#there are too many homeless people who sleep there and it makes the city nervous

[cuntwrap--supreme]

My favorite quarry has been closed, which sucks because it's a great place to let my dog swim (her favorite thing to do). I finally remembered to look up what's going on. The city is spending 6mi to make it bougie. It's a fucking 100 year old quarry. It's purpose is for trashy people to go get wasted and jump off the 200ft cliff and die. They're completely paving over the entire thing and adding in, like, concessions and bathrooms and shit. And I'm normally ok with improvements. Bathrooms are definitely something I like to see at parks. But these aren't normal bathrooms. It's a bunch of single stalls that cost probably 20k each to build when you could also just build a normal toilet for 5k.... The whole project reeks of waste. Meanwhile, I'm out here driving on roads so piss poor that I've experienced better driving conditions in Mexico. I've driven on washed out country gravel roads that don't jostle me around so much. My car is so fucked from how bad the roads are. There's also a growing homeless problem because we're rated one of the least affordable cities in the nation due to TN having beef with paying much more than $13/hr but your average rent here being $1600/mo. But that's ok! We'll continue ignoring all that and spend a whole fuck ton improving a park (and by that I mean stripping it of everything that makes it cool). I can't do math to save my life, but I know for goddamn sure I'd do a hell of a lot more to actually improve shit than the argument for why this quarry needs to be destroyed. I'm just waiting for them to announce it's $10 a day to park, too.

[ink-flavored]

Pride & Justice Side Characters: Pride's Friends

In the story, Pride trips and falls into making exactly three (3) friends, and one cat. This is a post about them!

Picrews here: Nellseto's Maker, TOON ME! Body types A and B, Djarn's Character Maker, felidaze's warrior cat creator, Cat Creator || ネコ アイコンメーカー, felidaze's cool cat creator

Olivia "Ollie" Clearwater

She/They | Trans Butch Lesbian | "Only motherfucker in this city who can handle me." - Pride, probably

Olivia grew up with extreme Christian fundamentalists for parents, controlled and sheltered all her life. Her only knowledge of queerness was as a one-way trip to Hell, and her knowledge of transness was non-existent. Even as deeply closeted as she was, Ollie chafed against her parents' strict upbringing, and began lashing out at an early age—and suffering the consequences.

In her attempts to free herself, even momentarily, Ollie found smoking and "the devil's music" to be particularly freeing. By thirteen, she was regularly sneaking packs of cigarettes and death metal albums into her room, and taking them with her every time she left so they wouldn't be found. Making up excuses about kids smoking at the bus stop saved her for a little while, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

Desperate, she held on until her she graduated, shipped off to college, and then her deep dive into everything forbidden began. The longer she strayed on the outskirts of what her parents found acceptable, the more she discovered. From metal, to grunge, to punk, Ollie found the queer community on her college campus and beyond, After so many years, she finally discovered herself.

Time ran out at the end of her first visit back home for the holidays. All her secrets exploded from her in a heated argument, and her parents instantly cut contact. With no money to pay tuition, Ollie had no choice but to leave her degree unfinished. And with nowhere to go, she was homeless for several years, couch-surfing with her few college friends, and sleeping on the streets.

After what felt like a lifetime of strife, she found solace in the community aid the local punk scene strung together for her. They helped her find temporary housing, work, and have a life again. Now in her early thirties, she credits them to this day for allowing her to live the rest of her life, and is active in fiercely defending it and supporting people like her.

Though Olivia does not dream of labor, she makes ends meet working retail, and spends a significant chunk of it on edibles as she attempts to quit smoking after nearly two decades.

Sofía Torres-Iglesias

She/Her | Cis Lesbian | The obligatory catgirl in every queer friend group

Sofía was born a second-generation immigrant to her Mexican parents, having a familiar childhood that many queer people might recognize—feeling different, but without the language to explain why. When she was young, she simply didn't understand why anyone would want a boyfriend in the first place. Growing older, and learning how strange it was for her to turn up her nose family members asking about her non-existent boy crushes, she bottled the feeling and tried not to think about it too much. She spent time with her friends and nodded along with all the teenage squealing about the boys from her school, and saying what people wanted to hear when asked about her own preferences.

Eventually, she found the words of her community. She sat on the knowledge for years, until coming out to her parents in a nervous rush before her quinceañera. After a lot of tears and hugging, the celebration went off without a hitch, with Sofía confident her parents supported her.

However, as time went on, it seemed clear that they supported her... insofar as they accepted her "experimenting" in this "phase." They were confused about how she could possibly be a lesbian because she loved pink, and kittens, and femininity—nothing like the marimacho they imagined queer women to be. It took Sofía a long time to establish with them how to talk about her sexuality and her community in ways that didn't make her want to scream, in addition to convincing them that she would never find "the right man" to "fix" her.

After many more years, a few messy early-twenties-relationships, Sofía was finally able to convince her parents it wasn't a phase. At last, she could breathe.

She met Ollie in her late twenties at a gay bar, and they rented the U-Haul a month later. Three years have passed, they're still together, sharing an apartment and a cat named Marbles. Sofía has a day-job tutoring kids in Spanish, but hopes to one day be able to afford to go to veterinary school.

Dante Price

They/Them | Nonbinary Asexual | Can and will quote the Divine Comedy verbatim

Dante's first canvas was always their own body. The story of their young self using finger-paints on everything except the paper was a popular anecdote of their parents, to the point where everyone at church could recite it word-for-word. This love of art continued through their childhood, from crayons to paints to their mother's make-up and it was all fine—until it suddenly wasn't.

On a dime, Dante's creativity was stifled. Their hands slapped away from eye shadow and lipstick, there was suddenly an acceptable art, and an unacceptable art. Growing up with a younger sister brought the unfairness into sharp relief—she was allowed to toy with make-up, dolls, and glitter. But Dante wasn't.

Nothing that was shoved into their hands as "proper" ever felt right. Not sports, martial arts, or any school subject sat right with them. They struggled to stay focused on anything except art, doodles getting snatched up and torn to pieces in class as punishment for their lack of attention. Later, they would be diagnosed with ADHD, years too late to save them from a miserable public school experience.

Dante drifted through life, listless and feeling destined to fail. The things they loved weren't allowed, and the things they sucked at were the only way to succeed. Stuck in the middle of an impossible situation, there was nothing they could do.

One place they escaped this limbo was in Dante's Divine Comedy, obsessed with the epic poem to the point of near-encyclopedic knowledge. The journey consumed them, a trip through Hell, into Heaven, and finally finding God and the love that aligns a soul. Such a path felt impossible for them, but they clung to the possibility.

School sucked, with shit grades, few friends, and net-zero interest in dating anyone or anyone dating them. Home sucked, with an air of disappointment hanging above their parents' heads. But one day, they would escape it. That they would exit Hell, and scrape their way to Heaven.

Before they knew it, high school was over, and Dante was expected to have a plan. They went to community college, because they had to do something, and joined the GSA after reading the word "asexual" on a flier. The more meetings they attended, the more they talked about existing in the in-between, the more the rest of their life started to make sense. It felt like climbing closer to Heaven, and Dante named themself after their favorite poet, hoping beyond hope it would give them strength.

They mulled over coming out for a long time. Their parents were just now starting to feel proud of them—would this ruin it? Would they be trapped forever? Dante tested the waters by telling their sister, Aria, and cried from relief when she accepted them, said she would help.

It was... a difficult series of conversations. Their parents were confused, not understanding what "nonbinary" even meant, or how Dante could be asexual when they haven't ever dated anyone—they were just inexperienced. But they agreed to use Dante's new name and pronouns, and that was more than Dante expected. And, to help them the rest of the way along, they offered some of the resources the GSA handed out, to help them through the process.

Things got better faster than they ever expected. Much less than simply tolerating their queerness, Dante witnessed their parents switch to a more progressive church in the name of respecting it. They bought make-up again, learned how to use it like paint on a canvas, something they also found love in after so many years of getting their art torn to shreds.

Now, with a supportive community, family, and self, Dante is working toward an art degree, and basking in the light of the love that set their soul right.

Marbles

He/Him | Grey & White Tabby | No thoughts. Only treats.

Sofía's beloved cat. He has one brain cell the size of a marble that bounces around his skull. He is very spoiled and enjoys ear scratches.

[seidenbros]

Tag Game

Thank you so much @spideyanakin for tagging me 💚

dynamic: post the names of all the files in your wip folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

1.I See Your True Colours - 1st Steddie fic I'm writing

When Steve finds Eddie and Dustin in the Upside Down, he finds apulse and carries Eddie out of there. After three weeks in the hospital Eddie finalls wakes up. His dreams have been guided by Steve reading LotR to him. Steve was there nearly every night, because only in Eddie's presence, he was able to get some sleep without being haunted by nightmares. Wayne of course realises there is something going on, and after what Steve has done for Eddie, he already considers him family.

2. Promises-Series | currently writing Part 4: Holy Diver

Eddie and you have been best friends since you were 10, when you were 15, you had your first date, admitted your love for each other, but then you had to move to NYC. Eddie never wrote you a letter, you weren't able to reach out, and pride kept you from writing him another letter (you'd left him one the day of your move, but he never got it). Now, 5 years later (taking place dright before and during season 4), you come back because you miss him, your best friend. You argue, but decide to talk about it a couple of days later, and that's wehn all hell breaks loose.

3. I'm Lost I'm Found in You - Witcher Modern AU

Geralt is a veteran and has his service dog Roach because of his PTSD. He needs to get away from the big city and moves in with Jaskier, a complete stranger, whose house is too big and quiet for him alone. While Geralt wakes up in the middle of the night from nightmares, Jaskier sits downstairs, plays the guitar and sings, which is calming for Geralt. Ciri lost her parents and the family that's taking care of her is abusive towards her, so Geralt and Jaskier take her in. They're both falling for each other, but... still a little scared about it

4. You'll Make Me Brave - Geraskier Crime AU

Found covered in blood right next to his father’s dead body, it seems to be clear that Jaskier killed the old man. Geralt, working this case as a Detective, had to figure out what really happened, which won’t be easy, seeing that Jaskier isn’t even able to speak at first. Was it really him? Or was someone else involved? Geralt is determined to uncover the truth.

5. Let's Just Close Our Eyes and Let Go - Geraskier Hacker AU

Jaskier operates under the name the Sandpiper and steals from the rich to give the money to homeless shelters, since he’s spent a lot of time on the streets after his family kicked him out after coming out to them. Geralt sees him play music on the street, has seen him a couple of times and finally finds the courage to ask him out. Jaskier takes him to his home: A small flat on top of a building where he has loads of plants. Plants that don’t even bloom at that time of year. Geralt see’s Jaskier’s magic (which Jaskier is completely unaware of). Vesemir calls Geralt since they had a break in their case. In front of Jaskier’s building, he tells him that Jaskier is in fact the Sandpiper)

6. Wherever You Will Go - Geraskier Hockey AU

Famous contemporary romance author Julian Alfred Pankratz is set to travel with the Kaedwen Wolves (who won the cup last year) to get to know how they interact with each other, learn about hockey, so that he can incorporate that in his next book. He’s a little nervous, but still excited, until he sees a familiar face among the players. The face that was the model for one of the main characters in his last book, because they’d nearly fucked in the elevator they’d been stuck in- Only that Geralt had made it clear that he was looking for something serious, while Jaskier is afraid of commitment.

7. Geraskier Your Name AU

Geralt and Jaskier wake up int he other one’s body every now and again. At first they think it’s just some kind of weird dream, until their friends ask them what the hell had been wrong with them the previous day. At first they’re both like “I do what I want”, but that quickly changes, because their behaviour has consequences for the other one, and they start to like each other or rather what they find out. And suddenly, Jaskier had to find out how to wield a sword, while Geralt needs to learn how to play the lute.

though the Witcher ones are currently on hiatus, because I can't seem to focus on them. I tried and I couldn't write anything down

I'm tagging (but no pressure): @tellhound @luteandsword @dancingwiththefae @ghosttownwherenoonegoes @jesskier @wren-of-the-woods @writingmysanity

[ficforce]

Joker/52 Relationship Alphabet

Two types of F!Reader

A- Activity (What is their favourite activity to do with Y/N.) Quiet Reader: Joker used to think it was funny when Y/N asked him to teach her card games, he didn’t know many himself as he liked to play around with the cards rather than use them for games but he knew at least one. She had been a quick learner and had trounced him from the start. Each time they met they would teach the other a new card game and now they played to pass a quiet night. Loud Reader: She was curious about the world and about The Nether. That’s where the Joker had found her - she had been wandering around the abandoned spaces beneath the city. Y/N had kicked him in the balls and hit him with a metal pipe after he had snuck up behind her, she had already been scared and his appearance had sent her into a violent panic. She still liked to explore The Nether, with a pole in her hand, but now he would hold her other hand. B- Beginnings (How do they act in the beginning of a relationship) Quiet Reader: He had been fooling around with the explosive dust Licht had made when he heard a scream come from the building he had been using as a target practice. Joker had found Y/N huddled up in the corner of the wrecked building and had approached her carefully, offering her his hand and trying not to grin too widely at her - he could see she was frightened. From her clothing he could see she was most likely homeless and he felt bad for disturbing her hiding place. She hadn’t trusted him at first and it took some doing for Joker to have her follow him down into The Nether so that he could offer her somewhere to wash and change her clothes. She ran back to the surface as soon as she could but Joker always found her to give her food. Eventually she stopped running away and stayed with him. Loud Reader: After beating him with a metal pole, Y/N had helped him up, not too disturbed by his manic giggles at her over reaction. She didn’t sense any malicious intent from him, he didn’t wear all white and he hadn’t been on fire at the time. Joker knew she was weird from the moment she grinned at him. He liked that she was curious and she had a million questions, she had a million answers for him too - both had been so excited to find someone so similar. They were two sides of the same coin.

C- Communication (Are they good communicators? How do they normally talk about their problems or solve issues)

Quiet Reader: She didn’t speak much to him at first, too nervous and unsure of him at first. Joker had done most of the talking, sometimes it was as simple as telling her what he had done that morning or how he turned his hideout into a functioning home with running water. When she had finally started to trust him Y/N told him anything he wanted to know. Now that they’re a couple she doesn’t hide anything from him, he’s a great listener and although he doesn’t always come up with conventional advice he always makes her feel better. Joker doesn’t like to burden her with his problems so he’s not a great communicator, he worries that if she knows too much then he could put her in danger. Y/N doesn’t probe him but she knows when he’s sitting on a problem. Loud Reader: Y/N tells him everything, even when she literally catches him trying to sneak away to catch a break she follows him. She likes that he will offer to help even when he thinks she’s over reacting. Sometimes he offers murder as a solution and she got really into it. Again, he doesn’t like to share too much for her own safety but she’ll encourage massacres to fix his issues… Joker doesn’t think that’s bad advice. D- Drunk (What are they like when they’re drunk) Quiet Reader: Joker had given her a glass of whisky to warm her up, her health wasn’t good to start with and her third generation ability was so weak she hadn’t been able to retain heat well. He hadn’t thought a double would affect her so much but he was pleasantly surprised. Y/N becomes very affectionate when she’s drunk, she wants to cuddle into Joker and he enjoys it immensely. Loud Reader: He had to persuade her not to fight everyone who looked at her for more than two seconds. Y/N got loud when she was drunk and Joker wondered how she hadn’t died yet. He’s all for fun and mischief but his girlfriend is nuts. E- Emergency (How are they in emergency situations? Y/N gets hurt, they get hurt, someone is dying etc..) Quiet Reader: Y/N is really good in an emergency, she once found Joker badly hurt after getting in a fight and sat him down whilst locating his first aid kit. She bandaged his broken ribs and made sure he rested. People didn’t think of Joker as much more than a misunderstood weirdo, he was a self proclaimed anti-hero but he had plenty of experience with blood and guts, he knew a mentally screwed up person when he saw one. He always knew what to do when Y/N would become anxious or frightened, he sat up with her many times when she was recovering from being left out in the streets for years. Loud Reader: She panics. Y/N is useless in an emergency and has proved it over and over again. Joker couldn’t count the times he had saved her from falling down a tunnel or running straight into danger whilst exploring the dark. Her first instinct was always to swing at the problem rather than think about it. He cut his finger once and she bandaged his entire arm… F- Free Spot (I’ll give you any headcanon I come up with) Quiet Reader: Joker is a pretty good cook, he’s mostly into making pastries and was really happy when Y/N taught him how to make a chocolate twist pastry - she had worked in a bakery before losing her home and ending up on the streets. Loud Reader:

Y/N and Joker like to try on clothes they find in abandoned malls underground, they have mini fashion shows and sometimes they dress up the mannequins for giggles. G- Gifts (What kind of gifts do they give? What kind of gifts do they get?) Quiet Reader: She’s really self conscious about not having any money or even a job, Y/N is always grateful when Joker brings her gifts, he’s a bit of a magpie and brings her pretty, shiny things he finds, but all she can offer him is food… made with ingredients he brings home. Y/N mends his clothing and bakes him treats, she likes to help him brush out his hair too. Joker enjoys the attention. Loud Reader: Joker knows what she likes from her habit of talking and talking. He goes out of his way to get very specific gifts for her, mainly things she mentions more than five times. He loves how excited she gets when he gives her a messily wrapped gift. Y/N buys Joker personalised accessories, pins, cufflinks, cute sweaters and decks of cards that are unusual. H- Hugs (How do they show affection/cuddle) Quiet Reader: It took a long time for her to allow physical comfort, when she finally approached him and timidly wrapped her arms around his waist he felt his heart melt. She likes to be held and if Joker is sat playing with his cards she will cuddle into his sides. Loud Reader: There’s always laughter and play fights between them, Joker is much stronger and Y/N usually gets exhausted trying to win. When she gives up he pulls her into his arms and nuzzles her neck. They’re not shy with each other and she always feels safer with his hand in hers. I- Irritation (What is something that irritates them? How do they show their irritation?) Quiet Reader: She finds entitled people irritating, she hates how they think they can look down on people and sometimes she’ll get angry when she sees them bullying someone. Y/N gets rather tearful when she’s frustrated,  then she gets angry with herself for being so weak Loud Reader: She hates repetitive noises, tapping fingers or feet, a song with an annoying beat, the sound of card edges being flipped endlessly. Y/N will usually be verbal about things annoying her and if it’s something she can stop - like snatching the cards out of his damn hands because he knows he’s driving her mad - she will. J- Jackpot (How would they spend their winnings if they won the lottery?) Quiet Reader: She would buy herself a little house and live modestly, she knows how easily money can disappear and how fast the debt collectors come. She would be frightened to spend it on luxuries but Joker would force her to go on at least one selfish trip. He’s not bothered about money, he has all he needs to get by comfortably. Loud Reader: Y/N is going on a spending spree, she’s going to buy more things to explore the dark in and then she’s going to travel across the sea to visit the other countries. When she runs out of money she hopes she’ll be rich in knowledge. Joker is allowed to come but only to carry her bags. K- Kryptonite (What is their ultimate weakness?) Quiet Reader: Y/N is anxious of new people and isn’t any good in a crowd. She’ll help someone in need though, this can leave her open to danger. Loud Reader: She’s petrified of spiders. She’s also weak against being tickled. L- Laughter (What makes them laugh?) Quiet Reader: Joker makes her laugh quite a lot, not when he tries to though, it’s the little things he does. He’s funny by accident. Sometimes it’s something like him mumbling to himself under his breath or making faces when he’s trying to think of a plan. Joker thinks her sarcasm is hilarious when she’s in a bad mood. Loud Reader: She the kind of person who laughs when someone falls down. Y/N laughs at her own jokes and never misses an opportunity for a pun. Joker gets a little scared when he’ll be sat quietly and then he’ll hear her cackling to herself for no reason, she’s giggling so much she can’t even tell him the joke and then she’ll forget. That drives him mad… M- Morning ( How do they wake up in the morning? Are

they a morning person or a morning grouch?) Quiet Reader: Y/N is very good in the mornings, she ready for the day and happy that she gets to make breakfast for herself and for Joker. He likes to sleep in and when he does come to eat he’s dazed and likes to cuddle. She usually wakes up around seven in the morning, it’s hard to tell the time in the Nether but she’s getting used to it. Loud Reader: Ten in the morning is still too early and Y/N rolls out of bed, puts on whatever she finds and heads to the train for work. Her days off are used exploring and hanging out with Joker but when she works she doesn’t expect to see a tall, well dressed man on the train. A coffee and breakfast roll in his hands just for her. It’s not everyday but it makes her mornings worth it when Joker comes to feed her. N- Needy (When do they feel particularly needy? How do they show it?) Quiet Reader: When it’s cold and the rain is so heavy it vibrates through the tunnels of The Nether, Y/N can’t help but need reassurance. If Joker knows the weather will be bad he leaves his coat for her to wear - it offers her a little comfort until he can come back to her. Seeing her so insecure reminds him of his time on the streets and he wants the comfort of another too. Loud Reader: Y/N isn’t good when she’s feeling ill, she behaves as if she only has hours to live and tells Joker how she wants her body disposed of. He tells her he’ll cut her up and put her all over the Empire like a jigsaw. She didn’t think it was funny and would whine until he got her food and agreed to sit with her. O- Oasis (Where is their happy place? Where would they go if they didn’t have anything holding them back?) Quiet Reader: Joker takes her on rooftop dates, the higher the better. It’s far from other people and he knows how much she enjoys the stars, The Nether isn’t a place for her and he likes to take her out of there whenever it’s safe to do so. He’d love to find her a home with a garden and plenty of sun. Maybe if he can shake off his past then he could join her. Loud Reader: Her favourite place is by the sea, she can spend hours looking out at the ocean and imagining what’s on the other side. The Empire says there’s nothing but she also knows the Empire lies. There’s a small area where she can take off her shoes and paddle in the water, it’s cold and the stones beneath are sharp - it’s where she feels her most content. Joker watches her sometimes but never makes his presence known. P- Pain (How do they handle pain? How do they handle when Y/N are in pain?) Quiet Reader: Joker hates when she’s hurting, since the moment he met her she was in pain, he had seen it in her eyes and all he had wanted was to make it stop. She was so stubborn at first, refusing his help and running away. She never tells him when she’s hurting but he knows and he’ll do what he can to help - including sneaking pain meds into her drinks. Loud Reader: Y/N whines about little injuries, she makes a big fuss and demands the man’s attention. Joker snorts at her and rolls his eye. The injuries that cause real pain put her into a kind of shock and she tell herself over and over that it’s okay, that it’ll go away. That’s when he knows it’s serious and he’ll get her whatever help she needs. Q- Quote (What’s a quote that fits them and your relationship) Quiet Reader: Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full. - Rumi Loud Reader: To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. - Oscar Wilde

R- Reunion (How do they celebrate seeing Y/N after a long time of being apart) Quiet Reader: Y/N can’t let go of him, she throws herself into his arms and holds him tight like he might vanish if she doesn’t. She didn’t know if he would come back or if he had abandoned her. Joker holds onto her and makes sure she knows he’s with her.

Loud Reader: He likes to hide in her apartment and scare the shit out of her when she comes in - their reunion sometimes involves his bloody nose. Once the initial shock has worn off she’s happy to see him and even happier that he brought wine with him. S- Stress (What stresses them out? How do deal with stress and how do they relieve it?) Quiet Reader: Crowds of people stress her out, she feels very small and hugs the sides of buildings so she doesn’t get pushed around. It she gets too stressed it will escalate into a panic attack and she’ll huddle up out of the way. Joker has always calmed her down since meeting her, before him she would just wait until the crowds were gone and stagger away to hide. Loud Reader: Work stresses her out, she’s stuck in one place for 8 hours a day, being nice to all sorts of terrible people and feeling like she’s trapped. It’s busy where she works and her breaks are never long enough. In bad days she heads to the bar before getting the train home. Before she met Joker she would go home and dread the next day. He reminds her that she needs to make the best of her free time and getting out is better than staying in T- Terror (What are they afraid of?) Quiet Reader: There’s a particular person she’s scared of, she’s never told Joker and can’t even bear to think of that person. Loud Reader: Spiders, not the small ones but the large ones that run too fast and fall off the ceilings of the tunnels she likes to explore. U- Unique (What is a quirk that is unique to them?) Quiet Reader: Y/N can learn things very quickly, especially languages and games Loud Reader: She’s double jointed and oddly flexible. V- Violence (Do they fight a lot? Are they a good fighter? What is their fighting style?) Quiet Reader: Violence frightens her, she would be too petrified to fight back and Joker still doesn’t know what happened in her past to make her feel that way. Loud Reader: She fights a lot, especially after her drink. She’s not very well trained and in a real fight with someone who knew what they were doing - she would be destroyed W- Wow (What does Y/N do that really surprises them? What do they do that Y/N really likes?) Quiet Reader: When Y/N got strong enough to use her ability again, Joker was very excited, he asked her to show him again and again. It’s not a very useful power but he thinks it’s the prettiest ability he’s ever seen Loud Reader: Her ability to get herself in trouble amazes him every time. Also the metal pole she tried to beat him to death with was an interesting conversation piece. X- (Explicit headcanon. For all you degenerates) Quiet Reader: When they first slept together Joker was careful, he was slow and sweet with her. She was nervous of letting him become that close with her and a few times he told her they could stop but she didn’t want to. After the first time she would sometimes climb on top of him and kiss him until he got the hint. Loud Reader: Y/N had never thought she’d be into sex in public. She was very wrong. Joker surprises her at work or when she’s trying on clothes in changing rooms - he’s very good at sneaking into places. Keeping quiet is difficult when he picks her up and fucks her into the nearest wall. Y- Yucky (Is there something that grosses them out so badly that they can’t deal with it?) Quiet Reader: Y/N becomes physically ill when she sees extreme violence. She’s seen people get beat up and horribly injured before and it makes her sick. Joker hopes she never has to see him in action - he’d hate for her to be afraid of him again. Loud Reader: If it’s slimy or smells bad then she doesn’t like it, unfortunately there’s always slime or sludge in the places she explores and Joker isn’t above chasing her around with it. Z- ZZZ’s (What are their sleeping habits? Both with and without Y/N)

Quiet Reader: Joker both hates and adores the way Y/N curls up into a ball in bed, the blankets wrapped around her so tightly it’s hard to get to her. He knows she used to sleep out in the cold and that she was likely frightened, the ball probably felt safe. It looked cute. Joker is tall so he spoons her either from the front or behind, encasing her with his arms and legs so that she feels safe enough to uncurl just a little. Loud Reader: He’s her favourite pillow, she lays across his chest with her fingers wound in his long hair. Y/N doesn’t move much in her sleep but she has the cutest little snore and Joker finds it hilarious - especially when she denies it in the morning… he even recorded her once. She gets mad when he steals all of the covers.

[angelicjadamv]

The story so far

One month after graduating high school in 2015 I was finally able to move away from my family. I was 18 and moved to California for college. Fortunately one of the scholarships I earned was accompanied by a summer program that started in the middle of the summer before fall semester. Shortly after settling in a safe, stable environment for the first time in my life I started to get better. A lot better at first. Then life happened, as it does, and 18 years of repressed trauma and abuse broke me. My nervous breakdown ruined my fall semester, I couldn't go to classes or take exams or function as a student anymore. Until this point, being an exceptional student was all I had and basically how I survived. My safe and stable environment now was dependant on maintaining a certain GPA, among other requirements I could no longer meet. I failed one of my main courses because I had a 0 on 2 exams, including the final. When I went home I was put on antipsychotics. Returning to campus for the 2016 spring semester, I attempted to seek more therapy. I wasn't successful in finding a good therapist (for me, therapy is a personal thing. Just because someone isn't a good therapist for me doesn't necessarily mean they are a bad therapist). I did continue to see my 2 psychiatrists (emergency and regular) often as they attempted to adjust my medication to find something that work. My agoraphobia worsened, I stopped sleeping, I could barely eat, I was manic one moment and dissociative the next, SH and suicidal ideation worsened. I was a burden to my friends and loved ones. I made it through this because I had a beautiful support system that I will forever be grateful for, but I ended up taking a leave of absence academically for my second semester, earning no credits and putting my scholarships at further jeopardy. I was allowed to stay on campus because it was clear I was dangerously unstable with no safe environment to return to and because I had incredible advocates looking out for me. I had realized that I wasn't going to get better in time to salvage my academic career and my life, and was mostly clueless as to how I would survive. I had had an internship in my field since I started college, but I earned basically no money. STEM internships aren't really made to be livable for undergrads, so I had mostly been working for experience in a field I would no longer be able to progress in. Bummer. My physical health had taken a huge dive for all of 2016. I basically always knew I was chronically ill, but I had been abused and gaslit my entire life to believe and act like I was fine, I was just a weak baby, I didn't know what real pain or suffering was, seizures were to be ignored, no I didn't have migraines or pinched nerves (um hello SCOLIOSIS), etc etc. And 2016 was the year my body finally started to break, so I knew "regular" jobs weren't going to be a viable option for me, at least not for long.

And thus I became a survival SW. I stayed in college for a final semester, because I didn't want to miss my friends, I loved my campus and didn't know where else to live, I still needed a lot of campus resources. I also kept my internship as long as I could, because I knew I would miss it for the rest of my life. I didn't really go to classes, again, because as much as a desperately wanted to and as much as my advisors moved heaven and earth to try to make it work for me, I couldn't handle it. I was finally able to find 2 great therapists who I started seeing regularly who actually knew how to diagnose and treat me, one at school and one outside. This is also when I met Daddy (Jace) online. After talking for what is probably a stupidly short time, we fell in love and started dating. This is honestly my first real relationship and time actually catching genuine feelings for someone, something that I hadn't thought I was capable of. Despite being happier than I had ever been in so many ways, my mental and physical health was still steadily declining. My migraines and pain were getting worse, I hadn't been able to eat normally in months and relied entirely on medication to eat or sleep at all. Many people recommended mmj at this point in my life, but I was afraid of how it would interact with my other meds. I only smoked occasionally at parties at this point (because no way was I spending my super duper limited money on weed). I wonder if medicating with something that actually worked well for me, like weed, would have allowed me to finish college. Oh well I guess. Because of my inability to attend classes, I had to take another leave for the fall semester 2016. I worked at a strip club briefly, but my health couldn't handle it for long.

I didn't want to go home for the first winter break in 2015, but campus closed and I had nowhere else to go. It was turbulent. When summer 2016 came, I still didn't go home despite having no place to stay. Until a month or so later, it was revealed to me a relative had terminal cancer. I had to go home again. It was worse than turbulent. When winter 2016 came, my relative was in much worse condition. They only had a few months left, and this was probably my last chance to say goodbye. This visit was by far the most traumatic, and more because of my parents than watching a loved one die. At least Jace was able to come meet me for the first time in person. He also got to meet my relative before they passed 🖤

Freshly fucked up by family, I retuned to California at the beginning of 2017. I was mostly taking a break from SW because of my health and was working vanilla jobs as I could (so not much). I had a pretty decent job that I was really good at and had been promoted, but then my relative passed. I started losing consciousness again ( I had many seizures and fainting spells in my childhood and during high school) and had to quit my job. the funeral was in spring 2017, I flew to Jersey to be with Daddy for a few days and then he drove me several states over for the memorial. That was the last time I saw my family. I wanted to transition to online/content creating, but I had no tech knowledge or equipment (even my phone was a potato). In high school I wasn't allowed to have a smartphone, most social media other than what was heavily monitored (and still had 0 experience with platforms sw is popular on besides Tumblr I guess), I didn't really know much about cameras. Way too sheltered and broken to feel like I could start anything. I was now seeing my outside, or I guess regular and only, therapist twice a week and doing treatments that while working for me were insanely (literally) hard. I had been able to get an apartment with roommates at a super discount in return for taking care of their crazy dog, which was a win win for me (he was a good boi just crazy from a bad past and had the worst separation anxiety). The agreement was that I would live with them until the lease was up in September, and then we would reevaluate the situation. Then they both got promoted at their mega corporation jobs. And after their wedding found a really gorgeous apartment in a much fancier part of the city, and paid to break our lease early in June leaving me homeless. I had been fired from my last 2 jobs (probably for being disabled because California is at will employment but who knows I might have been fired from the nanny job because the husband wanted to fuck me). I had no money or anywhere to go. All of my friends were almost as broke as me, so while I had offers to couchsurf at a few of their places they had other roommates who would have been pissed and in a few months they would be going back to school anyways. Daddy and I had been trying to save up to move in together for months, but he was going to move to California. We didn't have any money for that, so instead he asked me to move in with him in New Jersey. Leaving meant I lost my health insurance and my therapist. It was supposed to be much more temporary and we were supposed to move back to California much sooner than we were able to. I try not to be mad at those roommates because being angry doesn't change anything, but it really sucked.

Moving in with Daddy meant we could start our blog! And I was super happy at first, the happiest I could ever remember. But the years had been too hard and my health started to get worse than ever before. Without treatment and so traumatized, my brain and body were constantly at war. I would wake with splitting migraines, throwing up, my chronic pain became completely unmanageable. I started to need weed all the time because it was the only thing that stopped my cyclical vomiting episodes and kept me out of the hospital. My antipsychotics and other meds had been high-key fucking me up (probably shouldn't have been on them in the first place, thank you doctor who also ignored my seizures even when I had one in front of you) and were almost impossible to come off of because the withdrawals. (Seriously, kicking xanax was easier for me than my antipsychotics.) I'm not anti medication or anything, I just know the ones I was on were not good for me anymore. I'd actually like to be on something again, I just need a doctor who actually understands PTSD and DID.

My health continued to be shit for most of 2018, with several ER visits for severe dehydration from vomiting for days on end. We started to make videos and do snapchat and online sessions to be able to make ends meet. Despite being in the worst situation and thus everything being a trizillion times harder, we really loved (and still love 😇) doing SW and creating content. Our fans and clients have been there in some of our darkest moments, just being lovely or pulling through for us when we needed it most. During 2018 and 2019 I became actively suicidal for the first time since I was 13. I struggled with self harm again. I have gotten worse than I ever thought possible. But I wouldn't have made it at all if it wasn't for SW, this community and our supporters.

At the beginning of 2020 we were finally able to move back to California. Obviously, the pandemic severely disrupted many of our plans, especially regarding my recovery. Despite things being delayed or shifted, we are in a much better place currently. I have what I need to get better and I can build a support system again. I will get better.

Talking about things is hard for me. Being open and honest is hard for me. For 18 years I was trained and abused to not be sad or show negative feelings, or talk about upsetting things, and it has been killing me slowly my entire life. I genuinely don't want pity or to make others feel bad, but I do want to give you the chance to get to know me. I don't always talk about things so much. But I'm trying to get better at it.

[huearmy]

Life is Beautiful - I

Summary: You are a glass half full person, your life motto is "Life is too short to... Insert something and anything here". During your whole life you wanted something more, and even not knowing what it is, you put yourself to find out and get it, experiencing everything  brilliant that the world offers - within the measure of what is safe, of course. The curious thing is that your way of living ended up rousing  the interest of two vampires. One who sees beauty in everything and  loves to exist, currently working with suicide prevention; and another one who no longer sees grace in things, in that boring immortality that never ends, and only complains about the Netflix catalog all the time.

Pairing: Jimin x reader / Taehyung x reader.

Genre: fluff, angst, future smut (very soft, ok?)...

Words:  7509.

Rating: +18

Warnings: As much as my writing is soft and light, and as these are not the main topic of the story, treated in a non-descriptive way, there are sensitive themes from the beginning of the first chapter to the end of the fic that can trigger sensitive people, like depression, suicide, addictions in general - Jimin literally works at a suicide prevention center here. SO PLEASE! Read responsibly, my intention when dealing with topics like this is always 1) dealing with them in myself, as a way of putting out part of my own healing process 2) generating identification in other people, so they can go through the difficult time a little less alone. THIS IS A STORY THAT SEES THE WORLD WITH POSITIVITY.

Chapter II Chapter III .

After some centuries of not living, all vampires go through a kind of midlife crisis in which everything loses its grace and eternity becomes endless boredom. Nothing new happens, humans are born, sometimes they are relevant to world history, they become vampire food or they die dull. Vampires do not need to sleep or use the bathroom, nor to feed more than once a month, so the days are long, and often lonely, which leads many of them to stand still without moving, looking at nothing until their thirst quits, forcing them to go after a pulsating neck. Many go through this phase as serial killers, with killing as their only source of pleasure, others prefer to hibernate in some dark place or tomb, because false death is more interesting than false life. Some never get past the phase.

Jimin is not like that. With almost a thousand years of existence he is totally in love with life. Every day when the sun rises and the sunlight forces him to stay indoors so as not to burst into flames, he spends his hours with a smile on his face, engaging in small banal hobbies, such as gardening or online courses at distance - after almost a decade of doing this, Jimin already has fifty-two certificates in different areas, and he is pretty pride of it. When night comes and he can go out and see the world it’s even more interesting, because humans ’nightlife isn’t as hectic as daytime, so those who live in those dark hours are different. There are those who do wrong things and commit crimes, those who have double lives or who keep secrets, there are people working to protect and save, like doctors and police, there are night guards and twenty-four hours convenience store attendants, groups of friends who spend the night partying until dawn, and those who feel lonely in their empty apartments unable to sleep... And this is the part that he likes the most: people.

He likes to meet random people in the empty metro, buy a drink for a girl who doesn't take her eyes off him and then dance with her, strike up a conversation with a homeless man under a marquee because he knows the guy must be lonely. Watching and learning about other lives keeps him alive, more than the blood he needs to drink.

He likes to get temporary jobs to have some human experience. He has worked in pizzerias, both in the kitchen - he was not very good, so he was put in the dishwasher - both in deliveries, and at a gas station, as a hotel receptionist... But now it looks like he found a job he wants to stay in, so much that it has been a year and he has not yet resigned. Perhaps Jimin has found his calling.

"It's okay... You are not alone, I'm here and I'll stay until you feel good again." He said with his sweet, angelical voice. "Can you get away from the sharp objects? Please?"

The voice on the other end of the line sounded like just a choked whisper, before the answer came, fast, heavy breathing filled the air.

"No... I can't..." The female sobbed.

"Can you tell me why?" Jimin's voice was calm. "I... my legs are numb... I can't... stand up." Her breathing was erratic and desperate.

"Are you hurt? Do you need an ambulance to be sent to you?" He used his most reassuring voice possible.

"No!" She started to cry even harder. "I don't want no one... to see me... like this." Jimin bite the inside of his cheek, thinking, maybe she just wasn't able to get up  because of the anxiety attack, but she also didn't say she wasn't hurt.

Regardless of the case, he needed to make the girl trust him in order to help her.

"What is your name?" He smiled, hopping she would listen to it in his voice. "... Ana" She whispered. "Nice to meet you, Ana. Do you remember my name? I told you at the beginning of the call."

One moment of silence.

"Jimin." She said with little certainty.

"Exactly, good job. Hi, Ana." "Hi, Jimin." Despite the crying voice, she was no longer sobbing.

"Ana, can you recall the last thing you did that made you feel safe? Secure?" A sigh reached Jimin's ears. As he waited for an answer his hands moved over a sheet of paper, he was drawing a beautiful face of a girl with crayons, without paying much attention, but getting a beautiful result.

"No." She said at last.

"I know you can, Ana. No need to rush. Breath." She thought some more, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Almost a full minute passed, the two of them silent on the call. Jimin did not press for an answer.

"I was watching Friends... with my cat." "Your cat?" Jimin smiled more spontaneously now, noticing in her voice an oscillation of affection when saying the word cat. "Talk more about your cat."

"His name is Sushi, he's fat, full of himself, and loving. He likes children, food and sleeping. I recently bought him a cute collar, it looks like a pink bow tie." She almost laughed.

"Wow...He is a lucky cat." Suddenly she started to cry again, sobbing so hard that Jimin hardly understood what she was saying.

"He ran away and hasn't come back yet... He's never been away from home  so long... He's all I have, there's no one else... I don't want to live... alone." "Is it just you and Sushi?" Jimin spoke more forcefully for her to hear over the sobs.

"Yes." She choked. "I can't get up... It hurts so much. I'm so-sorry..."

"Ana, do you need an ambulance to be sent to you?" He tried again. Silence.

"Yes." "So I will stay with you until they come to help you. You are not alone."

Jimin was a vampire in love with live, eager to live each day as if it were the most precious gift, so working in the Center of Valuing Life and Preventing Suicide was perfect. He considers himself an expert in convincing anyone that life is beautiful when he has the opportunity to say everything he thinks about. And not letting people feel alone is one of his favorite hobbies.

After all, eternity can be quite lonely, he knows how it is.

________________________________________________________________

That call is over. Jimin was searching for missing cat posts on social media. In the silent office room it was just him and three other people working, each at their separated personal table. Perhaps due to the nature of the work, or due to the late hours of the night, nobody spoke loudly or made a lot of noise when doing things, even when talking to each other, everything is always very restrained, calm.

Jimin's eyes followed the clock hands on the wall above the door. It was almost one in the morning, actually, to be exact, twelve minutes to go, so in two minutes, you would punctually enter that door with your heavy backpack full of books, of someone who just left college on the other side of the city, and after stopping at a twenty-four hours fast food to get a well-deserved burger spent an hour on a subway trip. He could already hear your footsteps down the hall, the characteristic sound of the rubber on the soles of your boots and your bunch of keys stuck in the handle of your backpack tinkling. He heard you putting your stuff in your closet and hanging your coat on the rack in the next room, and a smile formed on Jimin's face. When the hand on the clock struck ten to one and you opened the door trying not to make any noise so as not to disturb anyone's call, Jimin pretended not to notice you entering, not taking his eyes off the computer screen full of images of cute cats. You straightened up and held firmly the pair of coffee cups in your hands till the knots turned white, looking straight at him - in fact, from the moment you walked through the door you were already expecting to see Jimin sitting at his table, as always, and since then you haven't looked away. Walking in light steps - that he could hear by the way - to him who had his back to you, you tried to control the butterflies in your stomach, happy he wasn't in a call right now.

"Jimin?" You called softly, close to his ear, but not that close. Yet. Jimin contained a smile and turned around as if you had taken him by surprise. "Hey, Y/N, didn't see you there". As usual, his direct look made your heart race and you gave a nervous laugh before getting along with his flirty tone. "I bought you coffee." You handed him one of the cups. "To take the night shift a little better."

"Thanks, sweetheart."

You are the other reason Jimin didn't quit this job yet. A few weeks ago, when he was working long enough to decide to leave and go for the next adventure, you started working at the night shift, and right away you caught Jimin's attention, even though at first you didn't talk with him that much - in fact you only talked to the women on the team, and avoided the men. More than once he found himself paying attention to your emergency calls, how you talk, being positive without being suffocating for those in pain ... how you love life. After a while you started doing the same thing, a little less easily, since you don't have a vampire audition, but it was enough for you to acquire a platonic crush on Jimin, which resulted in you opening up, and you two start talking here and there. Now almost whenever you have time or money left over - college life is poor life - you bring him coffee. Jimin doesn't actually drink coffee at all, and he doesn't feel sleepy either, but he thinks it's cute that you worry for him. You see each other three to four times a week, depending on the schedule of work, and he is always eager to see you. Flirting is exciting, and he hasn't done that in a while... Like two centuries, and how it was done back there was quite different. Other times indeed.

"Did you lose your cat?" You asked, confused.

"Oh, no, I didn't." He closed the page with the photo of a white and gray cat wearing a pink bow tie.. "One friend of mine lost her cat, Sushi." "Poor thing. I hope she finds Sushi soon..." You slightly pouted.

"Me too. I'll help her." Jimin said, and the butterflies in your stomach thought it was beautiful.

Something on his desk caught your attention, a colorful draw of said cat made with crayon. Before Jimin could stop you - he was distracted by hearing your heart beat faster because of him - you picked up the stack of papers to get a closer look.

"And you drew him! How beautiful... I didn't know you were so talented." "Thank you. My friend who taught me, he is much better than me..." Jimin simply answered.

You moved on to the next sheet, where another sketch of the cat in different colors made your eyes shine. "So he must be awesome. Look at this!" Jimin was happy to be praised by you, the pink of your cheeks when speaking was a beautiful sign for him, but then he remembered what was the next drawing in your hands, and before you could see it, he cleared his throat and took them back, keeping them in the drawer. It was a drawing of a girl's pretty face. Your face. "They are not quite ready yet..." He pretended modesty.

"Oh, sorry. If you need help, just tell me. I can hang up posters or something. About finding the lost cat, I mean." You volunteered, and then looked around. "I better get to work before someone scolds me."

You went to your desk, across his, and your eyes met a few more times before as you sat down and turned on your computer. Jimin's phone rang and he forced himself to look away from your face, someone else needed him now. "Good night, my name is Jimin and you called the Life Valuation Center. Can I help?" He spoke, his voice welcome and full of affection. ________________________________________________________________

Jimin's shift ends before yours, just before three in the morning he puts things away and leaves the table ready for the person who will use the next shift, but he won't leave, even if everyone thinks so. Instead he goes to the roof to look at the stars and wait for you to leave - not that you know he is waiting for you. He was listening to a random playlist on spotify, stretching his body to the beat just because it feels good, thinking about nothing specific, just existing and feeling good about it.

The night breeze brought his scent to him, looking down from the parapet, he could see you leaving the building, with your scarf well wrapped around your neck, covering half of your face to protect you from the cold air. He doesn't understand you... It's beautiful that you want to help people who are going through a difficult time, and you've commented before that the night shift matches your other schedules, and that you like to stay up at night. However, he thinks you should consider it's not worth it. It's so late and empty when you go home, it's dangerous for a human woman, and as much as he knows that you have a pocketknife in your pocket, Jimin thinks it's silly of you. Usually he wouldn't think much about it, but it's you, and he is fond of you, he can't just do nothing about it. So even if you don't know it, he accompanies you home every night to make sure you are safe. He is only satisfied and goes home when he hears you enter your room. Sometimes he stays a little longer, sitting on the emergency stairs outside your building, listening to you walking up and down in your room, doing whatever, instead of going to sleep soon.

That's kind of creepy. He knows. But he is a vampire, he is already creepy in essence. But of course he would never watch you sleep, for exemple, this is a stalker limit that he does not intend to cross.

"Okay." He sighed as he heard you getting into bed. "I have one hour and a half before the sun rises... Let's find that cat." __________________________________________

You were awake for a couple of hours already, currently packing your books at the end of a lecture, really needing sugar to feel prepared before the last class of the day, and excited that instead of going to the study group you are a part of, you will take an experimental dance class and it's your day off, which means that instead of staying up until dawn working, you can stay up until dawn studying, and maybe sleep a little earlier. Life is too short to not take all the free trial classes available just because your schedule is already full and totally demanding. Anyways you are dead tired, wishing your body doesn't need to sleep... Since you started to work on the Life Valuation Center all your sleeping schedule went down the drain. At first your plan was to work the night shift only at the beginning, and then change your hours, but for some reason you always liked to stay up all night, also the movement of calls in this period is bigger and more specific, which helps in your internship report, and of course, in the day shift there is no Jimin... You've settled in, and now after months of this crazy, fickle routine, your body is feeling the side effects.

"Three of this rainbow donuts please." You asked at the college cafe. One because you want, two because one is not enough, three because you are greedy. Life is too short not to overeat your current favorite sugar source. You sigh to yourself, taking a seat along your friends. Your mantra for life is life is too short to...insert anything here, experimenting and doing things that you never imagined before and that your mother probably wouldn't approve a hundred percent is what moves you. Basically nothing scares you, since childhood you were courageous and fearless. You subject yourself to almost anything, within the measures of what is safe, to have good stories to tell. The world is too big to be content with just having good grades to graduate and have a good job. What you want is much more... so much more that you don't even know what... But it’s not just because you don’t know yet that you’ll stand still without going after it to find out.

"Hey, Y/N, what are you gonna do on the weekend?" Your friend, Becca, asked comfortably within her girlfriend's embrace. As usual, whenever you see the two of them together being all lovey dovey, you feel a twinge of pride in your heart, because you were responsible for them to start dating in the first place. Although your romantic life is not very interesting, without serious or successful relationships, you are a great cupid.

"For the very first time in months... I don't know. I didn't plan anything, maybe something will show up, if not I'm just going to sleep. Why?" You smiled your happy smile of eating what you like.

"Pool party. You need to get a tan, you look like a vampire with that pale, tired face of yours."

You laughed because it's true, since you started changing the day for the night, your skin has acquired a not healthy tone that you are not used to. You've been missing the sun a little.

"First of all, I'm too cute to be a vampire. Second, yeah I'll think about it, I have a new bikini I haven't worn yet that makes my breasts look stunning." One of your friends that was sitting by your side put his arm over your shoulder. "I changed my mind, I'm going to this party." He loudly said. The girls in the group didn't laugh at all. "Shut up, Mike." You playfully pushed him. ________________________________________________________________

This was the second night that Jimin was looking for the cat, Sushi. It was not difficult to find out the address of it’s owner, since he had to activate an ambulance for her, and with that he started looking for the animal in her neighborhood. Passing through the empty streets at night after his work shift, he could see the girl's tracks leaving "missing" posters with a picture of a kitten wearing a pink bow tie, on lampposts and bus stops. At first Jimin thought it was going to be easy, with his keen vampire senses, but all he found were stray cats that weren't Sushi. The second night of searching was already ending, the sun was rising, threatening to make him explode into ashes if he didn't come home soon, and no clue as to where to look the next night he had.

Before getting into the car and driving home, Jimin took one last look at the slightly open curtains in the girl's room, Ana, just to make sure she was okay. She had been discharged from the hospital that afternoon and was now sleeping on the couch, probably medicated. Jimin didn't want to leave her alone, but he couldn't just walk into her apartment and offer help, for now all he could do was find a way to find the cat. ________________________________________________________________ Jimin lives in an old pretty house in the wealthiest part of the city, it isn't a mansion, but it is big and expensive enough to impress anyone who sees it, privileges of centuries of saved money. It's a cliché, but vampires dress in designer clothes, ride luxury cars and live in expensive mansions, houses, apartments, and Jimin is no exception.

From one of the main rooms, behind a heavy curtain, hidden in the gloom, was another vampire, watching the street with intent, expressionless eyes. When Jimin's car turned the corner and up the wide street lined with huge trees, the vampire got uneasy, his beautiful restless hands worrying the hem of his sleeves. He was anxious and angry, if his heart was still beating it would be racing. The garage door opened and the car entered, disappearing from view, in the next second the vampire was no longer in the room but in front of the door leading to the garage, waiting in the empty, dark hall. The knob turned the door slightly opened, Jimin with his head down did not seem to notice the presence of the other before being attacked.

"AH!" Jimin screamed as long arms embraced his neck. If it wasn't for the wall behind him he would have fallen, yet he had no escape, with a body much larger than his overpowering him. "Taehyungie!"

"You are late! Is the second day in a row you get home after sunrise! Are you trying to die?" Taehyung said, and didn't let Jimin go just yet. "It's okay. I was careful, I just had to do a few things before I came home. Look, there's not even smoke coming out of me." Jimin ran his hands over Tae's back, making him relax. The other stepped back a little, taking his face in his big hands.

"You could have sent a message. I asked you to let me know if you were going to be late again, Jiminie..." Tae pouted, still distressed. "And why do your clothes smell like garbage? Take it off."

Even feeling deprived of affection, Taehyung walked away looking disgusted, covering his nose with two fingers. Jimin obeyed, taking off his sneakers, jacket and jeans, following Taehyung through the corridor to the laundry room, where he put everything in a basket to wash later, and also exchanged the shirt for a clean one too. "I went into some alleys today, looking for a cat. That's why." Jimin explained, feeling much more comfortable in not smelling bad.

"And where's it? I don't think Tannie will like to share the house with a cat..." "Where is what?" Jimin was confused. Tae crossed his arms.

"The cat?"

"Oh no!" Jimin laughed, reaching for Tae to take him by the shoulders. "I wasn't looking for a cat to bring home, as much as I would love one as a pet... It's the cat of a girl I met, and is very sad to have lost it..."

"I got it..." Taehyung mumbled.

Jimin was just helping someone. Again. And Taehyung couldn't say exactly why it bothers him so much every time, but it does, he feels distressed, almost as if the world around him collapsed, and it makes him think he's being overdramatic. Live an eternity when you can't even put your feelings out in moments of frustration. Damn, it is conflicting... If vampires could cry, he would. But never that he would let Jimin discover that he feels that way.

It was Jimin's turn to take Tae's face in his little hands.

"You are so skinny. When was the last time you fed?" Taehyung didn't answer.

"You don't even remember, right?" Jimin's eyes went worried. "Did you see that I brought some O- packs for you? I left it in the fridge."

"No, I didn't." A shy smile spread across Tae's face. O- is his favorite blood type, but because it is a not so common type, and humans need transplantation, it's not always that Jimin brings it to him, usually opting for his second favorite flavor or other one available.

Jimin has been trying to cheer his friend up with little treats. It has been a difficult phase, in which he thinks Tae is going through the vampiric midlife crisis. He hasn't been out of the house for almost two decades and does nothing without a little external motivation, even the simplest things like eating. So Jimin tries to bring the best blood types to fill the fridge, signed all available streaming platforms, updates Taehyung's video game consoles as soon as a new model comes out, tries to get him interested in new hobbies - which never works but he doesn't give up - and he even adopted a puppy so that Tae would never be alone.

"Come." Jimin pulled him by the hand to their modern practically untouched kitchen, opened the fridge and picked two packs of blood, the dark liquid shining at the cold light. “In my room or yours?"

"Yours."

The two of them got to Jimin's room, followed by the sound of four paws scraping the polished wooden floor, Yeontan chasing them closely. Jimin pulled the covers off the clean bed, on which he rarely lies down, so they could get more comfortable. Tae laid on his back, against the pile of smooth pillows, carefully opening a packet of blood to not spill a single drop, and put a stainless steel straw in the opening. Jimin turned on the TV, put the dog in the bed, and cuddled Tae's side, with his head on his chest.

"What show have you been watching?" Jimin asked.

"None. I've been looking for something interesting in this shit for days and I can't find anything." Tae took a sip of his blood with a pout.

Jimin chuckled. "I'm choosing then."

A moment of silence followed, in which the only sound was of Tae drinking the rest of his first pack, and then opening another one.

"I think I need to shower..." Jimin commented.

Taehyung's arm that was around Jimin tightened. "Not now. Later." Jimin laughed, thinking it was cute. An idea crossed his mind, another small treat.

"Do you want to bath with me instead?" He looked up to Tae.

Tae hold tightened even more.

"Not now. Later. Now we cuddle."

As if agreeing, Yeontan climbed over the two vampires, finding a comfortable place to lie down and join the cuddle pile.

"Ok."

________________________________________________________________

Tonight you didn't have time to talk to Jimin when you arrived at work, he was on a call, and it seemed really serious. You didn't have the money to buy extra coffee even for yourself, so you hadn't an excuse to pass quietly by his desk to leave a post-it written "Hi :)". In those circumstances, you went straight to your desk to work, to do your best to be a good listener.

To your surprise, making your heart melt and your breath hold at the bottom of the throat, you saw at the top of your computer screen a post-it with a "Hi, sweetheart." written on it, and another one with a "Look in the fridge.". After working with him for that time, regularly doing some paperwork like filling out documentation and such things, you could say for sure that this was Jimin's handwriting, besides, only he calls you sweetheart.

You checked the clock on the wall with an eager look and a silly smile. As you always arrive ten minutes early, there was time to go to the break room quickly, and look inside the fridge before starting to work. And so you did. The break room was nothing more than a small table with a few chairs, a small couch, a sink, an old coffee machine, a microwave and the refrigerator, all in a tight space lit by white lights that leave the place a little impersonal. None of your co-workers were there, as usual. You crossed the small room to the fridge and opened it trying not to make a noise, more out of habit than necessity.

The interior was very empty, with some forgotten lunchboxes, but that didn't interest you. Your goal was right in the middle. A big cup of iced coffee, from a franchise that you don't usually buy from because you find it a little too expensive for your student budget, with your name written on a post-it on top of it.

"Y/N, I wanted to be me treating you today. Hope you like it."

That coffee was as cold as Jimin's fingertips when touching yours, but it warmed your heart. Sometimes you question yourself if it's healthy how head over heels you are for this guy, for so little.

Back at your desk, now with your iced coffee, you wrote a post-it and pasted it on the back of your computer screen, where Jimin could see it. "Thanks :)" Then you started to work. Other people needed you now. ________________________________________________________________ On your fifteen minutes break time, you were leaving the restroom, passing a moisturizing hand cream - because you swear that the soap in this place dries out your skin, and god forbid you from harsh hands -, the sound of the break room's door opening made you lift your eyes from the floor. It was Jimin. He don't take breaks, it's not like he needs it, he doesn't get tired, but he didn't get the chance to talk to you today yet, so as soon he saw you stretching in your chair, indicating that you would soon get up to go to the bathroom - yes, he learned your routine and mannerisms - he discreetly left the room to meet you by coincidence in the hall afterwards.

"Hi, Y/N. Did you like the coffee?" He charmly smiled at you, he was eager to ask it to you, to find out if he made the right choice of flavor, or if he made a bad mistake and you hated it - he couldn't help thinking about that possibility. Anyway, he was looking forward to your approval.

The truth is that you were so stunned by his caring that it didn't matter what the flavor was.

"Actually, yes. I love vanilla flavored things. It's basic but it makes me happy." You fixed your hair, pulling it behind your ears. Jimin could tell by your smile and your heated face that you aren't lying.

"Nice. I wanted to make you happy." He approached you, more than is suitable for the work environment, and it made you nervous, and of course he noticed. But it was okay, if someone came close he would hear and walk away before they could see you, too bad he couldn't tell you that.

"Mission completed successfully." You said, without looking away from his eyes - no matter how much part of you shouted at you to do it, your heart felt like it was going to explode. Well, your heart has a limit, so you changed the subject. "Did your friend find her cat?" Sadness took over Jimin's eyes.

"Unfortunately not. I've been looking for him for two days and nothing, I swear I think I've looked in every street, alley and trash can. I don't want to think like that, but I think Sushi is no longer with us." He sighed, clearly frustrated. You had the impulse to rub his forearms to comfort him, it was the very first time you really touched him. "If he is a cat that wasn't accustomed to getting out, and didn't know how to walk on the street, it is possible that something bad happened... But! He's a cat, if he used to go out often, he might have some other house, other owners, and that's why he hasn't come back yet." You optimistically said.

A smile spread in Jimin's face.

"That makes sense! She told me something like 'He's never been away from home for so long', there's hope then. And you also gave me an idea. Thank you, Y/N." He pulled you into a hug, and you thought you could die.

"You welcome." You said against his chest, deciding not to waste the opportunity to return the hug. ________________________________________________________________ The day was perfect for a vampire walk in the daytime. Cloudy and rainy. No deadly sunbeams and an excuse to use an umbrella without calling attention to it. After the tip you gave, Jimin looked in the right place after accompanying you home that night, and in less than an hour he was outside the window of two children's rooms, in a ground floor apartment, looking inside, and sleeping between the feet of one of the children was the cat, he wasn't with his bow tie but there was no mistake, Jimin was sure. Even without being able to enter - vampiric rules, you only can get in somebody's house if invited, or else you explode as if you were under sunlight - Jimin could smell cat all over the house, and the windows all had anti-escape screens, which indicated that it was a family of cat people.

Jimin would need to come back to pick the cat during the day, knock on the front door and politely ask. That's why heavy weather is perfect. With a dark couture coat, covering all from his neck to the back of his hands, to his knees, a design hat and sunglasses, and last but nos least, a big umbrella, he approached the lower middle class apartment complex. Without hesitation he raised his hand and knocked. Some seconds passed by, sound of kids running inside and a voice of a famale scolding them muffled by the closed door, and then a little girl, maybe six-year-old, appeared in Jimin's field of vision, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen after all.

"Hello." Jimin smiled. "Are your parents home?"

She smiled at him, but shook her head negatively.

"Jo, who is it?" An older girl opened the door wider and faced Jimin with a frown that fell apart when she saw his smile. Great, a teenager, he thought. "What do you want?"

"Sorry to bother, I really wanted to talk to an adult, but..." Jimin lifted his phone, the screen showing Sushi's missed post. "I saw my friend's cat on your window."

The older girl narrowed her eyes as she looked at the photo, but before she could answer, the little girl she called Jo before ran away.

"No!" She screamed, disappearing inside the apartment, and then slamming a door somewhere.

"Sorry for that, please wait a minute." The teenager closed the door on his face, and he could hear her shouting and scolding the girl little inside. He was starting to lose his patience. Jimin doesn't like to be ignored at all. Should he knock again and use his mind control powers to get the cat? He was pondering the idea when the door opened again, the two girls were still loudly arguing inside, and this time it was a small boy who must be the middle sibling in front of him.

"Hi, grandma said to tell you to come in." He mumbled.

"So you are letting me get in your house?" Jimin asked with a satisfied grin.

"Yeah... follow me." The boy was avoiding eye contact, being shy. Jimin thought he was adorable.

Jimin followed the boy to a tiny living room, where an old woman was sitting in front of the TV. The girls were now silent, but clearly wanting to argue some more, and the small one was with Sushi in her arms. Jimin sighed, he likes children, a lot, even though he doesn't live with many, but he likes them even more when they're not having a tantrum.

"Hello. Please, take a seat." The old lady pointed to the old couch. The vampire obliged, and almost immediately a fat orange cat jumped into his lap. In this small room alone he could see three more of them. "So, why do you want to steal one of my babies?" Steal? Jimin was slightly offended, he already explained himself, but the chaotic situation created a misunderstanding. "I'm not here to steal nothing, ma'am." He showed his cellphone again. "One of your cats is Sushi, my friend's cat."

"That's not his name!" The little girl shouted tapping a foot on the floor in anger. Jimin just raised his eyebrows at her, making her swallow hard. But he is in control of the situation, so Jimin smiled to remain pleasant.

"Of course it is. Just watch, little one." He reached out to call the cat. "Come here, Sushi." Even though the cat didn't know Jimin to trust him - and these people don't need to know that - cats are creatures of the night, strongly attached to magic and protection in the dark hours, and in the hierarchy of the night they obeyed vampires. The only things that cats respect more than vampires are witches and their own owners whom they protect. As Jimin expected, Sushi jumped off the girl's tight hold and went over to him.

"Good boy. Ana is missing you like hell." Jimin scratched behind his ears. Before someone else could say anything, he proceeded. "When he got lost he was using a pink bow tie." The old lady was still with Jimin cellphone in her hand, and he could see she was convinced he know the cat, but wasn't intending on letting him leave with him yet.

"I'm seeing it in the post, but there was no tie when we got him." She replied. "You just didn't see it, ma'am." Jimin was tired of this conversation, it was being a lot less nice than he imagined on his way there. When he looked to the little girl to talk to her, his eyes were intense and powerful, and his voice was full of authority. "Go get the tie where you hid it, little one."

Mesmerized by Jimin's power, the girl didn't even blink or say anything as she obeyed, turned around and ran to one of the rooms. Jimin doesn't use hypnosis very often but he has fun every time. She got back with it and handed it to him.

"Thanks." He removed the effect and the little girl blinked a few times before understanding what happened.

The old lady was clearly angry with the girl, but it wasn't Jimin's business. "Well I think that's all. We are going now." Jimin got up from the couch.

"Wait!" The teenager snapped. "Jo lied about the bow to keep the cat, and that's bad, but she already loves him! You can't just take him away!"

Jimin was almost on the door.

"Of course I can. Besides, it's not because what she did is bad, young lady. It's because my friend loves him, actually this cat is Ana's family. No one should live alone, right?"

"Right!" The old lady got up too. "I'll get you to the door, tell our friend we are sorry."

"I will. Thank you." ________________________________________________________________

"You found the cat!" Tae sniffed the back of Jimin's neck. "Where is it?"

Jimin was putting the clothes he was using to wash, to remove the smell of cat and the places he passed by. And to get comfortable, as is his habit when he gets home, he just stayed in his underwear and t-shirt.

"I already gave him back to his owner." In the next second Jimin was dropping himself on the leather couch.

"And how was it? Did she thank you with tears in her eyes?" Tae leaned over the back of the sofa with his chin in his hands.

Jimin chuckled, Taehyung's thirst for drama is funny, and he's always been like that. And at least that doesn't seem to have changed...

"Well... She cried a lot when she found him in the window. She looked really happy!" Jimin sang. He was really happy too. He helped someone to find their smile again, even if it is a little bit, it made him really proud of himself, a warm feeling in his chest telling him it was the right thing to do, and that he should do it again if he gets the opportunity. Taehyung's expression changed, suddenly he was disinterested.

"You didn't even talk to her? Just left the cat there for her to find?"

"Well, yeah." Jimin threw his hair back. "I couldn't risk she recognizing my voice and thinking I was stalking her. Scaring her was not the goal, Tae, quite the contrary..."

Taehyung stared at him in silence for what felt a whole minute - maybe it really was, vampires perceive time differently. "You are not a secret superhero, Jimin. You are a vampire." Said that he got back to his room.

Jimin doesn't understand. These outbursts and mood swings leave him confused. And it's not like he hasn't already tried to talk. This... This he doesn't recognize in Taehyung. It hurt his feelings and at same time he feels it is partially his faut. "I can be both if I want to!" He exclaimed.

No answer. To find somebody who would be happy for him and understand the euphoria he felt for saving a little bit that girl he went through his contact list. A lot of vampire names - a lot is maybe an exaggeration, since he doesn't have many friends at all - who wouldn't be rude, but wouldn't understand, and also some former human colleagues from past jobs with whom he hasn't spoken in a long time and maybe should erase the number... And you. Of course you are the obvious choice. You had sympathy for the case from the beginning, even offered to help. And if it weren't for you he wouldn't have succeeded...

Jimin: hey sweetheart Jimin: I found sushi! Jimin: thanks to you btw He sent the messages, hoping it wouldn't be strange. It wasn't the first time you two texted before, but it was just an exchange of memes and silly flirt... without compromise talk. And what he wanted this time was different. You took too long to answer, and he wondered if you were in class and if he was bothering you. He wanted everything but to mess it up with you right now. Maybe he should've checked your class schedule for the week to make sure he texted you when he was sure you were free. But he was so eager to talk to someone... with you. He gave up waiting and went after doing something productive. Crochet dolls. He was doing a mini Taehyung, with red eyes and little cute fangs - an apology for later, neither of them like fighting with each other, even if you can't call that earlier thing a fight- when his cell phone started to crazily vibrate and beep.

You: OMG! You: thts amazing! You: sorry i didn't aswr before You: I was taking a nap hehe You: anyways You: i'm so happy u found him You: [image.jpg] You: ur friend must be even happier :) You: what do u mean thanx to me? You: sorry i spammed u :( Jimin can't handle you. You are too cute. You literally sent him a photo of you with an enormous smile, cheering, to show him your reaction. And you were with your hair all messed and the puffy face of someone who just woke up. Precious. Jimin: no problem, sweetheart Jimin: you said to look in other owners' houses. basically. I found him with a old cat lady with three grandchildren   Jimin: you are looking cute btw You: OwO You: i'm looking like shit Jimin You: BUT thats awesome You: if it was me id be crying til my eyes fall You weren't even there with him, in person, and you were putting a smile on his face. How dare you say you look like shit when you have those perfect cute cheeks? So alive...

Jimin: EXACTLY. that's why I wanted to find him so much. Jimin: and because you helped me, I want to reward you Jimin: i know you don't work today. me neither. do you want to go out for coffee in a nice place? You took too long to answer again, and that's because your heart is exploding and knees trembling while you stare at your cell phone screen, standing midway in your kitchen. You: u dont need to. i did nothing. This time Jimin took too long to answer. He was making a decision. To be more straightforward. More honest. Until now he was dictating a slow pace for your flirting, because for him romance is like that. But what if he tries to speed things up a bit? Or if he lets you command? How would things be?

Jimin: Y/N, respect my excuse to ask you out.

He knew what your answer would be. Even so, he felt anxious, hearing a non-existent heartbeat in his ear, while the three dots indicated that you were typing.

You: ok. what time do you come to pick me?

Tag List:  @angrygardenerr @depressed-dude20 @milktaetae95 @tangledsparkles  @wlalsrkfla @minikolima​  @wrecklesseuphoria

If you want me to add you to the list let me know, and please let comments :)

[kurowrites]

The Live-In Boyfriend - Chapter 1

Looking for live-in boyfriend, the title read.

It had only been put up the day before.

Well, well, Wei Ying thought to himself. Isn’t that exactly what I was looking for?

He clicked on the link and quickly read through the text of the advert.

Since you all enabled me yesterday - have a chapter of Wei Ying being supremely stupid. Link to AO3.

(Note that this fic is going to get mature later on. Also don’t try this at home pls.)

---

Wei Ying usually wasn’t the kind of person that eavesdropped on the conversations of people he didn’t know. Most of the time, it wasn’t worth the effort of spying, anyway.

(Too many boring people in this world.)

But something about the day he’d had so far, and the way the two girls seated next to him kept giggling and exclaiming in (pretended?) shock, made him listen in. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. He was just sitting there, sipping on his depression coffee, trying to decide what he was supposed to do next.

“A website?” the girl with a truly impressive set of pink lacquered nails exclaimed. “Isn’t that super sketchy?”

She emphasised ‘sketchy’ by tapping her long, sharp nails onto the tabletop.

“Noo, not at aaaall,” the other girl, dressed in a figure-hugging dress the colour of a ripe banana, replied. “You have to provide identification and they do a background check on you, to make sure you’re not a criminal or something. The sugar daddies too, of course.”

“Oh really?” Pink Nails asked, and immediately looked a lot more interested in the topic.

Well, Wei Ying had to agree with Pink Nail’s interest – he could use one of those sugar daddies himself. Someone willing to pay for his expenses, that would be nice. A lot better than being homeless, at any rate.

“Yeah, and you can even chat with them before meeting them,” Banana said, twirling her hair around her finger coquettishly. “It’s not like I’m going to go out with just any guy.”

“And that’s where you met him?”

“Yeah,” Banana said, leaning back a little, clearly satisfied to have the undivided attention of her companion. “You have lots of choices, and you can put in your preferences, too.”

She leaned forward again, and lowered her voice to a fake whisper that did nothing to make her voice less audible over the soft café music.

“I was really lucky with my current sugar daddy. He’s really generous because he has an established career and a lot of money. He likes kinky sex, but that’s fine, because he also kinda gets off on me sleeping with other guys, so it’s not like I can’t still go out and do whatever I want. I’m just providing him with company and a pretty thing to hang off his arm whenever he goes to a party or something.”

The two women laughed, and returned to the discussion of the advantages of this website.

Wei Ying’s attention was caught. He looked down at the sad little weekend bag next to his chair that contained nearly all of Wei Ying’s worldly possessions, discounting the boxes of books he had managed to stow away in Jiang Yanli’s attic. He’d had to sell all his furniture because he had no space where he could put it anymore. The landlord had kicked him out despite Wei Ying’s best attempts at negotiation (curse his entire bloodline), and now Wei Ying was, essentially, homeless. He had no idea how to weather the next few weeks. He had no stable address, and he needed to look for a new job. Things weren’t looking good for him.

So, he sipped on his possibly last coffee for a long time and pretended not to listen in to the conversation of the two women next to him. And when Banana finally mentioned the name of website she had been using, he felt compelled to casually unpack his own laptop, make use of the café’s free Wi-Fi, and enter the name of the website into his browser.

He was just curious, that was all.

His search returned with the result that this website was in fact the equivalent of a dating website, only for sugar babies and other forms of… special companionship. The company claimed to be classy and strict with their background checks, made assertions of quality and high customer satisfaction. And the registration as a potential sugar baby, companion, or whatever else they wanted to call it, was free.

Wei Ying paused for a moment, wondering if he really should do such a thing. All assertions from the provider aside, it was still a risky thing.

He took another look at the bag at his feet. It couldn’t get much worse than it already was, could it?

He clicked the ‘new account’ button and filled out the application without a second thought.

---

Looking for the right sugar-person wasn’t exactly a simple thing to do, Wei Ying realised about three pages in. He had decided early on that the gender of this potential sugar person didn’t actually matter, but that had the simultaneous advantage and disadvantage of increasing his possible matches considerably. He wasn’t sure how to make a choice in this wild new world that had suddenly opened himself up to him.

He was a bit nervous about the having sex part, too. He tried to imagine having sex with someone he didn’t really know and maybe didn’t find very attractive, but he drew a complete blank. It might be better to stay on the safe side and choose someone who didn’t have sex as a prerequisite. That might work out better for everyone involved.

God, with all these options and decisions, it was as complicated as looking for a job.

Well, technically, if he did it right, it might be a job. Well, not really, but he might get enough money to keep him afloat for a little bit. And with enough money, he might be able to both afford a decent apartment and find a well-paying new job.

He absent-mindedly scrolled past adverts looking for highly specific… qualifications that Wei Ying definitely didn’t have, and was considering giving up when he saw an advert for the same city he was living in.

Looking for live-in boyfriend, the title read.

It had only been put up the day before.

Well, well, Wei Ying thought to himself. Isn’t that exactly what I was looking for?

He clicked on the link and quickly read through the text of the advert.

Looking for live-in boyfriend

The ideal candidate must be clean, quiet, obedient, and sophisticated. Must be able to play his part convincingly around relatives, business associates, and friends. Good table manners and skilful socialising are required.

Physical relations are not required, but negotiable if so desired. Strictly no romantic entanglements. Affairs during the duration of the contract will lead to immediate termination.

I offer a large apartment with own private room. All ensuing costs (rent, food, clothing, allowance etc.) are covered.

The advert didn’t reveal much about the writer and his personality, so it was difficult to say anything about how well they’d fit together. But the man offered a room! Without the prerequisite of sex!

He clicked on the profile of this potential sugar daddy to find out more about him. The man, who went by L. Z., was the same age as Wei Ying, and had been working in his family’s company ever since he graduated university. Someone who had been born into wealth, probably.

He lived alone and was openly gay, so his family would expect him to bring a man to public events and family dinners. His hobbies included music, reading and tea ceremony. All in all, Wei Ying started to wonder if he was being catfished, because the age and occupation said successful young man, but the rest of it said boring middle-aged uncle with a receding hairline.

But what did Wei Ying care about boring when such a perfect opportunity presented itself to him? He didn’t want some kind of old, kinky dude. He simply wanted a place to stay, and if that stay came with an allowance and some social contact, it would be perfect for him. He had good table manners. And he did well at socialising. Most of the time.

He decided that ‘quiet’ and ‘obedient’ were relative things. He could be quiet! Sometimes! If he was reading interesting things!

He was going to contact this person, worries and fears be damned. What use was it to wait around? If this man was actually for real, he might get snatched up by someone else quickly.

He clicked on the 💌 button on the sidebar of the profile, and typed out a quick message.

Hi L. Z.!

My name is Wei Ying. I live in the same city as you and as coincidence would have it, I’m currently looking to be a live-in boyfriend! We’re the same age, too, so I think we would work very well as a couple!

I also like reading (if you have a library, I’d be all over that) and I think I can safely promise not to have any affairs while we’re dating. As for the rest, I think it would be best to judge for yourself. I’m free the next few days, so I have time for a personal meeting!

I’m a little curious though – why are you looking for a live-in boyfriend? Not to judge you, since I’m obviously responding to your advert, but you seem like a man that’s very put together. You probably could choose anyone you wanted, so why an advert?

Best, Wei Ying

He didn’t really think that he would get an answer soon, and half expected his message to go ignored, but it took barely an hour until a notification pinged on his phone, indicating that he’d received a reply.

He eagerly clicked the ‘view message’ button.

Dear Wei Ying

Thank you for your message.

I agree with you. Someone from the same city and of the same age would be a good potential partner. If you do not mind, I would like to invite you to my apartment for a personal meeting. We can meet in a café if you are more comfortable meeting on neutral ground, but you should know where you would live before you make any decisions.

To answer your question: I am not interested in a romantic relationship, but my family has been concerned about my happiness ever since I came out as gay. They want to see me in a fulfilling relationship. I want to make them stop worrying. A contractual arrangement will take care of these issues. Once we terminate the relationship, it would also provide me with a good reason not to date for some time.

Best regards,

Lan Zhan

Wei Ying gaped a little. That was a… very decisive statement. This Lan Zhan certainly didn’t beat around the bush.

Oh god, was he really catfished? Human trafficking, perhaps? But then…

He had no time to lose, and getting a home and money as a package deal was very tempting. If Jiang Yanli ever got wind of this, she might strangle him with her own bare hands. But well. She never would get wind of it. Wei Ying would make sure of that.

He pulled out his laptop again, and typed out a second answer.

Hi Lan Zhan!

Nice to meet you again. 😊

Meeting you at the apartment is fine, just know that I’m going to inform a friend of my whereabouts and check in with them to make sure everything is fine.

Tell me your address and a time that works for you!

Best,

Wei Ying

He sent the message and within a few minutes, he had an address and a time – the next day, at 5.30 pm. Lan Zhan also assured him that he was perfectly fine with Wei Ying telling a friend where he was. So maybe not a catfish, after all?

Wei Ying immediately looked for the address online, and it was a nice, modern building in the centre of town. Not some kind of seedy warehouse or an abandoned house. If he ended up disappearing in that part of town, there would probably be witnesses.  

He sent a short confirmation to Lan Zhan, telling him that he would be there at the desired time. And then, he spent the rest of the evening panicking about what he had done.

He just barely remembered that he needed to contact Nie Huaisang and use him as security. Nie Huaisang was the only one he could think of right now that wouldn’t try to talk him out of this. Jiang Cheng would just straight up murder him.

He had committed now. There was no way back.

---

His internet search had already informed him that the apartment was in the better part of town, so Wei Ying had expected a rather classy apartment building. What he hadn’t expected was that said apartment building came with an actual concierge. He’d never had to go through a concierge to meet any of his friends so far. The entrance hall almost looked like a hotel.  

Good gracious, this might all be an elaborate prank.

On the other hand, if he disappeared, now he had another witness.

He walked up to the concierge’s desk and smiled at the man behind the desk winningly.

“Hi, my name is Wei Ying. I’m here to meet Lan Zhan.”

The man gave him a critical look, from his ponytail down to the thick black leather boots he always wore, and picked up the phone in front of him.

He entered a number and let it ring a few times.

“Good evening, Mr. Lan,” the concierge said when someone picked up on the other end of the line. “A Mr. Wei is here to see you. Yes, understood. I will send him up immediately.”

The concierge came out from behind his desk and directed Wei Ying to the elevator. He held the door open for Wei Ying and pushed the button for the right floor, then bid him goodbye.

“Thank you!” Wei Ying called through the closing elevator doors, but the concierge was already out of sight.

Oh well.

He was going to meet Lan Zhan. Right now.

He quickly pulled out his mobile phone and tapped out a message to Nie Huaisang.

[Wei Ying, 05:29 pm] I’m going up to the apartment now. IT COMES WITH A CONCIERGE. 😱

The door pinged and opened onto an empty hallway with elegantly tiled floor and a tasteful but abstract mural on the wall. Wei Ying stepped out of the elevator and looked around curiously. Which way was he supposed to go?

“Wei Ying?”

There, at the end of the hallway, a man stood in the frame of an opened door.

This must definitely be a catfish, Wei Ying decided then and there.

There was no way that a man this beautiful needed his help.

[greaterawarness]

Brothers CH. 2 "Fresh Off The Shuttle"

(Fives and his brothers arrive on Coruscant for the first time. After finding a place to stay Fives gets lost and runs into some interesting characters.)

Fives squeezes his bag tighter with every shake of the shuttle. They’ve been on a ship taking them to Coruscant for a while now. Droidbait is asleep with his head on Hevy’s shoulder. Cutup gets ship sickness and has his head in a bag he brought for such the occasion while Echo plays a game on his datapad. Fives keeps a death grip on his bag and taps his foot nervously. He wasn’t afraid to fly in starships. He was more nervous and excited for when the shuttle landed.

“Please be seated. We will be landing in Coruscant in a few moments.” The droid flying the shuttle says over the coms. Fives foot taps more vigorously.

“Good… don’t think I can take much more…” Cutup moans from his bag. Hevy rolls his eyes and keeps his eyes on the shuttle doors. He’s always so calm and cool in everything he does. Fives stares down at his hands frowning. He thinks back to the moment in the canyon when he wanted to grab the blaster and shoot the trandoshan. He couldn’t move, but Hevy didn’t even hesitate to reach for the blaster. Hevy’s always been the leader of their batch. On Kamino, at the farm, and even now. Echo finally puts his datapad away and nudges Fives.

“Remember when we said we wanted to be the best star pilots in the galaxy?” Echo says.

“Remember when we wrecked 99’s speeder immediately after starting it up?” Fives chuckles. Echo laughs and shakes his head.

“We were stuck mucking stalls for months after that.” Echo sighs. Fives loosened his grip on his bag and felt his fidgeting stop. He rests his back against his seat for the first time since they took off. The shuttle shakes harder then normal knocking Fives and Echo into each other. They were landing. Cutup groans while Droidbait jumps awake.

“We’re here.” Hevy says with eyes still glued to the shuttle doors. When the shuttle lands Fives and his brothers hold their breath. They have to use all their self-control not to burst out the second the doors open. Instead, they wait patiently like good sane people. When Fives steps out of the shuttle planting his foot on the Coruscant pavement for the first-time, excitement buzzes through his body. Giant skyscrapers surrounded them. Speeders fly overhead like rivers of light in the sky. The streets are filled with all walks of life. He can already make out some clones peppered in with the crowds. His brothers share his look of shock and awe.

“Watch it clone!” a Quarren shouts shoving Cutup out of his way, pulling Fives out of his trance. Cutup frowns after the man but doesn’t say anything. Hevy pats his shoulder and pulls everyone to the side of the street.

“Alright, lets stay focused here. We need to find a place to stay and then we’ll let ourselves get all excited. Understand?” Hevy says while waving a finger at them.

“Understood.” They say but Fives can’t force himself to say it.

“Good,” he says before turning to Echo. “Pull up the addresses to all the apartments we can afford.”

Echo pulls out his datapad to start pulling up the apartments before handing it to Hevy so he can lead the way. Fives pulls his bag over his shoulder and walks in the back of their group. While walking he peeks over the side of the street and nearly loses balance. Cutup grabs his arm to steady him.

“It looks like it goes on forever.” Fives says. Cutup pats his shoulder as they keep moving. When Fives heard about Coruscant he never imagined it would be like this. It was all so disorientating. So many shops layered on top of each other with people walking so fast and confident that Fives had to keep jumping out of people’s way. Even the clones didn’t seem to want anything to do with them. He had no clue how they were going to find their way around this place. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was glad Hevy was taking the lead this time. Fives doubted he would be able to find a way off this street let alone to some random address somewhere in the city.

They eventually take a lift down lower in the city. They have to take three more lifts down before they get to the right level. Echo flinches at a stray lothcat that hisses at his feet when they step off. Fives and his brothers look around the dirty streets covered in filth and graffiti.

“Stay close.” Hevy says over his shoulder before walking on. There are a lot more homeless people on this level. A lot more shadier people too. Fives spots two men talking in an alleyway. One of them meets his eyes making him jump and quickly look away. The streets reek of urine and sewage. Fives pulls Echo out of the way before he stepped in a pile of vomit on the sidewalk. This far down it was hard to see the sky. Fives squints up only able to make out the lights of the speeder lanes. His stomach twists with anxiety. The last time he went anywhere where he couldn’t look up and see the sky was on Kamino. He winces at the memory of Bric, the bounty hunter assigned to train their batch. A shiver runs up his spine. Echo steps closer to Fives, letting their shoulders touch. Fives glances at his brother who keeps his eyes forward.

“I think this is it.” Echo says, stopping in front of a dirty building with the name Cott’s lit up in a broken neon sign with only the C and T’S glowing.

“You’re joking?” Droidbait practically gags.

“I mean at least its not any worse than the other buildings around here?” Echo shrugs trying to find some positive here. Hevy walks through the front doors and stops in front of a Sullustan sitting behind protective glass. He doesn’t acknowledge them as he reads along to something on a datapad.

“Excuse me?” Hevy says. The Sullustan keeps reading. Hevy clears his throat. “Excuse me!”

“What?” The Sullustan finally says turning around. He wears a name tag with the name Sbug on it.

“We called to view one of your apartments.” Hevy goes on. Sbug looks them over not seeming impressed. They stand there another moment in awkward silence before Sbug grunts while getting to his feet. He grumbles something with a little wave for them to follow. The inside of the building is just as disgusting as the outside. They can hear the inhabitants fighting while walking past the doors along with muffled yells and distant laughing. Droidbait pinches his nose from the moldy stench. Sbug stops in front of the door that read D405.

“Here you go, home sweet home.” Sbug says while pushing the door open. He steps aside so Fives and his brothers can get a good look. Hevy walks in first trying not to show how disgusted he was by the place and failing miserably. Echo, Droidbait, Fives, and Cutup made no such attempts letting their true feelings show. It’s a studio apartment with one small window. A small kitchen is set up against the wall with the door leading to the hallway. Bunkbeds are built into the wall but there are only four of them. Echo opens the door on the left side of the room revealing a very small grimy bathroom with flickering lights.

“Do none of the lights in this building work properly?” Echo asks but Sbug is back to reading whatever is on his datapad. Fives walks over to the one small window and peeks out. The only view is of the building right next to it. He tries to look out it through different angles but no matter how hard he tries he can’t spot any sign of the sky.

“How much did you say this place was again?” Hevy asks slowly.

“500.” Sbug grunts.

“500? For this? There aren’t even enough beds!” Cutup says with his arms out.

“Not my problem. You want it or not?” Sbug asks.

“Well think about it.” Hevy says before Cutup can try and argue more. They couldn’t get out of the building fast enough. Echo and Droidbait shiver and scratch at themselves.

“I swear, if that place gave us lice or some other parasite I’m suing!” Droidbait swears.

“Oh yeah because I’m sure they’re just swimming in credits.” Cutup nudges him.

“Calm down, we have other places to see before making a decision.” Hevy says. And he was right. There were other places. Three to be exact. All three were even lower then the first one. The second place was about the size a shoe closet. The third had a communal bathroom that was currently being occupied by a man having sex with a prostitute. And the moment the landlord turned the lights on in the fourth place an army of rodents and insects scattered. At the end of the day Fives and his brothers found themselves standing in front of CT’S. They walk inside and stare in defeat at Sbug.

“Still got that room available?” Hevy asks with no life left in him. Sbug gives a little chuckle.

“Yeah, but the price went up. It’s 800 now.” He says while taking a bite of some greasy snack.

“800? You can’t be…” Cutup starts before Hevy places a hand on his shoulder stopping him.

“Fine. 800 it is.” Hevy gives in. they pay the Sullustan, and he hands them the key. “Wait, this is only one key. There are five…”

Sbug slams a metal screen down that says GONE ON BREAK.

“Well, at least we’re not sleeping on the street.” Fives says while watching Hevy’s fingers curl around the one key.

“Oh yeah because I would hate to sleep in a dirty cold dangerous urine smelling place! Oh wait…” Cutup starts making Fives punch his arm. They walk up to their new home and lock the door behind them. No one wanted to sit or touch anything. They stand around looking at their new home trying to find something positive.

“Alright, this doesn’t look good.” Hevy starts. “But we’re in Coruscant! Once we get jobs and get some credits coming in on a regular basis, we can find a better place.”

Fives finally plops his bag down on the bottom bunk on the right side of the room. His feet were killing him, and he just wanted a hot shower and to go to bed. When his stomach lets out a loud growl it reminded him and his brothers of just how hungry they were.

“Why don’t we go up closer to the surface and get some dinner? That might cheer everyone up?” Echo asks. While no one wanted to walk anymore no one also wanted to stay here. They make sure to lock the door behind them before heading towards the surface.

They end up eating at a greasy fast-food place, but no one seemed to mind. It was cheap so they could order a lot of it and Fives could get a great view of the sky. Entire lanes of starships aim off world in beautiful lights. With the sun going down it turned the sky into a beautiful pink hue. He notices a park further down the street. He shoves what’s left of his food in his mouth before standing.

“I’m gonna check the park out.” He says gesturing to the patch of green.

“Don’t go to far Fives, you don’t know your way around the city yet.” Hevy warns. It takes everything to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Instead, he manages a nod before walking off alone. He shoves his hands in his pockets enjoying the fresh breeze. He passes a flower shop and a nicely dressed couple walking their three tiny dogs. For the first time today, Fives felt like he didn’t have to hide his wallet and avoid eye contact with anyone.

When he approaches the park, he finds a winding path to follow. Parents play with their children in the large patches of grass while others play fetch with their furry pets. The trees are all lush and green while perfectly trimmed. He finds a bench facing a large lake and takes a seat. From here he can watch the star ships take off and enjoy the greenery in front of him.

“Mind if I join you?” a voice startles him. He looks up to see a Kel Dor staring down at him.

“Uh, go ahead.” Fives says scooting over to make room for the man. He sits before pulling out some bread and tossing some crumbs out for the birds. Fives shoves his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

“Haven’t been on Coruscant long, have you?” the man asks making Fives almost flinch.

“No… how did you know?” Fives arches a brow.

“Because you keep looking up. Usually only the ones new to Coruscant stare longingly at the sky.” He chuckles softly. Fives looks down at the birds pecking at the scatter bread.

“Yeah… Coruscant isn’t how I imagined it to be.” Fives confesses.

“Most things aren’t.” the man says while leaning back on the bench. “Why have you come to Coruscant?”

“To find ourselves? I’m not really sure honestly. I mean, I’m a clone. I was always meant to come here at some point to fight for the Republic. Just seemed right.” Fives explains. The man gives a small hm. “Not to mention there are more clones here on Coruscant than anywhere else.”

“That is true,” he chuckles softly. “Clones are good alone but great when they’re together.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know where to meet any of them. At least not without just striking some random conversation on the street.” Fives sighs now leaning back on the bench.

“It just depends on what type of crowd you want to be in. There are some clones who work normal nine to five jobs like everyone else. They go to work and then go home to a family and kids.” The man explains. Fives wrinkles his nose making the man laugh. “And then there are those that aren’t quite done fighting.”

This makes Fives sit forward staring at the man.

“Piqued your interest, have I?” the man laughs. “There are groups of clones that take on jobs similar to bounty hunters except with… let’s say a moral code. Each group is different, and it is important to do your research before joining. These aren’t just clubs or ordinary gangs. They’re families. Clans.”

“Like Mandalorian clans?” Fives asks making the man lean back slightly and cock his head.

“Perhaps.” He says with his hands folded in his lap.

“Where can I find these clans?” Fives asks now turned fully facing the man. He first looks like he’s about to answer when his com starts beeping. He excuses himself to answer. Fives sits back and crosses his arms. He imagined himself in Mandalorian armor just like Rex. He would have thought deeper into it if it weren’t for the shouting coming from the man’s com. He can’t make out who he’s talking to but can hear the commotion on the caller’s side.

“I said shut up already!... anyway, we could really use you back at… dammitSin—” that’s all Fives can make out before the com shuts off. The man shakes his head with another soft chuckle before turning back to Fives.

“It seems my boys have gotten into trouble again. I’ve quite enjoyed chatting with you.” The man says before reaching a hand out. Fives stands and shakes his hand. “I wish you luck on your journey.”

“Thank you, sir.” Fives says before the man walks away with his hands folded behind his back. Fives decides to head back to his brothers. While walking towards the place they grabbed some food he was becoming uncomfortably aware that his brothers were nowhere in sight. He stops in front of the shop and looks around. Nothing. Fives curses under his breath before walking down a street thinking they may have just gone home without him. He’d kick each of their asses if they have. The only trouble with this is: Fives didn’t know how to get home.

Fives takes a turn that he thinks will take him towards the lift down to his level but ends up on a street he didn’t recognize. He takes another turn trying to get back to the street where the food place is but still can’t seem to get where he needs to go. With the sun now completely set Fives starts to panic. He picks up his speed desperately trying to find his way through the city. In his blind panic he manages to run straight into someone’s back. He falls to the ground hitting his head on the concrete. He sucks air through his teeth while rubbing the spot that made contact with the ground. When he opens his eyes, he freezes. A blaster pistol is pointed directly at his head by a Mandalorian in light orange armor.

“Easy, Cody! You’re frightening the boy.” A voice says before possibly the most well-dressed man Fives has ever seen reaches down to help him up. “Are you alright?”

“An… angel…” Is all Fives manages to get out. The man is not only dressed well but is the picture of beauty. Not a hair is out of place from his soft brown hair or from his well-trimmed beard. He arches a brown with a smile.

“Watch it kid.” The Mandalorian warns. The man only laughs and places a hand on the Mandalorians shoulder.

“Now, now, Cody. I’m sure the poor boy didn’t mean to.” The man says.

“I am sorry.” Fives finally manages to form words. A stretched-out speeder appears next to the sidewalk.

“We’re going to be late.” The Mandalorian says.

“Of course,” The man says as they turn for the speeder. Before sliding inside his ride, he looks back at Fives. “Do be careful next time. There’s no telling what lunatic you might run into next.”

The Mandalorian stares at Fives a moment longer before getting in next to the gorgeous man. Fives watches the man fly off before smacking his cheeks to snap out of his daze. He still needed to find his way home.

Fives eventually finds a lift down to the lower levels of the city. Unfortunately, everything looks less familiar in the dark dingy streets then the ones near the surface. Fives stuffs his hands in his jacket pockets while walking down a street he hoped would lead him to his new home. He was becoming aware of the two twi’lek men following a ways behind him. He picks up speed before noticing the twi’leks speeding up as well. Now in a full sprint he found himself in a bigger panic then before. At least near the surface he wasn’t running for his life! Fives starts to turn a corner before running into something short and metal. He goes flying over it and rolls in the street. Once again hoping the dark smudges on his clothes were just mud.

“Artoo!” a voice calls from down the street Fives was trying to run down. The droid Fives ran into beeps urgently. Fives gets to his feet as a man being chased by two twi’leks himself reaches them.

“You’re being chased too?” Fives asks. The man stares at him for a second before grabbing Fives and forcing his head down before a blaster shot could pierce his head.

“Come on!” the man yells while running down another street. Feeling he had no choice Fives does as the man says.

“Why are they chasing us?” Fives asks while trying to keep up with the man.

“They must have thought you were with me!” the man yells when the four twi’lek men start firing down the street.

“Why?” Fives yells while ducking.

“This might come to a shock to you, but you don’t have the most unique face.” The man laughs. Fives frowns unable to think of a comeback. They take another turn before Fives nearly runs off a ledge. The man grabs him by the back of his shirt and pulls him back to safety.

“What now?” Fives asks. The droid beeps before its rockets lift the droid to the street on the other side.

“Good idea, Artoo!” the man says.

“Good idea? We’ll never make that jum—ahh!” Fives yells as the man grabs hold of him and launches him into the air. Fives manages to remember to tuck and roll when landing. He looks back in time to see the man back up a few steps before running and jumping. Fives jaw drops while watching him clear the space between the alley and the street with ease. He lands on his feet before looking back at the four twi’leks.

“Get back here you scum!” one yells. The man gives a two-finger salute before running down the street again. Fives and the droid run after him before the twi’leks decide to open fire again. When they catch up to him, he’s leaning against a pole grinning.

“That was impressive.” He says.

“What was? Running for my life or getting thrown across a speeder lane?” Fives asks frowning. The man chuckles while placing his hands on his hips.

“All of it really. Sorry to get you involved.” He says. Fives rubs the back of his neck.

“Wasn’t your fault I guess.” Fives grumbles before the man’s com goes off.

“Oh, there you are Snips! Really could have used you a few minutes ago.” The man says into his coms.

“Hey, someone had to stay and protect the objective!” a girls voice snaps over the com. “I took down three of them by the way. You’re welcome!”

“Oh yeah? Well, I took down four. So, I win!” he says.

“You’re impossible.” The girl sighs over the com.

“Except you didn’t take down four. You just ran away from them.” Fives arches a brow making the droid beep in agreeance and the man wince.

“What was…?”

“Nothing! I’ll be back soon!” the man cuts her off before turning the com off. “Gee thanks.”

“You did nearly get me killed.” Fives snorts.

“Fair enough,” The man says as they begin to walk down the street. “Anyway, can I make it up to you? Buy you a drink? Dinner?”

“Actually, I’m a little lost. Think you can help me find this address?” Fives asks before showing the man the address. The man looks at it and smiles.

“Sure thing.” He says before leading the way.

Turns out they weren’t to far from the apartments as Fives originally thought. When they reach the building, the man holds a hand out.

“Thanks for showing me the way.” Fives says shaking his hand. He was surprised to feel metal underneath the gloved hand.

“No worries. Sorry again about nearly getting you killed.” The man says. the droid beeps at his side before they start down the street and out of sight. Fives let out a sigh feeling the exhaustion from the day hit. He walks up the stairs to his apartment and tries opening the door. Locked. Dammit. He ends up sitting on the floor of the apartment hallway for an hour before his brothers appear. They carry bags of groceries and cleaning supplies.

“I told you he’d be here!” Echo says when he spots Fives. Fives stands relieved they finally made it home.

“What happened to you?” Hevy asks with a note of anger in his voice.

“What happened to me? What happened to all of you? I came back to the food place to find you all gone! I came home thinking you left without me.” Fives crosses his arms.

“We noticed a grocery store across the street. We decided to grab a few things. Cutupwas supposed to wait for you.” Droidbait says eyeing their brother.

“There may have been a pretty girl in the bar next to the grocery store…” Cutup rubs the back of his neck. Hevy rolls his eyes before opening the door to the apartment. Fives punches Cutup’s arm before helping his brothers do a deep clean of the apartment. Droidbait takes over the kitchen, Hevy and Fives cleans the floors and walls, Echo makes all the beds and hangs up a hammock between the two walls, while Cutup is stuck cleaning the bathroom. By the time it’s done, the room is at least tolerable. Fives claims the bottom bunk on the right side of the wall with Echo taking the top. Droidbait sleeps on the top bunk on the left side of the room with Hevy on the bottom. Leaving Cutup to sleep in the hammock. Everyone’s so tired from the day that they all pass out almost immediately. Fives rolls onto his side listening to his brothers soft breathing and snoring. Despite their living conditions today wasn’t completely terrible. He did get to meet some interesting people. Especially that Mandalorian. He was a clone. It’s not always easy to tell just by the voice when covered by a helmet. But this time he knew. There are clone Mandalorians here. Right before he gave in to sleep, he wondered what it would take for him to be a part of a Mandalorian clan too.

Read full story HERE on AO3.

taglist: @imabeautifulbutterfly

[insomniac-dot-ink]

Breadcrumbs

It was Saturday night so you knew it wasn’t going to be a good time. I mean, someone would probably be having a good time, but that was usually the problem. I work as an EMT downtown and a “good time” didn’t always turn out right for everyone. Weekends in particular often saw a good number of drunken brawls, passed out Freshmen on lawns, people accidentally locked out of their homes and close to frostbite, and all sorts of mild concussions.

I had been dreading this particular day for the entire week. Madison is a college town, meaning that most of the population is young adults trying to get a degree in psychology or international relations or getting alcohol poisoning by the age of 22. It also meant that when things happened at the college, the rest of the city felt it.

It was the weekend after finals and we felt it. The night before had seen a tiny girl in a rainbow shirt puking in the ambulance three times (and on me) and a pre-law student having a nervous breakdown over their test results while I asked them over and over what they had taken. And at the very end of my shift around 3 am a frat boy tried to punch me and then cried, asked to call his mom, and fell asleep all in the span of ten minutes.

I was actually one of those students just a few years earlier with the same panic and sleep-deprived wildness in me. I tried my best to help with sutures and calming words and a very large puke bag. “Doctor” had been the dream job since I was old enough to google youtube videos of live-surgeries, but getting to “Dr. Braginsky” was a thing far in the future.

For now, it was just me and my crew and the frigid streets.

It was the regular gang that night for the Ford pick-up rig: Mary Keynes who was at least forty but drove like hell and texted her kids every few hours. She had been there longer than any of us and often regaled us with the story of how she left her husband and decided to make several “life changes.” Driving an ambulance was one of those changes.

And then there was the other paramedic on duty: Jimmy Newark. He wasn’t even that interested in medicine as far as I knew and worked as an accountant during the day. He told us he just wanted something to fill his nights and was a slow-talking calm man with a sad-dog look about him, like he had been kicked a few too many times as a puppy. I also knew that I only ever saw him really come alive was when he was staunching a head wound or trying to resuscitate an old lady from heart failure.

It seemed he got some weird thrill from it, but he was good at his job so I never said anything.

It was me, Mary, and Jimmy. We were pretty chummy at that point and worked well together and the first few hours flew by.

We picked up a kid with a badly sprained ankle after he took a spill on some black ice and visited two seniors who had taken some party drug that had them picking at invisible scabs and babbling. I didn’t think anything of it.

It was a ten hour shift and we were four hours in. Downtown was all lights and red faces and bad music coming from somewhere. I had my flash cards out. I had been studying for the MCAT for almost a year and a half by that point and being an EMT was good practice, but it wasn't a replacement for the actual book knowledge med school would take. And I kept getting nervous.

My hands are steady and there was no end to my fascination with the weird things of the human body, but thinking about testing into competitive schools like Johns Hopkins always got me a little stomach sick. I was getting that nervous sick feeling thinking about applications when we got the call.

It came in over the radio and Mary took it right away. I didn’t hear most of the conversation since I was absorbed in my own thoughts and figured it was something like a college student slipping on a beer bottle. But it was different.

“Right, Sherman Avenue.” We made a quick U-turn and turned on our lights just as I stuffed my flashcards away into a separate compartment as to not get in the way. “Good Samaritan call-in.” Mary said over her shoulder, “an injured man off Sherman avenue. Near the park.” Jimmy leaned forward, “Cuts? Broken bones?” “Didn’t say,” Mary said and made a sharp right turn. “He said it might be a homeless guy. That he just looked bad.” “Okay,” I said and mentally prepared myself for any of the “worst” possibilities. There was a relatively small homeless population in Madison, but they were the most vulnerable to violence and the worst of the Wisconsin winter.

We made it in good time to Warner Park and I looked up just in time to see the slate grey skies starting to release little tiny puffs of snow. “Oh great,” Jimmy sighed and looked up with me. “I left one my house windows open.” 

I rolled my eyes and we pulled up to Sherman Avenue with a Goodwill across the street and dark stretches of park on the other. I sighed, “I don’t suppose there was a better tip-off for where this person actually is?” Mary stopped the engine. “Better get out and give it a quick sweep.” We usually only spend a little while looking for an injured person on busy nights like this, but Jimmy pointed first.

“There,” he said and jerked a finger up. “By the light.” There was an upright figure caught in the pure white light of the street lamp on the sidewalk and standing perfectly still. “Is he… hurt?” I asked and squinted and Jimmy was already out of the car. “What are you talking about?” He pinched his gloves on and was running, I got my own gloves on and ducked after him.

“Don’t you want the stretcher?” Mary asked, but I didn’t pause. The man looked like he was standing just fine by himself.

Snowflakes kissed my cheeks softly and I followed Jimmy’s hurried steps toward the figure. “Hold on sir! We’re coming.”

My heart was pounding and I didn’t know why. It beat it in my ears with a hot sticky pulse and my breathing was feverish and far too fast for our light jog. I blinked once, twice, and then the man was farther away. Standing in the light of the next street lamp.

“Wait,” I didn’t like this. I turned to reach for Jimmy, but there was only air besides me. I slowed and looked left and right, “Jimmy?”

Soft snow landed on the tip of my nose and there was a red and visceral scent on the breeze. I took a deep breath of it and recognized the rusty hardened stench of old blood. The type that’s been left there to turn to copper and old musty globs.

I tensed from head to foot and when I looked down there were several tiny drops of blood spattering across the sidewalk. Leading me forward. They were wet and must have been what gave the air a putrid smell.

“Jimmy?” I looked around again, but the street was empty as the wind whipped through the branches of the park trees nearby. I turned to get away from this new eerie twilight feeling.

I took a step and the toe of my shoe dipped into a small puddle of blood. I jumped back, I wasn’t a stranger to blood but it looked darker than normal and seemed to sit...wrong. It was too thick and too shiny in the light.

I stood there as if transfixed, and a soft moan crawled through the space. It matched the wind itself and crooned almost sweetly. I jerked my head up and there was the figure again.

He was standing this time inside the park itself by a bench and tall beech tree. I scanned the area around for Jimmy one more time and then figured maybe he got ahead of me. The moan weaved through the air and I reached out a hand toward it.

“Sir?” The smell of cooking meat and winter chill filled my mouth and I covered my nose with my sleeve. The man stood next to the bench, unmoving, and I tried to be rational, there’s blood. Someone’s hurt. Do your job.

I walked quickly on autopilot to get closer to the stranger. Nothing about him came into sharper focus: he was still a faded silhouette among long shadows. I did notice however there was a light I hadn’t seen before.

It was so faint you might be able to convince yourself it wasn’t there, but it burnt pale and tinted blue around his form. An outline a very determined child might have painted around someone.

I sucked in a deep breath and swallowed down the brackish scent once more as I drew closer to him. Spots of blood appeared as shiny pools on the ground. The moan was even softer now and barely audible.

“I’m here to help.” I heard myself say as I indicated the medical insignia on my jacket. The wind slapped me in the face and I winced.

I looked up and there was no one by the bench, but my gaze was driven deeper into the wooded park by a gentle light. And the figure.

I shivered and knew I needed to turn back, I needed it like water or air or a hug after a long day. But there was this smooth line of blood slithering toward him and I was walking. I tried to make it make sense- I couldn’t just leave the fellow and surely once I had him I could drag him back toward the ambulance and find Jimmy again.

I walked past the park bench and past the leafless trees and some of the slush left over from a storm a few days earlier. The snowflakes caressed my cheeks and I squinted ahead.

The moan was musical at this point and I almost started swaying along to it. I didn’t, but I found that I was still walking and walking.

The park passed by and my eyes were filled with the soft glowing blue light and the deep melodic groan that led me toward the earthy blood scent and faded outline.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away and barely noticed as the landscape opened up. The trees fell away and the wind died down and all I was left with was the smooth ground and shiftless dull winter skies. I was however aware of the crack. There was a crackling, electric sound alike to fireworks or eggshells being crunched on the floor.

The moan fell away altogether and it was quiet with only the crackling of the ground and the lovely blue light that seemed to seep inside me. A strange beckoning feeling followed. “Sir,” I whispered as I finally, finally, reached the outline, “You’re injured…”

That’s all I got out before the thing turned around and something stood before me. Featureless, blank skin and something in the middle of its face like a tearing, violent slash that you might describe as a smile. No eyes, no nose, but a jagged smile that split the face in two with the same sick crackling sound as the ground. Something shifted under me.

I gasped and looked down to see that I had stepped out onto the park lake and that’s when the utter cold swallowed me whole.

Cold and cold and freezing water engulfed my head and my vision went white. I tried to pry my eyes open, but the water was black and thick and there was only the barest hint of shine ahead. A shine like long teeth and something looming and huge just beyond me.

“Ah!” A yell like a battle cry erupted from above and I was being wrenched out of the water just as quickly as I had fallen into it.

I sputtered for air above ground.

“Don’t follow the glowing man.” A hoarse voice wheezed into my ear like a chant over and over. “Never follow the glowing man.” I passed out in a twinkling haze of shaking and murmuring.

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

I was saved by a homeless man sleeping on one of the park benches by the lake. No one on my shift remembered me leaving or where I went. All I knew was that I had followed something thoughtlessly out onto the Warner Park lake and fell in.

I asked a nurse, once, if she thought there was something in that lake, but she just gave me a funny look and said that the lake wasn’t deep enough to house much wildlife. I shut up after that.

In the years that followed I never stopped trying to help people, but sometimes I hesitated now. When it was dark, hard to see, and drops of blood littered the ground. I stopped and listened for melodic moaning in the distance.

I didn’t see anything like it again, but working the ambulance wasn’t the same. I looked around corners too much and jumped too easily at different sounds. I took the MCAT as quickly as I could and things become easier in well-lit fluorescent rooms. 

I do stop whenever I can though and give out blankets to anyone sleeping on the street and avidly tell college students and locals to avoid the lakes at night. And not to follow any trails of blood that lead you onward and onward into the dark.

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

If you enjoyed the story I have a patreon for long term support and exclusive bonus content and a ko-fi for one-time tipping and $3 coffee trips, please consider giving to the artist if you can! Even a little helps 🤗

[megumis-lashes]

Love Bites

Vampire! Han Jisung x Reader Part 1

**Contains**: mentions of blood/blood drinking, parental abuse, bullying, fighting, slight swearing, emotional abuse, friends to lovers, werewolf Hyunjin, western high school standards, female reader

Flashback =

> Hello

Narrators POV

In today’s society, supernatural beings like vampires and werewolves are believed to be mythical creatures. Few people believe in their existence and have many false stereotypes surround these creatures’ existence. In reality they do exist. Supernaturals or whatever you like to call them, live a life hidden from society. They play the role of innocent humans is a world where they aren’t accepted.

Name’s POV

After a long, stressful week of school I was finally home to relax, or at least that’s what I wish I was doing right now. Throughout my whole life, I always had an immense amount of pressure put on me by my parents. They wanted a perfect daughter. Not perfect in the sense of a loving child, oh no they had their own definition for the word. To be a perfect child by their standards was practically impossible. I would need to have prefect grades, perfect manners, a perfect record, but despite having all those things I was still a disappointment. I wasn’t ever allowed to have friends, they would simply distract me from school. Defying this logic I was required to participate in at least one sport for college credit. I chose volleyball on a whim. I was practically exhausted every day. I had school each day, followed by practice and then hours of homework. Despite the amount of stress I am constantly facing, my parents only ever cared about results, positive results that is.

You see I’m currently in a very dangerous situation. This week I had been so overwhelmed by homework that I fell asleep before I finished studying for an exam. It was understandable. I hadn’t gotten proper sleep in days and staying up till 3am every night doing homework was clearly taking a toll on my health. My parents could care less though. I had scored a 73 on the exam which was just barely passing in my school’s standards. My parents were furious, and I was scared of their reaction to say the least. I had an idea of what was coming.

I got kicked out?

“No fucking way.” I breathed out as I stood with my hands full in front of my house. This is probably the last thing I would’ve expected but they sure did it. Typically their punishments weren’t this bad. They would just yell at me for a while, threaten to take things from me, maybe hit me if they were really mad, and then tell me how much of a disappoint I was. This wasn’t anything I wasn’t used to so I barely had a reaction to it anymore. This lack of reaction seemed to trigger something new in them. If I wasn’t affected by their typical punishments they would have to step up. So they kicked their barely 17 year old daughter out of their house on a bone-chilling Friday in October.

It was nearing 6:00 PM and I had no idea what to do. They had given me barely five minutes to grab whatever items I would need to survive for however long I would be homeless. I had managed to scrap together the bare necessities. I was still dressed in my school uniform but luckily brought a change of clothes. The first thing I did was change. I couldn’t be a bad representation of my school could I? I didn’t have much. I had just enough time to stuff my school bag with clothes, my wallet, laptop, phone, chargers and snacks but I was still frozen to the bone.

My first thought was to check into a small hotel, but I quickly dismissed the idea when I saw the price. I walked around the city area, contemplating who I could ask to stay with but oh, I don’t have any friends. After wandering around for a while I had subconsciously returned home. Maybe they would let me in? Nope. All the doors and windows were locked and a small note was taped to the door.

‘Left on vacation. Be back soon. Name, if you break in we’ll disown you.’ I sighed. Of course they left. I’m even more desperate for somewhere to stay now.

As time passed and I continued to walk around, the night grew darker and darker. I had walked in what seemed like circles for hours and I was even more exhausted than usual. As I was walking in the city, I heard soft growls behind me. Now that I thought about it there were barely any people here. As I glanced back behind me, my blood ran cold. What is that thing?

From the shadows I could barely make out what I assumed to be its face. Despite this a few startling details stood out to me the most. It had beady red eyes that seemingly glowed under the moonlight. It looked to be an animal, having a pure black fur coat that seemingly stood up on edge. The last thing I saw were its insanely sharp teeth that dripped with saliva as it growled. Despite this sudden shock, it didn’t take long for me to realize I was in danger and book it in the opposite direction. I heard louder growls behind me and I could almost feel its hot breath on my legs. It was right at my heels biting at my ankles in hopes to slow me down. With my low energy I knew I wouldn’t last long at this speed. I had to do something to help me escape. Out of pure adrenaline rush, I made a quick turn and with a sharp motion I slammed my bag across its face. As it whimpered in pain I quickly tore open my pack and grabbed out the heaviest school book I had and threw it as hard as I possibly could at its face. This seemed to shock the animal at it rolled over on the ground in pain. I took this as an opportunity to escape and bolted away as fast as I could.

I had been running for what seemed like forever and finally, my body gave out. Once I figured I was far enough away from it I stopped pushing myself and collapsed on my knees in a fit of coughs and strangled breathing. I escaped at least. My only price to pay was the harsh burning sensation that was bubbling up in my lungs and some slight scratches. I was alive at least. The only downside to my escape is that I had No. Idea. Where. I. Was. As I ran, my surroundings seemed to have blended together. The city streets were long forgotten and I was surrounded by lush forest. A forest I had never seen in my life.

Despite my current distress, I knew I still had to find somewhere to sleep. It was pitch black out now. I assumed it was nearing midnight but I wasn’t sure as my phone had died a couple hours before. I was as lost as lost could be and instead of wandering around aimlessly for the rest of the night, I figured I’d just sleep near a sheltered tree. I sure as hell needed plenty of sleep. I laid there on the cold, wet ground for what I could only assume was a couple hours. I was still terrified. I was extremely shaken by my experience from earlier. I was also freezing. The little warmth my clothes had given me was quickly lost due to the freezing water that had seeped into them upon contact with the ground. At some point I must’ve passed out as that is the remainder of the memories I have from that night.

“Hello? Hello? Excuse me miss are you alright? Are you alive? Wow Jisung that’s a smart questions to ask.” I heard distant talking from what seemed to be above me.

I rubbed my eyes in confusion, slowly blinking them open. As my vision cleared I saw a boy. The boy had slightly grown out dirty blonde hair, golden eyes, a relatively short stature and was dressed in sweats. The most shocking detail of all was how familiar he looked, almost too familiar.

The boy blinked in surprise. “Oh! I see you’ve awoken... finally.” He slightly mumbled. “Sorry to wake you its just I don’t see people casually sleeping in the forest everyday you know.” He shuffled and rubbed his neck as he spoke.

I clambered around and began to sit upright as I continued to stare at him. I definitely knew him from somewhere. He seemed to somewhat recognize me as well.

“Ah that sweater! You must be from Maple High as well then, that’s why you seem so familiar!” He explained “Wait what’s your name... ah wait don’t tell me I know it...... is it Name by any chance?” He questioned. Now I knew exactly who he was.

“You’re correct. And you’re Han Jisung right? We’ve been in chemistry, music, and language arts classes together for the past two years. Now I’m embarrassed I didn’t recognize you sooner.” I mumbled out of embarrassment.

“No no its fine! Plus it took me a while to remember your name.” He chided as he rubbed his neck once again. “Do you mind letting me know why you’re stranded out here in the forest? If you’re camping or something then that’s understandable but this area is known for being very unsafe, plus you look dangerously unprepared.” He questioned.

“Ah about that... you see I got lost last night. I was in the city and some animal chased me and I wound up here somehow.” I awkwardly chuckled. I mean I wasn’t being completely honest but only certain people would fully understand my situation.

“You wouldn’t happen to know the way out of this hell hole would you?” I pleaded.

“Now I see what happened!” He chuckled as he seemingly put the pieces together. “I can show you the way out! This forest is practically my second home haha.” he laughed

Jisung had helped me grabbed my things and started to lead me out of the forest.

“Hey Jisung?”

“Yeah?”

“How come you know this forest so well? And how did you even find me? I mean its a pretty random location?” I questioned.

“Oh, I come here to hunt.” He blurted out.

“Hunt? Like animals? Isn’t that like really outdated?” I questioned.

“Oh..uh..yeah I hunt like deer...and stuff. I guess my family is just kinda outdated. Hunting is a... hobby of mine I guess....” He trailed off. I found his answer rather odd... I mean he seemed nervous? No unsure? Whatever it was probably nothing.

As he led me out of the forest I managed to slip up and mention that I had to figure out a place to stay. Out of what I could only assume was a mixture of kindness and pity, he offered to let me stay at his house. At first I immediately declined. It was such a huge offer to just give to someone you barely know. Plus I would feel guilty as I had little to offer him in thanks. Eventually he persuaded me to stay with him. My payment could be in the form of chores as he was home alone, his parents away on business. He lent me clothes and let me stay in one of his many guest rooms. I took a shower and once again took a nap.

[hyukiee]

Chapter 1: Destiny

warnings: cussing, drug use, mental illness (future fluff, smut, angst, etc.)

this is my first story i’m writing on tumblr, I hope y’all like it. I’ll probably update once or twice a week. I plan on this not so lovely love story to be pretty long.. and angsty. Enjoy :)

Dreams are one of the most unknown things we experience, yet no one questions our lack of knowledge about them when we lay in bed at night. Not everybody dreams. Some people only dream when their happy... or sad... or scared... or it just happens every blue moon for no reason at all. You dream every day, to the point where you feel a little depressed if you don’t have one. They never take you to wonderland, their never right, something is always off but you liked them anyways. They gave you an escape from reality, until reality started showing up in your dreams. The reality that you’re slowly killing yourself when really this was supposed to be the peak of your existence. The reality that you literally gave the most handsome man you’ve ever seen, the ugliest look in downtown Hollywood and the reality that you know you will ruin his life or get close to it.

‘That stupid fucking asshole, I can’t believe that no good piece of shit left me to fend for myself. It’s so fucking hot. Fuck off Karen, my face is easier to look at than that awful sweater. Fuck. I need to sit down.’ You stopped walking and you look at yourself through the reflection of some enterance to a cafe, it smells like. Jesus christ, those eye bags look like black eyes. You went to your closest friends party the other night, you didn’t want to go so that explains the oversized grey hoodie and grey sweats that... have dirt on them? How the fuck- you know what, you’ve seen worse. You can’t go inside the cafe looking like this though. The shady floor will do for now. Everyone is wearing work clothes so you must of slept through all of Sunday. Alone. Because your dick head of a friend abandoned you, god knows when but for someone that slept through an entire day, you’re tired. Maybe it’s just the mental exhaustion you live with but god you could use a nap. “E-eguse me ehm here you go,” you look up and see the most perfectly built man you have ever seen, holding a.. $10 bill? You unknowingly glare at him after noticing his arm holding out the money to you. He looked nervous, and foreign as fuck what accent is that? “I’m not homeless, fuck off.” Who the fuck is he to assume your homeless? Cant someone sit in piece for a little? Prick. You stood up, hitting his shoulder as you walked away, not ever looking back at his beautiful face.

Wake up, go to the beach, take a xans, go to work, go home, sleep, wake up, eat, sleep, and wake up to repeat the process. You always hated living by a constant schedule, but at this point you do anything you can to hurt yourself. The weekends are different though, its always spontaneous. Will you snort a line with the crackheads down the street or will you go to a party because you know the college kids adore their new interest in drugs? You really don’t need drugs. You’re fine. Depression put you in this place and god you feel like a coward. People go through so much more and stay away from drugs. Coward. Your thoughts consist of things like this often, even when your supposed to be hearing your idiot friends excuse for abandoning you last week. “Y/n, seriously, I could of sworn you were dead.” “Wow, thanks Julian, i’ll make sure to leave your lifeless body instead of calling 911 like a sane person when I get the chance.” You both rolled your eyes in sync. You loved Julian, he’s such a dumbass but despite saying he’s your closest friend, your hardly friends. You met before you dropped out of college, he was your dealer, one of the nicest ones you’ve met. You ran into him often and bought from him often as well so you would talk but the reality is he only stays because you’re his best costumer and you frankly don’t care because you are too lost to even care about someone else.

“Y/n, I think you should lay back on your habits a little bit,” Julian broke the silence you both had on the pier. You both liked to meet up at the pier and smoke a little. “Oh please, don’t act like you care. Drop the act and be a fake friend to me, please,” you spoke unemotionally, making eye contact with him. “I’ve never met someone asking for a fake friend.” “Real ones require you to love and deal with them. I can’t do that for you Julian but I know that’s not what you wanted anyways. I practically pay your rent, just thank me and change the topic.” He sighed. Not a disappointed one, a relived one. Julian has been a dealer for a very long time, he stopped caring about his costumers decisions. He didn’t truly care for your health, it was the sad truth. He did get worried that night at his party but only because he isn’t heartless. You knew that though, you seemed so lifeless and incapable of feeling anything to him. He wondered about your story at times but he knew somehow he would never get it. You’re easy to talk to though, it’s nice. “Thank you.”

Ever since you were little you wanted to live in a big city like L.A. Although, you imagined you would be going to UCLA and going to study on a beach just because you could. Standing next to Julian in line at Coachella, you just now take in how completely different your life turned out but at least you did end up here. Julian gets into Coachella for free every single year so your always his +1. You love gatherings like this but this one is just a little too Pg for you. You always end up spending most of your time at the food trucks. But according to Julian, ‘so many people would kill to be around this many celebrities’ so maybe you could get a drink or two in and mingle or whatever. It won’t kill you. So here you are, waiting to get a margarita because god knows you can’t be any type of social while sober. “I guess you weren’t homeless after all, my apologies,” you turn around and see the beautifully built man leaning down towards you. You could run. You’re not to far from the exit and it would be impossible to run into this guy for a third time... right? “Are you following me?” That was supposed to stay in your thoughts.. Is he though? How the hell do you see each other in two different cities? Sure, everyone knows about Coachella but how does he recognize you, you look good today, not homeless or drugged up, whichever works. “Ah, sorry, my english bad,” He stood up straight rubbing his hand on the back of his neck nervously. Right. Foreigner with a unknown accent. “What language do you speak?” It’s not like you’re going to understand his language but your curiosity is getting the best- “Korean.” You know it really isn’t too late to run. This man could be lying, trying to kidnap you and sex traffic you. What are the chances he just happens to speak the one other language you do as well. He could be faking this for all you know. “Hello,” You haven’t spoken in Korean since high school. You dont know why you even let that out. “You speak Korean? Wow, hello!” He bowed to you slightly with a box like smile on his face. That’s cute. It’s different. “I really am sorry for mistaking you the other day, do you mind me asking what happened?” “I was on a lot of drugs at a party and my friend abandoned me because he thought I overdosed.” You learned a long time ago to leave your addiction to yourself. People look at you differently when you do drugs, even your closest friends. That’s one of the first lessons you learn as a drug addict, keep it to yourself. The only people that know you do drugs are the ones that do them too. You could of lied to him, but the self destructive part of you couldn’t help but push this stranger away. You turned around to look at him after it got awkwardly silent. “What? You surprised? Scared? No harsh feelings, I don’t even know you.” You held in a laugh from his shocked and awkward expression. “Your right, we don’t know each other, I’m Taehyung,” He held out his hand replacing his taken aback expression back to his box-y smile, pretending what you said just never happened. ”Y/n,” You sighed. He won’t give up whatever this is. Fantastic. “Well actually, i’m supposed to be talking with famous people or something like that so I should get going,” You didn’t know how to get out of this situation. You felt like you couldn’t breathe with him standing so close to you. This conversation gets more and more awkward everytime you speak. “Then why are you leaving?” You both stared at each other, surprisingly not awkwardly. It was comforting looking into his eyes. “What? “You know what, I actually should go before i’m late, i’ll see you later,” he gave you one last smile and patted your shoulder before leaving you. “But- Why? What?”

“I just had the most uncomfortable conversation of my life with this insanely perfect looking man,” you spoke almost out of breath, finally finding Julian in the crowd. “Yeah, i’m pretty sure I saw who you’re talking about when I left you,” Julian is such an old soul. He responded while looking ahead at the stage, almonds in one hand like a football dad. “Who’s performing next” “Uh, BTS.” You hardly listen to music these days. Music that doesn’t fit your ‘fuck life, love drugs’ aesthetic. BTS doesn’t ring a bell so you probably won’t like it but it’s not like you have anything else to do, you’ve had enough with weird interactions. “Remind me why we’re sober,” you sighed, starting to feel the pain from standing for so long. “I’m sober, you’re drunk.” Julian glanced at the margarita in your hand. Right, you almost forgot. “Oh, don’t judge-“ “Sh sh sh their coming.” He hit your shoulder a couple of time looking at the stage like a child. You hate when people tap on you it’s so annoying. You sighed for the one thousandth time and focused on the group of people coming to the stage. Asians, how convenient. You know if life really hated you they would be Korean just like- “Ey, isn’t that the ‘insanely perfect looking man’ you were talking about? I can’t tell.” You have got to be kidding. That’s why he asked why you were leaving. He’s fucking famous. “I need another drink,” You sighed.

[the-delta-42]

Champion

Based on @lenoreofraven‘s ask response

Ladybug groaned as Rena and Carapace hit the side of a building. Roi Singe, Pegase and Viperion were all nursing similar wounds. Bunnix was clutching her arm and Chat had gone to recharge and bring Queen Bee out of retirement. Ryuuko landed beside Ladybug.

“Any ideas on where the Akuma is?” Ryuuko asked, noticing the stressed look on Ladybug’s face.

“No, and I hope Chat is fast, because I doubt that we can hold on for much longer.” Said Ladybug, rubbing her face, “I know you and Chloe don’t see eye-to-eye, but we are literally pulling as many assets as we can.”

“You were off by two letters.” Said Kagami, frowning, “Do you think it might be in their helmet?”

“Which one?” Came the sarcastic response.

Ladybug could feel her headache getting worse, a couple of thuds behind her and Empress allowed Ladybug to know Chat and Queen Bee had arrived.

“So, what did I miss?” Queen Bee asked, as the Akuma took a swipe at Chat.

“Akuma showed up, we showed up, wiped the floor with us for a bit, Mayura showed up, Mayura left, Senti-monster appeared, Chat went to get you, I have a migraine and it’s not even lunch.” Said Ladybug, unaware of how the spots on the back of her hands started glowing.

“Akuma vanished.” Said Chat, as the Akuma disappeared.

Ladybug snapped.

“OH, FOR FUCKS SAKE!” Ladybug yelled, “I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! WE OUT NUMBER THEM AND SOMEHOW WE’RE LOSING!”

Ladybug didn’t see the looks of fear and horror on her teammates faces, or the camera that was recording her live, or the Akuma, who’d hidden underground, wet themselves in fear. She also didn’t see one of the spots on her suit fly off and into the city.

Nadja could only blink as The Heroes of Paris slowly picked themselves up, as their Leader put the fear of god into everyone in a three-mile radius of her. Ladybug then pitched forwards, being caught by Chat Noir.

“And this, Ladies and Gentlemen,” Said Nadja’s co-host, “is why sleep is important.”

There was a nervous chuckle, as the camera caught Ladybug coming too, Ladybug’s head shot up with a light blue mask around it.

“What the hell?” Said Ladybug, as the thoughts of another filled her head.

“I could ask you the same.” Came a voice from the other end, “I wasn’t expecting any visitors.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t intending on intruding.” Said Ladybug, as her teammates watched her exchange with slight concern.

“It’s fine.” Said the person, “Is everything alright?”

“Akuma attack, this one is a bit more trouble than we first thought.” Said Ladybug, her mind then freezing, “Wait, guy did I make an Akuma?”

“Yeah,” Said Bunnix, “Could’ve used it earlier actually.”

“Do you need some help?” Asked the voice.

“Yeah,” Said Ladybug, the blue mask was shaped like the shell of a Ladybug, it glowed, “I’m sorry to bother you with this, but would you be willing to help. I mean, it’s perfectly fine if you don’t, I’ve never actually given people powers before and-”

“Paris is my home, despite my situation,” Said the Voice, “The Akuma is fire themed right?”

“Yeah, a Fire Chief got angry because no one listened to his safety drills.” Said Ladybug, thinking on the Akuma.

“So, grant powers that will counteract or help counteract his.” Said the Voice.

Ladybug thought on the powers that would counteract fire, before smiling.

“Alright, I believe having power over foam, water and CO2 would work best,” Said Ladybug, “Would you like to choose your name, or shall I give you one?”

“I think you should come up with that one.” Said the Voice, a humorous tilt to it.

“Alright, Extinguisher.” Said Ladybug, before the Akuma reappeared.

“I think I know where to find you.” Said Extinguisher, as Ladybug and the rest of the team turned back to the Akuma.

Ladybug and her team jumped into action, Pegase opening a portal behind the Akuma, allowing a jet of foam cover them up to their neck.

“Amazing how simple things are when you have the right tools.” Said Ladybug, walking up to the Akuma, grabbing the badge on his jacket and passing it off to Chat.

Extinguisher waited for Chat to Destroy the Akumatized object and Ladybug to Purify the Akuma before handing over a slip of paper to Ladybug, allowing her to remove her spot from it. Ladybug walked away and picked up the Lucky Charm, a bucket, and threw it into the air, casting the cure.

“I think we should head home.” Said Ladybug, turning back to the man that was Extinguisher, “Do you need a lift?”

The man shook his head, “No, I think I make my way back to my doorway from here.”

Ladybug froze, “I’m sorry, but what do you mean by that?”

“I’m homeless.” Said the man, “There’s a reason I was so ready to help, since I’m going to be sleeping out here tonight.”

The man started walking away, a slight limp in his step. Everyone slowly turned and looked at Chloe, who looked at the others.

“What’s your name?” Chloe yelled, making the man stop.

“Phil Marks.” Said the man, before he started walking away again.

Chloe jogged after him, “What job did you have before you were homeless?”

“I was a safeguarding officer at a school, before it was shut down.” Said Phil, a slight wince.

“I think my school is looking for a safeguarding officer.” Said Chloe, making Phil stop, “I’m sure they’d be more than willing to help you get back on your feet.”

Phil turned and faced Chloe, “What’s the schools name?”

“College Francis Dupont.” Said Chloe, making Phil laugh.

“I doubt they’d accept my application.” Said Phil, “Considering the Paedophile ring that was busted at my last workplace.”

Chat’s eyes lit up, “That’s who you are, you’re the guy that tipped the police off.”

“I suppose.” Said Phil, as a small dog ran up to him, “Hey Chester, let’s get you some grub, eh?”

Chloe was quiet, before she cancelled her transformation and pulled her phone out of her pocket. The team slowly dispersed, Ladybug being the last one to leave. The last Ladybug saw of the two, Chloe was having a conversation with someone on her phone and Phil was fishing change out of his pocket to get Chester some food.

/*/

Marinette yawned as she took her seat next to Alya, with her best friend pushing a cup of coffee towards her. Marinette took the cup in her hands, before Ms. Bustier walked into the class, with a tearful Lila behind her.

“This is going to be good.” Marinette sarcastically muttered, before she started to drink her coffee.

“Good morning, Class.” Said Ms. Bustier, tersely, “Lila has something she has to share with us.”

The class focused on Lila, who looked like she didn’t want to be there.

“I-I’ve been lying.” Said Lila, making Marinette spit her coffee out.

“The new safeguarding officer contacted Lila’s parents,” Said Ms. Bustier, stiffly, “and apparently Lila had been telling them the school had been closed.”

“Ouch.” Said Marinette, before looking down at her coffee, “I need a bigger cup.”

The rest of Marinette’s day was filled with her Classmate apologising to her and how they were going to make it up to her.

A week later, Marinette and a couple other Class Representatives were called to the Safeguarding office. They had been trying to get a trip to the catacombs of Paris, followed by a tour of Notre Dame. Marinette knocked on the office door and a familiar voice said come in.

Marinette opened the door and found Phil Marks shuffling through a wad of papers, while Chester lay at his feet.

“Ah, Ms. Dupain-Cheng,” Said Mr. Marks, “I assume you’re here about the Notre Dame trip.”

Marinette’s heart swelled, now knowing that her team helped someone outside of being Akumatised.

[eldritchsurveys]

904.

The last time you were in the fridge, what were you looking for? >> A beverage.

Do you like clowns? >> No.

Have you answered all of these questions honestly so far? >> There have only been two thus far, and I can't imagine lying on a survey question anyway.

What's the third text in your inbox? >> ---

Are you listening to anything at the moment? >> No.

Do you twitch when your falling asleep? >> Yeah, sometimes. Or I have that sudden falling feeling and jerk awake.

Are your dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty? >> The dishwasher is either still running or finished running, so, either clean or about to be clean.

Are you at home or with friends more often? >> 98% of the time, I’m at home.

When is the last time you were on a bicycle? >> A year ago? At least? I don’t know. I tried to ride for a while but I’m too out of shape to enjoy it and it was discouraging. And by now, I’m worried it needs maintenance from having sat in the garage through a full cycle of seasons and I’m afraid to ride it.

What have you eaten today? >> A veggie burger and chips, a sandwich, and taco mac with Nuggs.

Would you date someone 15 years older than you? >> ---

Do you own a strapless bra? >> No.

Does the person you like know it? >> ---

Do you care if people hate you for no reason? >> I care in some circumstances, but not all.

Did anything brighten up your day today? >> I’m not sure. My day was pretty okay, though. To my pleasant surprise.

How are you feeling at this exact moment? >> Chill. A bit tired.

Are you someone who worries too often? >> I get anxious about things, but I’m not sure “worries too much” is applicable.

If you could date somebody who would it be? >> ---

Do you ever wonder how other people see you? >> Well, yeah.

What is one good thing you're known for? >> ---

How about one bad thing? >> ---

Are you taller than most? >> Most children, yeah. LOL

When was the last time you sang an ENTIRE song? >> Hmm... oh, I sang along to a Journey song while I was in the shower.

Are you the type of person who likes to be out or home? >> I like to be home.

What time do you normally go to bed? >> Between 10p and 12a.

What is one thing that is currently bothering you? >> My neck is still kind of sore, probably from sleeping wrong the other night or something. It’s getting better, but I also keep accidentally twinging it.

What did you do today? >> Read some of the book I’m on, watched a few episodes of Avenue 5, played some Torchlight 2, browsed tumblr, browsed Reddit. Not in that order.

Do you consider yourself to be attractive? >> No.

What was the last thing that you drank? >> A shandy.

Is anything annoying you now? >> No.

Has anyone ever said i love you to you and not meant it? >> How would I know, unless they told me (and in my experience people generally do not tell)?

Do you regret going out with the last person you did? >> Eh. Not really. Like, it sucks and I hate that the trauma from those interactions is still haunting me and affecting my current relationships, but it is what it is. 

Do you realize it when you curse? >> I mean, more or less.

When was the last time you showered? >> This morning.

Who did you last talk to in person? >> Sparrow.

Do you ever have days where you just don't do anything? >> No. Even when I’m deeply depressed I will move my hands to put on Netflix (and then click “yes” when it periodically asks if I’m still watching), lol. That’s something.

Have you ever been extremely tired but refused to go to sleep? >> Yeah.

What is your favorite episode of True Life, if you have one at all? >> ---

Have you ever experienced something paranormal? >> Maybe.

What's the longest amount of time you've been stuck in traffic? >> ---

Best field trip experience? >> ---

Have you ever been to New York City? >> I used to live there.

If so, is it all its cracked up to be? >> What’s it cracked up to be, exactly? People say a lot of things about NYC, not all of it positive. It also depends on, you know... your socioeconomic standing. Wealthy folks’ NYC is a completely different place from poor folks’ or homeless folks’ NYC, despite being on the same patch of land...

What is the most amount of money you've spent on a meal before? >> I have no idea.

What museums have you visited, if any? >> In NYC: MOMA, Museum of Natural History; in Philadelphia: Franklin Institute; in Chicago: Museum of Science & Industry, Adler Planetarium (it’s also an astronomy museum); in Michigan: Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum. Those are just the ones I remember, mind you. Might have been to a couple of others and just forgotten about them.

Have you ever had a group project and one of your partners bailed on you? >> Maybe when I was in school, idk.

What's your worst traveling experience? >> Probably every time I had to take a Greyhound from Colorado to NYC (or vice versa).

Sims 1, 2, or 3? Why? >> I’ve never played the first one. I like the vast amount of custom content resources for 2, the innovation of 3, and the continued innovation of 4. Otherwise, they’re mostly the same to me except the graphics just get smoother over the years.

Have you ever dealt with noisy neighbors or roommates? How did that go? >> Yes. Poorly, obviously, for me anyway.

Who was (or is) the teacher that gave you the hardest time in school? >> ---

Best muffin you've ever had? >> I don’t like muffins.

Have you ever taken a woodshop class? >> Once.

If so, was it required? >> No, it was an elective.

How much time do you spend on Facebook, if you have one? >> Hardly any. I just check it every few days or whatever, for messages mostly.

What area of math are you best at? Worst? >> I don’t know.

How do you feel when you meet someone with the same music taste as you? >> I don’t care if people like the same music as I do, as long as they’re not rude about genres they don’t care for. I like talking about music with people, but it always ends up being this “this genre is better than that genre” or “this era is better than that era” circle jerk and that’s so fucking boring.

What is the strangest thing you've ever seen outside of your house? >> *shrug*

Do you believe in luck? Why or why not? >> It can be a useful concept.

How often do you "half-ass" things (put little effort in)? >> Whenever I don’t have the energy to whole-ass something, but I don’t want to just not do anything at all.

Do you ever feel self-conscious when you eat around other people? >> No. I feel annoyed when I have to eat around other people, because then I have to hear other people eating.

Has a teacher ever made you hate yourself/your work? >> Probably.

How reliable is your internet connection? >> It’s quite reliable.

Have you ever missed a meeting/event that was required/necessary? >> Yeah.

What's something that makes you incredibly nervous? >> I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

What's the latest you've ever stayed up to finish homework/a project? >> ---

If you don't have glasses, how would you feel if you had to get them? >> It wouldn’t bother me too much. Unless my vision started failing really badly, because, you know... I like seeing.

If you do have glasses, how would you feel if you didn't need them anymore? >> ---

How many vegetarians do you know? >> I’m not sure.

Have you ever considered going to art school? >> No.

Is there anyone in your life who consistently angers you? >> No.

How quickly can you write an essay? >> I don’t know.

Have you ever had problems falling asleep in class? >> In high school, i was put on multiple psychotropic/anti-depressant drugs, none of which I actually needed, so they all had pretty adverse effects on me. Including making me fall asleep in class almost constantly.

Have you ever been on the barrier or front row at a concert? >> I usually was.

If you have a job, who is your least favorite coworker/manager? >> ---

Favorite episode of Spongebob? >> I don’t like that show.

Do you have any silly/odd emotional connections to anything/anyone? >> I don’t want to call any of my emotional connections silly or odd. Especially since I have a hard enough time making them in the first place -- I want to encourage and support those connections, not disparage them. :/

Are your parents supportive of you? >> I took this survey almost a decade ago, and my answer then was that he was supportive even if he didn’t always approve. I was really on some bullshit then, I guess... because that’s just not true. He only supported what he thought was appropriate for me to be involved in, and when I invariably wanted to do or be other things, he was dismissive and almost derisive. Being supported in my being and endeavours is not a common theme in my life and it starts with that motherfucker.

How often do you take the train to go places? >> I don’t take it much anymore; the last time I took it was to go to Chicago and back, as an experiment (Sparrow wanted to see if it was truly better than driving there and back). When I lived in the City, of course, I took a subway all the time. Really miss that.

Do you play with your phone in awkward situations? >> I guess I would, if I found myself in a situation I thought was awkward. I usually don’t.

[slothgiirl]

forever isn’t for everyone part 10

We all head straight to the hotel, just in time for the first interviews of the day; throwing Jamie and Miles to the wolves. It's a nice place, that we won't enjoy. Having lost a day means that after using the hotel for interviews, we'll have to run to the venue. Only Lucy and the two band members get off at the hotel. 

The rest of us, unlucky as we are, have to get and attempt a soundcheck down half our crew. It's hell. 

Made worse at the thought of Alex holed up in the tour bus as we rush around. Unbothered by work as he's just Miles' plus one. Having stayed up all night with Miles, playing guitar and making my head want to explode as I'd laid in my bunk, thinking about how deft his hands on the strings were. Working myself up and worst of all-- missing him. 

Lucy had been right. I text her as much only to hear a snort above me. Unhelpful in everything except gossip. 

By the time Miles and Jamie get back, having been grilled to hell and back, Jamie looking like the worlds most uncomfortable toddler who's cheeks have been pinch way too many times by strangers, most of the set up has been done. The California sun beating down on us as we enjoy munching on the food set up for us. 

It's one of those days when I could care less if it's any good. That fucking hungry. 

Miles keeps glancing down at his phone, a bundle of nervous energy instead of the usual chaotic energy. He reminded me so of the boys in school who would talk back to the teacher and cause riots of laughter among students. He gets up, grabbing another beer and pacing around the room before collapsing into a chair once more. 

It's making me nervous. 

"You alright Miles," I venture, when he sits down by me, frowning down at his phone. 

"Yeah. Yeah," he says dismissively, not bothering to look up from his phone. "Just peachy doll."

I roll my eyes, but persevere. Part of my job is too make sure the talent's holding up. And we might not be friends outside of work, but you can't live on the road for weeks with people and just not care about them. "You're calling me doll. Now I'm really worried."

He laughs humorlessly. "It's all right Ellie. Really."

"Is it Alex?"

Miles' eyes pierce my gaze, the goblin child mirth absent in lieu of surprise. "No. No. sort of." He glances down at the ground, at the carpet the color of cat vomit, whose original color had been lost to time. "He's just got a bit of a headache. That's all."

"Right," I reply, unconvinced by his slippery gaze and the airy tone. 

" 'm sorry about whatever happened between you two," he utters bluntly. "Say the word and I'll send him away.”

"You don't really mean that," I note, fiddling with my thumbs, unable to hold his gaze now as color rises to my cheeks, "or else you'd have offered at the start of the tour. Not two weeks before it ends in south america."

"Technically," Miles counters, pointing his finger right at me, "its just a break before the festivals.  I can make do with out 'im." 

"I highly doubt that," I remark. Everything's in order in the venue. I'll give myself this one night to skip the concert. While people watching could be fun, and there was nothing like the energy of a live band filling the venue with hundreds of screaming fans, I was a bit over it tonight. Having spent the majority of yesterday in the same confined area with Alex, and being careful not to make it too obvious I was avoiding him, had drained me. 

I walk out the door and into the warm summer night. It was a nice change from Utah. The city bathed in lights as the sun set. Just like that an entire summer gone by. Tomorrow was a second show. Then Pomona. Then San Diego  Soon we'd be in South America and then onto Europe. Miles had been wrong, there was only a week before Europe. 

I let out a breathe as I wish for the first time in my life for a cigarette. All this traveling with a rock band and I'd finally picked up some bad habits. I walk down sunset strip and right into a liquor, wishing I had thought to nick some of the cigarette boxes that filled an entire bowl backstage. Thank god for riders. And next year I'd be doing it all over again with another band. The thought filled me with dread. I'd gotten used to Nick and Jamie. To Ben and Miles who often ended up ontop of tables dancing and dunk and pulling Alex up along with him. 

As soon as I take a drag, I can feel the knot inside my chest begin to ease up. More and more neon signs light up. It's not Vegas, with its kitchy over the top theatrics, but Los Angeles feels like every noir detective movie I'd seen. It's so much like the grimy and cheesy eighties action movies set in these very streets. If not for the actual stale smell of actual garbage. The cars honking every five seconds.

Streets clogged like heart arteries with cars. 

I slip into the first bar I find that's playing loud music. The strokes. God, how I used to dance around my room to their music at one in the mornings instead of finishing my assignments. 

"What can I get for you," the bartender, young, maybe only a year older than me, asks in her vocal fry Californian way. 

"rum and coke," I reply. 

"I love your accent," she replies, already pouring out the cheap rum and coke. I set down a ten-er and find a seat in a small alcove, the crushed velvet seat smelling thickly of cheap beer and cigarette smoke. I slump in my seat and watch people come in and out. 

At least I'd seen the TLC Chinese theater on the way in. Even got a picture that wasn't completely blurry at a red light. Months into the tour and my will to go sight see was dead. My feet would not, refused to even think, of walking another two miles down to the famous street. 

I was almost for sure spending my week off curled up in my bed watching random reality tv shows. 

After my rum and coke I grab a cranberry vodka, feeling like a teenager who'd taken a juice box to school. 

The door opens and a familiar face walks in, already chatting up a girl. It's Alex, with the sort of charisma that takes weeks of hacking at his reserved nature to get through. The girl, a acid blonde, is eating it up, giggling against his shoulder as they order drinks. 

It's heartbreak all over again.  

Instead of doing the rational thing, and leaving before I cry in a random bar, I sit there and watch. Watch as he wraps his arm around her, curling his fingers around her waist. She leans into him, laughing loudly like all these Americans do. Stumbling a little as they take a table by the entrance. Alex smiles evenly, even as she wipes tears of laughter from her eyes. 

Shouldn't he be at the concert with his bezzie mate? 

I swallow back bitterness. It's been three months. Plenty of time to have gotten over him if I hadn't been on the road with him for all of that time. That was all. As soon as this tour was over I'd never have to see his face again. 

Even if I wanted to. 

Even if my heart still fluttered when he smiled softly, eyes sparkling with delight as he got absorbed in the conversation. In Miles and even Matt to some extent. He was charming despite his distant nature. The very picture of having your head in the clouds. The dreaminess only made him that much more appealing. I down the rest of my drink, feeling my throat burn, before resolving to leave. This was a sign I should go to the Chinese theater. Get a photo of me among the walk of fame. Why torture myself about Alex? 

He'd been an ass. I had to remind myself of that night, of the week leading up to it when he wouldn't even give me an explanation for why meeting up for breakfast was too much for him. 

When I look up, they're gone. 

I sigh in relief. 

The night in LA is less black, then a midnight blue. The light pollution illuminating even the grimiest corner. I start to walk in the direction of the crowd. Even at eight, the street was as busy as ever. Like New York, like London, this culture capital never slept. It eased any reservations I had about wondering alone at night in a foreign city. 

I'd just get a taxi back to the venue. 

I'm almost down to the light when two figures catch my attention out of the corner of my eye. Down a badly lit alley. There's a homeless woman sleeping at the entrance.

I stop and stare. 

Alex's auburn hair obscuring his features, but I'd know him anywhere. Know the curve of his spine, the way he carried himself, curled in on himself in a way that could only be described as dainty. His lips against the blonde's neck. It's salt in the wound that's been reopened. fuck. I should've stayed behind in Utah. 

I'm about to turn tail and run when my eyes focus on the blonde. Her arms held still by Alex's hands. Back against the wall. It's a red flag ringing in the back of my mind. The flag that my mothers had impressed into my little prepubescent mind, both of them telling me what to do if I ever felt uncomfortable with a man. Both of them biting their nails with each word.

I stride forward without another thought. Jaw clenching shut. 

It doesn't take long to reach them. But my shoe makes an awful crunching sound as I step on a discarded crisps bag. 

Alerting Alex. 

Words well up in my mouth. Stop. What the fuck are you doing. Alex. But they all die on my lips as Alex looks up, his eyes meeting mine. Instead of the caramel color I'm used to, so bloody fond of. . .his eyes like a pair of rubies met mine. A look of utter devastation crosses his fine features. "I can explain," he utters in a rush, lips stained carmine with blood. 

My brain short circuits. Not wanting to make the connection. Not wanting to hear it. I wish I'd stayed. I don't want to know. I don't. Fuck. Jesus fucking christ. 

My mouth can't form words. Can only look from Alex to the hands, still clasped tightly around the blonde. Her smile dazed as she sways, all her weight on him. Alex lets her go. 

She sways like the branches of a willow tree in the wind, almost falling over before the jolt of the fall kicks her back into consciousness. Her eyes widen as she looks at both of us for a tense second. Her mouth widens comically into an O before she screams. 

Alex moves, surging forward and pressing his hand to her mouth, silencing her scream before it can make its way out of the alley and into the trafficked street. He gazes deeply into her frightened eyes. "Forget this night. You had a drink with a stranger and then went home. Now go on. Run back home and sleep the night away." He wipes the last hint of blood from her neck before he lets her go.

Her gaze slacks as he speaks, until the fear retreats. And just like that, like malleable clay, she walks out of the alley, and off into the night. I watch her disappear around the corner. Still shocked silent. 

"El," Alex whispers sadly, much too close for comfort. Having crossed the distance between us while I was distracted. A mistake on my part. A primal terror surging through my mind, telling me to run. To get as far from Alex as possible. "Why'd you have to see?" 

His eyes still unnaturally red.

I shake my head slightly. Aware of his hand reaching for my cheek, frozen in the air, as if held back by some invisible force. "No." I shake my head much more firmly. I don't. I don't want to make the connection consciously that the back of my mind already has. That my mind is insisting of as everything off about him falls into place. 

Alex closes his eyes, taking a step back. "I can let you forget this all if that's what you wish." When he opens his eyes once more, they're back to his normal color. It eases a lump in my throat I hadn't realized had built up. 

This. . .this Alex I might be able to deal with. So much more familiar. If not for the blood on those lips I had spent so many nights kissing.

I rup my temples. "No. No. What the actual fuck."

"El."

"Stay the bloody hell away from me Alex!"

"El please," he pleads, arms held up in a calming motion as though I'm freaking out over nothing. Like he's not a v. . .no. I refuse to go there despite the evidence. "Let's go somewhere to talk."

"I'm not going anywhere alone with you," I spit, stepping back. Wanting to put more distance between us. Had he done that to me? How would I ever even know?

"Of course not," Alex replies, voice wavering, choked full of emotion as he continues, "somewhere crowded-," 

"So you can brainwash me!"

Hurt flashes across his eyes, "I would never hurt you," Alex insists. 

"You already did." I state. Because it had been three months. And Alex, my first serious adult relationship had just-I was left heartbroken. 

He closes his eyes once more sighing. I could run right now. But something more complex than simple fear roots me to this spot in the alley. Alex rubs the bridge of his nose before trying once more.

"El," he sighs with centuries of built up melancholia, "please just listen to me and then you can decide whatever you wish. I'll never bother you again. But El-," his voice breaks. "El I can't refuse for this to be my last memory of you."

My heart flutters, still longing for him even now. Even with the blood drying on his lips. And I can't help but say, "okay."

[just-another-fangirl-94]

Gorgeous

I've been MIA for a while with my writing and I apologize. I haven't had the time to really fulfill any requests. I hope this can hold some people over for a while. This is an AU Sugardaddy!Sebastian Stan x Female reader one shot I've been working on for a while. I hope you guys enjoy!!

Warnings: SMUT, Language

                                                   The First Meet    

  The sunlight was pouring into the window at the café you were sitting at, blinding you slightly. You held up your trembling hand to try to provide shade for your eyes. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Meeting a man on the internet, who claims to be a successful, rich, CEO, probably wasn’t the best decision you’ve ever made. What if he was actually a predator, seeking to take advantage of young, naive women.  However, you didn’t feel like you had much of a choice. You were about to be homeless if you didn’t come up with three months of rent. If you didn’t come up with three grand in two weeks, you’d be forced to move back in with your abusive father. You were able to escape him about a year ago, but it wasn’t an easy task. Especially after he took out several loans under your name and failed to pay them. Because of that, your credit was destroyed. While your father thought you were at an office job, you were actually working as an exotic dancer, earning enough money to flee him and start your new life. But your new life didn’t go as expected. You lost your waitressing job and went broke six months after you moved to the city. You had heard about a sugar daddy website and thought it might help your situation.

 After a few weeks of dodging weird men with strange fetishes, you received a very polite message from a man who refused to show his picture. But something about him pulled you in. He was charming, funny, witty, and well-mannered. After almost three weeks of texting and emails, you agreed to meet. Your nerves were starting to make you feel sick. Maybe you should just go before he arrived. This was a stupid idea anyway.

Just as you were about to grab your purse you look up to see a tall, handsome man with stunning blue eyes and dark hair.

“Y/N?” He asks.

There was no way that the universe was going to be this good to you. But then again, you felt like it did owe you for all the shit you’ve put up with over the past twenty nine years. “Y-yes that’s me.”

He smiled warmly at you as he sat down at your table. “It’s good to finally meet you. You’re even more stunning in person.”

You felt your face turn beat red as he complimented you. “Thank you.”

“Hey, you don’t have to be nervous. I already told you if you’re ever uncomfortable you can just say you want out.” He tries to reassure you.

“No!” You said a little too quickly. “I’m sorry. It’s just I wasn’t expecting to meet someone so…” You pause. “Attractive?” You mentally cursed yourself for saying that.

He laughs and shifts in his seat. “Well thank you gorgeous. I understand your concerns since I couldn’t share my picture. As I mentioned before, I’m well known in the area for doing business. It wouldn’t look good for me to have my face plastered on that website. Now why don’t we get to know each other a little better. I’ll order us some coffee. Sound good?”

You nod your head. “Sounds good.”

Three cups of coffee later, you felt so comforted by the man in front of you. You didn’t plan on it, but you poured your heart out to him. He kept pushing the subject. After you were done, you asked him why on earth he had to be on that website when he could have any woman he wanted on the street. His answer didn’t shock you too much. He wanted someone he could call after a long day at work for some mutual, consensual fun without any strings. And he would provide them with anything that they may need as a returned favor. He worked close to seventy-two hours a week and didn’t have time for a traditional relationship.

“I know that this is overwhelming Y/N. I can tell you’ve never done anything like this before. Just know that I promise to make you feel safe. Don’t be afraid to communicate with me, and if you want out at any time there will be no hard feelings. You don’t need to answer me now. I want you to think hard about this arrangement.” He says as he stands up and throws a fifty on the table. “Sleep on it tonight and text me whenever you’re ready. It was a pleasure meeting you Y/N.” He says before he turns and walks out of the café.

Your head was spinning. Everything about him was intoxicating. You couldn’t sleep at all that night. Your mind was on Sebastian the entire time. He was offering you so much the answer seemed simple. When morning rolled around, you picked up your phone and texted him two words. “I’m in.”

It didn’t take long for him to respond. “Let’s meet tomorrow at seven. I’ll send a car for you. Don’t worry about a thing. I’m going to take very good care of you.”

                                                     The First Time

His lips grazed your neck so gently, but it sent a jolt of electricity through your whole body. His hands smoothly ran down your dress, pulling the zipper down.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispers in your ear as your dress falls to the floor. “Take those panties off for me and lay on the bed.”

Your heart was beating out of your chest as you did as he said. You sat on the bed and laid back, waiting for his next instruction.

“Now. Lift those knees up, and spread your legs for me.”

You had never felt this exposed and turned on at the same time. Your pussy was aching for attention as you laid there waiting for his next move. He kneeled on the bed and started kissing your breast, biting and sucking at your nipple.

“Oh god.” You moaned as he worked his hand on your other breast.

He continued torturing you slowly as he worked his way down the rest of your body. Finally, he licked your pussy in slow, soft circles.

“Sebastian!” You cried out.

“Mmm you’re so fucking sweet gorgeous.” He groaned before he started sucking and biting at your cunt more.

You rocked your hips against his face, the pleasure getting too much to handle. There was no way you were going to last. “Sebastian.” You whimper. “I- I’m gonna…AHH! Oh fuck!” You cried out as you came all over his face.

It didn’t slow him down any. He made sure he licked up every drop you gave him. Slowly he stood up from the bed, undressing himself. “You have no idea how sexy you look right now gorgeous.”

Your head was still spinning from the orgasm he gave you. No man had ever touched you so good before.

“Think you can give me another one gorgeous?”

You nod your head, unable to answer him properly.

“On your knees then.” He demanded.

You didn’t waste any time obeying his commands. The anticipation was killing you, but he didn’t make you wait long. You quivered as you felt his hands grip your waist roughly.

“You ready gorgeous?”

“Please.” You begged.

As the word left your mouth, you felt him push his tip into your core, slowly stretching you out.

“Ohhh fuck gorgeous, you feel like heaven.” He grunted as he thrusted into you at a steady pace.

“Sebastian! Oh god don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

“You want more Y/N?”

“Yes! Fuck give me more please.”

His grip got tighter and he thrusted into you harder. “Mmmm that’s it gorgeous you take my cock so well.”

You dug your nails into his sheets as he fucked you from behind. It was getting harder to keep your hips arched as you got closer to your orgasm.

“Go on baby, let go. Cum for me sweetness, I’ve got you.”

You cried out as your orgasm hit you. The shockwaves shook your entire body as your cunt squeezed his cock. This triggered his own orgasm. Quickly he pulled out and came all over your back letting out a growl.

As you came down from you high, Sebastian went to the bathroom, grabbed a warm towel, and wiped your back and your sensitive core gently. “You feeling alright gorgeous?”

“Perfect.” You answered honestly.

He pulled the blanket over your body and tucked you in. “Need anything? Water?”

You shook your head no as you closed your eyes.

“Sleep well gorgeous.” He said as he got up and retreated to his own bedroom.

When you woke up, there was an envelope on the table next to you with a note. You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes before you started reading. ‘Good morning gorgeous, I hope you slept well. I had to leave for work and I didn’t want to wake you. Thank you for the most amazing time last night. There is breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen, I arranged a ride for you whenever you’re ready to go home. Take your time. I’ll call you later this week. In the meantime I hope this holds you over.’ When you were done reading the note, you opened the envelope. Inside there was a check for six grand.

“Holy fucking shit.” You said aloud as you held the check in your hand. Not only had he given you enough to cover your rent, you had three grand left over to pay other bills. This arrangement was possibly the best thing to ever happen to you.

                                                Complicated Feelings

                                                                                  You were entering the fourth month of your arrangement with Sebastian. The two of you met up roughly once or twice a week. He paid off your debt, paid your rent, took you on a few weekend getaways, and showered you with many expensive gifts. But it didn’t make you happy. It broke your heart every time he left you after sex. You desperately wanted more, but you knew you couldn’t have him.

Slowly you started making up excuses that you couldn’t meet up. But then you would cave in and fall into his bed again. It was starting to weigh heavy on your heart. And it didn’t go unnoticed by Sebastian. He noticed that you’ve been pulling away from him and he decided to confront you about it.

“Y/N I can tell you’re unhappy. Is there something I’m not giving you? Do you need more of an allowance? Please don’t be afraid to talk to me gorgeous. I want you to have everything you need.”

You burst into tears because he just didn’t understand. “No Sebastian. You already gave me too much. Way more than I ever deserve.” You sob.

“Now that’s not true beautiful. You deserve the world. I want you to know that.”

“I think we should stop our arrangement. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be what you want.”

“And what is it that I want that you can’t give me?”

“No strings attached.” You sniff. “I have fallen for you Sebastian. I can’t take any more money or gifts from you because I don’t want them. I can’t use you like this.”

He was clearly shocked by your confession. “Why would you fall for someone like me Y/N?”

“You’re so kind to me. No one has ever treated me as well as you do. I love when we can talk for hours about everything or nothing. You’re so hard working and dedicated. How could I not fall for you?”

He stayed silent as he took in your words. Your heart squeezed as you looked at him, tears not stopping for a second.

“I think I should go. I’m sorry for all of this. I hope you know I appreciate everything you have done for me.” You stand up, kiss his cheek, and head for the door.

You wandered around the city in the bitter cold aimlessly for hours. The cold was a good distraction from the pain you had in your heart. But after a while, you felt your body start to grow weary. If you didn’t get home soon, you would probably collapse in the middle of the street.

When you arrived at your apartment, Sebastian was at your door. He looked relieved when he saw you and rushed over to you. “Where have you been? I tried calling you a million times.”

“Oh I didn’t hear my phone go off.” You said as your teeth chattered.

“Jesus you’re going to get sick. Let’s get you inside.” He says as he grabs your keys and unlock the door. “Come on. Go take a hot shower and we’ll talk when you’re done okay?”

You were too cold to argue with him and did as he said. After sitting in the shower for fifteen minutes, you somehow found the strength to stand up and throw a towel over you. When you walked out of the bathroom, Sebastian had a cup of your favorite tea made.

“I was just about to come in to make sure you didn’t drown.” He teases.

“Sorry. It took me a while to warm up.” You say as you grab the cup. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk about what happened back at my place gorgeous.”

You blushed when your nickname slipped out of his mouth. It never failed to give you butterflies when he called you that. “I’m sorry I let this go on longer than I should have. I have felt like this for a while.” You sighed as you stared at the steaming tea in your hand.

He took the cup from you, placed it on the table, and took your hands into his. “Gorgeous I don’t want an apology. If anything, I should be sorry. I’m sorry I can’t be the man you deserve. I want you to know that I have fallen for you as well Y/N. These past four months have been the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”

“Then why can’t we just be together?” You beg.

“I hardly see you as it is. Do you really want to be in a relationship like this? With a man who does nothing but work.”

“I love you Sebastian. I’ll take whatever time I can get if it means I can be yours. That’s more than enough for me.” Tears fell down your cheeks as you poured your heart out to him.

Gently, he wipes the fallen tears on your face. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“More than anything.”

He leans into give you a sweet, tender kiss. You happily return the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“I love you gorgeous.”

“I love you too.”

                                                        The First Fight

“You’re not listening to me Sebastian!” You yell at your stubborn boyfriend.

He sighed as he poured himself a drink. “Y/N I am listening to you. I know you want to get a job, but I don’t understand why you are working somewhere that clearly makes you unhappy.”

“I’m not unhappy.” You lie. You absolutely despised your job. “It’s just a little stressful right now that’s all. And it’s not like anywhere else will hire me.”

“You know you don’t have to settle for some job when I can take care of your bills.”

“Goddammit Sebastian I’m not your sugar baby anymore. I’m your girlfriend. When are you going to start treating me like it?” You cried as you grabbed your purse and made your way to the door.

“Hey! Y/N stop. Please don’t go let’s just talk.” He begs as he stands in front of the door. “Gorgeous please just help me understand what you want.”

You wipe away your tears and take a deep breath. “I know what I signed up for starting this relationship Sebastian. I get you need to work a lot and we don’t get too much time during the week together. I can’t just sit around and wait for you though. I need to make something of myself instead of just mooching off you. I know you’re well off, but I don’t want to feel like your sugar baby anymore. I want to earn my own things be able to pay for my own stuff too.”

“I didn’t know that’s how you felt.” He sighs. “You know I love you, right? I just want to give you the world, because I have nothing else to offer you.”

“I love you too, and that is not true. You give me so much Seb. I don’t want to sound ungrateful. But I need to work. I need to do this for myself.”

“Okay.” He says. “I respect that. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.”

“We need to make a compromise though.”

“What kind of compromise?” You ask confused.

“I won’t nag you about your work life, but I want you to promise me you’ll look for something that you’ll really love. I spent too much of my life doing something I hated until I started my company. I know the toll it takes. Promise me that gorgeous?”

“I think that is a fair compromise.” You smile.

                                                 Happily Ever After

The soft breeze coming from your balcony roused you from your slumber. Your eyes fluttered open as you saw the sunrise over the horizon on the private beach. You gazed over at your fiancé who was still sleeping peacefully. Smiling, you cuddle up to him, laying your head on his bare chest. It was overwhelming how happy you were at this moment. Sebastian had been cutting back his work hours the past few months, which gave you more time to spend with him. He took the opportunity to take you away more often, spending blissful days together in exotic and new places. You had quit your awful job to help a friend organize a charity that enabled families to receive medical equipment for children with special needs. Sebastian was right, you needed to find something you would be passionate about, and you loved every minute of it.

He started to stir and he felt you cuddle to him. “Mmmm morning Mrs.”

You giggle as he pushes you on your back and places kisses on your neck. “I’m not Mrs. Stan yet.”

“I’m just practicing gorgeous.” He smiles as he pushes your legs open. “How did you sleep my love?”

You moan as you run your hands though his hair while admiring the beautiful new ring he gave you the night before. “Well after four orgasms, I tend to sleep very well.”

“How about four more then?” He asks as he massages your clit leisurely.

“Oooh baby I don’t know if my body can handle it.” You moan as you throw your head back.

“You’ve handled far more before gorgeous.” He smirks as he slides a finger into your heat.

You whimper as your rock your hips. “Fuck. Right there Seb.”

“So beautiful.” He says as he pushes his finger against you at a steady pace.

“More! Please I need more.” You beg. “I need your cock in me Seb please.”

“Well since you asked so nicely.” He positions his erection to your opening and thrusts in slowly.

“That’s it baby fuck me.”

He grunts as he pushes into you faster. “Like that gorgeous? Does my cock feel good?”

“So fucking good.” You groan as your run your nails up and down his back, leaving marks on him.

He continues to rut against you at a desperate pace, both of you craving for that high. You fall first, your climax hitting you hard. Your body convulsed under him as you came undone. It didn’t take long for him to follow, spilling every drop inside of you.

He held you tight as the two of you came down. You felt your eyes get heavy again and start to drift off. Sebastian was right with you.

He kissed your cheek and settled next to you. “Get some rest gorgeous. I owe you three more orgasms.”

“Looking forward to it.” You smile as you drift off.

[mythicallore]

Bizarre Stories of Teleportation Pt. 4

    A very well known and controversial account of human teleportation supposedly occurred in 1968, when a Dr. Geraldo Vidal and his wife, Raffo de Vidal, apparently teleported a great distance along with their whole car. In May of 1968, the couple was reportedly driving their Peugeot 403 along a remote, rural road in Chascomus, Prov. of Buenos Aires, Argentina, when they claimed that they were suddenly enveloped by a thick fog that thoroughly ensconced them. The Vidals would allegedly not make it to their destination on time, where concerned family members were waiting for them. A search of the road the Vidals had taken turned up no trace of them, baffling family and authorities at the time. 48 hours later, Geraldo Vidal phoned family to tell them that they were safe but inexplicably in Mexico City, a full 6,400 km away.

Vidal would later claim that they had no memory of what had happened in the 48 hours that they had been gone, and only knew that they had encountered a strange heavy fog, after which everything had gone black. When they had regained consciousness they had found themselves parked along a road they had never seen before. They both complained that at the time they had a pain in their necks and felt as if they had been sleeping too long. When they had stepped out of the car, their vehicle appeared to have been burned, as if badly damaged by “a blowtorch.” Despite this damage, the car still worked, and the confused couple had then driven off down the road, and after asking several passerby where they were quickly ascertained that they were in Mexico, far from where they had originally been last they remembered.

Ominously, the Argentinean Consulate in Mexico City was apparently extremely adamant that the couple remain quiet about what they think had happened, and there was the sense that the whole case was being quieted and covered up. Additionally, the couple were quickly given a replacement vehicle even as their own battered car was shipped away to apparently be studied. Despite the order to remain silent on the mysterious events that had transpired, it was not long at all before various news agencies were reporting on the bizarre case, including numerous newspapers, TV news, and radio shows. Weeks after this sudden media blitz, a “cloak of silence” was instigated, all news outlets were suddenly and inexplicably forcefully banned from covering the story, and they were denied further access to information or those involved. In the years after the alleged strange events, the Vidals were said to have had a nervous breakdown due to the bizarre events they had undergone, and some sources have even claimed that they both mysteriously died of leukemia. The case eventually became one of the weirdest, most baffling, and most talked about cases within the realm of UFOlogy and Forteana, and was written of in countless articles and publications.

The Vidal case has been intensely debated and picked apart, and is filled with so many conflicting facts and reports that is is hard to ascertain where the truth ends and possible exaggeration and misinformation begins. There have been many theories as to what transpired, such as that this was a case of spontaneous teleportation or a UFO abduction. A more skeptical approach has been taken by Argentinean journalist and researcher Alejandro C. Agostinelli, who thinks that the whole story was a hoax to promote a science fiction movie released only 2 months after the alleged events, entitled Che OVNI. The movie was released to critical derision, failure, and was quickly forgotten, but not only does Agostinelli claim that the film���s director, Anibal Uset, admitted to the sham in a 1996 interview, but the plot of the film also mirrors the Vidal case pretty closely, focusing a great deal on UFO abduction and teleportation. There was also the fact that most of the case was based on hearsay and rumors, with very little concrete evidence to corroborate any of the depicted events of the case having ever actually happened, essentially propelling it into the status of urban legend.

Despite the accusation that the whole Vidal case was a hoax and a fraud to drum up publicity for a movie, things were apparently pretty bizarre throughout, with Uset often coming across people saying that they had known the Vidals and alarming him with the way the case was so widely believed and had achieved such popular iconic status. It got to the point where Uset started to get paranoid with all of the strangeness floating about the story and to doubt his grasp on reality, saying:

So many people approached me to say that they had known the Vidals that I began to have doubts. What is more, the confusion was such that I began to think that our story coincided with something that had really happened.

This strange confession makes the whole thing even more bizarre, and gives it all almost a surreal spin. If Uset really was behind orchestrating the whole Vidal case, which had been hotly discussed and picked apart to no end, then why should he be so surprised and express doubt that it was a hoax that he had in fact created? What was going on here? Agostinelli would later remark on this peculiar detail and the whole phenomenon of such stories in general thus:

At the time, the fact he questioned his own creation startled me. But I think that this helps to understand how UFO stories are built along with many other modern myths. If even a hoaxer can be led to doubt, this means that mysteries are able to overcome any denial. That’s why I think myths are indestructible. Countless teleportation cases have occurred in Argentina and around the world, but the Vidal Case was a lie.

There is no concrete evidence to prove without a doubt that the Vidal case was a hoax for promoting a film, and there are indeed other conspiracy theories floating about as well, but neither is there any to show that it ever existed beyond rumor and spooky lore. There continues to be a good amount of debate and controversy surrounding the Vidal case, and it seems that it still has not been satisfactorily resolved for a great many people.

At times, cases of teleportation involve what seems to be passing through doors, only rather than moving to another room of a house these doorways transport us through space and perhaps even time to move us to another far away location altogether. In 1971, an Al Kiessig claimed that he had uncovered several doorways or vortices of some sort in the U.S. states of Missouri and Arkansas, which allowed for instantaneous teleportation from place to place via travel through other dimensions. According to Kiessig, one could walk through these doorways and instantaneously end up miles away from where they had entered. He explained about these doorways and their varied strangeness:

Each door is different, but it is my belief that if one conId recognize these door openings, one could pick the door in Arkansas that would permit me to step into your front yard in Iowa. I have entered these ‘doorways’ while driving and saved myself hundreds of miles of driving. Unfortunately, the reverse has also happened to me. Some of these doors to other dimensions open like an elevator door with no elevator there to step into. Others open into a land of no life. Some take you back into the past, and some take you into the future on this world. Then there are doors that open into chambers that send the body to a distant star.

What does this all mean? Is there anything to this oddness or is this the ramblings of a seriously disturbed or delusional individual? It is hard to say for sure. Even more recent is the case of a homeless boy in Ivory Coast, Africa, who was discovered by Fortean researcher Ion Alexis Will in August of 1993. As Will was passing through a rural area called Yamoussoukro, he came across a Catholic church called St. Augustin, where the priests there complained of a 9-year-old boy who had an unsettling habit of disappearing from his locked quarters only to reappear in strange places such as within locked cars or other areas where he had absolutely no business being. On another occasion, the boy had vanished into thin air in front of many startled witnesses as he ate breakfast, only to be found in a dazed and confused state some distance outside of the church. An investigation into the strange boy’s background found that he had been originally found in a town about 155 miles away in a trance-like state. Further investigation would turn up even more bizarreness.

The boy, who’s actual name was N’Doua Kouname Serge, had vanished under strange circumstances when he was just 5 years old, vanishing from a hospital in Tiassalé, in Ivory Coast, only to suddenly and unexplainably end up in San Pedro, a full 200 miles away. The boy’s father had gone to pick him up, only for him to vanish and reappear again 410 miles away in confused state in a town called Odienné. He would go on to make several other spontaneous jumps to various other cities around the country, often spending months or even years in each far flung location, during which time some of his benefactors would come to the conclusion that he was possessed by an evil spirit which could teleport him. When asked by a reporter on how he could suddenly jump from place to place so rapidly, the boy himself reportedly said: “I don’t know. I’m here, and suddenly I find myself in another town.”

Even more recent is a series of strange teleportations that were reported on in a 2009 article on Pravda Report entitled “Lightning Can Open Doors to Parallel Worlds.” In one report, a UFO researcher named Tatyana Faminskaya allegedly teleported two times, during which she claimed that she could not feel anything during the process, but would simply wake up in another place. A woman named Lidia Nikolaeva, from Novy Byt village in Russia, claimed that she had been out picking mushrooms when she felt a stabbing pain in her chest. When she came to her senses, she found herself deposited at an abandoned church around 3.3 miles from where she had been. Just what is going on here? Do these people have access to powers or abilities that remain hidden to the common masses?

What are we to make of cases such as these? Are these merely hallucinations or flights of fancy, or is there something more at work here that is worth pursuing in an effort to understand it? If these individuals have somehow pressed through some barrier to jump from one place to the other, then how have they done it? How can it be possible and how can such a thing fit into the universe as we understand it? Even as science pursues the very real concepts and theories of how teleportation may someday actually be possible, the reality of real teleportation of a human being remains far out on the outer fringes of the scientific horizon, yet for some mysterious individuals it may be closer than we think.