#stay tuned to figure out if I have the guts to go through with this or if my neurosis wins

[quarantineddreamer]

..

[nataliesfirefly]

You and I Walk a Fragile Line - Farleigh Start x F!Reader

a/n: hello!! this is my first fic i've ever uploaded so i'm pretty nervous, and i don't even know if anyone will read this but i thought i would contribute to the farleigh fics (also i'm obsessed with him)! this will be on an ongoing serious (hopefully) and i have a pretty interesting plot planned so stay tuned! i hope you enjoy and please leave feedback!!

word count: 3.3k

warnings: slight language

part 2, part 3, part 4

You couldn’t deny that you enjoyed the eccentric summers at Saltburn. It was rich and sultry, it felt free, like all your problems disappeared, like the world didn’t exist outside of the dreamy castle and neatly trimmed hedges. It was just you.

Well, you wish it was just you. You loved Felix’s family, they were always so kind to you. At this point, you were almost part of the Catton family in a way. Every summer, you traveled to Saltburn after a long and exhausting year of school. It was like a reward, you got through the year, so now you get to kick back with the rich people. But the Cattons just had this way about them. They were so out of touch, sheltered in their little rich lives, never having to work for anything just because of a title.

You certainly weren’t rich. Felix convinced you to apply to Oxford University with him, although everyone knew he was going to get in automatically due to the immense amount of wealth his last name carried. You spent countless hours in secondary school making sure to get amazing grades, throwing away your social life and free time. You ended up top of your class, earning a scholarship to Oxford. 

It didn’t pay the whole tuition, but it helped, allowing you to have an average job to make some extra money before your first year. Now, it was your second year at Oxford, and you were comfortable.

For Felix, his time at Oxford was never exhausting or difficult. He preferred to spend his time partying, or at the pubs, drinking with all his friends. He never had to worry about his grades or schoolwork, because he didn’t have a scholarship to keep.

He always berated you for staying in every Friday and Saturday night, claiming that you always have your nose in some textbook. You didn’t like partying anyways, and you told him that.

“Please, just come out of your dorm for once. It’ll be fun, promise.” He used to beg, standing in your doorway. But you never ended up going, so finally he just stopped asking.

Besides, everytime you went out somewhere with Felix everyone assumed you two were dating, which earned you many cruel glances from almost every girl in the vicinity. You only saw Felix as a friend, a brother, in a way. He was always very empathetic despite his out of touch perspective on reality.

There was just one person you absolutely hated seeing every summer. Farleigh Start. Ever since you and Felix became friends, he hated your guts. You had no idea why. Maybe it was because you were the only other American around, since you grew up in the states before moving to England in your early teens. However, you couldn’t figure out why that would cause a rivalry between you two.

At Oxford, he always made fun of you for trying so hard. He just didn’t get it. He had everything given to him on a silver platter, a privilege of being close to the Catton family.

You tried to ignore him, but every single sarcastic or petty remark from his mouth made your blood boil with a rage you had never felt before. You couldn’t avoid him, because wherever Felix was, there was Farleigh. But at Saltburn, it was worse. You were forced to always be near him for two whole months and see that annoying little smirk on his face whenever he insulted you.

As you begin to organize your things in the guest room, you hear the shuffling of footsteps by your open door. You glance up from your suitcase, crouched on the floor, narrowing your eyes to see who is in the hallway. 

It’s Farleigh. Of course it is, you think. He stands at your doorway, leaning against the frame, his curly hair adding to his height. He has this stupid grin on his face, like he’s about to say something to insult you.

“I had a feeling you were here. Everything just felt… annoying.” He has a cigarette in hand, taking a drag from it after his sentence. “Can you not smoke in my room, idiot?” You stand up, pressing a hand to your forehead in annoyance.

“Calm down. It’s not gonna kill you,” He crosses his arms and chuckles at you. “Afraid of a little smoke?” He teases in a mocking voice. “No, I just hate the smell. Get out, you’re taking up space.” You wave your hand, gesturing for him to leave as you approach him, ready to slam the door in his face if needed.

“Oh, I think you’re the one taking up space.” He lets out another breath of smoke, causing you to cough as it practically falls right in your face.

“Alright. Funny. Now leave,” You glare up at him, your brows furrowed in frustration. He scoffs and finally turns on his heel, walking down the hallway to Felix’s room, you assume. “So boring,” He mutters under his breath, but you heard loud and clear.

You decide to ignore his last little comment, groaning and closing the door, returning to your organizing.

A little while later, a knock sounds on your door. You climb off of your large bed and swing the door open, greeted by Venetia.

You both squeal and she immediately wraps her arms around you, nearly knocking you off of your feet. You and Venetia have become very close, and she’s almost like an older sister to you. 

“Welcome back,” She grins, pulling away from the tight embrace. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” I reply, playing with a strand of her blonde hair. “Well, it’s been since last summer.” You two tried to stay in touch by texting or emailing every once in a while, but it was difficult with how busy you were.

“Yeah, I guess so.” She jumps on your bed and sits there like she’s waiting for you to tell her something. 

“What?” You ask, giggling at the way she’s looking expectantly at you. “Have you found a boyfriend yet?” She questions, smirking mischeviously. “No! No, I don’t have time for that.” You shake your head, hanging up a dress in your closet.

“Oh my God, you’re killing me! You say that every single time. Have you ever heard of, like, a hook-up? One night stand?” She exclaims. “That doesn’t take any time at all. No commitment. Just trying something out,” Venetia throws her hands up.

“Well, I don’t want to right now. I have no interest in it.” You return to your suitcase, grabbing a pair of shorts and folding them, desperately hoping to change the subject. 

You had experience in the things Venetia spoke about. Your first year at Oxford, you certainly lost control of a few things. You were just being young and dumb, confused and curious about what these college boys had to offer. It never brought you any real pleasure, just a distraction and a story to tell your girlfriends the next day at dinner.

You’d never had a real, long-lasting relationship either. It just didn’t interest you, especially since you were so focused on doing well in school and keeping your scholarship. Venetia stills insists on finding you a boyfriend or matching you up with a stranger.

“Look, I made that mistake my first year. Random dudes. I could’ve gotten an STD or some shit,” You throw the folded shorts into a drawer. “But it was fun, right?” She chews on one of her nails, watching you pace around the room.

“No. Not really. They didn’t do anything for me. Most of the time I was half asleep.” You shrug nonchalanty as Venetia laughs loudly. “Damn. Well, then you just found the wrong guys.”

“Then where do you find the right ones?” You ask, whipping around to face her. She shrugs. “I don’t know, they just kind of… flock to me. Like birds.” There’s a pause of silence before you both burst out in laughter. “Yeah, whatever.” You roll her eyes although you know there’s some truth to that statement. It was always effortless for her.

“I’m gonna find you someone. Trust me. You deserve the best of the best,” She grins and stands up, stepping out of your room. “I’ll see you at dinner!” She calls over her shoulder as she starts down the hall.

Dinner feels like nothing has changed. You all sit around the dining table having casual conversations about school and gossip while enjoying some traditional English food.

Unfortunately, you’ve been sat right across from Farleigh. You can barely glance up from your plate without catching one of his cold glares. You spaced out for a moment and as you zone back in, you realize the topic has shifted to relationships and dating.

Felix nudges your arm, pointing his fork at you. “What about you?” You glance over to him. “What?” You ask, unsure of what he’s questioning.

“Have you got a boyfriend yet?” He replies, tilting his head. You feel the rest of the table staring you down as you try to think of an answer. 

“Uhh, no. Not yet.” You lower your head down, hoping your hair will hide your reddening face.

“She’s incapable of that,” Farleigh interjects quickly. “I mean, it’s never been easy for her.” He chuckles slightly, amused at himself. You raise your gaze to him, trying not to show how his comments just affected you.

“Farleigh, don’t be rude.” Elspeth shoots him a glare and shakes her head. Felix pats your shoulder. “It’s alright, really. All the guys at Oxford are dicks anyway. Don’t deserve someone as kind as you,” You can tell he pities you and is trying to make you feel better.

You look back to Farleigh. “Farleigh, I don’t remember the last time you dated someone. When was it, like, two years ago?” You tilt your head tauntingly and wait for his reaction, a smile tugging at your lips.

“I didn’t know you paid so much attention to my love life,” He shoots back. He’s skilled at hiding his reactions and it kills you. 

“It’s just so bleak and desperate it’s hard not to notice it,” You pucker your lips to demonstrate fake sadness. 

“Alright, you two. Calm down,” Felix holds up his hands, shaking his head.

“I think that she’s just focused on school right now. As she should be, I mean, that’s why you guys are there. To get an education.” Venetia quickly comes to your rescue, seated on the other side of you.

“Right. Right, I agree.” Elspeth adds, nodding aggressively.

Your eyes meet Farleigh’s again, and this time its an even sharper glare with that familiar taunting and mocking vibe. You feel yourself burn up with rage. You try to hold eye contact with him but you end up glancing away due to the heat creeping across your face.

Later that night, you are walking through one of the many dark hallways of the mansion. You still get lost sometimes, despite the many summers you have spent here. You stop to glance out a window, marvelling at the vast courtyard and landscape beyond, pale moonlight shining down and casting large shadows.

You continue walking quietly, attempting to get back to your room, but for some reason you realize you are on the other side of the house. These hallways have never been easy to navigate, especially at night. You curse under your breath and shake your head, continuing in the same direction.

You pass a door that is slightly ajar, and out of curiosity, you pause and take a few steps back. You peer through the crack, and you swear your heart drops to your ass when you realize this is Farleigh’s room.

He’s sitting on his bed, reading a book. You’ve never seen him so peaceful. His face is relaxed, instead of the usual scowl or sneer. After a moment of you staring at him, Farleigh suddenly closes his book and reaches over to place it on his bedside table, causing him to glance in the direction of the door. He looks away, then looks back, doing a double take as he seems to notice your presence.

Fuck. You wince as you step back from the door, trying to make up your mind on whether you should try to escape or just deal with the repurcussions of your creepy behavior you didn’t even mean.

But your legs won’t seem to obey what your brain is telling them to do. You are just frozen, stuck in place as Farleigh opens the door all the way. 

There’s a moment of silence as he stares down at you, quirking an eyebrow.

“Well, well, well. Look who showed up at my door,” He crosses his arms in amusement, a smug smile across his face. 

“I got lost. That’s all.” You run a hand through your hair while shaking your head. “And does getting lost also consist of watching me from outside my door?” He tilts his head. You shake your head quickly.

“No. That’s not what I was doing. Don’t flatter yourself,” You look back up at him and roll your eyes. 

“Right.” Farleigh nods, not looking very convinced. “Never took you for a stalker.” He adds with a taunting smirk.

You let out a sigh of exasperation, turning away and facing the long stretch of the hallway. “Okay, I’ll be going now.” You raise a hand to wave before starting down the hall. “Goodnight!” Farleigh calls after you in a singsong voice, making you clench your fists in anger.

You didn’t really remember when the hatred between you two started. You did remember, however, the evening you two met.

It was your first summer at the Saltburn estate, and you were still in secondary school. You were extremely nervous since you had to be on your best behavior around these rich people. What were you even supposed to say? Or do?

You and Felix arrived together that afternoon, and after a tour of the mansion from Felix and an hour or so to yourself, you were going downstairs for dinner.

You walked in to the dining room, standing close behind Felix, before taking a seat at the long table next to him.

A tall boy with dark, curly hair sat on the other side of you. You looked over and smiled at him. You assumed that this was Felix’s cousin, Farleigh, since Felix had shown you a few pictures of them together.

He looked expensive. His jewlery, his clothes, the overall aura surrounding him seemed rich. It made sense, since he was considered a member of the Catton family. Felix informed you that his father paid for Farleigh’s education and everything else as a way to say sorry for whatever family drama had happened. You couldn’t remember the long story.

“Farleigh! This is my new friend from school,” Felix said as he introduced you. You offered a small wave.

“So you must be the cousin I’ve heard so much about,” You said. Farleigh glanced at Felix with a confused expression. 

“She’s American?” He asked. Felix nodded and nudged you to continue talking. “Yeah, I grew up in the states. I moved here when I was thirteen,” You explained. Farleigh just stared at you, expressionless.

“Cool,” He said nonchalantly, as if he didn’t care about anything you just said. “So, are you two dating?” He asked, gesturing to you and Felix.

“Oh- No, no. Just friends,” You chuckled and Felix did the same after sharing a quick glance with you. You really were just good friends, you got along well, but no one believed it.

“Right.” Farleigh scoffed and rolled his eyes. Felix leaned in slightly and muttered, “Ignore him.” You couldn’t help but turn back to Farleigh.

“So, how did school go for you this year?” You asked with a smile. “Alright, I guess.” You could tell he was annoyed by your questions as he sighed and looked around. 

“Okay, be a dick, then.” You muttered, giving up on trying to make conversation with him. At this, he sat straighter and turned to you. “And what are you, some scholarship kid? How did you get into a school like Westminster?” He furrowed his brows and his tone became harsh.

“Oh, by being smart and passing the entrance exam. Not everything is achieved with just money,” You replied back, maintaining your composure effortlessly.

“And you would know that,” He responded in a lowered voice, but you heard loud and clear.

You opened your mouth to respond, but before you could, the rest of the family sat down at the table, meaning dinner was about to commence. All you could do was shoot knives at him with your eyes and hope he would notice. This was going to be a long summer. 

The next day you sit with Venetia on the grass by the lake. She convinced you to come out with her to tan, and you figured it might be good for you considering how pale your skin is from staying indoors all the time. You hardly ever got any sun besides walking around on campus, but right now you were enjoying the warmth.

You lean back, using your forearms for support against the grass. You still feel a bit self conscious since you can’t remember the last time you wore a bikini this risqué. 

“Why don’t you wear stuff like this more often?” Venetia asks, turning her head to face you. “You look like a model, seriously.” She grins and takes a sip of her drink.

You shrug. You glance out at the lake and admire the way the sun reflects off the surface, all the little ripples and overgrowth of leaves near the side. 

“There they are. Hey, you two!” You perk up at Felix’s voice. You sit up a bit to look over your shoulder, but your excitement is soon diminished when you notice Farleigh walking next to him. You quickly turn your attention back to the lake.

You feel someone’s presence behind you. You throw your head back, looking up to see Farleigh peering down at you.

“You actually got her to go outside for once? Shocking,” He chuckles. You follow him with your eyes as he walks closer to the edge of the lake with Felix. “Leave her alone, Farleigh.” Venetia replies in an agitated tone.

A few moments later, Felix is taking off his shirt and tossing it to the ground. He runs a hand through his hair, then promptly jumps into the lake. Farleigh follows suit, and you know you shouldn’t be watching. But just like last night, you can’t take your eyes off of him.

Your eyes trail down his back, and you notice his muscles flexing as he takes his shirt off. You subconsciously bite your lip, then remember it’s fucking Farleigh. You mentally curse at yourself before peeling your gaze away, trying to focus on anything but him.

For some reason, you can’t shake the image of a shirtless Farleigh from your mind. You wished he had turned around so you could see the front of him, or even– No. Stop! 

You decide to go inside before your thoughts get the best of you. You stand up abruptly, causing Venetia to look up at you.

“Where are you off to?” She asks, lowering her sunglasses. “Uhh… I’m just really hot. I’ll see you later,” As you start back, you can’t help but glance over your shoulder to see if Farleigh is watching you go.

You catch his gaze, and despite the heat, you shiver as his eyes trail up and down your exposed body. You can’t explain why your heart starts racing or why you want him to keep watching you. You hate him. You hate him, but you’re so curious about what it would feel like to have his hands on your waist or in your hair. You hate him so much, but you wonder how it would feel to be underneath him, completely under his control.

But you hate him, right?

[tarotwithavi]

Random things about your 2023 . Short reading

Masterlist ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ paid reading

✧༺♥༻✧

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

1 2 3

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 1

Hello pile 1 , I'm seeing that you're very closed off to new opportunities right now and might be addicted or obsessed with something that isn't good for you and life will make you get rid of your toxic habits by a tower moment in your life. You just have some toxic cycles going repeating constantly in your life and it is going to change in the year 2023 .

Pile 1 , I see you getting your spiritual awakening in the year 2023 . This is going to be a tough cycle for you but remember it's for the best of you. I see that sometimes you might feel like doing nothing and just letting things flow on their own pace.

You have a weird way of looking at people, I'm sorry but weird is not the right word for it but it's just that you see people as something you should stay away from and you see World as a dangerous place. And that's why you mostly stay indoors. That perspective of you is good to change soon after you have your awakening.

I get that you might suffer from seasonal depression and it might be in the months of may - june. These two months are going to be life changing for you. Something great with happen in these two months that'll make you love life again.

I don't know if you know about Krishna consciousness, but it's a great thing. I've heard that it works wonders for people and changes their life for the best.

If you're thinking of travelling abroad I see you travelling in different countries.

You might get financial help from someone or you're going to help someone financially.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 2

Alright pile 2 , 2023 is going to be your rich bitch era. Like money is going to be attracted to you. If you're family is having some financial problems they are going to be solved.

I see you connecting more with a female figure in your family. It could be your mother, grandmother , sister or even your best friend.

If are manifesting something right now , I see all of your manifestations coming true in the year 2023 .

If your into LGBTQ community I see coming out to your family and your family accepting you the way your are. This message is specifically for my lesbians, you're going to get a girlfriend.

My artists are going to get a lot of recognition for their artwork! And I see a lot of you getting in tune with your inner child.

If you live away from your family , I see you reuniting with them. And going out for a picnic with them. This year is very positive for this pile! It's so sweet!

A lot of you are going to meet your twinflame / soul mate soon. You'll most likely meet them through family or friends. I'm seeing a celebration, so you can meet them in a party, wedding etc.

I see you finding your soul purpose and destiny. I don't know it just came into my mind. I am seeing a boat reaching the coast idk take how it resonates.

If you've been manifesting your other half, I see you meeting your counterpart. A lot of you are going to experience true love.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 3

Pile 3 I feel like you're not listening to your intuition and that might get you in a toxic Situationship. If your get odd feelings from someone like goosebumps , odd feeling in your guts stay away form that person. They're not good for you.

Alright so what I sense is that you might encounter a fake tarot reader or a scammer so stay alert. If someone tells you to do spells on your own , never do it. Because spells are very powerful and they can backfire.

Though it's okay if you do beauty rituals like having aura cleansing bath, a simple beauty spell . But love spells can back fire very easily. And never I mean NEVER involve yourself in black magic.

I see getting a lot of proposals from men who want to court you. Choose Carefully because one of them might be a obsessive lover.

If don't have good relations with your father, you might need to cut your relations with him. More like I see that your father is too controlling and you decide to go against him which will result in some arguments.

I See you reuniting with your old friends.

I see you getting victory and recognition for your work. But remember not to be over prideful ( lol is that even a word? )

If you're pregnant I see you giving birth to a healthy baby boy. And if you're thinking of having a baby I see you conceiving. '

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

[mikasa-imadebiscults]

Okayy, so I've read the rules. This blog is pretty much free, soooooo here's my req:

It's a Hawks × reader [optional: female]

This is an angst-y one wherein Hawks comes back home with reader missing. Like he comes back and notices that reader isn't home. It turns out that reader was doing grocery shopping. But on the way back, reader got targeted by some alcoholic drunkards in an alleyway. Reader gets 🍇-d (only mentioned).

Now that Hawks' found reader, he realised that it was too late and that the reader was already traumatized. So, as a result, the reader got a bit distant from Hawks because the reader might not see him in the same way again because of the recent events.

(It's okay if you're uncomfortable with this. It's hard finding a blog this free. Dw, I'm patient enough to wait for this. *If you'll ever do this*. Goodluck and take your time!)

(Hey! Thank you for being so kind, it means a lot! Also no worries about my comfort, AND I was proofreading this very quickly so please excuse any errors. Also the ending was hard to write ;-; I was struggling. I hope you enjoy this and have a wonderful day!)

“For the Best”

Keigo Takami x GN! Reader

(Warning: SA mention, swearing, ANGST AND ANGST)

It was an ordinary day, well, quite a boring day for The Wing Hero: Hawks. A few quick fights here and there and a couple of small interviews, nothing special, Keigo couldn’t wait to get back home to you.

Fortunately time went by fast and evening came quicker than expected, not like Keigo minded at all. He decided to end his Hero patrol and fly his way to his shared home, whistling the tune of a song that’s been stuck in his head for a while now.

He arrives home, unlocking the door and opening it, “I’m homeee! Where’s my wonderful partner?” Keigo calls out for you, only to be met with silence, he didn’t even hear a single sound. “Maybe they’re in the bedroom napping.” He thought, heading into the said room to find an empty bed.

Keigo searched the house top to bottom, each room he went through and showed no sign of you he got increasingly worried. Though he tried to stay optimistic. He figured maybe you went to the store since yesterday you’ve talked about going and plus your wallet is gone. He sighed and laid on the couch, hoping that you’ll come home soon and relax with him.

....

A slow and dragged out hour passed and an unnerving feeling settled in the pit of Keigo’s stomach, only growing more as time went on. He decided to go out and look for you, following the same usual route you take to go to the store. Searching attentively, he wonders what could’ve happened, he’s an optimistic person but this feeling he feels is just way too unsettling.

All of the sudden his senses perked up as he passed by a dark alleyway, trusting his gut feeling, he unhesitatingly went in. That’s when he heard small desperate cries and ran over to the noise, spotting you on the ground, blood streaming down the side of your forehead.

“Y/N!” Keigo’s shouts, running over to you, “What happened to you?” He says in shock but you stayed silent, only cried. Keigo uses a few of his feathers to go to the nearest person and drag them there, ordering them to call the police to start an investigation while he takes you to the hospital.

Flying you to the nearest hospital, he worries about your wellbeing, not only physically but mentally too. He swiftly arrives there, practically bursting through the door and explains the situation to the receptionist. He’s not sure what exactly happened but all he knows is that you need to be checked out immediately just in case you have any serious wounds.

“Hey I’m not sure what happened, I just found them in an alleyway.” The receptionist nodded her head in acknowledgment and soon the nurses rushed you into an available room and got to work. Keigo frowns when he gets one last look at your face, it pains him to see you so hurt. How could he let something like this happen?

....

Keigo sits in the waiting room, getting increasingly more impatient as time goes on. It’s only been a half hour and it already feels like eternity. Suddenly he got ripped out of his thoughts when he heard his Pro Hero name, standing up to the detective.

“Any news?” Keigo questioned.

“Yes, security camera footage from a nearby building caught the incident. The victim was walking and the suspects dragged them into an alleyway. Luckily the cams caught their faces and we’ve identified the suspects. The three of them were taken into custody for assault, all three were highly intoxicated too.” The detective informed him.

“I see, is that all?”

“After the victim has recovered from their injuries, we’ll ask them some questions to get more information on what happened in that alleyway.” The man explained, writing something down in his notebook.

“Alrighty.” Keigo says, hoping that you’ll have a quick recovery and everything will go back to normal soon.

“Hawks, the victims' treatment went well. So well in fact, that they should be released in about a day, you’re free to see them right now.” The doctor said behind him, and the detective patted Keigo’s back as a way of nonverbally telling him to go ahead, they’ll wait a minute to ask you questions so he can have his time with you.

Keigo nodded his head in acknowledgment to the detective as he speed-walked to your room. He opens the door and a feeling of relief washes over him when he sees your eyes open and conscious.

“Heya babe, how ya feeling?” Keigo asks, not really knowing what to say. You didn’t respond though. Not even making any eye contact with him.

There was a pin-dropping silence for a moment before he broke it, “Ah yeah, I understand, you’re probably not doing so well right now.” He says awkwardly, trying to do his best to comfort you through words. Though he was always terrible with his words, so he decided to comfort you by initiating physical affection; he attempted to hold your hand only to fail when you flinched away, eyes flashing with a fear he’s never seen before in your eyes.

A small ‘oh’ came from his lips, pulling his hand away to not accidentally startle you anymore. He figured that something more happened in that alleyway that the cameras didn’t capture, something traumatic.

“Sorry babe, didn’t mean to scare ya there..” Keigo apologized, putting his hands in his pockets, a look of pity rested on his face. He doesn’t like seeing you so upset and troubled, he hates it. “Do you want me to leave so you have time to process it?”

You nodded your head, still steadily avoiding eye contact, “Alrighty then I’ll see ya later my love. Oh! By the way, a detective will be coming in soon to ask you some questions about what happened.” Keigo sees your nod of approval and starts to walk away, closing the door behind him. As he walks by the detective, he gives him a thumbs up, letting the man know that it’s okay to go in there.

He decided to go home that day, after all, visiting hours are almost over sadly. Stress got to Keigo and tiredness quickly consumed him so he went to bed early, and in the morning he’ll finally take you home. He prays to whoever’s listening that you’ll get better soon.

....

As soon as Keigo woke up the next morning he went to the store to buy a bouquet of flowers, a vase, and some of your favorite snacks. He wanted to see you happy again, even if it’s only a small smile. He got the stuff and went to the hospital. When he got there he had a short conversation with the doctor, asking about your well-being. The doctor said that he recommended you some psychologists near the area once you are out of here considering what happened.

Once the conversation was over he made his way to your room, opening the door to find you sleeping. He smiles softly, glad that you’re at least getting some rest. He sets the items on the end table and pulls a chair closer to the bed, resting his head on the edge of the bed while he waits for you to get up.

After a few minutes Keigo starts to doze off, that was until he felt the bed jolt. He lifts his head up and sees you sitting up looking utterly terrified like you were scared of him. “Hey are you-” he’s interrupted by a pillow getting thrown at him.

“Get- get away from me!” You shout, tears streaming down your face, unknowing that it's your boyfriend that you’re speaking to. You’re far too blinded by the trauma, perhaps even PTSD. His feathers quickly got the glass vase out of your reach before you threw it at him.

“Y/N, it’s me, Keigo!” He tries to tell you, but the look on your face didn’t get any better. You weren’t convinced. All you saw was the main guy that led the assault on you.

“No you’re not! You- you are nothing like him!” You stammered, getting out of your bed, shaking like a leaf.

The sounds of the chaos rang out through the door, alerting the other doctors and nurses outside, causing a few of them to rush in to see what’s going on. They see you freeze in place out of fear, hyperventilating and shaking. “Sir it’s best if you step out of the room for a minute.” The doctor advises while the nurses try to calm you down.

“Okay okay, I’ll be going.” Keigo says, not wanting to make the situation even worse. Shutting the door, he rubs his head. “Damn.” He muttered to himself, while he made his way to the god awful waiting room again.

....

“Keigo.”

“Huh? Who’s there?” Keigo looked around, seeing absolutely nothing, not even a single speck of light.

“Stay away from them if you know what’s best for you.” The unknown echoing voice spoke in an almost threatening tone.

“What are you talking about? Who the hell even are you?” Keigo questioned, fist clenching a bit as he got increasingly more pissed. He wasn’t quite sure why he was getting so angry this quickly. It’s probably because that unknown voice was talking about you and he’s a bit overprotective of you because of the recent incident.

“That is none of your concern. All you need to do is stay away from Y/N if you love them enough. It’s for the best.”

“Wha-”

.…

“Hawks!”

Keigo shot up from the chair, wide eyed for a moment before he realized that it was only a dream. A strange dream at that. He notices the doctor standing there, the same one that’s been checking up and taking care of you.

“Yes doc?” He said, straightening out his clothes, getting himself together.

“We managed to calm them down, and we asked them a few questions and it’s clear that their mental state is very unstable. We suggested a mental hospital to them and they agreed to go. It's best if you keep your distance to prevent any further complications with their mental health. I know it’s hard considering they’re your partner but don’t worry they’ll be in good hands. It’s for the best.”

“Well if it’s for the best then I understand.” Keigo says, his mood dampening even more. He was upset that this was happening, upset that this happened to you. Anger boiled his blood when he thought about the drunkies, he hoped for all of them to get the maximum penalty. Hell, he wouldn’t mind if they gave you the death penalty, even though he knew that was highly unlikely.

He heads back home, this time walking instead of flying so that he can take a long walk to get his mind off things. A few people recognized him on the way and asked for autographs which he put on a fake smile and agreed, making small talk. Though during the whole interaction he just couldn’t shake the image out of his head; the image of how you looked at him in the hospital. Keigo knows that you’re currently mentally unstable and you didn't know what you were seeing. Keigo understands this, but it still hurts greatly, like a knife piercing his stomach.

Waving a friendly goodbye to the star-struck fans, he continued to walk home; and sooner than expected, he arrived. Arriving at this home always used to be a joy, but now it’s only lonely and empty. A constant reminder of you. Keigo always tries to be an optimistic person but he just can’t be optimistic anymore when things are so dark and gloomy and everything seems to be going wrong. Especially when you’re the one that's hurt. It hasn’t even been that long since he had seen you acting like your usual self but it feels like it’s been ages.

How long will it take for you to get better? Will it take a few days, months, years? Will you actually be okay by yourself? What did that dream he had really mean? All types of questions run around his head like a carousel. Maybe he needs to speak to someone about this, after all it isn’t healthy to keep all of these emotions in.

All of the sudden his phone dings, it was a text notification from you. Keigo’s heart dropped to his stomach when he read the message.

——————————

My partner in crime ❤️😘

“Hey, sorry about what happened, I wasn’t all there and still am unstable. I’m sorry to say this but, I can’t see anyone the same way again, that includes you. It might take me a long while to recover from this and it’s not fair to you. So I want to break up so that you can move on. It’s for the best, for both of us. I truly am sorry, I hope you find someone way better and stronger than me. You deserve it. I’m going to therapy and working on myself so don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself Keigo, goodbye.”

——————————

“Is this really for the best? Hahaha, so this is goodbye huh? Well, I guess this is just my luck. Goodbye my lov- no, goodbye Y/N.” Keigo says to himself, as the message sunk in; the denial faded and sadness came quickly, ready for the waterworks. So it really is goodbye. Forever. What an unexpected plot twist to happen.

Masterlist

[thelovelylolly]

Hi first of all i hope youre doing okay, wel best as you can be and i give you my condoleance 💗 please take care of yourself and don't feel obligated to anything.

Tw: school shooting

I was wondering (for when you maybe feel like writing again) You could write Frank Castle x teen reader where she's maybe like his daughter figure (like amy) and he's out doing vigilante shit while she's in school and gets a text from her saying just " i love you" but there is a school shooting and she's shot and just full on panic for context i was in a school shooting a year or two back and got shot luckly the police and ambulance came shortly after but i just wish i had someone like Frank to calm me down or come save me 😅💗

If you dont wanna write this or feel comfortable because of this request my apologies im so sorry just ignore it if that s the case.

I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading anyway.

I've Got You

Summary : During a vigilante job, Frank gets a text from you and he knows something's wrong. He soon finds out what happened and was there for you. Warnings : *please dont read this if any of this makes you uncomfortable, do whats best for you and your mental health!!* mentions of a shooting, injuries, and death. heavy angst, hurt/comfort, fem reader (daughter figure) Notes : thank you for your kind words love <3 im so sorry youve had to go through something like that, no one deserves to go through that, but im happy youre here :) thank you for your request and i hope i did your idea justice <3

'I love you.'

Frank never knew three words from a text could scare him so much. The three words he had said to you when he came to terms with you becoming a daughter to him. The three words you two rarely had to say to each other since you showed your love for each other in different ways.

The three words you said on a whim before going to school that morning, because it felt right and you had a gut feeling to say it.

But now, Frank was terrified. You usually sent texts with all lowercase letter, with little to no punctuation, with acronyms and sayings that he didn't get.

He was in the middle of a stake out when his phone pinged. He quickly ditched his job and hopped in his truck, speeding towards your school and trying to text you at the same time.

'What's going on?'

'Text me back'

'Call me'

'Do something to let me know you're okay'

His stopped texting after a minute and tuned his radio to the police's frequency, a trick he needed for his jobs.

"Shots fired at the high school, two squads already on the scene-"

Shots fired.

Those two words echoed through Frank's mind, drowning out whatever the dispatcher was saying. He had heard those words millions of times between his marine years and his vigilante time, but this time was different. You were in danger and Frank wasn't there with you, ready to put himself between you and whatever threatened you.

Frank was still blocks away when he heard the dispatcher say, "students are starting to be escorted out, threat is cornered in the gym."

Frank took a deep breath. You could be outside already, waiting for him. He could see you clinging to your friends, all of you relieved to be alive. He could see you talking to whatever authority figure would talk to you, asking them if everyone was okay and who was still inside. You were very compassionate, ready to put yourself in danger to help others.

Something you picked up from Frank.

Minutes later, Frank pulled up to your school. He saw ambulances and many cop cars parked in front and around the sides. He usually would stay away from the cops, but he didn't care. He needed to see you alive and safe.

He parked his truck and quickly got out, jogging over to the crowd of crying students, teachers and parents. He scanned the crowd for you, but he didn't spot you. What if you weren't out yet? Were you still stuck inside? Were you hurt and couldn't get out?

What if he was too late?

"Can I borrow your phone to call my dad? I just want him to know I'm okay."

He heard your voice and spun around, his eyes immediately locking onto you. You were sitting in the back of an ambulance, talking to the first responder inside with you. You were holding your side and your leg was bouncing up and down quickly, a nervous habit of yours.

Frank called out your name and started towards you. You looked over at him and quickly got out of the ambulance, wincing slightly when you hit the ground. You jogged over to Frank, letting yourself break the dam of tears you had been holding back.

The moment Frank's arms wrapped around you, holding you as close as possible, you let a sob rack your body. You were too tired to hug him back, letting yourself sob in his arms. He started to rub soothing circles on your back, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head.

"Shh, it's okay, sweetheart. I've got you, I'm here."

His words made you cry more and wrap your arms around him, holding him tight to make sure he's real.

You were terrified and had no idea if you were going to see him again. You texted him 'I love you' to make sure he knew just in case, then you shut it off so it wouldn't light up or make noise. You then dropped your phone as you were running out of the building.

Frank pulled away from you, looking at you and wiping your tears away.

"I thought I lost you, kid. I-I thought you were still inside," he said, choking up a bit. He glanced down to your side, seeing the bandages wrapped around your stomach. "What happened?

You followed his gaze down, sniveling a bit as you took a deep breath. "I g-got hit, but th-they said it wasn't bad. I g-guess I got lucky."

Frank wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to kiss your forehead.

"I love you," you murmured.

"I love you, too, kid," he replied, leading you to his truck.

[mika-meowz]

Lodgersona Masterpost

That's right, you all (one person so far) indulged me, now you gotta deal with me

So, right off the bat, this thing doesn't have a name. Nor can I seem to find their reference? But I have drawings. So stay tuned to see those

I haven't actually figured out how to squirm them into the story by any means so haha. WHOOPS

But I can tell you the ideas so far

I wanted their role to sort of be something in between Jasper and Rachel? Basically being a "ends up being seen as a protoge for both Jekyll and Hyde for different reasons"

While initially a little too innocent-seeming for Hyde's trouble-making, they eventually find a much-needed freedom if they somehow convince him to bring them along

On the other hand, they like Jekyll, but they find his way of speaking to be *too* rehearsed, and eventually can't tell if he's just Like That or if he's keeping them at arms length

I like to think they'd get closer to him by convincing him to be a bit more laid back (when possible) through a very gutting sequence where he sees them starting to mirror him and thinks he's made a good influence on them,

But through conversations with Hyde, they mention that while they do look up to him, they're actually just copying Jekyll's more posh demeanor because they feel *ashamed* of being more rough around the edges when he's there

So Jekyll starts to ease up so that they see him as less of a cold-hearted-ever-shaming asshole (exaggeration, of course. Maybe Hyde's words)

Now. If that wasn't self-indulgent enough for ya, STRAP IN, because this is where even I get a little embarrassed sharing it because of how much it is

At some point or another, I like the idea of Hyde going into a sort of spiral?

Because instead of trying to stop his chaos for safety's sake, like Rachel, or trying to stop him for goodness' (and also safety's) sake, like Jekyll,

They don't try to stop him *at all.* Yet, still don't entirely agree with the amount of trouble he causes.

And something something, this contradiction perplexes him so strongly he starts to go into a sort of "if IM darkness eternal then what is that thing. Why is it so nice. How can it be so nice while not being evil with me. Is it an angel or some shit" and goes a little mad while Jekyll desperately pleads for him to take a breath

Alright art

I present to you One Drawing That's Actually The Book-Jekyll-And-Hyde Version of this OC, two instances of Hey I Discovered Scottish Dancing, and one of Oops Jekyll's A Dad (doubles as a style study of the comic via photobashing for the lineart/sketch, and a lot of shading layers)

Almost all of these were from when I was VERY early into the comic so if it looks silly.. pretend you don't see it

Also Hyde on his little streak of madness

[24carathoney]

Crimson Ties | C.SC | Chapter 1

Pairing: Vampire!Choi Seungcheol x Witch!FemReader

“Yes. Or in other words, you're his mate. The one he spends the rest of his life with.”

Summary: Follow Y/N as her world is flipped upside down when she discovers the truth about her bloodline.

Warnings: Fluff // Angst // Smut (later) // Violence // Blood // Character Death // Name Calling (Not the good kind) // Mingyu is a dick //

WC: 4.8k

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Tonight was a night that you just wanted to be left alone. But your friends demanded that you come to hang out with them since it's been weeks since you've seen them. With work being a pain in the ass and your best friend Joshua being busy with promotions left and right, living the life of an idol, you couldn't say no. You had reluctantly agreed as Joshua would be in town for a couple of weeks. There was so much for the two of you to catch up on. You reached the bar in no time, not noticing the presence lurking from a distance. Your boots tapped against the wood floors as you walked inside with a wide grin when Joshua and Lillian came into view. The younger bartender, Rayven, greeted you with a soft smile and you sent her a wave. You quickly ran into Joshua's arms as he lifted you off the ground. “I missed you guys!” You beamed as you hugged Lillian after. 

“Where the fuck have you been?” She laughed and you sighed. “Work has been so chaotic the past few weeks. Being promised promotions and then watching them give it to someone else.” 

“What?!”

“Y/N what happened to dropping that bullshit ass job? You said you were done.” Lillian said and you nodded. “I know. But money has been tight and the checks look really nice.” 

“The checks can be better if you apply some of that medical talent you have into a hospital or something.” She rolled her eyes at your reasoning and you opened your purse to fish out your phone. 

“Well most places require you to have a diploma. Something I don’t possess. So, that won't work out well.” You gave a shrug, turning to the man next to you. “What about you Josh? How’s the idol life treating you?”

“It’s a change that's for sure. But my group is amazing. They’ve been with me through thick and thin. We got a new mv coming out soon so there’s that.” He gave a small smile and both you and Lillian gasped.

“A comeback? I’ll have to tune in when it drops. Maybe upload a little reaction video.” You joked and the three of you laughed. As the two continued to speak on the topic, your eyes shifted to the window where a man stood with his hands in his pockets. Staring directly at you. You put your attention back into the conversation trying to shake the uneasy feeling bubbling in your gut. After a couple minutes you checked back to the window and he was gone. Letting out a sigh of relief you went back to searching for your phone.

“Shit. I left my phone in the car. I'll be right back.” You stepped out into the street walking across to your car. Swiping the device off the front seat you shut the door, feeling a chill as the wind blew past you. You came to a halt as a figure stood across the street from you with their hands in their pockets. 

“What you got going on tonight pretty?” He asked and you shrugged. “Hanging out with some friends. Been awhile.” You replied and he chuckled. “Why don't we have some fun first?” He had blocked your way inside and you shook your head nervously. “No thanks.” You went to push him but he grabbed your arm. His eyes flickered red and you immediately snatched your arm from his grasp and backed away to give you some space. You balled your hand into a fist as you cursed yourself for getting in this situation. Should've stayed inside with Lillian and Josh. The man in front of you gave a sinister grin as his sharp canines peaked through his lips. “It won't hurt to have dinner early.” You ducked as he rushed towards you with a snarl. He kicked your ankle from under you, laughing at your attempts to get away. Your adrenaline was rushing and you kicked him in his face, causing him to fall back with a grunt. You looked him dead in the eyes with anger in your form. You'd be damned if you died in an alleyway. You felt a light burn in the palm of your hands before seeing them turn purple. Your confusion had the man staring at you with wide eyes. “Spellcaster huh? Makes tonight's meal even better.” He brought his hand down and you covered your face, feeling a sharp sting run down your arm. His nails had sharpened and sliced your skin, letting your blood drip to the ground. He brought his hand up to his lips and licked the blood off his finger. You narrowed your eyes as he bared his teeth and you shuddered at how sharp they were. “What the fuck are you?” 

“Doesn't matter. You won't live long enough to find out.” Before he could lunge at you again two arms wrapped around his neck before a sickening crack was heard. His body fell to the ground with a thud and you gasped at the sight. Not knowing if you should run or stay and thank the man. You stood to your feet and noticed your savior had a familiar haircut. “Shua?” You muttered and Joshua turned to you with fear in his eyes. “Y/N…I…..” You had so many questions running through your mind as he held up his hands to show you that you were safe. “You're hurt.” You took a deep breath as his eyes shimmered a gold hue. 

“What was that? Who was that guy? You just killed him.” You asked, trying to catch your breath. Not missing the way Joshua never moved towards you. You hold your arm with a frown, staring down at the body on the ground as it slowly disintegrates right in front of you. “Joshua…”

“I can explain everything but I guarantee you won't believe me.” He quickly said and you scoffed. “A guy just tried to bite my head off. Try me.” Boy if you knew just how wrong you were. Joshua had just told you about how supernatural the world around you is. Witches, werewolves, shapeshifters. Oh and your best friend of 23 years is a vampire. You had to sit in one of the bar stools for a second as he explained everything while fixing the puff on your head. “I turned when I was 17. I see the world much differently than you do. My hearing is enhanced. I'm stronger than the average person. I don’t even have a steady heartbeat if I’m being honest.” He chuckled and you gave a small nod. 

“So you drink blood? From people?” you asked in a low voice and he shook his head. “Only once, years ago. Essentially to keep me alive at the time but I survive off of animal blood, even some human food. Wish I could say the same for my coven brothers though.” He gave a small smile but you could see the sadness behind his eyes. “How many of you are there?” He looked back up at you surprised you even asked and sat the gauze down. “Thirteen.” You nodded, rubbing your now bandaged arm. “Your idol group? I'm assuming.” He gave a short nod. 

“That man or whatever he was. He called me a spellcaster. What does that mean?” You asked and he frowned. 

“Spellcaster? Did you fight back?” Lillian suddenly asked and your brows furrowed. She didn’t sound as surprised as you were. What else are they not telling you?

“Not much. But I was just….angry instead of scared. My skin felt like it was on fire and the palms of my hands…..they turned dark. Black almost. Why?” Joshua gave a small nod as he held your hands. You shivered at how cold they were and he let out a long sigh as he let go.

“Your powers are starting to awaken. You may not remember but, your grandmother and great grandmother also had certain abilities. They did their best to keep you in the dark. Even in death.” He mumbled the last part leaving you in silence. “Come on. We can all hang out at Lillian’s place. Talk more about this.” He reached for your hand and before you could stop yourself, you snatched your hand away. Sadness swam in his dark orbs as you felt your heart rate quicken. “Y/N I know this is a lot but you have to believe me.” 

“How long have you known? About me I mean?” You asked and his gaze fell to the floor before answering in a small voice. “Since your grandmother died.” You let out a scoff as your eyes watered and Joshua was starting to panic a little.

“I do believe you, Shua. I just…..I need to walk.” You said quickly, grabbing your purse and dashing out the door. Joshua tried to go after you but Lillian grabbed his arm. “Let her go. She has to get her thoughts together. She'll be okay.” She retorted and Joshua swallowed his worries. 

You walked and walked. Not even realizing how far out you walked. You finally looked up to an empty street. “Fuck.” You wrapped your hands around your body as the leaves crunched under your feet. Scared. Confused. Alone. It was stupid of you to come out here by yourself. But you were overwhelmed with so many emotions, you didn't know what else to do. The distinct sound of a twig snapping nearby made you jump and you quickly scanned your surroundings. You saw no one but couldn't shake the feeling of someone watching you. You picked a direction and began walking before a voice cut through you like a hot knife. “It's dangerous out here for a girl like you.” You turned to see a man in a suit. His hand nestled in his pants pockets as he eyed you down. 

“A man like you shouldn't sneak up on people.” He chuckled at your response before leaning against a fence.

“Well you seemed to be tangled up in your own thoughts. Would've been rude to just tap you on your shoulder. Had you been paying attention, you would've heard me coming.” He stared at you as you bit the inside of your cheek. “You're pretty far out from home don't you think.” His words struck a nerve and you slowly backed away from him. Trying to give yourself some distance. 

“I'm quite capable of handling myself.” You said and he laughed. “You sure about that little one?” Something about the man made you uneasy as you fumbled with the bracelet in your pocket, that slowly got warmer. You turned to see a back road behind you and went to tell him you'd be on your way but when you looked back at him, he was gone. That was until a deep voice muttered in your ear. “Boo.” You jumped back as the man was now next to you with his jacket over his shoulder. “I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you.” 

“How did you-”

“You're not that great at paying attention.” He smirked and you nearly missed the way his canines sharpened. Memories of his face began to rush to you as you thought about Joshua. You remember when he mentioned his coven brothers and the realization hit you like a freight train as the picture suddenly became clear. “I know you.” Your voice trembled as he raised an eyebrow with a grin. 

“Do you know me? Who am I?”

“You're Kim Mingyu. Part of that one group. Seventeen is it?” You asked, backing away. He threw his head back letting out a loud laugh. “Aww a fan. I'm touched.”

“Don't flatter yourself. Shouldn't you be at a dance practice or something?” You said with as much confidence you could muster up. He remained silent but had a smirk on his lips. Your heart felt as if it was about to beat out of your chest and you turned on your heels to run. He made no move to chase you but instead stood with his head back laughing at you. Before you knew it he was in front of you, grabbing hold of your wrist. He let go as if he had been burned and on instinct you forced him away, purple energy flowing to your palm. His body flew into a nearby house and you stood confused as you stared down at your hand. Fingers tingling from whatever the hell it was you just did. Breaking from your thoughts his gaze snapped to yours before you ran again. This time making it to a familiar street and turning to check if he followed. But there was no one. The wind blew your hair into your face and you stared off into the distance. His presence was gone. 

“Y/N! Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick!” A voice called out and you turned to see Lillian and Joshua. You sighed as you made your way to them with your arms around your body. You planned to remain silent about your run in with Mingyu but Joshua already had his eyes set in the direction you just came from. You followed his gaze and saw the man you encountered. “Go inside. Lock the door and don’t let anyone in if it isn’t me.” Before you could ask questions he made his way down the street and Lillian dragged you into the house. Joshua held a scowl as Mingyu carelessly leaned against the light pole, dusting off his shirt. “What did you do?”

“Me? I didn't do anything. We were having a pleasant conversation. Then your little witch attacked me. Does Seungcheol hyung know you're hiding her?” He smirked and Joshsua balled his fist. “A vampire being friends with a witch is unheard of.” 

“I'm not hiding her. She didn't know anything about the supernatural. Barely even believed it. You showing up probably awakened her abilities she didn't even know she had.” Josh sneered and he shrugged. 

“She knows enough, Josh. She knows about us. But you know that.” Another voice cut in and the man snapped his head to see Seungkwan standing with his hands in his pockets. “He isn't going to let that slide. She could expose us.”

“She won't.”

“And how do you know?” Joshua froze at the sound of Jeonghan's icy voice before looking past Mingyu at the blonde. “She could open her mouth. Not saying people would believe her but still. If it was Seungcheol instead of Mingyu, your little witch would've been killed out there. But you know that. I have to do my duty as second in command to report this to him. He'll have her head.”

“She's no threat to us.” Joshua couldn't find the words to say as challenging Jeonghan would be suicide. “We'll see about that.” Jeonghan held a sadistic smirk that made Joshua's body run cold.

“See about what?” Another voice cut into the conversation and Joshua swore his vampire blood ran cold. He turned just as Seungcheol arrived with the rest of the coven and shut his eyes with a sigh. “What will we see about?” Everyone remained quiet and Seungcheol narrowed his eyes at his coven's silence. “I won't ask again.”

“Go ahead, tell him Joshua.” Joshua locked eyes with his coven leader and felt his heart drop to his stomach.

You’d been sitting there in silence for half an hour and you couldn’t help but think about Josh. Was he okay? Did he get hurt? What of Mingyu? The thoughts became unbearable and you stood to your feet, heading over to the window. Glancing out past the curtains into the empty street. There was nothing. No one. “He should've been back by now.” You muttered walking to the door as Lillian ran a hand through her hair. “Don't even think about it. We stay put like he said.” You turned to face her and noticed her mixing different spices she had in her cabinet. “How can you be cooking at a time like this?” 

“I'm not. I'm brewing a protection spell.” She answered and you frowned. “Spell? As in a witch spell?” 

“Y/N there's still so much you have to learn.” She started and you felt your eyes water. She gave a small sigh as she finished the concoction and hung it over the door. “You and I come from a long line of witches. As Joshua told you earlier, your great grandmother and grandmother were witches as well. Some excelled in spellcasting while others were able to master healing magic. You seem to have both as I noticed the burns immediately heal from your power. Which is extremely rare and with everyone keeping you in the dark, you never learned how to use them. Have you ever been able to lift something with a wave of your hand? Pushing things, pulling things? With your mind.” As she explained everything started to become clearer. You had always thought that it was your mind playing tricks on you. But now it all makes sense. Too much sense. “I'm going to enchant the house. You should get some rest. I do understand it's a lot to take in.”

“But Josh…” She held your shoulders as she led you to the couch. “I'll be on the lookout for him. Now go rest.” She gave your hair a small pat and you had tried your best to stay awake. Watching Lillian carry around a glass throughout the house before your eyes fluttered closed. 

Leaves crunched under your feet as you ran as fast as you could carry yourself. Everywhere you looked he was there. A man with dark hair and blood red eyes. His chuckle echoed through the forest surrounding you as you tried to catch your breath. But no matter how far you got he always seemed to be two steps ahead. You backed up into a body and turned to find him smirking down at you. He raised an eyebrow before his head shot out and wrapped around your throat. Leaning close to your ear you felt him smirk against your skin. “You should know little one, I love when they run.” 

You shot up off the couch covered in sweat, noticing you're still in Lillian’s house. She sat on the other couch with a dagger in her hand. She rushed to your side upon noticing your distraught breathing. “You're okay. It was just a dream.” She mumbled rubbing your arms. You brought your hand to your face with a sigh. “What time is it?” 

“11:30 I'm about to make breakfast. Joshua should be back tonight. Go wash up.” She said before you go up to head to the bathroom. You shut the door and looked at yourself in the mirror. Your brown eyes were puffy and your curls disheveled. But your wide eyed gaze went down to your neck. Where a dark bruise started to form along your skin. Right where his hand had been. You took a quick shower and walked past the kitchen. “I have to grab some things from home. I'll be back in a bit.” You closed the door before she could say anything else and made a dash down the empty sidewalk. Your mind was occupied with everything you've been told floating around like fish. Not even paying attention to the world around you. A hand pressed over your lips and you thrashed as you were dragged behind an abandoned house. The person let go and you scoffed, looking up at Joshua. 

“You can't just ask me to talk like a normal person?!” You shouted and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“I was worried sick!” 

“I know. I know. Y/N there’s more you have to know. With you being a witch and all. I just needed to tell you to watch your back out here. There's more covens out there than just us.” He told you and you felt your stomach drop. “Once others get word of a witch in the area, you'll be a target. So you have to keep it a secret. No one but Lillian can know about…….” 

He paused his sentence and looked at you with sad eyes. “You need to get out of here.”

“Josh wha…”

“But we just got here. She shouldn't leave now.” You looked over Joshua's shoulder as four figures stood around the two of you. Lee Jihoon, Jeon Wonwoo, Kwon Soonyoung and Kim Mingyu. You recognized them as some of his group mates. Wonwoo placed a hand on the back of Joshua's neck causing him to fall to his knees with his eyes closed. “You've done enough.” A low voice said in his ear as he was pulled away from you before you could grab onto him. You found yourself rooted to the ground as the four of them had you surrounded. “You seem scared little dove. We don't bite.” 

“Hard.” Jihoon grinned as you felt a wall behind you. You had no choice but to fight. Again. You moved to defend yourself but Soonyoung was already behind you, Pinning your hands behind your back. You hissed in pain as his grip tightened the more you struggled. “Soonyoung is the fastest out of all of us. You won't even get a spell off with him here.” You brought your hand up to his wrist and squeezed, causing him to shout in pain as searing heat emitted from your palm. Mingyu took the chance to kick your leg from under you but you turned in time to deflect with your own kick. It won't do much damage but it will give you distance. Soonyoung dashed towards you and you pulled a hidden dagger from your boot, swinging in time to cut his cheek. He brought a hand up to wipe the cut as his eyes flickered a dark crimson color before rushing at you at full speed. You felt your fear spike and crouched a small barrier appearing before you. You forced Soonyoung away from you before the man relaxed into a carefree stance. You grew confused until his eyes locked behind you and Mingyu rubbed a hand under his chin. 

“You're in trouble now girl.” You suddenly felt a presence behind you and quickly threw up a barrier before a fist collided with the purple aura. The man immediately threw another punch without giving you time to recover, shattering the barrier before you and wrapping a hand around your throat. “Let go!” You pleaded but your words fell on deaf ears as you were lifted off your feet and closer to the man. Your vision blurred as he tossed you into the wall. You back stung as you coughed trying to catch your breath. Before you could react he grabbed a fist full of your hair, his fingers tangled in your curls while bearing his teeth at you. Your eyes clenched shut at the sting surging through your scalp. Mingyu chuckled at your struggle as you clawed at the hand in your hair. When your eyes shot open you were met with a dark crimson iris staring down at you. He lifted your head to catch your unfocused brown eyes and his grip loosened. You missed how his expression softened for a split second as he dropped you to the floor. You went into a coughing fit as the others watched on with confused stares. Jeonghan stood in the alleyway as he exchanged a knowing look with the woman next to him.

“Everyone back to the dorm, we’ll hunt tomorrow night.” Jeonghan said abruptly and all eyes flickered to his relaxed form. 

“Come on Jeonghan, she cut me.” Soonyoung whined but the blonde was not impressed.

“None of you were supposed to be out here in the first place. Do not make me repeat myself.” One by one they all walked past you in silence as Jeonghan approached his leader. “You too Seungcheol.” He looked down at you one last time before walking away with his head down. The mysterious woman reached a hand out to you and you reluctantly accepted her help. She nodded to the blonde before he too left the area, leaving the two of you alone. 

What the fuck was that? Why did he stop himself?

“Honesty I'm not quite sure.” She spoke as if she read your mind. “When it comes to the boys, Seungcheol isn't one to hesitate. He loves them as if they were his own and would do anything to keep them safe. That includes killing. Which brings up the million dollar question, why did he stop himself from killing you?” You stared up at her with confusion floating in your dark orbs trying to make sense of everything. “Anyway. I have a strong feeling they won't be bothering you anymore. But you should take Joshua's words into consideration. Watch your back out here.” With that she gave you a small smile as she turned her back and left the area, leaving you alone.

Back at the dorm Joshua felt all eyes on him. He had already tried to explain his story but Seungkwan and Mingyu were not having any of it. “She's a danger to all of us! We should've killed her when we had the chance.” Seungkwan’s words made Joshua wince and Mingyu laughed at his brother's anger.

“This is Joshua's fault. He should have never told her. I'll see to it that it's quick and painless.” Another voice spoke and Joshua looked over at Jun. “Like hell you will.” 

“After all this you're still protecting her? For what?” Wonwoo questioned and Joshua sighed. “She's my best friend. She has been there with me through thick and thin. I'm not going to hurt her because she knows the truth.” He spoke quickly before Soonyoung cut in once more. “If she betrays you then what? You're putting us all in jeopardy for someone who doesn't even know what she's capable of.” 

“What's the point when none of you are listening to me?” Joshua sighed and Mingyu stood to his feet. “Fuck what you have to say! I'm sick of you and your little --”

“ENOUGH.” Another voice boomed, silencing any debates and everyone turned to see Seungcheol taking a seat on a nearby stool suppressing his coughs. No one dared speak when their leader walked into the room. “This girl could potentially be a threat to us if she puts her mind to it. She could be dangerous. From here on out no one is going to go near her. Let the other covens deal with her. She lives out her life out there. We live out ours here.” Joshua froze as his coven leader's piercing eyes landed on him. “And I do mean no one. Unless any of you have an objection.”

To say you were on edge was the understatement of the century. You still have yet to see or hear from Joshua and it's been 3 days. Everyday you wake up in hopes that he would be downstairs while Lillian made breakfast. Running a hand through your hair you stalked downstairs with your mind made up not letting Lillian get her greeting out. “Hey how are….”

“I want to learn how to properly use my powers.” You said with slight determination as she sat down the bowl of biscuits on the table. “O-okay. I can teach you the basics but after breakfast. It won't do you any good on an empty stomach.” The next couple of hours weren't easy for you. You kept trying to lift random items Lillian placed in front of you with no luck. They would shake but never floated or moved. Lillian pointed her finger and gave you a slight shock every time you failed. “Ow! Would you stop that!”

“Not. Until. You. Get. It. Right.” After each word she sent another jolt through you and you clenched your jaw. “How do you think you'll help Joshua if you can't even do a simple exercise? Being one with the world of sorcery isn't for the weak Y/N.” You grew tired of her talking down on you and gave the space in front of you a forceful push out of pure frustration. The vase was thrown back into a tree, shattering into pieces upon impact and Lillian gave you a knowing smile. You stood in shock as you brought your hand to your face. “Is that all I can do?” 

“Most likely not. But other abilities manifest based on situations. The basics is all I can teach you.” You looked down at your feet and she sighed. “Meditation is the key. You'll learn to open your eyes in the world of the supernatural. But you have to open your mind first.” She said and you raised an eyebrow. “Now you want to talk in riddles?” The training went on for a couple more hours and the sun was beginning to set. You wiped sweat from your forehead and leaned against the tree. 

“This is only the beginning Y/N. What comes next won't be easy.”

“I know.”

[storiesofsvu]

Solace in Solitude Ch 6

warnings: language, usual anxiety, minor medical stuff, minor ptsd/hurt that goes with this story and the usual sass/arguing. again, apologies for the length between chapters and there is a chance it'll be another month before the next one, things are calming down at work but i do really want to make sure that this story is written as well as it can be. stay tuned for more one shots in the meantime!

The apartment was quiet, almost too quiet and honestly, it almost always was. Despite sharing the space with Emily over the past two weeks you felt like you’d only seen her once since discharging her. You were sure part of that was thanks to giving her the bedroom with the ensuite, the greedy part of you had wanted to take it as your own, but the doctor in you knew that it would make things a hell of a lot easier for her recovery journey. You went about your regular routine, tv on low for the morning news as you ate a quiet breakfast, made sure you had your things and spent the majority of the day at the hospital. A workout either on the way home, or a run after you’d dropped your things off, dinner on the balcony while you watched the city nightlife come alive. At first you were wrapping up cases, discharging the last of the patients you’d been lead on and helping out wherever you could. It was unclear at this point if you were to remain on hospital staff or not with your VIP patient discharged, but you figured giving her space and leaving the house empty as long as possible was probably a good idea.

You began to wonder if this was your prime time to explore the city, to adventure outside of it, maybe see more of France, Europe as a whole. The responsibility that had been tying you to the hospital was lessened, as long as she stuck with her PT and kept up with instructions of aftercare, she should be fine. You were on the balcony flipping through a travel magazine daydreaming about a trip down to Bordeaux when the coffee machine beeped loudly and your brow furrowed, it was eight p.m. You let out a soft sigh when you heard her door open followed by the sound of emptying the coffee pot before disappearing back into her room and you tossed the magazine to the side. She was never going to be the perfect patient and if you didn’t stick around to babysit, there was no way she was going to heal properly. You were completely unsurprised when you were tidying up the kitchen later and found the decaf still sealed, the regular bag nearly empty.

Yeah, you were stuck here for the foreseeable future.

*

The first couple of nights at the apartment Emily was still on such a cocktail of drugs that she slept pretty soundly. The room was darker, the bed comfier, there was no constant intrusion of nurses throughout the night, no annoying beeping of machines, codes from down the hall waking her up in a panic. She was just starting to feel the closest she could get to normal again, starting to feel actually human.

She found a note on the kitchen counter one day, reminding her about her scheduled PT appointments and that you had arraigned a car service to pick her up and bring her back as to not tire her out too quickly. Rolling her eyes she wanted to crumple it up and never see it again but she knew she had to get better, peeling it off the counter to stick to the calendar in her room. The PT wasn’t the part that was irking her, it was the ‘Valerie’ scrawled across the top of the note that made her gut churn, she may have been becoming human again but she was still entirely unsure of who she really was, or who she was supposed to be.

Every so often she would catch a glimpse of you in the hospital hallways on her way in or out of an appointment, it was almost strange to her, seeing you working in a different environment than before. You seemed to always be on the move or so deep into research you had no idea what was going on in the room around you and she was honestly thankful you never saw her or mentioned anything more about PT. Her doctor made the call to wean her off the rest of her pain meds which she was fine with, it meant she was moving in the right direction, that she was healing properly. The downside of it being that she was now in actual pain, her body aching, especially on days she had appointments, she’d lay in bed at night unable to get comfortable leaving her utterly exhausted the next morning. After checking the label she figured she could be taking a full pill of the sleeping pills instead of half, hoping that would knock her out enough to not feel any pain anymore.

That worked for approximately two and a half nights until she was plagued with another terrifyingly vivid nightmare, one that she couldn’t seem to break out of until hours later when the sun poured in through the open blinds. She woke up drenched in sweat, her heart rate through the roof as her body fought with its fight or flight response, managing to keep half control of herself until she heard the front door click shut locked when you left for work. Her muffled deep breaths broke out into sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks until she’d fully cried herself out with barely enough strength left to drag herself into the bath. Back on the lower dosage she was stuck with minor pain and weird, terrible dreams, whatever had been working before wasn’t working any longer and she didn’t want to mess around with any new drugs.

That was when she decided to stop sleeping at night.

Every time she napped during the day she had no issues at all, curled up like a cozy cat in a stream of sunlight she felt safe. She knew if she jerked awake she could at least instantly see her surroundings, there was no fumbling around in the dark while she tried to figure out if she was in danger or not. Her nights could be spent double checking that you’d locked the door, that the alarm was actually set before she ate a little bit of food, loaded up on coffee and staying in her room with the light on, thankful for the endless hours of streaming services available.

Hence the eight p.m. coffee.

*

You had no idea that she had made a one eighty with her sleep schedule, continuing about your life as normal as you could. At the start you had been worried about her not eating, but food would slowly disappear out of the fridge and pantry. You usually made larger portions of what you were making yourself, tucking some containers into the side of the fridge you had decided was hers, noticing when they turned up in the sink empty. She was eating, she was eating healthy meals and going to her PT and follow up appointments, you weren’t going to push the coffee thing. This was your new life; you’d adjust to it eventually.

A summer day rudely interrupted with thunderstorms got you stuck at the hospital a little later than usual, and lead to you skipping your workout. The last thing you wanted was to look like a drowned rat at the end of your run, so back to home it was. What surprised you when you unlocked the door to the apartment was the sound of someone in the kitchen,

“Oh, Valerie, hey.” You greeted, doing your best not to awkwardly stop and gape at the sight of her out of her room for once. She tensed at your greeting, her jaw clenching slightly as she flicked off the burner and began to plate up her food.

“Hey.” She replied, “sorry, I’ll be outta your way in a sec.”

“You know it’s fine to eat out here, you’re allowed to exist outside of your room.”

“It’s fine.” She sighed, “I don’t mind. You just finished work, I’m sure you’d prefer quiet.”

“Val, c’mon, you eating at the dining table doesn’t mean hours of conversation, it’s okay.” You half laughed, stepping around the island.

“Would you stop that!” Her body tensed again and the mug she’d grabbed from the cupboard landed on the counter a little too aggressively.

“What?” You asked quietly, watching for a moment as she took a heavy breath, her reply quiet but curt.

“That’s not my fucking name.”

“It’s the name I was told to call you.” You offered with a shrug and she groaned, “isn’t this about keeping you safe?”

“When we’re out!” She snapped back and it was your turn to roll your eyes.

“It’s not exactly like you leave the house.”

“Exactly!” She finally turned around to you, fire in her eyes but something else hidden behind it “so you could at least drop the act when you’re here, when it’s just us. Please.” Her voice nearly cracked, “just call me Emily.”

“Okay.” You held up your hands in defeat, letting out a small sigh as you leant against the island.

“Thank you.” She replied through gritted teeth, turning back to the counter to pour out a hefty mug of coffee, more than well aware that your eyes were on her. “It’s decaf.” She lied and you snorted.

“The decaf hasn’t been touched. I may not be an FBI agent but I’m not stupid.”

“Would you just spare me the caffeine lecture?”

“It’s not just that.” You replied, eying her plate, the eggs and toast were fine, but bacon and sausage, along with a bag of sugary pastries you hadn’t bought were not ideal. “All that combined together isn’t going to help you. How many times do I have to tell you, you have to limit this. You don’t have a spleen.”

“And whose fault is that?” She snapped, shooting daggers at you before she managed to pick up everything she needed.

“It was that or let you die on the table.” You snipped back as she bolted toward her room.

“Sometimes I wish you’d just let that happen….” She kicked the door, slamming it shut behind her, not missing the frustrated groan you let out in reply.

She didn’t want to admit how much it was fucking her up, how much it was dragging her back down into a pit of despair and trying to figure out if she could ever be the woman she was before. All these covers, these acts, different personas were starting to mesh in her brain, there were memories she wasn’t sure if they were hers or Lauren’s. Stories she’d told while undercover that she was starting to forget if it was something that actually happened to her or something that she knew would get Ian wrapped around her finger faster. Just an hour ago she’d woken up from a nightmare of looking down the barrel of gun before killing whoever was coming after her and she wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, if it was out in the field with the BAU or something she likely shouldn’t have done for Ian. She’d spent years trying to erase Lauren from her psyche, now it was getting all dragged back up again and she hated it.

Most of all she didn’t want to erase Emily.

*

You spent the weekend with Emily’s parting words replaying through your head, wondering just how much she had actually meant them. You’d seen it before, in patients who survived through a life and death situation while their loved one didn’t, taking the blame, wishing it was them, survivors guilt eating them alive. You knew that in this case it was something similar, but also something different, Emily was no longer living the life she had been before, she was in hiding and likely living in fear. You made a mental note to try and keep an eye on her, and for some higher power to grant you all the patience in the world to be as gentle and forgiving towards her when she no doubt would snap again. While the two of you weren’t exactly getting along, there was a chance she didn’t necessarily hate you, it was everything you represented, the idea of you, what you had done to her, even if it had saved her life.

When they said that sometimes dying was the easier option, they really hadn’t been kidding.

*

Emily couldn’t sleep. Even with the sun streaming in through the curtains and the fact that she’d managed to successfully reroute her sleep schedule, at least this time she knew exactly why. Today was JJ’s birthday, a day she was meant to be back in Washington celebrating with her best friend and she couldn’t even so much as call her. By mid afternoon she was still tossing and turning, unable to stop her brain from racing so she figured she may as well just get up and start her ‘day’ now. Heading into the bathroom she brushed her teeth, grimacing at the state of her hair when she caught her reflection, she’d been relying on dry shampoo since being discharged and that tactic was holding on by a thread now.

Figuring that was a problem for later she pulled on a hoodie and wandered out into the kitchen, starting the coffee pot before staring into the fridge for something to eat. She fiddled with a few of the containers, finding one that must have been from that morning with a breakfast burrito inside it she decided that was doable and popped it into the air fryer.

“I may have over salted that, sorry.” Your voice broke through her sleepy routine and she jumped, her heart hammering in her chest as she spun around to face the living room, finding you on the couch, a few textbooks spread out around you, ear buds in your ears. You hadn’t even glanced up from what you were doing when you spoke, knowing she’d rather you kept to yourself.

“What are you doing here?”

“I live here…” This time you did glance up at her, raising a brow in her direction as you pulled out a bud.

“It’s the middle of the day. On a Thursday!” She exclaimed, her heart starting to calm, “did you change you schedule?”

“No.” You shrugged, “they just don’t really need me and I feel bad taking hours from people who actually work there and need them.”

“You one of those trust fund kids?” She asked and you snorted.

“Definitely not. But the US government does pay me to make sure I don’t run off and leave you all on your own.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.” She grumbled, “couldn’t you be out with friends or something?”

“Don’t exactly have any of those here.” You sighed, turning back to the notebook in front of you, “and you do need some kind of help, believe it or not.”

“Do not.” She muttered under her breath and you shook your head with an annoyed laugh.

“You can’t change the dressing on your back by yourself, and you’re not strong enough to shower alone.”

“I showered fine the other day without you!” She scoffed, a little offended that you’d even say that and suddenly very paranoid that she stunk.

“Yeah?” You glanced back up at her, “when was the last time you had an everything shower?” She thought for a second and then grimaced, not wanting to admit it, and you smiled, “exactly. And it’s not just the shower, I’ve been doing all the heavy lifting, groceries, taking trash out, cleaning, you need me or a maid. And I’m the one with a medical degree.”

“Whatever.” She huffed, turning back to the coffee pot as it beeped, “keep doing what you’re doing, but I’m fine to shower on my own. Besides, I don’t need you seeing me naked.”

You barked out a laugh, “sweetheart… you were naked on my OR table, it wouldn’t be anything I hadn’t seen before.”

Emily wanted to disappear on the spot, while you were likely right, she didn’t want to think about it like that, and she definitely didn’t appreciate the condescending tone that came along with the pet name. She would accept the help that kept her inside the apartment, made it so she didn’t have to run errands, kept her safer, but the shower was crossing into a territory of vulnerability she never wanted to show.

“I’m fine.” She insisted.

“It’s not like I’m going to get in the shower with you, it’s to help with your hair. I don’t want you blowing a stitch, I’m not fond of doing sutures outside a hospital.”

“I said I’m fine.” She let out a sigh of relief when the air fryer beeped.

“Really? So you just prefer the dry shampoo rats nest look you’ve got going on? The low pony tails every day your go to style? Not because you can’t reach your hand above your head without being in pain?” With a breath you dropped your pen onto your lap, “there’s a detachable showerhead in your bathroom, we can do your hair first and you can be fully clothed then I’ll leave you to shower on your own.”

Her eyes darted your way while she dumped the burrito onto a plate, “well since you’re bumming around here doing nothing else I guess I’ll take advantage of that after breakfast.”

“So glad my medical degree will be put hard to work.”

Had she not been so thrown off by you being home, or grumpy over the circumstances she might even have laughed at that before taking a bite of the burrito, wincing as she swallowed it down, “you weren’t kidding when you said you oversalted this.”

*

A water droplet hit your foot and you looked up from your book, Emily was tightly wrapped in a robe, shifting on her feet in front of you with a pained expression on her face.

“You’re dripping.” You pointed out dryly and she scowled at you, mumbling something unintelligible at you. “You’re gonna have to speak up.” You chuckled, prodding at her leg with your foot, “just admit I was right and stop leaving puddles around the apartment.”  

She glared at you again, her hair continuing to soak her shoulders, “can those magically skilled surgeon hands of yours braid, or just sew painful sutures?”

You let out a small laugh, “yeah I can braid, there’s a comb and a hair serum in my bathroom.”

You gestured and Emily hesitated briefly before disappearing to grab them, taking a minute as she was unsure of where to look, not wanting to snoop through your personal items. She finally returned to you, handing you the items and you put your book aside, shifting to the edge of the couch.

“Sit.” You gestured to the floor in front of you and with an annoyed sigh, Emily did as you asked, holding the robe tighter to her in an attempt to keep some of her modesty. Your fingers started slowly and gently threading into her locks, shaking them out gently to make sure you weren’t about to rip her hair out of her scalp. “Hmm..”

“What?”

“I should’ve made you do this earlier, or done it with the conditioner still in, it’s pretty knotted. I’ll do my best not to pull too hard.”

“I’m fine.” She replied, it was curt, but said with a tired sigh. If she was completely honest, she was getting tired of repeating the same mantra, even if it was just to herself.

You didn’t reply, standing from the couch and stepping around her, darting to the bathroom to grab a few more things that would help. You settled behind her once again, gently nudging at her shoulders to move backward and settle between your legs so you could get the best angle. Starting with a detangler spray you worked through her hair, making sure all the bigger knots were out, gentle easing them from her hair with your fingers first before the comb. She surprised herself when she only winced a couple of times, you were incredibly gentle and careful with the task at hand.

“I take it this isn’t your first time doing this.” She muttered and you laughed.

“Nope. Mom had no sense of patience; she’d yank at your hair until it was done. I suffered through it, but my little sister used to scream bloody murder so I started doing it for her instead. She fully believes no mom is actually good at detangling hair, that it’s all an act.” You chuckled, “can you prover her wrong?”

“Uh..” Emily wavered, “my mother wasn’t exactly maternal. Spent more time working than parenting, and work kept her busy, it felt like we never stayed in one place long enough to find a good enough nanny.”

“Army brat?” You asked, smoothing serum over the ends of her hair.

“Ambassador.” She admitted with a small sigh.

“And you asked if I was the fancy pants.” You teased, she let out a mildly offended scoff but before she could reply you were talking again, “one braid or two?”

“Probably two?” –

“Two would hold a nicer wave.”

You both laughed softly before you took the end of the comb parting her hair down the middle, “looks like there’s finally something we can agree on.”

It was with ease that your fingers slid through her hair, keeping sections where they needed to be, tightening the braid when you knew it was about to be too loose but making sure not to pull hard enough to hurt her scalp. You wrapped an elastic around the end of the first one, smoothing it out, fixing a few pieces before moving on to the other side of her head.

“How many places was she stationed?” You asked softly as you began the second braid.

“A handful.” She replied, “spent a good chunk of my childhood in the Middle East.”

“Can you get by on English over there?”

“Not exactly.” She chuckled lightly, “my Arabic’s not as good as it used to be, but I guess I’m still considered fluent.”

“Trilingual? Impressive.”

“Add in Spanish, Italian and some Russian and I think it’s more than tri.”

“Jesus.” You laughed, “here I was thinking I was smart for knowing two languages.”

“I mean…. You did graduate med school.” She offered and you laughed.

“A compliment? Now that is something I never thought I’d hear.” You wrapped an elastic around the second braid, nudging at her shoulders as you sunk back into the couch. “You’re all done.”

With a small groan, Emily pushed herself up from the floor, trying to ignore the cracking of her knee as she did so before turning to you, gesturing to the items on the coffee table, “you want me to put those back?”

“Nah, I’ll do it later, I was gonna shower before bed.”

“Okay.” She fiddled with the tie on her robe, looking anywhere but you for a moment before she finally caught your gaze again, “thank you…”

“You’re welcome.”

You knew you could have replied with something about how that’s what you were there to do, how you were literally brought to France to help her out, but neither of you were biting the other’s head off right now and you didn’t want to risk it. Instead you simply shot her a small smile, shifting on the couch as you got comfortable.

“Can I ask you something?” You looked up at her, figuring you were on a good slate right now.

“Sure.”

“You’re up now, and.. I hear you around the apartment sometimes at night. Are you sleeping? Are the pills not working?”

“Uh.. they uh, weaned me off the pills.” It was only half a lie, “kept having bad nightmares. And I sleep better during the day,” she shrugged it off, “just.. couldn’t manage to fall back asleep today is all.”

“Okay.” You surveyed her for a minute before you picked your book back up, “I was thinking of ordering a pizza for dinner, you want in?”

“Am I allowed?” She asked with a near tease.

“Consider it a special occasion.”

____________

@mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @daddy-heather-dunbar @maybe-a-humanbean @rustyzebra @ilovemycrayons @mandy-asimp @leftoverenvy @kades95 @dextur @supercriminalbean @daffodil-heart @its-soph-xx xx @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @hopelesslyfallenninlove @peanutbutterprincess @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @s1ut4nat @scorpsik @prentiss-theorem @strongsassysexysloane @happenstnces @sapphicprentiss @geekyandgay98 @pagetboobstarcomments @onmykneesformarvel @inlovewithemilyprentiss @desperate-gay @amypoehlfey @overtrred28 @theclassicgaycousin @regalmilfs4me @kalixxh @ara-a-bird @five-bi-five-mind @niyizh @inlovewithmiddleagewomen @tommyriddleobsessed @hotchs-bitch @ollysmulti @kmc1989 @irishavengersassemble @romanoffsho @ratsnestinmyhair @assgardangod @originalbrunettecharacter @elz-artzzz @hopedoesntknow @dj-bynum3718

[uselessheretic]

I don't believe the issue people have with the idea of Izzy being Ed's abuser is because fans are unwilling to view Ed as a victim of abuse or Izzy as capable of being an abuser. I feel like it's a more simple answer of "people don't agree with that interpretation because there isn't enough to substantiate it."

With Izzy and Ed, it's important to understand the difference between conflict and abuse. (I'd highly recommend "Conflict is Not Abuse" by Sarah Schulman!) A lot of the time in highly volatile relationships, we're quick to assign abuse to them and to figure out which person is the perpetrator and who's the victim, but often times they're just conflicted. This is why you'll often hear Izzy stans describing their relationship as mutually toxic, not mutually abusive (which isn't real)

The simplest definition is determining whether the relationship is based in Power Struggle or Power Over. Abuse isn't based off of individual actions, but an exertion of power. Both Izzy and Ed commit acts as part of a power struggle towards each other, with Izzy's antagonism of Stede and utilization of the navy, and Ed's manipulation and physical violence of punching, choking, and mutilating. (Yes, physical violence is an expression of power!) There's a back and forth here with both having moments of forcing the other to stay, and neither of them being the picture of a healthy relationship. With them, there's also the added element of Izzy's privilege as a white man versus Ed's position as Izzy's boss which are both significant power imbalances that factor into each other's toxicity.

The important part is that Ed's feeling negatively towards Izzy doesn't equate to being an abuser. Izzy vaguely threatens Ed ("Edward better watch his fucking step") but this is also within a context where Ed just choked him. Izzy had called the navy before, yeah, but that option isn't available for him anymore, and Ed still has an advantage of being the only thing keeping the crew from throwing Izzy overboard with an anchor anklet. Arguably, Ed holds more power over Izzy in this specific instance. Rationally, there isn't an immediate threat here, but Ed still responds as if there is.

Ignoring all that, the main part of this is that Ed's Kraken response is indicative of the other person being an abuser. "If someone reminds Ed of his past abuse that much then it must mean that they're in the wrong!" But that's not how that works. Take this passage from Conflict is Not Abuse as an example:

This is also not how Trauma™️ responses functions. Ed, incontestably I hope, has some form of PTSD/c-PTSD. The very defining aspect of PTSD is that a person experiences a traumatic event that they continue to not recover from impacting their day to day life. Often people going through traumatic events will struggle for a bit before getting better, but not everyone does that. When the symptoms continue or even grow worse, that's when we identify PTSD.

PTSD reactions aren't rational. Especially when it comes to c-PTSD, the ability to gauge and respond to threats is damaged. You become easily triggered by things, often seemingly unrelated to an outsider, that reminds you of those traumatic experiences and throws you into survival mode. People with PTSD and who have suffered from abuse are not able to rely on gut instinct alone. That meter has been damaged where the threat alarm is going off at a hair trigger, leaving the survivor of trauma the options of avoiding those triggers completely (nearly impossible) or learning to suppress that. This can also leave survivors of abuse especially prone to revictimization. When every action someone takes looks like a red flag, you learn to tune out that alarm bell, including the times when it's not an overreaction.

If we assume that Ed reacting with the Kraken is indicative of the other person being an abuser, then that'd mean we'd have to assume that Stede's crew was a threat. Ed killed his dad and Ed killed Lucius, so naturally, Lucius must have been abusing Ed. You can extend it as far as Stede as well, since David Jenkins described Stede's rejection as "deranging" Ed, and Ed while acting as the Kraken is tossing out Stede's shit and marooning his playthings. But we know that Lucius only had the best of intentions for Ed, and we know that the crew is too incompetent to hurt Ed.

So what the fuck is going on with Ed?

Simple answer is that Ed feels threatened. Ed's scared. He doesn't feel safe. When chronically traumatized people feel unsafe, they react in defense, including in ways that are maladaptive to themselves, and harmful to others. One way to conceptualize it is through the Internal Family Systems (I wrote an analysis through this lens once!) Within IFS, you have two basic categories of Protectors and Exiles. Exiles are the part of us who hold the pain and shame of our trauma, usually from childhood. Protectors are the parts of us who develop strategies, usually maladaptive, to protect us from that pain. I'm severely simplifying, but I've found this site to be helpful with breaking down the core concepts.

We can think of the Kraken as taking on the role of a Firefighter. The "break glass in case of emergency" protector who comes out when we're in "danger."

Firefighters will do whatever they need to when it comes to stopping the danger, even pushing us into far more fraught situations. This can include things such as binge drinking, self-harm, serial cheating, and other actions we wouldn't rationally view as safe, but things like drinking can numb the pain, self-harm creates feelings of control, and cheating brings reassurance that you are wanted. They're quick fixes with a disregard for consequences in the moment, but they're actions done to "protect" you from danger.

But like I said, trauma can really skew your sense of danger.

Just because someone triggers your PTSD and brings out your greatest threat response, doesn't mean the threat is validated. In the same way flinching when your partner casually reaches out to touch you doesn't mean they're at risk of beating you.

Ed's response to Izzy could be an overreaction to Izzy's vague verbal threat, or it could be a solution to quelling Ed's fear of abandonment, or something else entirely. It could be reminding Ed of his father, but it doesn't mean that Izzy is an abuser. Especially within a context where we've never seen Izzy pose a physical threat to Ed, where the closest we got is him summoning the navy on his white boyfriend, and ensuring that Ed was not harmed in the interaction. Ed's use of physical violence against Izzy isn't proof of Izzy's abuse, no more than it would be for Ed throwing Lucius overboard.

Something Sarah Schulman goes into detail about with the necessity of drawing a difference between conflict and abuse is misidentification of abuse stemming from supremacy vs from trauma. With supremacy, you can't just trust your gut feelings because that ends up with things like white women having moc murdered. Traumatized responses are ones where past victimization interferes with our ability to differentiate between abuse and conflict. These can often overlap with clear borders, but there are differences, of course.

The reason people don't view this dynamic as abusive isn't from an unwillingness to see Ed as a victim, but from knowing that he has been victimized in the past. The level of trauma he sustained as a child severely fucks with someone's head. Not metaphorically either, it literally causes brain damage and has been linked to an increase in likelihood of developing autoimmune diseases. Like, trauma can be so bad that your body just starts eating itself it's fucking wild the amount of damage it can do to a person.

Recognizing that Ed’s actions can be wrong, but still extending empathy towards his place as a survivor of abuse, is an act of compassion towards him.

[dandelion-blues]

PJO One-shot

Perseus

Percy glared up in the sky, rain running down his face alongside tears. Why did this have to happen to him? Couldn't he have one moment of peace? Why was it always others who died before him? Bianca, Beckendorf, Lee and so many more during the wars? Now his cursed self got his family killed. His stepfather Paul and his mother Sally. The last time he saw his mother and step-father was almost a year ago, before he was kidnapped, before he went on another quest. Before, the godly side of him yet again doomed those around him.

Blood splattered his home. His stepfather's and mother's bodies were torn to shreds, unrecognizable and guts strewn throughout their apartment. Only a message scratched on the walls and filled with blood to know that Tartarus took his revenge by sending his monsters because of Percy's escape from his realm, from him. 

He rushed outside to throw up. He couldn't face their desecrated bodies. Only, when he finished throwing up his guts out (not like he's been able to eat much since traveling through Tartarus) did he process what happened. His family was gone. Paul. His mom. He was alone. His legs gave up, and amongst his vomit he sobbed and sobbed for hours. A storm seeming to thrum in tune with his howling sobs and rain soaking him, as he didn't think about using his powers to stay dry. He stared up at the sky, wallowing in his grief. Seeming to dare it to do something worse, to condemn him already for surviving when so many others didn't. However, the rain just continued to pour.

Then, rage overtook his despair. The ground shook with his fury. This was Tartarus' doing. This was the gods’ doing, for once again ignoring a war. For kidnapping him and forcing him on yet another quest, so he wasn't here to protect his mother and Paul. Why didn't they do anything?! Why did everything have to go wrong in his life? Why couldn't the gods fucking help themselves, and not send children to their deaths?

Hatred was burning in his heart, he was on a mission. He stormed his way to Olympus. The ground shook beneath his feet, and a hurricane and storm surrounded him, creating howling winds of misery and destruction. His blood alight and the water of his storm energized him as he stepped with furious purpose. The gods were going to answer for their numerous slights. Then, he would made his way back down to Tartarus and fucking tear him apart!

Only, Perseus, for he was the destroyer now, felt arms wrap around him. Perseus tried yanking out of their grip, furious at being interrupted, but the figure didn't give. Perseus growled, "Let me go this instant!"

"Never again," a deep familiar voice rumbled back, "My son."

Perseus' anger faltered for a second, but then it returned twice fold, "You! This is your fault! You and all the other fucking gods barely helped us! You all abandoned us to defeat Gaia! Who abandoned Annabeth and I to the pit where we barely survived! YOU, WHO LEFT MY MOTHER TO DIE!" Perseus screamed in rage the howling winds and rain picking up as he raged. The ground shook furiously in tandem.

"I know my son," Poseidon whispered back heart-broken, "but I, as many other gods, were split between my Greek and Roman forms, and I could barely even watch over you, let alone help, but we should have done more. I should have spoken against my brother on closing Olympus. I should have been able to prevent Hera from taking you before the split was starting. I should have set up protections for you and your mother beforehand. I know I am to blame, as are the other gods. I should have been able to prevent S-sally's death." He choked out, grief clear in his voice.

Then, Poseidon turns his son around so he can see the fury and anguish in his green eyes, "But son, this isn't you." Poseidon gestures to the destruction around them from Perseus' powers taking form. "You can rage against me all you want, but I know that you don't want to put innocent lives in danger. I don't want you to do something you will regret later." Then, Poseidon looks pleadingly in his son's eyes, "So please son, turn all that rage to me. We can leave somewhere safe to keep all these people safe, and you can rage and beat and scream at me all you want, but you have to agree to following and trusting me just a bit here and now."

Perseus blinks away his tunnel vision and looks at all the damage around him. Broken glass of homes and shops, cracked roads and crashed cars, his destruction lay all around him. People crying and scared and wounded. What has he done?! 

Percy gasps horrified, and sinks to his knees. Poeidon rushes down to him concerned, but Percy barely acknowledges his father as the ground stops shaking, the wind dissipates, and the storm turns to a solemn downpour. 

Percy thought about his dad's words, his acknowledgment in his faults, and his worry for him, and grief for his mother. He sobbed again, what was he doing? He hated the gods right now, but they were still family and he wasn't a killer. Percy thinks he really just hates himself the most and he just needed someone to blame. Don't get Percy wrong, he is still justifiably angry, but right now he is grieving and exhausted, now feeling the effects of using so much power.

"D-dad," Percy choked out, "C-can you please take me away?" He had to get away from here. He couldn't be in this city anymore. He had to leave now.

Poseidon, still kneeled down next to Percy, says, "Of course," and gathers Percy in his arms, his son's body shaking from sobs as he clutches onto Poseidon. "Close your eyes," he whispers to his son. Then, Poseidon transports them to Atlantis into Percy's room that he had prepared after the Titan's war. He holds onto his son a bit, his sobbing and gasping tampering off as he succumbs to exhaustion, as Percy lets himself fall into the darkness of rest.

Poseidon looks sadly at his son, how young he truly is, noting the shape of his eyes, the slenderness of his body, and the curve of his lips, so similar to Sally's. Sally, a queen amongst women, was gone, and now all he had left of her was their son. Their son that inherited his anger, but her wit and rebelliousness, and both of their stubborness. He wishes he could be in his son's life more. That gods weren't forever meant to stay away from their children's lives. That he could have protected Percy from everything. Kept Percy and Sally safe in his kingdom, but he knew much like Sally that Percy would want to live his own life. For now, though, Poseidon would watch over Percy and would do his damn best to protect his son now that the schism between his Roman and Greek halves was mended. Zeus be damned! Percy saved them twice over and deserves rest (he deserves so much more).

Here's the one-shot on Ao3

Next PJO One-shot

[streaminn]

Tongues & Teeth I (wenclair)

lil au where its after season one and semester break, more explanation in my past posts tbh but essentially Enid feels like she’s doesn’t deserve to be standing by Wednesday and does smth about it until some other pack of werewolves come strolling into town.

includes more indepth werewolf lore and mannerism

--

Perhaps it was the fact that Wednesday finally settled down after the whirlwind of events that is her first semester but she could not help but note that something seemed off.

She curses at herself for feeling so unsettled, you would think being away from the institution she so desperately tried to escape from at the start would be relieving but instead it left her with an irritating tingling underneath her skin and she did not know why.

Was it her abode? No, she did not think so.

Everything seemed the same in the Addams manor: Pugsley’s incessant cheap attempts at assault still lingered every moment, Thing scuttled around like the spy he is and her Parents continue to scorch her eyes with their over the top affections.

(She does not mention that emptiness in her arms, the shiver in her skin everytime she brushes near someone.

Something was wrong and she can not figure out why.

Perhaps she is ill?)

It is when she goes to visit the town's mall for a family outing, two weeks away from Nevermore, that she is sharply reminded of what's missing.

It was the background song of a song that strikes her like a sword. It had a familiar nauseating tune, so loud and so Enid that she had to physically stop at the sudden ache in her chest at the remembrance of her friend.

Oh.

Oh.

“No wonder,” Wednesday murmurs, pointedly ignoring her Mother’s look. 

Enid truly left her mark and to think she had slipped Wednesday’s mind is inexcusable. An Addams always honours their words and distance wasn’t supposed to make her forget.

Safe to say, after some scouring through the brick of a phone for the necessary information, she goes and sends a message.

Wednesday knows that her roommate is a phone addict, always having it on her body when she could and she vaguely remembers how fast it would appear whenever a notification would sound.

She was not unsettled when after an hour or so, no reply had come with her message. She also had not reread her words to make sure she came off wrong.

Enid, How has your early break treated you? It has been a while since we have come in contact and the fault lies with me. I may have forgotten to exchange information when Xavier has gifted me this phone. Do tell me about your recent days. Sincerely, Wednesday Addams.

Was it too blunt? Too sharp, too uncaring?

Wednesday didn’t know and so she settled with ending the night early, anything to pass the churning in her gut.

In the morning, she felt the crawling of bugs scuttling along her stomach when she opened the phone. Her heart felt like the repeating banging of the doorbell as she stood up fully.

Enid Sinclair has sent (6) message.

OMG WEDNESDAY?? THE Wednesday Addams!?

You type like a nerd 😮

Pls dont kill me, this isi all slash jay

Joking! All jokin

My days just go so much better now! Bc leik omg, i genuinely didnt expect this

This is amazing weds im telllin u

It brings something to her face, to see such familiar words. Although some of the diction was confusing, Wednesday chalked it up to being an Enid thing. Just with her words, it's almost like Enid was chattering right away next to her.

Wednesday and Enid continue to text all throughout their break like this. Always in the mornings then picking up in the afternoon.  One totally unaware of what is happening to the other.

–

Enid doesn’t frequent the library, simply because it isn’t exactly one of the most well known places in her town. Why was this being brought up? Well her mother kicked her out of the house, murmuring to stay out of trouble because another pack of wolves is coming to town. 

It made Enid slouch, a frown on her lips. She’s a little high strung but she doesn’t cause trouble unless someone starts it.

It's not her fault her brothers got too physical, she was just repaying the favour.

So now here she is, in a library. Why is she in the Library? Well, it's because the smell of old books caught her attention. It was so irritating, being so sensitive to smells because holy moly do people stink but here? In the aisles of dusty shelves and old paper, it's almost like she’s standing next to Wednesday again.

A part of her whines at the loss of lavender and ink, that was what's missing. She was missing Wednesday and she got reminded of it when she got her texts just this morning.

God, she really really missed that girl.

Who knew being in such close proximity made her so clingy?

But it's okay! They were texting and omygod does that make her heart race. She could spend her whole day doing this, except Wednesday has stuff to do and she’s left staring at the block of text.

With a sigh, Enid pulls a random book from the shelf, admiring the simple name pressed on its side. Ravens and Wolves, how curious. She was about to open it until the chime of the library bell alerts her to a newcomer.

Normally she wouldn’t really care, a glance maybe and then back to her own world. Until a smell hits her sensitive nose and she staggers back like a newborn deer.

The scent of overwhelming ash fills the building, one that makes her hiss and attempt to plug her nose with a hand. God, these powers! so infuriating. There's something else in the air, something the other wolf is projecting but it's so hard to focus when her eyes are watering.

It's when she sees someone's shoes on the corner of her vision does Enid finally look up. In the sea of overwhelming fear pouring over her head, a flash of confusion and annoyance strikes her brain. Who does this wolf think he is? To corner a teen like this, it almost makes her wonder what Wednesday would do.

Probably stab him but that isn't allowed here.

So her hand tightens on the spine of the book as her body screams at her to run. She does want to follow but a part of her doesn’t want to move and she agrees.

Because honestly, what's with people and prodding and pushing? 

She’s just here, trying to read and then some asshole comes to stare her down. This wasn’t just over some book either because she has never felt such curiosity and amusement oozing off someone more than now.

With a frown, Enid places the book back and quickly shuts off her phone before pocketing it. Not liking the way his eyes seem to stare at it for a moment.

He certainly didn’t seem that imposing, but he just had this serial killer vibe that made her give a shaky smile in turn, anything to try and keep the peace.  The man just tilts his head in reply, giving a lip closed smile in turn. 

It makes the hairs on her neck rise.

Honestly, she would’ve assumed the guy was harmless if it weren't for the amount of edgy vibes wafting off like smoke, just about threatening to choke her out. It claws at her senses and Enid doesn’t know if he’s even doing it on purpose.

It's like the air around him was naturally dense, making it hard to even stand so close.

“So you’re the blood moon pup,” he starts and the mention of that night has Enid growling, eyes narrowed as she stands straight. When had she slouched?

Blood moon this, blood moon that. She doesn’t know much of the significance other than the fact that it's a special night and that her parents told her to be hush about it. The other werewolf gave her side eyes but it never went more than that.

Almost immediately, the air went from slowly suffocating to thick and absolutely choking and Enid swallows on another instinctive growl. Oh shit-

The wolf is still smiling and in fact, it seems to have gotten bigger - amused - but Enid can see the hint of anticipation, of threat in his lips. Her mind screams at that, clawing at her shoulders and she steps back, trying to push down such bothersome instincts.

“Don’t be like that,” he chides, stepping forward as his lips pulled into a showcase of teeth. “I’m just curious about the late bloomer and it's not everyday a pup shifts in a blood moon.”

He says it's important, like a symbolism from some god. Enid is reminded of a delusional preacher at this moment. Honestly she should care about why so many people seem to care about the moon, but there was no point. She could shift now, she could protect now- 

That's all that matters.

Protecting what hers.

Protecting Wednesday.

“What about it?” she grits out.

He taps at his cheek and Enid remembers the scar on her face. She has it bared to the world to see, even securing a clip to keep her hair. She should be slouched about it, vanity was all she had before she shifted but now?

It was a trophy, a sign that she had taken care of what's her.

“I simply wonder what a pup like you had to go through to shift on that night,” he murmurs, all easy words and shrugging shoulders. “You’re an abnormality, did you know that?”

Those words nearly make her see red. Abnormal, outcast, not like the rest-

Who is this asshole to think he can say what he wants?

“What about it!?” she barks back, voice rising as she steps forward, ignoring the aching pressure rising in her chest. “I had to fight for someone and I would do it again and again if I had to!”

(Wednesday was choking and so small in that fuckers hands and she never felt such rage before, burning and coiling under her skin.

She blacks out after Wednesday calls for her. 

Enid wakes up naked and there's blood under her nails and something sticking onto her throat.)

Her words immediately tempered off as unease began scratching up her spine. Something is screaming at her to shut up, to stay away. Normally she would’ve chalked it out as her instincts being crazy about someone unnecessary but she has never felt like this before and the want to run suddenly comes. 

Other packwolves don’t feel like this, not even the pack leader that takes charge of her family. It's like there's a shroud hanging around the wolf’s shoulders, like a curl of death’s veil so ready to swallow her whole.

He’s terrifying, but if there’s one thing Enid is good at, it’s fake it till you make it.

“It's not everyday I meet such a pup with no manners,” he says. “You can call me Romulus and you’re Enid Sinclair, yes?”

“Just Enid,” she chokes out, trying to force down the churning in her stomach. His name rings a few bells and it suddenly hits her. This was the alpha, the pack leader of the wolves visiting.  What's the leader doing interacting with a kid like her? “What do you want from me?”

It makes her step back and she watches how the older wolf seems to follow her movements easily, trailing after like a creep until she’s caught against a wall. It makes a sound bubble out from her chest as she scowls. 

He laughs, throaty and almost borderline a growl. “Right, sorry Just Enid.” He waves his hand and she watches the tips of sharp nails.

It's not like she can just run, he’s standing at her only exit and despite the pride in her stomach, Enid has no choice but to cower. Her lips pulled back into a snarl and fully unleashed the low growl from her throat.

“So feisty,” he says, giving a lil chuckle.

Romulus laughs, all teeth in display as he leans to meet her eyes. Ice blue, she notes. Similar to hers.

It makes Enid’s face scrunch.

“Is that all you came here to say?” she asks, staring at him with a face completely open to her distaste. She knew other werewolves can be weird as hell, but to think that they were this weird. He looked too calm and if the glimmer in his eyes said anything, entertained as well. Even with her growling, he didn’t seem to take her as a threat.

If he keeps pushing, then she’ll fully fight back. Pack leader or no, no one is going to push her around like this. It's insulting- Wednesday would never stand for this!

It was unnerving. Even the sight of her teeth or claws was enough to make someone pause but not this guy.

“Hmm…” Every bone in Enid's body tensed as the older wolf reached out, and her eyes widened as the hand drew closer to her face. She briefly believed the man was going to destroy her eyes, but instead, he gently plucked at a lock of her coloured hair while twirling his finger over it.  "Every other day, go to the library. You're a very interesting kid. I want to know more."

No, no way.

Romulus didn't react negatively to the blatant disrespect; instead, he just hummed softly, his eyes gleaming brightly in the faint light of the building and his face expressionless. Enid would have been concerned, even terrified, but she is too furious to give a damn.

Enough with the passivity, Wednesday would not stand for this stuff any longer!

“Back away! Don't you see how weird you seem right now?” Smacking the hand away from her head, Enid growled. "You're sounding like a creep!"

"I'm the creep?" he laughs. "weren't you the one staring at that gadget off yours? Addams was it?"

Enid felt all of the air leave her lungs, shoulders rising as she tensed up. What did he say?

"What're you trying to imply you sick fuck!?"

She expected a shout back, instead...

For almost three seconds, everything in their small space was silent - aside from Enid's growls - before a louder, more menacing rumbling literally halted the younger blonde in her tracks.

Romulus didn't growl. He wasn't showing teeth, and neither were his lips pushed back. He no longer has that unsettlingly blank expression; instead, a slight smile is pulling at the corner of his lips and he looks pleasantly amused. He doesn't appear to be a threat at all, but the deep rumbling from his chest startled Enid and caused her to spill out a whine before she could control herself. Even though it sounded like a warning rather than a typical growl, this one  seemed more like a gentle reprimand aimed to get her to stop acting out without actually scaring her.

That only scared Enid even more.

Enid's eyes widened as her whining subsided, completely dumbfounded by her own response. She was used to being growled at by other pack leaders, who have also warned and scolded her but she's never felt a reaction like that, not even when some of the wolves at school snapped at her in the beginning. Sure,  she may have grudgingly stopped, but she never complained and she never caved so quickly. Enid was right. This wolf was a problem; something about him was off; like every part of her knew he wasn't a typical wolf.

“That’s better.” The older blonde cooed, hand reaching forward to comb through the pup’s hair gently and this time Enid was too in shock to slap the hand away. “I assure you, I have no interest in anything like that. Late shifting at a blood moon is particularly odd in my life so I'm curious.” Enid could only weakly glare at the title. “So humour me, you wouldn’t want anything to happen to that…” he seems to humm before giving a smile, all teeth and fangs on display. “Wednesday, right? You should really keep your phone shut, pup.”

“Leave her alone!” She hissed, tone on the verge of sounding desperate and far from the angry, defensive growling from before. She barely got out of a Hyde attack and a part of her fears what will happen if she goes against a whole pack but she isn’t going to turn her back to one person that holds her like she’s precious. “If you think I won't claw your face out simply because you're some bigshot then you're wrong!”

“Then just talk with me, come to the library every other day and i don't need to drag not just your friend but your whole pack." The subtle threat wasn’t even subtle at all and Enid just glared harder. “That’s all I want.” Romulus continues, removing his hand from Enid’s hair and trailing down the side of her face before drawing back.

So she tears her eyes away and nods because fuck, she couldn’t exactly say no, now could she?

She grits her teeth as she searches the other man’s face for a minute, trying to find something, anything, that could show this was a trick. But his expression is frustratingly equal parts soft and terribly amused. There’s no hint of danger nor anger there, even after he growled at Enid, even after the pup had been constantly disrespectful as a way to get the man to just go away.

Enid clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. She was never this violent, never this quick to anger and that made her hesitate, made her think. This is fine, she tries to reassure herself. If she can handle a pompous werewolf, she can handle whatever dumb noble Wednesday’s family could throw at her.

Her scars ache at the touch and it's a reminder of what Enid is willing to do for Wednesday.

“That’s it?” She whispered, the fire burning in her slowing down to ambers.

“That’s it.” The wolf echoed.

[tmbatcat]

YEAH!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!! TELL ME ABOUT YOUR SKILLS!!! :D!!!!!

HEELL YYEE!!! Let me just spill my guts out !!

This may be a little long :]

(You may know this but is good to recap)

Ok, small story time! Basically I drew them becourse I read spilledkaleidoscopes works and in the second part Kim gets his own skills and there are only 8 and I was like "Fuck, If I were to make my own skill I am not forced to the albatrairie number 24 and also not forced to include all of physique and motorics gangs and i could just mix and match and nobody would care." so that's basically what I did

i took me 20 hours to figure their designs out (I am not kidding btw, i looked through the ibispaint recording) and 10 more to render them out to a point that i would say it's acceptable (i would have stayed longer if i wasn't physically and mentally tired of this little project and i also told myself that they will never be perfect and that OK)

more drawings for your pleasure (some not posted yet)

Ok now let's actually talk about the 8 dummies: (i will compare them to Harry's skills and other stuff for better understanding)(also I will includes an edgy description) [anything in square brackets are just my notes over the skill]

DOUBT - LOGIC + anxiety + masking - Logic tainted by how many times you got burned. You now know what to hide; all your cracks and imperfections. Your mask won't peel from your face, you forgot to take it off at some point and now you don't ever remember what you look like. Good luck with that, people would hate you more without it and you know it; I bore that though your head everyday.

[The little Jean in all of us. A strung up anxious mess that can't understand that people actually like you and that perfection is impossible. A lil hater.]

MECHANICAL HEART - EMPATHY + video game/movie logic - Understansing through empathy and pattern recognition. Don't understand someone? That's OK, use your vast knowledge of media to put them into little boxes and label them. People are more complicated than that but I am just a tool. I tune in on everyone and everythings frequency and if you don't understand something you look through the file drawer of your mind.

[My internet riddled brain can only understand tropes. I have so much brainrot that it can not be contained, it spreds to everything]

SENSOR - ENDURANCE + PERCEPTION + INTERFACING + autism - Caretaker of the temple. For other people it's automatic. Sadly, yours isn't. You forget to eat if nobody reminds you. So that's why I'm here. Your nerves are also more sensitive than most. It doesn't help that the world has so many textures and hard edges. I relay all the info as soon as I get it, though it's late most of the time.

KNOW-HOW - ADHD info dump (basically ENCYCLOPEDIE) - Keeper of the librarys. You know, your mind is like a library, but without any of the labeling a normal library would use. More of a big collection of storys and fun-facts you know. When you don't ask them for a piece of information in particular, they chime in with something that is vaguely connected to the conversation.

WILLPOWER - VOLITION + a crumb of SHIVERS - Makeing peace with it all. I am silent most of the time but not, because I don't care. I talk only to remind you of the world's humanity. When you are at ypur lowest. You need to go on. You can take a break, maybe cry a little, but never actually give up. The world doesn't end with you, and it's worse without you in it.

[they don't talk a lot cuz I am a depressed lil bitch]

DAY DREAM - INLAND EMPIRE + VISUALIZATION + CONCEPTUALIZATION - Close your eyes and see other worlds. Colors, characters, ideas, scenarios; all swirling in that little head of yours. They just make the puppets move for your own amusement. They unfortunately play with your puppet too, making you watch scenarios wherein you die a lot, but what can you do? You can't stop it. It has it upsides through, mainly escapism.

CHASE - ELECTRO-CHEMISTRY + ADHD hyperactivity + autistic hyperfixation - Longing for paradise and ambrosia. Comfort over anything else. They love to indulge and party. Not actually party. You know, more like watching youtube alone or with friends while eating chips at 2 AM. That is your type of party. Your batteries run low most of time, so a good game and a snack also work.

[ELECTRO-CHEMISTRY but a bit chiller, no drug related stuff, if sugar doesn't count. They just love good brain juice]

FLARE - HALF LIGHT + PAIN THRESHOLD - The fire that burns within us all. A caged animal that hisses at anything that comes near. In general it sits in corner, waiting, only popping it's head out to shriek profanities at whatever rattled the cage. All bark, no bite. A problem that you have is that you forget how people wronged you, but I'm here, I remember. Only emotions, but that is enough. You shouldn't give out so many second chances.

[stressed out little creature]

They also hate each other so fucking much AAAAAA I have a headache

I also wrote a small story with all of them in another post... I want to write some more small storys of mine if i could think of anything funny that happend and that would work in the Disco Elysium dialog style

you can also make your own skills if you want, i may be annoying but I believe in you <3 don't know what else I could add

[pangtasias-atelier]

Hey there your back,can you write an modern au of Corrin being roommates with obese Keaton and obese Kaden. Corrin having to live with them results in him gaining weight on his hips and losing mobility in only a year?

I see Corrin request, I go feral ajnjabnsj. Also love seeing the two furrybait lmao. Kinda went crazy with like describing sized instead of much else but this got long lmao so I hope you enjoy it!

Warning: This is a fetish story!

Corrin has no time to grab anything from the fridge to make dinner. Not when his new roommates come up from behind him. 

“Why don’t we order out? My treat this time,” Kaden rubs up against Corrin, his massive hips that billow outward pressing into Corrin’s own lithe limbs.

“Yeah! And I’ll get the dessert,” Keaton on the other side of Corrin, he wedges him in between the two of them. His large sagging gut bulges out in front of him and to the sides.

Corrin’s face is a flushed red. In between the two massive men, he has no form of escape. “I… Well we’ve been eating out for the past week,” Corrin speaks up. Looking at himself, he stares at the small bubbling bundle of flab that is his belly, the bad habits of his new roommates already heavily affecting him despite only being a week in to living with them.

“And? Ordering out beats cooking,” Keaton belches, the meaty sounding burp sounding out for  several seconds from his light snack half an hour ago. Keaton pulls Corrin away, his large, flabby hand wrapped around the far thinner man’s wrist.

Kaden follows behind the two. His ass wobbles with each step he takes, the two ponderously sized thighs that have reportedly been the reason for a much wider door—a story that Corrin takes to heart with both Kaden and Keaton’s weight—struggle to make much movement, especially anything halfway passing for graceful or quick. “We’re still celebrating you moving in,” For all his weight, Kaden still manages to give Corrin one final push on to the couch. 

“I guess,” Corrin stays in his spot. His face still shows off the bright little streak of faint red on his cheeks despite his supposed complaining. Seated at the very center of the couch, the furniture still has ample enough room for several other occupants.

Most of the room quickly goes away from the 600 pound lardass of a wolfskin on Corrin’s right. “Ahh,” Keaton sighs. He rubs his gut, the pile of flab easily giving from the pressure of his thick, fattened fingers. 

It only takes a couple of minutes for dinner to arrive. Kaden already prepared, he grabs the multiple bags of food from the all too accustomed delivery man who doesn’t even bat an eye upon seeing the 600 pound kitsune that’s dressed only in shorts that hide none of his flabby rolls. “Hoshidan takeout. Just how you like it,” Kaden plops the several bags onto the low, wide table that’s right in front of the couch.

The other side of open space next to Corrin is taken up by another fattass. Kaden wastes no time in propping open a couple of boxes and digging in. His large breasts make a great table for his box, the two meaty tits larger than the container is. 

Corrin takes a moment longer than the other two men, but the passing moment is only brief before he too starts to eat at the feast in front of him. Being squeezed in between so much fat by two men alone still leaves Corrin surprised at the sensation. A nice sensation, he thinks. 

The three men tear through the bevvy of take out boxes in front of them as the tuned out sound of the television playing some sort of rerun for the countless time. The same is true for their daily routine, another day lazing about and eating on the couch happening for the eighth day in a row.

Despite having to deal with just over 1400 pounds of man fat, the couch does its very best to deal with the staggering weight without a single complaint. Kaden on the left side of the couch, the obese kitsune has an hourglass figure at his size, well as close as one can get with his still substantial gut from weighing slightly above 600 pounds back when Corrin had just moved in. His large thighs stretch out the thin strap of fabric for shorts. The taut fabric meant to be a deep, royal shade of blue is now a lighter shade with how taut it is. Especially with his ass that juts out behind him and stretches out the fabric, his ass also slipping out the waistband of them. His thighs are large enough to struggle with any chair meant for thin, regularly sized people. The two massive tree trunk sized thighs are pushed up against each other as much as they can be with all his own blubber in the way. His breasts larger than any women’s, Kaden’s large rack manages to sit on top of his large gut despite the size of his tits. They begin to creep over the edge of his gut and play slightly down the flabby hill of his stomach. Keaton on the right side of the couch, the also 600 pound, obese wolfskin sports most of his heft in his enormous gut that blankets his thighs and anything else that gets in its way. The large pile of lard has nothing in the way of clothes to obstruct it, not when keaton only wears a scantily tight pair of shorts that bulges from his fat pad. The upper rolld of lard that makes up his fat pad pushes past the waistband, sweaty rolls of lard making contact with the lower, hidden underside of his gut. Keaton’s stomach takes up the majority of his lap, all space needed to accommodate such a fine, hefty piece of meat. Keaton’s breasts also have a sizable amount of fat in them; his large chest has no definition to it anymore, the two tits splay down both sides of his gut to touch his large love handles when seated. His large, flabby arms practically use his breasts as a cushion with how much both body parts jut out in all directions. Keaton’s thighs and ass still struggle with his shorts despite his large top-heavy shape.

And Corrin, well Corrin is an absolute twig compared to the two of them. Even compared to just one of the obese, gluttonous pigs for me, Corrin is the model of healthy eating and fitness. And with him wedged in between the two men—an increasingly common occurrence—he is nothing more than the daintiest tree branch ready to snap off next to two full grown trees, even after his noticeable weight gain from just a week’s worth of living with them. Always the thinnest, most svelte man in any room from his lithe figure, Corrin still holds the title next to Kaden and Keaton even while sporting a small tummy from his constant binging from the two bad habits that he now lives with; a tummy that now presses against the tight, non stretch material of his shirt, the slightest hint of his creamy skin visible with a small bit of pudge that peeks out of his black tee. And his shorts also struggle against his extra weight. Corrin still wears his workout shorts, probably in some vain hope and thought that he’ll work off the extra bit of weight, despite having never done anything more than walking around the house before Kaden and Keaton cajole him into gorging with them. Corrin’s lower half already takes well to his extra girth. His two thighs that were already pretty notable from genes and some extra guidance with his workouts are now flabby; the two legs have a sizable amount of blubber encasing them. Though his shorts fit him fine for the most part, the only issue arriving when he puts them on or takes them off, getting them past his perky bubble butt that’s gotten flabbier and larger along with his legs. 

And despite his increased weight, or perhaps even because of it, Corrin still indulges with Kaden and Keaton. He tears into the food in front of him with gusto. He only thinks about the wonderful belly rubs and insistence on eating even more food he’ll get from the two far more obese men by the time the most likely tubs of ice cream for dessert finally arrive.

————————

“Bouurghp…” Corrin lets out a small burp. Reclining in his own personal chair now, Corrin pats and rubs his paunch as he digests his meal. Already well influenced by Kaden and Keaton, he no longer resembles his former self. Especially when he’s managed to put on more than 200 entire pounds of nothing but lard in just three months of living with the two men. 

The largest recipient of Corrin's gorging and feasting is his hips and ass. The two wide legs spread out on the armchair, the now 400 pound, wide Corrin taking up the entire expanse of the chair with his thighs pressed up against the armrests. Corrin's shorts are now replaced with a larger pair, multiple pairs purchased as he simply got fatter and fatter. His preference for fight fitting clothes continues to work in his favor, the shorts immensely tight with Corrin not having bought a new pair in some time. His shorts especially struggle with covering up his ass. The two bountiful curves that make up his large rump spill out his shorts, the flabby bits of his ass that is covered squished underneath the stretchy fabric. His stomach also having grown from his habits, the gut droops onto his lap, the lowermost layer of flab just barely creeping up onto his lap and sinking into the crevice of blubber where his two large thighs press up against each other. Especially with no shirt to keep his gut contained, Corrin adopting the same dress code as his roommates along with their eating habits. Corrin's moobs have little shape or definition to them anymore. The two flabby breasts relax right on his gut as he leans back. Corrin keeps his arms to the side after eating his meal. His biceps that are filled out with flab press up against his gut while they rest on the armrests.

"I hope you're ready for your after dessert snack," Kaden smiles from the comfort of the couch. The obese kitsune gropes himself after enjoying his usual dinner, the messy remnants of plates and boxes still littering the living room. 

The couch is half empty, the entire right half of the massive furniture barren with Keaton currently standing up. "You're going to eat everything I give you, you hear? Especially after you did it for Kaden yesterday. Not that I care," Keaton huffs. His tail still wags behind him despite the small frown on his face Keaton carries an entire gallon of gainer shake; his lips still are smattered with the remnants of his own smaller portion.

Unlike Corrin, the two men have gained only a small amount of weight, the extra dozen pounds rather negligible on the two lard asses. Corrin's weight staggering, and also enjoyable to see the twink absolutely blimp out, the two men have been focusing on fattening him up. And incredibly happy to see the results, Corrin fat enough now to no longer be able to sit on the couch with them from there no longer being enough room for all three of them.

"I- of course I will," Despite the usual flush of embarrassment on his face, Corrin tries to keep his calm. His nerves still get the best of him sometimes even if he is enjoying himself, the dragon still retaining some of his embarrassment even after becoming more confident with two great examples in front of him.

Keaton grins as he brings the overwhelmingly large volume of gainer shake to Corrin's mouth who all too eagerly chugs the forcefully tilted liquid with some muffled moans sounding out in between each heavy, viscous swallow, both Keaton and Kaden watching just as eagerly.

————————

Keaton at the diligent workers bustling in and out of the massive garage.

The extra room currently going through renovations, what had originally been touted and lauded as an amazing steal with the property that can fit three whole cars is now getting fitted with actual flooring and insulated so that the air conditioning can get taken care of soon with the encroaching deadline. 

The deadline being Corrin's weight, the dragon continuing to blimp out with even more lard as the weeks turn to months. 

Everyone in town used to Kaden and Keaton—two massive men who constantly ordered enormous quantities hard to ignore when every restaurant spoke of them—an additional lardass living with them seemed more like an inevitability than anything, though everyone had expected Keaton and Kaden to be the larger ones. But, everyone already prepared for it, the renovations are almost done after just over two weeks. And the extended time spent around Keaton and Kaden shows on the workers' figures, all of them sporting a small belly to a hefty paunch now. 

Keaton making sure that everything is as planned, Kaden is inside along with Corrin. The two in Corrin's room, the three fourths of a tonnage really cramps up the room. 

"Oh look at you! You're so hungry today," Kaden smirks down at Corrin. He does his best to straddle Corrin, lard smothering lard, while he feeds him. 

Corrin on his bed—the mattress all by itself with the frame removed long ago from the men's weights—he nods with half lidded eyes. "I want more," Corrin huffs after failing to nod properly with his tire for a neck. 

Underneath Kaden, Corrin's immense body is still apparent next to the now 700 pound kitsune. Corrin weighing one hundred pounds above Kaden, the dragon still manages to hold onto the last vestiges of mobility from his draconic strength. But even with his minimal capability for movement, occupying so much space and being filled out with so much lard still makes moving difficult. Especially with his enormous, tremendous thighs. The morbidly obese dragon carries so much of his weight in his thighs. The two thighs struggle with chairs, the fatass needing four chairs now to withstand his width. His broad thighs spread out on the bed, nearly taking up the entire width by his own enormity alone. His legs over encumbered with lard, his rolls of thigh fat already seep down over his knees, the bloated joints losing their definition. His calves are in the same situation, the bloated limbs like tires of flab that make up his legs and creep onto his ankles. He no longer wears shorts at all anymore, the time and effort to get a suitable pair far too much when he simply outgrows each and every article of clothing like nothing. Corrin's ass gives him extra height, the two enormous ass cheeks rising up despite being spread out and smothered underneath the rest of him. Corrin's ass no longer has the same shape to them, the sagging multiple handfuls of ass fat spreading out. His gut rests on his thighs with him lying down. Though the width of it can't compare to his massive thighs, the large gut still unable to cover it all. His bountiful breasts splay down both sides of his enormity.

Corrin opens his mouth expectantly and is rewarded with more snacks shoved into his mouth. 

"Unfortunately, that's all I have for you. You're going to have to wait a little while longer," With a final pat, Kaden climbs off of Corrin, having to slowly maneuver himself with two gelatinous men sloshing on top of each other.

The heavy footsteps mingled with just as heavy footsteps cue the two men to Keaton's return. Multiple bags in his arms, at least five in each, Keaton easily walks through the widened doorway to Corrin's room. "Food's here. And garage is all good to go for AC once that's taken care of. Your new room is almost ready fatass," Keaton smirks.

The room feels much more cramped with three men who weigh more than an entire ton combined. But none of them care with the presence of more food. 

No space for more furniture besides Corrin's bed—and the living room where they all spend the most time—the two 700 pound men rest on both sides of the bed. Bags littered around them, the sounds of crinkling plastic and containers popped open fill the room as they feed themselves and Corrin like clockwork.

————————

The house cleaner than it has been in quite some time, the entire kitchen is completely covered in sealed food, ready to be devoured. And yet, it's all only for three men.

"Do you think this is enough?" Kaden can't help but fret. Though such a special occasion does call for concern from most people, especially when both him and Keaton have planned it for over an entire month now. 

"It probably is, but I'm going to want more. And so are you," Keaton's arms are crossed as he inspects enough food to even make everyone who knows the three men stunned beyond belief, especially when more food is already ordered to be delivered later throughout the entire rest of the day

"Yup! Well, we might as well start with breakfast. Corrin should be waking up soon," 

The two heavy set men waddle their way to Corrin’s new room, the space formerly the garage. They leave all of the food that is meant to be their post breakfast dessert in the kitchen. They enter the room one by one, no doorway equipped to handle them walking side by side, or Corrin by himself for that matter.

Corrin rests on his back completely. The once twiggy dragon fully no longer resembles himself before moving in with Kaden and Keaton. He rests on a Nohrian-King sized bed. Two of them, actually. He has more than enough to grow with the two mattresses shoved together; which is something he desperately needs with how he voraciously devours everything that’s given to him and still able to complain and whine for more. The extra space on his makeshift bed also gives some room for his roommates to rest with him, more than enough room still available even with the three men on it together. 

Corrin still asleep, the immobile man loudly snores away. Resting on his back—moving Corrin only possible with the assistance from the system of levers and tarps from the ceiling—his entire engorged, bloated figure puffs into the air as he continues to dream away. The truck-sized dragon’s flab billows out in all directions, Corrin having a very distinct lack of shape besides round. Corrin weighs more than Kaden and Keaton combined now; the ridiculously fat man’s weight careening closer and closer to an entire ton of lard from his unrepentant, unabashed gluttony. His gut is far from the largest thing on him, but even that piece of meat weighs enough to nearly rival his roommates’ weight. The tank for a gut rests atop his expansive body like melted butter. His stomach is divided up into multiple sections from his weight, each bit of his sagging gut filled with rolls big enough that require more than a single person to properly hold and grab. Corrin’s breasts currency splay forward with him lying down on his expansive back that’s broad enough to be wider than he is tall at this point. His large chest is larger than anyone else's; the two large jugs resemble someone's gut from their sheer size now. Corrin’s multiple tiers that make up his tire like neck thankfully stop his breasts from resting on his face. Corrin’s enormous neck is made up of multiple rolls from his neck along with the several sagging chins he’s gained. Corrin’s face is absolutely cherubic now, the ovular shaped face bulging out from his porcine jowls that jiggle just as he breathes now. Even corrin’s shoulders are rounded out from his weight. The two doughy shoulders lack any shape to them just like his massive arms, the two limbs swollen and looking like a flabby stack of tires more than an actual limb. His biceps larger than a tree trunk now, the oozing fat bulges out to swallow his elbow and most of his forearm that does the same to his wrist and hands, the over swollen digits lacking any sort of flexibility now. Not that he needs it when he has two doting caretakers to feed and fatten him up. But the most staggering part of Corrin is his lower half. Each thigh rivals Keaton’s and Kaden’s own enormity, Corrin’s entire lower half larger than the two men standing together. His thighs are composed of a staggering amount of rolls, each bit of hefty lard sagging onto itself and its lower rolls. The entire length of Corrin’s legs are inundated with overlapping bits of lard. His ankles are overblown from all the lard; his feet sink into his cankles from his weight, Corrin unable to move them as well. Despite how far apart Corrin has his legs—the two table sized thighs sticking out from underneath his blanketing gut that can’t match the enormity of his lower half—the fat from his thighs still stick and touch each other all the way down to his feet. Corrin’s ass gives him a sizable amount of lift as it’s squished underneath him. The two mounds of ass fat are absolutely immense. The fat that makes up his rear gives him a couch sized ass that can be used as seating like the rest of his mattress sized body.

Corrin still snores away as Kaden and Keaton are a mess of huffs and wheezes, the two 700 pounders gaining some extra weight themselves. Walking back and forth into the garage to organize all the food—with the help of half a dozen delivery men who never once showed any sort of shock at their size or even Corrin’s—the two men need a well deserved rest. Waddling up to Corrin, both of them let themselves fall down onto the mattress. The cool air blowing in from the AC thankfully keeps them all a nice temperature, the chilling air able to help with so much fat heating up the space.

“Whaaht'sh hahhppened?” Corrin wheezes out as he wakes up. His speech is mumbled from all the fat on his cheeks. His eyes slowly flutter open, the near noon wakeup time early for him with how long he binges into the night. A banner taped to the ceiling, placed directly so he could read it, it takes his fuzzy brain a while to process the “happy 1 year’” text displayed. “Ha-hahppy ahnniveershaary…” Despite his tired state, Corrin is indeed grateful for the time spent with Kaden and Keaton. “Shooryy, I’m,” He groans. His stomach thankfully finishes the rest of his sentence for him, the mass of fat rumbling with hunger. 

“Nah, you just need to fill up that tank of yours first. Good thing we got just the thing for you,” Keaton also tired, he gropes Corrin’s fat as he rests against him like a pillow, a pillow that weighs more than twice his weight that is. 

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it! We got you a cake to celebrate you living with us for a year. We also got you a special present,” Kaden reaches underneath his right breast and pulls out a small remote. Only a few buttons on the remote, he presses the largest one.

The sound of whirring coming from behind him, Corrin is unable to shift his head around to look at it right away. He does get a small look at it as the machine comes to life and inserts a feeding tube into his mouth.

“We did get you a four tiered cake but we thought this would be easier,” Keaton gains back some energy upon hearing how Corrin guzzles down his cake, all of it going to him. As he reaches for containers of food to feed himself, he pulls out his own remote and presses the second largest button to speed up his feeding. Afterwards, he greedily digs into his own food.

“There’ll be much more after that. And we’ll make sure to hand feed you some of it too,” Kaden says as he tears into his own several plates of breakfast.

Corrin’s moans begin to sound out in between the churning mushed up cake the feeding tube pours down his throat. “Mhmmh…” Corrin doesn’t even bat an eye or struggle as he hears both Keaton and Kaden press a button, the speed picking up once again. His stomach only rumbles instead, as if daring them to feed him faster. Which they both do, the two pressing the button once more after they each finish their second plate.

“You’re gonna love today, fatass,” Keaton continues to grope Corrin’s fat as he shovels food into his mouth with his free hand. “We’ll make sure you’re too full to want anymore. Got it?” Keaton presses the button multiple times, cranking it up to maximum speed.

“We’ll take good care of you. I’m sure you’d like that too, huh?” Kaden lovingly pats whatever part of Corrin’s immense flab he can reach, all of Corrin impossible to grab with just one free hand. Kaden keeps the feeding tube at its maximum setting.

“Here’s to many more years,” Kaden and Keaton both cheer as they open up another box.

Corrin only moans deeper upon hearing the two obese men, unable to see them but more than able to hear and feel all their own weight pressing up against his titanic lard. He guzzles down his feeding tube faster, only thinking about wanting more food and to get fatter.

[rockyroadkylers]

WIP Wednesday Thursday!

@littlemisskittentoes and @happiness-of-the-pursuit both tagged me for this yesterday, and I wasn't planning to do it because I haven't written anything all week (I started cosmetology school this week and it's kicking my butt, but not in ways that you'd expect school to) BUT! I started. A new WIP. Today. And it's angsty and whumpy (again... first Hanahaki, now this...) and I'm a little bit obsessed with it.

So, happy Thanksgiving (or, as the Brownstone Server has been calling it due to the nature of the snippets people have been sharing all day, "angstgiving"), here's a snippet of my new WIP, which is currently going by the working title of "Storming Kensington 2: Hospital Boogaloo". No further context will be provided at this time. If you're in the Brownstone... you already know 🤭

---

He’s in Henry’s face now. If he’s getting his heart broken tonight, he’s sure as hell going to make Henry have the guts to do it right. “Tell me you’re done with me. I’ll get back on the plane. That’s it. And you can live here in your tower and be miserable forever, write a whole book of sad fucking poems about it. Whatever. Just say it.”

Henry swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He holds Alex’s gaze for a moment, and Alex’s heart beats wildly in his chest, thinking maybe he’s finally gotten through to him. Then, Henry looks away, the fight draining from his shoulders, and he whispers, “Go.”

Alex blinks, taking a step back on autopilot. “What?” he hears himself whisper.

Henry looks anguished as he slowly turns back to face him. “Go, Alex,” he repeats, his voice breaking around the words. “Don’t make me say it again.”

“Henry,” Alex breathes, stepping forward and reaching for Henry, but Henry steps back, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“Please, Alex,” Henry whispers, and just like that, Alex’s heart shatters into a thousand tiny pieces.

“Fine,” he repeats, and he barely recognizes his own voice when he says it. “I- fine.”

He moves toward the door, walking backwards at first, gauging Henry’s reaction, waiting, hoping that he’ll change his mind, but Henry isn’t even looking at him – he’s looking at his god damn signet ring, still sitting on the mantel where he put it. There’s something unreadable in his eyes, and Alex wants to scream, wants to grab Henry’s shoulders and shake him, break him out of whatever bullshit prison his mind has trapped him in, wants to hear Henry say he loves him, that they can figure this out.

But Henry doesn’t even look at him, and Alex slips through the door and closes it behind him, feeling like he’s closing the door on the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and nothing will ever come close to it for the rest of his life.

---

...yep, it's a "Henry tells Alex to leave" AU. Stay tuned to find out what "Hospital Boogaloo" means.

I'm not going to tag anyone tonight, because it's Thursday 😂 so just enjoy this, hehe.

[j-graysonlibrary]

The Xiang Chronicles: Book Four Chapter 40

Title: The Xiang Chronicles: Book Four

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 118k

Genres: Fantasy, adventure, drama, LGBT+

Available on: my website

Synopsis: In order to save the world from the continuous subjugation and potential annihilation at the hands of Tiandi, hard lines must be drawn. The Great Spirits that were imprisoned ages ago must be unsealed and awakened, no matter the consequences.

The players are divided—those who stand blindly with Tiandi, such as Xiang Merra and her disciples versus those who want to tear the system down and give the power back to the people. Even a few of the most religious Lords change their minds when they learn the truth of the world—that Tiandi is no more than a dictator with no love in his heart.

It is up to the last, real Xiang and the ill-fated Chaaya to put everything they have into tearing God from his throne and creating new possibilities for the future.

Full chapter 40 under the cut

Chapter IL:

Kira watched as Raine and Devi spoke with the King of Kyrie about his role tomorrow. They were among the last to leave and Kira suspected it was because King Raime wanted Raine to go back to Castelle with him. He was his favorite soldier, after all, and many of the others were lying in wait in their respective homes.

Devi had nothing to add to the matter, she simply glanced between the two Kyrie men, waiting for her signal to open a portal.

“There are some strategies we could fine tune,” the King insisted with a wide smile. He pushed his chest out, at least showing an assuring amount of bravado for the night before an important battle.

“That level of planning will not do us much good when we do not know how the enemy will react to us,” Raine countered, “Being over prepared for manufactured scenarios could end up harming us, not helping.”

“Then we could simply discuss matters about the post battle,” he continued, not dropping his smile, “What our country will do under our newly earned freedom—how we will interact with and live in peace by our neighbors.”

Raine returned his smile, briefly, but shook his head. “I…I have to stay here tonight. There are people I want to be with.”

His King’s eyes drifted to the side, as if pulled by some invisible force, and they landed on Kira. “Is it him, Raine?”

Raine’s gut twisted and he immediately feared the repercussions of affirming the King’s suspicion. But then he stopped worrying and looked at the matter pragmatically—his initial feelings were just a reaction, one taught to him through his entire life.

King Raime might have been devoted to Tiandi and his teachings at some point—quite recently in fact—but his presence here, in Shakti’s caves, and with a Great Spirit attached to him was proof enough of his evolved position. Not only that but Raine knew that his King was aware of Sampra and Ryu’s relationship yet kept them in the high court.

Even if none of that were true and Raine’s job and reputation were at stake, he made the decision that he cared not for the consequences. Pangu did not care and proudly announced who he was. Kira certainly did not care either.

So, why should he?

He had already told his family anyway. Telling anyone—telling everyone—could become easy with practice and he could start now, he figured.

Raine nodded and glanced to the side, where Kira was leaning against the wall, appearing bored. “Yes,” he answered finally, “Yes, it is him.”

His King clapped him on the shoulder with a quiet, “Have a good night, Raine,” and then left through the portal with Devi.

Sometime in the morning, Raine would be taken to him and his army but, for the time being, he wanted to milk every moment with Kira that he could.

“Was he trying to take you with him?” his partner asked as soon as he walked up to him.

Raine chuckled. “Yes.”

Kira smirked. “Thanks for picking me.”

“Always.”

The smile, as crooked and haphazard as it was, dropped from Kira’s lips. He still tried to grin but it was as if his face was fighting him for dominance. Eventually, he just settled into the more somber expression that his body wanted from him.

“You okay?” Raine asked, wondering if they should head back to their room already.

Kira nodded, barely, and wanted to reach out and hold onto him but knew that, if he did, he might end up crying. That was the last thing he wanted while they were still in front of everyone—whether they were being looked at or not.

“Do you…do you want to tell everyone?” Raine’s voice dropped to a whisper.

His meaning was clear and it brought a frustrating heat to his eyes. Kira shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “I…Pangu and I spoke about it the other day and we both think it is best, for morale, to save it for another time. After the battle.”

“I understand but…” When he trailed off, Raine gulped and forced himself to continue, “What if some of the rest of us do not make it back?”

That had been a point of discussion with Pangu as well as with Viren. Kira’s mind drifted back to that conversation but he could not allow himself to think about it, in full, at the moment. Not in front of Raine. “I know it is not fair,” he said, “but it is what was decided on.”

“So Pangu knows then?”

“Yes.”

“And that does not lower his morale?”

Kira sighed. “I think, like me, he has known for a long time.” It was true and was certainly something Pangu had told him but there were other reasons the Xiang was not about to be distracted by his fast approaching death. Reasons he could not share with Raine.

His partner frowned but then leaned down to rest his forehead against his. “A lot is going to change after tomorrow. I am nervous but, I want to see the future with you…just for a little while—while we can.”

“I do too,” Kira responded, being wholly honest. He met Raine in a kiss and held him in the embrace for as long as he could get away with.

He really did wish he could see the new world with him.

***

The Mistresses returned in the morning—firstly to say their goodbyes to Shakti, even if their mother could continue communicating with them through her mind, and secondly, to escort everyone to their positions. Parvati realized she had no one to take back with her since both Heidi and Kaz were moving out with the Ultimos group but then Ziyi volunteered to go.

He wanted to stay away from the direct action anyway so joining with Sunny’s army would give him the cover he needed.

But, before he left, he sat down with Browly and spoke in a muffled, quiet voice. Chandes joined him and though the necromancer braced for a kick, the Mistress did not deliver. She just squatted next to him and petted the dog on his head, offering a brief smile before standing back up and returning to her position with Kali.

Raine walked over to Devi after sharing a long kiss with Kira—neither really wanting to let go. His heart thundered in his chest and he continued to look back over, fighting with the urge to just run to Kira’s side and hold onto him.

Heidi hugged her brother before standing by Ashoka and Oli. She then watched the goodbye between Pangu and his partners, expecting it to be a prolonged, painful affair.

He kissed each of them, Baiya, Viren, and then Kaz and the four had their hands clasped together between them. “Fight hard,” Pangu told them, “Kira and I will do everything we can on our side.”

“And we will give you the time to do it,” Baiya responded.

“Plus, we are taking down those Princes,” Kaz added.

Viren met Pangu’s eyes and said, “Everything will turn out well. I love you, Pangu.”

A small chorus of “I love you”s were exchanged and Pangu gave each of them another kiss, those shorter, and then released their hands. His fingers held on, or tried to, as more and more distance was added between them and, eventually, the warmth of their skin left him. He pulled his hand back and curled his fingers into a fist, resetting his mind to focus on what was most important.

When the room cleared out, it was only Kira, Pangu, Shakti, and the dog. Browly, as opposed to seeking out affection from either Xiang or Chaaya, scampered over to Shakti and curled up beside her feet.

“So the time is finally here,” she spoke, not sounding enthused in the slightest.

“We will destroy Tiandi’s system,” Pangu promised, “And you will be free to return to your old life or to live as you please.”

“When this is all over, would you still want to be called Shakti or go back to being Am’ma?” Kira asked as his lips turned up, to one side.

Shakti hummed, the vibration of it filling the caverns, “I do not know…”

“Well, think on it. Pangu and I have one more thing to do before we head out.” Kira glanced back to Pangu and he nodded.

It was nothing exceptionally exciting but it was necessary. Pangu did the writing since his script was easier to read than Kira’s and he jotted down both of their points as accurately and concisely as possible. They read it over—a few times—and then left it on one of the taller, flatter stones.

Pangu looked at the pages and he reached to the back of his head, pulling out the clasp that kept his hair up. Everything fell loose, around his shoulders, but he set the hair clasp on the surface as well, beside the note. “I should have given this back to Heidi last night…”

“She would have been suspicious,” Kira countered before shuffling around in his robes for a second. He retrieved a small dagger and set it over the page as well.

And, with that, they were ready to go.

Kira brought them to Tian-Badou temple, in the main area where half of the roof stood but the other half of the room was bathed in light. Both he and Pangu shielded their eyes, adjusting to the brightness for a moment.

As they waited to get used to being outside again, Kira asked, “So, did you tell any of them? Aside from Viren, of course?”

Pangu frowned and looked down, still keeping a hand over his brow for shade. “No. I…I knew there was no possibility where I told Baiya and Kaz and they still performed at their best today.” He then glanced to Kira, able to make out his figure though it was blurry. “You told Raine though, didn’t you?”

“…Yes.” Kira sighed. “I could not keep it from him. I don’t know how you managed.”

It was not as if Pangu did not want to tell them. More than anything, he wished he could have shared his and Kira’s plans with his lovers and been held as if it were the last time it would be possible—to be loved as much as he could be within the allotted time.

“If I let myself be swayed by the feelings of just a few people, I might lose focus on the end goal which involves the world. I know it is not fair or even nice but…I cannot lose sight of what I have to do.” Pangu gulped and, for a second, his eyes felt hot. “I do wish I could take a moment and mourn the losses…I wish I could do a lot of things.”

Kira frowned and then grabbed his hand. “It isn’t fair, you are right, but it isn’t just unfair to them—it’s unfair to you.” He squeezed. “But, at least we are together, yeah? I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else.”

Pangu nodded and a smile tried to make its way onto his face. “I wouldn’t either.”

He took them into the spirit realm, knowing they would find Badou on the other side. The back of his white robes greeted them and, though they made no sound upon their entrance, he still felt their presence and turned to look.

“Oh, it is you two again. …Just you two?”

“Yes,” Pangu answered and, finally, released Kira’s hand. “I have an important question, Badou.”

The almost-Prince nodded, giving him silent permission to continue.

“Are you sure—certain—you have no Tian aspect attached to you?”

“Pretty sure.” He chucked, breathless. “Why? Do you need one?”

“No, the opposite,” Kira answered.

When Badou gave them a confused look, Pangu clarified, “We are here to end Tiandi. If you want to help, feel free, we just need to be sure you were not hiding any left-overs.”

“Oh…” the old spirit blinked and recoiled slightly, “You are really going to try this, huh? I have never seen anyone even attempt it…but if you are serious, I would help if I could.”

“Well then,” Pangu sighed, releasing the last of his tension before leading the way out of the old temple and into the wilds of the spirit world.

Past the courtyard, there were open fields rather than the ocean that existed in the mortal realm. The lilac sky overhead was clear at first but, the second Pangu dropped the shield around himself and Kira, clouds began rushing forward, filling the sky with dark, ominous color. Lightning flashed in the swirling wall, threatening and hissing, and then the clouds parted to reveal the face that, still, haunted many of Pangu’s dreams.

[highpatia]

that dog won’t hunt | call of duty: modern warefare

simon “ghost” riley/reader — Wild West!au (1880’s) not-so-cute meet cute but also enemies to lovers 👀 maybe a part 2 MAYBE.

content. non-canon, time period correct sexism (fem!reader), alcohol, violence, bounty hunting?

author’s note. was originally gonna be a erron black fic but changed it halfway through lol (1.374k)

The whiskey burns in you the same way it would a furnace. Molten liquid kindles your gullet like a well-weathered smithy— eloquently so. Not very often would you find yourself leant over a frequented bar top, with an old fashioned sat barren in your hand. You’ve never travelled so far out past the desert, long hours on the road under the hot sun were just grovelling for a quick rest at a settlement. The small town of Armadillo was your stopping point, it was fairly empty excluding a few elderly locals— it seemed vacant of any further problems.

Pushing open the saloon doors you quickly took notice of the occupants inside. Four middle aged to senior gentlemen sat in the corner playing a calm game of poker, one man sat at the bar chatting with the bartender that was polishing a glass, a woman draped over the edge of a stairwell watching for easy game to satisfy her needs and lastly another young looking boy sat playing a gentle tune on a piano.

Sauntering up to the bartender, with only a soothing glass of whiskey in your mind— you fail to make notice of the concealed figure of another occupant in the saloon.

Flagging down the bar hand, you repeat your order to them in a gruff tone. Throat taut with hours of lacking use, you cough to clear your voice. The barkeep smirks while pouring your glass.

“You’ve been travelling long? We don’t usually get new customers here.”

Tossing over a coin as payment, you scoff humorlessly. “You don’t know the half of it, I’ve come from up north through that late storm.”

He grimaces, moustache pulling upwards as he slides the lucre towards his apron before pocketing it. You quickly down the liquor with a subtle wince before urging the bartender with another coin to refill the glass which he does so diligently, movement behind you emerges and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Quickly you tense up in case of harm of the sort but ultimately subsides as another gentleman scooches up beside you.

It’s evident that he is quite drunk as stumbles to stand up right before gesturing to the server for another drink. As the barkeep turns around to prepare the drink, you briefly look at your latest companion. It appears it’s one of the younger men that you saw earlier playing poker, his face is clearer now— and it’s not pretty. Unfortunately he takes notice of your staring and turns to face you. He blinks slowly, cat-like as if he was trying to make out your face in his head before opening his riotous mouth.

“Have we met before? Ya look familiar”

Your face stays stoical but unease builds up inside your gut. Have they got you on the lam out here too?

“No, I’m not from around here at all— I haven’t even been this far south before.” You state, technically it’s not a lie but this varmint doesn’t need to know that.

“Are ya sure? I mean.. ya look real familiar, have I bedded ya before?”

Your face contorts with disposition, of course that’s where his mind goes to— adequate in amour-propre means you lack dignity in others.

“No, I’m not in that line of work, sad to say, perhaps you're confusing me for someone else” You try to move the conversation beyond your apparent.. identity. Just as this bonehead is about to question you again, the doors of the saloon retch open. Faint creaking of the floorboards grows louder as well as metal rattling of spurs sync along with steps of another dweller. They draw closer and you unconsciously start to feel distress again.

As the other individual that was sitting quietly at the bar leaves, another sits down alongside you and your buzzing fool. The new bar-goer pulls out a revolver from a leather holster tight across his thigh before sitting, you can hear the hide crease as he does. He drops several coins on top of the bar table before speaking.

“Whiskey. Neat.” He speaks slowly, a gravelling husk-filled voice. He has an accent that is much too foreign to here. You turn slightly to see him, assess this apparent danger that is causing your heart to race.

He wears a mask that covers the lower half of his face, a Stetson hat that covers his head. Casual attire and a blackened vest with a multi-coloured bandana wrapped around his neck. Covered practically head-to-toe you wonder if he also is a distant traveller like you, but then— what if he’s followed you here? As you fight mental beasts in your head, the fool sitting next to you turns his attention to the new man at the bar.

“Why ‘ave ya got that mask on? You hidin’ from someone mister?”

You can’t help but flinch as the drunken idiot speaks, you contemplate reaching over and grabbing the gun sat atop the table and shoot him in the head, and then your own.

“No. It’s for work, protection.”

“Ah, and what is it you do for work that requires a mask and guns mister?”

The dunce snorts after his question, like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever said.

“Casual work. Bounty hunting.”

The air goes still, you even think the young boy playing piano stops suddenly that’s how quiet it is. Instantly your throat goes dryer than it was before your drink, and you regret ever stepping in this miserable bar. You look quickly for means to escape, perhaps through this backdoor— as soon as you locate it at least. In your mindless thoughts, the man you failed to notice when walking in makes himself present by laying his grimy hand atop your already tense shoulder. He leans in over you and places a smudged piece of paper in front of you. It reads your name, and a large sum underneath, along with a poorly drawn portrait of yourself.

“I’m afraid I’m gonna have to take this one off your hands Ghost. You understand, I'm sure.” The voice trails out behind you, the grip on your shoulder getting tighter.

As “Ghost” turns to face this new character that has found themselves at this practically now empty bar as everyone with a right sense of mind has slipped out quietly to ensure their lives, the drunkard once again opens his mouth.

“That’s where I recognised you from dolly! You’re a wanted girl you are!”

In a sense of distraction, you quickly try to stand up and make a run for it— only to run towards another man standing behind you, holding a shotgun. It appears that you were also distracted enough to not consider that these bounty hunters did not have backup of any sorts.

Stunned by your attempted escape, the second unnamed bounty hunter quickly jumps to turn around and grab you again but in time meets his demise as “Ghost” quickly grabs his revolver and fires it straight into the back of the other man’s head. The second attacker receives the same treatment as he was also caught off guard by the first gunshot.

You scream before you can think for yourself, eyes now shut tightly as blood sprayed over the already grimy walls— now fearing for your life even more.

For a beat, nothing happens. Just the two gunshots ringing out. The fool, once again is the first to break the silence by a loud guffaw of shock, of course the death of two men in front of him was enough to sober him up right. He turns to face Ghost from his seat and slaps him on the shoulder— almost proudly.

“Good on you bounty hunter, protecting those in need!”

He stands suddenly, stretches his arms up over his head in mock surrender and begins stumbling towards the front entrance. You watch in shock as he does so, this fool treating this situation as if he does it every week.

“Don’t be a git now Soap, I’ll come fetch you from the sheriff’s tomorrow morning once you sober up” Ghost says while holstering his weapon. He steps up over the fresh corpse and over to you.

“We should probably get on out of here doll, I saw the back door when I walked in.”