with fury. "Why, you-!"

That only made the men redraw their guns. "Aim!"

Luffy went to charge in, but to everyone's surprise, Vivi held him back. "No! Stop! Fighting won't help anything! I'm fine! It only grazed my arm!" She knelt down next to him. "In any case, we won't land here!" She bowed her head in pleading. "But could we ask for a doctor? Our friend is suffering from a grave illness. Please help! I beg you!"

Luffy watched her in awe. "Vivi!"

"You're not fit to be captain, Luffy," She almost whispered, "Not everything can be fixed by acting recklessly! If you start a fight here, what will happen to Nami-san?"

Venus frowned with sympathy. "She has a point."

"Yeah," Luffy agreed after a beat of silence, and turned to the residents, "I'm sorry! I was wrong! Please call a doctor!" He bowed down next to Vivi. "Please help our friend!" His hat rolled off his head, landing in front of them both.

The men watched for signs of attacks, but none came. Only silent pleading. "I will show you to the village," The leader decided, "Follow me." Vivi straightened up with a sigh of relief, then turned to Luffy. "See? They understood!"

"Yeah!" He whispered. "You're amazing!"

Most of the crew trudged through the snow after the residents, trekking up a hill. "I must warn you; the only doctor we have here is a witch."

Venus perked up at that. "A-a witch? For real?"

"Witch?" Usopp frowned.

"You gotta be kidding me," Sanji grumbled, carrying a coat-clad Nami on his back, "Nothing here makes sense. What is this place, anyway?"

"This land still does not have a name."

"There's a witch here?!" Venus interjected.

"A nameless land?" Vivi asked. "Does that really happen?"

Both of their questions were left unanswered, when Usopp screamed in terror. "A bear!" A hulking white bear was walking close by. "Everyone! Pretend to be dead!" He flopped down in the snow, as Venus looked down at him silently.

The man noticed a pickaxe held in one of its paws. "A Hiking Bear. They pose no danger. Don't forget to bow; it's proper hiking manners." They did so when passing each other; that is, except a still fearful Usopp, who stayed down.

-

"Okay!" Zoro finished patching up the self-inflicted wounds on his legs from his escape attempt in Little Garden. "All better! See!" He clapped his feet in front of a shivering Karoo, who was bundled in a warm blanket. "Now I can finally do some real training! I was getting sick of that watered-down training."

Thanks a lot, Venus. 'Quit pushing yourself!' Her words rang through his mind. 'You almost cut your own feet off! You gotta take it easy!' For a meek girl, she could be quite demanding when she wanted to. 'Fine, as long as you stop bugging me about it, short stack.' He had caved.

"And just watching the ship is boring as hell." He stripped out of his shirt and jacket, and held his palms together. "Maybe I'll go for some cold-weather swimming to suppress myself." He puffed out some air.

-

Before long, after Venus pulled the sniper to his feet, and back to the group, they arrived at a small village. "This is our village, Big Horn."

"There are weird animals walking everywhere," Luffy remarked, as he, Usopp, and Venus looked around the area.

"That's snow country for ya!" Usopp agreed.

"Nami-san! We made it to a village with people!" Sanji told her. "It's a village!"

"Okay. Thanks for the help, everyone." Vivi turned to see the leader talking to the other guards that escorted them. "Those who aren't guards can return to their work."

"But will you be alright by yourself, Dalton-san? They're pirates!"

"I believe they pose no threat. That's my hunch of many years of experience; you can trust it."

"What do we do? If that's what Dalton-san says, then..."

"And they don't seem dangerous."

"Yeah."

"Alright, Dalton-san! We leave the rest to you!" Vivi watched in awe, as the men, sans Dalton, promptly dispersed.

"Be ever careful, Dalton-san."

"Just call us if anything happens!"

Dalton turned to see the princess looking up at him. "They weren't this land's security forces?"

"They're ordinary citizens. Come to my home for now."

"Hey! Look, Luffy! A Hiking Bear!" Usopp pointed out.

"Again?!" They quickly bowed, only for it to be a tall human.

"Oh, Dalton-san! I heard there were pirates!"

"Yes, everything is okay. There's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, Dalton-kun!" An elderly man called to him. "I look forward to the election in two days! Everyone says they're going to vote for you!"

"Y-you can't be serious!" Dalton waved his hands in modest protest. "I'm nothing but a sinful man!" Vivi watched on in curiosity.

-

Later, they were at Dalton's home in the village. Over the fireplace was a pair of swords crossed together, and a white tiger skin. "Use that bed there," He offered, "I'll warm the place up." Sanji laid Nami on the bed, and Vivi covered her with a warm, green blanket. "I haven't told you my name yet."

"Dalton?" The young witch piped up.

"Venus," Vivi scolded.

"It's okay, she's right. I'm Dalton, captain of the security squad of this island." Sanji glanced around the room curiously; there was a strip of brickwork above the walls. "Please forgive our heavy-handed welcome." Dalton set his bag down. "May I ask you a question?"

"Eh?" Vivi looked up from the bed when he turned to her.

"I somehow feel like I've seen you before," He remarked.

Vivi quickly turned away. "I-it's probably just your imagination! Anyway, please tell us about this witch!"

"Yes, please do!" Venus perked up.

"Nami-san's temperature was 42 C when I checked it just now!" Vivi continued.

Dalton's eyes widened. "42?!"

"Yes, sir," Venus nodded.

"Her fever's gone up for three days in a row."

"She'll die if it goes up anymore!"

"Yes," Vivi agreed worriedly, "But if we don't even know the cause of this illness, or how to treat it."

"We need a doctor!" Sanji urged. "Anyone will do! Where is this witch of yours?!"

"The witch, huh. Do you see those mountains outside the window?"

"Yeah, those insanely tall-" Sanji turned to look, but only saw a snowman with barrels and wooden beams.

"Hyper Snowman!" Luffy announced.

"Snowzilla, the snow beast!" Usopp followed.

"Yeah!" They shared a high-five from their spots high up on their creations.

"Don't make me kick your asses!" Sanji glared.

Venus peered outside, and smiled brightly. "Wow, those are awesome!" Her heart dropped when the cook started barreling outside with anger. "Sanji, no!"

-

"Those mountains are known as the Drum Rockies," Dalton informed, pointing to the tall, tower-like mountains peeking behind the totaled sculptures. "Do you see the castle at the top of the tallest one in the middle?"

"Castle?!" Usopp asked through some hot chocolate.

"That castle no longer has its king."

"That warms me up," Luffy sighed happily.

"Yeah, there it is," Sanji observed, looking out the window.

"What's so important about the castle?" Vivi asked. It was on the middle tower, and was almost microscopic.

"The only doctor in the land, Dr. Kureha, lives there," Dalton replied, "People call her a witch."

"What?!" Sanji exclaimed. "Of all the places, why does it have to be so far away?!"

"Can we call her here?" Venus suggested. "Nami needs treatment now!"

"Even if we wanted to, there's no way to contact her," Dalton answered.

"Huh?!" Sanji glared. "And she calls herself a doctor?! What the hell is she like?!"

"As a doctor, she's very skilled. But she's an eccentric old hag; she's nearly 140 years old right now."

"Eh?!" Vivi looked up.

"140?!" Sanji exclaimed. "I think she might need help!"

"Well guys, witches are very mysterious," Venus lectured, "I'd read about them when I was little."

Dalton stared silently at her for a moment, before continuing. "Anyway, let's see... she likes pickled plums."

"What happens when people get sick, or injured?" Vivi asked.

"She comes down from the mountain when she feels like it. She looks for patients, treats them, then as payment, she takes whatever she wants from their houses before leaving."

"Sounds like an unfriendly old hag!" Usopp glared.

"Sounds like Nami, minus the doctor part," Venus commented.

"Hey! She almost sounds like a pirate!" Luffy remarked.

"But how does such an old woman go down that mountain?" Vivi asked.

"It's an odd rumor... but several people claim to have seen her riding a sleigh through the sky on moonlit nights. And that's the reason she's called a witch."

"Wow," Venus breathed in awe, "A witch on a sleigh! I thought it'd be a broomstick!"

"Some also saw her with a strange creature they'd never seen before."

"That must be her familiar!" She perked up.

Usopp tensed at that, and fell face-up on the floor, his legs flailing. "I knew it! See? It's a Snow Man! It's a snowy mountain, after all!" He sat up, and fell forward. "I knew there'd be one!" He rolled around on the floor fearfully. "A witch, and a Snow Man?! Oh, please never let us run into them!"

"She is the only doctor, but she's a hag I'd prefer to stay away from. All we can do is wait for the next time she comes down the mountain."

"You can't be serious," Vivi said.

"Dammit!" Sanji exclaimed. "We can't wait for that! Even as we speak, Nami-san is-!"

"Hey! Nami, Nami!" Luffy patted her hot cheek. "Can you hear me?"

"What are you doing?!" Vivi, Sanji, Usopp, and Venus raged simultaneously.

To his delight, her eyes squinted open. "Oh! She's awake!" He then turned back to her. "Hey, the only way to see a doctor is to climb a mountain. We're gonna climb it!"

"Eh?"

"Don't be crazy!" Sanji scolded. "What are you doing with Nami-san?!"

"It's okay! I'll carry her on my back!"

"That'll only make things worse!" Vivi glared.

"What's the problem? We need to hurry, don't we?"

"That's true, but you can't! Look how steep and tall it is!"

"I can make it."

"Maybe you can make it, but it'd be too hard on Nami-san!" Sanji pointed out.

"But look! If we fall, we'll land in snow!"

"Even a healthy person would die instantly after a fall from there!"

"Seriously!" Usopp added. "She's 6 C over normal temperature! Do you even get it?!"

"What other choice do we have?" Venus chimed in.

"V-Venus!" He stammered.

Everyone turned to Nami when they heard her struggle to talk. "I need to get over this fast," She panted heavily, "I need to hurry... for Vivi." She moved her hand, so it was weakly held up. "I'm counting on you, Captain!"

Everyone gawked in awe, before Luffy beamed, and shared a careful high-five with her. "That's more like it! Just leave it to me!"

"I can't believe it!" Usopp exclaimed. "Like captain, like navigator!"

"Do you know what condition you're in, Nami-san?!" Sanji fussed over her.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Vivi asked. "It'll take hours to get there!"

"Old guy! Meat!" Luffy eagerly demanded. "Gimme meat!"

"Meat?"

Sanji glared in determination. "Alright! I'm comin' too!"

"Count me in!" Venus chimed in.

"What?!" Usopp cried. "W-why?!"

"I'm going to meet the witch! I bet I'll learn a lot from her!"

"B-but it'll be dangerous!"

"More dangerous than Marines, dinosaurs, and agents?" She quirked an eyebrow. "I'll be alright, promise!"

Usopp sighed in defeat. "Alright. Now listen, Luffy!" He then turned to the captain, who had Nami on his back. "Don't fall even once, or you can expect Nami to die!"

"Eh?! Even once?!"

"And keep Venus-chan safe for me! I-I mean, for us! Both of you! Got that?!" He glanced between him, and Sanji.

"Wait! Hold still!" Vivi was in the process of tying Nami to Luffy for safety. "I need to tie this right!" Once she was done, she straightened up. "All set. Okay, I'm going to wait here. I'd only get in the way."

"Same here!" Usopp agreed.

"Got it!" Luffy looked back at the navigator, who was back in her yellow/orange plaid coat. "Okay, Nami! Hold on tight!"

"Yeah..."

Dalton watched them for a quiet moment. "If you're really set on going, I won't stop you. But at least climb up from the other side. There are Lapins on this course; fierce, carnivorous rabbits. If you encounter a pack of them, you're as good as dead."

"Rabbits? But we're in a hurry. We should be fine, right?" Luffy turned to Sanji.

"Yeah! I'll kick 'em!"

"Kick?! You can't be serious! You'd be walking to your deaths!"

"It's okay!" Luffy assured, and began sprinting. "Alright, then! Let's go, Sanji, Venus! Before Nami dies!"

"What?!" He ran after him, with Venus close behind. "Don't say things that could jinx us, you dumbass!"

"Venus! B-be careful!" Usopp called out.

"I will!" She promised with a wave of her hand.

Dalton watched them with Vivi and Usopp. "Will they really be all right?"

"Well, I'm not worried about those two," Usopp replied about the captain, and the chef.

"But the question is if Nami-san's strength will last long enough," Vivi added, "I hope they make it there safely."

With that, Dalton started heading back inside, but saw they weren't moving. "What's wrong?" Vivi turned to him. "Come inside. It's cold out."

"Oh, that's okay," She smiled nervously, "I want to stay outside."

"Me too," Usopp shivered.

Dalton let a smile grow at their apparent loyalty, and closed the door, staying out as well. "I see." They turned to him, as he sat cross-legged. "Then I will join you." Usopp and Vivi smiled gratefully in his direction, before they all watched the mountains. For a few seconds, it was eerily silent, before he spoke up. "We did have some, long ago," He recalled.

"Eh?" They turned to him in surprise.

"Doctors," He clarified, "But they're all gone now, for certain reasons. They were all incredibly skilled. We were even known as an advanced medical nation."

"So, what happened?" Vivi asked.

"This country was destroyed just a few months ago. At the hands of pirates!"

"Eh?!" Usopp and Vivi's eyes widened in shock.

"The entire country?!" Usopp exclaimed.

"So that's why you were so nervous about us?" Vivi asked.

"Yes. The word "pirate" is still too much for everyone to handle. I'm sorry about that. But there were only five people in that pirate group. The captain called himself "Blackbeard", and he destroyed our country in the blink of an eye with his devastating power."

"Only five people?!" Vivi gawked. "You can't be serious!"

"Blackbeard?!" Usopp glared.

"But there are some who say it was actually good for the country."

"There's nothing good about a country being destroyed!" Vivi pointed out.

"Yeah!" Usopp agreed. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

Dalton smiled at them again. "Thank you. But people say that because the monarchy that existed here until then was appalling in the eyes of the citizens. The country's former name was the Drum Kingdom! The king's name was Wapol!" Dalton glared at the ground at the name alone. "He was the worst king possible!"

Vivi and Usopp gasped in shock; the same man they encountered at sea earlier! "Yes! That man! I remember him!" The former recalled.

"Wapol?!" Usopp exclaimed.

-

Up in the mountain, Luffy, Sanji, and Venus were hiking through the snow, with Nami securely on the captain's back. "It's gotten a little colder," Luffy remarked, "The wind's picking up."

"So why aren't you wearing shoes?!" Sanji pointed out his sandals. "Just seeing that is painful!"

"This is my police!"

"Police?! You mean "policy"!"

"Yeah! Anyway, did you know? People in snowy countries never sleep!"

"Huh? Why's that?"

"'Cause they'll die if they go to sleep!"

"Don't be stupid! There's nobody like that!"

"It's the truth! Someone told me a long time ago!" Through their sprint, a certain kind of creature was lying in wait, scattered on the mountain.

Lapins.

One attempted to pounce on the group, but it missed all of them. "Usopp, I bet," Sanji snarked.

"Uh, guys?"

"No! I heard it in a pub, in my village!" Luffy insisted, as Venus went unnoticed. The Lapin yanked its head out of the snow, and growled in anger, continuing its pursuit.

"Then why did that Dalton guy have a blanket?" Sanji challenged.

"That's a good point." It went in for a bite, but chomped down on a tree instead. "Maybe it's for when he dies then?"

"Guys?"

"Yeah, right!" They avoided a downed tree by leaping over it. Sure enough, klutzy Venus tripped on the landing, and fell in the snow "Venus-chan!" Sanji immediately backtracked, and helped her up, still dodging the predator. "Okay, did you know this: Women in snowy lands all have silky smooth skin!"

"How come?" The Lapin kept the chase up.

"Isn't it obvious? Whenever you're cold, you rub your skin for warmth." Venus stared on in confusion at the random banter. "So you get smooth skin."

"Fellas?" She kicked it away, but it stubbornly kept going

"So women in snowy places have such silky-smooth, white skin!"

'What the hell are they talking about?' Venus thought, before kicking the Lapin away again, and getting frustrated when it returned. "Boys!"

"How come it's white?"

"Because the color of the constantly-falling snow dyes their skin!"

"Huh?! You're so dumb!"

"Like you're really anyone to talk! And..." Just as Venus was about to try gaining their attention yet again, Sanji actually kicked the Lapin away, to her surprise. "Quit being so damn annoying!"

"What was with that guy?" Luffy wondered aloud.

Venus was quiet with exasperation, as they kept running. They noticed it the whole time?

-

"Hang in there, Nami-san!" Sanji urged through their sprint. "We're gonna get you to a doctor!"

"The snow's really deep around here," Luffy remarked.

"Guys, wait up!" Venus called out, having to take slower, higher steps. The snow was almost up to her hips. "My legs aren't as long as yours!"

"Hey, Luffy! Run more smoothly! You're gonna make Nami-san worse!" They then stopped, giving Venus time to catch up, but there was an obstacle in front of them; lots of them. "W-what are these?"

"They're white and big, so they're polar bears!" Luffy guessed. "I'm sure of it!"

"No, those are Lapins!" Venus' eye widened. "Dalton told us about these guys!"

-

"Wait! You know Wapol?!" Dalton exclaimed.

"We don't just know him!" Usopp replied. "He's the pirate who attacked our ship! I got rid of him, though," He claimed, "But I do recall him saying something about the Drum Kingdom."

"Yes," Vivi agreed, "There's no question about it! I remember clearly now! I met him once at a monarch meeting my father took me to when I was very young!"

Dalton looked up at that. "Monarch meeting?! Just who are you?"

"No, uhh, you see," She stammered, having said too much, before changing the subject, "In any case, we met Wapol! Yesterday, on our way here!"

"Yesterday?! Are you sure?!"

"But what's going on, then?!" She asked. "He called himself a pirate, not a king!"

"He must be calling himself that, as camouflage. Wapol is merely wandering the sea, trying to return to this island."

"So the people on that ship were kicked out, because they were no match for the Blackbeard pirates when they attacked this country?" She guessed.

"No match? It's not like that!" He glared at the snowy ground.

"Eh?"

"When it happened, Wapol's army didn't even try to fight!" Dalton shook with fury. "In fact, the moment he learned how strong the pirates were, Wapol abandoned the country, and was the very first to flee out to sea! That threw the entire nation into despair. Is this what the king-"

"Is that what the king of an entire country does?!" Vivi finished for him with immense anger. "That's appalling! A king abandoning his people!"

Usopp watched her in concern. "Vivi..."

"You're exactly right. But at least Wapol's tyranny is finally over. The remaining people on this island have come together to try to create a new country. So what we most fear right now is Wapol's return; the return of his monarchy. We must avoid that at all costs, while people are still feeling unsure! If we're to create a new, peaceful nation on this island!"

-

On the mountain, one of the giant Lapins leaped in the air, straight towards the group. "It jumped!" Sanji exclaimed. He and Luffy jumped out of the way, the former yanking Venus away, and protectively keeping her behind him. "You gotta be kidding me! How can it move like that?! What is it, a gorilla?!"

"No! A polar bear!"

"It's a bunny!" Sanji glared.

"You're the one who just called it a gorilla," Luffy pointed out.

"It's a Lapin!" Venus corrected.

"You're right, Venus-chan! Like what Dalton was talking about!" He turned to the pack standing in their way. "This many of them?!"

"How do we get past them?" Venus asked around nervously.

-

"Oh! Oh! Wapol-sama!"

"What is it, Chess? Did you find Straw Hat's ship?!"

"No, Wapol-sama! We've finally returned home!"

"What?!"

"How many months have passed, as we've wandered the sea?"

"It's our homeland! The Drum Kingdom! Truly?!"

[contrastparadoxx]

Run, Rabbit, Run

Characters: Vrayan Fennix, Mysterious Purple About: Vrayan gets in a bit over her head TW: Hunting, Violence Word Count: 1095

Here’s a song that goes with this drabble

Accompanying Drabble

She really hated it when her connections decided it would be sooooo much fun to be cryptic when messaging her. But in this case, it was a known connection she worked with often enough that Vrayan was willing to put up with it, for the goods they were promising. The rabbit troll did not understand why trolls insisted on continuing setting fireworks off for so long post the actual holiday, and she certainly did not enjoy the noise they caused, but this is when her contact said they were willing to meet, so this is when they were meeting.

Vrayan took a step into the mouth of the alleyway, pausing once again, trying to listen. Only one person down there, as far as she could tell, though again, the fireworks made it a bit hard to be certain. Ah well, they knew better than to cross her. She headed down, confused when she couldn’t smell the familiar violet, and instead had her nose filled with… oil, perhaps?

“Kyngan, you better not have sent me on a wild goose chase, we both know I wont be happy” she growled, pulling her phone out to use as a flashlight, and scanning the alley. Nothing. Vrayan’s tail puffed up as just how Wrong everything felt right now. She took a half step back, getting ready to turn and leave, when there was a very slight noise behind her, and she sensed a presence.

“It would seem a little bunny got a bit lost”

Oh.

She knew that voice.

She instantly whirled around, though her phone got knocked out of her hand before she could get a proper look, the occasional flashes of the fireworks ruining her ability to see properly in the shadows. But she did not need to see to know who was standing there, though she reeled trying to figure out how. The purple chuckled darkly, holding her wrist.

“Catch your own tongue, kitten?”

Vrayan yanked her hand away, backstepping rapidly, fur and hair bristling, but far too afraid to speak. She glanced sideways, towards her phone, then lunged for it.

He moved faster, his heavy metal foot slamming down on the little rectangle. Metal foot? She didn’t have time to think about that, as terror washed over her at the crunch. Fuck, she was on her own. He had always struck quickly, and she could swear he moved even faster now than before, at speeds she was only used to PR0T0 being able to get to without some sort of warm up, and gripped both of her ears, effortlessly lifting her into the air. She let out a pained squeal as he did so, hands going to hold the base of said ears to try and lessen the pain. 

“Let’s see if you still remember how to play~” He grinned, then leaned close, smelling her deeply with a rumble before whispering.

“Run, rabbit, run” 

The words crooned directly into her ear sent a shock of cold through Vrayan, luckily her heart was pounding so hard she was able to start off the moment he dropped her and her feet hit the ground. “10, 9, 8-“ she heard him counting as he got ready to go after her, she could still picture perfectly in her mind the hungry way his gaze would be burning into her. “3, 2, 1~” The game had truly begun. 

The sound of another firework going off masked any noise he may have made, but sharp pain suddenly tore through her hip, causing Vrayan to stumble. But she had to keep going, so she caught her stride again and continued, leaving a trail of light blue drops behind her. Far behind, the purple grinned, following her would be almost too easy. 

Vrayan skidded around a corner, dropping very low to the ground as she did. She could outrun him, as long as the game didn’t go too long. Not like before. Memories came unbidden again, she was even smaller then, dainty and almost frail, wearing a pastel blue dress with a big ribbon holding her hair back. She was allowed into pants and a movable shirt, when he felt like playing chase, but he always caught her so quickly. She had gotten faster, as time went on, better at avoiding him, but it was never enough.

It was during one of these games that she had finally escaped from him, having gotten her hands on a heavy enough blunt object to crack his skull. She had taken all of her rage out on him, breaking her own wrist in the process, and left the purple for dead, fleeing into the wilderness. Apparently he didn’t get the memo that such meant he should still be gone.

The small troll was snapped out of her past as the sound of him gaining on her registered. Oh no no no no no. She glanced upwards, noticing a wall a bit ahead that would allow her access to the roof because of her claws, she should be able to shake him off up there. She dropped ignoring the pain that came with using all four limbs to move and bolted forward, leaping and scaling the wall effortlessly. She knew better than to give into the urge to pause, and watch him, so she just kept going, her small clawed feet making it a lot easier for her to move about up here than most. There was almost a roar of a snarl, and the sound of him settling onto the roof, it was a good thing she didn’t stop.

But she was injured, she knew she was just bleeding more and more as her heart pumped quickly to try and get her out of there, she needed to try and get somewhere safe, and fast. 

She wouldn’t get the chance.

Her injured leg buckled, after another stretch of running, and the stumble was enough that he could leap forward, slamming her into the roof.

“It would seem I win again, kitten.” He spoke directly into her ear, hunched over her and effortlessly pinning her. “Maybe if you play nice and beg prettily enough I’ll bring you home, rather than just leaving you to rot up here~”

He reached down and used one claw to dig painfully into the wound on her hip, making her vision go red, then darken as she struggled to breath. He grinned as a noise of pain escaped her.

“Hm, perhaps that is good enough”

His gloating was interrupted then, by the sound of something scraping against the roof behind the pair.

[bambiesque]

New thread for Whittaker!Doctor.

Episode: The Woman Who Fell to Earth - Hi, Ryan, Yas, Graham! I love how Northern it is. Sonic Swiss Army Knife - thank you! The tooth monster is so horrible. I like that Ryan is the Doctor's favourite because he agrees with her, just like Five and Nyssa. Good start.

Episode: The Ghost Monument - I like the new credits more than Twelve's. Venusian aikido! Ohm, Ryan used a gun so he's no longer the Doctor's fave. Honestly, the Doctor running to greet the TARDIS was quite romantic. Love the new look.

Episode: Rosa - Great episode. Ryan especially is excellent - love that he keeps using Rosa Parks' and MLK's full names. A proper history episode, haven't had one of those in a long time.

Episode: Arachnids in the UK - Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Silly fun, enjoyable but no thanks to the giant spiders.

Episode: The Tsuranga Conundrum - Nice to see Brett Goldstein. Bit of a mixed bag though. I liked Graham and Ryan's story better than Eve's. The Pting is very cute.

Episode: Demons of the Punjab - Another lovely historical episode. I do like that it's teaching us things. Graham is very wise. Once again, the Doctor has learnt nothing about taking companions to see their relatives.

Episode: Kerblam! - That robot delivery thing is horrible. Poor Kira, I liked her. It was a fine episode but nothing very exciting.

Episode: The Witchfinders - I love Alan Cumming. I'm surprised The Doctor hasn't been burnt at the stake for witchcraft before now tbh. The historical stuff has been really great this season.

Episode: It Takes You Away - Yas wanting to reverse the polarity was a highlight. Sad but lovely. And Ryan calling Graham grandad was very touching.

Episode: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos - Not a great series end but also not terrible. I enjoyed it on the whole. I love the whole TARDIS team.

Episode: Resolution - Your standard Dalek story but it was very enjoyable. Like the extended fam. I love how Yorkshire Whittaker!Doctor is.

Episode: Spyfall 1/2 - Great introduction for Dhawan!Master. (I still miss Missy though). Everyone looks fantastic in their tuxes. Fab Bond episode to start and then a nice historical ep with Ada Lovelace and Noor Inayar Khan. Love the Doctor's eyerolling over the Master's theatrics and then they go to the Eiffel Tower for a date. Bless. Aaand then Gallifrey is destroyed again. *sigh*

Episode: Orphan 55 - Nice exciting episode. Loved all the characters and the very tight plot. One of the best.

Episode: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror - I do enjoy the historical episodes and the little educational asides. Good but not one of my favourites.

Episode: Fugitive of the Judoon - Jack! I like Ruth. A very exciting episode, a good mystery and lots of interesting things going on. Whittaker!Doctor is brilliant.

Episode: Praxeus - I liked everyone getting to go off and do their own thing. Too many creepy birds though. Some nice educational moments.

Episode: Can You Hear Me? - Love Whittaker!Doctor talking to herself and forgetting she's alone. Love how awkward she is when Graham is trying to talk to her. Yaz's story made me cry.

Episode: The Haunting of Villa Diodati - Gorgeous, creepy, funny. A perfect episode.

Episode: Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children - I don't hate the Doctor's history reveal. I think destroying Gallifrey again was stupid and I don't understand why we're still associating The Master and the Cybermen this closely.

Episode: Revolution of the Daleks - Harriet Walter! Jack! I like that Ryan and Graham decide to leave and aren't forced out traumatically like all the other New!Who companions. It's just a continuation of Resolution and the Dalek story isn't as good as that one.

Episode: The Halloween Apocalypse - I like the way everything is set up for the whole season. It makes an interesting change. Not sure how I feel about Dan yet.

Episode: War of the Sontarans - Yay Mary Seacole! I do like Sontarans but I don't like the makeup this time. Swarm and Azure's makeup however is amazing.

Episode: Once, Upon Time - I love Bel. I think her and Vinder's story is the most interesting this season. I'm still not really invested in Dan.

Episode: Village of the Angels - A good episode but I didn't really like the ending. I do love a good weeping angel episode though.

Episode: Survivors of the Flux - Yaz looks fantastic in all her 1904 outfits. I don't really care about the Flux or Division - I don't think more mysterious secret organisations were needed. Kate!!!!

Episode: The Vanquishers - Oh there's two Whittaker!Doctors in the same place at the same time. Yaz is having so many impure thoughts. Poor Jericho.

Episode: Eve of the Daleks - Time Loop! My favourite trope. I loved it. And yay to Dan for giving a few home truths to the Doctor and listening to Yaz.

Episode: Legend of the Sea Devils - Pirates, beautiful ships, swordfights, Whittaker!Doctor being brave and honest with Yaz. Lovely ending.

Episode: The Power of the Doctor - This episode is going to make me cry isn't it? Oh yes, the regenerating Cybermen. Ugh. ACE!!! TEGAN MY LOVE!!! Bye, Dan. I'm so pleased they all made their own choice to leave. "Your Master awaits." But what do they mean by that? Really? KATE!!! She did not sign up for this drama. The Master is looking good like a professor. "How did you escape from Gallifrey?" How does he escape from anything, Doctor? FFS. Love a bunker. Lava pools seem to be Whittaker!Doctor's quarry. Poor UNIT. Dear lord, just ask her on a date, you idiot. It's not really regeneration, so much as a body swap. Oh Tegan <3 Lol at the Master wearing a bit of every Doctor. All the Doctors. I'm crying. Yaz is awesome. I love Tegan so much. I love Ace. I love the Master's emo hood. Brave heart, Tegan. *crying forever* "All children leave home!" *yeah I'm never going to stop crying* Graham! Oh Kate <3 The only thing I like about the regenerating Cybermen is the beautiful Galifreyan swirlies. Oh poor Master. He needs some hugs and some therapy. Him and his bisexual TARDIS. I do love that there's five women here and one man. And the Cloister bell. Oh Yaz <3 Jo!!!!!!! My darling, Jo. Ian! Mel! Tag, you're it! Incredible. Hello (again) David.

Whittaker!Doctor Era Roundup

I love Jodie. I love the fam. I love how Yorkshire it is. I don't really have a strong opinion about the Timeless Child revelation, but I do think getting rid of Gallifrey again was a mistake. I hope we can dispense with the Master & Cybermen connection now too. Overall, I love how Whittaker!Doctor was brave, excitable, full of nervous energy and a little bit steampunk!

Favourite Companion: Yaz

Least Favourite Companion: Dan

Favourite Episode: The Haunting of Villa Diodati / The Power of the Doctor

Least Favourite Episode: Revolution of the Daleks

Final Doctor Rankings:

Smith

Davison

Pertwee

Tennant

Capaldi

Whittaker

TBaker

CBaker

McCoy

Troughton

McGann

Eccleston

Hartnell

Top 10 Companions: (Yaz goes in at 13, Kate at 16, Ryan at 20, Graham at 21, Dan at 41)

Jo Grant

Amy Pond

Tegan Jovanka

Rory Williams

Barbara Wright

Vislor Turlough

Clara Oswald

Sarah Jane Smith

Martha Jones

Donna Noble

Top 5 Masters:

Gomez

Delgado

Simm

Dhawan

Ainley

[andrewmoocow]

Little Homeworld Life chapter 20: Famethyst Reunion (originally posted on May 8, 2023)

AN: For almost three years now, I've basically made Holly Blue Agate into my personal punching bag whenever I need a member of the Rutile Rebels to suffer, and frankly I made the right choice. Yellow Diamond says that an Agate must terrify, but Holly takes it to a whole new level with her abuse of the Famethyst. While it was amusing to see nobody give her any attention in the original Future now that she's been stripped of her privileges, Holly Blue was part of my initial roster of enemy Gems teaming up to get revenge on Steven that I came up with in the lead-up to the movie's release, so that's where she landed herself in the world of Alternate Future. But now, just like what Two Birds on a Wire was for Aquamarine and Eyeball, this chapter shall decide whether our favorite abusive Agate still has a place in Black Rutile's inner circle or if she should try making a change.

Synopsis: The Famethyst want to enroll in Little Homeschool, and Cherry Quartz is nominated to show them around. Desperate to be as far away from the Quartzes as possible, Holly Blue Agate tries to spoil the tour.

Cast:

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Kimberly Brooks as Cherry Quartz, Jasper, Superfan Rose, Hippie Rose, Shy Rose, Skinny Jasper, Carnelian, Angel Aura Quartz, Zebra Jasper, Biggs Jasper, Dalmatian Jasper, Flint

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Famethyst, Blue Lace Agate, Ocean Jasper, Crazy Lace Agate, Tiger's Eye, Chert, Lace Amethyst

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

John Mulaney as Flipso

Estelle as Garnet

Deedee Magno Hall as Pearl, Volleyball

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Cristina Vee as Jay-Ten

Lamar Abrams as Wy-Six

Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Jennifer Paz as Lapis

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Toks Olagundoye as Mayor Nanafua

--

"Okay, class, now that we've reviewed proper pressure point techniques, I'd like one of you to come up and demonstrate what you've learned," Jasper said to her self-defense class one summer day in Little Homeworld. "Who would like to go first?"

"I do, I do!" Cherry Quartz eagerly said while raising her hand. "I've been listening the whole time!"

"Ah, Cherry Quartz, good to see such an attentive student." Jasper grinned at the spotted quartz as she walked up to Holly Blue. "Now then, remember what I have taught you and go from there."

"Okay, Cherry, remember what Jasper taught you." Cherry repeated to herself while examining the Agate turned unwilling training dummy, who was already sweating in terror and breathing shakily.

"Please go easy on me." Holly Blue whimpered pathetically before Cherry struck her in the chest, the knees, the eyes, and between her legs in short order. When Cherry decided to finish her off with a neck pinch, Holly had been the reluctant teaching assistant long enough to know something was wrong. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm giving you a neck pinch, just like Jasper taught us," Cherry replied innocently.

"No, no, no, stupid, you've got it much too high." Holly corrected while pointing to where her neck should be pinched. "It should be down here, where the shoulder meets the neck."

"Like this?" Cherry asked as she followed Holly's instructions.

"Precisely," Holly replied before she collapsed from the damage taken to her form. "Oh, someone just poof me now."

"I'm surprised you didn't after taking that many hits," Jasper observed the collapsed Agate before turning back to her class. "Okay, everyone, next time I'll teach you how to poof a Gem with just a few hits! That's all; now get out of here!" As the class began to leave, Jasper turned back to Holly Blue. "And that goes for you too. The thought of seeing you lie there makes me sick."

"No, you make me sick," Holly grumbled as she got up and trudged away from Jasper. "I hate everything about this planet so much."

--

"And you know what was worst about today?!" Holly Blue complained to Black Rutile as soon as she got home to vent her frustrations, even though she was hardly paying attention and was more focused on looking at Yatter on her computer while sipping some coffee. "Cherry didn't even get the neck pinch right, so I had to remind her how to do it!"

"Yes, yes, boo-hoo-hoo, woe is me and such." Black Rutile replied coldly. "I guess that's what happens when you've been abusing Quartz gems for thousands of years just because the Diamonds told you to."

"Yeah, I have to agree with Rooty on this one." Flipso agreed with his Gem partner while Black Rutile gave him a confused look for the nickname she was given. "I mean, were you always like this, or did you get so far up your big blue butt that you stopped caring for anyone else but yourself and your status?"

"What are you trying to do? Get my life story?" Holly Blue asked confusedly and tried to walk away, only to turn around and discover Flipso giving her puppy dog eyes. "Ah well, since you seem so insistent, I'll tell."

--

When Holly Blue first emerged in the Kindergarten from when she was created on the planet Glados, she was given one purpose alone. To train Homeworld's Quartz soldiers to be perfect warriors, no matter how rough she may be. However, Holly was a bit tougher on the Quartzes she taught than expected; the Diamonds believed it was a necessary evil to create the soldiers they wanted for battle.

Eventually, when Pink Diamond was shattered and her human zoo was left without someone to watch over it and the Amethysts, Jaspers, Carnelians, and other Quartzes within, Blue Diamond needed someone to keep them all in line so they don't slack off on watching over the humans they kept prisoner. So naturally, she selected Holly Blue Agate for the job.

"I promise you, your grand clarity, I will not fail you!" Holly Blue eagerly declared, starting a career that would define her for the next couple thousand years. However, everything changed once the Crystal Gems infiltrated the zoo, and they ruined her life within just a few short hours. Because she was more focused on the Sapphire among them to notice that the Pearl didn't bother hiding the star on her chest, the Crystal Gems played her for a complete fool. They made their escape with the latest human prisoner while she was left to become a plaything of the quartzes, or the Famethyst, as the minuscule Amethyst called them.

Era 3 made things worse as not only did Steven convince everyone that Pink Diamond was his mother, he conned the entire Gem race into abandoning the caste system altogether, leaving Holly without anybody to take orders from as the Famethyst continued bullying her with no repercussions.

"I have to get out of here and fast!" Holly Blue panted harshly as she hid from some boisterous Amethysts in the containment area of the zoo. "Curse that Steven! He took advantage of my loyalty and played me like a total idiot! Now I have nothing else except for those off-color Gems always picking on me."

"Hey, Holly, you still want to play tag with us?" Carnelian giggled as she and her skinny Jasper friend searched the containment area for Holly Blue. "Come on; we'll let you be it!"

"Eh, I say we let her run." The skinny Jasper responded coolly, unaware that a shadow with half-shaven hair was looming before her. "Makes it more exciting that way." Just then, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and she turned around. "Uh, can I help you? How did you get here?"

"You left the door open." Zoisite coldly answered before socking Skinny Jasper in the face, knocking her out cold. "I had to fight through dozens of your friends to reach my target."

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Carnelian yelled as Zoisite pulled a destabilizer from her gem to stab Carnelian with, the intense electric shocks making the little red Gem shriek in agony before her physical form gave out and escaped to her gem.

"The big idea is that I'm looking for someone," Zoisite replied before she began calling out to Holly. "Come on out, Holly Blue Agate, you're safe now!"

"What, who said that?" Holly Blue asked meekly while peeking out of some bushes. "Zoisite, is that you? Where have you been all this time?"

"Oh, you know, fighting Gem criminals before a certain someone changed everything." Zoisite proclaimed. "That is why I came here and took down all those off-colors. I have a friend who is demanding that you come with me, and she won't take no for an answer."

"Now, just a second, Zoisite." Holly Blue stated. "You can't just barge in here, take down all these unruly Gems and expect me to do as you say! As much as I love taking orders, I refuse to listen to a mere assassin!"

"Well, you should because this assassin is your only chance at returning to your old life!" Zoisite began arguing with Holly Blue when she heard her communicator going off. "One second, I have to take this." She muttered before pulling out her communicator to talk to her partner Dalmatian Jasper on the other end. "Hello?"

"Zoisite, I got another Ruby and an Aquamarine." Dalmatian Jasper declared on her end of the call. "How are things on your end?"

"Not great," Zoisite replied glumly. "This Holly Blue is really grating on my nerves."

"You take that back!" Holly Blue yelled, starting another argument while Dalmatian Jasper kept watching.

--

"I can still hear their laughter when I close my eyes." Holly Blue whispered in terror. "Their insults, their cheering, the breaking of valuables. The horror, the horror."

"You can have PTSD in front of me later; I'm working here." Black Rutile said while reading from her psychology book. "Or maybe you're just being overdramatic because you refuse to accept change."

"Says you!" Holly Blue yelled back at Black Rutile. "You nearly destroyed the Earth because you refused to accept change!"

"Yes, but I believed that Steven would be a detriment to our society, that he was no better than Pink Diamond!" Black Rutile argued. "My utter Brobdingnagian hatred for Pink and how she wanted everything her way extended to her wretched spawn and how he actually succeeded in making everything his way!" Just then, a loud rumbling came from outside, followed by casting a large shadow over the Rutile Rebels' house. "What was that?"

"Either my mother-in-law is coming, or we're due for a plot development." Flipso answered as Black Rutile and Holly Blue looked out their window to discover the human zoo descending towards Earth. "I'll have you know; my mother-in-law is one of the most dangerous beings in the omniverse. Rumor has it she once made the One Above All cry."

"No, not them, anyone but them!" Holly Blue shrieked in terror and began breathing rapidly while reliving traumatic memories of losing everything because of Steven. "Why did they have to come back?!"

"What is happening here?!" Cat's Eye yelled as she, her cat Blake, Aquamarine, and the Rubies stepped into the living room to see Holly Blue curled up into a ball, having a panic attack. "And what's up with Holly?"

"No need to alarm everyone; she's just having a panic attack." Black Rutile assured her subordinates while looking through her psychology book again, even though Holly Blue was too shaken to hear her. "We'll just need to give her some space until she recovers."

"Wow, what a realistic portrayal of a panic attack; someone calls the film buffs on Yatter!" Flipso laughed as Holly Blue continued panting sharply and grabbed at her chest. She couldn't deal with them again or even think of them again. Nonetheless, it was the fate she was forced into the moment she was banished to Little Homeschool.

"Hey, I think she's coming back!" Aquamarine exclaimed as Holly Blue's panic attack subsided, and she was helped to her feet by Cat's Eye.

"So what was that all about?" Cat asked a panting Holly.

"My apologies, just some bad memories of my first encounter with Steven," Holly stated while hugging Cat's Eye tight. "Please don't ever abuse me like those rowdy Amethysts did, promise?"

"Well, look who's talking?" Flipso sneered at the touching scene before him. "We all know you're just making stuff up as you go along to make people feel sorry for you. Like my distant cousin, for example, they're like a child of the stars who claimed not to know diddly squat about death even though he gave a fascist Puritan dictator the means to commit magical genocide!"

"I'm not even going to bother comprehending what you're talking about." Black Rutile muttered in annoyance as she walked outside to see the Crystal Gems helping a large group of humans out of the zoo. "Wait, are those the zoo humans? What are they doing here?"

"Oh, is this that Black Rutile we keep hearing about?" one of them, a curvy blonde with green eyes, asked as she got awkwardly close to Black Rutile. "Hello there, my name is Jay-Ten; it is nice to meet you."

"Charmed, I'm sure." Black Rutile nervously greeted Jay-Ten with a handshake. "Now, can anyone care to tell me what is going on right now?"

"As part of atoning for their atrocities, the Diamonds have decided now is the time to dismantle the human zoo and relocate everyone in it to Earth," Garnet answered. "So we implore you and your friends to be on your best behavior, Black Rutile."

"Eh, behave this, you guys!" Amethyst cried as she turned to face her fellow Amethysts emerging from the ship. "Yo, Famethyst, welcome to Earth!"

"8XM!" the massive array of Amethysts, Jaspers, and one Carnelian yelled in delight as they began stampeding towards Amethyst, while Holly Blue could only stand and watch as her worst nightmares were now here on the same planet as her. The only thing she could do was collapse from shock.

"Amethyst, it's been ages!" Carnelian shrieked while grabbing Amethyst and spinning her around. "How has Little Homeworld been?"

"Been doing great lately." Amethyst laughed happily. "I am so glad you guys are going to stay here; we got so much on Earth to show you."

"So, you must be Jasper, eh?" Skinny Jasper said to Jasper. "Have to say, I guess the stories about you were true."

"A defective Jasper, huh?" Jasper nodded to her defective, skinnier counterpart while the other Quartzes of Little Homeworld were reintroduced to the Famethyst. "Never would I see the day."

"Hey, Holly Blue!" one of the Amethysts shouted to the passed-out Agate. "Something the matter?"

"Oh, don't mind her; she's just too traumatized to interact with you." Black Rutile said while picking up Holly Blue and shaking her awake. "WAKE UP, YOU WORTHLESS DRAMA QUEEN! DON'T YOU DARE HAVE A MOMENT OF CLARITY THAT WILL CONVINCE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR WAYS ON MY WATCH, YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Give her a bit. She'll come to." Chest Rose answered relaxedly. "Oh hey Pearl, long time no see, babe."

"Ehehehehe, hello Rose Quartzes." Pearl laughed nervously, pulling at her shirt collar while surrounded by the three Rose Quartzes who accompanied her, Steven, and Volleyball to the Reef, along with dozens of others. "It's a pleasure meeting you all again."

"Well, if all these Quartz Gems want to know more about Earth and Little Homeworld, then it's only logical that a Quartz shall give them the tour." Peridot stated. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it!" Cherry Quartz accepted the proposition. "I call dibs!"

"Hey, I saw them first!" Tiger's Eye added competitively, followed by Blue Lace & Crazy Lace Agate, Ocean, Zebra & Biggs Jasper, Lace Amethyst, Angel Aura Quartz, and Flint & Chert crowding around Cherry.

"Good to see you're all so eager," Lapis responded as the human zoo Quartzes all gathered around the Little Homeworld Quartzes, and they began showing them around Little Homeworld. "Now then, while Cherry and Tiger's Eye is giving them the tour, let's try and get these humans situated here."

"Just as long as Ga-Reg doesn't show his face and refuse to choose us again!" Wy-Six added sourly.

"You know, we should start thinking of expanding the place soon." Bismuth pointed out. "I mean, with this many Gems excited to move in, I'm not sure if Little Homeworld can fit all of them without having to move some out."

"Uh uh, no, thank you!" Holly objected to the notion. "Only a few Quartzes causing trouble is enough; imagine how much chaos even more of them could cause!" Unfortunately, nobody was listening to her, much to Holly's anger as she growled and stomped away.

--

"Hehehe, look at him go!" Flipso chuckled as he played a video game about running cookies. "Go, little Earth snack, run from that witch!"

"You there, jester!" Holly Blue yelled as she barged in on Flipso's gaming session, interrupting the chaos god's train of thought and giving him a game over. "Help me with my problems, now!"

"I was in the middle of something, lady!" Flipso complained as he switched off his game and stomped up to Holly Blue. "What do you want?!"

"I require your assistance because I'm currently facing a crisis." Holly Blue answered. "These Amethysts that have menaced me in my time as overseer of the human zoo are moving to Earth, and they're sure to make my life a living nightmare once again. Are there any spells you have that could just poof them away?"

"Oh no, sistah, I may be a psychopathic wielder of all-powerful chaos energy, but I got a specific set of rules I made for myself to follow!" Flipso stated as he presented a large purple book with 'DA RULES' written on the front and opened it to read its contents. "Rule #24601, my powers are not to be exploited for petty gain. Any attempts at that will result in me stabbing whichever schmuck tries to do it in the back and possibly preventing them from ever existing. Depends on my mood, though, so consider yourself lucky."

"Wait for a second; you have a set of rules?" Holly asked, trying not to laugh at such a concept. "Since when?"

"I've been causing chaos for so long; even I keep forgetting." Flipso remarked while putting the book away. "Which reminds me, would you care to hear how my powers have influenced human history? I once destroyed Pompeii after using Mount Vesuvius as a barbecue pit. There was also a little game of pigskin with the boys where someone threw the football a little too hard, and that became the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. Ooh, I also once caused that earthquake in east Japan followed by that tsunami because I was in the bathroom after eating some bad taquitos. And I also once had a cold, and I sneezed on some rats who started spreading the Black Plague. Also, do you want to know why Pluto is no longer considered a planet? That was me!"

Holly Blue could only stare in shock at the audacity of this being as he cheerfully reminisced on the death and destruction that he played a part in over the centuries. This was different from what the Diamonds formerly did because it was their duty; this creature acted like this was a hobby he indulged in every day. No wonder Black Rutile wanted to free him; he was just as ambivalent towards the safety of others as she was!

--

"So, let me get this straight, Crystal Gems." Mayor Nanafua Pizza said to the Crystal Gems in her office. "These humans are from a space zoo owned by the Diamonds, but now they want nothing to do with the zoo anymore and have handed their humans over to you."

"Yes, that is exactly what we're doing here; we wish to have the Zoomans officially recognized as citizens so they can start a new life here, free from captivity." Pearl nodded before finding Wy-Six trying to eat a book off the shelf. "Hey, that's not food!"

"Then why does it look so delicious?" Wy-Six innocently asked as Pearl cleaned up the drool-covered book and returned it to the shelf.

"Some things just aren't meant to be eaten," Pearl advised Wy-Six. "Unless you're Amethyst. She once ate a cloud and became inflated like a balloon."

"I got hit by an airplane!" Amethyst laughed while remembering that event.

"Well, do they have any birth certificates we can find?" Nanafua asked.

"Not that we know of," Garnet replied. "As far as we know, the Zoomans are all descendants of the humans that were brought to the zoo, and no other human has been captured for millennia before Greg."

"Hey Gems, heard you guys were doing something about that crazy zoo up in space." Greg declared as he stepped into the mayor's office as if someone made him appear by saying his name three times. "You know, I'd be more than happy to help; you just need to say the-"

"Look, everyone; it is Ga-Reg!" one of the Zoomans yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Greg, who was left wide-eyed in shock at seeing them again. "You should know we refuse to forgive you for rejecting us!"

"Look, I said I was flattered that you wanted to choose me or whatever, but I just wasn't feeling it!" Greg nervously laughed. "Maybe we could start over?"

"Get him!" another Zooman commanded, making Greg run for his life from the stampeding Zoomans as they began chasing him across Beach City.

"I think someone has a ton of explaining to do." Jasper growled as she, Garnet, Lapis, and White Topaz followed the Zooman horde outside. "The rest of you take care of things here. We'll go save Greg."

"Figured he would've shown up at the wrong place at the wrong time." Garnet declared morosely.

"Though I must admit, it was pretty funny how they ganged up on him." White Topaz laughed.

"Oh, extremely funny!" Jasper chuckled before the four Gems set off to save Greg from the angry mob.

--

Back at Little Homeworld, Holly Blue was now digging a hole in the ground with rigorous tenacity, all while Cat's Eye watched with bemusement as she stroked Blake. "Uh, what are you digging a hole for? Are you planning to dig to China or something?"

"No, this is but a trap that I shall you to imprison those off-color Gems and finally get them out of my hair!" Holly Blue cackled. "Once they fall into the pit, I'll refill the hole and make sure they never find a way to get out!"

"Or you could just calmly tell them that their mistreatment of you has caused you extreme stress," Cat advised. "Seriously, I get that you're stressed, but this is a little much."

"Ooh, I got an even better idea!" Holly cackled evilly. "I'll get them all poofed, and then I'll put them in a box! Then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives, I'll smash it with a hammer!" She let out another insane laugh, signaling to Cat's Eye that she has officially gone mad with either revenge, trauma, or, most likely, both.

"Holly, my dearest friend, your mouth is moving. Words are coming out. This is not good." Cat's Eye firmly stated as she grabbed Holly by the wrist and dragged her out of her hole. "Seriously, what did Dr. Sucrose say about this? Learning to stand up for yourself by being fair but still a little stern at the same time?"

"Do you really think that'll work?" Holly asked nervously. "For real life?"

"Yeah, whatever you just said, darling." Cat gave the Agate a sweet, feline grin while Blake let out an innocent meow.

"Fine, if it'll make you happy." Holly sighed as she walked away before stopping to turn her head. "Oh, and uh, Cat? You're a pretty good friend."

"You're too kind," Cat smirked as Black Rutile appeared. "Oh, hey, BR."

"What is Holly Blue doing?" Black Rutile asked the former lawyer. "I wanted to give her a new assignment."

"Oh, she's off to finally call out that Famethyst for their abuse of her." Cat revealed to her leader's shock.

"Oh no, am I in danger of losing yet another minion?!" Black Rutile asked fearfully as she tried following Holly Blue. "Well, I won't allow th-AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Before she could walk any further, the Rutile fell into the hole that Holly had dug. "WHERE DID THIS HOLE COME FROM?!"

"You should've watched your step," Cat smirked at the Rutile's expense.

"NOW YOU TELL ME!" Black Rutile complained as she tried to climb back up.

--

"And right here, you have the best view in all of Little Homeschool." Cherry Quartz declared as she took the zoo Quartzes to the top of the whirlybird tower, where they all could see Beach City from miles away. "Pretty impressive, huh?"

"Killer." Chest Rose replied in amazement.

"Wow, it feels like I'm flying!" Shoulder Rose cheered in excitement.

"Don't get too excited, Rosie; I wouldn't want you to fall." Tiger's Eye said, trying to calm the super-eager Rose down. "We may be invulnerable, but we can't be too careful."

"She's right. We're really high up." Navy Rose agreed with Tiger's Eye, looking down at the ground way down below.

"Hey, wanna see who lands first?" one of the Amethysts suggested just as Holly Blue managed to find the Famethyst on top of the tower. "Let's use Holly Blue as a test!"

"Stop." Holly Blue firmly said, stopping the Amethyst where she stood. "Just stop."

"Whoa, she's not screaming in our faces for once." Skinny Jasper whispered to Carnelian. "She must be really serious."

"It's time we had a talk." Holly declared calmly, despite looking so enraged. "For nearly three years since the Crystal Gems came into our lives, you've treated me as nothing more than a punching bag because you think I deserved it for all the horrible things I did to you."

"Well, you do!" Carnelian exclaimed. "I mean, all the yelling and screaming and blaming us for stuff we didn't do! It's called karma, HB; get used to it!"

"And that is why I'm sorry!" Holly Blue finally shouted, much to the shock of the Famethyst, that she would say such a thing and without a hint of mockery too. "I'm sorry that I was so horrible to all of you; I only wanted to follow my orders to the letter, and look how that turned out! And I'll only follow through with this apology if you promise never to abuse me again! As of this moment, it's over. I'm finished being everybody's butt-monkey!"

"Wait, are you serious?" another Amethyst murmured in shock at Holly taking responsibility for her actions for once.

"Well, this got intense real quick." Navy Rose added.

"Hey, can I talk with the gang real quick?" Skinny Jasper asked as she and the rest of the Famethyst huddled to discuss Holly's apology. "So what do you think? Should we forgive and forget?"

"Look, guys, I know Holly seems like she genuinely wants to change, but I'm having second thoughts right off the bat." An Amethyst whispered her two cents. "Last I remember, she got in trouble for falling in with Black Rutile, and we all know how much of a liar she is. Why don't we just cut our losses and leave her up here?"

"Well, we should just keep an eye on her, just in case." Carnelian agreed before turning back to Holly. "Listen, Holly, just because you apologized to us doesn't mean we'll just instantly forget all the bad things you did to us. But if you really want to make a change for the better, unlike some Gems we've heard of, that's okay with us."

"And we promise to try and go a little easier on you." Skinny Jasper added, making everyone laugh while Holly Blue let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you all for understanding," Holly said gratefully. "It felt so good to just get that off my chest at last and maybe grow as a person along the way."

"There you are; I've been looking all over for you!" Black Rutile yelled as she reached the top of the tower to confront Holly. "Come with me now; I have a new assignment for you!"

"Wait, really?" Holly asked as she was pulled away from the Famethyst.

"I knew she'd still hang with her." Skinny Jasper muttered.

"Oh well, hopefully, she keeps her end of the deal." Cherry Quartz replied. "Now then, back to the tour!"

--

"What do you want me for?" Holly Blue asked Black Rutile as the two rebels against Era 3 walked to the bottom of the whirlybird tower. "I was just about to have a moment of clarity and possibly redemption here!"

"Not on my watch, Holly!" Black Rutile stated. "I'm not about to let Steven strip you of your ability to think for yourself because I have a new job for you!"

"What kind of job?" Holly Blue asked before Black Rutile presented her with a hologram of the Seer to the Void and Rasputina's grimoire from her visor.

"Just a little breaking and entering." Black Rutile answered. "The Seer to the Void and Rasputina's grimoire are currently located in the Burning Room in the Crystal Temple, and Garnet can only access it via her gems. If you convince her to let you in, you can take both those items and be home free."

"But what do you need them for?" Holly Blue asked again.

"It's finally time to unleash Flipso." Black Rutile declared before she let out an evil laugh. "I've kept him waiting long enough, and now his godlike power will be mine to control!"

--

"Everyone, please calm down!" Garnet yelled to the Zoomans as they continued trying to hunt Greg down for his transgressions. "Just listen to Greg, and we can work things out!"

"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea!" Greg exclaimed as he locked himself in his van to hide from the Zoomans. However, that didn't stop the rampaging humans from trying to knock it over. "The universe must have a really twisted sense of humor right now."

"This is going to take all day." Jasper groaned in disgust.

"No, feels like we were chasing them from eleven to thirty minutes now." White Topaz replied. "Lapis, got any ideas?"

"How about I just stick them all in a big bubble?" Lapis suggested. "That should keep them from running around town like crazy?"

"That sounds utterly crazy!" Jasper objected to the idea.

"Well, sometimes crazy works." Garnet disagreed with Jasper. "Go for it, Lapis." At Garnet's command, Lapis summoned water from the nearby shore to wrap the Zoomans in before turning it into a big bubble to contain them. "Nice one."

"Oh, thank you, Lapis, you're a lifesaver!" Greg sighed in relief. "So gang, ready to hear me out now?"

"Okay Ga-Reg, we apologize for our recklessness," Wy-Six replied.

"We just still can't stop holding a grudge," Jay-Ten added. "Hopefully, you can forgive us for trying to hurt you as you hurt us."

"Aw, I can't stay mad at you guys." Greg chuckled.

"Well, that leaves that plotline finally tied up." Garnet sighed in relief. "Time to see how Pearl and the others are doing."

"Hold on a second!" Holly Blue cried as she raced up to Garnet. "Garnet, could you perhaps spare a moment of your time to show me the Burning Room?"

"Well, this is very sudden and quite suspicious," Garnet remarked. "I hope you don't have any ulterior motives."

"No way, I just want to see how empty it is and whether you still have any corrupted Gems left over!" Holly lied through her teeth.

"Guess I got some time to kill." Garnet agreed, making Holly smirk at how the fusion bought her fib hook, line, and sinker. "Come with me. I'll show you around."

"I got a bad feeling about this." White Topaz declared fearfully as Garnet and Holly Blue departed for the Crystal Temple.

--

"Ooh, I love what you've done with the place!" Holly Blue gasped in amazement at the emptied Burning Room, which still had a scant few bubbles containing valuable objects floating around. Two of them, in particular, were just the ones she needed. "Ooh, what are those two?"

"That's the Seer to the Void that we confiscated from Black Rutile, along with the grimoire that belonged to the sorceress Rasputina," Garnet explained to the Agate, who was getting inordinately close to the two bubbles. "I'd like to know why you're so interested in them." Just then, her future vision clued her to Holly's true intentions. "Oh no!"

"Thank you so much for the invitation, Garnet!" Holly Blue laughed heartily as she raced out of the Burning Room onto the Warp Pad. "And the goodie basket was a nice surprise too!"

"Wait, stop!" Garnet cried as Holly Blue disappeared, no doubt returning to Little Homeworld to see Black Rutile. "I have to warn the others and fast!"

--

Holly Blue reappeared on the Warp Pad at Little Homeworld, where the Rutile Rebels eagerly awaited her arrival. "I got them, my Rutile." She said while handing the bubbles over to Black Rutile and taking a bow. "Now, he can be free to smite worlds as he did in days long past."

"Excellent work, Holly Blue." Black Rutile smirked deviously as she patted Holly Blue on the shoulder. "I knew you wouldn't give up on me."

"Finally, let's get this party started!" Flipso cackled in triumph.

--

The time has come for Flipso to regain his physical form and wreak all sorts of havoc on Little Homeworld, Beach City, and perhaps beyond if the Crystal Gems don't stop him! But is he really on the Rutile Rebels' side or has Black Rutile been cooperating with a force that she cannot control? What could this mean for her relationship with the Crystal Gems at large? We'll find out next week when Flipso takes the scene at long last! Wow, I can't believe we're only six chapters left already.

[wil-is-done]

When You’re A Mystery Kid - Chapter 44: The Conclave

Summary: Obsidian. Emerald. Cerulean. Crimson. (Warning for death)

Word Count: 3.834

-

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a repost.

Disclaimer: I only own the story and my OCs.

Night had fallen, and it was cold and quiet.

Coraline expected screams. Destruction. Flames that filled the air with thick smoke. People running, panicking, fearing for their lives. She’d readied herself for those in the mad sprint out of the tomb. Hell, she’s even ready to see a few unfortunate souls, lying unmoving in the snow. 

What she wasn’t ready for was silence. For an empty street, calm as the grave, as far her eyes could see. For a gentle breeze to glide across her skin, cold but not freezing. For snowflakes to flutter through the air until they came to rest on the slushy ground. 

When that was exactly what she got, it threw her for a loop. 

A chorus of rapid footsteps approached her from behind. She didn’t need to look to know it was her friends finally catching up to her. 

“Coraline, don’t run off like that! You’re still bleeding!” Wybie chided in-between heaving breaths.

“I’m fine.” Coraline ignored him. The cut wasn’t that deep. Or, at least, that’s what she told herself. She’s definitely not going to check if it could prove her wrong. 

She expected Wybie to badger her about it more, so she’s honestly a bit relieved when he didn’t. The others had not said a single word since they arrived, actually. Coraline guessed they were just as confused as she was by the scene before them. Or, rather, the lack of a scene before them.

“Did those vampires just… leave?” She heard Dipper wonder.

Coraline almost scoffed. “No way they just left.” That would be too good to be true. 

A thud in the snow caught Coraline’s ears, so small and yet so loud in the silence. She whipped her head over her shoulders, towards the sound’s source. Norman had fallen to his knees. His jaw fell slack. His eyes practically bulged out of its sockets, aghast and filled with fear, focused on the empty, darkened sky above the village. She had never seen Norman with such a primal expression of terror before, and that scared her.    

“Norman, buddy, you okay?” Neil asked gently. When Norman didn’t respond, Neil shook him by the shoulder and tried again, harder. “Norman? C’mon, say something, man.” 

As the others crowded around Norman, Coraline chose to follow his gaze. She searched the sky, but her eyes saw nothing out of the ordinary. She’d hate to admit it, but to her, that only meant one thing.

Norman saw something that normal eyes couldn’t see. 

That was more than enough of an incentive for her to soldier ahead and enter the village proper. 

Further in, Coraline still saw signs of nothing out of the ordinary. The only sound was her labored breathing. The slushy snow under her marked no major disturbances. Nobody was out, but that seemed to be the norm for a place like this at this hour. A few of the streetlights would flicker off and on, but an isolated village like this probably wouldn’t have reliable electricity. Gentle glows that seeped out of curtained windows from the roadside buildings helped illuminate where the streetlights could not. It was practically picture-perfect.

Eventually, the others caught up to her, sans Norman and Neil. She acknowledged them with a small nod, but otherwise kept her quiet as they trekked deeper into the village. With every step, pain shot up from her lower right abdomen. Coraline pressed a hand against the cut a bit harder and tried to hide the limp in her step. The wound might be getting to her just a bit, but there’s no point letting the others know about that right now. She hoped none of them would notice, especially Wybie. 

Coraline’s steady, careful stride came to a halt when she caught sight of a familiar storefront. The others mimicked her, their eyes following her gaze.

It was the store where the group had briefly taken shelter in earlier, where they met the little girl that pointed them to the abandoned mine. From where she stood, the store looked completely dark. She couldn’t see any shadows moving around inside. But, there didn’t seem to be a closed sign or anything equivalent to it hanging from the window or the door. That, in the midst of how normal everything was, was enough to stick out as odd. Her guts guided her feet closer to the window before she quite realized what she was doing. 

Coraline peered into the window. The decreased distance didn’t reveal much. The aisles were dark and everything on the racks remained undisturbed. The one it did reveal was a hint of a light source, coming from a doorway behind the cashier counter, partially obscured by a set of beaded curtains. One more oddity that was just enough to intrigue her. 

The others approached, she could hear their footsteps closing in, but they stopped at a safe distance. One didn’t, though; a quick glance revealing it to be Wybie. As if it could be anyone else. One shared look between them told Wybie of Coraline’s plan.

The store’s door swung open with a soft creak. The ringing of the bell above it sounded harsh by comparison. Coraline took her first few steps inside, eyes vigilantly scanning the room. Soft footsteps followed her only a feet behind, and she assured herself that Wybie could take care of himself should something happen. Her watchful eyes spotted nothing that she didn’t already see from outside. The only thing of note left was the room beyond the beaded curtain, swaying lightly from the cold breeze that started to seep inside.

“Hello? Anybody here?” she tried. Silence greeted her words. She shrugged, and pressed on.

Coraline circled around the counter. She pulled out her baton and activated it, just in case. In one swift motion, she swept the curtain aside and stepped past the threshold. 

Her hand shot up to her mouth. A sick mix of bile and a scream rose to the back of her throat. She stumbled back past the curtain and crashed against the counter. Her baton slipped out her shaking fingers. Her knees gave out under her, and she would’ve fallen if she wasn’t leaning on the counter. Her eyes were wide, horrified, playing the same image over and over again. 

Two bodies, lying on the floor, grotesquely drained and desiccated. One was smaller than the other. 

Wybie was at her side in an instant. A distant part of Coraline heard him harshly whispering her name, asking her if she’s okay, but her frazzled mind couldn’t collect itself enough to muster a response. Wybie turned his attention to the doorway, and left Coraline’s side. With a start, Coraline moved to warn him, but it was too late.

Wybie stepped back past the doorway, legs shaking, eyes bulging out of their sockets. He heaved heavily in and out, a hand propping him up against the wall. “Fuck,” Coraline heard him softly. 

Coraline lost track of how long they spent in the store, but she quickly decided it was too long. Unsteadily, she picked up her baton in one hand and Wybie’s cold, clammy hands in another. Wybie silently followed her guide as she made her way to the exit. 

Outside, the others waited in a semi-circle. Anxiety was written clear across their features.

Mabel stepped forward. “What-? Is she-?” 

Wybie numbly shook his head. 

Mabel gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. Her breaths grew heavier and faster. Tears quickly flowed down her cheeks. Beside her, Dipper clawed his fingers through his hair, eyes wracked with dawning horror. Coraline blinked and shook her head. Mourning and grief would have to wait. They still have a job to do, and people to protect.  

“Those vampires are still here. We gotta stop them before they get to anyone else.” Her composure returned with every word, and she’s grateful for it. “Raz, Lili, scan the area.”

Raz and Lili, who had been processing the news mostly silently, were almost startled by the mention of their name. Still, they nodded, ready to act. They pressed a finger to their foreheads, a conduit of their focus, eyes clenched shut. Seconds turned to minutes far too quickly for Coraline’s liking. Hell, however long it took for the two to finish, it was too long. 

Finally, their eyes shot open almost at the same time. However, instead of running their mouths immediately, they just stared off into dead air. Their eyes slowly met one another. Precious seconds slipped by without them saying a single word. 

Whatever mental talk they’re having, Coraline had no patience for it. “So?”

“Nobody’s here,” Raz answered. Coraline would’ve noticed how unnervingly flat his voice was if this was any other situation.

But, in this situation, Coraline was this close from socking Raz in the jaw. “I know nobody’s in there, I’m asking-!”

“Nobody’s here,” Raz repeated. There was a crack now, a tremble, in his voice. His breathing slowed, growing heavier. That, Coraline noticed. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Coraline asked, even when deep down she knew the answer, and that answer scared her.

“Nobody’s here,” Raz said, a third and final time. 

The reality of what they’ve done came crashing down upon them. 

Coraline wished this was just a terrible, terrible nightmare. She felt pathetic doing that, but she’d never wished for anything harder in her life. Reality still stayed the same. This was all too real, because of course it was. Wishes don’t get granted, because she’s not living in a fucking fairy tale. 

Mabel bent over and retched. Disgusting, brown slop spewed out of her mouth and pooled in the snow. Dipper, despite the visible distraught, still came to his sister’s aid, holding and massaging the back of her neck as she continued to empty her stomach. Wybie was reduced to a stammering, blubbering, cursing mess, pacing to the tune of an incoherent ramble. Coraline would’ve been endlessly amused if she had not just realized they were responsible for the death of an entire fucking village, and if her reaction wasn’t eerily similar to his.

“No, no, there’s gotta be others.” Coraline frantically, pathetically, shook her head. A tiny, irrational part of her was convinced that there might be a mistake, and she could almost laugh at how hard she’s clutching onto it. She grabbed Raz by the shoulders and desperately shook him hard. “Raz, you gotta check again, there has to be someone here besides us!”

Raz did not respond. He stared lifelessly down to the snow, his eyes empty and distant. His arms hung limply at his sides, and swung with every shake. Coraline almost wanted to shirk away from him, from a Raz so defeated it was unnerving, but her own desperation was stronger. 

“There are,” Lili replied instead, and Coraline had never been happier to hear her voice.

Coraline ignored how that sounded too good to be true, smiled in relief, and asked, “How many?”

“Four,” Lili said, but the look in her eyes all but screamed everything that was left unsaid.

Coraline’s smile fell. Her face darkened. 

“Where are they?”

Lili stared down a road heading southward. Coraline followed Lili’s eyes. The road, like any other that she’d seen, was the very picture of normal.

Knowing that’s where the vampires are, from the pit of her stomach came a god-awful mix of horror, grief, and anger.  

A twisted sense of clarity came to her. There’s no use feeling horrified. There’s no use to grieve right now. But anger? Anger could be useful right now. Especially dumb, irrational anger; the kind that could, and has, kicked common sense into the fucking curb. The kind that could convince you the worst possible thing you could do was actually the best possible thing you could do.

So, she did the best possible thing she could do. She took off sprinting down the southward road.

She heard Wybie calling out her name. It didn’t stop her at Weirdmageddon, it won’t stop her now. 

Coraline rarely ever got so angry that all she saw was red, to get that disorienting, hateful tunnel vision. She could probably count how many times she did with just one hand. Hell, if she tried, she could even name the exact number. Not right now, though. Now, all she knew was that number has increased by one. 

Coraline skidded to a halt. Up ahead, at the end of the road, stood a figure hooded in muted cerulean. A figure that had burned herself into Coraline’s mind.

Circe had her back to Coraline, inspecting her rapier, but she must’ve heard Coraline’s footsteps in the snow, as she turned her head towards Coraline. Beneath her hood, Circe blinked. 

“Oh. You’re alive,” Circe said, her tone so dull and flat it was insulting. 

A rational Coraline would have questioned what Circe was doing by her lonesome, and where the other vampires were. It’s almost a shame that that Coraline wasn’t here. Almost, because if she was here, Coraline wouldn’t have gripped her baton with both hands, belted out a battle cry, and charged full speed towards Circe.

Coraline didn’t heed it then, but the fact that Circe’s response was to sheathe her rapier and chuckle probably should’ve tipped her off that this was a terrible idea.

Circe’s form turned into a blur. Icy fingers suddenly clamped tight around Coraline’s neck. In a literal blink, her feet left the ground and dangled in the air. Coraline had to look down, lifted in the air as she was, following the length of the arm that kept her aloft, to meet the critical, quizzical, glowing eyes of Circe.

Coraline’s baton-wielding hand was free, so she took a swing. Circe’s free hand caught it without her so much as glancing at it, the metal claw-like gauntlet biting like vipers into Coraline’s wrist. Coraline bit back the pain, focusing her attention on sending Circe the angriest glare she could muster. Circe’s eyes lazily drifted down to Coraline’s trapped wrist, before lazily drifting up to meet Coraline’s glare. 

“Feisty.”

Circe smiled, and she twisted Coraline’s arm, the clawed fingers digging in deeper, enough that it must have drawn blood. A cry of pain escaped Coraline’s lips, her baton slipping out of her fingers to land with dull thud in the snow. 

Coraline desperately craned her head to look at her discarded baton, but Circe’s eyes demanded her attention. Her breaths became shorter, heavier, as those eyes hovered ever closer to hers. Any trace of the anger that drove her were nowhere to be seen, replaced by pure, unadulterated fear, as it dawned upon Coraline how utterly fucked she was.

“You’ve survived much. I can see it in your eyes.”

Circe’s words caught Coraline off guard, if only because she didn’t hear even an ounce of malice behind it. It was a statement of fact, of recognition. Maybe, dare Coraline’s fear-addled mind say, even one of respect?

“But mark my words, girl,” Circe’s eyes narrowed, her tone like a dagger poised to strike, “you will not survive us.” 

Far too easily, Circe tossed her away. Coraline landed on the snow flat on her back. The cold slush on her back quickly seeped through her jacket and her shirt, but she’s too amazed that she’s still alive to care. As her mind descended from a fear-induced high, a question formed, of why Circe didn’t simply kill her then and there. That question was enough to push herself off the slush, sloppily, to a sitting position. Ahead, Circe was still there, watching her. At the sight of her rising up, Coraline could’ve sworn a ghost of a smile flashed across Circe’s lips.

A plume of snow suddenly kicked up to the right of Circe, bits of it settling on Circe coat. From the cloud of white, the black cloaked, crooked figure of Nina emerged. She prowled on all fours, wearing a manic grin. Her lips, her chin, her cheeks were slick with red. 

“Merde!” Circe shot her a nasty side eye, brushing off the snow on her coat. “You are annoying.” 

The front door of one of the buildings on the side of the road suddenly slammed open. Stepping past the threshold, Rodrigo’s sour visage came into view, decked in all his finery and his emerald half-cape. Tailing closely behind him, a deathly pale man in crimson stepped out of the building. He clutched the shrunk Blood Stone tight in one hand, the object now drenched in dark red.  

“My lord!” Nina called out, a wiry finger pointed towards Coraline. “Desserts!”

Four pairs of dangerous, deadly eyes fell upon Coraline. She hated herself for not getting the fuck away first chance she got. 

“That one survived?” Rodrigo asked, incredulous, but much like how you’d meet a cockroach that just won’t die. 

“Not for long.” Nina licked her lips. She whipped around, looking up at the man in red with an open smile. “Can we?”

The crimson-clad man made no motion to indicate that he acknowledged Nina’s words. But, he still walked closer and closer, and Coraline damn near shit her pants because fuck they absolutely could. 

The man’s advance was halted when Circe raised a hand in front of him. “A moment, if I may, my lord.”

Rodrigo and Nina stared daggers at Circe, while the man’s gaze remained neutral. A moment’s pause passed before the man gave Circe the smallest of nods. Circe’s lips curled into a conspiratorial smile.

“She could be of use to us,” she began. “We set her loose to spread the news of our return to other human settlements. It’ll sow disorder amongst the sheeple, and strike fear to the hearts of whoever dare to stand in our way.” Circe looked at Coraline from the side of her eyes. “After all, no tale is as terrifying as one told through the mouth of a whimpering babe.” 

A throaty hum was the man’s response. The man seemed to be at least considering it. Coraline could scarcely believe what’s happening. Did Circe just convince her companions to let Coraline go?

“That’s twice now you showed mercy to these pests,” Rodrigo spat, eyes narrowed. “What are you up to?”

Circe raised her hands defensively. “I only offer a suggestion. Should the Blood Lord decrees it,” her eyes drifted towards Coraline, hunger suddenly apparent in them, “I wouldn’t be opposed to a bit of dessert.” 

Rodrigo’s distrustful glare lingered on Circe, but it didn’t take long for him to back down. “We wait your decision, my lord.”

Seconds stretched into an eternity. To have the man’s unflinching stare be so intensely focused on her was torture enough. When he suddenly stepped forward, Coraline flinched. Every clank of his metal boots against the snow was deafening, louder than the loudest crack of thunder she’d ever heard. Coraline’s mind screamed, begged at her body to move, to run the fuck away and never look back, but her limbs didn’t budge, frozen with fear. She clenched her eyes shut, and braced for the worst.

“Child, know that you live only at the mercy of Marduk, the Blood Lord, and listen well.”

Coraline’s eyes snapped open. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. The man- Marduk’s voice was deep, heavy and commanding. It was a voice of determination, of ambition. A voice you do not say no to.

“We were stopped before. Caught off guard by a cowardly attack. But it was not a defeat. It was merely a setback. A mistake. Mark my words that it was a mistake that will never happen twice.”

Coraline, somehow, gathered enough courage to meet Marduk’s gaze. His red eyes burned.

“Run as fast your fragile legs can carry you, and spread this news far and wide. Let them know of us. Let them know our name. Let them know that nothing can stop us from accomplishing our goal.”

Nina, Rodrigo, and Circe entered Coraline’s field of vision, standing just behind their leader. The four of them looked down at her like she’s an insignificant thing smeared against the heels of their boots.

“Let them know,” Marduk growled, “the Crimson Conclave has returned.” 

Marduk walked away, his mantle flaring out behind him. Nina, Rodrigo, and Circe followed his lead. Coraline collapsed on her back against the snow. 

She lost track how long she laid there in the snow when an electrifying sizzle and a glow from the edges of her vision caught her attention. She looked up to see that the Conclave had gotten to the edge of the village. Four runic triangles shined under each of them, carrying the same colors as their clothes. Creatures burst out of each of the triangles, the Conclave immediately riding them on their backs. Coraline easily recognized the creatures as horses, but ones that had been perverted by demonic powers. 

One, ridden by Nina, was black as midnight, heavy and muscular, with black ashes spewing out of its nostrils and its hooves. One, ridden by Rodrigo, was practically a skeleton of a horse, with only bits of rotting skin sticking to its bones and green ichors leaking from its ribcage, its eyes, and its gaping mouth. One, ridden by Circe, was sleek and lean, its fur an unnatural muted blue, and it seemed to leave a shadow, a double image of itself as it moved. One, ridden by Marduk, was by far the largest of them all, almost twice as large, with a mane and tail of fire, its fur coated deep, dark red.

Marduk reared back his horse, the steed letting out a rumbling whinny, before breaking off into a gallop. The other three urged their horses forward as well, galloping after their leader. Within seconds, they were only specks against the winter wasteland. The sounds of galloping hooves grew increasingly distant, until it was overtaken by the gentle whooshing of the winter winds.

Night had fallen, and it was cold and quiet. 

-

That felt good to get out of my system.

Seriously, it was. This is the scene that got me back to writing this fic again. This is the chapter that I’ve been working towards for the past year. And now, it’s out of my head. And honestly? I’m pretty proud of just that fact. Just the fact that I managed to get this far. That said, I really, really hope this turned out to be good. I wish that for all of stories, sure, but I wish for this one more than anything. Like, I legit prayed for this to be good. I went to the mosque and spent a good fifteen minutes just genuinely praying for this chapter. I guess we’ll see if it paid off.

Welp, pretty sure I already said all that needed to be said. The villains are introduced, the tone is established, and the stakes are set.

Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in-between, welcome to the Crimson Conclave Saga.

[mickmackpattywack]

The Queen of Fire Meets the King of Hellfire: CH 6 - Hey, Freak!

ST4 but with Jamie (Nine/009). I used the comic book (Into the Fire) as a rough starting point. Jamie possesses Pyrokinesis (the ability to create/control fire). Starts off when Eddie’s already fled to Reefer Rick’s.

Snippet:

He smacks the radio “Anybody?!” Eddie’s panting heavily, clearly frightened.

“Eddie, try and stay calm. Maybe they'll just leave” says Jamie.

“No, Jamie, you don’t understand, those guys are looking for me and they are going to kill me.”

Jamie cautiously lifts her head and looks out the window again... Okay, now she's panicking a little. 

Ch1: Damned Spiders - Link

Ch2: The Tattoo - Link

Ch3: So, There's This Girl... - Link

Ch4: Mad Max - Link

Ch5: Are You a Nerd? - Link

Chapter 6 – Hey, Freak!

Jamie is lying down in the boat. Her left leg is lying flat, her right leg bent with her foot on the floor of the boat. Her back is leaning against the seat of it. Her head is tilting sideways to the right, leaning against the inside of the boat, sleeping.

Eddie's sitting on one of the stools, looking out the window. He’s been turning back, eyeballing a six pack the gang brought him for a while now. He could really use a beer... hell he deserves one.

He stands up and walks towards the beer. The floor creaks. He pauses and looks at Jamie, it didn’t wake her. He leans down and pulls out a can. He looks at Jamie before turning and walking back to the stool. He sits down and turns his back around to look at Jamie as he slowly opens the can with a loud snap of hissing carbonation. He grits his teeth at the noise. However, Jamie still doesn’t wake up. Success.

Eddie turns back around and looks out the window. He sighs and takes a sip of beer. A moment passes, he takes another sip.

“What are you doing?” asks Jamie right next to his side. Eddie sputters out his beer with a jump. He falls off the stool and onto the ground, landing on his side.

Jamie’s hand quickly slaps over her mouth in shock, then tries not to laugh.

“God dammit!” says Eddie.

“Are you okay?” asks Jamie, still trying to stifle her laughter.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! I thought you were sleeping” Eddie says, standing up.

“I was, but then I saw an opportunity to terrorize you.”

“Don’t you think my poor crippled heart has been through enough?”

“I’m sorry. As... hilarious as that was, I’m sorry” says Jamie.

Eddie rolls his eyes and picks up the stool “Feet of a goddamn field mouse” he slams the stool in the upright position and sits on it.

“Sorry I made you spill... your beer” says Jamie.

“It’s fine, only spilled a little” says Eddie.

Jamie walks over to the six pack, now five pack, and picks up a can. She examines it “You know I’ve never had one?”

Eddie looks over to her.

“I’ve never had any alcohol. Like, ever.”

Eddie stands up and walks over to her. He slowly takes the beer out of her hand “Probably for the best... don’t think a drunk superhero would be very effective” says Eddie.

Jamie picks up the box of Honeycombs from the ground. She opens it and shoves her hand in. She takes a handful into her mouth “Since when are you the goody two shoes in this relationship?” she asks, mouth full of honeycombs.

Eddie gives her the side eye.

“Plus, the amount of drugs and tranquilizers I’ve been on, I doubt a little beer would do anything to me” she looks at the beer can in his hand.

“Well let’s not find out today, kay sweetheart? Maybe once we defeat Vecna and if I don’t go to prison, then, we’ll get you a proper first drink.”

“Fine” says Jamie, taking another handful into her mouth. 

...

“Eddie?” asks Jamie.

“Mm?”

“What if I don’t want to fight this Vecna person? I mean, this whole superhero thing, I think you guys are exaggerating, maybe just a little.”

“I don’t think anyone’s gonna force you, but... you’d kind of be saving our asses. Dustin seemed excited about it. He must think you can do something” says Eddie.

“And the girl? Max?... she... kind of hates me.”

“Oh, come on now, hates a strong word. I think she was just, being protective, of her friends” says Eddie.

“Protective... from me. So... she thinks I’m dangerous. I mean I am, I- I can be, but I always try to avoid using my... abilities. Especially,” she looks to Eddie then looks down “...I’ve done things I’m... not proud of.”

...

“Well... I forgive you, if that means anything” says Eddie.

Jamie looks at him softly “I appreciate the sentiment anyways" she sets the cereal box on the floor.

...

“Dustin asked me if I still had my powers. Does that mean, Eleven’s are gone?” asks Jamie.

“I don’t know... I guess so?” says Eddie.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Why not?”

“Cause we... were born with them... I don’t get how they can just, go away. Trust me, I would have done that already, if it was possible.”

...

Suddenly, they hear a vehicle approaching. Eddie quickly crouches down, Jamie mimics him. They slowly come up to look out the window and see a truck. Jason’s truck. Eddie quickly crouches down, pulling Jamie down next to him.

“Is it them?” asks Jamie.

“No. Shit. Shit, we are so screwed” says Eddie.

“Why? Who is it?” asks Jamie.

Eddie runs over and looks out the other window of the boathouse.

“Eddie?” asks Jamie.

Eddie runs and grabs the walkie “Dustin, you there? It’s Eddie, you remember me, right? Hey, if anyone’s there, I really think we might be in a bit of trouble here, okay? Wheeler?”

He smacks the radio “Anybody?!” Eddie’s panting heavily, clearly frightened.

“Eddie, try and stay calm. Maybe they'll just leave” says Jamie.

“No, Jamie, you don’t understand, those guys are looking for me and they are going to kill me.”

Jamie cautiously lifts her head and looks out the window again... Okay, now she's panicking a little. 

 ...

The sun has set, it’s now dark outside. Jamie’s sitting against a wall near Eddie, staying out of sight of the windows. As Eddie’s looking out, keeping an eye on the house, he suddenly sees Jason in the upstairs bedroom window, looking directly at the boathouse.

He quickly crouches down and tries again on the walkie “Dustin? Please. Are... are you there?”

Eddie stares at the boat, coming up with an idea “Never mind” he sets down the walkie. He looks to Jamie “Come on” he says, ripping the tarp off the boat.

“What are we doing?” asks Jamie.

“Getting the hell out of here” says Eddie. Jamie stands up and runs over to the boat, helping Eddie “Just so you know, I can’t swim” says Jamie.

Eddie grabs a paddle and hands one to Jamie “Then I suggest staying in the boat” he starts moving the boat out of the dock, he grabs the other paddle “Get in.”

 ...

Eddie and Jamie are now on the lake in the boat. Eddie is in the front, paddling on the left side. Jamie is in the back, paddling on the right.

“Hey, freak!” yells Jason.

Eddie and Jamie both turn around, panicked. It’s Jason and his friend, Patrick.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” yells Jason.

“Shit” says Eddie “Switch me!” he says to Jamie. She quickly gets up and they trade spots.

“Hey, who’s in there with him?” asks Patrick.

“I have no idea” Jason squints his eyes “Probably another member of his sick cult” Jason begins taking off his jacket.

...

Eddie tries to start the engine of boat, pulling on the string “Come on! Just, come on...”

“You scared of some water? Let’s go!” Jason says to Patrick as he’s taking off his shoes. Patrick starts taking off his jacket.

“You piece of shit!” says Eddie, the engine is still not starting “Come on. Gotta help me out here, man” he says patting the engine. He pulls the string again “Come on!”

Jason climbs into the water.

Eddie pulls again “Come on, you piece of shit!” he pulls it again, and again “Goddamn it!” he smacks the engine in frustration.

Jason is now completely in the water, swimming towards them.

“Eddie!” yells Jamie. Eddie whips his head around “Switch with me” she says.

“It’s busted!” says Eddie.

“No, I know... I’m... I'm not gonna let them hurt you... switch me” says Jamie.

No time to argue, or even think, Eddie switches spots with her. Jason is swimming towards them, and now so is Patrick.

“What are you gonna do?” asks Eddie.

Jamie isn't sure how to answer, she doesn't even know what she might do. As they get close, Eddie grabs an oar. He stands up, holding it as a weapon.

“Hey, stay back man!” says Eddie.

Jamie still sitting, grabs the edge of the boat and scoots closer to the edge.

“Stay back!” yells Eddie.

Jamie takes a deep breath; she slowly lifts her left hand up.

Suddenly, Patrick stops swimming. Jason turns around to Patrick “Hey, come on, we almost have them!” says Jason.

Patrick looks around in fear, ignoring Jason.

“Hey, Patrick” says Jason “Patrick!”

“What are you doing?” Eddie asks Jamie.

She looks at Eddie “Nothing I-... I’m not doing anything.”

“Patrick!” yells Jason.

All of a sudden, Patrick gets pulled completely under water making all three of them jump.

...

It’s quiet, Patrick’s just... gone. They all look at the spot he was in, confused as to what happened.

“Patrick” says Jason “Hey, Patrick... Patrick!”

There’s an aggressive splash as Patrick shoots up out of the water, about ten feet into the air. This makes Eddie stumble backwards and fall out of the boat.

“Eddie!” yells Jamie, looking into the water where he fell. She looks back, seeing Patrick floating in the air. Patrick’s left leg breaks, snapping loudly.

Eddie resurfaces in the water, gasping for air. All three now watching Patrick. His right leg snaps. His right arm snaps. Jamie whimpers and covers her ears, trying to muffle the horrific sound of his bones cracking. His left arm snaps. His jaw snaps. Finally, his head snaps backward, and his body suddenly drops, then smacks into the water.

They’re all frozen. Eddie still trying to stay afloat, swims and grabs the side of the boat.

“Eddie” says Jamie, taking her hands off her ears. She shakily reaches her hand out to help pull him up into the boat “Are you okay?” asks Jamie. Eddie nods his head, breathing hard. Jason is shaking with fear. He turns around, looking at them. Jason opens his mouth as if he were going to say something, then doesn’t. Eddie falls into the boat with a grunt.

Jason stares at them for a few moments, before turning back and slowly swimming towards Patrick. He struggles to grab onto him, petrified at the condition of his now dead friend’s broken and lifeless body. He gives Eddie and Jaime one last look, then begins swimming, pulling Patrick’s body to shore.

Ch7: Skull Rock - Link

Ch8: I'll Follow You Into Mordor - Link

Ch9: Watergate - Link

Ch10: Jamie, A Little Help?! - Link

Ch11: It’s All A What? - Link

[maerobotron]

Listen, this might be insecurity, or boredom, or people pleasing or whatever, or I'm just feeling a spiral of doom related to some life things, and I'm not at all good at keeping up on these kinds of things, except, oddly, xanga? which dates me?

I'm starting to get to the point where I don't give a damn, but I'm not there yet.

Anyway, there's some small town drama that I just have to speak about so I am reviving a dream of mine called Harriet the Suburban Spy.

The short introduction to this is that between COVID and a mental health crisis, I moved back to my small hometown from a big city and I hate it and spend a lot of time ignoring my grandma when she says that "Smallville is a great town to live in" and the local paper gives addresses about police calls and more than once I have seen people comment about how "Smallville's crime rate is horrifying, and I would never move to the big city!"

(DC is a possibility here. I'm not likely to stick to one topic regardless. My thoughts about Superman and Smallville are complicated though and my partner is required to listen to me on this, so I might just leave it in his capable hands)

SHORT INTRO???

More under the cut, I know I'm wordy, and this is probably not interesting.

I'm the worst. I was not a popular kid in high school, which I'm cool with, but I was on the periphery of a lot of things, and one of those things was the school's music program. And in my hometown, the music program is big. Probably not as big as sports, cause, this is the United States, but big.

And also toxic. Glee, toxic even.

Oh yes friends. We had 2 show choirs. My sister (twin, estranged, complicated) was part of the freshman one but then there was a weird religious thing where even dancing was iffy, so she quit, but still, I did get to see some shit.

In any case, late last year the beloved (BELOVED) show choir director was placed on suspension pending investigation. The kids are out of control, but what that means is anyone's guess, and frankly, to be incredibly millennial, the boomers in this town are wild and out of control has meant anything from wants to take on more leadership at church to terrorism. This guy has been with the district for 30 some years, and that's a long time, so the little town freaks out, and I have friends who have kids in these programs start defending the heck out of this guy, and I'm just thinking, not only have I been in the district's music program (band, orchestra, choir) but I've also attended more music functions in this town because of Smallville's biggest cheerleader, my grandmother, and I have never interacted with this guy, and normally I trust these friends, but for some reason I have a bad feeling about this guy. But whatever. I can't judge without any evidence, and I am unlikely to meet this guy in my everyday life, so I'll let my tiny sister (best friend, fellow gossip) know about this, and we reminisced about other sister's time in this and other music endeavors and we both largely forgot about this. The guy was reinstated a few weeks later and the investigation resolved, and I thought it was probably resolved more because of a booster threatening rather than an actual conclusion, but whatever.

Until this week, when "Local alum sues school district" and I'm like what... The alum in question: we overlapped a couple of years, but I don't know him, but I was intrigued by this whole thing. What is his part on this? Now, the local paper already has some issues, but I was especially intrigued by the fact that they didn't say anything substantial about who this is. The reason for the lawsuit is because the district has not provided information that he has requested regarding the investigation.

Here's the thing. I don't necessarily find it weird that a random guy with no apparent ties to the investigation is interested. If kids are being harmed, or lack proper adult supervision, this is a community issue. I am also concerned. But I'm still like, who is this guy and what is he doing? It is one thing to be concerned and another to file a lawsuit.

I will admit. I do not care about this town. It used to be a swamp, and in my opinion, it can go back. And part of my reasoning is because I have come across too many people in this town that are interested in protecting the powerful at the expense of those who are not. And of course this is every town, and the world, yeah, yeah, but this is my hometown and I can hate it without anyone's permission. It does not surprise me that the district is not handing over information. They are barely willing to hand out transcripts (ask me how I know). And maybe this is a lawsuit to help correct that. But I still don't know why he cares so much.

So like, if you're interested, stay tuned for more details. If you're not, I am sufficiently amused.

[redemptioninterlude]

“No, I’m okay, I just… I hit my head. Really hard. I’ll be okay, just give me a second.” / alice

hurt / comfort meme ( accepting ) + @bandersnch // bandit

bandit leonne isn't quite her FAVOURITE PERSON. how things are twisty, strange and convoluted! she moves here, cast out at sea, the new exchange student plucked from the english countrysides and placed within what feels like a brand new world. she'd tell anyone that asked that she's gone and made her own leap down the rabbit hole, and who knew what she'd find at the other side? who knew it'd be a streak of a boy like this, stretched tall and a familiar nostalgia to him that struck something odd within her chest. why? for what? she knows to follow that instinct! do i know you? do you know me? why does my heart? what ghost have you stolen, to be here now?

but ah, there goes fate. not always glamorous and darling! that spark burns, and she's never liked, the cut of someone who'd push and frighten, who burned through the people around them as if they were nothing but KINDLING. there's a key and no door, and how can that be!? it drives that deeper curiosity, at war with the distain that smears over her pride and her personhood. how he'd find her mad and she'd find him hollow, and what does one do with a thing like that? how they seem to invariably clash, again and again, and how he'd loathe the pieces of him that she plucks from the outside, and she'd hate his refusal to let her in. no patience with the way he wears at her goodness, scraping raw at something underneath that she's not quite ready to look at within the mirror.

so where does that leave him? an occasional terror, in senior year with his own influence when she's having her fun, how frustrating, that! how he'd pick at her things and places them up high, or use his own means to scare off when she's in the middle of her own flirtations, HOW ANNOYING! "you're not my brother!" she'd shoot with venom dripping, dripping, fists forming in her skirts, frothy and girlish. "who'd want to be?" was all she'd get back. trying to reign her in would be like trying to keep the sky from rain or sun based off of what it wanted. what a nightmare! he's place her bag atop of a set of cupboards today, alice huffing before she scaled up onto a countertop, on tip toes as she's reaching, reaching! but there it is, a hand reaching to shift it further out of her reach. bang! head turning in a whiplashed moment, blue eyes peering, curiously, as he clutched at his head.

" no, i'm okay, i just... i hit my head. really hard. i'll be okay, just give me a second. "

from where she is, alice bursts into laughter, expression switching from pinched and concerned to jubilance. "serves you right!" from this level now, aren't they about eye to eye? and he can read her full on, tugging her bag into her arms, leaning back against the upper cabinets with that cheshire cat's smile curling there within the corners of her lips. "THERE THERE." that reach, her hand ruffling through the longer hair, making a proper mess out of it. "you had your second. but it looks like it still hurts. take care of yourself, okay? your tiny brain can't handle being rattled around all that space! but seriously..." that hop ; she's down, down, feet on the ground, looking ready to be sucked up into her next adventure. "don't push yourself! who else will be around for me to headbutt in the shins? nevermind~ i could go without that! go ahead and be careless~"

[nightowlfandom]

Billy Loomis And Stu Macher x Reader- Our Favorite Girl (Slight gore warning)

CHECK OUT MY MASTERLIST HERE!

Leggo!

...(Trigger warning, stabby stab)

“Hey newbie!” 

You looked up from your textbook to find Stu Macher prancing up to you. With a polite smile, you greeted him.

“Hi Stuart.” you said. “How are you?”

“Hey! I said you didn’t have to be so ‘oooh hi Stuart I’m so prim and proper.’ “ he laughed out loud. “We’re friends aren’t we?” 

“I guess so.” you laughed nervously. “ Um...what’s up?”

“I’m havin’ a party and you’re coming!”

“Parties?” You frowned. “I-uh...” you wanted to reject the idea. You hated parties and your parents would probably blow a fuse if they knew what was going on around town. ‘Stuart, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not, kitten?” he winked. “Afraid to be seen with little ol’ me?” there was a darkness behind his words that you couldn’t ignore. “Don’t like being out after dark?”

“I’m not the partying type is all.” you shrugged. “If you hadn’t noticed, I’m not the most popular person around here.” you stared down at your shoes. “I just don’t wanna ruin your party. I’m the last person you wanna be seen with.”

“It’d make me real happy, kitten.” he stepped forward and slipped his fingertips under your chin and made you look up. “Please? Just for a few minutes.”

Call it weakness, but you couldn’t say no to him.

“Okay.” you smiled lightly. “I’ll go”

“Great! Don’t worry, it’ll be super memorable.” he winked as he skipped off. 

Later on, you were walking to your locker only to bump into Adam. Typical bully. “Hey Y/N. Heard you were going to Macher’s party tonight...you gonna wear a dress for me?”

“No.” you answered curtly. “It’s amazing how you don’t seem to have anything better to do other than shove your nose into my business.” you hugged your books to your chest. “Can I go now?.”

“Hey...is there a problem?” you turned around to find Billy Loomis stalking up to you. You had seem him a handful of times but never actually talked to him before. “You...where do I know you from?”

“I sit behind you in English. We had a project together once.” you replied sheepishly. “Stuart forces me to sit between him and his girlfriend at lunch when they’re fighting. You talk to me from time to time...”

“Stuart...” he raised an eyebrow. “You mean Stu?”

“mhm! You probably don’t remember me because I never reply...” you nodded. 

“You goin’ to his party or somethin’?”

“He asked me to go.” you trailed off. “You’re going too, right?”

“ Why? Excited to meet me there?”“ he smirked, totally ignoring Adam at this point. 

“I mean...” you stared down at your books. “I was hoping someone I’d know would be there.”

Billy raised an eyebrow at you. You gave off a shy aura and for some reason he was into that. He and Stu had been planning a massacre, and they were gonna blame that damned Sydney Prescott. It was the perfect crime. 

“Hm...I’ll see you there.” he winked at you, then sent a death-bringing glare at Adam. “Problem, handsome?” he sneered as he passed the athlete.

... at the party

“Not even three hours in and I have to hide...” you cursed yourself out. “Damn asshole...!” 

Adam was informed that you had arrived and was looking for you, shit!

You ran into the kitchen, losing your breath. “Billy?” 

The suspect in question whipped around. Billy was holding what you assumed was the house phone and instantly hung it up. “Hey...”

“Am I glad to see you.” you sighed.

“Somethin wrong?” 

Billy was in the middle of executing his plan, but for some reason he couldn’t help but want to talk to you. 

“Adam is looking for me.” you sighed. “Could I...stay here with you? Please?”

Billy smiled, darting out his tongue to run across his bottom lip. You were absolutely adorable. “I have a better idea.” he smirked, walking up to you. “Why don’t we send him a little message?”

“You have a girlfriend.” you put a hand on Billy’s chest. “I c-can’t.”

“Not anymore...she dumped me for Randy.” he tusked. ”Figures right?”

“Well...that’s her fault...you’re pretty cool.” you bit your lip.

“So...” Billy tilted your head up towards you. “Let me-”...he gently kissed your lips. While it felt wrong, you melted into him. He held the side of your face in his hand. Sidney wasn’t your friend, not by a longshot, but you still respected her. The fact that Billy was so willing to kiss you, like this.

“For once...stop worrying about other people.” he mumbled against your lips. “Just live in the moment...shit I know what I want...you know what you want...so act on it damnit.”

“Are we still talking about getting Adam off me back or-”

“Shush...don’t think.”

“Kinda hard to when your girlfriend is in the other room”

“Shut up.” he shushed you, tightening his arms around you. You kissed him back with just as much urgency. How would the others react, seeing this...seeing you. Billy backed you up against the counter. Before it could get any farther, you both heard screaming, girlish screaming. 

“What the hell was that?” you asked, feeling your heart race.

“Stay here.” Billy ran in the direction of the noise, leaving you to stand there in terror.

You could hear screams and cries for help, followed by what sounded like gleeful laughter. You were left frozen in place as a man with a mask on his face kicked open the kitchen door. 

You immediately braced yourself with a kitchen knife.

“Stay back!” you warned. “I will cut you!”

“Easy kitten, I’m not gonna kill ya.”

Call it ignorance. Call it instinct, but there was something familiar about the way this stranger spoke to you.

“What did you just say?” you dared ask this man. “Did you just call me kitten?”

“You’re naive, childish...and adorable...like a little kitty cat.” the way he laughed under the mask led you to believe he was laughing with his tongue stuck out.

There was only one person that you knew who spoke like that. You slowly lowered the knife and walked up to him cautiously. The figure didn’t move in the slightest. You were standing toe to toe with him. 

You cautiously raised the mask only revealing the bottom half of the strangers face...only they weren’t a stranger.

“Stu.” you concluded.

“....You said my name.” he flirted.

“Care to explain?”

“In a bit...got something to take care of.” he straightened his mask again before disappearing again.

It was only less than a minute before Stu came quite literally crawling back into the kitchen.

Stu doubled over, holding his stomach as you rushed over to his side. “Stu?” you put a hand on his forehead. “Stu, please don’t be dead!” you winced. “It’s okay, you’re okay.” That damn Sidney...she must have had something to do with this.

“Y/N...it hurts.” Stu moaned in pain. “Hold me?” 

You wasted no time in gathering him to the best of your abilities. He rested his head in your knee. You hummed thoughtfully, shushing him while you used his sweater to apply pressure to his stab wound.

“Y/N, are you sure you aren’t an angel?” He shamelessly flirted, smiling through his pain.

“No, I’m not.” you giggled. ”Save your energy.”

“I’d have more if you just gave me those lips of yours...” he winked. Just to shut him up, you kissed his forehead. 

“Not what I meant, but works for me.”

 As you chided the poor boy, Sydney ran into the kitchen, screaming at the top of her lungs while Billy also wounded stumbled behind. 

“Billy??” you gasped in horror. Seeing you must have caused him to loose his footing, because he slowed his movements. You laid Stu on his back and urged him keep his sweater over his wound. 

You scrambled to your feet, eyeing Sidney with a glare no one had ever seen you wear.

“Y/N! You’ve got to believe me! They’ve been the ones doing this.”

“I find that really hard to believe that when you were just standing over Stu with a bloody knife.” you seethed. “Your own boyfriend? Really?” you dared step closer.

“Y/N! They’re manipulating you!” she began crying. “You have to see it!” She was obviously hysterical.

“Then give me the knife.” you faked calm, cautiously stepping towards her. “Give me the knife...and we can-” you stopped yourself. You looked over at Billy, praying he wouldn’t be mad. “We’ll call the cops.” you you held your hand out.

“WHAT?” Billy seethed. You avoided his gaze. Hopefully he wouldn’t sense your fear. 

“Trust me...” you said, just barely above a whisper. You were mostly talking to Billy, but had to make it look like it was directed at her. “We can get out of this...”

Sidney (very stupidly) outstretched her hand, the one that was holding the knife. Once it was within your reach, you grabbed her wrist, and grabbed the blade with your free hand, throwing it to the side. You tackled to to the floor and held her down.

“Crazy bitch.” you mumbled. She began thrashing, and screaming bloody murder. You were eventually able to get the best of her. “Whoever is the least dead...COPS...NOW!” You struggled as Sidney screamed. “This bitch is out of her mind!.”

“I have a better idea.” A seemingly fine, and now very much not dead Stu rose to his feet, a sick smile plastered on his face. The knife had slid over to him and you hadn’t even realized. You were too focused on keeping Sidney on the floor.

Suddenly you were yanked back into Billy’s arms as a sharp object came down from above, plunging through Sidney’s chest. 

“Oh my god!” you buried your head into Billy’s shirt, trying to block out the terrible sounds you heard the terrible sounds of skin ripping. 

“Shhh it’s over babe.” He shushed you. “It’s okay.” he stroked your hair with his bloody hand. Stu laughed manically as he wiped the sweat off his face. 

“Some party huh.” Stu cackled. He wasted no time in sandwiching you between himself and Billy.

“You had us thinking you’d betray us, Kitten.” Stu dug his head into your shoulder.

“Y/N would never do that to us...she’s our good girl.”

“You guys are-”

“Absolutely.”

“And this party was-”

“Smart girl.”

“And now that you know our little secret, we’re never letting you go, kitten!” Stu laughed. 

“And if you tell anyone, we’ll have no choice but to take you down with us...but you won’t do that to us, will you?” Billy asked, nuzzling his head into your neck.

[tanniefm]

nasty | jjk (m)

summary - you're needy at a party and no one can help you except your boyfriend jungkook.

pairing - jungkook x reader

genre - established relationship

word count - 2.4k

song inspo - nasty by ariana grande

warnings - unprotected sex (BOOO), dirty talk, daddy kink, brief breeding kink, slight voyeurism (you essentially ride his thigh in front of everyone), explicit language, praise kink, subspace, drug and alcohol use (weed), brief mention of vmin, i guess kook also falls into domspace too i mean y'all are high so

a/n - i'm sorry this took so long school's been kicking my ass bruh. this is also very unedited since i originally wrote this while horny like a month ago kanjwbw. anyways yeah enjoy! ps. i am very bad at endings and summaries sigh

♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°

“Pleaseeeee”

“Nope”

“But I need to so badly! Just please make me cum, Kook!”

“What did I say? Not ‘til later. At this rate I might not let you cum at all.” his words brought utter terror to your face. What did he mean not letting you cum at all? You've been so good all day! Just like he told you! This party fucking sucks anyway. As much as you love your friends coming over, there’s only so much you can handle before you start getting annoyed by their presence. Jungkook has been teasing you all day but the very peak of it was when he ate you out earlier like it was his last meal and at the very last second, decided to cease all contact from you and smile cockily. Asshole.

It doesn’t help that you've both been drinking and smoking a bit, so your horniness has only worsened since then. This mixed haze of being tipsy and high at the same time is just making you needier by the second. You’ve been clinging onto him and following him around your shared apartment the whole night while he laughed and chatted with your friends.

“You good, ____?” Jimin laughs. He out of everyone should know exactly how you feel, given him and Tae are constantly going at it, just like you and your beloved boyfriend.

You smile sarcastically, “Nah I’m perfectly fine, Minnie! Why do you ask?” you know exactly why he’s asking. You’re not really the best at hiding your emotions and your face says it all that you’d rather have everyone disappear immediately so you can fuck the shit out of the man you’re glaring at. He’s currently taking a few hits out of Hoseok’s “party bong” as he likes to call it. It looks very used and burnt out, you don’t know why he just won’t get a new one since you’re sure that’s some kind of safety hazard but whatever.

“No reason, just that you look like you wanna eat Jungkookie alive is all.” he smirks. You roll your eyes playfully and take another sip from whatever mixed drink Jungkook made you.

“He’s getting on my nerves.” you quip back. Jimin’s eyes crinkle as he laughs heartily. It seems like everyone finds your situation amusing but you. All you want is to have a proper orgasm! Is that so wrong! It feels like he’s punishing you and you haven’t even done anything! You go to sit on the couch with him, directly on his lap, while he watches Seokjin and Taehyung yell over Mario Kart. He automatically wraps his hands around your waist and smiles lazily.

“Heyy pretty girl.” he says gruffly. His voice always gets raspy when he smokes and your pussy throbs at his (and your) favorite pet name.

“Kookie,” you whine. “Please can we wrap this up and do something alone. Need you.” you start pouting in hopes he’ll finally cave. He chuckles and brushes a piece of hair from your face.

He leans in closely to whisper, “After they're done with this game, I promise I’ll take care of you, ok baby?” you look at him skeptically and hold up your pinky to ensure he means what he says. He giggles at your cuteness and wraps his long pinky around yours, kissing it to seal the deal. Your face immediately lights up at the prospect that you’ll finally get some dick. The more you think about it, the wetter you get. Maybe he’ll bring out the toys this time and use those on you. Maybe he’ll overstimulate you until you beg him to stop. Maybe he’ll let you take control since he’s been messing with you all evening anyway. The possibilities are endless and they cause you to squirm around on his lap. You quickly realize that your leggings are pretty thin however as you suddenly pause when you feel that your boyfriend is hard as a rock. Little did you know that he’s been suffering just as much as you have, he just likes to play with you a little to see how needy you could get. He can feel you throbbing through your leggings and it’s been driving him fucking crazy. He can’t wait for the guys to leave so he can fuck you in every room of this house.

He grips your hips tightly and gives you a warning look of “do that again and see what happens” you whimper and tuck your face in his neck. He smells so good. You can faintly smell the weed you two have been smoking but you can still smell his soft detergent and calming lavender he loves so much. You know his nose is sensitive so he only uses a small amount of cologne and it encapsulates him so perfectly. He pulls you closer and starts bouncing his knee slightly. Fuck. Now his thigh is consistently hitting your clit and your mind is getting fuzzier. The haze from earlier coupled with the fact that Jungkook is bouncing you like a baby is starting to make you whimper and moan a little louder than you’d like to. You know he’s fucking with you again. He loves seeing you like this. He leans down and reminds you Tae and Jin are almost done with their game and then you can moan and whine all you want. You nod hastily while you suck a mark into his neck to keep quiet. His knee keeps the same casual pace, as if your clit isn’t the main focal point of each bounce. He kisses the top of your head and laughs along at whatever the boys are arguing about as to not raise any suspicion. Although you’re pretty sure everyone can tell exactly what’s going on. The fact that everyone can clearly see you getting bounced on your boyfriend's lap is only getting you closer and closer. You bet you could cum like this.

“Ha ha! Fuck you, hyung! I told you I’d win!” Taehyung shouts jovially.

“Yeah whatever, brat! I’m definitely winning next time.” they both get up and stretch before informing both of you that they think they’ll call it a night. The rest of the boys agree and gather their stuff to head out. You hate to say it, but you couldn’t be happier that everyone’s finally leaving. Jungkook lifts you off his lap gently and to your horror, you can already see a damp spot forming on his sweats. He smirks and winks at you while he kindly escorts everyone out. Once the last person is gone and the door is closed and locked, he turns around and tells you to come here. You scamper over to him in a haste and attach your lips to his in an instant. He laughs at your neediness and backs you slowly to the couch. He sits down and puts you in his lap again while you both make out as if you’ve been deprived of each other. He grips your hips and grinds you against his erection that’s been straining against his pants for the better part of half an hour.

“My poor baby, was I too mean today?” he asks as he kisses down your neck and jaw.

“Mhm, I’ve been a good girl all day just like you said and you don’t even care.” you whine. He lifts his head and cups your face.

“Of course I care, baby. I’m so proud of you for being so good today. You want daddy to take care of you now, don’t you?” he says gently. It looks like you’re not the only one that fell into a bit of a headspace. You’re very aware that when Jungkook starts referring to himself as daddy that he’s already taken a dominant position. Meaning he’ll take very little shit from you. Not that you felt like being bratty today anyway. Good girls get rewarded and that’s exactly what you intend to receive. You nod and grind against him faster in hopes he’ll get the hint that you want him now. As always, he quickly understands and starts ridding himself of his shirt as you take off yours. Seeing all of his tattoos always does things to you. Especially the small bouquet of black roses he got for you. You still can’t believe he would get something so permanent on his body just for you but he was adamant that you were the love of his life. The memory made you emotional as you started to tear up slightly. You’re going to have to ask Hoseok what the hell was in that strain to make you so sensitive to literally everything. Jungkook stops unclipping your bra as soon as he sees your eyes well up.

His hands are right back to their position on your face. “Woah, what happened love? Are you ok?” you wipe your eyes and giggle bashfully and explain why you got so worked up. He smiled and kissed you softly.

“You know I love you, right? You’re so fucking cute. I love you so much.” he says as he leans his forehead on yours. Weed makes both of you so sappy. You can’t even find it in yourself to care as you bring him into another kiss. He continues to take off your bra and starts kneading your breasts in his hands. The action makes you whine and pull away from him.

“Daddy, I wanna cum now. Please?”

He chuckles and lifts you off of him to strip your leggings. His fingers trace over the damp spot of your panties and he pulls them back to see how wet they’ve gotten.

“My little girl completely soaked through these. Needy baby. If you wanted it so bad why couldn’t you just do it yourself, huh?”

“B-because I wanted to be good. M’ a good girl right?” his words confused you. Why would you take care of yourself when he does it so much better. Plus, wouldn’t he just punish you anyway?

“I know baby, you are a good girl. Besides, those tiny little fingers would just frustrate you wouldn't they? You need daddy to cum ‘cause my dumb babygirl can’t do anything by herself, can she?” his words make your lip tremble as you nod dumbly. He’s right! You couldn’t possibly do something like that by yourself. Only he can make you feel like this.

He smiles as you agree with no hesitation and pecks all around your face. This is your favorite place to be in. In his arms waiting for his instruction. Taking the lead is fun every once and awhile but being stupid and pliant is far more your speed. He makes you feel safe and adored. He makes you feel good.

His fingers swirl around your covered clit as you moan into his mouth. Your little noises and the feeling of his fingers getting slicker is making him painfully hard and he, too is getting impatient. He wiggles his hips and slides his sweats down to reveal to you that he’s been walking around with no underwear on. He’s been completely hard with no barrier other than his sweats. You feel like you could bust right then and there. As soon as you see his cock, you lick your hand and start stroking it slowly. Jungkook hisses and throws his head back.

“Little girl...don’t play with me right now…” you heed his warning and scramble to take off your panties so you can get him inside you as fast as possible. This is what you’ve been waiting for, and you’ll be damned if you fuck it up now. He steadies you as you prepare to sink down on him and he kisses you gently. The way he’s filling you is intoxicating.

“Fuck, this little cunt was made for me wasn’t it? My baby’s so perfect for me.” his words make you tremble. You both moan breathily once he’s bottomed out inside you. You grind back and forth slowly as you try to adjust to his length. Jungkook however, is just as impatient as you are. He halts your movements to grip your hips and lift you almost completely off of him and slam you back down. You gasp as he sets a pace for you quickly. Your walls clench as he groans out praises of how good you feel and how much he loves being with you like this. In his lap, bouncing on top of him, whining into his neck. He couldn't think of a better place to be. His hands slide down to your ass and grips it as he bounces you even faster. You moan loudly and bite on his shoulder in fear of getting another noise complaint from the neighbors.

“D-Daddy? M’ close. So so so so so close daddy please fuck!” your words are slurred since you literally cannot think properly. He laughs breathily. “I know baby, you feel so good. Fuck I wanna pump you full of my cum. Wanna get you pregnant.” his words only make you moan louder.

“Oh you like that? You like when I talk about filling your cute tummy with my cum? You want my babies, little girl? Hm?” your head bobs up and down as you nod. “Yeah- mm yeah want it so bad daddy please cum in me. I wanna have your babies please Kookie please. Wanna cum wanna cum wanna cum!” you whine. Seeing how absolutely wrecked you are is only getting Jungkook closer and closer. You look completely and utterly fucked out. If his baby wants his cum that's exactly what she'll get.

“Shh precious I’m almost there. Daddy's got you I promise. Rub your pretty clit for me, I wanna see my baby cum ok?” you immediately obey and spit on your fingers before shoving your hand between you two. You rub your swollen clit with quick flicks to get you to cum faster. You just wanna make Jungkook happy. You wanna be his good girl.

It didn't take long for your hand coupled with his cock pounding into your g-spot to get you to cum hard on him. Your limbs spasm and your vision goes white while you distantly hear Jungkook's moaned praises. He cums in you not long after with a whine and keeps thrusting a few times so you can milk him for all he's worth. You both pant heavily as his arms wrap around you tightly, wanting to be as close as possible. He pecks your head repeatedly and buries his face in your hair.

“I love you ____.” he sighs. You giggle and sleepily look up at him. “I love you more.”

[rose2jam]

Why It Was Practically Inevitable That Severus Snape Would Join A Cult, an essay by Rose Jam

So, let’s talk about Cults. Disclaimer: This is just information I’ve gathered over the years from my personal fascination with religious cults.  I’m in no way an expert or a psychologist or whatever.  This is just my personal understanding from the research I’ve done.

A cult is started when a wildly charismatic Leader feels like they have a purpose, a higher calling, or a mission to be fulfilled (or they could also just be an egomaniac). Maybe they really do feel like what makes them special comes directly from a higher power, be that God, or the Heir of Slytherin, but either way, this person has a pathological need to be worshiped, and they need followers in order to do that.  

So, how does one obtain Followers easily? By finding the misunderstood misfits of society, and promising them something.  The people who feel like no one else understands them, or their ideologies.  But this Leader?  This Leader GETS IT, MAN! The Leader understands them perfectly, vindicates them, and makes them promises along the way.  Like, if they stick with the Leader, then not only will they finally be understood, but they themselves will also be revered.  That they will rise above all of the others who have put them down for so long, and will come out on top as a superior being.  

Any of this sounding familiar?

Charles Manson preyed on young people in the middle of the hippie movement, mostly women, who were feeling lost, lonely, and in need of guidance, or in terms of the men he recruited, seeking power over others.  Not all of these people were poor or helpless; some of them came from middle class, or even rich homes and families.  Yes, some of them came from broken homes, but all of them felt “broken” themselves, in some way. So Manson used their desires to have a family to draw them in.  He then used LSD and other drugs to keep them under his control, and he created a manipulative environment where the members of his “family” felt they could never leave him, and if they didn’t follow his commands, something horrible would happen to them.  I’m not going to go into full detail on the Manson Family Murders, but if you’re personally interested, check out the Podcast “Cults” on Spotify.

So back to basics, this Leader draws in Followers with flowery promises of community, power, family, or whatever.  But once the Leader has that following, the terror will begin.  Cult Leaders are usually master manipulators, and have completely brainwashed their followers into believing the “us vs them” mentality, that the outside world is evil, that the outside world will only harm them, that the outside world would never understand what they’re doing on the inside.  And that the Leader is the only one who knows the truth, so they better stick with him.  Or maybe the Leader has gaslit his followers so completely, that they become dependent on him for everything, to the point where they don’t know how they would possibly function without the Leader.  Or, the Leader has created an environment that’s so hostile, that Followers are too afraid of what might happen to them if they tried to leave, or didn’t do what the Leader commanded.  Typically, it’s a combination of all of the above.  Destructive cults will either hurt others outside of their circle (The Manson Family, Sect of Nacozari), harm themselves (Heaven’s Gate, The Ant Hill Kids), or both (The People’s Temple, Aum Sinrikyo).  

Now that I’ve laid this foundation, I’m going to tell you why it was practically inevitable that Severus Snape would join a cult.

Snape’s childhood ultimately laid the foundation for the mental state he would be in when he decided to join the Death Eaters.  He grew up in an abusive household, where his father, the muggle, had his magical wife so thoroughly whipped, that she couldn’t (or chose not to) use magic to defend herself, or her son (1).  Eileen had obviously told Severus about magic, about Hogwarts, about what a wonderful place it was, and what a wonderful gift magic could be.  Severus also watched as Tobias beat the magic out of her.  (I know it’s debated whether Tobias actually physically abused his family, but he certainly verbally/mentally/emotionally abused them, so the term “beat” could be used figuratively as well).  I don’t think it’s unreasonable to believe that Severus developed an extreme hatred of muggles with “burn the witch” mentalities from a very young age because of this.

Enter Lily, perhaps the only other magical person in his life besides his mother up to this point. He sees her using magic out in the open, perhaps recklessly, for fun, and he sees an opportunity to make a friend (and, admittedly, to be smarter than someone about something for a while). He was so eager to tell her all about magic, because getting to learn magic, and go to Hogwarts, has possibly been the only thing keeping him going in his young life.  And now he’s made a friend, a real friend who doesn’t think he’s weird because he’s magical.  Unlike Petunia, yet another muggle who makes fun of him for being weird (2). And Lily actually seems to like him back.  For a kid who probably hasn’t received a lot of affection in his life, this is monumental.  This friendship is everything.  Why wouldn’t he love her?

So the time finally comes to go to Hogwarts.  Severus gets to escape his abusive household, and finally has an opportunity to embrace magic for the first time in his life.  But almost immediately, he’s met with a hic-up.  Specifically, James Potter and Sirius Black.  So Severus is no longer facing abuse exclusively from muggles who think he’s weird, but now he’s also getting it from other magical people who think he’s weird (3).  And this started on the fucking TRAIN before he even GOT to Hogwarts. You can’t tell me that wouldn’t sour a kids dream right off the fucking bat.  And then, when he finally gets there, he’s separated from his only friend, by being sorted into different houses (4).  What a way for a life-long dream to be thoroughly dashed in less than 24 hours.

Let’s look at Snape’s Hogwarts experience.  He’s a good student, and he pours himself into learning as much magic as possible, and at being the best he can possibly be, probably motivated by a desire to be better than what his Father thinks possible.  During this time, he is regularly bullied and abused by the Marauders. Sometime before his 5th year, the Incident at the Shrieking Shack took place.  It definitely sucks to have been so thoroughly fucking duped, and put into a life-threatening situation involving a goddamn werewolf (5).  But perhaps even worse than that, the salt in the wound, was that no one fucking did anything about it (6).  He saw Sirius and James and Remus get out of that situation without facing any sort of proper punishment (as in, they all still stayed at the school as opposed to being expelled like they DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE BEEN (At least Sirius should have been)). Dumbledore was looking out for the Marauders, but no one was looking out for Severus.  On top of that, Severus isn’t allowed to TELL anyone about it, not even Lily.  So, he goes through what was possibly one of the most traumatic experiences of his life, and he can’t even tell anyone that it happened.

So, what sort of support system does Severus have during all this?  He has Lily, sure (who literally told him he should be GRATEFUL to James, one of his abusers).  But, what he really has, is Slytherin House (7). I’ll say it plainly: Severus was sorted into a house that was already full of existing cult members.  McGonagall says in Sorcerer’s Stone that “Your house will be like your family” (she at least says it in the movies, I’m too lazy to get up and reference my books rn lol).  So, Severus’ family, his support system, for 10 months out of every year, is a house that is already full to the brim with pureblood elitists with prejudiced ideals, who would absolutely vindicate Severus in his dislike for muggles.  As a kid first getting sorted into the house, it’s obviously not unreasonable to become friends with the people you’re literally living with.  His dorm mates became his family.  So, when his dorm mates started to become Death Eaters… This is headcanon, I fully admit, but like, fuck, Severus didn’t have a lot of friends, and was probably already drifting apart from Lily.  Do you really think he was going to tell the people he had to live with every single day, not to mention the only people that had been supporting him for years, to go fuck themselves for using Dark Magic?  Especially when he was probably feeling like he was on the verge of thinking that their rhetoric made some sense?

On to Snape’s Worst Memory (8).  At this point, he’s spent 5 years in Slytherin House, with fellow students who casually throw around the M word.  He gets attacked by James and Sirius, he’s practically defenseless, and then the girl who he’d considered his closest friend for so long… has to force herself not to smile when he’s thrown upside down and exposed to everyone on the grounds.  Sure, she was trying to defend him at first, but she also fucking nearly smiled at his humiliation, his pain, his abuse.  So he hurls the one word that he knows is going to cut the deepest, that will hopefully hurt her as badly as she has hurt him. And it works.

Severus had been beaten down his entire life.  By Muggles and Magic Folk alike.  And finally, he’s betrayed by Lily, his last lifeline to the light.  He betrayed her as well, of course.  But he did try to show remorse.  And she doesn’t forgive him (9), which was her prerogative, of course.  

So.  Who does he have left?

I’ve placed little (numbers) throughout my writing here.  Each of those numbers denote the specific events that led Severus to becoming an angry young man, who hates muggles, hates (some) magic folk, and resulted in him feeling weak, helpless, and desperate.  For what?  For power, for a family, for a community.  For a world where he is no longer the weird one.  For a world where he’s respected, strong.  For the world he thought he was going to be a part of, when he arrived at Hogwarts in his first year.

And it just so happens that this is the exact world that Voldemort is (allegedly) trying to create.

Severus Snape was angry, and vulnerable, and as such, he was practically the poster child for the type of person who would be susceptible to falling for a cult.  Maybe he was recruited by his friends in Slytherin House.  Maybe he was recruited directly.  Either way, charismatic Tom Riddle came along, understood how he felt, where he was coming from, told him he deserved better, and offered him all of the things he never had in his life.  And being at rock bottom, being the lowest of the low, to Severus it must have seemed like a miracle of an opportunity, or perhaps, like the only chance he had left.

Now, let me be extremely clear; everything I’ve written is not trying to EXCUSE Severus Snape for his actions.  There is always a point where personal responsibility must come into play.  Except for children born into cults or victims of kidnapping, nearly every person who has ever joined a cult has made the personal decision to join it. I’m just trying to express how unbelievably easy it is, for a Cult Leader to find people with damaged lives and low self-worth, to suck them in with promises of a fulfilling life and grandeur, and for those people to be easily swept up and brainwashed into believing that what they are doing is right.  (Or that what they are doing is required, because the alternative is more horrifying.)  

The type of people who joined the Death Eaters are the same type of people who joined Heaven’s Gate, or The People’s Temple, or yes, The Manson Family.  Now, I’m just going to say, from my own personal point of view, I do not vilify anyone who’s ever joined a destructive cult.  On the contrary, I feel sorry for them.  Because most people who join a cult, don’t necessarily do it signing up for the… end result of what happened to them.  Some of them totally do, like Heaven’s Gate. Most of them knew that the end result was going to be the “evacuation of their earthly vessel”.  But the people who joined the Manson Family, for instance, did not initially join it KNOWING how it was going to end.  They were part of the family long before Manson even came up with Helter Skelter, and by the time the Tate-LaBianca Murders took place, they were already too far gone to go against it.

I highly recommend anyone who’s interested in a humanizing view of former cult members, to read the essay “Leslie Van Houten: A Friendship” by John Waters. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leslie-van-houten-a-frien_b_246953

Or, at the very least, listen to this 7 minute NPR interview with John Waters about the essay https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111585116

It’s the story of how notorious film maker John Waters, became friends with former Manson Girl, Leslie Van Houten, and about how she broke away from the cult after her conviction, how she’s spent the last 51 years of her life recovering from the psychotic influence of a maniac who’d promised her the world, and how even though she was convicted to life WITH a possibility of parole, it’s never been granted to her, despite the fact that she has done literally everything possible to try and atone for her crimes.

Maybe I’m just a bleeding heart.  I’m pretty much the only person I know who feels sorry for Leslie Van Houten and other cult members who were brainwashed, abused, and manipulated into doing a lot of the horrible things they’ve done.  But there are people in the world, who have committed FAR more heinous crimes than the Manson Family murders, and who are far less repentant than Leslie, but because those crimes weren’t as notorious, they get to walk free.

Addendum: When I first posted this, I had a few people point out to me that they had always associated Voldemort and the Death Eaters with Hitler and Nazi Germany.  This is a perfectly fair point, but one that I personally don’t jive with, and the reason is simply the numbers.   There were literally millions of people in the Nazi party during WW2.   Death Eaters don’t even reach triple digits, as far as I’m aware.  As I hinted at in this essay, I consider Voldemort and the Death Eaters to be MUCH closer to Charles Manson and the Manson Family.  The Manson Family 100% had Nazi ideology, of course. "Helter Skelter” was Charles Manson’s prediction that there was going to be a massive race war; one that the Whites were going to lose, and that he and his Pure White family would emerge from it in order to rule over the remaining Blacks.  Kinda... sounds like a Death Eater thing, huh?

Sorry.  Back to Snape.  There is a lot we don’t know about Severus’ actual time as a Death Eater. I think it can be reasonably assumed he’s never actually killed anyone before Dumbledore (In Prince’s Tale, Severus questions if his soul would be safe from killing Dumbledore, and Dumbledore implies that his soul would not be damaged by helping an old man avoid pain and humiliation.  This leads me to believe that Severus never committed any soul-damaging murders before this).  Beyond being a sneaky spy and delivering the prophecy to Voldemort, his time as a Death Eater is all up for conjecture.  

Severus does make one important deviation from the typical cult member mold, however.  In the end, he manages to break away from the cult.  The scales fall from his eyes.  In a figurative sense, the LSD has worn off.  What made him sober up, was the threat to his last lifeline to the light. The one good fucking thing he’d ever had in his miserable life.  He was brought back by genuine love.  Ya know, the ENTIRE MESSAGE OF THE HP SERIES. And not only did he leave the cult, but he then spent the rest of his life actively attempting to destroy it, and atone for the mistakes he’s made, in an effort to bring back the world he’d been excited for, as an 11-year-old kid, so full of hope.

[linearao3]

BUFFYVERSE KANEJ?? PLEASE DO TELL (if you wish)!!!

So spoilers here for if I ever do write this, obviously.

*deep breath*

Okay so Bombastique deserves at least half the credit for the concepts here, because this is all born of her bullshitting with me in her DMs on twitter. Initially we were joking about this as a crossover with my Reylo/Buffverse fusion, In All the World, and then it kind of slipped free. But anyway there are two versions of this. They both begin in the same place: Alina Starkov was the Slayer; she died (“died”) and the call passed to Zoya. But it was very convenient, that passing, very handy that it went to someone in the same place, dedicated to fighting the same enemy. (That would be the Darkling, of course, probably in DC? Just because I don’t know shit about Moscow.) Meanwhile, up in the Greater New York area, there’s a girl who’s quite fast and quite strong but not like… supernaturally fast or strong. And there’s a young man whose brother was killed by vampires, who’s dedicated his life to learning everything he can about the supernatural. He could have been a Watcher, but Watchers have to listen to the Watchers’ Council, and they’re meant to watch over Slayers, not pursue personal vengeance quests, so he took a pass. And the young woman, Inej, she’s not a Slayer, but all his self-taught magic suggests that there’s something about her. He, Kaz, recruits her into his pursuit of occult knowledge and amateur vampire slaying. They get to be… friends? Comrades? Something else?

But there’s someone watching from the shadows. Heleen is a Watcher, assigned to observe Inej, because the Council knows Inej has the potential to become a Slayer. Heleen, who is very ambitious, delved into dark magic and discovered that it was Inej who was meant to follow Alina in the Slayer line of succession, but Alina and Zoya diverted the line to defeat the Darkling and his apocalypse. The transfer of the call to Zoya took away Heleen’s chance to be the Slayer’s Watcher, a position she had great plans for. Since she’s been cheated of that, she resolves to get some of her own back by kidnapping Inej and sacrificing her in a demonic ritual, since there’s still magical potential in her.

Here’s where things diverge.

In one version, Inej gets away, but runs straight into a gang of vampires who’ve come looking for Kaz. They turn her, and leave her, assuming she’ll kill Kaz when she rises. But they don’t know that she was a potential Slayer, and that because of that, the demon fits badly inside her. When she rises, rather than try to kill Kaz, she tries to kill herself. He stops her with a binding spell. She hates her demonic nature, but as a vampire, she’s now almost as strong as a Slayer, and Kaz convinces her to essentially become one, with him as her Watcher. When she gets too hungry, he lets her feed on him. Does this activate his phobia? Yes. Is it also sort of intimate and a little sexy? Yes. Heleen and associated demons are probably the principal bad guys in this one, with the Watchers’ Council playing a substantial role.

In the other version, before Heleen captures her, Inej makes the horrible discovery that her friend is now a vampire. Running from him in terror, she runs right into the clutches of Heleen, who goes to sacrifice her. Kaz interrupts the ritual and saves Inej. He offers to make Inej a vampire too, but she’s not having it. She assumes he’ll kill her, but instead he keeps her alive, telling her that if she stays with him, he’ll eat hedge fund managers, and if she goes, he’ll eat runaway teens. So it’s really up to her who dies, isn’t it? In this version, the main antagonists are Pekka Rollins, local vampire lord and killer of Kaz’s brother, and Kaz himself, as he makes himself his own little vampire kingdom while Inej struggles to find a way to recover his soul. (Though if she does, what then?)

Obviously these are very rough sketches, and don’t have proper plots. Both of them probably have to do with the theme of not being the chosen one, being the people who are overlooked and unmythologized, who have no resources and have to fight for everything they get. Getting the other Crows in there is tricky, though I have ideas; not just repeating the plot of In All the World is tricky.

Anyway, sorry for being slow to answer this. But perhaps you needed a brief distraction from how rotten things are and I hope I could provide that.