#wish I wasn't so exhausted all the time or I'd write more about him | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zeonotneo · 5 months

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A/N : Oh my gosh this is my first fic and I'm impulsively writing it so it isn't proof read or I might overthink it and not post it.

pleaseee give me prompts or recommendations, not limited to Spencer! Any member of the BAU, or Criminal Minds, I am only halfway through season 9 so no spoilers!

I'm currently on 09x15 of Criminal Minds, and this episode is directed by our very own Mr. Gibson.

"Do you wanna come upstairs?"

(Gn!reader) after a particularly exhaustive case that struck Spencer the hard way, reader tries to be there for him ( this isn't a romantic fic but is up for interpretation/ as you wish ;) ) .

I've been a part of the BAU for about seven months now, I transferred a little while after my time in the field under the SOC, but I had assisted them on multiple cases before and was familiar with most of the team so the transition wasn't hard. I was great friends with Penelope already because she'd help me on my cases sometimes if she had the time to spare, she would invite me to her movie nights and outings and from there on I befriended the others. I was good friends with everyone on the team except Spencer, we weren't on bad terms or anything, but things were rocky, I had no doubt that he trusted me as a team member. Perhaps he just needed more time to consider me as anything more than that.

Everyone slept soundly in the bau jet as we headed back for Quantico. The team had been in Wisconsin for the past 6 days trying to chase down an unsub that had been kidnapping teenagers and sending letters to their parents written in their blood. This case was mentally and physically draining. I was sitting next to Morgan, who was sound asleep with his headphones on, occasionally stirring in his sleep, uneasy, he had taken a couple of hits chasing the unsub with JJ. The unsub might've gotten away if it wasn't for Spencer literally throwing himself at the unsub to subdue him. He may not look(or be) the most physically fit person on the team, but over the years during his time working for the FBI, he'd been more than able to stand his ground.

I couldn't fall asleep on the flight back so I thought I might as well make some coffee, as I was preparing the pot, I glanced around the jet and locked eyes with a certain Curly haired genius with a book in his hand, he looked like he'd woken up not long ago, I held up the pot in my hand as a way of asking him if he'd like some and he simply nodded with a tight lipped smile. I grabbed both of our coffees and set his down on the table infront of him.

"Thank you, Y/N, I thought you'd be asleep"

"I was, but Morgan keeps stirring in his sleep, and that woke me up, what about you? What's keeping you up? I figured you'd crash the second we boarded the jet, you must be exhausted"

"My side hurts from earlier so I can't find a comfortable position to sleep in, I'm just waiting to be back in Quantico so I can hopefully rest at home"

"Do you want- uh- would you want to sit here instead? I know the plane lands in the next 20 minutes and we're already almost there but-"

"I'd like that, thank you, Dr. Reid"

"Spencer"

"What?"

"Call me Spencer, if you'd like, Reid feels too formal, like we're nothing more than co-workers" he almost whispered the last bit ,there was a hint of disappointment written all over his face.

Was he...upset that I didn't call him Spencer?

"Okay, Spencer, I am just used to calling you Reid, has a nice ring to it, and for the record, I don't consider you as just a guy I work with, you're more than that" I smiled at him. "You can go back to your book if you want, we don't have to talk or anything"

"Oh okay" he looked as if he wanted to say something else but decided against it and reached out for his book instead

We sat in silence as he went back to his book and I leaned back in my seat and shut my eyes, the silence wasn't awkward, the silence was comfortable.

After landing, everyone filed into the bullpen as Penelope greeted us all with warm hugs.

"Everyone take the weekend off, I'll see you on Monday, Morgan, Reid, take care and let me know if you need anything"

Reid headed to his desk to grab a few things and I stayed behind, waiting for him.

"You haven't left yet?" He questioned me as he approached the elevator

"I was just waiting for you, we take the same train home so I figured we could head back together"

"I'd really like that" Spencer smiled at me.

I don't just want to walk him to the station, I really want to walk him home, just for my peace of mind, I don't know why, I just do

"You just missed your stop" He asked me as the doors closed on what should've been the stop I got off on everyday. "Are you walking me home?"

"...Is it okay if I do that? I mean it's not that I'm worried that you can't get back on your own with you being hurt, it's just that for my peace of mind-"

You're rambling, Y/N, big time

"Y/N, it's okay, I really appreciate you doing that, it's very thoughtful of you" he cut me off

We walked towards his apartment building as we talked about our plans for the weekend, Reid decided to stay in this weekend and recover while I will probably be spending the next two days doing movie nights with Penelope or meeting up with JJ.

We came to a halt as he stopped infront of a building I presumed he lived at, I actually had no idea where he lived until this moment.

"Well, this is me"

"Okay, have a nice weekend,okay? If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call, I am serious, I live close by anyways"

"Would you like to- uh- Do you want to come upstairs?" Reid looked at me expectedly.

"I wouldn't want to intrude, besides you should definitely get some sleep, Reid- Spencer, you've had a long day"

"I have a strong cup of caffeine in my system, I'm tired, yes, but I'm nowhere near sleeping, we can order take out, my treat, besides, some company would be nice, your company would be nice, if you want to ofcourse, don't feel compelled to say yes"

"I'd like that, thank you, Spencer, but please don't hesitate to tell me if you change your mind and want to sleep instead or want to be left alone."

We headed up to his apartment and he set up an old Silent movie for us to watch, enjoying the takeout, we got so caught up in talking that I didn't even realize how late it had gotten, we were on our second movie before I heard the silent snoring and looked over to my side to see Spencer fast asleep,I finished the rest of the movie and got up from the couch to clear the table and throw away the take out boxes, I reached into his go-bag and took out a blanket he sometimes carried with him and placed it over him.

He looks so angelic when he sleeps, so peaceful

As if sensing me staring at him, his eyes fluttered open and embarrassment flushed his face as he realized he had fallen asleep while I was still over.

He turned his head and locked at the clock, 01:23

"How long was I out? I am so sorry , I had trouble sleeping the past few days and when it finally came to me it just had to be when you were here."

"Hey, don't worry, it's fine, really, you looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn't want to wake up, I'll be out of your hair now"

"It's late right now, Y/N, it isn't safe for you to go out alone ,not that I'm in any way hinting that you can't take care of yourself, you could throw Morgan over your shoulder if you really wanted to or Two Morgans for that matter but the point is, I don't want you to go-" he let out a sigh and looked down at his hands that rested on his lap. "If I asked you to stay, would you? I hadn't slept this well in a while and I'm sorry if that's weird but-"

I cut him off "point me to the bathroom, I have a fresh set of clothes in my go-bag that I can change into"

This man must have been more exhausted than I thought he was because he was asleep again as I stepped out of the bathroom, as I leaned down to wake him up to sleep on the bed instead, I glanced at my phone that had a new notification, from Spencer

Please take the bed, make yourself at home and turn off your alarms for the morning, Goodnight Y/N

P.s thank you for staying with me tonight, it means a lot"

I poured a glass of water and placed it on the table next to the couch, incase he wakes up thirsty and headed for the bedroom.

Goodnight Spencer, Sweet Dreams.

His bed was so comfortable that it wasn't long before I slipped into a blissful sleep.

#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #dr reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x gn reader #criminal minds #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fluff #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fluff #bau reader

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factual-fantasy · 9 months

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25 asks again :0000 🎄🎄🎄

Never??? What part of my content ever suggested that I would ever draw anything like that??

The snowy forests they tend to camp in are actually the forests attached to Snowdin :0 They tend to end up there a lot <XD No ones found them out there before so they've deemed Snowdin forests a safe camping spot..

I'm not sure what you mean by a cliffhanger. My Octonauts stuff wasn't following a timeline or anything. I was just goofing around and drawing what ever I felt like.

If you're talking about the crab comic? I abandoned that comic on a cliff hanger because I didn't like how I wrote the comic and I didn't feel like re-writing it. :/ The Captain ends up totally fine in the end so its ok-

(Also thank you! :} )

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you too!! :DDDD 💖🎄💖

It kind'a depends.. what really exhausts him is making multiple mirrors back to back that all lead to different places. And how long he holds them open is also a factor..

Maybe a good guestimate is.. about 5? Maybe if he makes 5 mirrors in less than 3 days that would be enough to completely wipe him out. Maybe even knock him unconscious..

But its okay, the group usually is good at avoiding that scenario. Usually they jump into an AU and stay there for a few days before jumping into a new one. That way Jevil has time to rest and recover.

@couchwow

:DD Thank you! We wish the same to you as well! :}} 🎄💖🔥

Oh yeah, very protective I imagine XD He wouldn't put him down or let him out of his sight for even a second.

@ocinstituterep

I'd like to think he kept it and hung it on his bedroom wall yeah. But Knowing Peso and how much of a sweetheart he is.. I can totally see him giving it to Pinto for a keepsake/to show it off to his friends :}

Only when they're using their magic in someway yeah. :0 The more magic they're using/the more they're straining, the more visible their pupil becomes.

And it can extend to their emotions. The more mentally unstable/emotional/afraid the cat is.. the more cracked and deformed their pupil can become..

@bunny-coffee

Shellington got some angry cousins frfr XDDD

(Post in question)

Ehh.. not exactly.. that situation with that Papyrus ended up getting really dangerous, and really scary, really fast.. They end up fleeing that AU and leave that Papyrus behind.. :(

@fallingbones (post in question)

WWAAAHHAGDG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THAT MEANS A LOT TO MEEEEE!!😭😭💖💖💖😭

That's because I was gonna draw a comic revealing her new name but I never got around to it.. 💔

(Still keeping it a secret in case I change my mind lol-)

ACTUALLY! I had an idea that if Jevil rushes a mirror, he just has less control over it and will have no idea where the mirror will end up. And one time Jevil hastily made a mirror and when they jumped though.. they all got dumped into a river 😬 which is very bad for nearly everyone involved-

Seam's chains got caught on a branch and he got stuck while everyone else got swept down stream. He was able to just barely get his chains free and drag himself onto land.

Grillby doesn't die or anything, but boy is it incredibly painful. Thankfully he's able to scramble out of the water rather quickly and collapse on land..

Spamton has a phobia of water so by the time him and Jevil are able to get out he's breaking down from a panic attack :'(

Goner kid cant really swim but she was very lucky and was able to grab onto some branches and scramble out of the water.

Asgore wasn't really in any danger but he did struggle to get out of the water. He was eventually able to latch onto a branch as well and pull himself out.

The group recollected and probably camped out in the nearby forest for a few days to mentally and physically recover from that ordeal-

Upon Googling it, it appears to be a fangame about the yellow soul..? I also saw "Undertale yellow controversy" uh oh- I'm not sure what I think about it <XD

Although I've never played/seen a playthrough of Resident Evil.. this sounds right up my ally! XD

Also thank you! Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you as well! :DD 🎄🎉

XD Yes! I also have these two but they're not as cool/polished/original to me as the other 7 are-

@octonauts16

Ultimately my thoughts are, "It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be/could have been. 6 outa 10, would watch again and recommend to my friends 🎤🐻👍"

And as for a sequel? I'm not sure if they'll make one.. if they do, I kind'a hope it'll be about the second game and they'll up the horror a bit more this time 👀

@cupofmaplesyrup

waaa thank you!! :DD

I'm not sure.. I imagined Bibi likes the stuff I make, simply because I made it. I'm not sure what the rest of them would think.. :0

Although the 20k comic was a biggie. They all thought that project was cool XD

@beryl-shade

I did! It seemed fitting for him. Also it helps visually distinguish him from Glamrock Freddy :00

XD She has that effect on people

When the when When?

@love-is-the-multiverse

That's just how I draw skeletons that don't look really creepy :( 💔

#my response #fnaf security breach #fnaf movie #undertale #deltarune #factual fam #seam and jevil #seam deltarune #jevil #bibi

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jayden-killer · 1 year

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BOOK EMERGENCY.

Au! Steven Grant, in which he works as a library cashier, instead of being a gift shoppist.♡

A/N: y'all I thought this was cute, but it was cuter in my head. I'm thinking about a part two, so if you guys enjoy this one short, I could write some more!

☁︎ ꧁ ꧂ ☁︎

Spending Friday evening in a bookstore, after an exhausting day, could really reward you. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to have gone out in pajama pants, and flip flops, but it was a book emergency. I was sure I had some books on the shelf still waiting to be read, but when I realized that this was not the case (and I had read them all) then I didn't have much choice. There was a local bookstore in the city center where I lived, and although it was small, it was well stocked. In fact, there were from new releases to older or even less important titles.

The smell of the book bewitched anyone who passed by. It was like a siren song. I had definitely not decided which title to choose. There were so many that the full shelves gave me a hard time. But one title in particular caught my attention and, reading the plot, convinced me to take it.

Finally I will be able to spend a nice evening in the company of a good tea, with a warm light that gives the right atmosphere and my new, dear book.

It was late, obviously there were no customers at that hour. And the cashier looked like he definitely needed some restful sleep. Although he was quite tired, he smiled and seemed pleased to have a customer at the moment. His eyes were full of energy. A lot. He must have probably drunk a few too many coffees.

``Oh. The Kane Chronicles´´, he read, once I handed the book over to him, scanning the barcode, ``that's crazy. Seriously, it's a really gripping book. We sell the other two titles too, if you're interested´´ he added.

I smiled embarrassed. And he smiled back, kindly, shyly.

``I can think about it. Maybe,´´ I replied back, playing with the bill in his hand.

``Are you interested in Egypt?´´

``Quite. It's been a passion since I was a child´´.

``Well, you can try Wilbur Smith's Egypt Saga too.´´ His curls danced on his forehead whenever he moved his head even the slightest.

I leaned against the counter and let a hand smooth out my unkempt hair, and yawned. He looked up from the book and studied me curiously. ``It's an odd hour to come and buy a book.´´ He had recognized my weariness, and had been careful to study my bearing at the time. ``Yes, but...´´.

At this point a hand rubbed my eyes and he handed me the book again, while I handed him the bill, and then he the change. I resumed the conversation.

``I've read all the books I bought in the last few months, and the TV didn't show good films, at least at this hour... I thought I'd come here.´´ My eyes fell on the inside of the bookstore, and back on the cashier. ``Well, I think it's the best time to come. No one ever comes at this hour´´

The man let out a chuckle as if he was surprised by my visit: a customer who in the middle of the night was desperately looking for a book. His chuckle was contagious, and I laughed with him, amused by his joke.

``Yeah...´´

Embarrassing silence filled the shop and I rubbed the book pages.

``Well, then, enjoy your book, and have a nice night. Hope to see you again!´´ He cheerfully sang, and that was enough to bring a smile to my tired face. He smiled again and waved to me, leaning on the counter. He wasn't rude like the other cashiers I've met in other bookstores. That was quite impressive. He seemed to like his work, to be surrounded by books. I wished to meet him earlier.

``Have a nice night too, sir.´´ And so I muttered a timid "bye", leaving in a hurry to finally enjoy my book. But when I got home, my mind only focused on meeting again that cashier. I would have to go back to the bookstore very soon to see him again.

#marvel imagine #moonknight x reader #moon knight #steven grant x reader #steven grant x y/n #jake lockely x you #marc spector x reader #jake lockely x reader #oneshot #moon knight series #mr knight #au

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fandomsnstuff · 10 months

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this just started as me wanting to complain about the work it takes to prep a house to sell but now it's kind of an au

@taznovembercelebration

Day 15: vampire au/last

Kravitz is moving for possibly the last time in his very, very long life, and he ruminates a little on what got him to this point.

Read it on AO3

Barry drops another cardboard box into the growing sea of stuff in the garage. “One thing I wish I'd considered before becoming immortal was all the moving.”

“Tell me about it,” Taako says, writing his name on a piece of painter's tape and slapping it on a garbage bag of clothes. “One second I'm joining my hot ancient vampire boyfriend in his immortal curse, and next thing I know, I've moved fifteen times in the last hundred years.”

“We haven't moved fifteen times,” Kravitz skirts around him with another box. “This is only number ten.”

“That's still too many.”

He drops the box on top of Barry's. “It wasn't nearly this much work when it was just me in apartments and such. But four times the people, four times the stuff.”

Taako points at him, “this is the last time. New vamps, new start, new system. Taako can't be doing all this physical labour every couple of years for eternity.”

Barry leans against a stack of boxes. “Maybe this is why you deemed immortality a curse. You've been spending your eternal life doing one of the worst chores an adult can do.” Kravitz just shrugs. Barry says, “this'll be good. The land's nice and far from any prying eyes, and the house Magnus and Julia designed is beautiful.”

“No! More! Moves!” Taako chants.

“Okay,” Lup comes into the garage, “Magnus is on his way with the truck and reinforcements, so he'll start taking loads of stuff to the new house. Stager comes tomorrow, carpets get cleaned Wednesday, pictures Thursday, and we're in business by the weekend.”

“Let's sell this bitch,” Taako says.

A few months later, the old house has sold, and they're settling into their new, custom-built home. Kravitz is sitting out back, watching Lup and Taako argue about toppings by the pizza oven. His heart swells.

He'd been alone for so long. As far as he knew, he was the only vampire left. His life became an exhausting, monotonous dance of isolation. Running from place to place the moment he felt any whiff of suspicion in his direction. But then he met Taako. Handsome, wondrous, stubborn Taako.

Kravitz had wanted to run the moment he realised Taako had taken an interest. But when he started packing his things and looking for a new place, for the first time in centuries, he hesitated. Taako was the first interesting thing to happen to him in ages. Maybe he deserved to have a little fun.

“A little fun” quickly turned into deep, unavoidable love. So Kravitz tried to blow it up. He told Taako they couldn't be together, he walked away and blocked his number and ran. But Taako isn't so easily swayed. Through avenues that Kravitz is still in the dark about, he tracked him down and banged on his door until he was granted entry and an explanation. So Kravitz told him what he was. He told him they couldn't be together because Taako would age and Kravitz wouldn't and after a few decades he would be alone again. He didn't want to know a life of companionship if he was going to lose it in the blink of an eye.

And Taako laughed. He laughed until he had tears trickling down his face. He said, “you thought I didn't know? Babe, the moment you brought me home I knew. I don't give a fuck, all my friends are freaks.”

Kravitz met Taako's friends, and they all seemed normal to him. “Magnus?”

“Werewolf. And Julia.”

“Davenport?”

“Shapeshifter.”

“Merle?”

“Fae.”

“Lucretia?”

“Merfolk.”

Kravitz hesitates, because there's no way he's anything but human, but he has to ask, “Barry?”

“I'll give you three guesses.”

“...no.” Taako smirked. Kravitz stared at him wide-eyed. “There's absolutely no way.”

“Full blooded vampire.”

“Full blooded?!”

“The man has never had a drop of human blood in his veins.”

Kravitz pushed his hands into his hair. “I thought I was the only one left.”

Taako patted his back, “you just didn't know where to look.”

He looked at Taako. “Are you…?”

“I'm the only full human in the group.”

“What about Lup?”

“We still don't really know what she did, but she kind of Danny Phantom-ed herself and has been able to willingly shift to a phantasmal form for a few years now, so,” he shrugs, “she's human, but also maybe half dead? I try not to think about it too much.”

That conversation, as… mind blowing as it was, was the start of the rest of Kravitz's life. Taako made some very compelling arguments and convinced him to come back and try again. It was just under a year after that when he turned Taako. He was hesitant to do it, but was convinced when Taako reminded him that all his friends were immortal, and if he wasn't going to do it, he'd go to Barry, “and I'm not into him like that, so I'd rather not.”

On the back porch, watching the twins, Kravitz finally understands the concept of a forever home. Why spend eternity running when you could travel and have fun and do much more pleasant things than packing? And why not give yourself a soft place to land when you need to rest?

Barry comes outside and sits next to him, holding out a drink. “They're still at it?”

Kravitz takes it. “Yeah. Though they've moved from olives to anchovies.”

Barry chuckles and shakes his head. “I think they'll still be arguing about it when the next ice age comes around.”

Kravitz laughs, and they sit in a comfortable silence for a while. “Hey Barry. You've been around a while.”

“Sure have.”

“So you've been navigating life as an immortal for a long time. Like, almost as long as I have.”

“You've got maybe two hundred years on me, but yeah.”

“Then why the fuck did you let me move the four of us through ten houses in the last hundred years?!”

Barry laughs long and loud. He sighs. “Oh, my god,” he wipes a stray tear away, “I was wondering if you'd put that together.”

“Well?!”

“Oh, man,” he clears his throat. “You'd been on your own for so long, and set in your ways, and so afraid of being discovered, we thought it'd be best to do things your way for a while. To let you get used to us and the group and what have you.”

Kravitz narrows his eyes. Barry bites his lip like he's trying not to laugh again. “There's more. Spill it, Bluejeans.”

“Lup and I made a bet on how many moves Taako could go through before it got to him.” He takes a sip of his drink. “I won, for once.”

Kravitz considers this. “What'd you win?”

He smirks. “You don't want to know.”

“Ugh!” Kravitz stands. “Gross, I don't want to know about your sex bets.”

“I didn't say anything about sex!”

“A non answer is still an answer,” he turns to go back inside, “next time just lie and say money!”

Barry shouts after him, “this is your life forever now!”

#taakitz #blupjeans #taz #taz fic #barry bluejeans #taako #lup #taz Kravitz #kravit adventurezone #lup taaco #taz lup #blupjeans fic

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orangesaek · 2 years

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Have you seen that tiktok where someone's boyfriend asked for lunch and the showed it off to his coworkers/friends so proudly?? Kinda like an unboxing video lmao

( https://www.tiktok.com/@barstoolsports/video/7136210152868351274?lang=en )

I was hoping you could write a scenario where Mark ask if you could bring him lunch and he gets so happy he shows it off to everyone, doesn't even want to eat since he wants to keep showing it off:) I love your writing and hope you have a good year ❣️

hi! omg i'm so sorry this took so long 🥲 i hope you're still around to see this & let me know what you think 🥲🤍 oh, and i wish you a wonderful year 💕 i've never come across the vid, but I watched it before writing this! thanks so much for the reference 🤍 it was really cute 🥹

a/n: slightly proofread (my brain's not really in perfect condition to review everthing sorry)

It was already way past lunch time, and the guys of 127 have yet to eat something after breakfast—especially Mark, who probably felt the hungriest out of everyone (alongside Haechan, since they chose to sleep some more and skipped breakfast that morning).

Although you have reminded Mark time and time again to never skip his meals and to eat on time as much as he could, you couldn't really blame him for choosing sleep over food though. You understood how hectic his schedules have been lately, and there's not much you could really do about it.

You knew how much of an actual foodie Mark was. He was the type of boyfriend to send you links to new restaurants for your next date, or send you recipes to whatever delicious food he ate overseas and asks you to cook them for him. So to know that he hasn't been eating properly lately got you worried. He must be extremely exhausted to prioritize sleep more.

And that's how you ended up visiting their company with a lunch box for him in your hands that day.

You walked your way to the front desk and greeted the receptionists warmly. Being Mark's girlfriend wasn't an enough reason for the company to give you access to his workplace whenever you wanted, that's why whenever you had to give him something whenever he's at work, it's either you give it to him prior or one of their managers will come to get it for him.

"Hi, I'd like to leave this for NCT's Mark." you said as you placed a paper bag on the marble desk. The receptionists smiled awkwardly before looking at each other with hesitance in their eyes.

"We're so sorry, ma'am, as we are not allowed to keep gifts or anything at all for the artists." one of them said, and you nodded in understanding.

"Oh, no, it's alright. I understand. One sec," you said before taking the paper bag off the desk and getting your phone. You smiled quickly at them and took a mental note of the questioning looks on their faces as you dialled a number. Of course, you couldn't just straight up tell them you're actually Mark Lee's girlfriend.

"Oppa~ how are you?" you greeted on the other line. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm doing just fine. Actually, I have a small favor to ask..."

You glanced back at the receptionists and gave them a shy smile before placing your attention back to the call.

"I'm really sorry. I know you're probably busy right now, but I'm actually down here at the front desk with Mark's food." you said quietly. As soon as the call ended, you turned around to face them again and gave them another smile, to which they smiled (rather unsurely) in return.

You looked around and found an empty seat around the corner and made your way there. You took out your phone again and looked at your lockscreen. It was already lunch time, but knowing how their practices go, they were probably still too far from taking a break. But that didn't stop you from smiling widely at your phone.

Your lockscreen was of Mark in a green shirt with a guitar. It was when he had called you in the middle of the night to sing you a lullaby when you texted him that you were too stressed out to have a good night's sleep. You guys weren't even dating yet back then, but it was one of the countless times he showed you just how much he really loves you.

Not long after, you heard footsteps coming nearer to where you were seated, and looked up to see their manager greeting you with a smile.

"Hey," he said as he opened up his arms for a hug. You smiled back and stood up to return his hug. "Mark would have been really glad to see you."

It was no secret that you have gotten along really well with their managers. They were like the reliable and wise brothers you never had, aside from the other NCT members. And Mark was thankful for all of that.

After exchanging conversations and saying thank you, you went on your way. You took out your phone and sent Mark a text, letting him know that you have dropped by and that their manager picked it up for him. With a smile, you went back home, excited to receive a reply from your boyfriend.

"Excuse me, sir? Who was she?" one of the receptionists asked as the manager walked pass by them to the elevator. He stopped in his tracks and gave them a small (but polite) smile.

"Her? She's Mark's girlfriend. Better remember her face for next time." he quickly said before proceeding to the elevator, chuckling to himself at the surprised looks of the receptionists' faces.

Their manager quietly went back in to the practice room with Mark's lunch on his hands, and placed it on an empty table. His arrival went unnoticed by the members as they were too focused on monitoring their dance in the laptop.

"I just hope the food won't get too cold..." he sighed quietly as he looked at the guys who have now walked back to their formations and started practicing again.

"Hyung, can we eat after this? I'm starting to feel dizzy," Jungwoo told their dance teacher as he held onto his stomach and patted it gently, indicating that he was getting really hungry. The other guys mumbled to themselves in agreement.

Their dance teacher nodded and asked for the boys to do one more round of practice before letting them go for a break, telling them to resume practice in 2 hours.

As soon as the music ended, all of the guys let out a sigh of relief, including their manager, who couldn't wait to let Mark know that you have dropped by with his lunch.

"I'm gonna order some Chinese food. What do you guys want?" Taeyong asked as he went to his bag and took out his phone. The other guys, except Mark, have told him what they wanted to eat. Taeyong looked at him, waiting for his choice of food.

Mark just finished wiping his sweat off with his towel and hung it around his neck.

"Oh, me? I don't know... I think I'm just gonna skip lunch today." he said quietly. The guys looked at him in worry. They all knew he hasn't eaten anything the entire day. Yuta was about to protest when their manager walked towards them, holding a medium-sized paper bag.

"I'm afraid a certain Mark Lee's not skipping lunch today." their manager said as he held out the bag in front of Mark, and placed it in his hands. Mark just stared blankly at the bag, not really sure why it was handed to him. Their manager chuckled lightly and gave him a light pat on his shoulder.

"A beautiful lady dropped by a few minutes ago to give this to you." their manager said before giving him a knowing smile. Mark's eyes widened in realization and grinned widely. The other guys have started hollering and teasing him, with Taeyong saying something along the lines of, 'baby Mark's so loved'.

"Thanks so much, hyung." he said. Mark was still smiling to himself when he realized you might have tried giving him a call or sent a text message. He quickly went over to where his bag was and took out his phone, chuckling quietly to himself as he saw your name in his notifications. He bit his lips, smiling, as he read your text message.

'Hey, cutie. I hope your day's going well ♡ I made you lunch and dropped by the company earlier. Your hyung-nim came down to meet me. Anyway, eat well, okay? Stop skipping meals or else >:('

Mark sat down the floor and placed the paper bag beside him as he typed in a reply, completely ignoring the teasing remarks of the other guys (to which they eventually just let him be and continued on with their food hunt using Taeyong's phone).

'Hiiiiii :) we're having our break atm :)' he replied before sending in a couple more follow-up texts.

'I wish I could have seen u today :( but thank u for dropping by :') and for my lunch :')'

Mark opened his camera app, held the paper bag close to his face, and took a selfie. He went back to the messaging app and sent you the picture.

'I'm sooo so so super-duper lucky to have u :((( i love u so much ♡'

'but what do u mean by or else?'

"This is just one of those days I wish I had a girlfriend, too." Doyoung mumbled to himself quietly as he looked at Mark's happily-in-love face. Unfortunately for him, Johnny heard him clearly and started teasing him.

"I can help you create a Tinder account, you know." Johnny said, raising his eyebrows teasingly. Doyoung just frowned at him in response before playfully punching his arm.

"Melkkk~ we're gonna order some dessert. Want anything?" Haechan called. Mark turned his head to face the other guys who were crowded around Taeyong, and shook his head no.

"What are you having for lunch?" Jaehyun asked as he laid down on the floor.

"Oh, right. I haven't opened it yet." Mark chuckled to himself. He found a small box at the top, a bento box below, some disposable utensils, and a small vacuum flask on the side. He took out the contents and carefully placed them on the floor.

The guys quickly gathered to where Mark was, feeling intrigued by what he's having for lunch. They all knew how good of a cook you were, and they were excited to know what was on the menu today.

"Start with the small box, hurry!" Haechan said rather impatiently.

"Just let him be." Doyoung reprimanded lightly, although he was just as curious as Haechan was.

Mark opened the bento box and gasped loudly, with the others gasping along after seeing what you have prepared.

"OMG! It's so cuuute!" Jungwoo exclaimed as the others smiled in agreement.

"Dude, if I were you, I wouldn't dare destroy this masterpiece." Johnny commented. Mark just smiled even wider, feeling his heart full of love. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and took a picture of the food. He was about to send you the picture when you sent in a reply.

'excuse me? I'm the one who's lucky to have you >:*'

'and i love you too, but if you don't finish your lunch, no sexy time for you, Mr. Lee >:('

The guys whipped their heads when they heard Mark giggling to himself as he was typing away on his phone.

"Okay, I don't want to feel extra single today, so I'm gonna go away." Haechan said jokingly after looking over at Mark's phone and reading your reply. He stood up and made his way to the couch as the other guys followed suit, (im)patiently waiting for their orders to arrive, completely leaving Mark in his own world.

'oh no :(( i can't live without our sexy time :'( i gotta make sure no grain's gonna be left uneaten then' Mark replied, still smiling and giggling to himself. He placed his phone on his thigh as he took the small small box and carefully opened it.

Mark let out another gasp as he covered his mouth with his hands. The guys craned their necks from the couch in curiosity.

In the box was a small cake with a watermelon design on it. Small hearts were also drawn around it.

"Awww~ guys, look! Look! It's a watermelon cake!" Mark proudly showed off to the other guys, to which they grinned at how cute it was.

Mark took a picture of the cake and sent it to you, also asking you if you were the one who made it as he knew that you were also quite skilled in baking.

'yaaasss :'> u like it?' you replied.

Mark couldn't help another smile to form on his lips. He couldn't count how many times he has smiled in less than 30 minutes. All because of you.

'awww how perfect could u get :'( told u i'm super duper lucky to have u :'( thanks so much, my love ♡♡♡'

Mark took the spoon was just about to start digging on his lunch when he stopped to admire it again. For the nth time that day, he let out another smile. He set the spoon aside and grabbed his phone again to send you another text.

'babe, i'm sorry, but i can't bring myself to eat this :'(' he replied before sending you a picture he previously took of the food.

'look at this. who in their right mind would eat this pretty little thing, really :( i should have this framed or something'

Mark stared at his lunch as he waited for your reply, still admiring the food you had prepared for him. His lunch actually consisted of some of his favorite dishes, including the kimchi jjigae that was in the flask (which he has yet to open, by the way). You knew much he loves it.

Meanwhile, the other boys just quietly looked at Mark, feeling the overflowing love you both had for each other.

"If it was any other day and I didn't know why he's being like that right now, I would say he's gone crazy." Haechan said quietly but just enough for the other guys to hear him.

"Well, we can't really blame him for being crazily in love with his girlfriend. I mean, I would too if she was my girl, to be honest." Taeil commented, a soft smile forming on his lips as he looked at Mark's still-smiling face. The others just nodded in agreement.

Mark quicky picked up his phone when it vibrated, signalling a reply from you. He opened the text message and chuckled softly at your reply.

'just eat it. i'll make you a prettier one next time, don't worry :*'

'don't text me until you're done eating >:( with proof!'

Mark typed in an 'okay' with a lot of heart emojis before putting down his phone again and looking at his food. He grabbed the flask, opened it, and giggled in delight at what he saw.

"Guys," he called as the tried to show them the contents of the flask, and the other members looked at him in wonder.

"It's kimchi jjigae, my favorite!!!" he shouted while his members just laughed heartily at his excitement. They were happy to see Mark so happy.

Mark was about to put the paper bag away when he saw a small folded paper left inside. He wondered what it was and took it out. It was a letter you wrote for him, and Mark smiled softly as he read the message.

"To my one and only love, Mark. I wish you nothing but good health above anything else. Even though we couldn't possibly be together all the time, I hope you know you're always on my mind :) words just cannot express how much I love you, my cutie little watermelon boy ♡"

Mark placed your letter on his left chest, feeling so grateful to experience this kind of genuine love from you, his first-ever girlfriend, and also hopefully his endgame. He has made it his personal mission to make sure he's gonna spend the rest of his life with you.

Haechan let out an exasperated sigh and abruptly stood up from his seat, both hands on his hips. The guys whipped their heads to him, clearly puzzled, including Mark, who was still holding your letter close to his heart.

"Hyung, do you want us to feed you or something? Coz your food's getting cold. Like, seriously. I'm concerned."

- end.

303 notes · View notes

rickmymanrick · 1 year

Text

one rule | chapter four

[rick grimes x original female character slowburn]

summary: a supply run goes wrong and daphne finds herself reunited with an old acquaintance.

notes: i’ll be including different POVs in the coming chapters. also not sure how I’m feeling about writing in past tense. i’m better at present tense and so I feel like this is some shit writing. if i switch all of a sudden, you know why. also, we’re starting to deviate from the original storyline a bit so bare with me. also be sure to check out the important character info i added to the masterlist of the series!!

masterlist!

I wish I could say I handled the situation with a bit of dignity, but I'd be lying.

Turns out, luck was not on my side the following morning, and Shane was up and pacing as per usual even before I woke up at dawn. Had he even gone to sleep? His hair was tousled, as if he'd been pulling at it for hours. And when I got a closer look at him albeit reluctantly, his eyes were bloodshot red. It wasn't hard to tell that he didn't get a wink of sleep.

My first instinct when I saw him was to duck back into my tent and peer at his tiny figure in the distance through the sliver of the flaps. And my anxiety nearly made me pass out when he came too close to my tent for comfort, glaring at the flaps like he could see straight through them. I held my breath until he walked away.

And when it was finally time to leave the tent, dressed and dragging an unenthusiastic and grumpy Glenn behind me, I avoided Shane at all costs. Was it fucked up to leave without saying goodbye? Abso- fucking - lutely, but my anxiety couldn't give less of a shit. I didn't usually get this nervous - I'd even consider myself a bit suave - but knowing there was actually some truth behind his teasing and flirting over the three years I'd known him was making me feel rather guilty. I'm not responsible for anyone else's feelings, but I know I shouldn't have led him on last night. I shouldn't have been so selfish.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" asked Glenn as I finished rushing through my goodbye to Lori and practically sprinted to the van. He still looked grumpy, more exhausted than anything.

I beelined for the passenger's seat, quietly calling shotgun and the others knew better than to actually argue with me. I slammed the door shut, gripping the pistol Shane gave me last night nervously. Adrenaline was surging from the tips of my toes up my legs, causing me to obnoxiously bounce the gun on my knee. Glenn gave me a side-eye. I quickly pocketed the weapon. Maybe the fact that I was actually going into the city again was making me more anxious than usual. Not Shane and this high school drama.

"Nothing," I said defensively. "I am absolutely fine."

I could very well die. And then the kiss wouldn't even matter then, would it? At that resolution, I decided to take one last glance over at the edge of the woods, where Shane was surely standing. He wasn't, in fact, and I looked over at Lori who stood with Carl against her chest. They were both waving, the boy giving us a wide, hopeful smile. Lori locked eyes with me and suddenly glanced to the space in front of the car. I followed her gaze and saw Shane standing a few feet ahead, staring straight at the passengers side of the car. He gave me a strange look, almost guarded but also as vulnerable as I've ever seen him. It was a look only I could decipher - the pain, the longing, the regret... regret for letting me leave today or regret for even kissing me in the first place?

I didn't have much time to search for the answer in his eyes because Glenn had put the car in reverse as soon as Morales slammed the back door shut. Shane got smaller and smaller, his hands resting on his hips, as we made it a safe distance to be able to make a three-point turn out of there. The last thing I caught was the odd look Lori was giving Shane from across the camp as he kept his attention locked on the van. Glenn shifted gears and the view of the camp disappeared, the path down the mountain ahead of us and the outline of the city glooming like a dark, stormy cloud.

It was tense and silent, no one saying a single word as we drove farther away from our little safe haven and closer to the city of the dead.

Just as we all expected, Merle made not a single effort to help collect supplies. It was just the six of us rummaging through an abandoned supermarket, piling up whatever necessities we could find in a corner.

My arms burned from the exhaustion after the first hour or so. I’d been focusing on the pharmaceutical section, mostly because I was hoping to find Carl and their other kids some supplements but also because Merle happened to be lurking around the area as well. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why.

My eyes trailed over to where he was standing, finding him at the end of the aisle I was sweeping out. I furrowed my eyebrows and stomped over, hoping to get a glimpse at whatever he was scoping out before he could grab it for his stash.

Painkillers. Extra Strength to be precise, and about four bottles untouched.

"Excuse me," I muttered, narrowly avoiding his stature as he obnoxiously stayed in the same spot, despite my undeserved politeness. I rolled my eyes and cut right in front of him, snatching the bottles and throwing them into my shopping basket with a scowl.

"Don't worry," chuckled Merle. "I got my sights set on bigger things."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" I asked monotonously, not even sparing him a glance as I scanned the rest of the shelves around him.

He didn't answer, not verbally at least. I forced myself to look back at the annoying fucker and instantly did a double-take...

There by the pharmacy desk -- Merle was standing with the toothiest smile I'd ever seen from him and swinging a striker hammer like it was a baseball bat. He barely gave me a second to react before he was swinging his arm back and slamming the hammer into the glass wall that separated the pharmacy prescriptions and him. The noise instantly made me flinch, the impact vibrating throughout the deserted store like he'd slammed it into a megaphone.

"Hey!" "What the hell was that?!" "Daphne, what the fuck?"

Everyone came rushing towards the pharmacy, following the source of the sound.

"What are you doing? You're being too loud!" Andrea said loudly.

"We're going to be surrounded by walkers if you keep that shit up!" T-Dog said angrily.

Merle acted as if he didn't hear a damn thing, banging the hammer against the crack that had already formed in the glass.

"Have you even tried the door?" Morales said over everyone's angry protests. Glenn and I glanced at each other worriedly, knowing the place could be overrun by walkers any minute. My legs were itching to make a run for it.

"It's got--" he grunted as he swung his arm with all his strength. The wall finally shattered into tiny bits of glass. "-- a keypad on it." Merle snickered as he jumped over the counter and into the restricted pharmacy section, slamming his hammer into the doorknob on the other side and swinging it open with a proud smile.

We all stood speechless, surprised he would even be courteous enough to open the door for the rest of us-- especially knowing his only goal to get in here was to raid the stash for any drugs he could consume recreationally. He probably figured even he wouldn't have enough pocketroom to store a whole pharmacy full of drugs in. I wouldn't be surprised if the only reason he was letting us have our pick of the litter was so he could just steal it from our stock at camp.

Nevertheless, I shoved past the rest of the group and followed after Merle. Glenn was right on my heels, grabbing the first box of diphenhydramine he saw. He shoved it into my basket hastily.

"Your sniffling keeps me up sometimes," he said sheepishly after I gave him an incredulous look.

"Damn, I'm sorry," I winced. You'd think my sinuses would've gotten used to the outdoors at this point.

"Guys, I'm gonna check the front. Make sure none of the walkers heard this psycho," said Morales.

"Yeah," grumbled Merle. "You oughta be thankin' me, boy!"

Glenn rolled his eyes and swept a whole shelf of medicine into my basket, my arm dropping significantly.

"Dude!" I groaned.

"Here," he took the basket from me. "We'll put it in the corner with everything else."

"Guys," Morales called from the front of the store.

"Yeah?" answered Jacqui, joining Glenn and I in the corner, placing an armful of muscle relaxers on top of the pile.

Morales suddenly came rushing back, pale and shaking. "There's a hoard of them coming from the west side of the city. Down Peachtree. They're moving fast. We gotta go right now."

“I gotta gather up the stuff—” I muttered, making a quick move for the pile of supplies we’d spent over an hour accumulating.

”There’s no time for that!” Morales said, panicked. “This idiot attracted the whole block. We gotta go now!”

A sudden banging and chorus of growls sent us all flying toward the opposite exit, my fingers barely gripping onto one of the bottles of diphenhydramine Glenn had give me.

It was astounding how quickly the dead could move, despite being— you know, dead. It also sent a terrorizing chill down my spine and a surge of cortisol that had me nearly suffocating in anxiety.

We crossed the street in a sprint, leaving behind the supermarket, and I spared a glance back as we kept putting distance between us and the horde.

Walkers were smashing through the windows of the store, using debris from the streets to crack the fragile glass open. Some were even capable of opening the damn doors for themselves. They were running limply, searching for us as we disappeared into the ruins of the city.

I forced my gaze ahead, hearing Glenn’s frantic instructions and suddenly feeling very meek about our odds of survival. They were coming from all directions, running with flesh hanging off their decaying bodies, moans and screeching echoing off each building, dead sights set on us… there were hundreds.

I pushed my legs faster, despite the burn, and gripped onto Glenn’s backpack to catch up. His hand traveled down to my wrist without looking.

Jacqui suddenly yelped and then Merle grunted. Morales cursed and T-Dog threw his head into his arms as we found ourselves pinned between a parking garage and a dead-end alley.

The walkers were coming full force, their arms extended with rotting fingers, teeth snapping as if they could already taste our untouched flesh. I dug my nails into Glenn’s arm and prepared for the worst—

A horse neighed loudly. The odd sound echoed between the buildings and effectively causing every single one of us to freeze. Even the walkers hesitated and turned toward the sound.

I held my breath.

BANG!

I counted four gunshots. There could’ve been more but I didn’t give a fuck after the initial shock wore off because I was grabbing at Glenn’s flannel and dragging him into the garage like my life depended on it. I hoped the others did the same because I wasn’t looking back to check. My priority was our survival and as soon as those walkers started going for the bigger prey, I knew it was the only chance we’d have.

Glenn got the gist quickly and he was running beside me, heading for the closest door and hoping it was unlocked. Our prayers were heard when it flew open, all of us rushing through it without even considering the possibility of running into even more danger.

We were supposed to die mere seconds ago. Any minute we were still breathing was on borrowed time— if we ran into death now, well it was just inevitable, wasn’t it?

The empty hallway got smaller and darker until we were hitting another door and running into the streets again. This time, a lot more empty than before. It seems the gunshots attracted all of them… thankfully.

I spotted a tourist shop just across the street. My legs sprang into motion again, adrenaline coursing through my veins. Still, I was finally starting to notice how out of breath I was becoming.

"How the fuck do you do this?" I wheezed, looking over at Glenn who, to my surprise, wasn't looking too hot either.

"I don't," he said exhaustedly. "I'm not usually seen."

I shrugged, reaching the tourist shop first and practically slamming the glass doors open and pushing through the racks of clothes until I saw a small, dark hallway. I heard a scuffle of footsteps behind me, the group moving as quickly but quietly as possible.

We made it into a small room, filing cabinets lining the walls, some papers thrown across the floor but otherwise untouched. And safe.

T-Dog quickly shut the other door that led into the room to another parking garage. The click of the lock made us all release a deep breath.

Finally.

Everyone heaved, some against the wall and others with their hands on their knees. Even Merle looked winded and a bit startled. I looked up at the ceiling, thanking whatever force was listening for the fact that we were still alive.

"I gotta go back," Glenn said after he caught his breath.

"What?" "Are you kidding?" "We got away! I say we take the win!"

"I'm not asking any of you to come with me. I just - I'm gonna go see what's up," he said with his hands up. Andrea pulled at her hair anxiously and walked to the furthest corner of the room.

The logical part of my brain was screaming at me not to go. To let Glenn be a dumbass on his own. I sighed, "Let's go." I made sure Shane's pistol was fully loaded.

"What?!" stressed Andrea, pulling so hard her hair might just come out. Even Jacqui was starting to look a bit panicked.

"Hey, it's okay. We'll be back. Here - " I snapped the safety back on and handed Andrea the gun, probably making a horrible decision but in all the times Glenn had ventured into the city alone, he's never taken a weapon. As long as it was just the two of us, I don't see why we'd need it if we snuck around his way.

Andrea hesitantly took it and that's when I noticed Merle's absence... At least, there would be a gun within the group while we were gone, since Merle and his rifle disappeared. I couldn't bring myself to care.

" - you'll be safe in the meantime. Don't go outside. Don't make any loud noises. Just wait," I commanded. I made eye contact with each person and they all nodded back.

Glenn stood by the door, waiting for me to finish my instructions quietly. Once I was done, I looked over at him, heading for the exit T-Dog had just locked. "Let's go," I nodded.

It's my downfall-- if Glenn was going to be a dumbass (which was 90% of the time), I was going to follow suit.

We climbed the staircase ahead of us, successfully evading the two stray walkers that were lingering in the alley. Our quiet footsteps went unnoticed and I followed Glenn without missing a step. We reached the roof of the building we'd found refuge in, looking out over the city. From our view of the main road, we still couldn't quite spot where the hoard had congregated. Glenn broke out into a jog, crossing a vent that connected to the next building. I followed behind him, releasing a breath once we made our way across the tall gap. We rounded the corner of the building's fire escape and climbed a short ladder that led to the very top of this taller building. It was closer to the main intersection where the gunshots had come from.

I nearly gagged at the sight below us. The horse was currently on its side, being devoured and chewed on by a mass of walkers. Even from this distance, I could hear the tearing of flesh and guts. Thankfully, the horse had died quickly. I followed the trail of walkers to a military tank that was abandoned in the middle of the intersection. I tried to find the body of whoever had fired their gun but the only mess of intestines and blood I could find was that of the horse.

"They must've found a way into the tank," said Glenn, crouching down by the edge. He fished through his backpack, pulling out his walkie-talkie he so conveniently neglected to use on his solo trips into the city.

I watched Glenn curiously as he fidgeted with the knobs of the radio.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Military tanks should have radio systems. Let's hope this one's still works." He started fidgeting with the radio dials. I sighed impatiently.

Part of me hoped he wouldn't be able to connect, just so we could get the hell out of dodge already. After about a minute of him fidgeting, I opened my mouth to scold the everloving shit out of my best friend--

The radio beeped in success. Glenn enthusiastically clicked on the talk button.

"Hey, you," said Glenn a little too cheerfully. I sighed in annoyance and started pacing the length of the rooftop.

It wasn't that I wanted this guy to die or anything. I just happened to have a very strong sense of self-preservation. Not just for myself but for my idiotic best friend. I watched as Glenn got closer to the edge, staring intently at the surrounded tank. I joined him begrudgingly.

"Dumbass," he tried again. "Yeah, you in the tank. Are you cozy in there?"

"Stop fucking around, Glenn. We gotta go." I nervously looked around at the growing mass of walkers. They were rapidly multiplying and our available exit routes were becoming very slim.

"Just hold on," He gave me an annoyed look and shook the walkie-talkie a bit. "Hey, are you alive in there?"

He's dead. He has to be. I'm reaching for Glenn, pulling at his backpack and there wasn't much resistance. Maybe, he, too, was losing hope.

A new voice cut through the silence. "Hello? Hello?"

We both scrambled to the edge. "There you are," Glenn sounded relieved. I guess I was too. "You had me wondering."

The southern accent wasted no time in responding, distorted by the crackle of the radio. He sounded even more desperate than us. "Where are you-- outside? Can you see me right now?"

"We can see you. You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news."

"There's good news?" I almost laughed at his pessimistic tone.

Glenn deadpanned, "No."

"Listen, whoever you are. I don't mind telling you I'm a little concerned in here," he responded gruffly.

"Oh man. You should see it from over here. You'd be having a major freak-out."

I elbowed Glenn quickly. Just because he's right, doesn't mean he had to instill even more fear into the guy.

His only hope of survival was us. I could hardly imagine Merle giving a shit about anyone other himself and his brother. And the others... well, let's just say they lacked the sort of dumbassery Glenn was naturally born with.

"Got any advice for me?"

Glenn and I shared a glance. We quickly discussed the best escape route for this man whom we've never even fucking met.

"Hello?" The radio spoke.

"Yeah," Glenn said after our extensive planning. "...I'd say make a run for it."

I gawked.

"That's it? 'Make a run for it?'" The stranger said exactly what I was thinking.

"My way's not as dumb as it sounds. You've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. You with me so far?"

"So far."

"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted, you stand a chance."

I grabbed the walkie from Glenn's grasp. "You got ammo?"

"Uh--" the stranger sounded taken aback. "In that duffle bag I dropped out there and guns. Can I get to it?"

"Absolutely not," Glenn told me firmly, as if he knew what I was thinking.

We needed weapons at the camp. Desperately. Something tells me an opportunity like this wouldn't arise again.

"Can--can I get to it? Are you still there?"

Glenn snatched the walkie back. "No. Forget the bag, it's not an option. What do you have on you?"

"Hang on."

The line went silent. I tried to spot the bag within the crowd of walkers. Then, it was in my sights before the sheriff could respond to Glenn's question.

It lied next to the hoard of walkers tearing the horse into shreds. Their backs were facing the weapons but I wasn't not stupid enough to believe that I could slip in and out silently. There's too many stragglers wandering about and those fuckers happen to be exceedingly fast.

I racked my brain for some sort of solution because I refused to leave without those guns. Otherwise, we'd all be risking our lives for nothing. The supply run would be a complete fail, everyone at the camp would likely starve soon anyway, and we'd only become walker meat.

"Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction," Glenn finished explaining as I tuned back in. "There's an alley up the street, maybe 50 yards. Be there."

There. I spotted a rooftop not too far from ours and I was willing to bet I could make the jump.

Before Glenn can turn around, I set off on a mad dash, sprinting without a second thought so I couldn't psych myself out.

"Daphne!" Glenn yelled.

My feet left the ground and I was flying over the alleyway towards a building mere feet away from the tank. I scraped my knees as I hit the concrete safely.

I spun around squinted my eyes against the sun. "Glenn! I'll catch up with you. I swear-- just get this guy to our spot and wait for me there. I'll be in and out, I promise." It was a big thing to make a promise in this world. I hoped I wouldn't have to break it

His face twisted in frustration; he was caught between following me and rushing down the fire escape to meet with the stranger.

I gave him a reassuring nod. "Go!"

"If you die, I'm gonna kill you," he threatened.

"Sure, right back at you," I saluted and then practically slid down my own fire escape.

Thankfully, the majority of the walkers were still huddled around the horse or turning to face their attention towards where the man was finally leaving the tank.

If I had had more time, I would've take a better look at him-- the asshole who Glenn and I were risking our lives for-- but this was my only chance. I tried to swallow down my fear and with one deep breath, I let go of the yellow railings. My feet propelled me forward and I was sprinting toward the flesh fest that laid before me.

The only things in my vision were the large black duffle bag and the long-range guns abandoned right next to them.

It was taking everything in me to hold back my screams-- I tend to scream over anything really-- and I nearly scrape all the skin off my knees trying to grab the bags off the ground as quickly as humanly possible. The growls suddenly got louder and I could tell without looking that a few of the walkers climbing the tank set their sights on me.

"Fuck!" I yelped as one of the walkers suddenly turned around from the horse group and made a wild grab at me. Its decayed fingers nearly latched onto my arm and I tripped over my own feet, underestimating the weight of the man's stash.

I wildly kicked out, thankfully hitting it right in the chest and back into the group it came from. I didn't give myself the chance to look back; I took the only opportunity I had left and hauled ass. Tearing through the sidewalk, I pushed back as many of the walkers as I can, narrowly avoiding their snapping teeth by the grace of God.

I clutched my knife and pushed my legs faster than before, seeing the building Glenn was likely waiting at. Some selfish part of me felt relieved that most of the geeks were distracted by the fleeing stranger, whom I could see had a sheriff's uniform, and then even more so when he started firing his handgun at the walkers far ahead of him.

That kind of noise would attract more walkers, sure, but not to me.

I should've felt guilty but that stopped happening after the first week of civil collapse.

Adrenaline pushed me past the horrifying sight of triple the walkers I'd seen back at the tank. Even though I could hear their footsteps following behind me, my brain had somehow come to shut off the emotional wreck inside my head.

It was part of what made me a good detective. I could flip the switch quick.

A sudden grip yanked me back and I whipped around to find a walker right on me, pulling at the duffle bag with a concerning amount of strength. He must've died very recently. I gritted my teeth and swung the hunting knife at its face. His decaying skin sliced like old leather and I grimaced at the pus that oozed from the wound. The walker let go of the bag but just as quickly came lurching at me again. I was ready this time, stabbing him right between his eyes and yanking back before coming face-to-face with another.

My throat started to clam up and I was panting, shoving my knife into walker after walker that came running. I got a small break and started running again, searching for any sign of that sheriff.

I hoped he's alive and this wasn't a total waste. My odds of survival were growing devastatingly slim.

The street kept filling up but I was almost at the emergency exit, bypassing the alley the sheriff must've met Glenn at without a glance. I could see from my peripheral that it was saturated with the dead. I couldn't afford to grieve, if Glenn was amongst that group. Not now. Not while there's still a chance I could get these weapons back to Shane.

I'm twisting around the corner of the west side of the building, heart pounding as if it's going to give out at any moment, and I see my salvation feet away—

The ground beneath me disappears and I'm sent tumbling towards the ground. I yell in pain, gravel digging through my clothes. A walker collapses onto me. Its teeth snap at me far too close to comfort, flesh hanging off the tip of its nose, blood dried up around its exposed cheekbones.

Horror paralyzes me and I tense up in anticipation for the bite-- BANG!

My eyes squeezed shut and I thanked any force that was listening when the walker suddenly fell limp, nearly crushing me. I sprung back up to my feet after frantically pushing the cadaver aside, quickly searching for the source of my salvation.

I found it on the rooftop I had abandoned mere minutes ago.

It was a delightfully familiar face; his hair was a bit longer than I remembered and his face was covered in mud. A stark contrast from the last time I'd seen Rick Grimes. A fleeting feeling of elation burst in my chest at the sight of him.

He was staring at me from behind a pistol and I couldn't tell if he recognized me too and I had no time to decipher it because a chorus of growls reminded me just how deep in shit I was.

I took off towards the door and yanked it open, slamming it shut behind me. I spotted the stairwell and took three steps at a time, climbing higher and higher until I saw Glenn just a few flights away. His footsteps thundered in time with a second set-- Rick's.

His eyes found mine, making my heart skip a beat.

"Daph! Go ahead! Go, go, go!" Glenn rushed, breaking my connection with the deputy. I breathed heavily and stepped back into the game. I felt an overwhelming sense of security with my best friend behind me and it slowly started to sink in how lucky I was to be alive.

I was rushing down the same steps I came up, passing the level I'd entered through and finding myself below ground level, daylight pouring in through the open tunnel of the parking garage. My heart pummeled at the sight of walkers in our path of escape.

All three of us froze.

The door across the way opened suddenly and out came Morales and T-Dog, decked in protective gear and wielding two large poles they must've found somewhere in the building.

They each took on a walker, smacking the sticks into their heads until they were both on the ground in bloody heaps.

I rushed into the scene, jumping over one of the dead geeks and dragging Glenn behind me by the wrist.

"Come on!" I yelled.

"Morales, let's go!" I faintly heard as I landed in Jacqui's arms. She stabilized me; I'd ran in with too much momentum and had half the sense to let go of Glenn before sending him barreling into the woman as well.

The door slammed shut behind us and I heard a gun click dangerously.

"Son of a bitch! We oughta kill you!" Andrea growled. She shoved Rick against some pallets.

"Just chill out, Andrea. Back off," Morales defended.

"Ease up," Jacqui said.

I stared at the scene with wide eyes, trying to gather my wits. Shane's gun was firmly pointed between Rick's eyes and I regretted giving this hothead a weapon.

"You're kidding me right? We're dead because of this stupid asshole!"

"Andrea, I said back the hell off," Morales said slowly, hovering over the blonde.

I wasn't too nervous, Andrea could barely aim a shooting dart and besides, the safety was still on.

"Pull the fucking trigger if you're going to, Harrison," I said sarcastically. I could clearly see Rick's eyes flickering between the safety and Andrea's horrible posture. It was just as clear to him that she had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

This seemed to break her out of her foolish act and she lowered the gun with a look of utter despair.

"We're dead," she moaned. "All of us..." She fixed Rick with a harsh glare. "Because of you."

I couldn't really argue with her there. The sight of him was making me a bit nervous, the stupid feelings I had for him bubbling to the surface but I tried to force them back down, even if his presence made me act like a goddamn fool most of the time. Now wasn't the time to indulge in a stupid unreciprocated crush on a resuscitated, married man.

Rick scanned the rest of the group and his gaze hung over me a second longer than the rest. "I don't understand."

"Look, we came into the city to scavenge supplies. You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving. You know what the key to surviving is? Sneaking in and out. Tiptoeing. Not shooting you the streets like it's the O.K. Corral." Morales said while shoving Rick to the front of the department store. We all followed quickly.

"Every geek from miles around heard you popping off rounds," T-Dog explained. I saw the shock flicker through Rick's expression as he looked out the large glass windows into the streets of the city.

"He— he saved my life," I spoke up in his defense. "One of those bullets saved my life, guys."

It might not have counted for much, seeing as our prospects of survival were virtually vanishing before our eyes but at least maybe Rick wouldn't die the most hated man in the room. "So we could get this," I waved the duffel bag before the group and I got a simultaneous gasp of surprise.

T-Dog and Morales rushed forward, looking at the contents with a new sense of hope.

"It doesn't matter," Andrea panicked. "You just rang the dinner bell."

She looked at Rick as she said this but I was hoping she spared a glance toward me so I could give her a nasty glare.

"He gets the picture," Morales threw back at Andrea. He was still rummaging through the ammo like a child in a candy store.

I glanced at Rick to find him staring at the windows in horror. I followed his gaze and saw a large rock in the clutches of a walker. It was banging it against the glass. Glenn rushed to my side.

"What were you doing out there anyway?" Andrea asked.

"Trying to flag the helicopter."

I shot him a crazy look.

"Helicopter?" T-Dog scoffed. "Man, that's crap. Ain't no damn helicopter."

"You were chasing a hallucination. Imagining things. It happens," Jacqui tried to deny politely.

"I saw it," asserted Rick. He looked at me as if asking for backup.

I shook my head.

Morales ignored the whole thing. "Hey, T-Dog, try that C.B. Can you contact the others?"

"Others?" Rick interrupted. He was starting to remind me of a lost puppy. "The refugee center?"

I couldn't sit around and listen to this bullshit any longer, my survival instinct was kicking in at full speed with every bang on the windows. "Where the fuck is Dixon?"

Not that I cared about that fucker... it was too civil right now... despite the ongoing conflict, Merle's obnoxious two-cents were very obviously missing and I feared what he would do without supervision...

As if on cue, a loud gunshot fired from above us.

"Great," I slapped a palm to my hairline.

"Oh no, is that Dixon?" Andrea fretted.

"I got no signal," T-Dog banged the walkie against his leg. I was already running toward the rooftop access, angered beyond words and I hoped Glenn was on my trail because I needed someone to hold me back from slapping Merle Dixon into next week.

"What is that maniac doing?!" Someone yelled from behind me.

Hot with fury, I burst through the rooftop door, immediately catching sight of the asshole with his rifle shooting wildly at the street.

"Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?!" Morales screamed.

"Put that shit down! You're attracting more of them!" I demanded, fighting against Glenn's firm grip on my shirt.

"Hey! You oughta to be more polite to a man with a gun!" Merle smirked and pointed the rifle at me. He jumped off the edge and strolled towards us with that insufferable expression on his face. "Only common sense."

"I know you of all people aren't talking about common sense," I said nastily.

Merle pointed the gun at me dangerously.

"Man, you're wasting bullets we ain't even got!" T-Dog yelled. "And you're bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill!"

"Bad enough I got these two taco-benders on my ass all day!" He waved the gun at Morales and I dangerously. "Now I'm gonna take orders from you, 'Mr. Yo?'"

"You can take your white supremacist bullshit and shove it up your ass, you racist dick," I broke free from Glenn and put a hand on Morales's shoulder, pulling him away from Dixon.

"It's just the new world order, baby! I'm reinforcing what should've been done a long time ago. You—" he pointed at me. "Your kind." He spat. "You should've been the first to go!"

He made a move at me.

Within the next second, there was a flurry of commotion. I was dragged a few paces back by a hand on my waist.

Glenn was standing in front of me protectively and Rick had jumped over the pole that separated us.

T-Dog swung his fist at Dixon and the asshole ducked and slammed the butt of the rifle into his nose.

"Mother—"

Rick came flying towards Dixon next, face red in anger and I was shocked— wondering what had set him off so aggressively. Dixon was quick on his feet, for a crackhead at least, punching Rick before he could try to break up the fight and sending him flying over the pole.

I would've laughed at the dramatics if I weren't fighting against Glenn.

It was only a matter of time before this happened— Merle Dixon had been nothing but a racist prick since the moment he set foot in our camp.

T-Dog recovered quickly and ran at him again, only to get kicked in the chest and thrown headfirst into the metal pole. Blood marked the spot his head collided with.

"Stop! Dixon, you're gonna hurt him!" Andrea had been screaming since the start.

I broke free from Glenn, just as Morales was punched in the stomach. I went to grip onto the collar of Dixon's shirt and he swung an arm in my direction; his handgun was pointing right at my head.

"Stop this madness!" Andrea cried. "No, no, no. Please!"

I stared at him wide-eyed, trying to calculate the level of crazy in his eyes right now.

He kept switching his aim from me to T-Dog.

I heard Glenn breathing heavily behind me. I didn't dare move a muscle.

T-Dog was looking at me with a desperate look. I was silent for a minute— everyone too fearful to even breathe the wrong way.

Dixon let a smile spread from cheek to cheek. "Yeah, alright!" He looked mighty chum. "We're gonna have ourselves a little powwow, huh?"

He spat and then rose from his knees. "Talk about who's in charge!"

He raised his gun in a power stance and I took the chance to drop to my knees next to T-Dog. Glenn and Jacqui rushed to our sides, Andrea pulling at T-Dog's arms and creating some distance.

"Democracy time, y'all!"

What I would give to break his fucking nose. But with that gun waving wildly in the air, I couldn't risk it.

"Someone's gotta be in charge around here! I vote me! Let's take a vote. Raise of hands? Anybody?"

Nobody moved until Dixon raised the gun threateningly.

I watched Morales raised his hand slowly. There was movement beside me and I quickly turned to glare at Glenn. He gave me an apologetic look and I understood he was just trying to keep us alive.

Dixon noticed the nasty look on my face. "You— I'm quite sick of you. I imagine where you come from, you wouldn't know anything about democracy, would you? I said, raise of fucking hands," he pointed the handgun at me.

I didn't move. His finger curled over the trigger.

"Anybody else?" Dixon snarled.

"Yeah," Rick appeared behind him and slammed the discarded rifle against his temple. Dixon falls to the ground with a thud and Rick is quick on his feet, slamming a boot against his right arm and fishing a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. Dixon grunts as he fights against Rick's knee.

Rick turned his chin towards us, his left cheek beginning to swell. "Ayala, help me out here."

It took me half a second to comprehend his words but I rushed into action as soon as I realized he was talking to me. I'd seen this sort of procedure a few times on the field, when criminals got a bit handsy in the detainment process. It was funny to think the last officer I'd seen in this type of action before all this started was Rick Grimes himself. Working alongside him felt natural as I slipped back into my old routine, discarding any weapons Dixon could reach for and, in this case, pocketing them instead of storing them in evidence bags.

"Who the hell are you, man?!" Dixon snarled.

Pulling him up by the collar, Rick got right in his face. "Officer Friendly," he snarled back with just as much contempt.

"Look here, Merle. Things are different now. There's none of that foolish shit that came out of your mouth. No dumb-as-shit, inbred white-trash fools either. Only us and the dead. The only way we survive this is by pulling together, not apart."

Captivated, I watched Rick load up the handgun he pulled from his belt.

Dixon rolled his eyes. "Screw you, man."

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point."

"Yeah? Well, screw you twice."

Rick seemed to snap, suddenly pressing the gun against Dixon's temple and cocking it. He leaned over him menacingly and it was so unlike the composure I'd seen from him over the years.

"You ought to be polite to a man with a gun," he threw Dixon's words right back at him. "Only common sense."

I swallowed thickly. My throat had suddenly become dry for some reason.

"You wouldn't. You're a cop."

"All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. Anybody that gets in the way of that is gonna lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that."

Dixon was finally silenced. Rick went through his shirt pockets and pulled out a stash of cocaine. "Got some on your nose there," he mocked, flicking Dixon's nose.

"What're you gonna do? Arrest me?" Dixon snickered but it quickly stopped when Rick tossed the drugs over the edge. "Hey! What're you doing, man?! That's my stuff! HEY!"

"If I get loose, you better fucking pray— HEY! You hear me, you filthy pig?!"

"Yeah, your voice carries," said Rick tiredly as he finally walked away.

I ignored the asshole and rushed after the deputy. He side-eyed me as I leaned beside him on the edge, facing him completely as he overlooked the city. His hands were shaking slightly.

"How?" He spoke first. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I thought you were dead. I thought everyone was dead. I went back to the station," Rick explained.

"That's where you got the guns," I nodded at the bag he had swung over his shoulder again.

He pressed his lips in a line. His eyebrows were drawn together and he looked exhausted.

"I'm sorry. I—" a chuckle left my lips. "I didn't think you remembered me."

I couldn't help it. It was digging at me since the moment he called my name as if we were back on the field.

Of course I always noticed Rick Grimes but I didn't think he ever noticed me. From the amount of people he had to work with in his career at King County PD, I had to be the most minuscule irrelevant part of his job.

Rick stared at me with an unreadable expression. His lips parted in response—

"You're not Atlanta PD," Morales joined us. "Where you from?"

"Up the road a ways," responded Rick. He was trying to read my face. Maybe he was trying to figure out whether he should expose our past or not. Smart.

"Well, Officer Friendly, from up the road a ways. Welcome to the big city."

Morales patted my shoulder and I gave Rick one more pointed glance.

"How's that signal, T-Dog?" I asked, joining the group again. Merle gave me a nasty glare. I ignored him.

"Like Dixon's brain— weak."

I smirked in amusement.

"Keep trying," insisted Morales.

"Why?" said Andrea. "There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing."

"Got some people outside the city is all," Morales explained to Rick. I got a jolt of realization and quickly placed a hand on Rick's shoulder. He turned towards me, confused, and I barely gave him time to cooperate before dragging him to the other end of the rooftop. I wouldn't want Dixon hearing this.

"Rick, listen... Lori, Carl—"

"Are they okay? Are they safe?" He asked desperately. I placed a hand on his shoulder, which probably didn't help because the panic in his eyes seemed to increase tenfold.

"They're safe—" I told him quickly. Relief flooded into his eyes. "God, you won't believe this. They're at our camp. Shane Walsh, he's with them too—"

His arms pulled me in, his face burying itself in the crook of my neck and I could only accept it limply. My arms were glued to my sides by his tight grip. He was warm and smelled like sandalwood.

I snuck a glance over his shoulder at Glenn. He was staring at us, confused as everfuck, and I knew once he realized exactly who Rick Grimes was, he'd be having a field day with this.

"Oh God, thank you," breathed Rick. He squeezed me one last time before pulling away with a shaky smile. "And you— how did you all end up together?"

The way he said 'you' caused a twist in my gut, partly from confusion but also from the stupid feelings I thought had been squashed away months ago.

"Guys! We need some ideas here!" Morales interrupted once again, waving us over and cutting our conversation short.

"I'll explain everything soon. I promise," I placed a hand on his bicep and then walk away, feeling his eyes on my back.

It was embarrassing how fast my heart was beating, the way I was overthinking the movement of my hips. My entire body buzzed with the aftershock of having Rick's body suddenly pressed against mine mere seconds ago...

And all I could think about was the fact that Rick Grimes was about to become a part of my new life.

next chapter...

#the walking dead #rick grimes x original female character #rick grimes x daphne ayala #rick grimes x oc #rick grimes x reader #the walking dead fanfic #glenn rhee #rick grimes #twd #shane walsh x original female character

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oxygenbefore1775 · 3 months

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There will be no second (and final) part to the Down The Chasm fic I've published for ReiJeanWeek2024 — Below would be the unfinished snippet of the second chapter for anyone interested

Additionally, I want to offer some sort of explanation for this. Not because I feel like I own one, but because I want to make my reasonings for not wishing to conclude it exhaustively clear. If you're not interested, you can just skip over the purple text to the text of the chapter itself

cw: death mention

I was not in the best place when I started to write this fic, and these circumstances played a part in establishing the premise/plot that was not very healthy for me to think about for the prolonged periods of time. The main theme of the fic was meant to be centred around the loss of control, with fear of forfeiting the agency of one's body being a prime example of it. And as the luck would have it, I picked to elaborate on the very same concept that was haunting me at the time. During the latter part of January and the whole of February, I felt like I wasn't in control of my own life myself. There were plenty of reasons for me to think that, I won't get into specifics, but they must have been intense enough to manifest themselves into the worst form inside my mind. I fell into the month-long anxious episode where the only thing I kept thinking about was death. They say that the fear of death is most likely the purest form of fear of losing control over your actions since once you're dead there's not much you can do, so I guess that tracked for me. The thought of my death kept me up at night and caused a couple of panic attacks. I assumed that writing about my experience in the fic would help me to process my state (like a diary or something), but in actuality, it only worsened it since I kept making myself recall my darkest thoughts and hold them there for a very long time. That's why I don't want to write a continuation for the fic. Because every time I try to add to it, now that I'm relatively ok, it makes me think about possibly the worst part of my life mental-health-wise, and I'd rather not subject myself to it. The premise and the writing of the fic were... fine, I wish I could revisit it some time. But right now, the memories tied to the fic are far too visceral (even jotting this paragraph proved to be quite a challenge), so I will leave it be until the better time should it ever come.

****

The sky is red in his dreams. Still it bleeds crimson rivers of fire. Still it is cloaked in dark clouds of black ash. The tainted, never-changing red.

The same dream, the same darkness enveloped and beckoned into its depths, only to consume him the moment he closed his eyes.

If only it were a mere dream, an unpleasant vision that could be left behind within the confines of sleep. But its talons were closing in on him even as he lay there, awake, painfully aware that it was not some dreadful nightmare but his memories.

They would have to rob him of his mind first for the tolling of tocsin in his head to cease.

He drew in a sharp breath and abruptly sat upright in his bed once it became too much to bear. It all felt too real — pitch black, the scorching heat, the sensation of the body that doesn’t belong to him — perhaps, because it was indeed so. How easy it was to find the retreat during the day, lost in tasks, any task requiring some level of mental function. The nights provided no such solace. He couldn’t help but to think, alone.

In the stillness of the room he could discern the faint sound of breathing — so unlike his own, ragged and strained. Armin, Connie, Reiner, all asleep in their beds. It seemed the past haunted only him. His ribs still throbbed mercilessly where his body hit ground and his skin bloomed with bruises, the pain robbing Jean of any chance to fall back into the slumber. If only the dreams didn’t make it any more unlikely for him.

The moon bathed his form in its light, for the first time in so many months. A pitiful reprieve before the promise of the sunrise and the new day yet Jean yearned for it nonetheless. He wouldn’t find any sleep today, like all the days before this. The red skies would be there.

Jean intended to flee before it could overtake him again, as it had on all the nights before this. This time, however, he had a refuge.

The starless waste greeted him as Jean walked into the field, a burst of white robes amidst the black soil. The moon, brighter than any memory he held, and its glow bleached the sky into the wash of… Blue. Just blue. No clouds to dull its color, no sun to poison it. No warmth in the desolate landscape — none that Jean sought, anyway, casting his gaze back at the settlement he’d just left, quiet and dark and serene.

In the open field, the wind showed no mercy, sweeping through his body and draining it of the last grains of warmth. But Jean didn’t mind, he welcomed the cold. He longed to shiver, to wrap himself in the cradle of his arms from something other than the memories in his head refusing to die. The darkness, the heat, the feeling of inhabiting a foreign body — all of those for the wind to take, to get lost in its freezing current. Yet another thing, something else remained of this day.

A voice in the distance failed to bring him out of his thoughts. Was it calling out to him? What for? Jean couldn’t tell; all the words — if there were any words indeed — drowned all the same in the snapping and cracking sound of the plates from that day, the one only the chitin shell of a crushed beetle would make.

The warm touch grazed his shoulder yet even that Jean barely acknowledged. Standing, rooted to one spot, he spectated his mind race, no longer master of his own thoughts.

“

The taste of ash in his mouth. Was it the smoke in the air? No. It was the flesh.

“Each night, I devour you.”

****

i am thankful to everyone who were interested in my fic and took their time to read it, I really appreciate it

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ryansjane · 1 year

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axelle judges bl shows > Be My Favorite

summary: Kawi is 30 and lives a shitty life. His father died, he has a low paying but exhausting job, no friends, and Pear, the girl he's liked since his university days, is getting married to their classmate, Pisaeng. When Kawi discovers that he has the ability to travel through time, becoming 20 again, he decides to try and seduce Pear. One problem: Pisaeng is there to get in his way.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 8,5/10

pros:

the story is not only pretty original, but very well written. I think everyone can find themselves relating to elements of the show, and I loved the topic of wanting to go back in time to fix things which is something everyone has wished at least once in their life. I also love that we see the characters slowly detach themselves from trying to change & predict the future, but actually enjoy the present, which is a pretty beautiful message to pass. the theme of the show truly makes it so lovable and important in my eyes.

the acting was really good from everyone! my favorites were of course my baes gawin & aye who especially slayed :) krist also really impressed me considering I was obviously skeptical about him acting in bl again.

LOVED LOVED LOVED the pisaeng coming out storyline. it wasn't anything incredibly original, but actually was never done that way in a bl show & made incredibly respectfully and well, especially thanks to fluke gawin's performance!

gawinkrist ate?? the chemistry was mostly really good on & off screen and they really sold pisaengkawi to me.

cons:

all of my problems with the show come from the writing, so here you go:

I wish we'd seen kawi's feelings more before he changed his mind from liking pear to wanting to be with pisaeng. I know it was explained as him suddenly realizing it once pisaeng was gone from his life, but I still wish they'd given it slightly more time so we could really feel the weight of kawi's feelings.

I found the pisaengkawi's first time storyline kinda badly executed, even though the sex scene in itself was beautifully acted & filmed. kawi's discomfort with sex is never explored, and he changed his mind without us ever seeing his thought process. I wish we could've gotten a scene where pisaengkawi discussed their relationship with sex & it was made clear that kawi does want to have sex but is just scared, bc without that scene, it feels like kawi doesn't really want it, and the cut from pisaengkawi not getting along great to them having sex was really jarring in the show.

I wanted the side characters to be more developed, and believe there was enough screentime for that. I would've loved to see pear finding herself outside of romantic relationships, kwan finally meeting a man that treats her like she deserves, I wanted max to be more than just activist pride guy (which, SLAY!) and get more screentime & depth bc he's fucking iconic, and even crusty not should've been shown having grown & become a better person after 10 years.

would I rewatch it: absolutely!

If you'd told me Be My Favorite would be one of my favorite shows of the year, I would have laughed at you in the face. In fact, I was the first one doubting this pairing and even the precedent one, but I gotta say... this show really pulled through for me. It is more flawed than I'd like, but still a very touching show about a topic frankly rarely or even never seen in bl. I'm so glad I gave it a chance :)

#axelle judges bl shows #be my favorite #be my favorite the series #bypiningbisexuals

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moved-to-aromanticsuzuya · 1 month

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okay you guys convinced me to write about my memories so here it is. it's gonna be kinda messy but uhh I just need to get it off my chest

a bunch of Suzuya Juuzou nonsense under cut. it will NOT make sense I'm just writing it down before I forget. if you understand something out of it that's awesome if you don't then it's okay me neither. general CW for mentions of murder, violence, suicidal/intrusive thoughts?

first of all, I'd like to say that I regret some of my behavior. I wish I wasn't that messed up and violent and I wish I was healthier in general.

now to the actual rant, I don't even know which memories were a part of the original written down Suzuya lore in tkg, and which weren't. I can't tell. it all mixes together, because those are my experiences either way.

I don't remember a lot, but at the same time I remember so much. or rather, I KNOW so much, but I don't REMEMBER a lot. that doesn't really make sense, does it? I don't know.

I remember the academy. I was a violent teen, I was apathetic, I was unstable, yeah. for a while. but it's because I was so hurt and it was so normalized in my head. I wish it wasn't. I wish I knew other ways to show my discomfort or anger that didn't involve lashing out or punching or anything.

i tried my best to get along with the other cadets and whatever, but no matter how hard I tried they just didn't want to be anywhere near me. I guess I was too weird. I didn't really get them either, I tried to understand how their heads work and why they Care so much but I just kind of couldn't. grades and whatever it is we learned about didn't really interest me much, I was too busy zoning out and replaying unpleasant memories in my head. maybe that's why I didnt know almost anything about ghouls at 19 despite being an investigator?

as for the empathy/apathy thing, it was more complicated than that. it was all Really Really complicated and I'm STILL confused. I guess I didn't know how to cope, and I in general became so desensitized to violence and the concept of morality I just felt Nothing regarding the topic when it was brought up? other than that, it's not that I felt Nothing ALL the time, my brain just decided the trauma was too much to handle and tucked it away somewhere to never think about, and then decided that caring about other people again is a waste of time and energy and is just going to get me hurt.

for a while I didn't know what to do with myself. I just kind of followed Shinohara around and looked forward to slashing up ghouls because it was fun (but actually, it was more of an outlet for my emotions and intrusive thoughts, and all that pain and hurt I never let myself think about went into stabbing and cutting). I attended those stupid meetings and tried so hard not to fall asleep. I listened to his lectures about ghoul anatomy and physiology even though I didn't really care. I didn't really care about anything at the time, all i wanted was to curl up in the corner somewhere and cry. cry it all out. maybe go back to mama. maybe die. living was too exhausting and painful and I wanted to push everyone away

Im so mad at myself for saying I wouldn't care if something happened to Shinohara. and for being so fucking difficult to deal with in general, and for being an ungrateful little bitch. he was nothing but kind to me and I didn't know how to show my appreciation for him. It was all scary and new, I wasn't used to somebody caring so much. but I did care. I just never showed it. I'm so stupid I feel so guilty and bad and I miss him.

okay my head hurts and all of this made me really sad so I'm not going to write any more for now. good news is, Suzuya Juuzou gets Better and Grows as a person after all this and actually becomes semi normal. so I'm gonna write about that some other time and you can all tell me how proud you are of me for coming this far

#; talking #; identity #long post #cw mention of murder #<- ?#THIS IS WAY TOO LONG #trying to reread this gives me a headache #ill post it and see how long it takes for me to delete it #im not tagging this with fictkin or whatecer this is embarrassing #; memories

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alder-saan · 1 year

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The Path of Poisons .9

Bugloss

Larissa x gn! Oc

the Path of Poisons masterlist . [01] . [02] . [03] . [04] . [05] . [06] . [07] . [08] . [09] next chapter ->

Sorry! It was supposed to be released yesterday but I forgot haha!

TW: Larissa's low self esteem, hospital, stupid lesbians

words count: 1.5k

Again, sorry for any misgendering, this is the only fic I write in French at first, yada yada yada...

from: [email protected]

to: [email protected]

Hello Larissa,

Thank you for your email, it was great to hear from you, I hope you're well. I haven't forgotten you, and even if it hadn't been for all this, I wouldn't have forgotten you.

I forgive you.

For everything you've done and everything you've said. I forgave you a long time ago. We've grown up, I've changed a lot, you've probably changed a lot too.

I wish you lots of strength, lots of courage and lots of happiness.

All the best,

Avareida

Larissa's heart leapt in her chest as she read the three words "I forgive you." It was more than she could ever have imagined. And she burst into tears in front of her desk. I forgive you. It was as if something released in her whole body. I forgive you. All the pressure she had built up, all the hatred she thought she was the object of, gone. I forgive you. Those were three words she had waited so long to hear, three words she only heard in her wildest dreams. I forgive you, three words she thought she'd have to die to hear.

She froze. Tears streamed down her face and soaked the papers spread out on her desk. She dropped her pen in surprise. She thought she'd read in the email something along the lines of "thank you for your email but I'd rather not talk to you". It was unexpected. She didn't even understand how it was possible.

I forgive you.

forgive

you.

Those three words echoed so loudly in her head, it was almost painful. She felt as if a small fire had been lit in her chest, a tiny flame, just a match, and the ice that had clung to her heart was gradually melting. She rubbed her misty eyes and took a deep breath.

"Pull yourself together, Larissa. It's nothing, it's just… it's just Ava forgiving you."

"She has? That's wonderful!"

Larissa gasped and looked up. Rei was closing the door and coming towards her.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you. I knocked but you didn't hear me, so I came in."

"Did… Has something happened?"

"The nurse has been informed that Wednesday is better. She asked me to tell you that we'll be able to see her soon. This afternoon, probably."

She nodded and finished wiping away her tears.

"Okay, that makes me feel better."

"Do you want us to do something before we go and see her? Go for a coffee or something."

Larissa frowned slightly, not really understanding.

"But you said that…"

"Yes, I said that romantically it wouldn't be possible at the moment, but I didn't say anything about friendly. You clearly need to take your mind off things, and I think getting out would do you good. If you want there to be no ambiguity, Thalia can come with us."

Larissa shook her head.She didn't want there to be too many people. What's more, while Rei was quiet, she knew Thalia to be very talkative. A little too talkative for her taste. Of course, she liked the Gorgon very much, but spending time in her company tended to exhaust her more than anything else, and she needed to rest today.

"No, it's fine, we can meet for a drink in the early afternoon. How about Weathervane?"

"That's fine."

Rei nodded. At least Larissa wasn't angry with him. That was something. Now she just had to wait for the right moment to tell her. Maybe at the Weathervane the next day? Or after the hospital visit, hoping she'd be a bit calmer.

Rei had absolutely no doubt that Mercredi would pull through. The young girl had resisted the poison for a long time without an antidote, so with the antidote, she should recover very quickly. So obviously, Larissa was going to be relieved, and hearing that Rei had been Avareïda all along would take a load off everyone's shoulders.

Perhaps a little more for Rei than anyone else, it's true.

Larissa was waiting at the Weathervane. She was 5 minutes early, as usual. Rei arrived right on time, as usual. They sat down opposite the principal, and handed her a small brooch in the shape of a little blue flower with four petals.

"Is that… is that for me?" she asked, taking the little brooch.

"Yes, I thought you weren't going to come to the hospital and leave with flowers…"

Larissa hung the brooch on her white jacket. But she didn't know the name of the little blue flower.

"I ordered for you."

"Oh, and what did you get?"

"It's a surprise."

Larissa smiled. She loved surprising her partners. She liked to see their faces light up when they finally found out what she was going to give them. Rei wasn't her partner, of course, but… She also liked to surprise her friends.

"Speaking of surprises," Rei began, "after we went to see Wednesday, I have something to tell you."

Larissa frowned. Rei looked a little stressed. She was worried about her friend.

"Is everything all right, Rei?"

"Yes, yes, everything's fine haha. Sorry, this whole thing's got me a bit worried."

They gave her a smile that was meant to be reassuring, but Larissa could see it was fake. However, she didn't insist. Rei had every right to keep certain secrets, and she told herself that she would ask again at another time. Their drinks arrived. The waiter placed two hot chocolates on the table, with lots of whipped cream on top. Rei arched an eyebrow, amused to see that the surprise drink was a simple hot chocolate.

"Hot chocolate?"

Larissa nodded, her lips already on the edge of the cup.

"They make the best in the area."

"So you're a fan of hot chocolate?"

"Absolutely. Why, don't I look like one?"

Rei laughed softly before taking a sip of her hot chocolate, her eyes planted in Larissa's. They put the cup down and seemed to think.

"Well, no. You don't really look like a fan of hot chocolate. No offence, of course…"

The headmistress smiled and leaned forward slightly.

"And what do I look like, then?"

"You look like someone who likes expensive tea and wine," Rei quipped as she drank a little more.

She let out a small laugh.

"That's a bit true too, oh wait…"

Larissa stood up and leaned over the table, her arm outstretched to reach Rei's face. They had a smear of whipped cream above their lip, and she wiped it away gently. The botanist's face turned slightly red, and they looked into Larissa's blue eyes. Their lips opened slightly as the principal's thumb lingered there. They held their breath. If Larissa kissed them now, he wouldn't be able to resist. And in Larissa's eyes, they could see all the hesitation. She wanted to kiss them too.

Their lips met. Larissa tasted hot chocolate. Who had kissed first, Rei wasn't sure. They put their hand on the main girl's cheek and gently pushed her away.

"Forgive me, Rei, I…"

"Don't apologise, that's for me to do. I shouldn't have, I said that…" they sighed and then let out a small laugh, "I guess you're hard to resist. Let's forget about it for now, shall we?"

With a bit of luck, that very evening they would kiss again. For that to happen, he had to find the courage to tell her who he was. And that wasn't easy.

"It's time to go and see Wednesday, I think."

Rei blinked, drawn out of her thoughts.

"Yes, you're right."

Larissa had already got up and was paying for their two hot chocolates. Rei was about to protest, but by the time they got to the counter, she had already swiped her card.

"Hey, I can pay, you know?"

"I'm the one who chose, I'm the one who pays. That's the rule."

Rei laughed softly and held the door for Larissa to come out.

"Oh yeah? Since when is that the rule?"

"Since today. I just created it."

Larissa swallowed as she entered the hospital. She had left just three months earlier, and had promised herself she would never return. She watched Rei talking to a doctor, and tried to hold her breath. She'd hated that clean smell ever since. Those white floors, those white walls, those white doors, those white coats. She hated it. But she had to go. She had to face her fear. She had to go and see Wednesday. Because it was her fault, and entirely her fault that a pupil had been poisoned under her roof. It was her duty to protect them, but she had failed. She had failed.

"Riss? Everything OK? Wednesday has been moved to room 666. At her own request."

Larissa gasped and then nodded. She didn't even notice the nickname.

"Yes, everything's fine."

"Shall we?"

She nodded and reached for his hand. She needed something to ground her, to anchor her to reality, to make sure she wasn't in one of her nightmares. Rei guided her to a lift. They got in and the doors closed behind them. The six floors seemed like an eternity to Larissa, whose gaze went from the floor to the doors to Rei to the small screen that showed "third floor". Three more, she thought. Rei's hand was warm in hers, and that reassured her. Everything around her was blue and white, too cold for her. Rei gave her a small smile.

The doors opened onto the sixth floor.

Mercredi was sitting on her bed, her eyes open and her face impassive. Thalia was already there. Larissa quickly removed her hand from Rei's, but there was no mistaking the arched eyebrow on Wednesday's face: she'd seen everything.

"Laurel is back," she said simply.

"Excuse me?" Larissa choked, and widened her eyes.

"Laurel is back. She's the one who poisoned me. And she has an ally again."

"Who?"

"Avareïda Hydrurga."

_______________________________________

#gwendoline christie #larissa weems #principal larissa weems #larissa weems x reader #larissa x reader #principal weems #lesbian #the path of poisons

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emma-nation · 1 year

Text

The Curse Of Hackett's Quarry

Chapter 2 - The Hermit

Summary: After the events of a traumatic night, Emma Mountebank finds out she still a werewolf. While she learns how to deal with this new reality, new problems and feelings come to surface. Pairings: Emma/Abi, Emma/f!OC

Notes: Thanks for the comments and likes. It means a lot to me as it's the first fic I'm writing after a long break. I hope you enjoy what I've been planning for the next chapters! :)

Full Story:

The Hermit card generally indicates a period of soul-searching, introspection and solitude. A period of isolation attempting to heal from a difficult situation.

The morning after her first transformation, Emma had a hard time cleaning herself before heading back to her dorm in college. She was so exhausted and sick that she missed classes for the next two days.

The second transformation by the end of October wasn't any easier, but she was more prepared this time. She knew what to expect and had enough time to improve the safety measures.

The third transformation was a little less painful. Emma started working out regularly, increasing it significantly by the week of the transformation. She wanted to run a few tests and it worked. The impact of the shifting was more bearable when her body was in a better shape.

The last full moon of 2021 was the most terrible of all, considering Emma got very sick after waking up in the woods with her clothes torn off, during a cold Winter morning.

She had never escaped from her restraints, so far. And with her mother being a dentist surgeon, she had no trouble stealing sedatives to keep the creature drowsy. Her priority at the moment was to find somewhere safe and warm where she could transform without any risks to herself or to other people.

In her old bedroom, at her parents' house, she felt comfortable recording a video again. Not to post online or to show anyone. But she had to vent about everything that was going on.

"People are finally starting to forget about that fucking incident at that cursed Summer Camp. My respects to Mr. H and his family - I hope they found peace, but…" It was sincere. Emma liked Chris and his kids. She lamented their Summer ended in such a tragedy. She didn't know the rest of the family, but the other counselors, who had closer encounters with them, were scared. They seemed kinda dangerous. "I haven't. I'm not allowed to move on. That night will never end, at least for me."

At least the journalists stopped trying to contact Emma or her parents again. The negative comments about her around the internet decreased too. After an episode of the 'Bizarre Yet Bonafide' podcast about Hackett's Quarry Summer Camp, more people started to believe their innocence.

"Everyone else is moving on with their lives - Abi is going to Art School, Kaitlyn is traveling the world, Ryan has started his own podcast, Nick is taking a sabbatical year, Dylan is studying quantum physics and Jacob… well, fuck Jacob. I blocked him everywhere. The thing is, I wish I could do the same. But instead I'm… surviving. I'm learning to adapt to this new fucked up reality."

She hadn't told any of the other counselors she was still infected. No one had called her in months. Yet, she'd check their socials on a daily basis, searching for signs any of them could be struggling with the same issue. Which wasn't happening, after all she was the only one who was bitten by Silas Vorez.

"And the question remains… if Silas is dead, why am I still infected?"

January 2022

There was a reminder flashing on Emma's cell phone screen. Full Moon. That was the reason why she had spent the whole morning working out hard. Now, she was starving and ready to devour as much food as she could. Her appetite had increased significantly that one time.

"Hey, Abi," Emma attempted to call her best friend again while she followed to the campus restaurant. "How have you been? I… I'd love to hear from you. I can't wait to hear everything about Art School. Call me."

"Hello, Red Hood," she heard a familiar voice right behind her. Penelope Dalton. One of the popular girls who wouldn't leave Emma alone. "Who's Abi?"

She ignored the question. Back in High School, she used to be one of the popular girls too and she knew exactly how annoying and cruel they could be.

"Maybe she hasn't called yet because she was taken by the Big Bad Wolf," added Christina, one of Penelope's friends, raising giggles from the rest of their cliqué.

"Or maybe," Penelope continued, "she's a decent person who stood up by her friend, Jacob. After all, we know who caused that bloody fight in the camp, after a Truth or Dare game."

The incoming transformation always triggered Emma's worst moods. The mention of Jacob's name still ignited something inside her, feelings she was trying to bury. She automatically felt her skin burning, as well as the adrenaline pumping in her veins.

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

Emma attempted to close her eyes and take a deep breath, fighting the urge to go feral and teach that girl a lesson.

"Or what? Are you going to kill me and cry wolf ?"

Her attempt to be funny raised laughs. People were starting to reunite around them to watch the fight.

Less than one second later, Emma's fist hit Penelope right in the eye. It'd certainly leave a nasty bruise.

"Your psychotic bitch! Look what you've done!"

Penelope advanced in her direction, pinning her to the ground, where she started pulling her hair. Emma's reflexes were increased due to her incoming transformation. Although Penelope was taller, soon Emma managed to switch positions and get on top of the girl, slapping her face hard.

It didn't take long for the campus security to arrive. In the end, Penelope only signed an incident report and Emma was punished with a disciplinary suspension. She was also warned about her recurring absences.

During High School, Emma spent all those four years dreaming of college. Now, she didn't know if she wanted to be there anymore. She still could pursue her acting career without that.

After that Full Moon, she decided she wanted a break to find herself again. She decided to quit college and find herself a job.

It wasn't an easy task. Not because she wasn't skilled, but whenever people ran a background check, she'd get rejected. People were still afraid of the negative attention her presence could bring.

That small diner in the heart of New York City was her last resort.

"Name?" The owner, Addison Davies, asked while taking notes on a paper.

"Emma," she told, making a pause before adding her last name. "Mountebank."

The woman didn't seem to be paying too much attention, what gave her some hope. Maybe she wouldn't research her criminal records after all.

"Do you have any experience as a waitress, Emma?"

"No, but I'm a quick learner. I'm also an aspiring actress, which means I have a lot of charisma dealing with people."

She was about to speak about her experience as counselor, where all the kids adored her. But she stopped herself.

"An aspiring actress?"

"Yes. I signed up for a few auditions but while I don't have anything in sight, I need another source of income."

"When can you start?"

"Right now?" Emma furrowed her brows, already expecting another rejection.

It didn't happen. Either that woman didn't read the news or she really didn't care.

"Great, come with me and I'll show you what to do."

Addison was very satisfied to see how good she was doing and how quick she learned. She never asked any questions about Emma's past. She even agreed to give her an extra day off, during one specific day of the month.

Getting a new place to live was Emma's next goal. Her parents weren't happy when she dropped out of college. Living under the same roof was becoming impossible. They argued most part of the time. For many years, Emma did everything to please her parents and fulfill their expectations, but right now, she had other priorities in mind.

During her free time at the diner, she'd check the newspaper for announcements.

"Looking for a place to live?" Jenna was Emma's co-worker. She treated her well since the first day, giving her some useful tips. They were becoming good friends.

"Yes, do you happen to know any?"

"One of my roommates just moved out after graduating. Ben and I could really use somebody else to help with rent."

Benjamin also worked on the diner. He was more quiet and introspective, but very friendly.

"Do you mind if I check it tonight?"

They lived in a studio apartment. The bedroom was large and comfortable, but what caught Emma's attention the most was the basement she noticed once she entered the building. According to Jenna, it was always locked and never used by anyone. That could be the solution to all of her problems. During the Full Moon nights, she could just lock herself in there.

"Do you think the landlord would rent it for me?"

"I don't know, you could speak to him but… why?"

"I… uh… I could use some space to record my videos and rehearse for my auditions, you know?"

Jenna didn't ask any further questions. Emma spoke to the landlord in the same week she moved to the studio. After selling her car, she paid him some cash to have exclusive access to the basement. As well as the permission to make a few adjustments.

Emma had everything prepared for the next Full Moon. Metal chains to restrain her body were installed in the basement. She didn't want the risk of an accident, in case somebody ever decided to open that door to investigate possible noises. There was also a small bathroom in there that she could use to clean herself when she became human again.

"What kind of videos are you recording down here?" Ben was in the basement, holding one of the chains attached to the walls. Wondering if she had forgotten to lock the door, Emma almost dropped the supplies she was carrying downstairs - snacks, water and fresh clothes.

"Horror. I'm really into horror movies and… I've been doing some auditions for a role in the genre."

"Every once in a month?"

She let out a breath. It was obvious they'd notice someday, but she didn't expect it to be so fast.

"Huh?" In that moment, Emma prayed she was really a good actress. She forced a confused expression. "What are you talking about? I come here everyday. When you're still at the diner."

"You were in a terrible mood earlier today," Ben crossed his arms, staring at her with a suspicious look on his face. "And you're the most cheerful and energetic person I've ever met."

"Have you ever heard of PMS?"

Benjamin let out a small laugh, before adding:

"You lost control of your strength and accidentally smashed a glass in your hand this morning."

"I'm a little clumsy sometimes," Emma lied again.

"You made a deal with our boss that you couldn't take night shifts on one specific day of the month and the following morning," she never assumed they'd notice that one detail. "Each one of these nights have Full Moons."

She raised her hands defeated. Ben didn't look scared or even upset. He didn't even show any surprise.

"Don't tell anyone. Please? I'll find another place to live. I just need some time."

"I can help you, Em."

"What?! Why?! Are you out of your mind? I have no control of myself. I'll kill you."

Benjamin sat on a chair and asked Emma to sit too, in front of him.

"West Virginia. My uncle. One night he was hunting in the woods, when he got bitten," he started telling. "At first we assumed it was an animal, but… after that he'd transform every Full Moon. We had to keep an eye on him, to prevent him from slaughtering people."

"And…" Emma stared into his eyes. "Is he cured now? Did you find a way to break the curse?"

"He went missing," Ben answered after a mournful pause. "Dead. Most likely. The neighbors started noticing something was off."

Emma swallowed dry. If she wasn't careful enough, that could be her fate too.

"Do you think anybody else noticed something is wrong about me?"

"No, I only noticed because I became familiar with the signs. But you should tell Jenna. She's at nursing school, she could help you with the tranquilizers."

And like that, her roommates became her 'Wolf Pack', as Emma liked to call them. They didn't mind covering her shifts or staying awake monitoring her werewolf form through the cameras they installed in the basement. A shotgun with silver shells was always prepared in case the worse scenario happened.

The mornings after her transformation were the worst. Emma would feel exhausted and sore. She'd spend hours under the shower, where she'd let her emotions flow. No one had seen her crying yet. All the time, she acted tough and confident. No one could tell there was something so traumatic going on in her life. But in the loneliness of the early hours of those mornings, she felt like a scared lonely child.

April, 2022

After months of agony and misery, everything seemed to be falling in place, but Emma still couldn't feel like herself. She'd still attempt to record videos as she used to do in the past. But it wasn't the same. Her venting always came back to the same subject. She couldn't even post that online - people would assume she had definitely lost her sanity. But at least it was a good kind of therapy.

Ben and Jenna were helping her with an extensive research, but she couldn't find any clues that lead to an explanation of why she was still infected.

"Ugh," she placed her laptop away from her. "Not even the detective I hired could find any information about Eliza and Silas Vorez. It's like they never existed."

"They were probably using fake names," Ben suggested. "The woman kept the guy caged like an animal. That's certainly illegal."

"We should try a psychic someday," Jenna said. "Do you think they'd know anything about werewolves?"

"I doubt it."

"The Deep Web?"

"Oh, no. Ben taught me how to access it and I found some very… disturbing stuff there."

"I warned you about the werewolf kink," Ben said, letting out a laugh.

"Please, don't say it again," Emma made a disgusted face. "I wish I could unsee it."

"Anyways, it's your birthday tonight and we should definitely go out to celebrate."

It was the first time Emma wasn't excited for her birthday. All the previous years she'd throw wild parties and crowd her house with friends. Now, she barely left the apartment. She was either working at the diner, researching werewolves and once in a while, she'd sign up for auditions. So far, her only work as an actress was a small internet ad she did to promote Addison's diner.

"Happy birthday to me," Emma spoke to her cell phone's camera later, when she was lying in bed. "I turned nineteen today. Yay!"

"It was different from my other birthdays. I didn't get so many messages or gifts. No wild parties either. No, crazy parties actually. I don't like the word 'wild' anymore, now it reminds me of…"

She didn't finish. It was always hard to say it aloud. Even to herself.

"I went out with Ben and Jenna to try to forget about… that thing . Sometimes I can allow myself to act like a normal girl and have some fun. I met some people during our night outs. Guys and girls too. But dating is not an option right now."

"I mean… how am I supposed to even squeeze a relationship among all this crazy shit that has been happening to me? I know some freaks have a werewolf kink but I bet they'd run away the second I burst into that bloody mess of a monster."

"There's one person though… nevermind."

She turned off the camera. The person she had in mind hadn't even called her yet. Not even to wish her a happy birthday.

June, 2022

It was the beginning of another Summer. Almost one year had passed since that last night at Summer Camp. Emma was on her lunch break when got a call from an unknown number. Her heart skipped a beat - she was expecting a call about an audition she had done a few days later. But she never imagined the voice on the other side of the line would ruin that little balance she was attempting to keep in her inner world.

"Emma? It's me, Abi."

"A-Abi?" The corners of her mouth curled up in a smile. "It's… uh… it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"I'm home from college and I was wondering if you'd like to hangout."

#the quarry #emma mountebank #abigail blyg #blygbank #emma x abi #emma x f!oc #the quarry fanfiction

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