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kristinamae093 · 8 months

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Ghosted

Ghosted - Two Steps Back (Chapter Ten)

Series Summary - Prince Liam fell for Riley Brooks hard and fast. A marriage filled with love and devotion was within his reach. But everything changed when she vanished just before the end of the social season. As everyone voices their concerns regarding her scandalous departure, a confession from an unlikely source turns Liam's world upside down and makes him question everything around him.

Book/Pairing - TRR - Liam x MC (Riley Brooks)

A/N 1 - This AU starts right before the beginning of the engagement tour. There is a two-month lapse between the coronation and where we pick up, but we will stray from canon. Please excuse any errors found.

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

After the Regatta

Penelope hobbled to her room on a sore foot and a painfully bruised ego. This wasn’t going as expected; advisors told her toward the beginning of the season she might stand a chance, but after only the first few events, they hastily changed their tone. Between Madeleine, Riley, and Olivia, they knew Penelope would not be the new king’s choice.

Regardless, Penelope was enjoying her time away. The friends she’d made were irreplaceable; she and Kiara formed an everlasting bond. Even Riley was incredibly friendly, despite her commoner status. Penelope was rooting for Riley to win it all because she was genuinely a nice person, and Penelope was looking forward to what Cordonia could look like with her as queen.

Penelope approached her door whilst humming to herself. The day was long, and she was relieved to be in the comfortable solace of her own space. She planned on calling her parents for their daily video chat, and to get some doggy face time to tide her over while away. Her anxiety was through the roof without having them close, but the friendships she’d made were a momentary distraction. She was glad the ladies were nice enough; otherwise, this experience would’ve been a nightmare.

Penelope entered and made a bee-line for the bathroom. She did her business, washed her hands, and bounced her way over to the dresser to get more comfortable for the evening. Just as she opened the drawer, a stern knock sounded on her door. Penelope scrunched her face; she was expecting no visitors but thought perhaps Kiara wanted to hang out.

As Penelope opened the structure, a thunderous force shoved through her and entered, slamming the door shut. Penelope stumbled backward but caught her footing. She could only stare at the person in front of her as panic flourished through her body. She didn't recognize them, but the death glare plastered on their face told her that notion was not applied on both ends. Her instinct told her to scream for help, but the visitor addressed her before she was given the chance.

They spoke in a low, raspy voice. “Have a seat, Lady Penelope. We have a lot to discuss.”

“W–who are you?”

“You need not worry about who I am, only what I know.”

“What do you mean?”

The person clasped their hands behind their back and stalked around Penelope; like a vulture circles its prey. “Everyone around you thinks you're the sweet, poodle-obsessed Penny, but I see otherwise. I know all about you… The things you’ve done… What your daddy tries his damndest to hide…”

Penelope’s already increasing heart rate spiked. “I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t. It’s alright, I wouldn’t want anyone to know, either.” They dismissively shrugged.

“Know what?”

The person snickered at her attempts to deflect, but they could see the panic rising in her eyes. “It’s quite a common expression — young and dumb. But, when you’re in the nobility, there are no secrets unless you know the right people.”

Penelope thickly swallowed. “I don’t – I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really? So, then you’ve never been — joined in holy matrimony, right?”

Penelope’s eyes widened. “I–”

“Enough with your attempts to feign confusion; that will only prolong this process and I am not in the mood to play games. I know of your estranged marriage; how your father pays plenty of hush money per month to keep his mouth shut. I imagine it would be fairly difficult to talk yourself out of that situation if the press were to catch wind; considering Portavira continuously requests the Crown’s compensation. And I do believe the monarch would not be happy to learn your family has developed a slush fund, either.”

The intruder gave Penelope a wicked smile and added, “Not to mention the — fatality that was caught amid your poor life choices…”

Penelope visibly tensed. “That’s not – I didn’t–” she stammered before snapping her mouth closed; her flustered state prohibited her from forming an argument.

“It’s a matter of opinion, I suppose. Regardless, I attained the records from your procedure.” They waved a piece of paper in Penelope’s face, and recognition swept over her instantly. She released a shuddered breath as the document came to a stop, her tearful eyes centering on the text.

Despite Penelope’s panicked state, the aggressor continued, “Tell me, do your parents know of your aborted fetus? I mean, I saw you on security cameras entering the clinic alone. It was smart of you to use a fake name, but unfortunately, that was not enough to cover up your mistakes.”

Penelope never answered, but the assailant watched her swallow thickly with shame etched in her features. She couldn’t fathom how this stranger had found her deepest secrets that she was certain would never see the light of day.

Penelope found out she was pregnant the day after her annulment was discreetly settled. Terrified wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how she felt, as she stared down at the positive test; she went to the clinic in disguise to find out about her options and decided abortion would be the best solution. Being only nineteen years old, Penelope was practically a child herself and didn’t believe she was at a point to care for a baby like they deserved. And she was alone; when she dreamt of this moment, it happened completely differently in her head. She longed for the fairytale love, where they would start a family together; not single and inevitably disgraced.

Her parents didn’t know, she was too afraid to tell them — especially after her father agreed to pay a continuous hefty fee for Guy’s silence. Penelope was always well-behaved; the perfect trophy daughter. The look of pure disappointment held in their eyes when they found out about her marriage haunted her; she never wanted to do anything out of line again. All Penelope desired was to move on from her mistake, but life had other plans.

Panicked and ashamed, Penelope made the impossible decision alone, not wanting anyone to know of the stupid decisions that led her there. Her fear and guilt only increased after the procedure, but she grieved what could have been and pushed it into the deepest pit of her mind.

She never told a soul – nobody knew – or so she thought.

“All it would take is a small whisper to the press and it would destroy not only you, but your fraudulent parents as well…”

Penelope gasped as her tears freely flowed. “No! P–please, don’t!”

The person laughed; the sound sending an involuntary chill down Penelope’s spine. They stalked forward until her back hit the wall and they breathed over her. Penelope squeezed her eyes closed, but felt them draw nearer. The tangy scent of alcohol mixed with cigar smoke filled her nostrils, as they whispered in her ear, “If you want my silence, you’re going to have to earn it.”

Penelope’s eyes shot open as she frantically nodded her head. “Okay, j–just tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.”

“I knew you’d see reason,” the unknown presence spoke while taking a small step away. They produced an envelope from their jacket and handed it to her.

Penelope opened it and started skimming over the information; it was an email address with a set of instructions and a few other notes. She didn’t understand what it all meant; the main thing that stuck out was the location of where they wanted the photographer to be.

“Why are they going to be outside Riley’s room?”

“The less you know, the better.” They once again reached into their jacket, this time pulling out a small vial and handing it to her. “You need to give this to her beforehand. I do not care how it happens, just make sure it gets in her system; the earlier, the better.”

“W–what is this? Is this a drug?” Penelope stammered as she stared down at the bottle in her trembling hands.

The person smiled; a dark, wicked smile. “You don’t need to worry about that; just make sure she ingests it at an early enough hour.”

Tears once again streamed down Penelope’s cheeks as she frantically shook her head and tried to hand the items back. “N–no. I can’t do that, and I won’t. I would rather disgrace myself than–”

“You’re going to do it.”

Penelope stood a little taller and yelled, “No, I won’t! I–”

Penelope received a sudden, sharp backhand to her cheek. She fell to the floor cradling her face but was soon flipped over onto her back, her aggressor pinning her to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but quickly closed it as she saw the gleam of a blade in the light right in front of her face.

“Make a sound and I’ll kill you right here, right now.” The attacker moved the knife to hover over Penelope’s throat, applying just enough pressure to keep her subdued. “You have two options — you either comply and do as you’re told, or this is where your life will end. If you refuse to cooperate, you already know too much, and I will ensure you don’t live to tell the tale personally. But I won’t stop there, no – I’ll ruin your parents as well; the entire world will know what a fraud you and your family are.”

“No… P–please. I – I can’t – I –” Penelope frantically stammered, trying to develop a coherent sentence.

“You can, and you will. Otherwise,” they leaned forward, close enough to touch noses with Penelope. “I’ll dig your grave myself and throw those mangy mutts in with you after. Perhaps we can make it a family affair and shove your parents inside, too. After all, being exposed to the world and losing their only disappointment of a child would leave them with nothing left to live for; especially once they know of your treacherous sins.” They sat back with a vile chortle, letting the words linger.

Penelope cried harder, her breathing rapid and erratic as her panic boiled over. She opened her mouth to shout for help despite the blade at her throat, but a firm hand abruptly pressed against her lips. “I think I’m being very understanding, actually. I could just end you and move on to the next useless suitor, but I’m allowing you to make the correct choice; to answer the call of service for your country. That commoner has no business being here; you know it, I know it, everyone knows it! We have to deal with her!”

After a tense moment of silence, her intruder grew restless. They rolled their eyes and huffed, “You’re running out of time. I’ll gift you ten seconds; agree, or...” The blade on Penelope’s throat suddenly held more force; hard enough she could feel her skin being lightly pierced. “I don’t think I really need to finish that sentence, do I?”

Penelope subtly nodded her head, afraid to move too much. Although she didn’t want to betray Riley in that way, she saw no other way out. Not only was her own life being threatened, but her parents as well; she was not willing to let them die because of her secrets they knew nothing about.

Her attacker soon chortled and sat up. “I had a feeling you would see it my way.” They patted her cheek, hard, before they stood and adjusted their clothing.

The intruder walked to the door and turned back around to address a whimpering Penelope. “As a reward for your service, I will make you a lady-in-waiting for the soon-to-be queen. I’d suggest you take the position and use discretion whenever necessary from here on out. If you do anything to compromise this operation, you will be sorry. Am I clear?“

The following afternoon, Olivia met with Liam, Leo, and Ray as they discussed the events of the night prior. The court just arrived in Portavira, although there was a break in events until the polo match in a few days. They gathered in Olivia’s room, as that’s where Ray set up his equipment and continuously ensured the area remained free of compromises.

Olivia told them about Penelope’s involvement, and Liam was certain Olivia was lying or playing some kind of sick joke. However, after seeing the proof himself, he knew it had to be true. He wasn’t close with Penelope by any means, but still felt betrayed. Riley was kind and warm to those around her, not a malicious bone in her body; what made Penelope want to get rid of her?

“We have to question her. I can’t be sure, but she might know we’re onto her. The look in her eyes –” Olivia shook her head with a heavy sigh. ”– I can’t explain it, but I don’t like it.”

“I agree,” Leo interjected. “We need to know why she did it, man, because this makes absolutely no sense. I mean, Penelope – of all people? Did she accidentally eat some dog food or something, and it made her go kookoo?”

Despite his overflowing anxiety, Liam laughed. “I really don't know. But we’re not all going to question her. I think it’s best if myself and Leo did this, so we don’t overwhelm her.” He spoke to the entire group.

“Are you… okay to do that?” Leo tentatively asked. “I can take Olivia — or hell, even Maxwell or Drake, if you don’t think you can keep your cool. We can’t really risk her shutting down and withholding anything important...”

Liam remained silent for a long moment. Honestly, he didn’t know if he could control himself. The selfish side of him wanted to confront Penelope face-to-face and demand answers. However, he knew he was teetering on a dangerous ledge, and her confession could provoke several different reactions.

He didn’t remember the last time he’d slept or ate a full meal. Days were molding together, and he had no sense of time unless it pertained to the tour. Liam was simply muttering through, doing the dutiful checklist a monarch should on the daily and trying his hardest to stay afloat; even though in all reality, he felt like he was drowning in a sea of uncertainty. No amount of training could prepare him for something like this; he was simply in limbo until one of the many open ends finally led them to something of importance. As the King he held mighty authority; yet, he’d never felt so powerless. Every second of not knowing something was torture; he just wanted to see Riley with his own two eyes.

“I… don’t think I can, actually. If you wouldn’t mind questioning her, I would very much appreciate it, Leo.”

Leo patted Liam on the back with a reassuring smile. “No problem. Care to accompany me, Livvie?”

“I suppose if we want some kind of answer, I’ll have to, won’t I?” Olivia smirked.

“Are we doing this now, or?”

“Yes. The sooner, the better.”

“And we’re certain she’s here?” Liam asked.

“She was out earlier with her dogs,” Olivia answered with an eye roll.

Liam nodded as he rubbed his palms together. “This is a decent plan. I have a good feeling about this, guys.”

For the first time since he opened his eyes to the truth about the narrative against Riley, Liam felt like this could take them somewhere relevant. This was a solid lead and although he knew it probably wouldn’t provide him with all the answers he was seeking, it was a damn good start.

Liam spoke again, “Any other updates?”

“I received the diagnostic report on Lady Riley’s dress on the way here." Ray explained. "The blood was mostly Riley’s, but traces from Tariq were present as well. There were a few hairs and skin cells noted, but the DNA only registers those two.”

“Oh… okay…” Liam quietly responded. He hoped deep down the mess was from someone else, but immediately felt foolish to let himself believe such a thing. Hearing it confirmed out loud made his stomach burn with anxiety; this is what he blinded himself to, this is what he ignored. The overwhelming guilt Liam was fighting momentarily took his breath away.

“Otherwise, there are no new leads.” Ray briefly met eyes with Olivia, the both of them having a silent conversation; unbeknownst to Liam. It wasn’t technically a lie, but not the entire truth. Ray found something — interesting, but Olivia decided now was not the time to bring it up to Liam, at least until after they learned what exactly Penelope knew. “Where Tariq is concerned, I’ve hit a complete brick wall; there’s absolutely nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Ray shook his head. “Not a trace. His accounts show no transactions, and his family has not heard from him in months. I’ve checked every mode of transportation available to leave the country and he wasn’t on any of their databases.”

“How is that even possible? There has to be something, somewhere. Seriously – Tariq has the IQ of a fucking peanut.” Leo interjected.

“It could be a collection of reasons,” Ray answered. He suddenly stopped typing on his keyboard and took in everyone’s curious expressions. “Either he’s just incredibly clever and has an immaculate ability to cover his tracks, has hired someone to do that for him, or…”

“He’s dead…” Liam quietly inserted, just above a whisper. His palms started trembling in his lap, and the only thing he could feel was his heart erratically thumping.

The deeper this web went, the further Liam felt himself slipping from reality. All he wanted was a sign, a concrete clue, anything to put him one step closer to finding Riley. The longer that time passed, the more he believed there was a grim reason they couldn’t find them. Just when the light at the end shined brighter, Liam was suddenly drug further down into the abyss of questions, making him doubt everything.

“We can’t confirm that right now, Your Majesty. I’ve searched hospital records and there are no reports of him checking in at any of them and nothing solid to point to that conclusion. There are a lot of open ends regarding his whereabouts, but I have a couple more places to look before we should start truly discussing that possibility.”

“Right…” Liam quietly responded as his mind raced. If Tariq’s DNA was on her dress, does that mean he’s the one who injured her? They already knew he was close to Riley; the pictures obviously showcased them together, but was Tariq responsible for attacking her, too? Those thoughts created a storm of rage he’d never felt before; just when he thought the fire had sizzled out, another splash of gasoline was poured onto the diminishing coals. Liam may not have felt a lot of hope, but he sure as hell felt the rage consuming his entire being.

Leo noticed Liam's forelorn expression and reassuringly gripped his shoulder. “Don’t worry, man. We’re going to get an answer — soon.”

A short while later, Olivia, Leo, and ‘Harold’ walked the halls of the Portavirian estate, searching for Penelope’s room. Liam opted to have a drink with Drake instead of being alone, as his already overflowing anxiety seemed to increase with every passing second.

They rounded the corner and Olivia tapped on Penelope’s door, but received near silence; muffled barks rang out beyond the structure, although seemingly at a distance. After a few moments, she stepped forward and repeated the process, but again, no answer. Leo knocked a few times a little louder, but heard nothing — aside from the dogs. He reached for the handle and tried to turn it, just to see, only to find it locked.

“What should we do?” Leo asked Olivia.

Olivia tapped her index finger against her chin. “I don’t know…” She furrowed her brow and stared at the door in front of her. “The poodles are inside, so she shouldn’t be far… Maybe we search around and see if we spot her anywhere? It’s still relatively early; she could have stepped out for a moment.”

Leo and Ray both agreed, and the trio began their trek. They started outside by the pool and checked the lounge area, but Penelope wasn't located anywhere. They searched nearly every floor, even the roof, but found no signs of her. Everyone else was already in their room for the night, the estate nearly deserted as they scoured the abandoned hallways. After a while, everyone agreed to take their chances and return to Penelope’s door, as a good hour passed since they last attempted.

A voice called out to them as they made their way up the grand staircase. They turned around to see Landon making his way to them with a grin on his face. “Good evening, Your Majesty, Duchess, a pleasure to see you both. Are the two of you just strolling, or have you been out on the town?” He chuckled with a playful side eye directed at Leo.

“You know me,” Leo smirked, “but actually, we’ve been looking for your daughter.”

Landon’s smile faded, instead replaced with a perplexed expression. “What do you need from Penelope?”

Leo and Olivia shared a hesitant look. “Actually, it’s confidential… Do you know where she is?”

“She said she was retiring to her room earlier.”

Olivia spoke next. “We checked there. We checked everywhere and we have no clue where she’s at.”

“Perhaps she’s already in slumber; she is quite the heavy sleeper. How about I come with you? I was headed there anyway, as she was acting fairly strange earlier.”

“Strange how?” Leo asked.

“She kept hugging her mother and me, and told us how much she loved us. She just seemed — sad, as if she would burst into tears at any moment. And she asked me to ensure Merlin and Morgana get plenty of treats.” Landon furrowed his brows and shook his head. “I asked her what she meant, and she just gave me another hug. Emmaline thinks she’s getting ready for her time of the month, which is why I came prepared.” He held up a wad of chocolate bars and laughed.

“I take it Merlin and Morgana are the poodles?”

“Oh, yes. They’re practically her children. It’s been hard on her to leave them at home, but she’s done fairly well. The unexpected route changes actually ended up being very beneficial to her, since she gets to be with them for a few days. I’m certain she’s going to have a hard time leaving again, but I know she appreciates getting to see them. When it was time to leave for the engagement tour, she was practically inconsolable; she didn’t want to leave, to the point we weren’t sure she would attend at all.”

“So, she didn’t want to return, then?” Olivia inquired, hanging on his every word.

Landon sighed and looked away. “I don’t believe so, no. But we made sure she knew how much of a tremendous opportunity this was for her. She was incredibly reluctant, but finally agreed. In all honesty, I think most of her reservations were regarding the fact that she was going so far away. Penelope is a very timid girl; she doesn’t particularly enjoy the crowds or being away from home. I’m confident staying in Cordonia where things are a little more familiar will turn things around for her; perhaps she will enjoy herself a bit.”

“Right…” Olivia trailed off, as her mind swirled around these new little bits of information. She questioned if Penelope's reluctance to come back had to do with Riley's disappearance. The haunting look in Penelope’s eyes as that cab drove away told Olivia she could be correct.

“Lead the way, then,” Leo inserted with a forced smile, as uneasiness crept into the pit of his stomach. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood at attention, an involuntary shudder traveling through his body; he shook it off and politely smiled at Landon, who returned the gesture before starting the journey.

Everyone strolled through the halls together and within a short time, they were nearing Penelope’s room once again. Leo and Landon made small talk along the way, but Olivia didn’t listen most of the time. A bad feeling rapidly grew as they walked; why, she wasn’t sure, but it was becoming impossible to ignore. As they got closer, the air suddenly felt cold, raising goosebumps on her skin and sending a shiver down her spine. The hallway had an eerie aura to it that was beyond explanation; judging from the cautious expressions of everyone around, Olivia knew her feelings were not in her head. Landon appeared to be the only one who didn’t notice the atmosphere shift, although he hadn’t stopped talking long enough to take in the environment.

Just as they were about to arrive, they heard muffled voices speaking not far away. Olivia furrowed her brows and started walking faster, practically running, with Ray and Leo not far behind.

She came to an abrupt stop as she saw a litter of guards standing outside of Penelope’s room; dressed in full riot gear with what she assumed to be loaded assault rifles, all appearing to be awaiting instructions. Standing toward the back of the mass of people was Liam, who was speaking with Bastien in hushed tones. She could tell even from afar he was talking sternly; his angry demeanor instantly drew Olivia to him. Drake lingered close-by, wearing an expression of pure confusion.

Olivia approached them and inquired, “What’s going on?”

“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Liam replied. “Did you question Penelope?”

“We were looking for her, that’s why we’re here, now.”

“But you didn’t find her?” Liam snapped, not even trying to hide the annoyance in his tone.

“Not yet…” Leo answered as he took in Liam’s tense shoulders and ticking jaw. “Liam, what is going on?”

Before Liam could respond, Landon interjected himself. “What is the meaning of this?!”

Liam took a deep breath to calm himself and spoke in a calm, yet authoritative voice. “Duke Landon, I understand this may be hard for you to hear, but we have to take Penelope into custody.”

“Custody?! On what grounds?!” Landon hollered.

Liam swallowed down the ball of anger and agitation lodged in his throat and spoke in a flat voice. “She is the prime suspect in the murder of Rhonda Floros.” Everyone’s eyes widened as their jaws hit the floor. “We will investigate further, but she has to be detained until we can–”

“I – what?! You have no proof! This – this is an injustice!” Landon yelled as he frantically paced in front of Penelope’s door.

Leo hesitantly spoke in a hushed manner. “Li, all we knew about was the photographer. How can you jump to that conclusion?”

“The forensics came back and Penelope’s prints were all over the murder weapon. Her DNA was on everything else as well, but I’m focused on that knife.”

“Impossible! There has to be some kind of mistake!” Landon pleaded.

“I’m sorry Landon, but the forensics does not lie,” Liam replied with a sad smile. “Trust me, I don’t want to believe she could have done something like this and I intend to figure it out, but we have to locate her first!"

Landon quickly stepped toward Penelope’s room and pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “She is in here — I know she is; she’s sleeping. I’ll wake her up and we can figure out this mess together, because I know for certain she is innocent.” He spoke as he unlocked the door and turned the handle. He entered and flipped the switch on the wall, the area becoming illuminated.

Liam motioned for the guards to stay outside and followed closely behind. Olivia entered next, followed by Ray. However, a stern hand on Ray’s chest halted him in the doorway.

“You are unauthorized personnel,” Bastien snapped.

Liam quickly intervened. “No, he’s not.”

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, I entered his credentials myself. I know for a fact what clearances he has and doesn’t.”

Liam stepped up to Bastien with narrowed eyes. “Poof.” He snapped his fingers. “I just gave him access. Now, step aside.” He growled through clenched teeth, the vein in his neck profusely popping out.

To be honest, Liam was stalling until he found Ray and Olivia; the three of them were going to question Penelope together. His earlier worries about keeping his cool were well out the window; now he was simply confused. Why did she hire the photographer? Did she really kill that maid? Did Penelope know they had spoken to her? Every piece of random evidence found had Penelope’s DNA – and only hers – on it in some fashion. Although the legitimacy of the scene was still in question, her fingerprints on the murder weapon were more than enough to detain her for questioning.

Bastien never once took his eyes off Ray during the entire interaction. Ray observed Bastien's face crack slightly and saw him swallow and clench his jaw when Liam commanded him to stop. He finally moved his hand to allow Ray entrance, but held his intent gaze for just a moment too long. Olivia watched and noted how she wasn’t stopped, nor Drake or Leo — only Ray. She couldn’t help but wonder why Bastien didn’t want him specifically there.

Liam glanced around as he entered and saw no signs of Penelope and nothing raising any kind of alarm. He’d never been inside this room before, but to the naked eye, not a thing was out of place. However, Liam couldn’t deny the sudden chill he felt as he stepped over the threshold. His skin instantly clammed up, and his heart rate increased substantially with every tense second that passed.

Everyone else followed behind and did the same, but Landon circled the room while frantically calling Penelope’s name, only to get no response. He ducked into the bathroom to check there, but saw no traces of his daughter. Everything appeared just as it was earlier that morning when he personally prepared everything for Penelope’s arrival.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Landon huffed as he reemerged. “She said she was coming to bed. Where else would she go? Should we contact Lady Kiara? They had grown quite close.”

Liam sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Bastien, send someone to Lady Kiara’s room to check.” His patience with this situation was dissipating. An answer was right there dangling in front of his face; he could practically taste it. Even if he had to turn the entire continent upside down, Liam was going to find Penelope and make her answer for her part in this mess — whatever that could have been.

“Yes, sir.”

Olivia glanced at the dresser and saw a jewelry box. Something on top of it quickly caught her attention; it was a piece of paper neatly folded with the words read me written on it in red ink. Her breaths immediately stopped as she stared at it for a long moment. Goosebumps raised on her skin as she realized the penmanship was strikingly familiar.

She slowly reached out and brought it closer; Ray noticed and came to stand beside her to see what she had found. Liam and Landon continued to speak on the other side of the room, completely unaware of their discovery. Olivia carefully unfolded the sheet and quickly scanned over the contents. As she started reading, the color suddenly drained from her face, her hands trembling, and even tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. Her mind instantly started spiraling, trying to decipher what this meant.

Olivia and Ray stood gawking at the paper in a trance for an unidentified amount of time. The sound of Landon’s thunderous voice suddenly brought both out of their dazes. “This is absurd! She did nothing wrong!”

“I understand your frustrations but as I said before, the forensics does not lie,” Liam answered in the calmest tone he could muster. “I have questions about all of this, Landon! But one way or another her DNA was littered–”

“Bullshit! Run the tests again! Something is going on here!”

Liam winced at Landon’s volume, but shook it off and stood to his full height. “Duke Ebrim, you’d do well to remember who you’re speaking to and watch your tone. While I understand why you’re upset, I’m only here to figure this out. If you want to clear her name, help us find her so we can speak to her!”

Landon frantically looked throughout the room, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. At that moment, they heard a bark, followed by another softer cry; everyone suddenly stilled and an eerie silence took over, as they glanced at one another with furrowed brows. It sounded undeniably close, but there were obviously no dogs in the area. The silence in the air was deafening, but then it happened again and Landon finally pinpointed the location — the closet. It would make sense; Penelope heard the commotion and retreated in there with her poodles to hide because she was afraid.

Landon made a bee-line for the door and wildly swung it open. He took a step back and two fluffy dogs slowly came out with their heads down, causing Landon to take a few steps back; they laid at Landon’s feet and whimpered.

“What is it, Merlie?” Landon asked as he rubbed one of the dogs’ heads, their howls intensifying.

The room’s air suddenly felt incredibly thick at the interaction. Liam felt physically sick to his stomach as recognition swept over him from head to toe — something was waiting for them in that closet. His hands shook at his sides, his breathing shaky and uneven as he stared into the dark, open doorway.

Landon stepped over the poodles, who went and lay on the bed, but continued whining. As he entered, he ran a hand along the wall until he found the switch. The small area came to light, and his worst nightmare suddenly became reality right in front of his face.

“NO!” Landon wailed at an ear-piercing volume as he dropped to his knees near the doorway.

“What’s wrong?” Liam sought, but Landon broke into a fit of sobs and crumpled to the floor.

Liam swallowed thickly and took a couple of cautious steps forward. Olivia suddenly appeared and tried to redirect him, but Liam was steadfast; whatever it was, he needed to see it for himself. As he got closer, he could see a chair lying on its side. His eyesight started on the floor and slowly traveled upward. He hadn’t made it very far before the color drained from his face with sweat immediately beading his brow at seeing a pair of dainty feet dangling in the air; one heel on, the other nowhere to be seen.

Liam looked away but with a shuddered breath followed the body back up to the face, and sure enough, it was Penelope.

Landon suddenly shoved Liam out of the way. “MOVE!” He rushed over and held Penelope’s lifeless form, lifting her easily with one hand; the other quickly moving to remove the belt from around her severely bruised neck. Her limp body dropped into his arms and he cradled her to his chest as he rocked back and forth, making cries that would haunt Liam until the day he died.

Liam regained his footing but remained cemented in place. This was it; this was their big break, but they only received more unanswered questions. Hopelessness flourished, as he saw no other solutions in sight. He felt like a mouse, mindlessly running through a maze just trying to reach the end for the reward. Penelope's testimony was that reward, but instead of finding the end of the maze, he encountered a sudden, abrupt wall.

Regardless of their actions, they faced a grim reality where a devastating setback countered every advance they made; one step forward, only to be met with two deadly steps back.

Liam suddenly couldn’t breathe; his lungs felt like fire with every rapid, hollow breath. The room started spinning, his vision hazing at a rapid rate. His heart pounded mercilessly, the sound overpowering Landon’s continuous wails filling the room. His hands flew to his chest and he stumbled backward, Leo and Drake quickly moving to catch him before he hit the floor.

They lowered him to the ground and sat over him as Liam’s vision slowly faded out, their faces disintegrating into a pixelated, blurry image. He blinked his eyes a few times to regain himself, but found the rapidly spinning room made him nauseous. He felt Leo lightly tapping his cheeks, but when he tried to open his mouth, only an anguished cry escaped.

Liam stared at the ceiling until the bright lights suddenly dimmed. His eyelids grew incredibly heavy until he succumbed to the weight of the world forcing them down. Darkness consumed him as he slipped into unconsciousness, a still silence overcoming his being.

"Goddamn it," Leo grumbled to himself, as he watched Liam’s body relax. "Get a fucking ambulance! Now!" He hollered over his shoulder before his teary vision centered on his brother again. "Cummon, Li..."

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chaifootsteps · 5 months

Note

So, I counted how many swear words there were in the trailer, and I believe it was 6. 6 swears within the 2 minutes of the trailer! Would be somewhat impressive if we weren't already expecting it.

Also, maybe me being nitpicky here, but Alastor's voice was just...not it. The chippier tone is just weird for me, and I feel like that staticy filter he has over his voice isn't really there. That being said, his new VA, Amir Talai, was apparently in Legally Blonde 2. Imagining Alastor with a little purse poodle is giving me life rn.

And! That song at the end didn't really feel like a "we're going to war and taking a stand" song to me?? Feels more sea-shanty to me LMAO. Though, unrelated, but at least we know Mimzi's still in the show. Poor Baxter's probably been booted, but idk :(

One final thing:

I don't think that's a nitpicky opinion at all. Seems to be the consensus, if anything...that it's not bad but it's just not Alastor.

Also, your edit made me snicker like a fool.

#emocatkeith #hazbin hotel critical #viv stuff #actual blog post

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raccoon-eyed-rebel · 1 year

Text

Part 2

Masterlist

Series masterlist

Part 1 🍂 Part 3

Pairing: Syverson x ofc

Series summary: Life with Sy, what more can you wish for? The most amazing husband and father to a whole litter of cute little kids... Sometimes you wonder "how did you get here?"

Series warning: Eventual smut, right now, more fluff...

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: Thank @keanureevesisbae for hitting that 30k mark and earning the whole of the internet a nice little chunk of Sy <3

Any mistakes you may find I left in there on purpose for y'all to find!

“NO! NO! NO!” You jumped away from the spluttering shower as fast as you could. The water was ice cold and brown. God, you’d been so occupied with everything else that needed done around here that you completely forgot to call a plumber. Maybe Sy was right, maybe this house was a death-trap. Your phone rang; speak of the devil!

“Sy, hey! I was just thinking about the way you insulted my house yesterday!”

“I’m sorry, Sugar,” you could hear Sy laugh on the other side of the call. He had a hot laugh. And a hot voice. God you couldn’t afford to think about a man this much, you had other things to worry about. Brown tap water. Toilets that didn’t work. Things like that.

“Hey, I know there’s the whole thing where we’re supposed to wait three days to call,” he said nervously, “but I couldn’t wait. First because I’d really like to see you again,” that was awfully sweet of him… “and second because I couldn’t help but wonder if you’d gotten stuck in your porch again and were in need of rescue.” And another insult. Great.

The stifled snickering on the other side of the line made you want to punch this man in the throat. Sure, you’d need a step stool to even be able to reach it, but God he was annoying right now.

“I don’t need your help, Sy!” That was a lie. “But I’d love to go out for a drink again.” That wasn’t a lie.

“Lara, are you sure there isn’t anything I can help you with?” The concern in his voice was so genuine that you decided to humor him.

“I’ll let you know if I think of anything,” you said with the sweetest voice you could muster, “but in the meantime I could use a ride to the café?”

“Already on my way, I’ll see you in five.” Five? Did he mean hours? You were still in your pajama’s. And partially covered in dirt water. And dirt dirt. Hair a mess, face a mess, barefoot and… You quickly brushed your teeth with some bottled water, cursing all the way through at how completely ridiculous that was, and looked in the broken mirror over the sink. The options were: ‘Brush hair and look like exploded poodle who had been struck by lightning’ or ‘don’t brush hair and look like exploded poodle who hadn’t been struck by lightning’, and since that last option both saved time and looked less… static, you decided to go with that.

Five minutes, on the dot. You’d say your doorbell rang, but that didn’t work, either. A knock on the door worked just fine, though, especially if the person knocking tried his very best to whack the entire thing from its hinges.

“One moment!” You yelled, trying furiously to un-fuck the situation your foot and your jeans currently had going on, leaving you half-naked at the top of the three steps into the sunken kitchen, struggling and… Of course.

“AAHRH!” You were now half-naked at the bottom of the three steps that lead into the sunken kitchen, still struggling. Your foot was unstuck. That was great.

“Are you alright in there?” Sy sounded worried rather than amused, but it was the kind of voice that allowed for that to change immediately after finding out you were alright. You pulled your skinny jeans to where they were supposed to go and got up. Or tried to, because a sharp pain in your ankle sent you floor bound again.

“Fuck!” You swore a little too loudly to make your next statement believable. “Yeah!”

“Sugar, is your back door unlocked?” Oh god, back in secondary school that would have been a monster innuendo.

“Sy, I’m fine!” Another lie.

“Darlin’,” he said with the determination of a man not to be messed with, “if you were as good at soundin’ fine ‘s you are at lookin’ it, I’d believe you. Now can I get to you without harming this house any further?”

“Key’s in the planter – ow,” you said reluctantly while rubbing your ankle. With quick strokes of your fingers, you brushed your hair back where it belonged. If you had to suffer through the disgusting patriarchal ceremony of being saved by a man, you were going to be a cute damsel in distress, dammit!

“It’s a unique second date, Sugar,” Sy chuckled as he waited next to you in the uncomfortable chairs of the doctor’s office, “I’ll give you that.”

“Funny, Sy,” you scoffed. This man got on your nerves more than you cared to admit. You didn’t need to be here, at all. You’d just twisted your ankle. If you went to the doctor for this back home, he’d have told you you’d just twisted your ankle. And to take two paracetamol every four hours for the pain. Sy wouldn’t accept that for an answer, however, so here you were. Luckily, not too many people had gotten hurt in this small town today, and you were out of there in about thirty minutes. With – how predictable – the message that it was just a twisted ankle, and to come back in a week if the pain didn’t go away. No mention of paracetamol.

“Coffee?” Sy said, offering you his arm for support while you limped back to the car.

“But we’ve got to make it a quick one,” you sighed, “I have some stuff at home to take care of. Do you happen to know a decent plumber around here?” He’d lived here for years, he had to know someone, right?

“I can take a look at it when I drop you back off, if that’s alright?” It was a kind offer. Then why did it piss you off so much?

“It’s alright, Sy, I don’t need your help.”

“I’m not saying you need my help, Sugar.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and you could tell he was doing everything he could to not allow it to break through completely. “I’m offering to help you. That’s two different things.”

Why, Lara, you thought, why do you have to be like this? “It’s not. I’m not some helpless little girl who needs a man to save her, or open doors or…”

“If you think I treat you the way I do because I think you’re weak or helpless, you’re wrong.” Sy said through gritted teeth. He looked really angry – and he had a right to be pissed. “I’m not going to beg you to let me help you, Sugar. Hell, if I didn’t like you the way I did, I probably wouldn’t be offering again.”

“Girl! Was that Sy who just drove off?” Julie’s curious face appeared in your kitchen right when you were getting ready to make your first cup of coffee in this house using tap water.

“It was, he fixed my pipes.” Fuck. Shouldn’t have said that. Not like that, anyway.

“I bet he d- “

“Jules.” You made no effort to hide your annoyance. Allowing Sy to help you while you just stood there and did nothing had put you on edge.

“Alright, anyway. I was stopping by to ask how that date went but… Girl, why are you limping?” Her eyes opened comically wide, only feeding your irritation.

“Jules!”

“Jezus Christ, tell me what happened, maybe?” She sank down in one of your kitchen chairs – uninvited and with a very dramatic sigh.

“You haven’t even given me the chance!” Without asking you poured her a cup of coffee too and basically slammed it down in front of her. Coffee should have spilled, but apparently luck was on your side for a change.

“Girl, spill!” It took you three minutes to give her the rundown of what had happened the night before, and the bonus events of this morning.

“He really likes you,” Julie said as she finished her coffee.

“How do you know?”

“First of all,” oh god, this was going to be a lecture, “he literally calls you the next morning. Lara, you are the only person on this planet who will not take that as a goddamn hint!” She shook her cup, asking you for more coffee.

“Second, acts of service are like this man’s number one love language,” Julie continued, “or maybe second. If he starts being touchy with you, you’re golden.” Oh, how you wished…

#syverson fanfiction #syverson x ofc #captain syverson fanfiction #captain syverson #syverson #captain syverson x ofc #syverson fic

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bts-0t-7 · 8 months

Text

Expressions of Culinary

Pair: Yoongi x F Reader

Summary: Through shared moments in the kitchen, you delve deeper into your relationship with Yoongi. Yoongi, who uses the form of cooking as a way of self-expression, showered you with affection the moment you step home from a rough day at work.

Genre: Fluff, Idolxreader, established relationship, married au

Chapter Warnings: None

WC: 1158

You were not having a good day. From being piled up with more work as an intern got fired to being humiliated in front of your coworkers for submitting a spreadsheet late. Today was not a good day at all.

You shrugged off your shoes and coat, placing your keys in the bowl at the door. Groaning, you gave Holly a scratch behind his ears and walked to put down all your bags on the sofa. You were wondering if Yoongi was home when the aroma of spices and ingredients filled the air as you entered the kitchen.

To your surprise, Yoongi was standing at the kitchen island, too busy chopping vegetables with a focused expression on his face. You watched in awe as he moved with practised precision and a sense of purpose evident in every movement. He was so focused that he didn’t even notice you standing there.

“Yoongi,” You called out. “I didn’t know you’d be cooking today.” Your eyes shined with curiosity.

Yoongi looked up from the chopping board, a smile lifting at the corner of his lips. “Hey, Jagiya. I didn’t hear you coming home.” He momentarily stopped his chopping and washed his hand, coming over to give you a kiss on your hair.

“Hmmm, seems like you were too engrossed in cooking to realise I’ve been standing here for a while now.” You snickered. It was true. Yoongi was much too engrossed in chopping up the ingredients needed for his special-of-the-day meal but you were equally engrossed in watching him cook.

As Yoongi moved back to the chopping board to continue, he said, “Why don’t you go take a bath first? Dinner should be ready in thirty minutes or so.” He looked at you from the corner of his eyes.

You sighed and walked up the stairs, fully agreeing with what he said. You really needed to wind down. Holly followed you to the bedroom, jumping onto the bed and curling up.

“You shouldn’t be sleeping now, right?” You chided the brown toy poodle that now lay in between the pillows at the head of the bed.

You stepped into the shower, soaking in the heat of the water that cascades down your back. You sighed, bringing your hands to your head. You decided to take a short shower, curious about what Yoongi may be whipping out for dinner. Holly followed you out of the room and into the kitchen, standing in front of his food bowl.

“Okay, okay. Coming.” You left your hair towel on one of the dining chairs, going over to the storage room to get Holly’s kibbles. After feeding Holly his dinner, you approached the counter, intrigued by how Yoongi transforms the ingredients into a colourful array of vegetables. And the way his hands moved was mesmerising - an intricate dance that seemed to mirror his musical talents.

Even as the dish started to take shape, Yoongi’s concentration was unwavering. The kitchen was his soundboard, each ingredient was a beat of creativity. He moved around the kitchen with fluid ease, adding a pinch of this and a dash of that, all the while humming a tune softly to himself. His movements were like a melody that carried a sense of contentment.

You were, too, more than content to sit back and watch your husband move around. After a while, he turned to you with a grin, gummies all showing. “Care to be my taste-tester?”

You nodded eagerly, all the waiting around and the delicious wafting of sauces have gotten you hungry. “Not that your food will ever be bad.” Your taste buds tingled with anticipation. With a flourish, Yoongi presented you with a beautifully plated dish.

The first bite was a revelation - a burst of flavours that exploded on your tongue. You couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sigh. “Oh, it’s good. Yoongi, please come home and cook more often.”

Yoongi chuckled and ducked his head, cheeks slightly tinged with a blush. You took that time to tease him. “Aw, Yoongi. Five years and still can’t get used to it?” You wiggled your brows at him.

Yoongi groaned. “Jagiya,” he wined. “Stoooppp.”

You snickered and shoved a mouthful of rice into your mouth. As you savoured each bite, you could feel the passion infused in every dish. It was as if Yoongi’s emotions were intertwined with the flavours - a symphony of tastes that spoke of care and dedication.

As all the dishes were set on the table and Yoongi took a seat opposite you, you chatted about cooking and food, sharing stories and memories. The kitchen was always been one of the places where the both of you connected easily. It was a place where two souls intertwined over shared experiences and mutual appreciation for the culinary arts.

As the evening turned into night, you stood beside each other, washing dishes as a comfortable silence settled between you. Yoongi’s fingers brushed against yours and you exchanged a meaningful glance. It was in these simple moments that rekindled the depth of your connection with him.

“I’m glad to have met you in this universe,” Yoongi admitted in the silence, his voice soft.

You smiled, heart warmed by his sudden honesty. There are not many times where he would so vulnerably lay his heart out to you. Yoongi always wanted you to see only the best in him. “And I am grateful to have found you. What if I decided to ditch the fan meeting that day?” You teased him.

The corners of Yoongi’s lips lifted into a smile. “I would have been doomed.” At that moment, time seems to be at a standstill, the dim lights of the kitchen setting a scene. You shared a moment that went beyond words - a puzzle piece that pulsed in place, forged by the years of fighting for each other and the act of sharing.

As the night continued, you and Yoongi shifted to the bedroom, a final cup of tea in hand as the now empty teapot sat on his side of the bedside table. You finished off the last drop and snuggled into him, covers draping over the both of you. A sense of contentment settled over the both of you.

As Yoongi’s fingers found yours, his caress was gentle and reassuring. “Whatever the future, we’ll get through it together.”

You intertwined your fingers with him as you looked up and kissed his jaw. “Together. Thank you Yoongi, for sharing you with me.”

“God that was corny, Jagiya.”

You laughed. Under the soft glow of the moonlight seeping through the bedroom curtains, you and Yoongi sat in comfortable silence, soaking up the presence of each other. It was these little moments that you treasured so much, the connection deepening with each passing moment. It was a night filled with flavours, emotions, and soft, deep intimacy that only comes from sharing the secrets of one’s heart. The simple joy of being together.

#btsfanfiction #fluff #love #btsff #bts #femalereader #music #idolxreader #minyoongi #yoongi #yoongs #yoon #cooking #marriedau #establishedrealtionship #suga #sugaofbts #sugabts #SUGA

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sserpente · 2 years

Photo

A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN, everyone! 🎃 Requests from two anons and @ophelialaufey. Couldn’t let you celebrate Halloween without another Eddie Imagine, now could I?

Words: 4357 Warnings: semi-public smut, consumption of drugs/smoking, bullying

Both Eddie and the Reader are over the age of 21 in my Imagines.

“Sorry, you can’t sit here.” The girl was anything but sorry, you could tell not only by her supercilious expression but also by the tone of her annoying voice. You rolled your eyes.

“I want to eat my lunch. This is a table. In the cafeteria. There’s an empty space… hence, I’m gonna sit here.”

“Yeah, well you’re not,” she retorted, and, as if to make a point, put her bag on the chair and shoved her empty tray over to the free space on the surface of the table. You blinked at her.

“I hate High School,” you murmured to yourself, turning on your heel. Lunch break was going to be over soon. If you didn’t find a place to sit now, you’d either be eating standing up or worse, in the toilets.

With a sigh, you strutted further into the hall and towards the windows, deciding to sit on the broad window sill instead. Most people around you either stared or acted like you were made of thin air, of course—the perks and the curse of being new to a school, especially in a small town.

You were about to set your tray down when you noticed a round and dark shadow growing quickly on the miserable pile of food on it. One more second passed and the tray was knocked from your hands with its contents spilling all over the cafeteria floor, the culprit a basketball that now bounced back into the air and against the wall until a student caught it.

With your lips parted, you wiped away the drops of pumpkin purée that had landed on your cheek and then glared at him. The dark-haired jock had the audacity to grin when his eyes met yours. Needless to say, the whole show had drawn an audience. You noticed someone in particular, a long-haired guy with a Dio shirt on the back of his jeans jacket sitting at the head of a table closest to where you had been meaning to settle down with your lunch on the window sill, watching the whole situation unfold with a curious brown gaze. You elected to ignore him.

“Oh! I’m soooo sorry!” the jock exclaimed. His friends snickered behind him. Judging by their green training suits with the orange tiger on them, they were without a doubt part of the basketball team. Your expression darkened. Of course. “It was an accident!”

The blonde guy right behind him smiled before you could throw curses at him. “You’re new here, right? Sorry… little… initiation ritual. I’m Jason.”

You ignored his feigned introduction. Instead, you picked up your juice which was the only thing that was still intact and calmly unscrewed the lid.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, really. Accidents can happen,” you said as innocently as you could muster and stepped closer to the guy with the basketball. His grin grew even wider but was quickly replaced by a shocked expression when you poured your juice all over his head until he looked like a wet poodle.

“Oh! Oops! I’m so sorry!” you copied him. “It was an accident!”

Once more, his friends snickered, Jason only raised his eyebrows. You opened your mouth again to embarrass him even more but that was when you were interrupted by a sharp voice behind you.

“What on Earth is going on here?” You turned, finding Ms. O’Donnells standing next to you with her arms akimbo.

“She… she poured her juice all over me!” the dark-haired jock immediately bellowed.

“Yeah, after you knocked my food out of my hands with your stupid basketball!”

“It was an accident!”

“Oh, please, you’re on the basketball team. You know how to fucking aim.”

“Watch your language, young lady.” O’Donnells said your last name with such despise in her voice that you rolled your eyes yet again. “We have rules in this school. Rules you too are inclined to obey.”

“Oh, and what about him? Are basketballs even allowed in the cafeteria?”

“Andy has stressed it was an accident. You had no business to lash out at him like that.”

“Oh, of course, the school bully is the teacher’s pet, how could it be any different?” Your voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“That’s enough! I would give you detention but given that tomorrow is Saturday, you will instead join us at the annual charity event and hand out candy for children the whole day.”

“Excuse me?! Tomorrow is Halloween! I don’t have time for this shit!”

“You are excused,” she said, raising her eyebrows as if to dare you to talk back again. You growled when she strutted away and Andy gave you one final grin before walking off. His friends followed suit.

You contemplated grabbing that pumpkin purée on the floor and throwing it at him, already taking a few determined steps forward when a hand suddenly wrapped around your lower arm and pulled you close. It was the guy who had been watching, the long-haired one with the Dio shirt.

Fuck, his eyes were beautiful. Brown, like chocolate buttons. And his clothes… you’d bet all your money on the fact that he was playing in a band. The heavy metal kind. Hot.

“Don’t… don’t, she’s still watching. She’s just waiting for you to make another mistake, trust me.” He nodded towards O’Donnells who was indeed still leaning against a pillar, watching the area you were in like a hawk.

“That was quite the show you put up there,” he continued.

“Yeah, thanks. You can let go of me now.”

He opened his mouth to say something else once he did as he was told but you had already turned on your heel before he could utter another word. He had no business making you lose yourself in those brown eyes of his. Especially not with his friends sitting at the table with him watching you like you were the main attraction of the day.

Screw lunch. You’d eat at home.

With a sigh, you shut your copy of “Lord of the Rings” and threw it on the bed, admiring your costume in the mirror. It had taken you days to sew together Arwen’s costume. It would not have been for naught. You’d wear it anyways. Besides, how long could helping out at this charity event take in the first place? The kids would be tired and stuffed with sugar by five and you’d then still have more than enough time to go to that Halloween party in Starcourt Mall.

You took the bus to where the event would take place, not bothering to show up on time. You made an appearance ten minutes after you were supposed to be there, earning you a reproachful look by Ms. O’Donnells.

“You’ll be stationed at this table, handing out candy for the kids. One bar of each for every child. One and not more, yes?” She pointed at the table behind you that was decorated with plastic spiders, a few small pumpkins and orange and black confetti but, the most important thing, of course, were the bowls full of chocolate bars and other sweets.

“Yeah…”

“You were not supposed to be wearing a costume,” she then added.

“So? It’s Halloween. I won’t let it go to waste.”

“Whatever. Do your work. You can take a break at noon.” Finally, you turned around, not giving her the satisfaction of another annoyed comment—and halted. Right behind the table, there was someone there already. A certain someone with stunning brown eyes and long hair.

“You?”

“Happy Halloween!” He grinned.

“W-what are you wearing?” He looked like… like… oh my God. He looked like Aragorn. Evidently, when he realised what you were wearing, his expression fell. His mouth formed a perfect O as he took in your costume—including the elf ears you had crafted all by yourself.

You raised an eyebrow in an amused manner. Evidently, he liked it.

“I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself yesterday. I’m Eddie,” he said once he’d found his composure again.

You told him your name as you joined him behind the table and shook his hand. Oh, they were warm and soft, his fingers calloused…

“So… am I right if I assume that you’re dressed up as Arwen?”

“Am I right if I assume that you’re dressed up as Aragorn?” You shot back.

Eddie nodded with a grin. Fuck, you were not about to admit to yourself that the fact that he was a reader made him even more attractive.

“We… match then,” you said reluctantly, not long before the first kid excitedly ran up to you with its plastic pumpkin basket. You dropped some of the chocolate bars in it. One of each.

“Looks like it…” Your heart skipped a beat when he winked at you. Definitely in a band. Guitar player, probably.

“So how did you end up here then?” you asked, casually striking up a conversation—and trying to ignore how he was making your palms sweaty.

“Got in a bit of trouble during her class after lunch. She hates the guts out of me.”

“Ha… you do look like a troublemaker. Why did you even bother to show up?”

“I… really need to graduate this year, let’s put it this way.”

You frowned, handing out candy to yet another kid. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

“Right…”

“You should join the Hellfire Club.”

You blinked. “What? And what’s that?”

“D&D? You know? Dungeons and Dragons? Since you seem to like Lord of the Rings, you might enjoy it? Might wanna get to know some like-minded people since you’re new here, ya know…”

You smiled. He was the first person to actually be nice to you since your first day at High School.

“Thanks but I don’t think I’ll have time for that. I’ll be trying out for cheerleading soon,” you told him.

“Cheerleading? You don’t look like someone who would wanna become a cheerleader.”

You shrugged your shoulders.

“And judging by your show in the cafeteria yesterday you don’t seem to like those basketball jocks a lot either. Why would you wanna cheer for them?”

“It’s not about them. I enjoy athletics. Yoga, gymnastics and all that shit. Cheerleading is the only school activity that will give me credits for college. A D&D club won’t do that. No offence.”

“Fair enough.” Eddie snatched a chocolate bar from the bowl and opened the wrapper before beginning to munch on it.

“Eddie! Those are for the kids! You’re gonna get me in even more trouble! I actually wanna go to that party tonight, you know.”

You tried to take it from him but, being a bit taller than you, he easily held it out of reach.

“What party? The one in Starcourt Mall?”

“Yes, that one…”

“We could go together. Everybody from school will be there too. You might wanna stay away from Carver and his friends. Last year they accused me of murder because of D&D.” His expression darkened a little, almost as if an almost forgotten but horrible memory came back to haunt him. He sounded concerned too. Almost as if he actually cared about you feeling comfortable at the party. Perhaps he did. Perhaps this young man was one of the few people in High School who were not complete and utter arseholes.

“If we ever make it, that is.”

“Listen, she can’t keep us here longer than six. Pretty sure that’s illegal.”

You laughed. “You don’t look like someone who cares about what’s legal.”

“Oh yeah?” Eddie grinned. You handed two chocolate bars to another kid and then turned to him.

“Yeah. Let me guess. Judging by the clothes you wore to school yesterday, and your hair, of course, you listen to the heavy shit. Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Metallica and all that. You probably play in a band… lead guitar or bass guitar, one of the two. Clearly, you’re a teacher’s favourite,” you added sarcastically, “…and quite obviously, you’re a total nerd. You rebel against anything that’s normal and boring. Am I right?”

Eddie’s grin grew even wider. Almost a little embarrassed, he used his hair as a curtain to hide his face. “Am I that easy to see through?”

“Pretty much. I’ve been to many High Schools, had to start my last year over a few times. My parents move around a lot. Trust me… I know all the different types of students.” You shot him a glare when he ate yet another chocolate bar.

“What about you then?” He asked.

“What about me?”

“You’re a riddle.”

“All elves are.”

Eddie chuckled. “Yeah… I guess you’re right.”

“I like all kinds of music. Metallica has a few great hits, actually. But I also listen to Bowie and Madonna and The Who and so on… I don’t have a preference. I read a lot. Fantasy and thrillers mostly, and as you can clearly see, I like to dress up as fictional characters… and I’m usually the outsider at school because there’s never enough time to make friends.”

“We can be friends. I’m an outsider too. I’m known as the Freak around here. I claimed that trademark already though, sorry.”

“You’re owning it,” you stated the obvious.

Eddie shrugged. “High School will be over one day.” He paused, playing around with the empty chocolate bar wrapper in his hands. “You’re… uh, you look really beautiful, by the way.” A smile grew on your lips, followed by another skipped heartbeat. God damn it. Why did he have to be so cute?

Ten minutes after twelve—almost as if O’Donnells wanted to get revenge for you having been late, the hag finally dismissed you for fifteen minutes to take a break. Your feet already hurt from standing around so much and Eddie, bless his poor sugar-starved soul, had stolen at least a dozen chocolate bars and hidden them in his black metal lunchbox despite your ongoing protests.

But when he opened it in front of you to unpack his actual lunch—oh well, a handful of nuts, raisins and M&Ms—you spotted the transparent bags filled with suspicious green stuff.

“Are you serious? You have drugs on you?” you asked him quietly.

“Yeah…?” Hesitantly, he took a step back, probably expecting you to lash out at him and run.

“Exciting.”

“Wait, really?”

“Not healthy, necessarily… but exciting. I’ve never been high.”

Eddie grinned again—this time so confidently that you felt heat pooling in your core and between your legs.

“I can change that.” He leaned in closer. So close that you could feel his warm breath on your lips. Oh, fuck. Dangerous territory. Dangerous, dangerous territory.

“I’ll tell you what… at the party later… we find ourselves a quiet spot and then catch a buzz? All free, since it’s your first time?”

“Oh, fuck me, you’re dealing?” You grinned. “This is either my lucky day or I’ve just gotten myself in some serious trouble.”

“More serious than pouring juice over a basketball player’s head?” He asked.

You grinned. “Oh, way more than that.”

You had a crush. You were certain of that by the time six pm finally rolled around. Eddie had indeed been right—the hated teacher could not keep you at the charity event any longer than that and the cute metalhead had offered to drive you to the party. You had agreed—and proceeded to meet his friends, most of which were part of his band or the Hellfire Club, before doing exactly what he’d promised you’d do. You were getting high.

Soon, the main purpose of the party was completely forgotten and you became completely enamoured by the freak of Hawkins High. Eddie was absolutely everything you’d wish for a man to be—funny, kind, thoughtful, a little goofy but serious in the right moments… handsome, passionate and ambitious… You weren’t sure whether it was the weed but the urge to kiss him senseless grew by the minute.

“Okay, wait… you seriously met Metallica?”

Eddie grinned proudly. “I wasn’t supposed to be backstage, mind you. I just… happened to be.”

“Right! You sneaked in!”

“I totally did. They were nice though. Asked about my band when I told them, signed my record… it took the security a while to get me away from them, we got along brilliantly, let me tell you.”

You laughed. “Oh, I can see it coming! The posters will be everywhere!” You drew a poster into the air. “Metallica—big world tour 1988—support: Corroded Coffin!”

“That’d be a fucking dream, sweetheart.”

“Keep trying. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“The world could quite literally explode?”

“Okay, you’re way too high for pep talk.” Eddie grinned. “I’m nowhere near as high as you, sweetheart.”

“You know… when you go on tour, you’re gonna need fans though.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” You inched closer to him. “You’re gonna need groupies too so all the girls will want you and buy more records.”

Eddie’s hand came up to stroke your cheek, making you shiver. Hidden on this bench behind a massive bush in a dark corner, you were hidden from unwanted eyes entirely.

“What if I don’t want a groupie but… a supportive girlfriend cheering for me? I mean… Every Aragorn needs his Awren, no?”

So god damn cute! Adorable! Caring! Sweet! Handsome! Hot! Oh, fuck, that weed was getting to you. But did it matter? Fuck no. You leaned forward, taking the initiative from him and pressing your lips against his, testing the waters.

You practically melted against him when he wrapped his arms around you. “But is a mortal adventurer such as myself worthy of such beauty? Am I worthy of the attention of an elf-maiden such as yourself?” He whispered out of breath when you pulled away for a moment to meet his brown gaze. You gave him a sly grin.

“I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone,” you whispered against his lips, quoting a line directly from the book. Eddie moaned. Oh fuck, you had not expected that sound to turn you on so much… or the very fact that pretending to be in character just a little turned him on so much, turned you both on so much.

Heavens, you didn’t even know why you were about to have sex with a guy you’d only just met but here you were now, allowing Eddie to slide his palms under your dress and up your thighs. You leaned back slightly so he came to rest on top of you, his lips never leaving yours. There was no doubt he’d had sex before—he must have had countless opportunities at gigs and concerts. His hands, at least, knew exactly how to tease, knead and play with your breasts to get you excited and your nipples hard.

“You’re not wearing a bra, are ya?” He grinned, pulling away and leaving you with swollen lips.

“The costume’s too tight. There was no space for a bra between the fabric and me.” You winked at him.

“Oh, what a naughty elf-maiden you are…”

“You… do have a condom on you, right?”

“’Course I do.” Of course he did. A guy like Eddie definitely had condoms. You giggled like a little girl. The way he’d said it though was downright adorable.

Eagerly, he grabbed a fistful of your dress and shoved it up, revealing your white knickers to him. His smile was both mischievous and sweet at the same time when he hooked his index finger under the seam and tucked them down, revealing your cunt to him.

You bit your lower lip, taking a quick peek around. “You are sure no one can see us here, right?”

“Absolutely sure. This spot is invisible. I sell drugs around here a lot.”

“Oh, well then…” You remarked sarcastically, albeit grinning in the process. “Go on. Undress your fair elf-maiden before she changes her mind.”

“You think she will? I’ve travelled too far to let her slip through my fingers now.” You could tell he was a D&D player. He sounded almost poetic as Aragorn. Better than the book. Oh, sweet mercy…

Once Eddie had freed you from your knickers, he let them disappear in his back pocket with an innocent expression on his face. Only a moment later he was hovering above you again, this time impatiently fumbling with his trousers. You could see the bulge growing between his legs, and felt a hot surge of arousal tumble through you, ending straight between your own legs where, with every passing second, wetness was pooling. The last time you had been this enamoured by the mere presence of a guy you had been watching Labyrinth with David Bowie.

But Eddie wasn’t in a movie. Eddie was real—even more so when he finally pulled his erection free, his red tip glistening with precum. You longed to sit up, kneel before him and have a taste… maybe another time. This moment was for hot and quick Halloween sex dressed up as your favourite characters.

Even watching him roll the condom over himself had you pulse, the urge to press your thighs together for some relief growing with every heartbeat. Eventually, Eddie leaned forward again and positioned himself between your legs which you spread even further to invite him in. He admired your glistening pussy for a moment before guiding his member to your entrance, carefully pushing in as if he was afraid to hurt you. Then… inch by agonising inch… he sank himself inside of you and then stilled for a few breaths to let you adjust to his size.

“You’re not a virgin though, right?”

“A little too late to ask me that, don’t ya think?”

“Yeah… probably.” He chuckled a little. “I’d immediately take this somewhere more romantic if you were though.”

“Romantic’s for next time. I’m not a virgin. Move, Eddie!” you insisted impatiently, bucking your hips to emphasise your words. He moaned a little, doing as he was told. His thrusts were slow at first when you wrapped your legs around his hips and dug your heels into his buttocks but soon grew more erratic when he captured your lips in another passionate kiss. With teeth and tongue, your mouths fought a fiery battle, fighting for dominance in an utter frenzy.

Then, with a start, you felt one of his hands sneak down to where your bodies were united to seek out the very spot that would bring you pleasure beyond measure.

Oh shit… He really did know what he was doing. Pushing the thought of the women he’d done this with before aside stubbornly, you threw your head back to catch your breath, allowing Eddie to attack your throat instead and cover it in wet kisses. All too soon, he picked a spot to suck on, making you whine from the sweet pain it caused all the while his fingers played your clit like his freaking guitar.

He scooped up just enough of your slick in between his thrusts to lubricate the sensitive bundle of nerves before pampering it with an almost sensual massage. And although his fingers were moving fast, he was applying just enough pressure to make you moan his name. When his index and middle finger began moving up and down, gently flicking the hood of your clit, you were practically singing, a familiar, warm knot forming in your lower stomach.

“Oh, fuck! Yes, don’t stop that! Keep doing that!” Thank God the party was so loud. With the hot beats of the music in the background and the cheerful chattering and celebrating of the crowd, your words were swallowed. You almost grinned when Eddie didn’t pick up the pace (except for his eager thrusts that was) or change the rhythm. A guy who fucking listened… oh… shit…

You moaned loudly when you came, your walls gripping Eddie’s cock tightly and convulsing repeatedly, your orgasm rippling through you like a blissful hurricane. You could tell he was trying to hold out longer once you came down from your high, his skilled and calloused fingers helping you ride out your climax until you were all but spent on that hard wooden bench. Fuck, that was hot and considerate and cute.

“Don’t hold back, for Fuck’s sake. Cum!”

“Are… you sure?” He choked out.

“Yes. Cum now, then you’ll recover quicker and be ready for round two sooner,” you told him with a wink. That did it for him. Eddie’s eyes fell shut, his lips parting when his own release washed over him. You could feel his member jerking inside you as he spilled himself into the condom and then, after a few more lazy thrusts, he stilled.

It took you both all of your willpower to get up and let go of one another, and for Eddie to get rid of the used condom in the bin right next to the bench. He almost missed when he threw it. In the meantime, you crawled on his lap, your dress hiding both your exposed genitals.

“That… was fun,” he announced out of breath, locking his brown eyes with yours. You chuckled.

“Yeah. You’re the first guy who’s managed to make me cum, do you know that?”

“Seriously? I’m flattered, sweetheart.”

“Well, you know what they say.”

“What?”

“Guitar players do it faster.”

Eddie laughed out loud. “I guess that’s true. My fingers do move very fast, huh?”

You snuggled up closer to him, breathing in his scent. Whatever he used on his hair smelled absolutely bewitching. A few moments of silence followed, peaceful and appreciative of what just happened between you.

“Hey, uh… I guess we kinda did this the wrong way around. I got a gig coming up next week. Wanna come?”

“As in… a date? You bet. You need fans, remember?”

Eddie grinned like a boy whose parents had sat him in front of a sparkling Christmas tree for the first time.

Well… perhaps Hawkins High wasn’t so bad after all if you got to spend your time with him. At this pace, Eddie Munson was going to be your boyfriend before the end of the term.

A/N: You’ll find me in a vampire pizza bar in Camden tonight, dressed up as Eddie tonight! Muahaha. Happy Halloween!

Also, my first novel is coming out! FINALLY! Check out my pinned post on my blog for more details! ♥

#eddie munson #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fluff #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things eddie #stranger things eddie imagine #joseph quinn

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foreverdreamsds · 5 months

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These two bonded seniors are looking for their forever family who will provide them with the safety, love, and care they so very much deserve.

Patty, 12 year old black poodle, and Snickers, 14 year old tan poodle. They are fully vetted and in good health. Both are less than 10 lbs.

If you are interested please email us at [email protected]

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groundpear · 1 year

Photo

Moomins Bluey

Someone likes Moomins and Bluey (plus: a DS9 quote!) ID: A sketch page of Moomin charactes in Bluey-syle, and Bluey characters in Moomin-style. Left to right, top to bottom, more-or-less in rows: first row: colored Bluey happy in a pink cloud; Chloe the Dalmatian, Coco the Poodle and Snickers the Dachshund running; second row, slopping down: the Groke, three shining Hattifatteners, a colored scared Sniff, a colored proud Moominpappa saying "my dear youngster, they are all true!"; bottom left corner: colored Bandit, concerned and saying "Chilli, the kids are flying!", and Chilli chilling and peeling potatoes: "I know, mate. I just told them to fly carefully.". Teal background with blue frame. End ID. 🌟 2023 carrd | commissions | ☕️ Ko-fi 🌟

#my art #groundpear #azpainter3 #fanart #moomin #moomins #moominpappa #sniff #groke #hattifatteners #bandit #chilli #heelers

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cabinet-toon · 1 year

Text

#SNICKER POODLE #BRIAN #THIS WAS IN MY HEAD EVER SINCE I MADE HIM #TOONBLR

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kiddoryder · 1 month

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Carny Rangers

A commission for @dustinlaughlin

Hardy Wiley belongs to @dustinlaughlin

Blitz and Sophie McKnight belong to @loli-momo1908

At the hotel, Charlie was setting up some snacks at the table. Vaggie and the others were helping her out as well. After setting them on the table, Charlie left to go get the drinks. But when she came back with the drinks, Charlie saw Angel was about to eat the snacks.

Charlie - “Angel no! Put that down!”

Angel - *whining* “Oh come on! I haven't eaten all day! I had to skip breakfast! Can at least I have one snack, *makes puppy dog eyes* Plleeeeeeaaasssseeeee? *whimpers*”

Charlie - *sighs* “Alright but only one! I gotta save these for Sonya and Liz’s meeting.”

Angel - ”Meeting? What meeting?”

Vaggie - *annoyed* “Their Carny Rangers meeting Angel. Pay attention.”

Charlie - “They are part of the Carny Rangers. It’s like kid scouts but it's a circus theme. I used to be one myself.”

Hardy - “You were a girl scout, Charlie? Did you like to sell cookies and stuff?”

Charlie - *nods proudly* “Yep and we get badges and even did some circus shows too.”

Charlie pulls out an album and opens to show photographs of herself as a little girl wearing a clown-like scout uniform with other kids in matching clown-like scout uniforms.

Charlie - “There's me on my first day as a Carny Ranger.”

Vaggie - *cooing* “Aww you look so adorable!”

Charlie - “And of course my troop leader was my Dad.”

Charlie showed a picture of Lucifer Morningstar in a rather dorky troop leader outfit. The boys were all holding in their laughter from seeing the King of Hell in such an outfit.

Angel - *snickers* “I see he has a sense of style.”

Charlie - “He always made sure we had a lot of fun and earned badges too.”

Charlie turns the page and continues to show some pictures of her days in the Carny Rangers.

Charlie - *points to one picture* “There's us making balloon animals. I made a balloon poodle and named it Fifi.”

Sophie - “Aw, it looks so cool and cute!”

Charlie also turned the page in her book.

Charlie - “And this is where we went to one of Dad’s circus shows as a trip! The best part is he was part of the show!”

The picture showed Charlie and the other rangers watching Lucifer on a unicycle juggling.

Charlie - *points at another photo* “And there's us practicing our pie throwing. I accidently threw a pie at my dad's face, but he gave me a badge for such good aiming.”

The picture showed Charlie holding a badge with Lucifer standing next to her while his face was covered in pie.

Hardy - “Sounds like you had a lot during your scout days huh?”

Charlie - “I sure have, those were good times. *sighs in nostalgia* How I miss them.”

In her nostalgia, she hugs her photo album with a smile. It was one of her favorite childhood memories.

Charlie - “But I am glad my baby cousins can enjoy them too.”

Then there was a knock on the door.

Charlie - “Oh! They are here! Everybody be good to them remember they are only kids”

Charlie opens the door, and there, she sees Sonya in her Carny Ranger outfit accompanied by her fellow Carny Rangers in their matching outfits.

Sonya - “Hey Cousin Charlie!”

Charlie - “Sonya! I'm so glad you could make it! *gushes* Awwww, you look sooooo cute in your outfit.”

Sonya - *chuckles* “Thank you. The other scouts are here too.”

The Carny Rangers all did their signature Carny Ranger salute by pinching their noses and made honking noises. Charlie does the same by pinching her nose and making honking noises.

Charlie - *giggled* “Okay guys there are some snacks for you on the table just help yourself.”

Sonya and the Carny Rangers gathered at the table. The Carny Rangers were hellborn and some of them were young Imps, and hellhounds. Some even look older or younger than Sonya and Liz. They were chatting and eating snacks at the same time. Sophie looked interested in Sonya’s scout group.

Sophie - “So you guys do circus tricks?”

Sonya - “Oh sure, we do loads of circus tricks. We've been taught by the best after all.”

Hardy - “And who would that be?”

Just then, another knock on the door is heard. Charlie opened the door and saw it was Fizzarolli.

Fizzarolli - “Hey hey! It’s me, the fantastic Fizzarolli!”

Liz appears in shadow form and her face blushes from seeing Fizzarolli.

Hardy - *confused* “Who?”

Fizz - *shocked* “Wait, you seriously never heard of me? My face is on everything like cereal, toys, clothes, even people’s cars!”

Hardy shrugs his shoulders with a clueless expression on his face.

Charlie - “Umm he’s new in Hell.”

Fizzarolli - *winks and points at her* “Gotcha.”

Blitz - “Wait, aren't you that clown imp that works in the lust ring?”

Fizzarolli - *proudly* “That I am, my good bat demon. How kind of you to notice. Are you perhaps a fan of me?”

Blitz -*blunt* “No, I actually hate the lust ring because of the hormone overloading. And the kinks there are disgusting.

Fizzarolli - *deflated and deadpanned* “Oh.”

Then Fizz noticed Sophie hiding behind Blitz’s leg. Sophie gets a little shy when meeting new people.

Fizz - *cooing* “And who is this little doll?”

Blitz - “That’s my baby sister Sophie. *threateningly* You better not hurt her.”

Fizzarolli - “Oh relax, I'm great with kids. *to Sophie* Hey little girl, want some *brings out cotton candy like magic* cotton candy?”

Sophie - *eyes sparkle* “Ooh I love candy! *takes some and eat it* It’s so good!”

Fizz - “See? What did I tell ya?”

Blitz - *hummed* “Okay then.”

Angel - “So what made you decide to babysit a bunch of clown wannabes? Aren’t you like a big star or something?”

Fizz - “No, I'm still a big star. It’s just that ever since I stopped working for that fat greedy bastard Mammon I had a lot on my plate. Now I’m free to do what I want.”

Angel - *surprised* “You managed to quit your boss?”

Angel and Husk - *look at each other and simultaneously* “Lucky bastard.”

Charlie - “Yeah Uncle Mammon is not the type of person you would wanna work with.”

Hardy - “So what is your scout troop planning to do today, Ravioli?”

Fizzarolli - *annoyed* “That's Fizzarolli.”

Hardy - *shrugs* “Whatever.”

Fizzarolli - “Well I was planning on taking the kiddies either to a field trip or teaching some new circus tricks to get their next badges. But I figured maybe the teaching of the new circus tricks would be better since there is no interesting place to go to.”

Charlie - “Ooh maybe this can be a good exercise for my guests: learning to help young kids.”

Vaggie - “But that doesn’t mean you can hurt or prank them. I’m looking at you Angel.”

Angel - *groans* “Must you always have to kill my fun?”

Sir Pentious - “I’m sure the little ones will have a grand time with me. I know how to speak their language.”

Niffty - “I would love to clean up the messes after them!”

Husk - “Wait, so we're babysitting a bunch of kids today? I thought this was a rehabilitation hotel, not a babysitting service.”

Charlie - “Oh come on, Husk. It can be fun. You can even show off some of your old magic tricks to the kids.”

Sonya - “Yeah dude. I mean, you even showed your magic tricks to me and Sophie.”

Sophie - “Yeah! They are really cool.”

Husk - *slightly blushes* “I guess that would be okay. I mean it's better than showing it to some drunk motherfuckers.”

Ranger 1 - *scoff* “I bet he’s too old to show any good magic tricks.”

Husk - *cold glare* “I beg your freaking pardon?”

Ranger 1 - “Since you don’t wanna show us your tricks I think you actually don't because you’re just too old. Maybe you’re better off playing bingo.”

Some of the Carney Rangers giggled at this. Husk gets up with a serious face and starts to show them the best magic trick that these kids could ever see. Husk shuffled some cards and then he made them disappear. Then Angel starting coughing and some cards started coming out of his mouth.

Kids - *amazed* “Oooh!”

Angel - *annoyed* “Ya could have at least given me a heads up!”

Husk - *smug* “How's that for an old man?”

Sonya - “Wow Husk that was awesome!!”

Ranger 2 - “How do you do that?”

Husk - “Important rule #1 of magicians: Magicians should never reveal their secrets.”

Angel - “Ooh I got some magic I can teach you kids.”

Vaggie - “Angel no dirty jokes!”

Angel - “What dirty joke? I was going to show them the classic finger removing trick.”

Sophie - *shocked* “Removing your finger?! Won’t there be blood?”

Angel - “Not at all, observe.”

Angel began to do the trick and Sophie along with the Carny Rangers were impressed by the trick. Charlie was happy that Angel was actually spending time with the kids and not actually crude.

Charlie - “See guys? Told you it’s a good thing so they can learn to help others.”

Sir Pentious - “You think my invention can help these children as well?”

Hardy - “Depends, what kind of invention is it?”

Egg Boi - “Laser guns and bombs!”

Charlie - “Sorry Sir Pentious that’s WAY too dangerous for the kids.”

Blitz - “And what does have that to do with circus stuff?”

Vaggie - *glare* “And I thought I told you. No. More. Weapons!”

Sir Pentious - “But you don’t know when they are needed! Besides, it would help the kiddies with new tricks like ummm…dodging!”

Vaggie - *deadlier glare and poking his chest* “No! More! WEAPONS!”

Sir Pentious - *pouting* “Oh fine!”

Hardy - “I think it would be a nice change of pace. I haven't had a client call me for a case in a couple of days.”

Charlie - “Then it's settled, today's rehab activity is helping kids! *to Fizzarolli* So Troop Leader Fizzarolli, what's the first thing we're going to do?”

Fizzarolli - *checks the Carny Ranger merit badge book* “Let me see…”

He took out big goofy glasses and began to flip some pages. Then he stop at the one he thought was perfect.

Fizzarolli - “Ooh! After the meeting of the snacks and shit, we can earn badges that they didn’t get yet. Like there’s the animal tamer badge and people pymarid badge and-“

Sonya - “What about the Mammon badge?”

Fizzarolli - “Oh hold it little lady! That’s for the advance Carny Rangers. You squirts are just the beginners.”

Hardy - “What's the Mammon badge?”

Fizzarolli - “A rare badge that only certain advance Carny Rangers can get. It involves them doing super dangerous stunts like only certain people like moi can do.”

Hardy - *astonished* “Who in their right mind would make a badge like that?! That sounds highly unnecessary, not to mention unsanitary for a merit badge!”

Blitz - “Yeah, who thought of this, anyways?!”

Fizzarolli - *deadpanned* “Take a wild guess.”

Hardy and Blitz - “Mammon?”

Fizzarolli - *makes a bell noise* “Bingo! We have a winner.”

Angel - *disgusted* “Just what the fuck is wrong with this guy?! Is he like a suicidal sadist or something?! Jeez!”

Fizzarolli - “Hey he’s the King of Greed. Not the King of The Charity with Hug and Kisses.”

Hardy - *to Charlie* “Didn't your father have a say in this?! I mean he is The King of Hell.”

Charlie - “It’s not that easy to change Uncle Mammon’s mind. Changing Uncle Mammon’s mind is like trying to give a cat a bath. Plus, my dad tries his best to stay away from Uncle Mammon, not that I blame him since considering how he's always gloating that they're best friends, which they're not. He even got the nerves to say that Dad allowed him to create his own version of LuLu World.”

Fizzarolli - *groans* “Don't remind me. *clears throat* Moving on from that, let's doing something easy and fun to do, like...*looks through the merit badge book and picks one* Oh, like this one here, the Ball Balancing Badge?”

()()()()()()()()()

At the hotel’s backyard, all Carny Rangers all balancing on top of giant circus balls, like how circus animals would have done it. Sonya was struggling a bit trying to keep her balance.

Sonya - *struggling* “Man this is tougher than I thought.”

Charlie - “You can do it baby cuz, just keep your balance.”

Curious about the Rangers keeping balance on the ball, and deciding that it looked fun, Sophie got on the ball and tried it out. She managed to keep her balance but began to think.”

Sophie - “Hmm do I go forward or backwards?”

Blitz - *worriedly* “Whoa, be careful sis! You'll hurt yourself if you're not careful!”

Hardy - “Hey dude chill she will be okay.”

Blitz - “I just don’t want her to get hurt.”

Hardy - “I understand but you can’t be too overprotective of her. She need to learn and have fun too.”

Blitz - “Yeah, well, can she at least wear a helmet so she doesn't hurt her head?”

Hardy - *rolls his eyes* “I suppose that's fair.”

Blitz summoned a pink helmet for Sophie. But then he saw Sophie walking forward on the ball.

Sophie - “Look Blitzy! I’m doing it!”

Sophie also started to balance on the ball as well. Blitz was impressed and relief that Sophie can do it he magic the helmet away.

Fizzaroli - *impressed* “Kid's got talent! I sense another future Carny Ranger!”

Sophie - *excited* “Really? I can be a Carny Ranger!”

Fizzarolli - “Of course!”

Sophie - *excited* “Eee! I think this stuff is fun!!”

Blitz - *unsure* “You sure you wanna do it Sophie?”

Sophie - “Can I, big brother? *puppy dog eyes* Pleeeeeaaaaassssseeee?”

Sophie gives Blitz a super innocent smile that Blitz has so much trouble of ignoring.

Blitz - *gives in* “Okay fine you can join the Carney Rangers.”

Sophie - *jumps in the air in happines* Yyyyaaaayyyyy!!!!! *lunges and hugs Blitz* “Oh thank you, Blitzy! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!”

Blitz smiled and hugs her back. One of the things that always make him happy was seeing his baby sister happy.

()()()()()()()()

Now the Carny Rangers were trying to do animal training. One was trying to use the hoop for Fat Nuggets to jump through.

Carny Ranger - “Come on! Jump through the hoop!”

Fat Nuggets just roll around on the ground

Ranger - *frustrated* “Ugh! Why did I get stuck with the pig?”

Ranger 2 - “Because the cat, goats, and egg things were already taken.”

One of the Rangers was training KeeKee to walk on her hind legs. Another was having the Goat Bois balance cupcakes on their noses, but they keep on eating them. The Egg Bois was helping another Ranger jump through hoops, but they keep missing either jumping to short, get cracked after jumping through, or trip after the first step.

Ranger - “Maybe I’m doing something wrong?”

Ranger 2 - “Maybe you gotta throw him?”

Ranger - “Yeah! That way he can see what he gotta do.”

He picked up Fat Nuggets and was about to throw him like a football. But the squeals of getting picked up was loud enough for Angel to hear it.

Angel - *shouts* NO!

Angel Dust races in and swipes Fat Nuggets away from them. He held Fat Nuggets protectally in his arms.

Angel - *angry* “Don't. EVER! throw my baby! *coos towards Fat Nuggets* Oh there, there Nuggy. Daddy won't let them throw you. *smooches*”

Fat nuggets oink and nuzzles on Angel’s chest.

Ranger - “But we need our animal tamer badge!”

Ranger 2 - “And this pig isn’t doing anything we say.”

Angel looked annoyed, but he felt a pat on his leg. He looked down and saw Sophie.

Sophie - “May I try, Angel? I promise I won't throw him.”

Angel - “Well, okay, but only because I trust you with him.”

Angel places Fat Nuggets down and Sophie pulls out a cookie.

Sophie - “Look Nuggy, I got you a cookie. You want it?”

Fat Nuggets oinks happily while wagging his tail like a puppy.

Sophie - “Lie down.”

Fat Nuggets lie on his belly.

Sophie - “Roll over.”

Fat Nugget rolls around in a circle.

Sophie - “Play dead.”

Fat Nuggets gets on his back and makes a fake dying squeal and stuck it's tongue out.

Sophie - “Good boy, Nuggy.”

Sophie gives Fat Nuggets the cookie and rubs his belly as he nums on it.

Sophie - *gushes* “Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You are, oh yes you are.”

Sonya - *impressed* “Wow! That was amazing Sophie.”

Ranger - “How did you do that?”

Blitz - *smiles* “My baby sister has a way with animals.”

Fizzarolli - “That the thing you gotta learn kiddies; you need to be gentle with animals. Take me for example, *pulls out a long flip photo wallet of pictures and points a picture* I own nine quieves and treat like they were my own babies.”

Charlie - *gushing* “Aww they look so adorable!”

Fizzarolli - “Oh I agree. *points at the albino handicapped queef* Especiall my little precious one, right here. She's the first one I adopted.”

Hardy - “I didn’t know there were fly dogs in Hell.”

Blitz - “They're called Quieves, Hardy. They're one of the most popular pets in Hell. I've seen a few celebrities have one or two.”

Hardy - “Quieves? What a really strange name. They look more like Chupacabras to me?”

Fizzarolli - *confused* “Chew-what now?”

Hardy - “Chupacabras. You know, those mythical blood-sucking creatures from Mexican folklore that eat goats.”

Charlie - “Oh, we have those here in Hell, but they look way different than they do. Our Chupacabras are more lizard-looking.”

As they were talking Sonya noticed Liz was acting a bit weird. Liz is usually more social than her sister but acting shy and quiet.

Sonya - *concered* “Hey are you okay? You usually love to come out and practiced.”

Liz - blushing* “Uh yeah, I'm fine, totally fine.”

Then Sonya notices Liz is staring at Fizzarolli, and she starts to realize what is wrong with her twin sister.

Sonya - *realizes* “Oh, I get it. You have a crush on our troop leader, don't you?”

Liz - *flustered* “What?! No! Of course not!”

Sonya - “Come on I know that look. I get that whenever I’m around Stolas.”

Liz - *flustered* “W-Well, have you ever considered wearing glasses?! C-Cause I do NOT have a crush on him! Nuh-uh! No way! Never in all of my life!”

Sonya - *deadpanned* “Then why are your cheeks blushing?”

Liz - “Uhhh sunburnt?”

Sonya - “Oh come on, sis! It's perfectly fine to have a crush. Unlike you, I won't tease you for it.”

Liz - *embarrassed* “Oooooohhhh, fine! I admit it! I have a crush on Fizz!”

Sonya - “See? Was that so hard to admit?”

Liz - *desprated* “What am I gonna do, sis? I never felt this way before!”

Sonya - “Just be cool about it and act regular around him.”

Liz - *deep breath* “Okay, I can do this. I can do this.... I CANNOT do this!”

Liz hides behind Sonya like a absolute starstruck fan.

Sonya - “Man this is so weird seeing you like this.”

Liz slumps to the floor in embarassment while covering her eyes and moan.

()()()()()()()()()

The Carny Rangers are now doing their next activty. Fizz was walking on his hands while on a low tightrope.

Fizzarolli - “Okay kiddies! The next activity is the walk on the tight rope. But since you’re beginniners, we will start on a short height.”

Fizzarolli creates another tight rope that is close to the ground and not way up high in the air like your usual tightropes.

Fizzarolli - “Now who want to go first?”

Sophie - *raises her hand excitedly* “Oh-Oh-Oh! Me, me, me, me!”

Charlie - *giggled* “I can see this little one is excited.”

Fizz - “Okay girly, you’re first!”

Sophie gets on the tightrope. Going nice and slow, she crosses to the other side of the tight rope without losing her balance. Sophie was feeling a little nervous but then heard her brother saying:

Blitz - “I’m right here baby girl.”

This gives Sophie the confident she needs and steadily approaches the other end of the tightrope and made it to the end.

Sophie - *happily* “I did it!”

The Carney Rangers cheered for Sophie. Even Blitz and the others cheered for Sophie.

Fizz - “This kid has natural talent!”

Liz was watching everyone cheering for Sophie and can't help but feel a little jealous for the little girl. Sure, she is innocent and only doing it for fun, but she really wishes that she has some attention from the troop leader.

Sonya - “Sophie is doing awesome!”

Liz - *grumbles* Yeah, I guess. *sighs* I wish I could do something to impress Fizz.”

But then, Liz felt the Carny Rangers book in her pocket and then had an idea.

Liz - “I think I know what to do!”

Sonya - “What are you thinking, sis?”

Liz - “I can do such an amazing trick to impress Fizz!”

Sonya - “And what trick would that be?”

Liz - “The most awesome trick of all time!”

Sonya - *worried* “That's what worries me.”

Liz got out the book and flip through the pages.

Liz - “See? They got some neat tricks that I can do!”

Sonya - “Well yeah, but which exactly are you planning to do?”

Liz - *points to Mammon badge* “This one.”

Sonya - *shocked* “What?! Are you crazy?!”

Liz - *shrugs* “Probably but I know I can do this!”

Sonya - “Fizzarolli specifically told us NOT to do this badge because it was too dangerous! We aren’t advance Rangers yet!”

Liz - *devious smile* “Yet. But once we achieve this badge, Fizzarolli will surely recognize me--I mean, us!”

Sonya - *shakes her head* “Dude this is a bad idea.”

Liz - “Oh come on, Sonya! I will do ANYTHING you ask if help with me this.”

Sonya - “Anything?”

Liz - “Yes, anything.”

Sonya - *reclunet* “Well alright it’s a deal.”

Liz - *pumps fist* “Yes, thank you! *pulls her in and whispers* Now here's the plan…”

Liz whispers her plan to Sonya while the other Carny Rangers are taking turns on the tightrope.

Ranger 1 - “Man this is scary…”

Hardy - “You got this kid, just keep your head up, eyes forward, and don't look down.”

Blitz - “Just remember to keep your balance.”

The Carny Ranger slowly moves across the tightrope to reach the other end, until he finally made it.

Ranger - *happy* “Yay I did it!”

Fizzarolli - “That's the spirit! I knew you could do it!”

Hardy - “You said it, Spaghetti!”

Fizzarolli - *annoyed* “That's Fizzarolli.”

Hardy - *shrugs* “Whatever.”

Sophie - “I wanna do more Carney Rangers stuff!”

Charlie - *looks on a clipboard* “Hold on, Sonya and Liz haven't gone yet. Now where are they?”

Angel - “Haven’t seen those Twuirts”

Vaggie - “Neither have I.”

Hardy, and Blitz shrugged as they haven't seen them either. Even Sophie shook her head since she hasn’t seen them either.

Charlie - “Sonya! Liz! Where are you?”

Charlie looks around to find her cousins, until finally she sees that causes her to gasp in utter shock. She sees Sonya and Liz on top of tall tightrope over a pit of fire.

Charlie - *sternly and loud* “Sonya Josephine and Elizabeth Charlotte Morningstar!! Get down from there right now!!”

Liz - *dismissived* “No worry, Cuz! We got this! This will only take a few minutes!”

Hardy and the others arrive to see what was going on, and have mixed emotions of what they are seeing.

Hardy - *worried* “Girls, what do you think you're doing?! That's dangerous! You both could get hurt!”

Angel - “Ya WAY too young for this shit!”

Vaggie - “Get down here now!”

Liz - “Don't get your knickers in a knot, It's perfectly under control!”

Sonya was in her shadow form and was looking worried on what her sister was planning to do.

Sonya - *scared* “Liz I don’t think we should do this. It’s way too dangerous!”

Liz - “Oh relax, everything is totally under control. Now let’s do this!”

Liz starts walking on the tightrope, slowly reaching to the other side. However, as she half-way there, something bad happens. Liz almost lost her balance but managed to get it back and she began breathing heavily. Liz was looking nervous as this was happening.

Sonya - *worried* “You okay?”

Liz - *nervously* “I’m fine! I’m fine *to herself* I’m gonna die.”

But Liz took a deep breath and kept walking but all a sudden, it started to get too windy, and the fire rises up and began to burn the rope. The rope burnt and Liz began to fall and scream.

Charlie - *shouts* “SONYA! LIZ!”

But then, just when Hardy and the guys were going to rescue them, Fizzrolli leaps into action with his high-tech limbs, catching the twins before they were burnt to a crisp.

Fizz pulled them back toward them and said:

Fizz - “You okay sweetheart?”

Liz was feeling scare and traumatized and just hugged Fizz tightly while crying.

Fizzarolli - *comforting* “There, there. I got ya. You're safe now.”

Vaggie - *relief* “Thank Lucifer they are okay.”

Charlie runs towards them to take Liz out of Fizz's arms as she comforts her.

Charlie - *soothing* “It’s okay sweetie you’re safe.”

Liz continued crying as Sonya tried to comfort her.

()()()()()()()()

Within a while, Liz finally calmed down as everyone gathered around her to hear an explanation.

Hardy - *sternly* “Liz we just want to know why you did what you did. You could of seriously gotten hurt. Or worse.”

Liz - *sighs* “I just wanted to impressed Fizz.”

Fizzarolli - “Impress me? What for?”

Liz - “Because you are so cool and I wanted to show you that I can be cool too.”

Sonya:l - “Also because she has a fan crush on you.”

Liz - *embrassed and blushes* “Sonya!”

Fizz - *chuckles* “Well she’s not the first.”

Liz - *blushes* “Yeah, w-well, not like a lustful crush like those other creeps do and purchase several of your robot duplicates. *sighs* I thought that... if I did something amazing, you would give me praise too, like how you've been giving Sophie today. I thought that if I obtain the Mammon badge, you would be proud of me.”

Fizz - *smiles* “Ah, Lizzie. You don't need to do something huge to impress me.”

Liz - “I don’t?”

Fizz - “Of course not. You just doing the tricks you are able to do is impressive to me. Heck, you managed to impress me with that prank you uploaded the other day.”

Fizz shows a video on his Sinphone, showing Liz committing a prank on Mammon during a meeting with the Seven Deadly Sins. She put a big bottle rocket on Mammon’s chair and ran to the corner. Then just when Mammon sat down, the bottle rocket went off and Mammon litteraly flew off his seat and bang into the celing.

Fizz - *laughs* It was so priceless! One of my top ten favorites!

Charlie - *giggled* “I have to admit that was funny.”

Liz - *chuckles* “Well Uncle Mammon did deserve it for being a total douche. He even ate all the cookies during the meeting and didn’t leave me some!”

Fizz - “That's what I like about you, kid. You being able to stand up to someone by the likes of Mammon. It took me a decade and a half to stand up to him because I felt like that I was indebted to him.”

Hardy - “Really why?”

Fizz - “I thought it was him that made me who I am but thanks to my friends and Ozzie I realize even if I didn’t turn out the way I did I would still be me. So you being you is all you need to do, kid. Just be yourself.”

Liz makes a big smile and gives Fizzarolli a big hug.

Liz - *happy* “Thank you so much.”

Fizzarolli - *hugs back* “You're welcome.”

Liz - “Ummm are you gonna tell my parents about this? I do deserve getting grounded.”

Fizzarolli - “Unfortunately, yes. It's part of the code of being a troop leader.”

Liz - *sighs* “Fair enough. Hopefully it’s only I’m grounded for 2 weeks.”

Sonya - *scoff* “More like 2 months.”

Vaggie - “Or 6 months.”

Charlie - “But we are glad that you are okay.”

Angel - “Yeah, and seriously, next time, try to think twice before planning on something crazy like that. Ya still a little shrimp to do something like that.”

Blitz - “Yeah you could of gotten badly hurt or worst.”

Liz - *smiles* “Okay, guys. I promise to never do something stupid like that again. But there is one thing I want to do.”

()()()()()()()()

In a Carny Ranger-like ceremony, Sophie was standing in the center as Liz approaches her.

Liz - “Sophie McKnight, for showing such great circus skills, I hereby dub thee an honorary Carny Ranger.”

Liz places a Carny Ranger hat on Sophie's head.

Liz - *smiles* “Welcome to the troop Cupcake.”

Fizzarolli, Sonya, Liz, and the Carny Rangers do the honking salute to her. Sophie squeal in happiness that she’s becoming an official Carny Ranger.

Sophie - *excited* “This is so amazing!!”

Fizz - “Also here’s your first badge sweetie: The Animal Tamer badge.”

Fizzarolli places the badge on Sophie, as she, with a smile, does the honking salute back to her fellow troop. She showed the badge to Blitz and he smiled and gave his sister a big hug.

Blitz - “I’m so proud of you Sophie. You really are becoming a big girl.”

Sophie - *hugs back* “Thanks big brother.”

Sonya - “How about we celebrate with some pie?”

Liz - “But let do it carny style!”

Liz took a pie and she smashed one at Sonya’s face. Much to her annoyance.

Fizzarolli - *gleeful* “Ooo, a pie fight! Rangers, pies at the ready!”

The Rangers grabs the pies and began to throw them at each other. Even Sophie was in the pie fight and she began to throw some pies as well. Vaggie had Charlie duck under a table but Charlie was happily watching.

Charlie - *happily sighs* “This brings back a lot of memories. Can’t wait to do this next week!”

The end

#hazbin hotel #fanfic #commission fanfic

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