#shyan fic

[useyourglutes]

i'm going back and re-reading all the fics i've posted on ao3 cuz i second guess myself but like, WHY AM I LOWKEY EATING WITH THESE??? HOLY SHIT THE 4AM FUMES MADE ME MODERN FUCKING SHAKESPEARE BRO

[skepticbeliever-bookclub]

Shippers & Readers, we're at it again

Ever wonder about the fics that don’t make it through the final round of voting for the bi-weekly read in the book club? You’re in luck!

The book club is structured so that we solicit nominations from our members, either based on a theme or a trope or simply a request for their favorites, and develop a list of ten nominations, which are then narrowed down to a top three. The top three fics end up in our weekend vote and the winner of that vote becomes our book club fic for that week.

This week was us overlooking the broad landscape of the middle of March where once upon a time, many of us looked forward to a little reprieve within the scope of Spring Break and all the fun times it entails. The request to our members was a return to a theme that once gave us a really fun banger of a read. Drunk in Love. We wanted shyan tipsy and confessing. Of our titles with this theme, we had two runners-up and we just want to highlight them.

Three Many Spirits - fullofbees

Please drink responsibly.

Bad Ideas - Fraudgara

Shane’s fingers curled tighter so he would stop shaking. Ryan pulled away, drew back slowly, and pushed Shane’s hands back, off his hips gently. “Baaaad idea,” he mumbled, licking his lips and shutting his eyes as he extricated himself. “This is a bad idea.” Ryan didn’t get it, and Shane was left behind in a moment, trying to figure out in a drunken stupor, how best to tell Ryan that those were the ideas Shane liked the most.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT DISCUSSION? CHECK OUT THE FAQ, AND SEND US AN ASK! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR FIC RECS, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR READS, NOMINEES AND BOOK CLUB REC LISTS!

[thehauntedinfirmary]

Fic Rec Friday Edition 24

Welcome to Fic Rec Friday! We're in the mood for some longfics for this cozy December evening, so settle in and read along!

Hell for the Holidays by ma_malice Complete | 23k words

“There will be no sacrifice,” Shane said for the third time since they’d landed in Illinois. “Not so much as a chicken. Stop being weird.” Shane takes Ryan home for the holidays. It goes about as well as you’d expect.

Santa Daddies by drunkkenobi Complete | 3k words

“I really think we should just tell her,” Shane argued. “Kids find out anyway, might as well have our girl be ahead of the class.” “Shane, she’s three!” Ryan shot back. “All kids should believe in Santa at three!” Or: Ryan and Shane vs The Santa Problem

The Young and the Hopeless by mccxxvi Complete | 54k words

He lifted the towel to wipe his small mirror, when he saw it. There was writing on the mirror, a single word wiped into the condensation, written with a finger, a set of tidy, straight letters. Alexander. Ryan almost screamed. The ghost wanted Ryan to find his murderer and bring him to the light. Alexander must have been whoever murdered him. Ryan sighed, resigned to be the detective responsible for it. “Fine, I’ll find this Alexander you want. But I don’t know what to do afterwards,” he said to his empty room. A 1960s Professor!Shane/PhDstudent!Ryan gothic novel flavored AU fic, because i know a market gap when i see one.

A Ghoul's Guide to Life, Death & Afterliving by MercurySkies Complete | 70k words

'Shane was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that, to quote ‘the’ Charles Dickens with an emphasis on the 'dick'. They didn’t tell you the great Victorian novelist was also a grade A asshole in high school but then again what do they tell you in high school? Shane Madej was dead, as dead as one disembodied soul standing seemingly above his own corpse probably can be.'

The Last Days Of The Bergara Gang by PhyllisDietrichson Complete | 41k words

“Plus,” and he smiles with all of his white teeth, “if we’d left you there much longer to cardsharp that crew, likely your night would have ended with a knife to the throat.” He reaches out as if to graze his fingers over Shane’s clavicle, then remembers himself at the last minute. His hand hovers in the air. “And what a shame it would be, to mar that throat.” “Do you—what do you want, Bergara?” Shane stammers out. He winces at the waver in his voice. “You,” he responds, his eyes sweeping up to meet him with a gaze that pierces Shane between the ribs.

hey boy, take a look at me by weakspots Complete | 18k words

Ryan is 27, for Christ’s sake, and he’s not exactly hideous, so there’s really no reason to spend his money on a dude — a dude — whose face he’ll never see but whose livestreams he’s been jerking off to for roughly 4 months now. He should be going out and partying and fucking random chicks. Or a guy, whatever, just to get it out of his system and confirm to himself that he really is 100% straight. Because he is. This is morbid curiosity, if anything.

Whatever The Opposite Of Lesbian Sheep Syndrome Is by orphan_account Complete | 9k words

Shane was the one who kissed, not the one who was kissed. Shane was the one who did the holding, not the one who was held, and that was fine.

made it so far in time by addandsubtract Complete | 12k words

“I’m, uh. I’m pretty sure the you I’m friends with is older,” Ryan says, and then winces.

use somebody by bodhirookes Complete | 10k words

“You’re the most obnoxious person I’ve ever met,” Shane says over the sound of Ryan’s workout noises, which are equal parts distracting and hideous. “Why can’t you just be a lazy asshole like the rest of us?” “I have a figure and reputation to maintain,” Ryan grits out, not even pausing to look at him. “Can’t be a big, bad ghost hunter without my guns.” Or, Shane has a thing for Ryan's muscles and Ryan has a thing for Shane having a thing.

a child's answer by deerie Complete | 2k words

“You know, it’s kind of sad about the Queen Mary,” Ryan says as they make their way to the mess hall. “That’s where I saw a ghost for the first time.” Shane stares at him incredulously. Ryan can tell that he wants to say something, but is refraining. He’ll have to find the video of the tube of toothpaste being knocked off the counter as proof to show Shane. Ryan remembers the panic he felt in that moment: the revelation that something existed outside of the realm of what he understood. It’s the same feeling that he had when the Kaiju first appeared, thrashing and tearing and ripping buildings and bridges to shreds.

A Symptom of Time by fightingfuries WIP | 12k words

"Sure," Shane says easily like he doesn't believe Ryan for a second. "You're living out the plot of the 1993 Bill Murray vehicle Groundhog Day. Now where does the kissing factor in, exactly?" "You were all like 'I'm Shane, I don't believe in magic but you should find a tall brunette to kiss.’" Shane laughs again, helplessly. "I'm the tall brunette? I obviously meant Andie McDowell." He catches himself. "If I had said that, which I didn't, because time loops aren't real."

Want to learn more about The Haunted Infirmary? Check out our pinned post!

[fic-recommended]

Shyan Fics

I’ll Crawl Home – carrieonfighting

(16,024 words / 6 chapters / Teen and up)

Tags: Demon!Shane, Angst, Non-Linear Narrative, bc im PRETENTIOUS, Protective!Shane

"Shane was almost unnerved by how quickly he’d settled into this body, this name, this life - his friendship with Ryan was the most time he’d spent with any human before, and yet the man fascinated him."

Wow. That’s all I gotta say. I started reading Shane/Ryan fic because I had a weird dream and went looking for comfort fic to ease the edges of my mind. I stumbled upon this fic and was so fucking blown away. I was drawn in because of the demon!Shane tag and the way this story is charted out is insane. It’s nonlinear (there is a liner version tho I’m strongly against it). Just ohmygod read this fic it’s insane and hurts so good.

I’m Gonna Keep You in Love with Me (for a While) – beethechange

(21,847 words / 1 chapter / Explicit)

Tags: fake married, also real married, friends to husbands to lovers to ???, Las Vegas Wedding, possible dubious consent due to alcohol consumption, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, Oral Sex, Rimming, just assume most of the kinds of sex are present here, probably more Celine Dion than you were hoping for, they say "fuck" a lot, also "dude" but I don't make the rules okay, Bedsharing

Shane is pacing around the hotel room. It’s not a huge room and Shane’s legs are long enough that he doesn’t have much real estate to pace before he has to swing back around for another loop.

“Can you stop?” Ryan asks. “You’re making me dizzy.”

“Okay,” Shane says finally. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re just going to—we’re going to be married. The only way out is through.”

“Um,” Ryan says, because this plan strikes him as counterproductive to their shared goal of not being married.

To me there are the big two when thinking of Shane/Ryan fics. That is to say the others aren’t amazing but two gutted me in a way I was not expecting from I ship I don’t even ship. This is one of the two and fucks sake it hurts me but in a way I really like and neeeeeded. (The other is the one above this)

Muscles Better and Nerves More – beethechange

(26,301 words / 1 chapter / Explicit)

Tags: Bodyswap, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Getting Together, First Time, Pining, Slow Burn, Masturbation, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering, Body Horror, Rituals, Swearing, Sexy Shame

“I’m serious,” Ryan says. “Don’t go fucking up my body. I want that shit back in the same condition I left it.”

“The same condition—Ryan. I’m not spending hours in a gym every day so you don’t lose muscle mass.”

“I want you to treat my body with the respect you would a national park. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.”

***

A certain meddling Voodoo Queen of New Orleans thinks Ryan and Shane need some new perspective on life. After an inadvisable ritual deposits Ryan in Shane’s body, and Shane in Ryan’s, the ghoulboys pursue some soul-searching and self-discovery to put things right. Sometimes in a sexy way.

I have found out while reading this fic that I am also a sucker for bodyswap!au. Something about learning to love someone completely while seeing (and being lmao) all of them is so intimate and endearing to me. Plus there’s dumplings in this fic and that is just sweet sweet poetry.

If you can find a way to love me, it’s all right – varnes

(11,232 words / 1 chapter / Teen and up)

Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Psychic Ryan

When Ryan was a kid, he fell into a pile of bricks. They were playing hide and seek, and he thought he had the best hiding spot: high up in a thickly lush tree, his knees drawn to his chest so that he’d blend in. But the branch broke. He hit his head and doesn’t remember much of what happened after that. When he woke up a few hours later, the sun was setting, and his friends were gone, and his parents were calling for him, their flashlights swinging across the grass. There’d been blood on his bangs.

Anyway, now he can see ghosts.

Kind of.

Look, he’s not great at it.

--

Or: Ryan, personally, has three lists: “NICE GHOSTS,” “GHOSTS I DON’T FUCK WITH,” and, “IDK, SPOOKY STUFF.”

Oh my goddddd this fic is so sweet and so owie. At first I was skeptical because the fanon is that Shane can see demons or ghosts or whatever. But having it be Ryan???? So owie in such a good way. Other then this fic being the masterpiece that it is, I’m going to convince you with one sentence: Ryan has a cat with a ghost in it that demands Taco Bell. That’s it baybee. Read it or you’ll regret itttt.

BFFS Get Married For A Week – Ryan and Shane – aspookycryptidsock

(18,108 words / 8 chapters / Explicit)

Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fake Marriage, Friends to Lovers, Oral Sex, Hand Jobs, Pining, Mutual Pining

"As I was saying," Curly continues with a pointed glare in Ryan's direction. "It's my honor to join the two of you in unholy matrimony. The rules are simple, you'll live together, plan one date each, and cherish each other. Til week do you part."

I first read this fic years and years ago. I don’t know how it happened but me and my best friend found it while being at a library and we went feral reading it before their mom picked us up. It’s my origin story to the ship. This fic is my first love and my baby gorl. Shane is intense in a way I lovelovelove. Ryan is dumber then a pile a bricks amen.

Body Farming – shiphitsthefan

(7,251 words / 1 chapter / Explicit)

Tags: Season/Series 04, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Shane Madej, Protective Shane Madej, Omega Ryan Bergara, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mutual Pining, Scenting, Multiple Orgasms, Knotting, Daddy Kink, Size Kink, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Filth with Feelings, Community: bfukinkmeme, Multisex Omega

Failed suppressants and a surprise heat: the worst of cliches, and here Ryan stands, living the trope on location with the alpha he’s hopelessly in love with. Even worse, they’re spending the night in the famous Bell Witch Cave, completely alone and with no way to contact the outside world.

Ryan knows he can survive and keep his preheat a secret, as long as Shane will stop being so protective and concerned. After all, it’s not like Shane wants to bond with him.

Right?

Your honor I’d like to state my case by saying being horny on main is bc I’m silly goofy and I never meant no harm. ABO fuck or die in a cave? Fuccck kkkk y e aaaa

Por Favor, Sweetheart – carrieonfighting

(7,859 words / 1 chapter / Teen and up)

Tags: Kid Fic, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Accidental Baby Acquisition, ryan dadgara, and shane dadej, Original Baby Character - Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, You Have Been Warned

Two dorks raise a baby and don't even realise they're doing it together until it's too late

Alternatively, Ryan Bergara is Trying His Best Thanks

Ryan gains custody of a baby and is strugggglinnnggg until a Sasquatch comes and helps <3. Ain’t nothing says romance baybeee then an actual baby.

daring it’s a faded notion – varnes

(28,760 words / 5 chapters / Explicit)

Tags: Paranormal shenanigans, y'all remember that trope where people can't be more than 5 feet apart without Suffering?

The sun is too bright and Ryan’s whole body is alight with something that is eating him all the way up from the inside out, but he keeps his eyes open and he makes himself look, and he tells himself that once he finds Shane, he’ll think about it. Once he finds Shane, they’ll make a plan. Once he finds Shane, and only then, he’ll let himself have the thought he’s been swallowing down like bile since he came to: that they didn’t fall.

They were pushed.

OR: Ryan and Shane get cursed by a ghost, and now they can't be not-touching. It's ... not great.

Ghosties don’t like the no homo and said ummm yeeeeet!!! Into the Grand Canyon then the ghoul boys kiss???? Makes me go hubba hubba

Collide - needywitch

(35,310 words / 2 chapters / Explicit)

Tags: Pining, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending, Getting Together, Falling In Love, Biting, First Time, Dirty Talk, Love Confessions, Rough Sex, Shane Madej Has a Big Dick

Ryan is desperately in love with his best friend.

Owieeeeeee. This one made me cryyyy. The prose of this fic along with a healthy usage of the word jaunty made this fic deeply emotional as well as made me want to cry when they kissed. Very excellent

A Perfect Piece of Ass, Like Every Californian - beethechange

(25,706 words / 3 chapters / Explicit)

Tags: entirely self-indulgent PWP, smut with feelings, Threesome, Birthday Sex, Oral Sex, lotta ball stuff here folks, so i hope you like balls, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Sexy Air Traffic Conducting, Vaginal Sex, Voyeurism

“Happy birthday, Shane,” Sara says. “I got you a Ryan.”

“Th—thanks?” Shane says. He looks at Ryan and Ryan just looks back, weirdly impassive, giving nothing away. “But I’m pretty sure I already have a Ryan in this model. What’s the return policy?”

“Not like this, you don’t,” she says, raising her eyebrows meaningfully. Out of the corner of his eye Shane can see Ryan bring his hand to his mouth, stifling a snicker that he turns into a cough. Oh, he thinks.

Oh shit.

I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that this fic is morally correct but Shane/Sara/Ryan fic is what I needed and it blew me away and it is the best smut thank you goodnight

[sequencefairy]

Fandom Trumps Hate Bidding is LIVE

Bidding runs 5th March 8am EST to 9th March 8 pm EST!

@fandomtrumpshate is an online multi-fandom auction that benefits a lot of progressive non-profit organizations! Fans 'bid' to donate directly to a listed charity and the winning bidder receives a thank you gift for their donation in the form of the personalized fan work- You can read about exactly how it works HERE and see the FULL LIST OF NON-PROFITS!

And this year! This year! There are two people offering to write in the shyan space, my beloveds!

@mephsation (quackers on ao3) is offering: Shyan, up to E rating, no upper word count limit, Monster/Fantasy AUs, Romance, Slice of Life, Fight Scenes. They enjoy world building and the Grand Reveal. And vampires. They are interested in F/F ships, Poly ships, Genderswap/genderbending, Canonically trans or nonbinary characters, Trans or nonbinary interpretations of canon characters, Unhappy endings, Ambiguous endings, various kinks and other assorted goodies.

BID HERE

@sequencefairy (sequence_fairy on ao3) is offering: Shyan, up to E rating, 20k upper word limit, forced intimacy tropes, idiots to lovers, pining (both mutual and unrequited), and complicated relationships between adults, AU settings. Interested in F/F ships, Poly ships, Unhappy endings, Ambiguous endings.

BID HERE

[themouthking]

Smoke and Mirrors is a completed work.

My cowriter @tripwirealarm, a human who is not myself, and I would like to say thank you to those who've been following along and leaving comments along the way. We hope you enjoy the last chapter!

I'll speak for myself and say, it's really been meaningful for me to see folks sharing about what this story means to them. In the end, we wrote this for us, because it was what we wanted to read, but I'm glad to see it was something y'all wanted to read, too.

Without further a-boo, read chapter 14 HERE.

Or go back to the start with chapter 1 HERE.

[i-sinks-with-my-ships]

Dear fic-finders on Tumblr, please help me find this #shyan fic. I remember reading it not too long ago and I'm pretty sure I must have bookmarked it. So, there is a chance that it might be deleted. (Hopefully not.) I'll try and explain it as best as I can - English is not my main language. I also want to say beforehand that the fic was pretty explicit. It was taking place in the Watcher office. Ryan and Shane had this tension between them, it was mostly written from Shane's point. Anyway, there was a meeting about sponsorship from Scentbird, I think. (Probably not an old fic.) Shane was miserable and he was extremely jealous every time the sponsor guy and Ryan interacted. He was pretty passive-aggressive and closed off during the meeting. After the meeting, Ryan confronted him and they had a fight. Then, there were sex scenes and lots of possessive dirty talk. I remember every detail almost, I didn't do it justice while describing it but the fic was so well-written. I went through all of my bookmarks and main tag but I couldn't find it. If anyone could help, that'd be great!

[chumpacabra]

Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 10!

This chapter is spicy as hell. Be warned. Don't be reading this at work.

Read chapter 10 here!

[watchermade]

the artful act of no homo

author: watchermade

rated: E

words: 22k

relationships: Ryan/Shane

summary:

The end result of a breakup usually stems from falling out of love with your significant other, but there are rare occasions… and well Shane’s rare occasion is when his now ex-girlfriend is moving across the country, he came out as bisexual at the ripe age of 37 because of his midwestern repression, and bumping into his best friend, business partner, and no homo extraordinaire at a gay bar on a Friday night with his ex-girlfriend playing as his wingwoman.

read on ao3

[mastershearts]

And then something came out of the flames. He could feel it, could hear it, the otherworldly growl, the steps on the pentagram, towards him. The- the shuffle of hooves and then- “Well, this is real awkward, I gotta say.” Ryan’s breath hitched. He hesitated for a moment, then blinked one eye open. Spotted a familiar shape amongst the flames and opened the other too. “Shane?”

While investigating a location on his own, Ryan ends up in the hands of a cult and is supposed to be sacrificed to a demon. As it turns out, the demon in question had called in sick two days prior, to tell Ryan he'd have to go ghost haunting alone. "Important family obligation" his ass.

[skepticbeliever-bookclub]

Hello once again shippers & readers

As we wind down the month of January and have rung in the new year, we wanted to take a look at some fics deserving of a little attention. This round we asked our members to nominate any fic they'd love to read with under 300 kudos, and we landed on a fic set in a universe paralleling our own in a number of ways in Say You Want Me, Too by sequence_fairy

As a group, we loved the author's choice of style and unflinching look at what love and growth can do to two young people under the public eye

Rating: M

Summary:

It’s too easy, Shane thinks, to love Ryan; too easy to get caught up in the swirl and eddy of the light he projects. Too easy to lose yourself in the whirlwind of an A-list romance. Too easy to fall for who someone is on the red carpet and to find out they’re not at all the person you thought. Ryan’s not like that, though. He’s hard-working, dedicated, and devoted to his craft. Shane loves him for that and more. Loves him for the way Ryan reaches out when they’re on the red carpet and the crush of people is too intense, loves him for the way Ryan redirects the far-too-personal questions that get hurled their way when they come out into the spotlight for real. Where Shane’s career is mowing along at a steady clip, Ryan’s is a rocket rising up out of the desert. Shane knows the saying about tides, but more than anything, he just wants Ryan to succeed, and he’s thrilled to death by the meteoric lift of Ryan’s star.

Sometimes, you fall in love and it's just not the right time. Sometimes, you get a second chance.

Book Club Thoughts

it’s such a gorgeously written fic, so much story packed into a shockingly low word count I deeply love this so much, I love how free of dialogue it is, I love thr prose, I love the flow and the way it skips through time and its so romantic I could die. i think the thing that stuck with me the most was the pov. kind of…separate, chilly, almost, like it was written by an entertainment journalist I also love how [the author] write[s] them as complex characters like everyone here has depth my favorite thing about the ending is the privacy. just like with the marriage the first time around, they do without the publicity the second time. eventually, they just stop trying to hide it, but it still feels like it will be different, how much they let the public in. i just love how they are constantly revolving around each other in this and we know it's inevitable but they don't and that's why they're stupid The structure of this is so good. We know the inevitability of their divorce, the inescapable pain of their separation. We know that neither of them will find happiness with others, and it hurts. We ache for the promised happy ending as the years go by. And the whole thing is told so calmly, all we can do is be carried forward by the story, just like them.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT DISCUSSION? CHECK OUT THE FAQ, AND SEND US AN ASK! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR FIC RECS, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR READS, NOMINEES AND BOOK CLUB REC LISTS!

[thehauntedinfirmary]

Fic Rec Friday Edition 32

Welcome to Fic Rec Friday! With this series, we're aiming to make a contribution to fic reading and engagement within the Shyan fandom by publishing a periodic recs list containing fics selected by our members. So sit back with a tasty beverage of your choice and welcome in the weekend with this week's selection - and feel free to like and reblog this post to spread the word!

Light My Way by breathtaken Complete | 31k words

He remembers Ryan in his body, Ryan in his head, and he doesn’t know any spells to help him get over that.

open all your doors by apologeticallybourgeois Complete | 8k words

Shane was almost sure that Ryan didn’t actually cast a spell for it to happen, if only because the price he’d have to pay would probably be counted in, like, human limbs instead of a couple of small animals.

The Genius of the Western River by Siria Complete | 14k words

Shane’s totally working on being flippant about all those times he joked about Ryan’s godlike physique, never suspecting how true those jokes might be—the two of them just have to defeat a supernatural serial killer first. (A Rivers of London fusion AU.)

Your Heart Inside of Mine by MiraclesofPaul Complete | 51k words

They're placed into the Witness Protection Program after a bomb was found on the set of Unsolved. The only way to stick together is to lie and say they’re engaged. Years go by. Things change. Things transform.

Dancing With A Stranger by breathtaken WIP | 20k words

“I find myself in need of a private investigator.” Ryan almost laughs. If their positions were reversed, he doesn’t think he would have come here if Shane were the last private investigator in Los Angeles.

waiting for the sunlight by sarcasticfishes Complete | 18k words

Sara had always known, growing up as both an only child and a princess, that she would likely not marry for love.

accidentally, the whole thing by Matriaya Complete | 5k words

Shane knows it’s illogical, that there are twenty thousand other explanations for the noise Ryan made and the way the sound of shifting fabric is now issuing out of his phone’s speaker. He sucks in a breath as he tries to parse what to do next, but it evaporates in his lungs when he hears it. His own name. “Shane.”

it was all by design (cause i’m a mastermind) by Anonymous Complete | 7k words

His connection with Shane is something he can’t ignore or deny, which only means one thing: Ryan has to go out of his way to make this guy a permanent part of his life.

My Heart's a Honeytone by Anonymous Complete | 7k words

Shane is in quite the predicament. Upon consulting new evidence, it turns out that ghosts are totally real. Also, he was in a devastating car accident and never told Ryan how he feels and now it's too late, but holy shit, ghosts are real. He's gotta at least find a way to tell Ryan that.

Want to learn more about The Haunted Infirmary? Check out our pinned post!

[ananimice]

it isn't me

Ryan awoke with a start, gasping. He sat up and reached over to click on the lantern, eyes scanning the tent quickly. Everything was where it had been when they'd turned the light out. Shane was tucked into the sleeping bag next to him, lashes fanned against his cheeks as he dozed. Ryan watched his chest rise and his breath leave in a light steam from his slightly parted lips.

Fuck it was cold.

The man sighed and pulled his coat tighter around him, rubbing his hands together. Whatever had woken him up still had his heart pounding, but the sleep in his mind was slowly pulling him back into relaxation. He scanned the tent one more time, not so much as a bug catching his eye, before sliding back into the welcoming warmth of his cocoon of blankets. His eyes slid closed and he took a deep, steadying breath.

Then he heard it. A piercing wail in the night, clearly bovine. It reminded Ryan of the way a cow would cry after losing her baby. This time, he heard the horses shuffle and wicker nearby, like they were getting anxious. 

His initial freeze of terror led him to sitting back up, throat clicking with a dry swallow. He nudged Shane.

“Sh.. Shane,” Ryan said softly. Shane’s eyes tightened and he frowned slightly, rolling away further. Ryan bit his lip and shook him this time, making him grumble and open an eye partially to look at his partner. “Something's not right,” Ryan said quietly, pleading. “I heard one of the cattle scream.” Shane snorted and tucked himself in further.

“Well get your gun and go. Prolly a wolf.” he muttered. Ryan swallowed again and looked over at the rifles along the side of the tent. He sat a second, then heard the crying sound again. 

With a sigh and a nod, he grabbed the gun that had slowly become a familiar weight in his hand. He still had yet to actually hit anything with it, but the shooting lessons were getting him used to the kickback at least. If anything, it would scare a wolf off at the very least.

He stumbled out of the tent in his long johns, zipping it up after him in a practiced movement. Moonlight bathed the field, illuminating everything in front of him. The horses remained hitched nearby, eyeing and huffing at Ryan as he had appeared. The cattle, as usual, remained down the hill in their great huddle. The man stood at the top of the hill, looking over them. He was tempted to say he didn't see anything and crawl back into the tent, back into the safety of his blankets and Shane. 

It still felt stupid to rely on him like that, but it was getting easier.

The cold began creeping into his jacket and he huffed, steam escaping him. “God, fuck this,” he muttered, holding the rifle sideways in front of him and beginning his descent to the herd.

He didn't hear the scream again, which would have made him think he was imagining things if the cattle hadn't begun fidgeting. They bayed and stomped in their huddle as Ryan approached, but parted easily as the man whistled to scatter them and walked into the crowd.

He kept his eyes moving as he walked slowly, counting and making sure he could see each cow he passed well enough to determine they were fine. As the number rose, and the cold sunk into his fingertips, he found himself getting annoyed. It was always like him to get freaked out over nothing. Coming to the mountains had been a dumbass decision on his part, like he didn't have enough problems in his life without-

The last of the herd took off, leaving Ryan about ten yards from something flopped in the long grass. Steam billowed off of it in the frozen air. Ryan was stock still, listening intently to the distinct sound of… squelching. The mass - a cow, apparently - shuddered, a low pitiful groan escaping it.

Something growled and Ryan heard snapping, like sticks breaking, followed by a disgusting barrage of wet. He felt bile rise in his throat as the comparison to raw beef being pulverized came to mind.

Slowly, carefully, he raised his rifle against his shoulder and stepped closer. It was too late for this cow, but he could take out the predator if he didn't spook it.

Tense moments passed as he willed his breathing to remain steady, the chill of the air and adrenaline making his arms ache and shudder lightly.

Eight yards, then six. He swallowed hard and cocked his gun.

The creature tearing into the bovine froze. He closed his eyes hard once then opened them again, chastising the way he should have readied the rifle before he'd even descended the hill. 

Slowly, it rose its head. 

First, Ryan noticed the distinct lack of fur. 

Second, the round human-like head. 

Third, the horrific too-wide fanged mouth.

Fourth…

“Sh-Shane?” Ryan all but squeaked, his rifle slowly falling.

Shane smiled, fangs lacing together. If Ryan hadn't spent every waking hour of the last month thinking about the slope of his nose and the crinkle of his eyes, he wouldn't be able to recognize him under the sheer amount of blood. But… it was Shane, naked, feasting on a barely-living cow.

Shane slowly rose to his feet, suddenly too tall, too thin, too… supernatural.

Ryan clutched his rifle, forgetting it was a weapon, his eyes wide and mouth agape as he followed the movement. A sick, wrong sound emerged from Not-Shane, almost like a chuckle.

“Ryyyy-aaaaan…” it sang, muscles tensing as he hunched forward. Distantly, the man knew it was preparing to attack, but he couldn't get himself to react, to breathe, to anything.

“Ryan!” Shane shouted, the distinct thump of boots running on hard soil ripping him out of his fear. Ryan raised his rifle as Not-Shane turned and crouched, pouncing off towards the treeline.

A shot in the dark, literally. A squeal as it stumbled through the grass, pausing so briefly before it continued to sprint off.

Shane came up beside him, panting and staring after the creature. Ryan was shaking like a leaf, rifle still posed.

“I-I-I f-fucking shot it,” he breathed. Big, comforting, familiar hands carefully placed themselves over his, slowly pushing the gun down and clicking the safety on.

“Ry, Ry, look at me- fuck, what was that-”

And it all went dark.

[hydrangea-bindery]

My next binding! I actually started to work on this one concurrently to Browniefox’s copy of ‘The Haunting of Ryunosuke Naruhodo’, but I didn’t have time, and only just finished recently, and apart from the last signature being too small, I’m really happy with this one! ‘Stay the night with the sinners’ by @bodhirookes is my all time favourite shyan fic, and it’s honestly what got me back into the ghoul boys in the first place, and what finally pushed me to finish watching s7, even more so with the announcement of Watcher! Every line feels like a gut punch in the best way possible, and the world feels fleshed out and truly passionately lived in and you KNOW I love me some angel/demon.

The QR code in the back links to the Spotify playlist for this fic which you can find here!

Thanks also to @a-gay-old-time for their helpful guide on how to do the spine illustration, which is honestly the best part of this binding.

[themouthking]

Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 12

Howdy folks! Get ready for Chapter 12 comin' atcha! We're getting close to the end, so folks who waited because they wanted to start only after it was complete, your time is nigh!

Smoke and Mirrors

by @tripwirealarm and @themouthking (moi)

Read Chapter 12 HERE.

[jeepersss]

An Empty Bliss Beyond This World: Chapter 5

It’s like this. Ryan is used to being scared. He pushes himself into the depths of the hallways in his mind and keeps finding more doors, more corners to squeeze the fear into until he can push past it. There’s always more, more of the beige walls that aren’t quite gold, and the musty patterned carpet, and the fear that always finds places to hide. Until there isn’t. So Ryan makes more space. He breaks down the dead–end until he can just pull more out of himself. Get less sleep. Eat less food. Be less scared of the things that go bump in the night. 

He’s hitting a wall now. Breaking it. Pushing past it.

New chapter HERE