#I was gonna stick around to see who pit girl is and who gets eaten first but now I might not care enough | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

oikadori · 4 years

Text

A/N: I really liked this request!! I love Yamaguchi but I’m really insecure about writing for him?? so that’s why he isn’t on my characters list, but after this I might write for him too! Sorry for deleting the last one and then posting this again but I get really anxious when like, i have a plan and then it doesn’t go as I wanted so here it is...again BUT at 10pm east hour 😌

Sorry for the long wait ANON but here it is. Hope you like it!

Yamaguchi Tadashi x f!Reader

Summary: he is very subtle with his feelings but it’s really hard to hide them when his crush is Karasuno’s sweetheart, in the other hand, you are not familiar with the butterflies in your stomach

Genre: fluff, a little angst but mostly fluff

WC~2,3K

“Karasuno’s heartbreaker” that’s how they called you. You really didn’t want to sound mean to them, but the boys’ insistence bothered every fiber of your body. So, when you noticed that third-year walking in your direction, holding a cute bento-box, you ran.

“Oh, I’m so sorry”, the boy with freckles and a little aerial on his hair says as his cheeks tint red when he notices you. You, the sweetheart of Karasuno just bumped into his chest “Are you– “

Your tongue sticks out catching your breath as you look at the tall boy you just crashed against.

“It doesn’t matter–“ , you hear multiple steps turning around the corner and your eyes fanatically search for a spot to hide, noticing just now his black jacket, “Freckles! You are from the volleyball club, right?”

“Y-Yes”

“Let me hide in the gym. PLEASE. Only for ten minutes”

“I–Only people from the club can enter”

“Just five minutes, okay?” the way your eyes become big and puffy kills any resistance he had left. He nods nervously before walking to the gym’s door, followed closely by your figure.

You scan him curiously. ‘Is he a first year?’ He’s really tall for that, but you don’t remember seeing him in any of your classes. ‘Maybe he is in advanced classes?’

The moment you cross the doors, all stares are over you. Two second-years freeze in the spot while a tall blonde looks at you with confusion as his eyes slightly widen. You recognize two first years, Kageyama and Hinata, who turn bright red as they see you standing in the entrance with an embarrassed little smile.

“Don’t mind me. I’m just–

“IS THAT Y/N-san??”

“I think she is Ryu!! This is our lucky day!!”

“Yamguchi, since when are you friends with her?” the blonde says, not crossing eyes with you

“I’m not, but–“

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave as soon as I can”

“W-We can teach you play Y/N-san!”, Hinata comes at you, bouncing, making you take a few steps back, “Stay, Please!–”

Your feet slip in the steps and you lose your balance only for a fraction of second, but Yamaguchi’s hand is quick grabbing your forearm. His hold on you is gently and the moment he notices it, he releases you just as quick.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to t-touch you like that” you move away a little, still shocked by the loudness of the situation, shaking slightly your head.

“Thank you actually. I just need some sp–”

Before anyone else can approach you, a third-year girl moves in front of you, extending her arms protectively.

“Stay back, you’re scaring her”, just when you were about to thank her, you see behind your shoulder multiple boys approaching the gym, and without exchanging a word, she pushes you further into the gym, and closes the door with a loud thud.

“Thank you so much…”

“Shimizu”

“I–sorry for coming in like that” you whisper, “Can I stay here until they leave, please?”, you gaze at the third-years, pleading.

“Please, please let her stay Daichi-san”

“Please! It’s Y/N L/N-san!”

They share a brief smile before welcoming you. So, in an attempt of making yourself useful, you start helping Kiyoko with her duties. Your eyes casually drift to the court and the moment you see them playing, your mouth opens wide.

“Amazing right?”

“I’ve never seen an actual match before…It’s– really impressive”, Kiyoko smiles at you before speaking again

“Have you joined any club activity?”

///

The cold air of the night shakes your hair as you close the gyms doors, wearing the volleyball club’s jacket. You wrap your arms around yourself at the coldness as you turn down Noya and Tanaka’s offer to carry your bags to walk you home.

“Thank you, but you both live, like, in the opposite side of the town”

As the boys leave with puppy eyes, you catch the sight of a little brown aerial turning around the corner.

“Freckles, are you going home?”

“Oh. Hi, Y/N”, he stops instantly and turns to you, “No, sorry. I’m gonna practice some more serves. You live in the house, crossing the street, right?

He turns red, replaying the words in his head as his eyes go blank.

“I-I’ve seen you walking to school a few times. Not that I watch you constantly–Sorry!”, you bit your lip holding back a chuckle, his shyness making your eyes soften.

“Can I go with you? I could go alone honestly but my parents would kill me if they saw me arriving home at this hour without company”

“ I’m gonna practice for at least one more hour, are you okay with that?” ‘An extra hour besides his regular training??!!’

“I kinda don’t have a choice, so yes”, he frowns as you reach for your back, placing it across your shoulder before zipping your jacket and giving a light nod to begin your walk.

He doesn’t ask you to let him carry your bag, he have seen how that question had bothered you at least 20 time before. So, he just walks beside you, in silence.

“Hey that’s not the street we were supposed to take” you stop, pointing at the opposite side, “That’s the one to Shimada’s-san store!”

“I know, I’m walking you home first”, you blink and a strange lump settles on your throat, “I can practice later”, a closed-eye smile crosses his face, it is amazing the way your face burns at the effortless cuteness of the first-year.

“But it’s really late already–“

“Oh, I stay until much later! It’s no problem really” ‘Why is he so damn sweet???’

“Fine. Whatever” your mumbles make Yamaguchi’s lips curve up, he looks at you dreamily, you are absolutely gorgeous. That silly nickname doesn’t equal everything you are, and it makes his heart drop to the ground.

Suddenly, you quicken your pace making him take long steps to match yours.

“Come on, Yamaguchi, I don’t want you to blame me for falling asleep in class tomorrow!”

Good thing you’re walking a few steps ahead of him, otherwise you would have seen clear as day his flushed cheeks shining under the moon.

///

That was the very only walk you had alone with Yamaguchi, but even though he was always around Tsuki, you promised yourself you would cope with the middle blocker, so you didn’t have to walk alone. From being just teammates, you started calling them friends.

The sun is falling on the horizon, a mix of orange and red painting the sky as Karasuno’s volleyball club left the gym where they just had a long practice match.

“Oi! The pretty manager! Wait!”

Your foot just landed on the step of the bus, when three boys from the other team come at you. Yamaguchi is behind you, waiting for you to step in when you turn back, sighing.

“Hey. I’m about to leave so I’m sorry–

“Aww, sweetheart, don’t be like this”, the boy eyes you from to toe to head, making Yamaguchi frown at him but then, when he looks at your face, your sweet smile turning into a dangerous grin, he just backs away, “I only want your phone number”

There is a little pause and Yamaguchi can feel his features relaxing, understanding you are in total control. He had watched you closely, not with obsessive stares but with subtle glances here and there, picking up your gestures and actions. Not noticing, how strong his crush on you was getting.

“Oh, but why on earth would I do that?”, you look so cute but there is nothing cute in the words you spit at them, it makes Yamaguchi gulp harshly. ‘Maybe you learnt too well from Tsuki’.

Noya and Tanaka were already running his sleeves up getting off the bus when they heard you, becoming statues.

“I mean, you don’t seem like the kind of guy I’ll date so- No. I’m tired and I want to go home” you say, swaying your hips as you enter the bus, “Are you coming Yamaguchi?”

“Y-Yeah!”

You drop your weight on an empty seat as Yamaguchi searches for another spot without luck. He looks at the seat next to you with nervousness, not wanting to bother you.

“You can sit here, you know? You can’t stay up the whole ride, can you?”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable”

“Why would you?” you quirk an eyebrow at him, smiling as you see the soft redness spreading on his cheeks, “I’m messing with you, Tadashi! Just sit”

And as a soldier listening to a command, he sits.

He watches you as you take out your earbuds and plug them in, scrolling down your playlists.

“Did the album you were waiting come out?”, he points shyly his finger at your phone, making you blink as you turn to him

“I-Yes! How do you know I was waiting for it?”

“Uhm–I remember you said that last week”, you fight vigorously the red that threatens your cheeks with fake coughs, “I-I didn’t mean to overhear you, I swear!

“No-no. It’s not that. It’s just–guys don’t usually listen to me, not really anyways. It’s nice knowing someone does”

A comfortable silence settles in as you brush the butterflies in your stomach away before turning to him, eyes glistening with a little mishief.

“That guy was SO annoying!!”, you sigh, “I’m sure Noya and Tanaka would have eaten him alive” you giggle a little before staring at him expectantly for his reaction.

“I–“, his eyes run away from yours before mumbling softly, “I don’t think you needed someone to protect you, your presence itself is…overwhelming–In the best way possible!”

Tsuki turns his head to where you both are siting, sighing, when he sees two blushing messes sinking in the seats.

“I mean if he kept insisting, of course I would do–something!” you feel again that weird knot in the pit of your stomach and without thinking you unplug one of your earbuds.

“Want to listen with me?”

“yes”, Yamaguchi just feel as if he is the luckiest guy in the world and he wants to enjoy every minute of it, but playing five practice sets was tiring

His eyelids grow heavier and his head staggers from right to left as the ride continues, accidentally landing on your shoulder.

“Sorry! I didn’t meant to–“

“D-Don’t worry, I want to sleep too so–“

‘Are you asking to–?’

“You can rest on my shoulder–If you want” you nod shyly causing Yamaguchi to stare at you shocked, he had never seen you this timid.

His brain freezes as he feels the weight of your head falling on his right shoulder, breath almost stoping when you snuggle a little more to find the best position to finally sleep.

“Thank you, Tadashi”, the loudness of his heartbeat nearly doesn’t let him hear your soft whisper.

Finally, he lets his head cautiously fall on top of yours as if he was scared to mess a single strand of your hair but not before he had taken the sight of you. Your face looked almost angelical as the sunlight poured throght the window onto your features, your breath slowing down continuously.

Yamaguchi truly never had felt this lucky.

///

Since then, you realized you did have feelings for the pinch server and even though he showed a little smile and a light blush now and then, you didn’t know if he felt the same. It was unknown to you that his chest brimmed with nervousness and excitement every time he was in your presence.

You’ve never felt this anxious before, and watching the cute, blushing exchanges between Yamaguchi and Yachi only made it worst. This time, Yachi almost passed away when a volleyball landed right next to her, Yamaguchi was quick getting the first-aid kit and sitting next to her. A bright red in both of their faces as he touched her hand, searching her pulse, making your eyes roll.

You hated going alone to the storage room, but you hated much more the ongoing scene in the gym.

Dust gets in your lungs, causing you to cough violently as you search for an old net in one of the shelves.

“Why nobody cleans this??”

“Y/N, do you need help?”

The moment you hear Yamaguchi’s voice you huff.

“No. I’m fine”

“But you can fall, Y/N. Let me reach that for you”

“Just let me do it!” you turn way too quickly to face him, losing your balance on the chair, falling forward.

Yamaguchi is fast grabbing your waist, but gravity had already pull you down by the time his hands secure you. Your chest crashes with his as your eyes close, his back landing with a loud thump over the wooden floor.

When you open your eyes again, your lips are on top of his. Yamaguchi’s eyes are still tightly shut, and you take the moment to feel his lips

‘Incredibly soft’.

You drift your stare from his lips to his face, his freckles almost disappearing for the shade of red that tints his cheeks. He is just so pretty!

“SORRY, Y/N!!” he moves his head away not giving you time to react, detaching his lips form yours.

“You didn’t like it?”

“I–Of course I did”

“Then why did you pull back–

“Y/N–

“No! Really, Tadashi, tell me. Just tell me you like Yachi, already!”, he blinks in confusion, his heartbeat hammers his ears as he feels numb by the words you’re about to say, “I like you Tadashi”

“But you’re out of my reach. I like you so much, but why would you–“, you grab his face with both of your hands, the urge to feel him, overwhelming you as you gaze at him overflowed by confidence

“Shut up and kiss me, Yamaguchi” you’re still on top of him and his hands find its way to your waist as you press him against you. The kiss is filled with your eagerness and soon is follow by Yamaguchi’s softness and tenderness, a little moan escapes his lips, making you smile.

The door opens for a second only to show Tsuki with disgust all over his face before he disappears again, causing you to break the kiss. His shy eyes look at you and pepper his beautiful freckles with kisses for reassurance.

“Don’t ever put yourself down in front of me Tadashi, ever”

A/N: I promise, now I’m gonna work in the event :3 Hopefully I can publish some of them in the next week, I have more math presentations xd

❀ Please reblog if you like it! ❀

♡Thanks for reading ♡

@kouffee-ink

↳ ∴ Master List ∴

377 notes · View notes

jeyramarie · 3 years

Text

The forbidden zone- Pogue x OC

summary: It’s time to look for the wreck and the weather won’t stop them.

wc: 4,752

a/n: here it is! as requested 😁 @halsmultibitch and i have so so many ideas. we can’t wait for all of you to read it!! happy reading 🦋

prologue~ pilot~ the lucky compass

Previously on Good Life...

Lani had volunteered to climb into it since she was the smallest. Once inside she asked for a flashlight due to it being so dark. She looked around for a bit until she found an envelope leaned against the wall.

“Oh my god.” she whispered as she stared at it. ‘To Bird.’ it read.

John B stared at the envelope in adoration, perfectly knowing it was from his dad. JJ helped Lani out of the tomb as a cold breeze ran through the trees making her shiver.

“Holy shit. This is from my dad.” He said and looked around as his friends while JJ lit his blunt, puffing some smoke. Suddenly, car headlights came into view coming their way.

“Code red. Code red. Square groupers!” JJ said desperately as he walked backwards to his friends.

“Oh my god, go.” Lani said, pulling Kie’s arm to hide next to the tomb. They all got down and fidgeted with their flashlights to turn them off.

“Light!”

“Turn it off, John B!” the curly haired kook exclaimed as she saw the pogue jam the flashlight up his shirt. JJ turned off his cigarette against the wall as they all stayed there quietly. The car came to a stop as a man climbed out.

“I think I see something!” He shouted to the other person in the car as JJ and Pope peeked their heads out, trying to see.

“Is it them?” Lani whispered to the boys feeling fear in the pit of her stomach.

“Homie’s got a gun.” JJ whispered as he turned back to lean against the wall.

“Oh fuck this.” Fallon muttered as she stood up before running off. John B immediately followed, then Kie, Lani, JJ and finally, Pope. Everyone made it over the fence successfully until Pope’s pants got stuck. Of course he’s the one that gets stuck, classic Pope.

“Guys, guys. I’m stuck!” He said as he desperately tried to free himself from the fence.

“I got you, buddy.” Lani said as she came for his rescue alongside John B. They used all they’re strength to get him out causing the pants to start ripping.

“Guys, you’re gonna rip me.”

“Pope, don’t move okay?” JJ said as he held up his gun towards the pogue.

“JJ, what the fuck? Put that down, man.” John B pushed his arm down making the blonde put the gun back in his cargo shorts.

“No, no. You’re gonna rip me. No! You’re ripping me!” and with that Pope fell from the fence leaving his shorts hanging.

“Oh my god.” Lani laughed as she walked backwards to get to the car.

“Hey, it's a little Tootsie roll!” JJ shouted, making everyone laugh as they all ran to the car. Fallon opened the door waiting for them to get closer.

“Get in.” Kie laughed as she saw Pope climbing in in his underwear.

“What the hell happened?” Fallon slid the door close and turned to Pope who was frowning in annoyance.

“You don’t wanna know.” he groaned as he sat at the chair at the back of the van. They went back to the Chateau, quickly clearing a space to look at what the envelope had. JJ ran to the kitchen looking for food since he hasn’t eaten all day. He found some bread, some peanut and jelly making his eyes sparkle as his stomach growled.

“That bread has had mold for like a week.” Lani said as she opened her water bottle to take a sip.

“I’ll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mold is good for you. It’s just a natural organism.” he said, picking up the sandwich and moving to take a bite off of it, receiving a disgusted look from the kook.

“Guys!” Kie called as John B pulled out a map from the envelope.

“We’re going.” Lani said walking out of the kitchen with JJ trailing behind her as he took a bite off the sandwich.

“Mmm.” JJ muttered and then gagged as he spit out the piece of moldy bread.

“Told you not to eat it.” The kook with her arms crossed made the pogue pull out the middle finger. The pogue opened the map to see coordinates, scribbled lines and an x.

“Well, x marks the spot.” Fallon said, pointing her finger on the map.

“Longitud, latitud… wait, there's something else in there.” John B said as he traced his finger along the lines before dropping it and picking up the envelope again. He reached in and pulled out a tape recorder.

“What’s that?” JJ asked in confusion.

“It’s a tape recorder, J.” Lani said, looking at him and chuckling a bit. The pogue held the recorder for a bit more and started playing it to reveal his dad’s voice. Big John talked about the Royal Merchant, how he found it. He actually found it, which was a huge surprise to everyone, including John B. Once the recorder stopped, the room was filled with silence until JJ broke it.

“Holy shit, he found it! Big John…. He found the Merchant.” He lifted his arms in excitement as Lani stood up straight and forcefully lowered his arms.

“Can you not right now, JJ?” Fallon said, running her hand through her hair. John B stood up and leaned against the door as he began to cry. Kie went to his side and hugged him, giving him comfort as his tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

A few hours later, everyone was found on the docks. Kie was playing her ukulele, Lani was sketching Pope and everyone else drinking beer in silence.

“How much was it again?” JJ asked and sipped from his beer can before tossing it aside.

“Four hundred mil.” Lani said never parting her eyes from the sketchbook as she erased the eyebrow to fix it’s arch.

“All right, let’s talk split. Now, before we say “evenly” may I remind you that I am the only one that can probably defend us from those square groupers that were after us. Protection? Not cheap, okay?” He said, holding his gun up for everyone to see trying to make a point.

“You haven’t trained. You’ve done zero training.” Fallon crossed her arms leaning against the railing.

“Youtube, Fal.” he winked at the caramel haired pogue making her stick out her tongue making him chuckle.

“You haven’t-” Pope started objecting when JJ cut him off.

“Any objections? Didn’t think so.” Lani and Kie were holding up their hands in objection but were ignored by the pogue.

“There’s a couple objections.”

“I don’t hear any so…”

“Okay well, what are you gonna do with 66 mil Pope?” Fallon said, cutting him off and she sat down on the floor.

“Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive.”

“What about you, Kie?”

“Yeah, what does a socalist do when she’s rich?” Lani asked, smirking at the pogue who chuckled at her question.

“Just wanna make a double album. About the OBX, the pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it in Marley studio, Peter Tosh producing. And before you say anything Pope, yes I know Peter Tosh is dead.” The pogue lifted his hands in surrender as he laughed at her last comment.

“Lani? What about you?” John B asked, leaning back on his beach chair as he opened a new beer can.

“I’m not sure what she would want. She’s already rich.” Fallon muttered under her breath making the kook frown as her face fell making her look at her sketchbook.

“Well, you’re rich too but you don’t see me making comments about it.” Everyone opened their eyes and muttered ‘ooo’s’ as Lani looked at John B to answer his question.

“I wanna go to Italy, get a house by the beach. Not even a house, I want a cute little hud with a window facing the ocean. So, I can paint and eat all the pasta I can get.” she said and raised her beer can in the form of the toast before sipping from the cold beverage.

“Fal, your turn.” JJ smiled, turning his head towards her as he fidgeted with his lighter.

“I’m gonna leave Outer Banks. I’ve only felt trapped here. So, I wanna go and I don’t know… escape life, I guess.” John B nodded and lifted his beer can in agreement while the blonde pogue nodded too.

“I know what I’ll do. I’m gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook.”

“Full kook?” “You are not going full kook.” Lani and Fallon said at the same time, making him laugh.

“Yes, full kook. I’m gonna get a big statue of myself and a koi pond with a bunch of fish.” He said making circular movements with his hands as he described the pond.

“You know I’m never visiting right?” Kie said, placing her ukulele back on her lap.

“What are you gonna do, John B?” Lani asked, leaning towards Pope, handing him the portrait she made.

“To going full Kook.” he smiled as he stood up and held his beer can up causing everyone else to hold up their beverages too.

“To going full Kook.” They hollered and laughed as the night went by smoothly. Lani was starting to feel like part of the group now which made her very happy since she was never the girl to have a bunch of friends. All of her ‘friends’ were the children of her parents' business partners, whom she never really liked.

The next day came around, sunny as ever giving the pogues the perfect idea to go on a boat ride on the marsh. They got ready in record time with their swimsuits and the cooler filled with drinks and the ice Pope brought from his dad’s store. They picked up Kie at her house’s dock first and then Lani, who wasn’t far. As they sailed through the marsh, getting to their favorite spot, JJ spotted two kooks on their own new boat.

“Holy shit. You guys see that? That’s the Malibu 24-MXZ, the world’s finest wakesetter. Number one in luxury, quality and performance. That’s 200k easy.” He said squinting his eyes behind his sunglasses moving his head to his friends and back at the kooks.

“No, here comes Malibu Barbie and Ken.” Fallon tilted her head as she laughed at her joke.

“You don’t have to act like you don’t see us, bitch.” Kie said as she looked at Sarah while the boats crossed paths. The blonde kook waved and smiled at Lani causing her to do the same thing.

“Of course, you wave at her.” the caramel haired pogue scoffed in annoyance.

“Says the one who’s friends with Rafe.” Pope muttered under his breath loud enough for the pogue to hear and blush.

“She’s been nothing but nice to me. I have no hate against her.” The kook shook her head as she continued sketching. Most of the day was spent swimming, drinking and planning on how to get a computer with the Internet in order to find the coordinates from Big John’s map. After the marsh, they all went back to the Chateau to get dressed so they could begin their trip to the hotel JJ worked at. Everyone got into the van making their way to their destination as they jammed to Kie’s favorite reggae music and JJ’s classic rock playlist.

“All right, we should keep a lookout. We’re behind enemy lines.” JJ said as he pulled his gun out from the glove department while they parked outside.

“Come on, man. Just put it back.”John B said, turning off the car as he ran a hand through his hair.

“What?”

“JJ-”

“You can never be too careful.” he muttered as the door slid open for Pope to climb out.

“Bringing a gun to a four star hotel will cause more problems than actually solve.” The curly haired pogue said as he leaned against the door next to JJ. He muttered a ‘thanks’ before Lani popped her head in between John B and the blonde.

“JJ, put that shit away or I'll throw it in the ocean.” She said and quickly got out of the van as John B ripped the gun off of JJ’s hand, putting it back where it was.

“Okay, let’s go.” Fallon shouted as she closed the van door ready to walk in.

“Wait! Can’t forget my badge.” the blonde pogue smiled and pulled out his employee ID.

“Professional busboy.” Kie rolled her eyes and continued to walk behind Lani who was already halfway to the entrance. They walked in through the back into the kitchen where a few of JJ’s co-workers said hi and asked him how he was doing, some eyeing Fallon which was an everyday occurrence for her. After going up a few stairs, they finally made it to the lobby and walked towards a semi secluded room with computers.

“Sweet lord, the Internet.” Pope said, running towards the device almost like he was gonna hug and kiss it.

“Let me get in there. Check on my insta models.” JJ said as he leaned down next to Pope making Lani chuckle as she sat down.

“What insta models?” Fallon questioned as her arms crossed over her chest.

“No one, no one.” he muttered, never parting his eyes from the screen. They started looking for the coordinates written on the map and found how deep that part of the ocean was. To get there, they needed some type of submarine to be able to find the Royal Merchant. JJ gave the idea of getting the drone at the salvage yard where his dad used to work. On the way to the salvage yard, Pope couldn’t help but comment on how real or fake this wild goose chase was.

“So, what’s it gonna be? Fantasy or reality?”

“Fantasy.” Fallon muttered as she rolled JJ’s blunt.

“Fantasy but possible reality.” Kie stared at John B through the rear view mirror with sad eyes, feeling pity for her best friend.

“Both.” Lani said rummaging through her bag as she placed her sketchbook and pencils back.

“Virtual reality.” JJ groaned as he leaned forward to grab the blunt.

“Reality.” the shaggy haired pogue said, turning his head to look at the kook sitting in the passenger seat. Lani stared at him and gave him a sad smile as the van came to a stop not too far from the salvage yard. They ran over the plan one more time, making sure everyone understood. Especially JJ, he had a tendency of improvising everything. Lani got out of the van first, throwing her bag over her shoulder as she crossed the street to Kie’s car. Fallon slid the van door open and stepped out but was held back by a muscular hand.

“Can’t Kie go?” JJ asked worriedly not liking the idea of his lifelong crush distracting a man with her looks.

“No, she can’t and it’s not like you care anyway.” she spat out as she pulled her hand away from the pogue, slamming the door shut. The kook was putting her things in the car, making sure everything was rightfully placed when she turned to ask the pogue a question.

“Hey, Kie did you see th- You’re not Kie.” Lani said as she noticed her partner for that crima wasn’t who she thought.

“I’m not thrilled about this either but they made me, so let’s just get it over with.” the pogue said bitterly as she got in the passenger seat leaving the kook alone and confused. The short ride to the salvage yard was filled with tension and awkward silence. Neither of them know what to say.

“Should I go call him or do you-”

“I’ll go.” Fallon spat dryly, cutting Lani off as she quickly got out of the car. The kook sat there staring at the pogue as she walked towards the gate giving her some time to sigh and think to herself ‘this is harder than i thought’. After a few seconds, the gates opened cueing her to get out of the car and stand by the flat tire. The rest of the pogues were hiding by the gates as they saw the scene unfold.

“It’s not weird, awkward or anything.” John B whispered, never parting his eyes from the girls as he answered Pope’s question.

“I told you she wasn’t into you.” Kie said suddenly which confused JJ more.

“Who isn’t into you?”

“He kissed Fallon.” Pope whispered immediately, opening his eyes wide realizing what he had done. JJ’s nostrils flared as anger burst through his body.

“Well, she can kiss whoever she wants. She’s not dating anyone.” he said with gritted teeth as he gripped the wood harder.

“Yeah, it’s just us.” Lani smiled, answering the guard’s question while leaning against the boat. He stared at them for a long time, moving his eyes from their legs up to their faces and back to the tire. Suddenly, barks came from the yard making the guard stand up and turn to the gate.

“Tebow’s got something.”

“Oh no, I don't think so.” Fallon said, placing a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, maybe it’s a racoon.” Lani nodded and smiled, giving the man enough reassurance to go back to the tire. They noticed that he was finishing way too fast which meant that the boys could get caught but luckily, Fallon had an idea.

“Oh, I forgot to call my mom. I’ll be right back.” she said before disappearing around the boat making it look like she was grabbing her phone. When in reality, she was using a hairpin to deflate the other tire. Fallon stayed like that for a bit not realizing how long she took until she heard Lani’s protest to the guard.

“No, she’s talking with her mom. Something private. Sh-she’s probably crying!” The kook shouted as the guard pushed her aside as saw Fallon defaulting the tire on purpose , giving him the realization of what was going on. He began walking backwards as the girls looked at him holding their hands up trying to keep him from running. But of course, that failed miserably as the man bolted towards the gate making the girls run to the inside of the car.

“Shit! Shit! He’s gonna call the cops. We need to tell them.” Fallon closed the door and put her seat belt on as Lani turned on the car.

“Just call Kie, we have to go.” and with that, she drove out of there leaving the pogues behind. After a while, they all met back at the Wreck feeling all of their stomachs growl. Kie immediately hugged her dad when he saw him as the pogues walked towards the tables.

“Hey, Mike.” Lani waved sweetly as she walked towards the counter.

“Hey, how’s John doing?”

“Oh, he’s good. Just working with mom a lot.”

“That’s really nice. Can I get you anything?”

“Can I have the turkey sandwich? With fries?” she smiled, reaching into her purse to pull out her wallet. Mike nodded and walked away into the kitchen. Fallon stared at the whole interaction, feeling pissed on how Lani had “stolen” everything from her. The kook paid and left a $5 tip before walking towards the pogues, who were starting to sit down.

The restaurant closed, only leaving them in there to eat. Kie turned up the radio as one of her favorite songs came on. She pointed at John B which resulted in them dancing. JJ stood up to throw something away when he saw Lani’s drawing, again. Giving him the perfect idea, to dance with her.

JJ tapped her shoulder making her turn around as he extended his hand for her to grab. Lani timidly looked around and placed her hand on his, making him grab it immediately as he pulled her out of the chair. JJ started dancing with her as well as making funny faces to make her laugh. Fallon wasn’t laughing, at all. If looks could kill, there would be two dead bodies already.

JJ swung her around and dipped as she laughed hysterically at the gesture since she has never really danced with anyone. As this all happened, Pope and Fallon sat drinking beers alone. He turned to her and raised his bottle to toast, making her chuckle. The bottles clinked together and they drank from it as the song ended.

“Well, let’s get going guys.” John B announced as it was getting late. They threw away the wrappers and paper cups before stepping outside. Lani left with Kie since they lived close by to each other, which left Fallon with the boys.

“I think I’m gonna walk home.” she said as they got into the van.’

“You’re not gonna walk.” JJ refused, stepping out of the Twinkie.

“I am gonna walk. I need to think and some time alone.” and with that she walked away ignoring the pogue’s calls.

“Just give her some space, man.” Pope said as he got in the Twinkie making JJ get back in and slam the door shut. Fallon walked hugging her figure as the cold night breeze went through the trees. She was reflecting on the day, about how Lani was actually nice to her but then her thoughts drifted to seeing her dance with JJ. Suddenly, car headlights shone behind her as the vehicle stopped next to her. The window rolled down to reveal Rafe.

“Hey Fal, what are you doing walking alone?”

“Hi, I just… um.. Just needed to clear my head.”

“Well, get in. Let me drive you home.” He said and leaned over to open the door for her. Fallon was hesitant at first but somehow felt comfort once she went inside the car. Rafe began to drive and kept looking at her and back at the road.

“You look good.” he said, making her smile and slightly blush.

“Stop doing that, Rafey.”

“Doing what?”

“Complimenting me to distract me.”

“I just wanna make you feel better, that’s all.” he stared at the road as Fallon looked at him. She grabbed his hand making him look at her.

“Thank you for that, really.”

“No problem.” The ride to Figure 8 was short and filled with comfortable silence. Once they pulled into the driveway, Rafe lowered the volume of the radio and turned to Fallon who was getting her bag ready.

“Thank you for driving me.” she smiled as he nodded and gave her a small smirk. Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, making him blush.

“Goodnight, Rafe.” and with that she got out of the car, waving at him once she opened her front door. The kook stayed there for a bit, still feeling euphoric by the kiss. He smiled widely as he changed his car to R, making his way home.

The next day, Pope wanted to try out the drone, making everyone go to the Chateau. It was like seeing a child open his christmas gift and seeing that it was what they asked for. Excited was an understatement. Kie, Fallon and John B swam around for a bit while JJ, Lani and Pope stayed on the dock to test it out. They wanted to make sure the camera was looking HD, that it’s motor was functioning and that nothing was broken.

“What’s this?” JJ asked as he touched a button from the panel that controls the drone.

“Don’t touch that. I’m trying to work out this thing.” Pope said, slapping the blonde pogue’s away.

“God bless geeks, Pope. Truly, man. What would we do without you to control the drones?” he asked as he leaned against the railing while Lani chuckled in the background, still standing next to Pope.

“It’s not a drone. It’s an ROV.”

“Shut up, shut up. It’s too early for that right now.”

“It’s 12 in the afternoon, JJ.” Lani smiled as she lifted her head and looked at the blonde who shrugged and turned back to the marsh. The conversation turned to mention lawyers once the wreckage was found. Loud thunders would be heard as the pogues climbed out of the marsh.

“In the wrong weather, it’s gonna get pushed around.” Lani stated as she squinted her eyes looking at the sky. A big gray cloud was going over the OBX making the kook feel a bit anxious.

“Then we’ll go at dead calm.” John B suggested wrapping himself in a towel. Right after that, thunder interrupted his thoughts as it filled everyone’s ears.

“Well, today’s not the day.” JJ said, looking at the sky.

The next day had perfect weather which was also perfect to look for the Royal Merchant. Pope asked his dad for his boat and surprisingly, Heyward said yes. Which gave him the responsibility to pick everyone up. JJ took over the wheel and Lani stayed with him in the cabin while everyone else got the equipment ready.

“All right, JJ! Pin it here!” John B shouted as the blonde nodded.

“Roger that! X marks the spot.” he said and stared at Lani who was already staring at him with slightly scared eyes.

“All right, ladies and gentleman. To going full kook.” The shaggy haired pogue smiled as Kie started lowering the drone into the water, immediately giving Pope a clear image of the ocean. It kept going down as John B checked the location of the boat hence the constant screaming.

“JJ, you're right over it. Ten seconds northwest!”

“Got it!” the blonde shouted back as he steered the wheel in a quick speed making Lani be on the verge of falling over him once the boat turned. He chuckled at the kook causing her to roll her eyes.

“Careful there.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“One hundred feet!” Fallon shouted as she helped Kie lower the rope. Pope gasped in fear as he saw many animals which caused John B to be on edge. Inside the cabin, Lani and JJ were in comfortable silence as she stared at him.

“Are you okay?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“Yeah.”

“Sorry, I asked, I just… you’re wearing a sweatshirt.. It's the middle of June.” Lani looked at JJ with worried eyes as he hesitated for an answer. Not wanting to tell her about his dad.

“Four hundred feet!” Kie shouted, interrupting JJ’s thoughts as he turned to look back at the front of the boat. Thunder was heard all around as they all stared at the sky.

“Guys, the tide’s turning.” Fallon said to John B making him look down at the boat monitor.

“JJ, ten seconds easy, south-southeast.”

“Copy that.” the blonde replied as he turned the wheel again making Lani trip and crash into him. JJ extended his arm and stood her up, pulling her to between him and the wall.

“Stay there, k?” she nodded and chuckled a bit, making him smile.

“JJ, 20 second mid speed, south.”

“Copy that! Aye, aye, cap.” The pogue kept steering and steering the wheel, not receiving any feedback from John B.

“John B! Is That good?” Lani shouted from the cabin as JJ focused on the wheel.

“Yeah, we’re good!” He shouted only his thumb up. The shouts kept coming back and forth as a trom approached the boat. Thunder got louder and winds got stronger making it harder for the female pogues to handle the rope as JJ tried to keep the boat at the right position.

“There’s too much current!” Kie shouted holding onto the rope, afraid that it would leave her grip.

“We’re gonna lose it!” Fallon shouted as she lowered the drone a bit more.

“No, we're not! Steady at this bearing, JJ!” John B shouted as the blonde followed instructions. The shouting went on as the girls yelled how far the drone was.

“You should be seeing something, man.” he told Pope as he looked closely at the screen.

“I know, I know! Wait.. oh God.” A silence filled the boat as the boys stared at the screen closely.

“What the hell is going on?” Lani asked under her breath looking at the boys. JJ turned his head and got confused as he quickly turned back to look at the storm.

“Do you see anything?” he asked, suddenly hearing the boys laugh in cheer.

“It’s the Royal Merchant!” John B shouted in victory as he saw the wreckage on the screen feeling as if his father was standing right there with him.

good life: @ilovefandoms102 @agardenofbooks @cloverrover

49 notes · View notes

babieateez · 4 years

Text

i’ve written and rewritten this about six times, so i really hope it’s enjoyable to read!

even before you were sorted into the house you now reside in at hogwarts, you had been inseparable from yeosang

since you were so nervous on the train ride for your first time ever, and you ended up in the same compartment and he feels bad that you’re so nervous about the upcoming night while he knows exactly what’s gonna happen for him and where he’s gonna end up-

of course he would though, he’s come from a long line of slytherins and it would just be nonsensical of him to be sorted into any other house

so he takes pity on your clearly terrified form and starts a small conversation to keep your mind off the upcoming events, talking about anything that comes to either of your minds

soon you find yourselves laughing loudly, all apprehension gone and now you just feel like you have a friend you’re happy to be around

even as the group of first years gets herded to the great hall, you find yourself sticking to yeosang, and he makes sure that you’re not going to get swallowed by the crowd of first years that engulf the halls

at one point you both realize that there’s a growing gap between the two of you, and you’re forcefully being separated by the masses of excited students

and in desperation you reach out and grab onto yeosang’s hand like a lifeline, pulling you back to his side while still having his fingers interlocked with yours without even realizing

that’s how your story with kang yeosang began

throughout your first year, you and yeosang grew closer and closer, likely aided by the fact that you shared most of your classes

and had more than your fair share of trips to the infirmary together

when you began second year, it’s almost like you were having even more fun spending time with your best friend, and every year was the same after that

until sixth year when you came back from the summer holiday to search for yeosang on the train in the same compartment you manage to snag every year

when you arrive and look inside, you have to do a double take because holy shit-

that can’t be the yeosang you’ve known for six years!!

maybe someone had put some sort of charm on him that caused his stature to have filled out and his hair to no longer just be a mop on the top of his head

and maybe someone else had transfigured his previously rather skinny arms to have some form of muscle hugging them, looking rather attractive

the way his robes fit him this year really was something else and-

he clears his throat with amusement clear on his suddenly unbearably handsome face and you can’t help but blush and look away sharply while getting yourself situated in the compartment

he definitely notices but decides to spare you the teasing in favor of asking how the trip to the train station was

instead of responding to the question, you blab out your own question, asking him what the hell happened to him over the summer??

he laughs now at your clearly flustered reaction to his new look and tells you that he was exercising a lot during the holiday and had been taking care of his appearance more than usual because, as he says

how else is he supposed to find a significant other before graduating any other way?

it’s a valid point, your brain tells you- after all, you had done something similar just the year prior, but at least you didn’t leave yeosang in the dark about it for the whole summer!!

but your stomach isn’t quite sure it agrees with your brain, for it starts churning with some sort of foreign emotion

you dismiss it as the lurching start of the train as you embark on the long journey to the castle and you don’t think about that weird feeling again

until about a week into the term, when one of your classmates approaches you after you’re dismissed

although you’ve never met her before, you still greet her with a friendly voice and ask what’s up and when you hear what she asks you

your smile freezes on your face and you can’t pinpoint why but when she asks you since you’re such good friends with yeosang, if you could put in a good word about her

since she thinks he’s so hot now and she keeps blathering on about how everyone in her year is trying to get a date with him to hogsmeade

you stop listening somewhere around that point to mumble out a “yeah, i’ll talk to him for you” and she smiles even wider at you and claps her hands together while shooting you a “thank you!!” as she leaves the classroom

but once you’re alone (minus the professor still standing in the classroom) you feel that weird feeling in the pit of your stomach again, the same feeling you had on the train and you just pass off the feeling as being hungry, since you hadn’t eaten yet

so you finish packing up your items and meander to the great hall for dinner where your dormmates try to pull you into their conversation about whatever the new gossip in the house was

but you can’t focus on their words, instead choosing to nibble on the corner of the sandwich you had grabbed from one of the platters on the table

when suddenly you hear a voice calling your name, breaking you out of your spaced out state

you look up from your food to spot yeosang sitting right beside you with a look of concern painting his features and you brush off his questions of “are you alright?” and “you look upset, is there anything wrong?” with a shake of your head

and finally, after what seems like half an hour of questioning he decides to drop the subject, instead telling you about how his classes that day were, and asking you about yours once he finished giving you a synopsis of his day

you’re reminded once more about your classmate asking you for that favor- but that is was yeosang wanted after all, it would be a bad move to not try to help out your friend like that

so you plaster the most convincing smile you can on your face while you tell him about the ravenclaw girl who was probably in fifth year asking about going to hogsmeade with him

he cuts you off before you can try to recall her name with a laugh saying that he’s not really interested in her, since he already has someone who’s caught his eye

and this time the feeling you get in your stomach is increased tenfold, and you feel like someone has knocked the wind out of you, or just sent a stupify hurling towards you and it’s crazy how you can almost feel the blood drain out of your face

but once more you tell yourself that you’re excited to see who he has a crush on

so you put on a mischievous smile and nudge him in the side asking him who the lucky person is and you keep ignoring the feeling of bile in your throat rising when you see a delicate blush appear on his cheeks as he refuses to answer you

even though you don’t particularly care to hear his answer, you keep pestering him, even after you both depart from the great hall and go to your common rooms and as you finally say goodnight to him, you let him know that whoever it is he has his eyes on, you hope they make him happy

and without missing a beat, he replies “they do”

you can’t sleep at all that night with your thoughts floating around in your brain, persistently bothering you with “what-ifs” you’d rather ignore

but as you toss and turn in the four-poster bed, one thought sticks with you perhaps a bit too much, asking you if you have a crush on kang yeosang, your best friend of six years

and as much as every rational bone in your body tries to deny it, you can’t dismiss the feeling of your heartbeat speeding up every time you see him and the gross feeling you get when he mentions liking other people, or when other people mention liking him

and oh god the puzzle pieces are coming together and it’s like every fiber of your being is screaming “how did it take you THIS LONG to finally notice that you’re head over heels for yeosang????”

after this thought you only have one more, telling you that you have to get over him, no matter what

it’s a stupid, impulsive, irrational thought but you only want the best for him and if he’s happy, then you’re happy

so you set yourself to making a plan consisting of finding someone else to fill the yeosang-shaped space in your heart

after about three weeks, that “someone else” comes in the form of park seonghwa, one of the seventh year slytherin boys whose sly looks and sexy smirks entice you just enough to find yourself frequenting empty classrooms after curfew with him

with your body pressed against his and his hands on your waist and your lips against each other’s and you try to convince yourself that you could fall in love with him

but you both know that these are mindless sessions of teenage lust and nothing more than self indulgence but you still can’t help but fall into the trap of seonghwa’s pretty words falling from his pretty lips

and the way his eyes linger on your form slightly longer than normal in the hallways or during classes

they almost convince you that you’re over yeosang- that is, until yeosang opens up the doors to the abandoned classroom where you and seonghwa are making out past curfew

you catch the gleam of the prefect badge on yeosang’s robes as you and seonghwa jump apart from each other, and yeosang’s eye immediately go to yours, the shock evident on his face as he addresses the two of you

telling you that you’re not allowed out after curfew, and he’ll need to take house points away if it happens again to which seonghwa nods, but you just move your gaze to the floor

too ashamed to keep looking at yeosang until he grabs you by the arm, and you look up to notice that seonghwa has left, presumably after yeosang told him to

and he begins leading you back to your dorm and the first few minutes progress in silence but after a bit, yeosang slows to a stop, asking you what was going on between you and seonghwa

you can’t just tell him that you’re so in love with your best friend that you’re doing everything in your power to forget about it

so you shrug, saying it’s nothing but yeosang doesn’t buy it- he knows the look on your face means you’re lying so you tell him about as much of the truth as you can muster without crying

telling him that the guy you’re basically in love with is interested in someone else and since you wish them happiness, you’re doing your best to move on

he feels the raw emotion in your voice and he knows how you feel, he knows because he just walked in on the person he fancies making out with another man so he just lets it go for the rest of the night

until the first hogsmeade trip of the year comes up and you’re complaining vaguely about not having a date

one of your dormmates points out that she’s seen the looks seonghwa had been giving you until she suddenly shuts her mouth while looking over your shoulder

you turn and see yeosang standing behind you and he grabs you by the arm and you hardly have time to notice how disheveled his hair is and how his button up isn't quite tucked as neatly as usual into his pants and how there seem to be bags under his eyes but you do catch it, and just attribute it to him being tired from his prefect rounds the night before

but when he pulls you to a corner of the courtyard where you’re waiting for the carriages and his voice is husky when he admits quietly to you that he was hoping that you’d be his date to hogsmeade

but if you wanted to go to hogsmeade with seonghwa instead, he would understand

your heart starts racing because yeosang is admitting that he wants to go on a date with you to hogsmeade???????

it almost seems unreal and you have to gape at him until you remember how to speak, at which point you manage to get out the question of “what about the person you like?”

his face gets more red than you’ve ever seen it, and if salazar slytherin were able to see yeosang right now, he’d sneer at the sheer amount of emotion on the boy’s face

and yeosang is now the one gaping at you before he remembers he can speak

this time he’s the one to splutter out “i mean, i was kind of talking about you”

you’re not even able to process exactly what’s going on except for how your face feels like it’s burst out into flames and your tongue feels like it’s three times heavier than it should be

but when yeosang tells you once more that he was talking about you and he’s totally infatuated with you, it feels like every positive emotion ever felt has flooded into your system

so powerful that without even thinking, you launch yourself at yeosang and into his arms and you’ve both hugged before but now you feel even more at home than usual-

it feels like a warm blanket of happiness is draped on top of you, protecting you from the falling snow and the cold settling in your bones is blasted away with the amount of affection you feel for yeosang

there are so many thoughts going through your head about him that you can hardly feel how his arms have wrapped tightly around you and are gently swaying you from side to side and you feel his warm breath against your ear as he whispers gently into your ear “so does this mean you want to go with me to hogsmeade?”

you can hear the smirk in his voice, one of the most annoyingly endearing things about the sly slytherin so you glare up at him with an expression of fake exasperation and roll your eyes

responding by telling him that you were gonna say yes, but if he keeps being a pain, you might consider going with seonghwa instead

and he knows you’re teasing but he can’t help but feel a tug in his chest telling him to not let you even look at anyone else the way you look at him

so he pulls you closer against his chest and grumbles that he’d hex seonghwa if you went to hogsmeade with him and the protectiveness in his voice makes you smile

but eventually you have to pull away from him and he sighs at the lack of contact but you’re quick to entwine your fingers with him and pull him to the carriages so you don’t miss the opportunity to go to the beautiful village with yeosang

you find the carriage with your friends in it who think nothing of the way you’re holding yeosang’s hand but do think something of the way you’re leaning extra into his side and the quick kiss he plants on your temple

so they giggle and ask if you two lovebirds finally got together and it’s obvious by the way your faces start burning

because you thought your touches were slick but nobody’s missing it when you finally arrive at hogsmeade, you break away from your friends to enjoy your time with your date

(mostly consisting of finding empty alleyways to shyly hold each other)

and you can say with certainty that no date you’ve ever gone on has felt as right as that one did and yeosang feels the same way

his chest filled with nervous butterflies every time you snuggle your face into the crook of his neck or his hair or every time he feels your fingers curl around his or every time you pout at him and your lips look so enticing but he’s a gentleman (and also maybe a little shy about kissing you)

but at the end of the day, you’re both tuckered out from the day’s activities and you fall asleep on his shoulder on the way back to the castle

he’s so endeared by the way your mouth hangs open slightly and how your fingers are still grasping onto his and after what feels like not enough time, you’re back at the castle

he gently shakes you awake and you whine about being so sleepy and he brushes any stray hairs that may fallen in your face out of the way and tells you that he could leave you to sleep all night in the carriage

but you protest with sleep still in your voice and who is he to leave you alone so he gently helps you out of the carriage and walks you to the dungeons where the slytherin dorms are

and tells you that you can sleep in his bed tonight, which you’ve both done before, but only when you were best friends and this is new territory

before you can think about it too much, yeosang’s soft voice interrupts your train of thought, asking you sweetly if you’d like to be his, and he could be yours and without a second of hesitation, you’re nodding your head, saying yes, of course and leaning into him once more for a hug

he pulls back after a few seconds and asks you one more thing-

if you would be okay with him kissing you now and who are you to tell him no when you’ve been enticed by his lips every waking second of the day

once more you nod your head with hearts in your eyes and it feels like the yeosang shaped hole in your heart has finally been entirely filled, feeling the way his lips are against yours and you swear you can feel your heart beating out of your chest because this is nothing like other kisses you’ve had

it’s one of pure adoration and affection and love and you think you’d like to live the rest of your life kissing yeosang

until you hear a voice in the hallway saying “i can’t believe they’re finally together” and you all but leap away from yeosang in surprise to see two of his dormmates, mingi and san, standing right outside of the common room

as they laugh at your reactions, they turn to walk away and you swear you hear mingi saying to san “you owe me ten galleons” and san cussing at the boy but still begrudgingly handing over the money

that’s when yeosang decides to whisk you away to his dorm, his weary body feeling heavier and heavier with every step he takes to his bed, and you both curl up on the four-poster

but this time, yeosang holds you as close to his body as you can get, flicking the curtains around the bed closed as he presses what feels like ten million kisses gently into your skin

with each one getting softer and softer until he’s drifted off to sleep and everything feels so right, everything feels like it was never supposed to be otherwise

you both almost convince yourselves that it was just a really elaborate dream until you wake up to the gentle shuffling of yeosang’s dormmates waking up

and the warm chest you feel pressed against your back reminds you that it wasn’t a dream, it’s real and it will stay real and

so you turn in yeosang’s hold and gently pepper kisses across his face like freckles and when he finally wakes you can see the look of recognition in his eyes

but you don’t stop littering his face with kisses, basking in the feeling of loving and being loved until it seems that yeosang has had enough and captures your lips against his in a sleepy kiss that tells you “good morning” and “i love you” and “i’m so glad you’re mine”

and you hope that he’s able to feel the same thing from you which he totally does and he thinks he’s addicted to the feeling of you being in his arms and his lips being against your skin and the hushed words of affection you were sharing with him

he decides that he’s just addicted to you, the one person who will always make him weak at the knees with the slightest smile and you’re both basking in the feeling of each other

until the curtains are ripped open by san, that asshole, laughing heartily at finding you and yeosang being so affectionate so early in the morning

so you make the executive decision that day that unless the dorm is empty, you won’t be kissing yeosang in there anymore

but with the sly boy being as deviously smart as he is, he uses his prefect privileges to go out after curfew and find an abandoned classroom to kiss you in without getting into trouble

you can’t even say you’re surprised that he thought of that (after all, he’s found his fair share of students during his rounds, you included, doing the same thing)

however you are shocked at how bold he is with his touches and kisses in public, making sure others know you’re his, but you’re pretty sure everyone knows from the cold glares he sends towards anyone approaching you

and from the way that you’ll sometimes have a hickey peeking out from the collar of your shirt that you forgot to conceal

but from the way your friends mimic some of the sickly sweet words you and yeosang have been caught sharing, you’re not sure anyone is convinced that yeosang is actually a mean, bad slytherin

you’re definitely never going to think he is, in fact you firmly believe that he’s the softest man ever, sometimes waking up next to you in the middle of the night just to whisper into your temple that he loves you so much that sometimes he feels like his heart is going to burst

even after the summer holiday begins and you won’t be able to see your boyfriend every day, he uses the floo network to travel to your house regularly

and go on sweet dates with you and sometimes he’ll stay the night (much to the displeasure of your father, who insists that your boyfriend should absolutely not be staying the night in your room)

when you arrive back at hogwarts with yeosang as head boy, you think your father would have a heart attack since you sleep in the head boy’s single room almost every night but he doesn’t have to know-

after all, the only things you’d be able to inform him about are the whispered words of love and enchantment between the two of you during the nights and the way that you wake up wrapped in each other

you swear that yeosang is the best blanket and pillow ever and with the way he wakes you up with kisses and sweet nothings murmured into your ears and love in your heart, you’d also have to say that he’s the best alarm clock and the best boyfriend anyone could ever have

#ateez #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez au #yeosang scenarios #yeosang imagines #yeosang au #sfw #yeosang #kang yeosang #k.yeosang #bee writes

85 notes · View notes

elizabeatrice · 4 years

Text

Mystery Spot (Chapter 68)

Let’s Talk About JSHK Manga #4

If you get the title reference, I applaud you.

Warning: 1) !!! MANGA SPOILERS UP TO CHAPTER 68 !!! Duh.

2) I dropped a couple of f bombs and several curses here ... I really ranted lmao.

3) This reaction/review is closer to me spewing wild theories rather than an actual review. But these wild theories are my reactions. So. Ehhh these theories are probably wrong anyway. Lemme have my dark, twisted fun, mkay? Not sure if they’re entirely coherent though.

Had trouble copying some kanji this time around ‘cause they’re so freaking blurry! So I got too lazy to write this yesterday haha. Thank you Ropes of Fate for the translation! Truly commendable heroes of the fandom *sobs*. I also used three panels from Chapter 61, translated by Caim.

Let’s jump into it (ba dum tss).

This chapter is a bit shorter than usual and boy do you feel it. Well. At least I do. But I really hope sensei are taking some time to relax. Last chapter was 45 pages, after all. Y’all deserve it you wonderful creators.

First of all I would like to dedicate the biggest f bomb for the villagers because what the fuck. Why the fuck would you sacrifice poor, innocent young girls just to keep yourself safe? And it’s not even a sacrifice to kami-sama! Y’all just droppin’ these girls to be eaten by supernaturals! And y’all practically manipulated them smh.

Are y’all insane?! Y’all could’ve just moved the fuck out. What kind of insane people just decide to stay near a literal pit of hell? Don’t give me the ‘we’ve lived here for generations’ bs okay ‘cause y’all neighbors be getting eaten by supernaturals but y’all rather trade innocent young girls for your own safety. If Berkians and Asgardians can suck it up and be the bigger nation with all that ‘Berk/Asgard is not a place it’s the people’ shit, y’all can too.

I’ve disliked characters in JSHK before. But I’ve never hated JSHK characters before. Until now. Y’all fucking did it, dumbass villagers.

Ahem. Pardon me.

Because my brain is a literal self-debate machine let me just say that I did consider several possibilities in these ‘people’’s defense. There’s the obvious ‘some people back then didn’t know any better and believe a human sacrifice will solve everything’ mindset. Then there’s the possibility of them being trapped in their village for some reason, hence not having any other choice but to sacrifice those girls.

But y’know what else could be the case? ‘Cause my mind really went dark there for a bit.

The Minamoto clan let it happen.

In the last chapter it was mentioned that the Minamoto clan was involved. And this is a bit shocking now that I think about it more ‘cause Teru has always been adamant that all supernaturals are evil and must be exorcised, humans must be protected.

But what if they just let the villagers sacrifice these girls so that the monsters can be contained in this village, in that pit, instead of running amok to other places and cause more trouble?

Which makes me wonder.

Uh. Where did Teru go to? Does he know about this? Did he go to that pit (or that village, if Kamome Academy wasn’t built on its land)?

If he does know, isn’t he interested in saving a fellow human student and underclassman? If he does know about the Akane clan, isn’t he interested in telling his VP, who’s obsessed with an Akane? Unless ... you know ... he meant for this to happen, which I kinda doubt.

He must know something about this. He went out of his way to make Akane promise to protect Kou if something were to happen. What’s more dangerous than the Grim Reaper showing up looking for a sacrifice who turned out to be Kou’s beloved senpai’s best friend? What if Akane had to choose between Aoi and Kou at some point?

Okie next I wanna talk about Hanako. This is gonna sound just as far fetched as the previous bit lmao but here goes.

Boiiii y’all saw it. The pause before his answer. His face drawn out of view, in an evasive body language.

(Hanako my boy pls do us all a favor and stop lying to your girlfriend, we all know how well that turned out in Picture Perfect lmao)

Theory. He knew what’s been going on all along. Or at least the gist of it.

Remember this?

Imma take a detour a lil bit.

The Far Shore/torii gate refused Nene in chapter 67, right? In my Chapter 67 reaction I said it was the bracelet that saved her but now I think the bracelet probably disguised her as Sumire in the villagers’ eyes. So the Far Shore/torii gate refused her, and we all thought it was because she wasn’t an Akane.

But then we found out that Hanako was right about the village. It was just a ‘made up world’ inside Shinigami’s boundary. It’s just a reenactment of the day Sumire died, probably based on Shinigami’s memories, as the first page of Chapter 64 said.

So of course Nene was refused. Because in his memories, Sumire was the one who fell into the pit that day.

Sumire also said in this chapter’s narration that the villagers sacrificed young girls. Not Akane girls. Also, before the sacrifices began, the monsters already ate villagers anyway, right? They didn’t only eat young girls. It wasn’t said as such. The villagers probably just chose young girls because that’s sorta like the equivalent of offering the best meat or smth. Practically a please accept our humble offering of tenderloin wagyu, O Horrible Monsters.

The coveted bloodline thing was probably a plus, not obligatory. Often in stories, people with high ‘spiritual energy’ are supposed to taste more delicious and grant whoever eats their meat special powers or smth (e.g. Tang Sanzang from Journey to the West). Also ancient cultures sacrifice young girls often, that was the trend.

And they proceeded to try to sacrifice Nene anyway, despite her not being an Akane. They said it themselves. “It doesn’t matter if it’s that girl.”

So according to the (rather vague) information we have, it’s possible that the sacrifice doesn’t have to be an Akane or a girl.

Some of y’all have been theorizing that the Yugi twins got involved with supernaturals, and that sorta lead to their death.

What if this is it?

I myself am not sure how it went down if this is really the case. But I keep imagining our boy’s infamous ‘I’m not going anywhere’ being said by Sumire because bruh she’s the epitome of not going anywhere. She was chosen to be sacrificed since she was a child, not given a choice. Even after she died and became a yorishiro, she was imprisoned in this time prison world or whatever, reliving her death every single day with no escape.

And I couldn’t help but think ‘hoooo shit what if???’

I mean. I don’t know who was the chosen sacrifice. Could be Tsukasa, could be Amane. Maybe he killed his brother so that he wouldn’t get sacrificed, and decided that he’ll die along with his brother. I’m not going anywhere. Maybe it also means I’m not letting you send my brother to be eaten by monsters, and since we can’t escape either, we’re staying here no matter what.

And if the Minamotos were really in on it, it makes sense for Grandma Minamoto to accuse Amane of being an evil murderer. He practically got in the way ‘of other people’s safety’ by killing the chosen sacrifice.

banjjakz also said something about the possibility of Tsukasa being a previous sacrifice. Read about it here and here. It’s pretty interesting!

Besides, a wonder whose precious person got sacrificed and later became their yorishiro? That’d be some parallel, haha.

Sure, Sumire said ‘if the kannagi was switched’. But the early narration didn’t mention a sacrifice of kannagi. Just ‘young girls’.

Look just lemme have this, alright?

Oh. Also I wanted to point out the possible tension/trust issues between Hanako and Nene but many other blogs have pointed it out quite well so I’m just gonna stick with my wild theories.

But I will address what Nene said about the pit.

Where is said pit anyway? In Kamome? Why is it open? Is it Tsukasa changing rumors and allowing more supernaturals to cross back to the Near shore? More likely. I mean, he does grant wishes for supernaturals after all.

Oh. Speaking of Nene. Let’s give her a round of applause for her character development. She’s become of better judgement regarding men’s terrible behavior. Wow. That’s my girl. I mean, we still don’t know much about Shinigami, but from what I’ve seen so far, Sumire guuuurrrrllllll you deserve better.

Regardless of my ships, these supernatural boys should take notes from my precious Kou and how he loves so selflessly. Lmao. Remember that one post-chapter panels in Picture Perfect where he said he’ll find Nene a prince in the real world, even though he likes her? Broooo I want ten of this precious boy.

Lastly, Akane and Aoi.

Where are they? They look like they’re stranded in some wild boundary somewhere, the one with half sunken houses and lost things that usually appear in color spreads. I am so hyped, ‘cause I love the aesthetics, and I wanna see more of this place.

Oh. And Akane’s alive. Phew. I gotta be honest though, I kinda looked forward to his death. Not because I hate the kiddo. He’s technically still human, right. I’m just wondering whether his death or Aoi’s would cause Teru to outright declare war against the Seven Wonders because aren’t these folks supposed to protect students like they claim to be? (This, of course, ignores my previous theories about the Minamoto clan)

Basically I just wanna see some shit go down with Teru mkay ‘cause this powerful dude has been useless for quite too long now.

Aoi’s still pretty confusing, too. She went from this weird expression:

to this:

She kinda looked like she was still under the influence of the drug thingy. But she was also concerned about Akane, even though it’s not like how she worried about Nene in the past. And she knew Akane longer than her, they practically grew up together. Real Aoi would be in tears seeing his condition, y’all. So I guess the drug thingy’s effect is slowly wearing out.

Closing! JSHK is dark but usually not in ways my brain expects it to be. (And a lot of times I still get surprised with the amount of comedy it has lmao.) Sooo sensei are probably gonna prove me wrong about most of these, anyway. Haha.

As always feel free to discuss.

#jibaku shounen hanako kun #toilet bound hanako kun #jshk spoilers #tbhk spoilers #minamoto teru #akane sumire #shinigami #aoi akane #hanako #yashiro nene #akane aoi #bea rambles #see there's a reason why my tag is called bea rambles #here y'all have some wild theories y'all didn't ask for lmao #let's talk about jshk manga

38 notes · View notes

crystalninjaphoenix · 4 years

Text

Scary Stories

A Horror Septics Short

“...and all that was left were the bones! Ooooo!” The teenage storyteller lowered the flashlight, looking around at his audience—three other teens, all of whom looked very unimpressed. “Well? Not even a ‘oh no’?”

“I saw that coming from a mile away, Derrick,” said one of the others, adjusting her pointed glasses.

“Oh come on.” Derrick frowned. “You could’ve at least pretended to like it.”

“Your voice isn’t really cut out for horror, anyway,” said another, poking the campfire with a stick.

“Well, can any of you do better?” Derrick looked around at the circle. The four friends were sitting on chairs, set around the central fire pit. There was a picnic table nearby with a kerosene lamp providing extra light, and a large tent big enough to fit all four of them. The campsite was a bit isolated, surrounded by large trees that hid the light of other fires lit by other campers.

“Honestly, I don’t think any scary stories can get to me anymore,” one said.

“Oh really?” Asked the one in the glasses. “Why’s that, Winston?”

“Don’t say my name like that,” Winston scowled underneath the brim of his baseball cap. “And it’s because, Lilah, I know it’s all not real. I mean, yeah, if the story’s good it’ll come back to haunt me late at night, but that’s when all judgement has been abandoned. I can’t find a story anymore that’s good enough to freak me out as it’s happening.”

“Creepypasta has ruined you,” the last one muttered.

“That it has, Charlie. That it has.”

“Okay, I got an idea. Derrick, pass me the torch.” Lilah reached over and the flashlight, shining it under her face as was typical of scary-storytelling, though the illusion was a bit ruined by the sparkly pink ribbon in her hair. “Let me tell you an actual, real-life scary story. Let’s see if that rustles your jimmies, Win.”

“Let’s see if it does.” Winston smiled, settling back into his chair.

“So. You all know my cousin Eve, right?” Lilah started.

“The journalist one, right?” Derrick asked.

“Well, kinda. What she does is she writes articles for a travel magazine. So she goes around Europe, finding cities that don’t have much of a tourist industry and looking for things about them that would, like, draw people to the place. Also she had a partner, Kyle, who she had to write articles with.”

“Ugh, Kyle,” Charlie commented. “What a name.”

“Oh yeah, Kyle sucked. Whenever the family met up, Eve would always complain about him.” Lilah shook her head. “He was like, the kind of guy who always thought he knew best, and when people contradicted him he’d be all like, ‘yeah, sure.’ Then he went ahead and talked shit about them. She always had to double-check their articles before they went up to make sure he didn’t add any bullshit. Needless to say, he didn’t like her much either.”

All the teens muttered among themselves. The disapproval was clear. “Anyway, Eve and Kyle get assigned to go to this city in Germany,” Lilah continued. “And it’s like, a nice place. Clean, has some neat museums, the hotel they’re staying in is pretty swanky. So far, Eve is taking some favorable notes for the article. Kyle is annoyed at everything, though, bitching about how the service is terrible even though there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Okay, so that’s the set up, what happened to change it?” Charlie asked.

“So, end of the first day, dawn of the second. Eve’s taken notes of everything they could do in town, and she goes down to the hotel desk to get advice on what’s best. The hotel clerk is friendly, answers all the questions. It all goes normally, until right at the end of the conversation, when the clerk said, ‘oh yes, you und your frund vould do vell to be off ze ztreets by nightfull.”

Winston suddenly burst out laughing. “Is that supposed to be a German accent?!”

“Yeah, what’s that supposed to mean?” Lilah said defensively.

“I’ve heard more realistic accents from children’s shows!”

“What, can you do better?” Lilah muttered.

“Ah, in fact, I can!” Winston said, putting on an accent. “And I say your accent is simply terrible, Fraulein!”

“Hey, we’re not here to judge by the quality of the accent, only the spookiness of the story,” Derrick said. “Keep on keepin’ on, Lilah.”

“Thanks, Derr,” Lilah said, grinning. “Anyway, the clerk says not to be on the streets after nightfall. Eve asks why, and the clerk says, ‘it gets very dangerus out zere, zat iz all. I vould hate for anyzing to happen to—’”

“Oh my god, stop, it’s hard to hear!” Winston groaned.

Lilah made a face in his direction, but obliged. “ The clerk says, ‘I would hate for anything to happen to you and your friend.’ Which is a bit sketch, and Eve knows it. She mentions this to Kyle, because even though Kyle’s a bitch she doesn’t want him to get physically hurt, and he’s just like, ‘This clerk was a girl, right? Of course she doesn’t want to walk out late at night.’”

“Ohhh, fuck this dude,” Derrick said.

“Fuck it sooo muuuch,” Charlie added.

“Right?!” Lilah nodded furiously. “Like, at this point with Eve telling this story, I was like, ‘I hope this dude gets eaten by a wolf.’”

“Wait, where did the wolf come from?” Winston asked.

“Shit, I forgot about that. Anyway,” Lilah continued. “They go throughout the city, visiting restaurants and these museums and looking around at the local architecture. At dinnertime, they go to this seafood place, and get chatting with the waiter. They mention they’re from out of town, and that they’re writing an article on the city to hopefully help out tourism. The waiter says, “Vell—sorry, well, if you are from out of town, you should know not to stay out after dark.’ Eve, having heard this for the second time, asks, ‘Why, what happens?’ And the waiter says, ‘Uh, well, we have some problems with wild dogs. They hunt at night.’ And Kyle says, ‘Well, that’s not gonna bring in the tourists.’” Lilah paused while all the others groaned. “So, after dinner, Eve notices it’s getting late, and convinces Kyle to go back to the hotel with her. But of course, he complains about it, and says that they have to check out the nightlife in town and see if there are any after dark specials running.”

“Well, from a business standpoint, he’s got a point,” Winston said. “I mean, he doesn’t have to be an asshole about it, but that is their job.”

“And I’m sure Eve would’ve agreed with you,” Lilah nodded. “But she’s noticing something weird. Most of the local shops and businesses are closing up. Not any of the chains, like McDonald’s or...I don’t know, chain clothing businesses. But the businesses unique to the city, that she’d usually be checking out and putting in the article? Closed. So she thinks there might be something to this. And, in the morning, she goes down to the lobby and there’s a local woman there. Eve starts chatting with her, and eventually the woman says ‘Oh, you are a visitor? Make sure to not go out after sunset, there are some gangs in the area that roam around after dark.’”

“Wait, what?” Charlie perked up, at attention. “Two different excuses? Ohhh that’s not a good sign.”

“Eve thought the same thing,” Lilah said gravely. “And she drew two conclusions. Either there are both wild dogs and street gangs, or the real reason why you shouldn’t go out at night is much worse than either of those. So it’s the third day they’re there, and it goes generally normally, but Eve and Kyle keep getting the same sort of thing whenever locals find out they’re not from around town: don’t go out after nightfall. So, most people would decide not to go out that night, right? Wrong!” Lilah jabbed her finger in the air. “Because here’s Kyle, an asshole who thinks he knows better than anyone else who’s ever lived. He starts to leave the hotel room, and Eve tries to stop him. Instead of doing literally anything sensible, Kyle blows up that she’s always been jealous of him and has always tried to stop him from succeeding, then storms off.”

Winston let out a long, low whistle. “Let me guess, he died?”

“Hmmm I didn’t say that,” Lilah said slowly. “So, Eve goes down and tries to stop him, but he’s already left, and it’s after sunset at this point. The clerk is like, ‘I saw your friend run off. Poor guy. Anyway, would you like some room service?’ Clearly trying to bribe her into staying in the hotel. Eve’s a bit nervous about Kyle, but she really doesn’t want to go out, so she stays in the room. Kyle doesn’t show up the next day, and she calls the local police, worried something happened. They say they’ll get on it, but in that tone of voice that suggests there’s nothing that can be done about this.”

“So, the Kyle guy just disappeared?” Derrick asked.

“Oh, no, not at all.” Lilah’s voice turned low and serious. “About a month later, she’s back home, she gets a call from this out-of-country number. And it’s a police officer from this German city. They need her to come in real quick so she can identify this head they found.”

There was a sharp inhale throughout the circle. “Just the head?” Charlie asked.

“So, Eve goes down to Germany,” Lilah continued. “She sees the head, and yeah, it’s Kyle. Missing his eyes and teeth and with a big hole in the back of the head. She asks the police what happened, and they found the head in a dumpster, along with a bunch of...flesh. And itty bitty pieces of shattered bones.”

Charlie covered their mouth. “Oh my god…”

“That is so fucked,” Derrick muttered.

Lilah looked over at Winston. “Well? What d’you think, Mr. Horror Aficionado?”

Winston adjusted his cap. “Pretty good.”

“‘Pretty good’?!” Lilah repeated. “This guy disappears, and the next month, he’s in pieces!”

“I’ve heard it before,” Winston said, a little smugly.

“Yeah, in stories, I have too!” Lilah put down the flashlight, and put her head in her hands. “This is something that actually happened to a guy my cousin knew, worked with a lot! And they never caught whoever did it, apparently!”

“Wait, how do you know they never caught them?” Derrick asked. “Do you just go down to—what’s the city name again?”

“Ah, I don’t remember,” Lilah shrugged. “Something that started with an A.”

“Do you just go down there regularly?”

“Well, no, but most serial killers don’t get caught, and given how everyone knew about this shit happening in the city, I’m assuming that’s what it is.”

“Where’d you hear that, Buzzfeed Unsolved?” Winston asked.

“Oh, speaking of which,” Charlie jumped in. “Did you guys see the last one? Of the last True Crime season? The finale?” The other three made various negative noises. “Oh.” Charlie shrugged. “I just thought it was funny.”

“What’s the case?” Winston asked.

“Oh, a recent one. I mean, like, two years ago. A YouTuber disappeared. And the boys went on this whole tangent about what if they disappeared.”

Lilah frowned. “How do YouTubers just...disappear? Wouldn’t people notice if they stopped uploading?”

“Not if it was a kinda small one,” Derrick pointed out.

“Well, this guy wasn’t small,” Charlie said. “He had like...ten million subscribers. But a few months before he disappeared he said he was gonna take a break from uploading and other media, so I don’t think the community noticed when he actually disappeared. Though, I guess they started wondering eventually...and that’s why it’s a famous case. Dude straight-up left. Why? The case remains...unsolved.”

“Maybe he just got tired of YouTube drama,” Winston muttered.

Charlie frowned. “I don’t think so. Personally, I think he went kinda crazy. Like...actually had problems or something. After watching the Unsolved episode, I went to look at his last uploaded videos and they were...weird. I’d link you the episode and the video, but y’know. No wifi.”

“Feel free to send it later, sounds interesting,” Winston said. “Anyway—”

“Do you guys hear that?” Derrick interrupted.

“Hear what?” Lilah asked.

The group fell silent. After a few seconds, Charlie said, “I don’t hear anything.”

“Exactly.” Derrick frowned. “There were, like, crickets. But they just stopped.”

“...huh,” Winston said. “That’s weird. Why—”

“Oh my god!” Lilah pointed at something. “What’s that?!”

The group all turned, and saw a shadow, flickering against a tree in the light caused by the campfire. It got bigger, and shifted, and a large man rounded out from behind one of the nearby pine trees. “Sorry, did I frighten you?” he asked in a low, rumbling voice.

“Uh…” Derrick looked around the group, then back at the man. He looked a bit like a lumberjack, with a big bushy beard and a flannel, but the illusion was ruined a bit by the patterned pajama pants. “A little bit, sir.”

“Hmm.” The man nodded slowly. “It wasn’t my intention. I heard you kids discussing...scary stories?”

“Um, yeah,” Charlie said, picking up the stick they’d been using to poke the fire. “I mean, not exactly stories. True stories, I guess.”

“True stories,” the man repeated, nodding again. “I see.” He walked over to the picnic bench and sat down, stumbling on the last few steps. “Well, I have a few true stories of my own. Would you like to hear one?”

The teens exchanged looks, clearly uneasy. Lilah slowly reached into her pocket, seeming to grab something. “Uh...sure, mister,” she said.

“Excellent.” The man leaned forward, the firelight casting deep shadows on his face. “This is a true story, as well. It took place over a hundred years ago. There was a...person.”

“You don’t sound too sure about that,” Winston muttered. All the others instantly made shushing sounds at him.

“There was a person,” the man repeated, unphased. “They were a dollmaker.” Winston rolled his eyes quietly. Of all the group, he was the only one who was unphased by the appearance of a tall, burly man in the middle of the woods. He seemed more interested in critiquing the story’s cliches. “What did they do with these dolls? Which one became evil?”

“This is not a story about dollmaking,” the man said, suddenly stern. “I’m telling you what they do so that you can better understand. The dollmaker puts—put pride and care in their creations, trying to make them last as long as possible. Their life was average, for what they were. Until one day. The dollmaker was home, just about considering going out and starting on another doll, when the phone rang. Now, this was odd. This was long before phones could be carried about in your pocket, and in fact, phones were a new device. A phone had to be wired to a house, and the house the dollmaker was in had no phone wires connecting it. But they were curious, and thinking a friend had found a way to call them, they picked up the phone. ‘Hello?’ they said. But there was no answer. Just the vague crackling of static before it was called so. And after a moment, the dollmaker heard their own voice repeated back to them. ‘H-he-he-hello-o-o?’ Strange. Though the dollmaker said more, the other end never said anything else. So they thought it was a mistake, and dropped it.

“But the next day, the phone rang again. The dollmaker answered it again. And there was indeed a voice on the other end this time, but it was breaking, barely able to be understood as a voice and not just some strange noises. The dollmaker was not dull, it—they knew something strange was happening, knew something was behind it. But they were overconfident. They believed that whatever was calling could not touch them. The phone rang three more times over the following week, and they didn’t answer it at all.

“Then, one day. The dollmaker returned, having been out all night making a doll. And the lights of the house were flickering. Strange. The dollmaker went inside, and the phone started ringing once more. This time, they picked it up. The same voice was on the other end, though they still couldn’t understand what it was saying. Uneasy, the dollmaker dropped the phone. And then they looked out the window.

“There was something there. A many-eyed something, pressed against the glass, smearing blood across it. And it smiled at the dollmaker, and said something that was utterly incomprehensible, but somehow—somehow understandable. ‘I will make you mine,’ it said. ‘I will take what is yours and use it.’ And the dollmaker was frightened for the first time in m—in their long life. So they ran.

“They ran for three years. No matter where they went, the many-eyed thing was always right on their trail. Sometimes it caught up, and they had to fight it, and barely got away. After every conflict, they grew weaker. And the next time it caught up, they were not prepared. They were hiding in a house up north, alone with a single doll who they eventually lost. And when the many-eyed thing showed up, they couldn’t run fast enough. It took...them.

“It was nineteen years before they could find their way out. By then, they could not speak. They could not walk. They could not do half the things they once could, and spent one year with their friend in the wilds, finding new ways to do what they needed. And the many-eyed thing was still out there. Decades passed, and they heard of similar things happening to others, including a doctor who is very like themselves. Nobody and nothing is safe. The eyes continue to lurk.”

Complete and total silence fell. The group of four stared, wide-eyed, at the man. Even Winston, so cocky and unafraid before, was speechless, looking around as a chill ran down his spine.

The man stood up, the movement so quick it caused the four teens to jump. “Well, I’d best be going. You kids here for any longer?”

After a moment, Derrick cleared his throat and answered, “We’re going to leave in the morning.”

Suddenly, Charlie shrieked. Everyone tensed and looked over at them. “S...sorry,” they said. “I just thought I saw something...there.” They pointed at the tree behind the man—or rather, above the man, at the branches above his head.

“Don’t worry about it,” the man said dismissively. “There’s all sorts of wildlife out here.”

“It looked...big,” Charlie said hesitantly.

“Then it was your imagination.” The man tilted his head, and turned on his heel. Without another word, he left.

The total silence continued for a few moments more. Then Charlie jabbed their stick at the fire, and it started crackling again, the crickets chirping once more. “Should we...go to bed?” Lilah asked.

“Maybe some of us...but not all of us,” Winston said slowly. “Just to be...safe.”

Nobody said what they were trying to be “safe” about. Maybe none of them knew. But slowly, the group dispersed, and over time, fell asleep.

When they were leaving in the morning, they passed by a woman talking to one of the rangers, practically frantic. Her husband had disappeared last night. Nobody had heard anything. Anything at all.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #horrorseptics

14 notes · View notes

capricornus-rex · 4 years

Text

Playing Pretend (7)

Requested by: @calkesttiss | Prompt:

Hi! I just watched isi & ossi (rich girl and poor boxer boy AH) on netflix and now i cant stop thinking about cal and fake dating. Do with that what you will

Hey guys! I hope you’re enjoying the fic as it goes along :) I think I got too carried away in making the story outline because this was such an interesting reference (Isi & Ossi), so I guess I had fun writing it that’s why I ended up making so many parts. I hope you don’t mind that! Again, I hope you enjoy the story and it would be great if you support me in my future content (fics), it means a great deal to me 💓

Cal Kestis x Reader

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next: Part 8 | Masterlist

7 of ?

When you got home, you were greeted by your parents with faces blanker than a canvas. They were now fully aware that you are definitely spending time with this boy. Your mother is usually the one who had the most to say, whereas your father had nothing much to say—in fact, your parents were perfect opposites of one another.

“Oh, so now you suddenly care that I come home late, that I’m gone for hours because I’m spending most of it with my boyfriend, and that I actually exist?”

“What’s it going to take for you to stop this behavior?”

“Postpone the engagement with Logan that you made without my consent and 40,000 credits,”

“What in the world are you going to do with forty-thousand, [y/n]?!”

“What? A girl’s gotta shop,” you say condescendingly. “Plus, when did five digits ever worry you, Mom? You’re one of the filthy rich, remember? Forty-thousand is barely a dent on your joint account!”

“[y/n], please can we sort this out?” your poor father sighed.

As much as you want to give in for your father, if you give in now then you have broken your deal with Cal by default—you couldn’t allow it, your parents even seem to have overlooked your demand of postponing the engagement.

When your parents were sure that you were out of earshot, Sorhan reassured his wife that he will send out of the bodyguards to keep an eye on her—even though he was against the whole idea. Little did they know that you were hiding behind the walls near the living room, though it didn’t surprise you that they will be sending out spies for you—you knew exactly how to evade them. Even if they did see you, there’s nothing much they can do.

You repeated the exact same words of your non-negotiables to your parents, your words were almost immediately eaten by the air as soon as you released them. You shake your head in utter disappointment and retreated to your bedroom. By rote, you check your holotable for transmissions and messages that you received while you were out—majority of them came from Tazha begging you to call her back once you’re back, which you did.

“Ugh, finally!”

“Really? That’s how you’re gonna start the call, Taz?”

“You’ve been gone all day!”

“Yeah, I was with Cal the whole time,”

“You mean your fake boyfriend?”

You paused from removing your jacket just so you could shoot back a look at Tazha. You picked up something from the way she put that out, though you shouldn’t have a reason to get that word under your skin. You forget that it was the reality of this whole ordeal.

“Got something to tell me, Tazha?”

“Well, duh, tell me how your date go?”

“It wasn’t a date, we just met up and talked,”

Tazha rolled her eyes and sighed, “Gee, how romantic.”

While folding your jacket, a smile had curled up in your lips when the memory of you and Cal back at the abandoned park suddenly flashed in your mind. Not even the slightest smile escape Tazha’s eagle eyes—even through a holotable transmission.

“Hup! I saw that, [y/n],” she perked up, pointing her finger at you. “Come on, you’ve got something to tell!”

“Does it really interest you or nah?”

Tazha debated that she definitely wants to hear about your day and so you narrated everything to her from the very beginning until the end when you two were in the park all day. It wasn’t the moments you retold that interested her, it was more of the way you told it—even your face was telling a lot more of the story than your lips.

“He listens to The HU too!”

“So what are you guys gonna do tomorrow or next?”

You shrug your shoulders but you didn’t worry about it too much.

Wow, this is so unlike her. Tazha thought to herself when she saw you squeal like a toddler, she’s never seen you this excited for anything. Being your best friend since forever, she knows that you were the planner between the two of you—and to see you not panicking over the fact that you’ve got no specific plans for the next time you and Cal meet up kind of surprised her.

The dates continued on. You brought Cal to the farmer’s market where they sell delicacies and drinks found only in Alderaan, one of your favorites being the Starblossom fruit and the beverage Mocoa.

“Be sure to remove the seeds, they’re really bitter when you bite them,”

“I’ve never had these ever, these are really good!”

“Yeah?”

“I think this is gonna top Jogan berries in my list of favorite fruits,”

There are still so many things you want Cal to see and try. The pubs and its drinks, the farmer’s market and what it has to offer, and even the mosh pits. He was surprised that even in a classy planet as Alderaan, there are such things.

“Well, the rich people aren’t the only ones who wanna have fun!” you exclaim.

You still couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that you and Cal are getting along well despite this fake relationship—sometimes he forgets that he was even in one in the first place. He continued to spend time with you, meeting up with you whenever you asked. In the first few days, he did it out of obligation and for the sake of following the agreement; but the more often you two hang out, he slowly warmed up to you some more. He allowed you to drag him around the city and bring him to places that you usually frequent.

Each time you’re with him, the more you wanted the moments to last longer. You didn’t want to come back to your house.

You and Cal get into a mosh pit, the show was about to start, and the crowd was beginning to go wild. Most of the partygoers were young people—just about your age—and they were clad in a complete contrast to the luxurious clothes that the elites wear.

Cal wrapped his arm around your shoulder which startled you, when you tilted your head up to look at him, he had that casual look in his face.

“What are you doing?”

“Figured we ought to look the part,” he smirked.

You scoffed as you smiled back, seeing that there was no harm in it, the two of you approach the bouncer at the gate.

“Hey-hey, look who it is! It’s [y/n]! Where the heck have you been?!”

“Hey Fritz, heard that the band’s here!”

“For sure!” the bouncer takes notice of Cal, he points at him but kept his eyes on you. “Your boy?”

“Yeah, this is Cal.”

“Hoo-whee, and I thought the princess could never score a keeper!”

You brush off the bouncer’s teasing and he finally lets you and Cal in after you hand him a handful of credits. From afar, you found the bodyguard that your father had sent blend in with the crowd but he sticks out like a sore thumb, you ignored him and let him see you enter the mosh pit; he later contacts your father shortly after you and Cal entered.

“You’re a regular here?” Cal closed in on your ear as the bass was blaring through the speakers.

“Yeah well, I come around here more often than the Tipsy Taun-taun! I’m sure you’ll like it here, just wait and see!” you confidently assured him.

Cal stayed close to you while the two of you stayed at the bar, watching the crowd and whoever performer is on stage, and sipping Alderaanian brandy. After the performer that was already on stage when you got there, the emcee walks in and says his spiel for the next one. He vaguely introduces the band until he declares the name.

“The one you’ve all been waiting for: The HU!!!”

The crowd went wild, they roared and whistled, some of them even spun their bandannas in the air as the band members enter. As for Cal, his lips parted open starting from the moment the emcee uttered the band’s name. He looked to you, as if looking for some confirmation, and you answered his expression with a smile combined with a single twitch of your eyebrows.

The song started with a few strokes of their fiddles and then the beat of the drums. The crowd was bobbing and rocking to the rhythm of all the instruments and the unconventional yet impressive vocals—to you, the scene almost looked like a cult meeting.

“You knew they’d be here, didn’t you?”

You beamed a playful smile, “Told ya you’d like it!”

The HU was reaching its chorus, the instrumental was gradually heightening its intensity, and the crowd chanted along to the lyrics—even covering the background voices in certain verses. Eventually, you and Cal joined along as you knew the song as well as everyone else watching the gig. The songs became wilder. Laughter drowned in the roars of the crowd and the acoustics of the instruments, but neither of you didn’t care, the two of you are simply having fun in the heat of the moment.

The next band comes in. It was a drastic shift of mood compared to the last band as the vocalist belted out mellow tones, but the crowd—including the pair of you—adapted quickly; from bobbing your heads to the impactful beating of the drum, you sway left to right with your hands raised up harmonizing with the smooth strumming of the guitar and the neon lights have softened into warmer tones of purple, blue, and orange.

Cal wrapped his arm around you while swaying with the crowd. Much later, he gently cups your chin and angles your head so you face him. Was it on a whim or by impulse? Is there a difference anyway? It didn’t matter to him. Without warning, he brings himself closer to you until the gap in between is gone.

In the middle of the crowd.

Cal’s lips presses against yours.

Everything suddenly seemed to slow down—the movements of the crowd and the band, the beams of light dancing around the place, and the pace of time.

He presses his lips to yours, now your heart is beating ever faster, he softly suckles your lower lip and he slowly pulls away. The two of you exchanged tender gazes at each other, in the next second you gently pull him close by the straps of his armor and return the kiss.

Your trembling hands perched on his broad shoulders. The intensity was flaring, he allowed himself to get carried away. Everything around you felt like it was spinning. You were caught in the moment.

You didn’t even realize that your father and the bodyguard had tracked you down to the mosh pit, but when Sorhan saw you, he almost thought that the girl he was seeing wasn’t his own daughter: lips stretched to an ear-to-ear smile, eyes squinted into tight slits, and a laughter drowned by the blaring sounds of the music and the roaring crowd.

“Sir?”

“Come on. Leave her,” your father resigned and marched out of the bar, the confused bodyguard followed suit.

When the hype in the mosh pit died down, Cal offered to take you home. You walked the streets hand-in-hand, the rush is still fresh in both of you, and he would steal glimpses of you smiling to yourself—in turn, he would smile too as the two of you walk.

His pace got noticeably slower when you arrive to the manor’s porch, you were reluctant yourself, you didn’t want to get near the front door either. Cal squeezes your hand and step forward to the first step of the porch, he remained standing on one step below. You turn to Cal and the bright glint in his eyes that you saw at the mosh pit had dimmed down.

“Hey,” you cooed, giving his hand clutching yours a gentle shake. “I had the most fun tonight.”

“Me too.”

He manages a smile. Cal slowly closes in on you, your head tilts up as your eyes follow him; he softly brushes the wisps of hair to the back of your ear. He was hesitant about something. Your heart was racing again, he gazes at you intently and tenderly. His eyes trail to your mouth, he gently cups your chin with one hand and inches you closer to him.

His lips met your lips again, but this time, his kiss was much tenderer. You suckle his lips back as your felt his hands crawl and caress your neck. He finally wills himself to pull away from you.

“Good night,” he whispers while the tips of your noses brush against each other.

You smile, “Good night.”

His grip on your hand slowly loosens until the last of yours fingers have slid away from his grasp. Your free hand blindly pawed the door and turned the knob. You push the door open while still looking back at Cal; you step in and the last thing you see as you slowly close it is him smiling back at you—but it was a sad smile, you somehow understand why because the feeling’s mutual.

39 notes · View notes

aceavatar · 3 years

Text

New World (Part 2)

AOT x modern!OC

Here’s part two! I promise it gets more interesting soon :)

___________

A sudden rap on the door makes me open my eyes.

“Uh, come in.” I say.

The door opens and in walls Erwin, a black haired man, a man with a little mustache and golden hair, and a brown haired woman. The woman excitedly hops from foot to foot, while the guys are more stoic.

I sit up and kick my feet over the bed. “Good morning. I don’t believe we’ve met.” The woman says.

“My name is Phoebe Roanoke.” I offer my name and look at the others expectantly.

“I’m Hange. This is Mike and Levi.” She says, pointing at the other men. “We’re so excited to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too.” I smile gently. She takes my hand and looks into my eyes.

“My, what interesting clothes you have.”

“Thank you. You sound like the big bad Wolf, Miss Hange.” I laugh.

She raises her eyebrows. “Big bad Wolf?”

“Yeah, the fairy tale.”

Her eyes widen even more behind her glasses, a big grin growing on her face.

“Just great,” the man named Levi mutters, “we’ve got another weirdo.”

“Hey, rude.” I joke, sticking my tongue out at him.

He rolls his eyes in return, and Mike comes up and sniffs me. SNIFFS. ME. Nobody seems surprised, so I assume it’s normal, but still, what the hell?

“That just happened and you’re calling me the weirdo?” I joke, smiling at Mike to show him no hard feelings.

He ruffles my hair and walks over to Levi and Erwin. “She’s new. Never smelled anything like her before.”

“Come on, let’s take you around.” Hange says, helping me out of bed.

I shower and change into some new clothes that they gave me and eventually, I find myself in between Hange and Erwin in a dining hall.

“Here, eat, you brat.” Levi says, dropping a plate in front of you. It’s only bread and some kind of soup, but it’s food.

“Thank you. After practice yesterday, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten.” I say, taking a bite out of the delicious bread.

“Hmm.” Erwin hums.

I notice some eyes on me, likely because I’m new. I don’t pay much attention to the stares.

“So, tell me, what is the big bad Wolf?” Hange finally asks, taking a sip of her water.

“Well it’s a children’s story. It’s about this girl with a red cloak called little red riding hood. She’s going through the woods to bring food or something to her grandmother’s house and she meets a big bad Wolf. He asks where she’s going and she tells him granny’s house.”

“She shouldn’t have done that.” Mike mutters. “Wolves are tricky.”

I nod, smiling at the fact that these three adults were so engrossed in a fairy tail.

“She gets to granny’s house later and she finds her in bed, and she looks different. She says granny, what big eyes you have, and granny says all the better to see you with. what big ears you have, all the better so hear you with. what big teeth you have,” I pause for dramatic effect. “Then the Wolf dressed as granny says all the better to eat you with!”

They all look at me expectantly.

“Then the Wolf eats her. Some people turn it into a happy ending, like she cuts her way out, but my family never sugarcoated things.” I laugh a little.

“That’s a CHILDREN'S story?” Hange laughs manically.

“That’s interesting.” Levi muses.

“Yeah. That’s not even the worst fairy tale.” I joke. “Those stories were brutal.”

They laugh and chatter, talking about... Titans? What?

“The Titans?” I blink.

They glance at me. “How do you not know about the Titans?” Mike mutters.

“I know about the Titans.” I defend. “I was named after one.”

They blink at me.

“Pheobe? Daughter of Uranus and Gaea? Seriously this is like beginner titan shit.” I shake my head. “Well, unless Titans are different here.”

“Titans, you idiot, are people eating monsters who we’re trying to figure out. They came around a hundred years ago and ate almost all the humans.”

My eyes go wide and my jaw drops. “What?” I blink. “No, that’s not true. That can’t be true. What about my family? My friends? My team? How long was I out? What the hell? You’re lying, you’ve got to be.”

Levi’s cold eyes soften. “Let me take you to the wall. I’ll show you what Titans look like. See if it rings any bells, okay?”

I nod.

Levi nods his head towards the door, signaling for us to leave. I follow him, dread in the pit of my stomach.

“So, Titans have names where you’re from?” He asks me calmly.

“Yeah, it’s just mythology though.” I shrug. “They were a race of gods. There were twelve original ones. I was named after the one that symbolized brightness and light, I believe. Probably should’ve been named after the one of memory, huh?” I joke.

“What was her name?”

I pause. “I can’t remember.”

Levi chuckles and shakes his head, shoving my shoulder gently.

“Wow, these walls are amazing.”

Levi nods. “They’ve protected humanity for a long time. But we’re outgrowing them.”

I nod. “What’s this one called again?”

“Wall Rose.”

“How many are there?”

“Three. Maria, Rose, and Sina. But Maria was compromised and now there are only two functional walls.”

“Wow. That’s scary. A lot of people must have died, huh?”

Levi nods.

We get on a little elevator thing and ride up the wall. I anxiously tap my foot, not wanting this to be real.

Once Levi and I looked down, which made my stomach churn, I saw them. The Titans. Reaching up, scratching desperately, mindless, sad. Tears start to fall down my cheeks.

“I-uh, are you okay?” Levi asks.

I nod. “My family. My friends. My life at home, it’s all gone. It can’t have survived Titans.”

Levi nods. “Yeah. I’m sorry, kid.”

Tears steadily flow as I flash back to my parents hugging me, my team tossing me in the air, petting my dogs Willie and Prince.

“Hey, hey, hey, wait, don’t cry, Phoebe.” Levi says, crouching down next to me. “Just know that we’re working on eliminating the bastards. We’re not gonna be stuck here forever. And once we’re free, we’ll go back to your home. Okay?”

I sniff and nod, looking at the man gratefully.

“Okay. Now, let’s get you caught up.”

2 notes · View notes

galaxy-bread345 · 4 years

Text

Part Two: Time Heals All Wounds

This is the second part to my analysis of Jak/ Keira’s relationship. More is under the cut but remember this is a examination of a fictional relationship. It is by no means an attempt to bash one ships so read it at your own caution.

This one is definitely going to be long because its messy as hell. There are six?scenes in this game that include Jak and Keira interacting and the emotions are all over the place. Particularly because of the stupid love triangle they try to create between Jak, Keira, and Ashelin and because nothing actually gets resolved between them.

When Jak and Daxter first interact with Keira they don’t realize its her and neither does she. This is a personal gripe of mine because its very obvious to the player that its Keira. She wouldn’t have recognized Jak’s voice because when she knew him he was nonverbal. Jak or at the very least Daxter should have recognized her voice though. It didn’t change, she still has the same tone and speech pattern as she did in the first game. So finding a person who sounds like the girl they knew back home, who is a mechanic.....working on zoomers....... should have keyed them that this is Keira. I can be lenant on Jak because he did spend two years in jail and having PTSD can cause memory issues so his memory of her might have faded. Tbh, I’m surprised Daxter didn’t become suspicious of her and try to go behind the curtain regardless of the secret vehicle project. He’s never been one to listen to authority and its not gonna stop at a cute sounding women. There’s also a lot of conflicting emotions going on in this cutscene. Keira thinks that its just another creepy guy and wants him to stop trying to poorly flirt with her so she can work. Jak is either trying to flirt, irritated that shes being difficult, or excited over the hoverboard. At no point does she try to flirt back, she only tells him she’ll consider him for the team if he can beat her course. I don’t know why but the game tries to play this off as flirting or at the very least has Jak respond as if she did flirt. This isn’t flirting, shes compromising to get him to go away and having him respond like that is weird and ooc. They also play saxophone music over the entire cutscene to make it come off as sexy when its not. If anything its confusing because the tone of the music doesn’t match the scene. She’s not interested and he can’t read the room. We still have the same dynamic from the first game of both of them using each other to provide a service. She needs a driver and someone to test out her hoverboard. He wants to be a driver because hes working with Krew so he can further his own goals of killing the Baron and then pumps her for information when he has the chance. Right off the bat, its not a good start and it only gets worse.

The second interaction is better in the aspect that they all finally recognize each other only because this time Daxter actually talks and Keira recognizes his voice. It implies that Keira would remember Daxter’s voice but Daxter wouldn’t remember Keira’s even though its only been two years. The player can assume from the first game that they all grew up together so this reasoning is absolute bullshit. Daxter would have recognized Keira’s voice in their first interaction and started snooping. We then have Keira react joyously to see Daxter but say “ I never thought I would be so glad to see your furry mug” which means prior to this she didn’t have a lot of feelings about him. It isn’t surprising but it just reaffirms that she never particularly cared enough about him to imagine being happy to see him. Keira barely tolerated Daxter in TPL. Shes happy to see him not because their friends but because hes a familiar face, someone to remind her of home. After this, we finally have our first real interaction between Jak and Keira and.... its not good. She appears shocked and worried over how different he is now. It never crossed her mind that the guy who kept bothering her was Jak. She isn’t as happy to see Jak as she was to see Daxter so thats got to hurt. After Daxter briefly fills her in on what happened she informs them shes been looking everywhere for them and trying to find a way back home. What bothers me about this part is that both Daxter and Keira were running around the city trying to find everyone else. Daxter was more focused on busting Jak out cuz he was in prison but he wouldn’t have not looked for Keira. They didn’t get along at all but hes not heartless and its nice have someone you know around. So what gets me is how did these two not run into each other???!!! Keira’s an ace at zoomers and what mechanic doesn’t know how to operate her own machines? The city isn’t big enough that they would have NEVER cross paths in two years. Yeah, it might be hard locating a small creature but lets also remember Daxter doesn’t like to get dirty which means he is going to stick to the cleaner parts of the city as much as he can. He’s also bright fuckn orange it wouldn’t be difficult to spot him considering how washed out everything is. Going off of the logic that Daxter wouldn’t recognize Keira by voice he would at the very least recognize her by her clothes. There’s hardly any difference between her design in the first game and second. Which means that by some odd chance either they never bumped into each other or Keira spent more time working on her projects then she did looking for them. She built the rift rider from SCRATCH. It must have taken ages to not only get set up in the stadium but to also find all the pieces and work out how to make a vehicle that can withstand time travel without exploding. This has never been done before and the only guidelines she has is what she remembers from seeing the first one that was degraded after being abandoned at the citadel. That is going to take a lot of work but also a lot of time considering she has to get the zoomers fixed up and operating for the race team which gives her very little time to actually search the city. Her priorities are completely out of order because she spent more time making a vehicle than she did looking for her so called friends and in those two years both of them could have died. Jak from literally being experimented on and Daxter from starvation, getting eaten, getting poached, and disease given how disgusting the city is. I know I’m ragging on her a lot but the writing for her character is piss poor. The implication that she spent more time working on the vehicle than looking for her friends bothers me. She might not have known that Jak was in jail and thats completely valid but its just another example of why her friendship with Jak is non-existent. She should have found her friends and father first then think of a way to get home. Whats the point of making the vehicle in the first place if you can’t find your father and your friends aren’t alive anymore? She could still go home but it wouldn’t be the same.

Keira does offer to help Jak get close to Baron since its important to him which is nice since it shows she is considerate of his goals. I’m going to go into more detail later on but Keira doesn’t talk to him about what he went through. This conversation never goes back to “ hey, you’ve clearly been through shit but what specifically happened? Are you mentally ok?” cuz she knows what dark eco does to a person shes seen it first hand with Gol and Mia but we never see her really check in with him and he doesn’t offer any details to her either.

Alright, moving onto the third interaction with the bs cat fight between Keira and Ashelin which isn’t much of a fight but rather Keira being pissy. After Jak and Daxter win the race their hanging out with Keira catching up when Ashelin comes into congratulate Jak and also thank him for helping out. Keira becomes immediately defense while Jak tries and fails to play it cool. At this point, they are not in a relationship and its been over two years since they have interacted with each other. Neither of them knows if the other still likes them or if their feelings have changed. Keira could have dated someone and after being broken out of prison so could Jak. If Keira is going to judge Jak for liking Ashelin then he has every right to judge her for liking Erol. Ashelin and Erol are both in the Baron’s forces. Shes not stupid, she would have to be aware that Erol works for the Baron given that its literally his job and racing is something he appears to do in his off time. This is a stupid double standard and is meant to pit Keira and Ashelin against each other seeing as how their the only main female characters besides Tess who isn’t interested in Jak. Whether Keira was acting defensively because Jak was talking to another women or because it was Ashelin specifically she has no justification. Even if they were in a relationship that shouldn’t hinder his ability to talk to other women. To say that Jak shouldn’t interact with Ashelin because shes the Baron’s daughter, something Ashelin didn’t get to choose, is hypocritical when Keira is literally buddy buddy with the guy who chose to help the Baron. Ashelin makes it clear she can’t protect Jak from Erol and after this Keira should have realized her friend Erol was a threat to Jak and could have helped the Baron torture him. But nope! all we get is Daxter making a remark about Ashelin liking Jak and Keira is in jealous mode when Jak didn’t even do anything. She should be upset and asking questions about how Jak knows Erol and why hes a danger to him. She should be discussing what they want to accomplish seeing how their goals don’t perfectly align.

At this point, a friendship has still not been established but they do care about each other in a “I know you and I obviously don’t want to see you get hurt cuz im not a complete dick”, Keira is acting like a jealous girlfriend when a RELATIONSHIP hasn’t even been established, Jak is just confused, and neither of them are discussing any problems they might have with the other and we haven’t even covered them fighting yet :)))

Their fourth interaction starts off with Jak running into Erol first who is in Keira’s workshop which means she let him in even though she knows hes a danger to Jak. Even though Jak and Keira have not gotten along at all in the game he is immediately concern for her safety because he knows how much of a danger Erol can be. Regardless of how Keria has treated him Jak still cares about her and doesn’t want to see her get hurt. He tries to tell her that Erol isn’t who she thinks he is. Yeah, hes a good racer but hes also a shit person who is helping the Baron. He has first hand experience of Erol’s cruelty and he doesn’t want Keira to suffer the same fate. Her response to this is to point out that Jak is a more aggressive person now and isn’t the same kid she knew in Sandover Beach. Jak tries to defend himself, shuts down and storms off. This entire conversation is a culmination of how bad these two are at communicating with each other and why they shouldn’t be in a relationship until they get their shit together. Kiera has:

failed to acknowledge Jak’s traumatic experiences or ask Jak about what he has been through

been immediately ready to leave asap even if this means abandoning people who will most likely die in the war

been hypocritical of who Jak associates with when she is on good terms with Erol, someone known to work for the Baron and implied to be a danger to Jak specifically

used the fact that Jak is different due to forced experimentation as an excuse to defend Erol’s shit morals and shitty behavior

acted like a jealous girlfriend when they aren’t even in a relationship

Jak has:

vaguely talked about his goals but not enough for Keira to get a clear picture of what needs to happen

not explained how deep he is in with the Underground and Krew so he can’t just back out of it

shown to actually give a shit about people so no hes not going to simply abandoned innocent lives even if means he will never go home

not tried to communicate with Keira that talking about the Baron/ Erol/ his imprisonment is a sensitive topic that needs to be taken with utmost caution

I know its easy to look at Jak being angry with Keira as him being an asshole and to think he should explain more so she understands but Daxter has already told her that he was experimented on by the Baron with dark eco. That alone is enough for her to understand this topic must be taken seriously. Yes, Jak needs to be clearer about whats currently going on but he is under no obligation to inform Keira of every little detail of what hes been through. Talking about or sharing information about traumatic experiences can be overwhelming and cause the person to have flashbacks or panic attacks. He needs to be able to discuss it at his own pace. He lashed out because hes upset and rightfully so. It is not an easy subject and if he doesn’t feel comfortable talking to her about it its probably because he doesn’t have faith that she will listen to him or he doesn’t trust her. Him ending the conversation and leaving to cool down was the best thing he could have done in this situation. They both need to fuckn communicate with each other and listen to what the other person has to say otherwise nothing will get resolved.

Their fifth interaction leaves much to be desired because NEITHER ONE OF THEM APOLOGIZES. I would say Keira is the one who needs to do it the most because she was being an insensitive dick to him last time. Jak still needs to explain what the fuck is going on instead of getting angry when she barely knows what has happened to him but that doesn’t happen. Daxter literally tells them what they need to do. Stop moping around and make up already! For the love of God please fuckn communicate! None of the problems are addressed instead Keira tells Jak “ Your the best driver i’ve seen” and to “leave them in the dust” WHICH ISN’T AN APOLOGY!!!! SHES JUST FLATTERING HIM!!!!! The game acts as if this is a touching moment when its shallow as fuck nothing is resolved. Jak begrudgingly compliments her on the work shes done and states he will get the objects she needs but he doesn’t apologize for lashing out last time. None of the issues that they have had specifically from the last conversation have been addressed. Its glossed over and forgotten never to be brought up again.

Not including the interaction at the portal but the last interaction they have at the end of the game we see them being all lovely dovey. Arms around the waist, she flirts with calling him a handsome hero and he tries to kiss her. Suddenly they are a okay with each other even though throughout the entire game they constantly argued, got mad at each other, once again didn’t establish a working friendship and literally showed each of them using the other for their own benefits. Keira wants to go home and Jak can help her. Jak wants to go after the Baron and Keira has information and can provide him the opportunity to get close to the Baron. Its assumed they still have crushes on each other even though they act like they cant stand each other 95% of the time. It just doesn’t make sense.

Them being happy with each other at the end of the game is not realistic and it needs to be shown that they apologized and tried to communicate and work together. They need to have a reason to be around each other other than one of them providing a service. They need to be emotionally invested in each other. I’m sure that there are some points I could have explained better but overall these two literally can’t be in a relationship at least not a healthy one. I think Jak 2 gives the most evidence of why they shouldn’t be together romantically but i will still look over 3 and Jak X. Most of the problems these two have besides poor communication is that Keira isn’t a very well written character and they could be a functioning and healthy couple if Keira was written not only as a friend but shown to care about Jak outside of shallow attractiveness to him. Jak needs learn how to open up to people and massive amount of therapy. I don’t think its quite fair to have him open up about his trauma in this game but in later games because its just too soon.

Last post will cover Jak 3 and Jak X and will hopefully be shorter than this one.

Edit: Im sorry but im gonna make this a little bit longer I said I was going to keep this as unbiased as possible so I need to include this cuz I’m judging Keira more harshly than I am Jak. I ragged on Keira a lot for not taking the time to understand Jak’s trauma so I have to do the same for Jak. Keira hasn’t suffered the same way he has but landing in Haven City with no friends, no family, and be dealt with harsh cruelty can be traumatic. Shes definitely has had a hard time with creepy people. As much as I blasted her for being friends with Erol its probably because he treated her right. In the two years shes been in the city it doesn’t sound like she made a lot of friends and only really appears to be close to Erol which leaves me to believe he went out of his way to be nice to her and get to know her. Jak doesn’t try to understand why Erol and Keira are close and it would have helped them both if he informed her that Erol was the one helping the Baron experiment on him. He also never talked to Keira about what the last two years were like for her or really check in to see if mentally shes doing okay. Hes focused on himself and his own goals which is fair but friendship is a two way street. He has to be there for Keira if he wants Keria to be there for him. As much as I sympathize for Jak, its a tight balance of respecting his mental illness/ traumatic experiences but also holding him accountable for his actions. What has happened to him is not an excuse for him to be an asshole. He has to put the work into be a better person than the people who tormented him.

#jak and daxter #jak & daxter #jak #keira hagai #daxter #samos #character analysis #ships #im trying not to be biased #I do like keira but holy fuck is she written poorly #really wished the creators let Keira be more woven into the narrative #stop boxing her in as a mechanic/ love interest!!#let her help fight in the rebellion #this game is already angsty enough we didn't need any petty drama on top of it

3 notes · View notes

jane-fucking-seymour · 5 years

Text

See More Evil, Part 2

Katherine Howard woke up the next morning to Jane Seymour holding her a bit closer than normal. With a frown, she realized why; Avril Culpepper was back. Not only that, but Avril had managed to get Kat to once again turn on her family for a few minutes.

A hand gently goes to her head as she winces; hangover, definitely.

None of this was good.

She gently untangled herself from Jane before moving downstairs. She goes towards the kitchen...

... but stops, frowning when she spots the woman standing at the counter.

“Anne?”

Anne Boleyn smiles, giving her cousin a wave before she hands her a glass of water and some painkillers.

“Here you go, babes,” Anne says with a smile. “Do you need anything else? I can’t make the waffles as good as Jane, but-”

“You make a mean crepe, though,” Katherine points out, smiling softly. “How about... if you don’t mind-”

“Not at all.”

They sat in silence for a bit, Katherine watching as Anne hummed and cooked, smiling widely when Anne hands her a plate of breakfast. Katherine immediately starts to dig in, humming happily.

Anne watches for a moment, leaning against the counter, before she starts the conversation.

“Hey, Kitty?”

Kat looks up, mid-bite. Anne chuckles at that before continuing:

“What happened last night?”

Katherine frowns, looking down at the almost-fully-eaten crepe.

“Avril showed up at stage door,” Katherine mumbled. “And I... we just talked. For a bit. And she just gets to me a lot.”

Anne hummed in thought, tilting her head as she watched Katherine pick at her food. Kat continued.

“She talked to me about what happened before, about... about those 25 hours.” Katherine shuttered at the thought of it. “I still don’t remember how I got home.”

Anne’s face hardens at the memory: after 25 hours of nothing, of fearing the worst, Avril had dead-dropped a completely unresponsive Katherine onto the lawn without even fully stopping the van. Katherine had been dead to the world for a few days, then still not her for a few days more... until Jane was able to break her out of it.

That was the more concerning part of this; Anne already felt like she made a deal with the devil, agreeing to allow Jane the more heavy-handed approach of keeping Kat on the straight and narrow. Anne still wasn’t a hundred percent on board - especially considering the tone of voice Jane had been using last night - but she didn’t see any other way to keep her baby cousin out of trouble for the near future.

Katherine Howard must be protected at all costs.

“Well,” Anne sighs. “It was scary-”

“I don’t mean to ask,” Katherine replied rather hastily. “I heard from the others and I’ve heard it from you before. I just... there’s some context I’m missing, you know? I trust you all, of course I do, it’s just... when Avril spoke about it, I couldn’t argue one way or the other.” Kat took a bite of the crepe again. “I just wish I remembered.”

“Well, I dunno if you’ll be able to at all now, it was months ago,” Anne replies. “But I do know that we’ll be here every step of the way and we’ll help you out, Kit. We’re family.”

Katherine nodded with a smile. “We’re six.”

Anne ruffles Kat’s hair just in time to hear Jane walking down the stairs.

“Oh, already up, you two?” Jane asks, tilting her head with a smile.

“Just got her breakfast, so don’t let Kitty fool you into making her more stuff to eat.” Anne winks at Kat before moving to the stove. “I’m on breakfast today, Janey. Crepes alright?”

“Oh, brilliant,” Jane nods with a smile. She sits right next to Katherine, a gentle hand on hers. “How’re you feeling?”

“’m alright,” Kat says confidently. “Thanks. For last night.”

“Of course, my love,” Jane replies. “Anything to help.” She tilts her head curiously. “Say, Kat... where did you meet Avril last night?”

“At our bar,” Kat replies, finishing up her food. “After Parr left.”

“When you were alone, yeah?” Anne asks; it rarely happens, but sometimes the queens like to go places alone, and Katherine had decided to hang out with some of the crew of the show that night. It seemed to be the perfect time to strike; Avril definitely did her homework.

Katherine nods while Anne hands Jane a cup of tea.

“Okay, so she’s clearly trying to bait you,” Jane says, tilting her head in thought as she stirs her tea. “Interesting.”

Anne watches Jane for a moment before going back to Kat. “Well, what do you want to do about it-”

“You’ll be sticking around us a bit more now, Kat,” Jane says gently, a hand on her daughter’s own. “No going out without one of us, okay?”

Jane gives her a happy smile and it does help Kat relax a bit. “Yeah, sure,” Kat nods. “If you think it’ll help, but I was-”

“Perfect,” Jane says, kissing the top of Kat’s head and pulling her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry to be so pushy, Kitty-Kat, but we need to make sure she doesn’t get you again. The last time... you almost died.”

“I know,” Kat replies. “I get it. I just...” she sighs. “I don’t know. I feel like I can take her, you know?”

Anne and Jane look at each other, frowning, before looking back at Kat.

“I just... I don’t know, Kit,” Anne admits. “Last time-”

“I told you,” Katherine says, clearly getting annoyed. “I don’t remember a lot of those last few hours. I get that I scared you all - it was scary for me, too. But I’ve learned. I swear it, Jane.”

Jane watches Kat carefully for a moment before she gives her a sympathetic smile.

“I know you have,” Jane says gently. “I know you are so much stronger. But, love... she made you into something you’re not. You almost died, and you just... it wasn’t you, love. If she ever had the chance, she’d do that again, and we could lose you-”

“I... I know.” Katherine sighs, running a hand through her hair. “Sorry, yeah. We’ll... we’ll do it your way. Okay, mum?” Jane smiled at the term and Kat nuzzled into her for a moment before her head rested on Jane’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“It’s alright, Kit,” Jane says gently. “We’ve got you this time.”

Katherine gives her a small smile before looking over at Anne. Anne was staring somewhat suspiciously at Jane, but Kat’s decided to let that go for the moment.

“Well, if this is all good to clear...” Katherine says, stealing a strawberry from Jane. “... I’m gonna go to Parr’s room and read some more of her stories.” she looks up at Jane, a bit shyly. “If that’s alright, at least?”

Jane smiles and nods. “Of course, love.” She kisses the top of Kat’s head before taking both of their plates. Kat jumps off the stool and heads upstairs.

Jane’s smile drops as soon as she knows Katherine is gone. She looks back at Anne.

“I’ll be back in a few hours.”

She takes her bag, headed towards the door. Anne frowns.

“Where are you headed?”

“To the bar,” Jane replies with a smile. “I want to talk to that bartender that loves us, see if she knows anything.”

“Wouldn’t Katherine had just told us if she knew any more?” Anne asks, tilting her head.

“Yeah, but I’m talking about if Avril was doing anything else, if she was with anyone else,” Jane replies. “We need as much information as we can get, Anne.” Then, with a step back. “... I promise, this is to help. I just need to know what we’re getting ourselves into here.”

Anne looks Jane over before she nods. Jane takes her stuff and leaves.

Anne sits back against the counter, a hand running through her hair. This will either work out really well, or really badly.

“Guess we’ll have to wait for it,” Anne mumbles, though there’s a pit in her stomach. She doesn’t like this one bit.

A few minutes later, Jane Seymour arrives at the bar - they’ve apparently got a brunch offering going on for the moment. One of the waitresses gives Jane a smile.

“There you are, Miss Seymour!” the woman says with a friendly smile. “Your guest is waiting for you.”

“I’m sorry?” Jane asks, frowning, but the waitress moves to lead her inside. Jane follows, only to stop at a table next to the windows, right next to the door; a safe spot, all things considered. She doesn’t expect there to be much trouble - not when there’s so many people around - but she can’t help but be cautious in this unexpected exchange.

When she sees who is also at the table, she keeps her reactions to herself.

“Avril.”

Sure enough, Avril Culpepper is there,

“Sit down, Jane,” the girl says, sipping her mimosa. “We’ve got a few things to discuss, don’t we?”

The queen lifts her head, cold and elegant, and looks down at the woman before she, too, sits down.

Jane usually didn’t play with her food; not without a plan, anyways. Despite being caught off guard by her rival, Jane still felt like the ball was in her court: she knew how to handle the other if things got dicey, and their previous spar gave Jane plenty of intel. This wasn’t planned, but it could be calculated, and Jane Seymour is nothing if not calculating.

She’ll play along. Just for today. Just to make Avril think she’s got a chance.

Jane sits down with a brilliant, cold, large smile.

Avril moves forward, smiling back, but anyone who knew either of them could see the darkness in both of their eyes.

“Always a pleasure to see you again, Janey. Shall we begin?”

#jane seymour #six fanfic #six fic #sixfic #six the musical fanfiction #six the musical fanfic #six fanfiction

42 notes · View notes

alive-and-afraid · 5 years

Text

AHWM All endings!!

WARNING SPOILERS FOR A HEIST WITH MARKIPLIER!!!

And you said it would take a week to get through all the endings!!! HA!! One day baby!! also I REMEMBER THE JOKE MARK!!!

A Heist with Markiplier 1.Guns Blazing, Car, Try to fix, I don't trust strangers. Stupid, you didn't run off with the guy who couldn't not be your newfound crush, so in turn....you were crushed....poetic is it not? Ending 1: Clever Girl. 2.Guns Blazing, Car, Try to fix, An adventure sounds lovely,Don't give the statue. You looked into the monkeys eyes and went feral. Congratulations, you just killed the guy you undoubtebly fell in love with. Ending 2: Monkey see, Monkey kill. 3.Guns Blazing, Car, Try to fix, An adventure sounds lovely,Give the statue. You put the statue on the plinth and are both teleported to monkey heaven. When you get back Illinoi walks off suavely. Oh and you now have a third arm and the power to break a rock with a single sneeze. By the way don't feel too bad, everyone falls in love with him eventually.Ending 3 :A heavenly adventure. 4.Guns Blazing, Car, Walk to base,Tell the Truth. You turned into a Zombie...but hey you found some great friends that you wouldn't of found otherwise....Ending 4: Friends 4 Unlife. 5.Guns Blazing, Car, Walk to base, I'm Fine!, The Scientist,ABSOLUTELY NOT!! You escape Ro's plan but then turned to a zombie and ate your only friend in the wasteland...Mark...Ending 5:The coward's way out. 6.Guns Blazing, Car, Walk to base, I'm Fine!!, The scientist, For the Greater Good. Ro shoots the box and kills off all the alternet timelines leaving us just with the original. We get sent back to the front of the museum and don't remember what we were there for.....Ending 6:The End. 7.Guns Blazing, Car, Walk to base, I'm Fine!!, The Soldier, I'm Hiding Something. You show your bite to Ed, he appreciates you being truthful......doesn't stop him from shooting you in the face though....Ending 7:What did you expect? 8.Guns Blazing, Car, Walk to base, I'm Fine!!, The Soldier,Ed's Hiding Something, Tuna. That tuna sandwich ended up having the cure to zombification in it..who would've thought it...Because you were now immunized you were eventually able to meet up with some scientists and craft a cure. The world goes back to normal.Ending 8: The Cure. 9.Guns Blazing, Car, Walk to base, I'm Fine!!, The Soldier,Ed's Hiding Something,PB&J. The PB&J sandwich made your zombie form a lot less agressive, and because you were after all still a zombie you could vouch for Mark to the other zombies, and since you weren't that aggressive Mark vouched for you to the humans. All the remaining survivors ended up forming a community, where you and Mark lived semi-happily ever after. Ending 9:Friends of the Dead 10.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Rally the prisoners, prison life for me. You shank someone so you can stay in prison for the rest of your life. Youse gonna fit right in. Ending 10: Life Sentence. 11.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Rally the prisoners, I want to be free,Thanks but no thanks. Its a dance off. By refusing Yancy's offer of assistence you offended him. He challenged you to a dance off...and won.....by alot...Ending 11:Dance to the Death 12.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Rally the prisoners, I want to be free,thanks and also yes please. You got out of jail with the help of Yancy..... don't forget visitations every third sunday...Ending 12:I want to be free 13.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Charm the Guards, Dig Dig Dig, Whats in the box. You open the box to find a real life,honest to god fairy....who won't shut up (it kind of reminds me of some other fairy who doesn't shut up...*cough* *cough* Navi) the fairy is so loud it alerts the guard who figures out you were trying to escape and locks you both in solitary........Ending 13: Shut up! 14.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Charm the guards, Whats that?, Oh HELL no!, Whats in the box? A fairy is in the box!! cause why the hell not!! The fairy is very loud and alerts the guards which gets you put in solitary...in a straight jacket. Ending 14:Be quiet! 15.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Charm the Guards, Dig Dig Dig, Stick to the plan, Open the box. You re-wind time to stop the bullets Bob has shot at you....you end up back at the start of the heist...before you've even gone in the museum...Ending 15: Time is on our side. 16.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Charm the guards, Whats that?, Oh HELL no!, Stick to the plan,Open the box. You open the box and it does some weird shit and you end up with WILFORD?!!? Apparantly for an interview?!......Oh wow this is really meta. Ending 16: The Interveiw. 17.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Charm the guards, dig dig dig, stick to the plan, Shoot Bob. You shoot Bob only to find that he was Wade, Mark leans down to hear Wade's final words...then Bob comes up behind him and pulls your mask off.......you look in the mirror only to find....you're Wade? Ending 17: It was me the whole time. 18.Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Charm the guards, Whats that?, Oh HELL no!, Stick to the plan, Shoot Wade. Wubba turns out to be Wade who betrays Mark but then is actually Bob?, who was saving Mark?! Bob is about to say something important but gets inturrupted by Wade firing his gun he tells you to "take off your mask, partner" and does it for you. When your mask is off he hands you a mirror and you see......you're actually Bob?! Ending 18: It was my joke. 19. Guns Blazing, Helicopter, Charm the Guards, What's that?, This seems safe. I mean it's an enigma for a reason right? No explanation for this one. Ending 19:The enigma of Happy trails penitentiary. 20.All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Wait for rescue. I know everything. Mark got hit by an anchor last step so he's gone. "Oh" Pirate Mark says "you do do ya?!"Heheehehe" "Well for one so knowledgable ye ain't none to bright, you see I knew ya friend, oh yes I knew, your the type of person who wants to steal me treasure" "Oh, no one, no one , steals my treasure, ta ta!" We are now in the cannon.......we are now dead. Ending 20:I believe I can fly. 21.All Sneaky Like, Light tunnel, Wait for rescue, I know nothing, Golden Treasure.A man leads you to a cave with a pit, he says to Arrghiplier (Pirate Mark) "Is there anything in this world that you value more than treasure?" Arrghiplier takes that to mean that he has to sacrifice you to get the treasure. Pirate Mark drops you in the pit to gain his gold. Ending 21: In the soulstone. 22.All Sneaky Like, Light tunnel, Wait for rescue,I know nothing,Treasured gold. You find the right treasure and stay with the pirates for the rest of your days.Ending 22:A pirates life for me. 23.All Sneaky Like, Light tunnel, Row home, Build a sign.You get captured by aliens and your memory is wiped. Ending 23: Not again... 24.All Sneaky Like, Light Tunnel, Row home, Find Shelter, Enter the Cave,You first. You think Mark is in trouble and try to save him by pressing a button on a contraption you pulled out of the box you stole from the museum....instead it calls an orbital lazar strike to your position...You, Mark and even SavagePat are all killed in the blast. Ending 24: Imma firin' my lazarrr! 25.All Sneaky Like, Light tunnel, Row home,Find a shelter, Enter the cave, Me first. We stay in the cave with SavagePat for the rest of our lives. Ending 25: Dont judge a book by it's human-skin cover. 26.All Sneaky Like, Light tunnel, Row home, Find a shelter, RUN AWAY. You run away from SavagePat and fall straight into the ocean...and then get eaten by a shark...Ending 26:Freash Meat 27. All Sneaky Like, Dark tunnel, split up at first opportunity. ADWM Mark gets eaten by a crocodile. Ending 27:When will you learn? 28. All Sneaky Like, Dark tunnel, split up on second choice to do so. ADWM Mark gets eaten by a weird worm thing and so do you.Ending 28: Are you serious? 29.All Sneaky like, Dark tunnel, Split up the fourth time you are given the option. ADWM Mark tells us to look after Chica then says "Goodbye my friend" and falls putting his hands into a love heart on the way down. Fire explodes when he hits the groung and the fire comes up to meet us, and we somehow get exploded into a field full of flowers. We walk onto a road and hear sirens and car horns. Ending 29:One last split up. 30. All Sneaky Like, Dark tunnel, Don't split up ever. We end up back in the beginning waiting to meet Heist Mark. ADWM Mark says that he can't do this anymore and he's over it, he goes home to take a nap.Ending 30: Once more with feeling. 31. All Sneaky Like, Dark Tunnel, Split up on third option to do so. ADWM Mark disappeares and drops his flashlight. We somehow end up in this brick school-like hallway witha bunh of doors and a painting of the Chef with black lines where the eyes should be, on the wall, acommpanied by the sound of the Chef talking to us from WKM all around you. You get a text message from a unknown number: "Aren't you tired of it?" A potrait of the butler is next with the same blacked out eyes, and echoes of him talking to us from WKM. Text from the same number: "Don't you feel like you're running in circles?" Painting of Abe (the Detective). Echoes from WKM,or it could be from Wilford "Motherloving" Warfstache I suppose. Blacked out eyes, you get the deal. Text, same number: "No one seems to question it." Painting of the Colonel, blacked out eyes, and a pink mustache drawn on to it. Echoes of the Colonel from WKM. Text from same number: "But I thought you'd see through it." You go through the door at the end of the hall (I assume, it's another whip cut so you can't really tell.) there is a painting of Pink robe Mark from WKM ( Is that one Asshole Mark?) With echoes of him talking from WKM. The painting starts crumbling and peeling.A Dark(?) laugh, Dark(?) starts talking: " Same snake(?), different skin." "Always spinning yarns(?), his webs,-" View pans to someone in a white suit with his hair pulled to our right (his left). He is sorta grey like dark. (Dark has a new look?) it's him thats been talking. He is surrounded in red and blue and has eyeliner on. He continues; "-his lies." (glitch) "I alway thought that you were trapped (glitch) in his games, perpetually plunging (glitch) down a rabbit hole of stories(?), helpless, lost (glitch) I know the feeling. Perhaps (glitch) I'm the crazy one." "Perhaps (glitch) we've met a hundred (glitch) times already, and you simply don't remember it." "Perhaps you were tired of me repeating myself over,( there are multiple of him now) and over again. and over and over AND OVER AGAIN!" (he's just full out glitching all over the place now.). We come to a white table with a wine glass on it. " Maybe you just missed my pretty face (glitch, and his eyes are red) (he stands up taller) it doesn't matter...people like you, you want one thing (big screamy glitch) and it's disgusting." (glitch) "You want answers?" ( he picks up the wine glass) "Well, games were always his.. (glitch) (he goes to take a drink) (glitch) (glitch)..forte." (drink) "But allow me this one moment of self-indulgence." (he puts down the glass). We teleport to what seems to be an office. The is a certificate on the desk he is sitting on that has the word Warden on it. He is holding the box we stole from the museum. There is a small man on the bottom left of the screen. "So much trouble (he is looking at the box)...for something so small. ( he glitches into the office chair on the opposite side of the desk to us.) (he is almost smiling?) "Do you really want to know whats inside this box?" (he sets it down, it has weird gold flecks coming off it) "The truth not the lies he's told you...(glitch) but the truth." (glitch) "I know how much you- (glitch, he is laying on the desk now) love a good game...so,through out this...heist I've hidden codes,"- (glitch. The words Ignorance is bliss, show up on the screen. And then a question mark shows up.) "-so codes...find them all and you'll get your truth."(glitch,glitch,glitch) "but thats all I'm gonna give you." Camera zooms out. The certificate says: Warden of the X. We are back to the front of the museum. Ending 31: Ignorance is bliss.

#markiplier #markipliergame #ahwm spoilers #ahwm #ahwmallendings

13 notes · View notes

5hfanfiction · 5 years

Text

Be Exemplary ( Chapter One )

AU: What happens when someone you looked up to turns out to be someone completely different after a few years?

(very slight trigger warning of sexual harassment and fighting/bullying)

6 year-old Camila Cabello had her eyebrows furrowed as the grip on her red colour pencil tightened when she attempted to colour in the lines of a parrot. Dressed in yellow overalls over a pink shirt, her hair tied up into pigtails; she coloured her parrot to perfection (well, it was perfect in her eyes). She stuck her tongue in between her teeth as a small smile stretched across her face when she held her piece of art in front of her face for further inspection. It was a perfect way to spend her recess time. So what if she had to deceive a few teachers to sneak back into the classroom to colour a parrot? She had eaten her PB&J in a matter of minutes anyway.

However, the sudden flurry of commotion and voices booming from outside the classroom caught her attention. She walked over to the window to look outside; only to find a small boy on the ground with a green-eyed girl standing over him with her arms crossed over her chest. The girl’s blue jeans had a bit of dirt on it and she was sporting an alarmingly scary look for a seven year old. Camila recognized her; she would’ve recognized those green eyes anywhere.

She remembered her first day in school, and she remembered seeing her in the canteen. Another girl had rudely cut in front of Camila in the line to get food; her blonde hair whipping in Camila’s face as she sported a smug look in her all pink-ensemble. The green-eyed girl (who was apparently) behind Camila huffed angrily as she stepped out of line and pulled on the blonde hair in front of her. Her eyes caught Camila’s for a split second and the brown-eyed girl was rooted to the spot. Surely enough, there were a lot of hair-pulling and tantrums thrown and teachers had to break up the fight between both girls. Camila simply watched with wide eyes at the scene in front of her; wondering if this was how school supposed to be like.

The boy on the ground quickly got up and ran away from the green-eyed girl as she simply stared him down.

“Lauren!” shouted a doe-eyed plump teacher nearby who couldn’t get to the scene fast enough. “Are you trying to get in trouble again?” the plump teacher scolded her as she gripped her elbow and pulled her into school; undoubtedly to call her parents.

Lauren, so that’s her name, thought Camila. The 6 year-old was rather intrigued with the fiery character of Lauren. The girl seemed to be standing up for other kids; and that made Camila somehow ashamed of how shy and passive she truly was. She didn’t know if she admired her, or was scared of her.

A few days later, Lauren slapped the same boy she had thrown to the ground. “You can’t call people that, Tom, I thought I told you that already” she had quipped with her squeaky but definitive voice, eyes full of rage.

“So what, Jauregui! My parents said that girls should love boys and those who don’t are dykes,” yelled back Tom as his face turned red from all the attention he was getting from a number of other kids that stood in the school hallway. Lauren’s face hardened and her nose flared. She was about to shove him, but was abruptly stopped by Mrs. Degeneres who grabbed her arm.

“Okay, the both of you are coming with me to the Principal’s office right now,”

“But she was the one who started it-” countered Tom but quickly shut his mouth when Mrs. Degeneres gave him a withering stare. She herself had killer green eyes, and Camila faintly heard her whisper to Lauren; catching a sentence that sounded like “you don’t need to defend me, Lauren,” as she hastily dragged both of the 7 year-old away from the hallway and curious eyes.

After an hour, it was recess time and Camila sat alone outside the school near the playground. She watched on as kids her age played as she was in very deep thought about the whole Lauren situation.

Jagooey? What was her last name again? Camila silently pondered as she tired to recall the words Tom had spat at the green eyed girl. Having a lack of friends usually made Camila analytical and perspective to those around her. It was only because she was shy; however, she did make some eye-contact with a few of her classmates, so there was nothing to worry about. She’ll make friends…eventually.

And dyke….. What does that word even mean? What has girls loving each other have to do it?

Camila concluded that Lauren must be really smart or a genius or something to know what that word meant and crucially, the appropriate use of the said word.

Suddenly, a car door slam snapped her out of her thoughts. She saw a black car that looked posh parked in front of the school and walking a few feet in front of it was a man that looked incredibly familiar; like Camila had seen him on TV or something. He had a black suit on, and he was a little bit big-sized. His beard was covering half his face, and made him look quite like a bear ( in Camila’s eyes).

A few minutes later, the same man walked out with Lauren by his side. He didn’t look angry, just a little bit frustrated. Lauren had her head hung low as the man kissed her forehead and got into the car and drove away. Camila was too far away to hear anything; but she was still staring at the duo. Ultimately, concluding that that man was her father. Suddenly overcome with compassion, Camila trudged over to the green-eyed girl; tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention.

The green-eyed girl turned around then; tearing her eyes away from the road her dad’s car just took off on.

“Hi. You’re Lauren right? Are you okay?” asked Camila; knowing that there was a high possibility that Lauren was scolded. Also, because her nose was red and her eyes were watery.

Lauren wiped her nose and gave Camila a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. My father just gave me his usual lecture,” she sniffled then.

Camila nodded, her heels rocking back and forth. “Have you eaten yet? There’s only a few minutes left of recess,” enquired the doe-eyed girl; wanting to know more about the mysterious character in front of her. Maybe, she could finally make a friend.

Lauren simply shook her head then, giving her a small smile. “Nah, i’m not hungry. Tom ruined my appetite,”. Camila really wanted to ask her what dyke meant but she held her tongue; she didn’t want to stick her nose into other people’s business.

“Well, okay then. Would you like to come swing with me?” Camila shyly asked her. Her bottom lip caught between her teeth. It was a leap for friendship since she started school a couple weeks ago. Lauren simply smiled at her and nodded; both of them giggling away to the swings for the last few minutes of recess.

—

Once the school bus dropped Camila off at her house, she was ready to tell her mother all about the friend she finally made in school today; excitement filling her veins. However, she was greeted with both her parents seated at the dining table; which was unusual because her dad worked until 8 p.m.

Her small curious eyes widened with surprise when her parents announced with booming voices that they would be moving to New York for her dad’s work. He had gotten a promotion at a new branch in the company that he was working for, and they were leaving tomorrow. Her mom had happy tears running down her face as she engulfed Camila in a hug; soon followed by her dad.

Camila knew that her family wasn’t poor, but they also weren’t so well off. A pit of bitterness settled in her stomach as she thought about a whole new city, a whole new group of friends and a lack of a green-eyed one.

However, the happiness on their faces was contagious. Camila hid her disdain under a smile because she couldn’t shake the feeling of loss as she thought about a certain girl with emerald eyes. She would have to start at a new school all over again, but if her parents were happy, she would be too.

“We don’t know how long we would be there honey, but this is a great opportunity for us as a family” her mother cajoled Camila as she rocked the toddler back and forth in her arms; knowing that change was always scary for her daughter.

—

(11 years later)

“Girl, be happy you got out of this hellhole”

Camila chuckled into her phone that was held in between her ears and shoulder as she hastily pulled on her jeans over her long legs. She walked across her new room and dived into a box that was labelled “C’s clothes”.

“Ari, how could i be happy when you’re not here?” cooed Camila to her best friend, Ariana Grande, on the other line. She quickly pulls on a light blue crop top when she hears the distinct voice of her mom yelling from downstairs that she’s going to be late for her briefing on her first day at her new high-school.

“Okay, before you can answer that i’m gonna be seriously late for my briefing if i keep entertaining your lame-ass excuses,” she quips to Ariana; already imagining the eye-roll in her head.

“Okay sweet ass, i’ll talk to you later, and tell me if you find anyone cute alright? Don’t keep all the hot ones to yourself okay? It’s selfish and i’m your friend, and sharing is caring-”

“Lord, Ari, i hear you okay,” Camila chuckled into her phone. Her friend was something else. “Also, in what world am i hogging the hot ones? You’re talking to the girl who has been a lip-virgin for 17 years,”

“Girl, just because you’re weird and incapable of noticing the hot ones doesn’t mean that they don’t notice you,” Ariana argues back. Camila could only shake her head to herself and end the call with “I love you bitch, don’t miss me too much”.

Once she fixes her long brown hair to the best of it capabilities, she rushes downstairs to find both her parents at the dining table; unbearable tension building between the both of them. It’s been like this for weeks and Camila hates it. Her father with a newspaper in his hand; barely acknowledging her existence as she gives her mom a kiss on the cheek and grabs an apple on the way out of the house; yelling “see you later, mom,”.

Her heart burns when she leaves the house thinking of her dad and his nonchalance. It was because of him they had to leave New York and come back to Miami; back to her father’s old company’s branch which was barely alive. How could he be so calm? How could he pretend like he didn’t just stick a wedge in a life that she was happy in? She was doing perfectly fine in New York. She had made a considerable amount of friends and her grades were at the top of the class. Her previous high school had an amazing priority for art and encouraged students to test out their talents; and, this is how Camila realised that she loved music. She sang her heart out and managed to snag a spot in the Choir Club. It was her life; she was finally building a life that was suited for her.

She was finally finding herself, finding a common ground where both her feet could land; so, of course the universe had to rain on her parade and shift her world on its axis once again.

Apparently, her father had a few sexual harassment complaints filed against him. She still remembered how much her outlook on her dad changed that day. It was like she didn’t know him anymore. Her admiration and love for him quickly turned into disgust and hate. The light in her mom’s eyes dimmed as if her soul was trying to numb the pain she felt. However, because he had been working for the company for over 15 years and was one of the best workers they had ever had, the company took pity on him and moved him back to the previous branch he was in.

Her dad did disgusting things, and he didn’t even seem sorry about it. Not once did she hear an apology come out from his mouth; only his solemn face as Camila’s mom badgered him with questions on “how could he do this to the family?”. The ride back to Miami was suffocating and the whole transition was incredibly fast for Camila to endure. However, because of her friends, Ariana especially, she had managed to siphon all her anger towards him and not the situation she was in. She had asked her mom to do something about her horrible situation, but her mom could only mumble about ‘honor’ and ‘marriage’ and ‘family’.

She cried herself to sleep many times; majorly confused about the whole situation and the turn her life had taken.

She couldn’t wait to graduate and get out of the house.

And maybe bring her mom along.

—

“-and this is your timetable, are you clear with everything i have told you so far, Ms. Cabello?” asked the clerk in the Principal’s office.

Camila nodded quickly; grabbing the sheets of paper that was being handed to her by the clerk. The briefing ended pretty fast; lasting not longer than 10 minutes. “Well, then i guess you could be escorted to your class now i’m sure that your teach- hey, Normani!” Camila jumped out of her skin because of the sudden yell and turned around to see a gorgeous ebony-skinned girl enter the office with a pearly white smile. She eyed her for a second before bringing her attention back to the clerk.

“This is Normani,” she gestured towards the girl on her left, “She’s the head of publicity on the Student Council and she sometimes helps newbies like you to get around. Since you’re a junior and you kind of know how high school works, she’ll just help you get to class. Miami High isn’t that big so you can’t get lost in it, if anything, just ask around, i’m sure the students here will be happy to help you,” the clerk informed Camila in a sweet tone.

Trying to process all the information, Camila simply nodded at the clerk with a smile before she turned her attention to Normani. “Cmon, newbie, let’s get you to class,” the dark-skinned girl flashed her a smile before walking out of the office with Camila by her side.

So far, so good, Camila thought to herself.

—

Normani was beautiful, like the type of beautiful that made you take a second look; and, Camila was having a hard time looking away from the older girl as she went on and on about the Student Council. Camila always had a hard time not staring at attractive people, though she never acted on any of it.

For Camila, her sexuality was not definitive. She didn’t want to put a label on herself because she found herself being attracted to both genders as she grew up and she couldn’t do anything about it. She had asked her mom about it when she reached puberty and her mom could only smile and tell her to love who she loved. She realised later on how lucky she was for getting a reaction like that from her mom when she had heard horror stories from her friends back in New York about how kids were thrown out from their homes or bullied to death just because of their sexuality.

She really didn’t think it was a big deal. A person’s sexuality is for themselves, and only for themselves to own.

“-once a year. We have all sorts of events planned so don’t be shy and participate! We have sports clubs, drama clubs, glee clubs-”

“Wait, did you say glee clubs,…and drama clubs?” Camila’s attention suddenly peaked at the mention of her passions.

Normani turned to smile at her then; tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. “Yes, we do. Every year, they collaborate to make a play. Like, last year was “West Side Story” and i hear that this year it’s going to be “Grease”. Auditions are coming up pretty soon so keep an eye out for posters or fliers or any of the kind,” she informed Camila with her hands gesturing to the walls. The hallways were filling with people. Curious eyes followed Camila, amd she felt herself flush.

So, this is what it feels like to be the new-girl again, Camila thought to herself.

“Okay, before i talk your ear off, your first class is AP Literature and its in classroom R126. Because you are here early, you still have 20 minutes more till class so maybe i can show you around a bit more?” asked Normani; her eyebrows lifting up. Camila looked at her watch and saw that it was 7.45, and she decided that she still had time.

“Yeah sure,” she answers with a megawatt smile which Normani returns. She patted her elbow and lead her along a hallway that leads to the cafeteria. Then, they went to the library where Normani declared the end of their mini tour and decided to head Camila in her class’s direction so she wouldn’t be late. The first person she met today wasn’t a complete douche and was actually friendly! Maybe it could be easy to make friends around here.

“So, now that my mandatory duties are over, tell me about yourself,” nudged Normani with a lopsided smile. Camila looked over to her and pulls at the hem of her crop top in nervousness. “Oh well, um, i just moved her from New York, but um, i grew up here, i was in Miami till i was 6,” explained Camila while scratching the back of her neck. She continued with the basics of her life while her eyes train ahead of her in the hallway; slowly taking in the people and classrooms around her.

After a few moments, her sentence stopped mid-air as she eyed a group of jocks by the lockers. They were all wearing varsity jackets with big yellow “MH” sewed on top of it while they simply talked to each other. They were all lean and tall and just plain handsome, especially that one boy near the water-

“Wow, so i guess you found the jocks,” chuckled Normani as she slows down beside Camila, who followed the other girl’s pace as well. Camila’s face flushes as she looks back at Normani; her cheeks tinting red.

“I was just, um, y’know, they’re just- i was just-”

“Okay Camila, stop. They’re hot. I get it. It’s completely normal,” Normani replied with mirth in her tone as she drags Camila’s elbow with her. “Also, the name of the one you were ten seconds away from drooling on is Shawn Mendes, he’s the quarterback and also a very sweet guy,” Camila locked eyes with him from across the hallway and almost snapped her neck from how fast she was trying to look away. Amused at Camila’s reaction, Normani put her out of her misery by continuing, “But, he has a boyfriend, so he’s not available,”.

Camila’s jaw dropped as those words exited Normani’s mouth. She slapped her arm lightly but couldn’t help but laugh along with the dark-skinned beauty as they walked down the hallway. “Holy hell,” Camila told Normani as she wiped a single tear of joy from her eyes, “Thank God you told me that before i started getting an unmanageable crush on hi-”

Her sentence was interrupted by a loud bang; causing both her and Normani to jerk towards the source of the sound. It was a few feet ahead of them and instead of people gathering around the incident like they usually do, most of them just fled; leaving a very clear view of what was happening. There was a boy on the ground whose shoulder was clutched as three girls stood above him. One girl had her back to Camila, so the newbie couldn’t make out her face but could only see that she had long wavy dark-blonde hair and she was very tall. The other girl opposite the very tall one was inversely short, but had the same dirty blonde hair. However, Camila could make out her face from this angle and immediately recognized the Latina look in her. She was awfully pretty, and her short legs were shown off in denim shorts; which made them look like they were 10-miles long. She couldn’t see the middle-girl’s face because her blackish brown hair was curtaining her face but then a pale hand came up to swish her hair to the other side; allowing Camila to see her side-profile. The dark-haired girl then smirked and took a step towards the fallen boy; eliciting a shiver in Camila’s spine.

There was something about this girl.

“Ugh, not again,” Normani moaned as she saw the events in front of her unfold. Camila teared her eyes away from the scene and questioned her.

“Mani, what the hell is happening? Who are they? What do you mean again?” she rambled, curious to what was going on. Her heart ached for the boy on the floor. She hated bullies.

“That’s the Clique,” Normani equipped as she pulled out her phone and dialled the Principal’s Office number. “Those three girls have been causing trouble ever since the dawn of time, picking on people and picking fights when someone as much looks at them the wrong way. Not to mention, they have basically slept with the whole damn school. They’re attitude is horrendous, well at least, one of theirs is,” said Normani as she waits for the office to pick up. Camila frowns at the information, never once hearing about an all-female group of assholes.

“There’s Ally, Dinah and Lauren,”

Camila’s ears perked up at that; the name feeling disastrously familiar and rang a bell in her distant mind. “Wait, Lauren?”

“Yeah, and she’s the worst one,” continued Normani; catching a hint of confusion on Camila’s face. “She’s kind of the leader of the clique and she terrorizes everyone. If she’s not picking a fight with you, she’s flirting with you, and if she’s not flirting with you, she’s fucking you or even all the above. They are all positively repulsive. So, my advice is to steer clear of all three of them, you don’t want to be on their hit li- Yes, Mrs. Adams, Normani here. I would like to report a fight in the school hallway opposite Room R126,” Normani supplies the clerk.

Of course. Of course, it has to be right opposite my bloody classroom, thought Camila to herself.

“Yes.Yes, it’s the Clique again. Okay, no problem,” and then Normani hung up her phone with a sigh. Seeing the apprehension on Camila’s face, she questioned her.

“What’s wrong, you know any of them?”

Camila’s head was spinning a little, but mostly her stomach felt like she was going to be sick. Lauren. Could it be the same Lauren? But it couldn’t be right? The memory of the Lauren she knew, though it was a very hazy one, put her up to be one of the heroes, not the villains. How could someone as righteous as that become one of the most horrible people she could think of? But still, it could still be a different Lauren. It couldn’t be the same. What was her last name again? Jagooey? Jaguar?

“Wait, Normani,” Camila had to let go of her suspicions. “Do you know what’s Lauren’s last name?” the brown-eyed girl asked; hoping that it really wasn’t the same girl she knew 11 years ago. The girl that picked fights for good, and not for her own selfish gain.

“Do I? Girl…,” Normani chuckled at that. “She’s the former mayor, but current Senate’s daughter, Lauren Jauregui, of course i know her name, Mila. It’s also one of the reasons she gets away with everything,” replied Normani; staring disapprovingly at the event that was still taking place in front of them. At this point, Lauren had her foot on the boys chest and still had that awful smirk on her face.

“Jauregui,huh?” Camila echoed; a weird mixture of dread, disgust and hope swirling in the pit of her stomach. Yep, that was the same girl all right. It would explain why Lauren’s dad was all fancy looking all those years ago. Camila eyes shot up to look at her again; watching her taunt the vulnerable boy beneath her. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and a dark green bomber jacket over a white tank top; her lips were painted red and her hair framed the side of her face beautifully.

Ugh, why is it always the beautiful ones who are the assholes?, Camila thought to herself as she sees a few teachers rush past her to stop the fight.

They pull Lauren off the boy and drag Dinah and Ally along. However, it seems like they are headed towards them and Camila finally manages to see Dinah and Lauren’s full faces. They both have strong defining jawlines and cheekbones; and as they got closer, it was very easy to tell that their bodies were curvy in all the right places. Camila’s eyes strained not to stare.

They were getting closer to the pair, and Dinah smiled. Not at Camila, but at Normani, who simply huffed and rolled her eyes. Camila made a note in her brain to ask Normani about that later. What bothered Camila was that the three of them didn’t look affected at all. They didn’t seem like they just pushed a boy to ground and taunted him. Their egos were huge and Camila’s blood boiled. What type of horrible person do you have to be cause another person so much misery?

With a strange surge of anger, Camila disapprovingly stared at the three, but her eyes locked with Lauren’s for a second; familiar eyes finding each other in the midst of grass and soil.

Oh, it’s definitely her, Camila thought to herself as she felt a rush. She could recognize those green eyes anywhere.

Infuriatingly, the emerald-eyed girl held Camila’s gaze. Almost as if there were wheels turning in her thick skull. However, when a flash of recognition flashed in her eyes, she winked at the brown-eyed girl; steadily looking up and down her body with a half-smirk as she passed her.

Camila felt her anger only intensify though her cheeks were being bombarded by a heavy blush. They felt hot and heavy on her face and she loathed that it did. How utterly disgusting! The nerve of her! And to think that she could’ve maybe given her a chance to not be a complete asshole. The girl that Camila knew was far gone. Also, how much did she know about the other girl anyway? They only ever talked once.

Camila couldn’t believe she actually missed that hooligan for the first few years she was at New York.

Normani, from the sidelines, watched the interaction with raised eyebrows. What the hell is up with those two? It’s just her first day and she’s gotten Lauren’s attention already?

“Okay,they’re gone, let me get you to class,” diverted Normani; dragging a very peeved but still blushing Camila into her AP Literature class. She could maybe ask her another day.

“Did you see how she acted?,” Camila rambled, “Who does she think she is? Fucking Ryan Gosling or something? Megan Fox?, C’mon she doesn’t even come close and she acts like she’s this fucking big shot player or something, give me a break,and………”

—

A/N: hey :) let me know what you guys think!

#UPDATE #series #AU #camren #alren #normila #camally #norminah #laurinah #dinally #angst drama #family #humour #romance fluff #submission #Be Exemplary

67 notes · View notes

emospritelet · 7 years

Text

Empty Corridors

It’s @wipweek and it’s AU WIP day, and so I’m posting the first chapter (3,717 words) of my new Golden Lace fic (Once Upon a Time). The fic will be rated E eventually, but I’d say it’s currently T-M due to some of the themes. The title is from a Ben Howard song of the same name, which I was listening to tonight and which completely fits the vibe of this story. I can see myself getting very frustrated with these two.

AO3 link

Lacey French bent a little lower over the pool table, huffing a strand of chestnut hair out of her eyes as she lined up her shot, one final red ball remaining on the table against her opponent’s three. She had missed the last shot, and she was blaming hunger for her lack of focus. It was way past lunchtime, and she hadn’t eaten a proper breakfast either, unless coffee and Oreos counted. Drinking shots and playing pool probably wasn’t the best use of her afternoon, but then time had no meaning in The Rabbit Hole, so she figured she may as well try to lift the boredom of living in Storybrooke in one of the few ways she knew. The bar itself was windowless and dimly-lit, an underground pit reeking of stale beer, cheap body spray and desperation. Her shoes were sticking to the floor as she moved, and she wrinkled her nose, looking along the shining length of the cue.

“A little lower, sweet cheeks!”

Lacey looked over her shoulder, scowling, and a dark-haired man raised his beer glass, winking at her. Keith Nott was a lech, if a good-looking one. She had kissed him once, but he was too creepy for her to want to take it beyond that. Besides, he was the type to tell the entire bar exactly how far he got with a woman, and she had no desire to have her skills discussed by his drunken friends. Keith put his head to the side, miming lifting a skirt, and she curled her lip.

“In your dreams!” she said witheringly, and he scowled.

“Don’t be such an uptight bitch, I’m only playing around.”

“Yeah, well I’m not.”

She turned back to her shot, eyeing Tom Clark and hoping he wouldn’t sneeze at a critical moment. He was watching her nervously, twisting his own pool cue in his hands. A pile of dollar bills sat on the edge of the table, weighted down with the chalk. Twenty bucks to the winner. She needed to take this game if she was to stand any chance of making rent. Okay, she needed to win about a dozen more similar games, but at least this would be a start. A pity the bar was almost empty; she had no one lined up after Tom, and Keith had refused to play against her after she beat him three times in a row.

She let the cue slide over her fingers as she lined up the shot. A sharp strike, and her ball rattled the edges of the top right hand pocket before dropping in. Lacey let out a breath, straightening up, and Tom groaned, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

“Sorry, buddy,” she said, grinning, and he sighed.

“You’re a damn hustler,” he grumbled, but winked at her, and she smirked and picked up the money.

“Another game?” she asked. “Go on, winner takes all!”

“Do i look like I have money to burn?” he asked. “Maybe next time, Lacey.”

He put his cue on the table and wandered off again, and she sighed, pocketing the money. Twenty bucks to add to what I have at home. Only another two hundred and ten to go!

She tried not to panic at the thought of how much money she had still to find, and how little time she had to find it. Work had been thin on the ground these past few weeks, and the cash she usually put aside to make her rent for the next month just hadn’t been there. She had her reasons for not having the cash, what she thought were good reasons, but Mr Gold wasn’t known for his generosity in granting extensions, and she was getting desperate.

A shadow moved out from behind one of the pillars, the light shining along the dark length of a cane before picking out the shape of a man. A short, thin man in a dark suit, which she suspected had cost more than he charged her for three months’ rent combined. His hair hung around his face, shining silver at his temples, and she licked her lips, suddenly wary. Speak of the devil…

Mr Gold glanced at her, his face impassive, a glint of something unfamiliar in his dark eyes. On any other man she would have thought it was hunger, desire, but Gold wasn’t like that. At least not as far as she knew. Say what you wanted about him (and people did), he wasn’t a creep. Not in that way. She suspected he could smell fear on people though, and could taste lies in the air. Money was all he seemed to care about, and being Storybrooke’s only landlord gave him power over pretty much everyone in town.

She imagined he enjoyed his status, but there was a tiny part of her that suspected that he had once been as poor and powerless as she. There was an air of darkness about him, of ancient pain and loss and violence, a wall of shadows that no one could get through. Perhaps that was why he had closed himself off from everyone in town, wrapped in his silk shirts and fine suits and hoarding the beautiful things in his shop like some sort of ageless dragon that was too weary to roar and burn its way across the town it had once terrorised. She wondered if there had ever been anyone in his life that he loved, but she dismissed the thought almost at once. He was always alone, and it seemed that he preferred it that way. Probably into some weird, kinky shit anyway, she thought, and snickered. He raised an eyebrow.

“Something amusing you, Miss French?”

He always talked that way. Calm, polite, and at the same time sounding as though he could kill you with a teaspoon if he had to. It was kind of sexy if she thought about it for too long.

“Only my own weird thoughts, Mr Gold,” she said carelessly, and stood with a hip cocked to the side, leaning on the pool table. “I was wondering whether you play pool. Twenty bucks says I can beat you.”

“I believe today is the day you give me money,” he said dryly. “I have no interest in reversing our roles.”

She chewed her lip. Dammit!

“Sure, no worries,” she said, shrugging. “I have a few hours left, right?”

“You have until the shop closes at six,” he said. “You’re well aware of my charges for late payments, I’m sure.”

“Is there anyone in this town who isn’t?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Six o’clock, Miss French.”

“Okay, okay, I heard you the first time!” She rolled her eyes. “Let a girl finish her drink, at least.”

“Oh, by all means,” he said sardonically. “Don’t let me stand in the way of your developing alcoholism.”

He stepped past her, heading for the bar, and Lacey glared at his back.

“Asshole!” she muttered, as she turned back to the pool table. The whisper of what felt like wind at her back made her shiver, and all of a sudden the air was too thick to breathe, catching in her throat as the spicy scent of cologne drifted into her nose.

“What was that, Miss French?”

Lacey yelped at the sound of his voice in her ear, at the feel of his breath on her skin, and she staggered, one arm flying out to the side to steady herself. A soft chuckle made her blood boil, and she spun on the balls of her feet to face him. Gold was very, very close, his eyes glinting wickedly, and she squared her jaw.

“You almost made me jump out of my skin!” she snapped, and he raised an eyebrow, gold tooth glinting in the light.

“Humble apologies,” he said softly. “I could have sworn you said something to me, but perhaps I was mistaken.”

She glared at him, and his grin widened a little as he looked her up and down, the gold tooth on his lower jaw flashing in the light.

“I can always take that rent payment now,” he said lazily, and she sniffed, trying to look down her nose at him.

“You’ll get it when I bring it over.”

“Six o’clock,” he said, his voice soft. “Don’t make me come looking for you, Miss French.”

There was a warning in his voice, darkness swathed in a soft accent and low tones, and she shivered. Great, now he has me marked! Why the hell couldn’t I keep my fucking mouth shut?

“I won’t,” she said, wondering how the hell she was going to get out of this. “I’ll be there before you close up.”

“The anticipation is almost too much to bear.”

He gave her a small bow, still grinning, and swaggered off, his cane tapping on the floor. Strange that he could be silent as death when he wanted to be. She watched him warily as he approached the nervous-looking bartender, and glanced around. The few patrons that had been there before Gold’s arrival had mysteriously disappeared, and she hissed in frustration.

Two hundred and ten dollars. How the hell am I gonna come up with that in two hours?

“You have to be kidding me,” said Ruby flatly, stacking glasses on a tray. “Where do you think I’m hiding that kind of cash? Down my bra?”

“Rubes, I’m desperate!” Lacey pleaded, leaning on one of the diner tables.

“I get that, honey, but I can’t help you.” Ruby slammed the glasses down with a little more force than was necessary. “Tips have been crappy the past few weeks, and I had to get the car serviced. There’s only so much work Billy can do for free before his boss gets suspicious.”

“Dammit!” Lacey pushed herself upright again, chewing her lip, and Ruby put her head to the side.

“What do you need it for, anyway?” she asked curiously, and Lacey grimaced.

“Rent,” she admitted, and Ruby’s eyes widened.

“You don’t have the rent?”

“I know, I know!” Lacey began to pace, high heels clicking. “I thought I could make more cash playing pool, but the guys haven’t really been around.”

Ruby shot her a knowing look.

“You mean they’ve all realised you’re a much better player than they thought?” she said dryly. “Might want to switch to poker or something.”

“I can worry about that tomorrow,” said Lacey, still pacing. “Right now I need to find two hundred and ten bucks or Gold’s gonna flip his shit. Any thoughts?”

Ruby shrugged, lifting the tray of glasses.

“Beyond offering to blow him? Sorry.”

“Ruby!”

“You asked.”

Ruby sauntered off to the kitchen with the tray, and Lacey sighed. A quick glance at the clock showed the seconds ticking by. Less than an hour now. There was no one else she could ask. No one who’d be willing to help, anyway. She hadn’t spoken to her father in months, and if she turned up asking for money it would only make things worse between them. Not that he ever had any; she was pretty sure he would be hiding from Gold himself that evening. Ruby had been her last, forlorn hope.

Huffing in frustration, she stomped out of the diner, shoving her hands into the pockets of the little jacket she wore. She shivered; it was almost October, and she supposed it was time to wear something that covered her a bit more. Her tiny dress left little to the imagination. She hurried along the street, scowling up at the clock tower, which was permanently stuck at eight-fifteen. What a pity she herself couldn’t freeze time. She reached her tiny apartment, trotting up the stairs and ducking inside to find her stash of money, wedged between the pages of a hardback edition of Persuasion. Counting it again made no difference to the amount she had. Still two hundred and ten short. Sighing to herself, she stuffed the wad of cash into the inside pocket of the jacket. There was nothing for it. She was going to have to ask Gold for an extension.

She hurried along the street, head down, nodding impatiently to anyone that spoke to her. The shop sign was lit, and she heaved a breath as she pushed open the door, the bell jingling cheerfully. Gold’s shop was silent, and seemingly empty, and she looked around for a moment, her eyes running over the myriad objects set on shelves. Entering his shop had always felt like stepping back in time, and not just because it was filled with antiques. It was something about the air in the place, the scent of beeswax and old paper and the dust of ages past, the polished floor of dark wood and the old glass counters. Even the lamps seemed dimmer than they ought to be, beautiful shades in hand-painted silk and jewel-coloured frosted glass, spilling light the colour of old gold across the polished surfaces of dressers and shelves. Clocks ticked on the walls, their tone low and calm, and she took a step further inside, peering at a shelf of old books with cloth-bound covers.

“Miss French.”

His voice made her jump again, and she turned to the back of the shop. Gold had slipped silently into the room, and was standing behind the counter with his hands braced on the tips of splayed fingers, watching her. He wasn’t wearing his jacket, and gold sleeve garters encircled his arms just below the elbows, pushing the black silk shirt up a little. She swallowed hard, and raised her chin.

“Hey,” she said, walking to the counter and digging in her pocket.

She slapped the roll of money down in front of him, and he eyed her as he reached out, long fingers folding around it with a muted crackle of paper and pulling it towards him. For a moment she thought about just leaving, but he had spoken the truth earlier. He would come looking for her. The thought made her shiver, and she was surprised to find that the feeling wasn’t completely unpleasant. Gold licked his thumb, flicking through the bills. He looked up at the end, dark eyes fixed on hers, and she held her breath.

“It’s short,” he said quietly.

“I know,” she said. “I know it is, I - I don’t have the rest.”

“Why ever not?”

“Work was kind of patchy this month,” she admitted. “And - and I had some expenses. I just couldn’t get it all together, I’m sorry.”

Gold braced his hands on the counter again, shoulders hunching a little, watching her steadily.

“And yet when I saw you earlier this evening, you seemed to be drinking whisky and playing pool,” he said, and she rolled her eyes.

“I was trying to make money!” she said. “I can usually win twenty bucks a game, but hardly anyone wants to play me anymore. It’s not like I haven’t tried to find the rent, it’s just - well, I’m not a magician.”

Gold drummed the fingers of one hand on the counter, a slow, rhythmic, somehow ominous sound. She licked her lips nervously, and he sucked in a breath, his dark eyes fixed on hers. He didn’t seem to blink as often as normal people.

“You’ve always been one of my more reliable tenants, Miss French,” he said at last. “Unlike your father. I have no doubt I’ll hear the same pathetic excuses when I visit him to collect later this evening.”

Lacey folded her arms. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t know,” she grumbled. “We don’t exactly talk much.”

“No, I don’t suppose you do.”

He sounded amused, as though he knew something he shouldn’t, and it was grating on her, but the mention of her father had triggered a memory. A memory of when she had once thought Gold might not be the bastard everyone made him out to be.

“Dad still hasn’t forgiven you for evicting him that time,” she added. “That was when I moved out. You let me rent my apartment, remember?”

“I did.”

She hesitated, unsure whether he wanted to pretend that he hadn’t offered that to her for less than it was worth. He’d said it was because it was damp, but she had never found any damp in there. Or seen any sign of the ghost that was supposed to haunt the place.

“I didn’t have the deposit,” she said. “And you said I could pay it in instalments. Thirty extra bucks every week.”

“Your memory is flawless,” he said dryly. “I trust this doesn’t mean that you plan on taking advantage of my generous nature, Miss French.”

She almost choked at that, her eyes wide. Generous? His mouth had pulled up at one corner, as though he was amused by making her squirm. As though he wanted to see her beg. Fuck him if he thinks I’ll give him the satisfaction.

“Actually, I was thinking that we have a history,” she said, giving him her best smile. “A history where I promised to pay you back, and I did. See how that works?”

Gold raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.

“You promised to pay me when you signed the rental agreement,” he said. “I may have made an exception regarding the deposit due to you being barely more than a child, but that was some years ago. You are now an adult, with all the responsibilities that entails. The exception no longer applies.”

“Dammit, Gold!”

Lacey took a deep breath, trying to keep her temper in check, and his twisted smile grew a little more.

“So you won’t budge even a tiny bit?” she said. “I can’t make rent, I can’t stay, is that it?”

“Well, you’ll have time to gather your things, of course,” he said easily. “I need to serve you with notice, after all. You know the rules, Miss French.”

“I know you’re a fucking bastard!”

“Oh my!” He chuckled, looking amused. “I ask for you to adhere to our agreement, which you fail to do and it’s me that’s unreasonable?”

Lacey leaned on the counter, so close she could smell his cologne again. She was well aware that the angle gave him an excellent view down the front of her dress. His eyes flicked over her, so quickly that if she hadn’t been watching for it, she wouldn’t have noticed.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and she let her voice lower in cadence. “That was rude, I just - I can’t bear to think about going back to my dad’s place, that’s all.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” said Gold, his eyes glinting. “From the look of the place, you’d spend all your time cleaning up after him. The flower shop is all he cares about.” He lifted a hand, spreading his fingers. “Well, that and cheap whisky.”

“At least he’s family,” she said. “I’m his daughter, his only kid. That - that has to mean something, right.”

“Apparently not, as far as he’s concerned,” he said, and she felt herself bristle.

“I know he’s not gonna win any prizes for World’s Greatest Father,” she said, “but it’s not like I have anyone else to turn to.”

Gold shrugged.

“Move back home if you want,” he said. “I highly suspect you’ll be begging me for your old apartment back within two weeks, but perhaps I’m just a pessimist when it comes to Moe French.”

Lacey pushed back from the counter, hands on hips.

“Look, if anyone’s gonna insult that bastard, it’s gonna be me!” she snapped. “You don’t know anything about him beyond how much he owes you every month!”

Gold smiled, his eyes twinkling with dark amusement, and straightened up, reaching for the handle of his cane to steady himself.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” he said softly. “I think I know exactly what sort of man he is.”

“I know, a bloody deadbeat who’s always late with payments,” she sighed. “I’ve heard it all before, believe me. I’ve been lending him money since I got my first job. He’s kinda free with his fists when he’s drunk, too, if you want something else to add to the list.”

Gold watched her, hands clasped over the handle of his cane. He was looking as though he had something to say, but was unsure whether to say it. It was bloody annoying.

“What?” she said, a little more aggressively than was necessary, and he smiled, shaking his hair back from his face.

“D’you know, when I lent your father the money to buy that delivery van of his, I gave him two potential payment options,” he said. “The first was for an unsecured loan, the higher interest rate of the two. The second was for a loan secured on some form of collateral. Clearly this carried less risk, and would have been the option I would have taken, in his position. Had he any collateral, of course.”

“Let me guess, he made the wrong choice?”

Gold showed his teeth. “Well, I suppose that depends on your point of view. He offered me you.”

It was like a punch to the gut, and for a moment Lacey was breathless.

“I - what?”

His smile widened. “Your virtue, to be precise. He thought you worth the price of a van, at least. That’s the sort of man he is, Miss French.”

She shook her head, her heart thumping.

“I don’t believe you,” she said numbly, and Gold shrugged.

“That doesn’t make it any less true, but think whatever makes you feel better.”

The worst part of it was that she did believe him. She turned away, running her hands over her face before whirling back to face him.

“You said no,” she said, almost accusingly and he blinked.

“Of course I said no,” he said. “You couldn’t have been any more than sixteen, what do you take me for?”

Great. The town monster is a better man than my dad. Fucking fantastic.

“Excuse me,” she muttered, and pushed away from the counter.

“Your rent, Miss French,” he called after her, and she waved a hand, unseeing.

“I’ll be back, I just have to - have to…”

She cut off, wrenching open the shop door and making the bell jingle merrily again as she stomped out into the evening air. She had a visit to make.

#golden lace #rumbelle #rumbelle fic #golden lace fic #wipweek #fic: empty corridors #mentions of alcoholism #implied abuse

36 notes · View notes

tuxiedjabberwock · 7 years

Text

Incendium Ch 1 draft 2

Natsu is the last dragon. Why? Because as long as he can remember, he's been cursed: all of his friends are doomed to die. He's been living alone to avoid taking more lives when a feisty little Mage named Lucy finds him, and like the others, is mortally wounded. However, she cannot die...?

Re-write of this right here

Trying to gauge people’s responses

Language warning

Natsu looks up at the full moon, silently noting that it is starting to wane, though he much prefers the sun even if fire and he have never been the greatest of allies. Ironic, considering that he was a wizard of fire, but irony is pretty much his blood these days. He lets out a bitter chuckle at the sight and reaches out towards the glowing orb, closing his fingers around it futilely and holding it for a moment before his arm drops back to his lap. So close and so far… That’s what most humans suffer from, isn’t it?

It is sitting there, considering global problems, that he has an epiphany: he is hungry as shit. It confuses him that he can miss small things like that, though his father always said that he has “a diode of a mind.” He prepares to go hunting “stray animal style” when he notices a second thing: a very sweet scent fills the air, one totally different from the running rivers and productivity. This scent is more like flowers and writing ink.

“Go away,” he declares without even looking at her.

“That’s a little rude, don’t you think?” she retorts, nonetheless sitting next to him on the bench. He puts as much space between them as possible. “I heard Magnolia is full of the friendliest people you’ll meet.”

“It is. It’s just that I’m not included.”

“Don’t say that,” she says, and he can hear the smile in her voice, but he chooses to ignore her. Then she stands and moves in front of him, her big brown eyes taking up his entire peripheral. “You seem like a pretty nice guy.”

“Looks are deceiving. For all you know, I’m a serial killer and you’re about to be my next mark.”

“I’m pretty good at defending myself. I’m a wizard, you know,” she says proudly. That is a point he was going to bring up, because he could smell Celestial Keys on her.

“Hey, good for you, blondie.”

“Lucy.”

“Good for you, Luigi, but I was kinda enjoying my solitude—”

“Lu-cy,” she corrects crossly. Her ponytail brushes his face as she leans back and he gets another mouthful of her smell.

“Okay look Lori, I don’t like company, and I just reached my social limit.” He tries to leave and she cuts him off. She moves fast, I’ll give her that.

“You’re sitting out here late at night staring at the moon. I’m guessing you don’t have better places to be,” she points out, which is very true.

“Yeah, I actually do, better places being somewhere away from you.” And fast. He’s starting to have fun going back-and-forth with her, and that’s only going to end up bad for both of them. Just as he rises, however, she speaks again.

“Why are you out here staring at the moon? You don’t have a home?” He wavers and answers again despite himself.

“I… No, not for a long time. I have places to sleep, but those don’t really count, do they?” She blinks, opens her mouth, then shuts it as she debates her words. His better judgment tells him to leave, but his mind wants to stay and see what’s going to come from her mouth next. It is not so much as her being interesting—she’s persistent and stubborn, those traits he is absolutely sure of—but his humanity is starved of social interaction despite the risk. Like Tantalus, who is eternally thirsty and hungry with food and water inches from him, Natsu is desperate to speak to anyone and yet cannot.

“Just places to sleep?”

“Yup.”

“Don’t you eat?” she questions, then gives a little sigh like it’s a lighter question.

“I do, but—” his stomach loudly reminds him of why he planned on leaving in the first place and he winces a little, “—not as much as I should. It’s…hard.” More like impossible, what with him being a Mage without a Guild to rely on financially or anything. He can sometimes make money from odd jobs, but that’s what they are: odd. As in infrequently seen.

“Then come on.” She brushes his shoulder as she walks past, her ponytail swishing against the back of her blue top. He stares after her.

“Come on?”

“To eat! I’m not gonna invite you again,” she huffs. He wants to refuse, but his stomach pumps his feet to chase after her before his brain can work up a decent case.

“For a nice girl, I wouldn’t expect you to know bars,” Natsu says, resting his elbows on the polished wood to stare at her across the table. She smirks coyly and raises a finger.

“Who says I’m a nice girl?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, you’re obviously a national criminal kindly taking me out to eat with your own money. I’m sorry, I’m stupid,” he says flatly. She gives him a tight but still amused smile.

“Hello Stupid, I’m Lucy.” She’s damn hilarious, he thinks with a grin that he can’t quite fight off. A waitperson comes by and drops a glass of oranges and some sort of alcohol mix for her, a plate of roasted chicken for Natsu.

“You should know that Stupid is, in fact, my maiden name,” he grins, tit-for-tat. She laughs a little, her eyes sparkling as she takes a sip.

“I should warn you that bar food sucks.” Whether it sucks or not, the roast chicken is the first real food that he had in so long and it tasted like it came from the gods themselves, like baby angel wings smothered in butter or something. He inhaled it and asked if it’s alright for him to order more. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Where did an angel like you come from?”

“Is that a flirt?” She doesn’t take herself too seriously though, glancing around the bar. It’s about as packed as a bar would be early in the morning, stragglers gulping beer and making a general ruckus. “I’m here for a Guild.” He waits until the server returns with two more plates, one ramen and one steak, before speaking again.

“Let me guess—Fairy Tail?” he asks through a full mouth.

“Well I guess it’s kind of obvious,” she chuckles. “They’re one of the most well-known Guilds in Fiore. Are you in a Guild? Or—are you even a Mage?” The question makes him stop, his next bite inches from his lips. He drops the fork a little too quickly.

“A Mage,” he repeats, the question bouncing around his skull as a mass of words. He gulps, and tries again when the food sticks in his esophagus, then he states guardedly: “I use magic, but I don’t consider myself a Mage.”

“Why not?”

“It’s…private.” More like terrifying. He stuffs his mouth to avoid speaking again, which Lucy thankfully picks up on. She twirls the orange slice about her drink idly before taking it between her pink lips and sucking the juice off. She has big, full lips, Natsu notes, and thick eyelashes. He assumes she would be considered pretty, maybe even beautiful, by average men, but his romanticism is in even worse condition than his social skills. Besides, the only romancing on his mind is with the food.

“You know, I’ve never caught your name.” He didn’t throw it out there to begin with, but he decides that he’s already dipped far enough into the pits of Hell that giving his name won’t matter as much.

“Nazuu.”

“Could you…swallow first please?”

“Sorry. Natsu.”

“Natsu,” she says. “That’s a nice name.” He flushes just a little, unused to compliments, and turns away. She smiles, then her large eyes turn concerned. “Why don’t you have somewhere to be?”

He starts to dodge the question, then he fires back his own: “Why don’t you?” Although it comes out sharper than hers. Her eyebrow twitches and her lips press into a flat line as she debates the answer, winding the straw of the emptied glass around her finger.

“I have had a house for my whole life, but I haven’t had a home in ten years,” she says carefully.

“A house may not be a home, but it’s a place to stay, with food and beds and—”

“Nobody that cares about you?” she fires back in a second. “With those specifications, a house could be anywhere, anything. A home is what I really want.”

“It’s not what you need though,” he snorts, stirring his finger in his root beer float before sticking it in his mouth. She glowers but doesn’t say anything for a moment. “I know the reason I don’t have a house: I have no family, no one left… You, on the other hand, do. I don’t like that you abandoned them, whether they care or not.”

“You have no one left?” she asks. He pauses before shaking his head slowly. “I’m sorry.”

No, I’m the sorry one. I’m the one that caused their deaths, and I’m the one that still dares to live on the planet knowing that I killed them and because I’m too much of a coward to end it. Lucy, you’re apologizing for the wrong people.

“It’s…not okay. But you don’t need to apologize.”

“But I want to.” Her eyes sparkle a little. “I’ve lost my mother when I was a little girl, and my father not too long ago. I know how much it hurts.”

I doubt you killed them, though, so you do not, in fact, know how much it hurts. See, Lucy, it’s the worst kind of burn. It started here in my chest with Igneel, and with every body after, it crawled through my blood vessels until it feels like I’m burning from the inside-out, a constant second heart beating—or rather, ticking—inside of me all day every day, and won’t go away until I do…

“You’re gonna get brain freeze,” she says as he spoons ice cream as swiftly as possible into his mouth, trying to soothe the permanent scorching pain.

“What the hell is that?”

“Never mind,” she sighs. Then it seems to finally occur to her how much he has eaten. “Wow. How long has it been since you last ate?”

“Dunno. I don’t really keep track anymore. Sometimes I get fish, but I haven’t in a while…should be concerned about that…” Lucy remains silent as he plows through three more bowls before sighing in relief. He pushes the dirtied dishware away, not quite satisfied but reluctant to press for more of the angel that gave him a free meal in the first place. “Thank you for the meal.” He fully intends on stealing into the night, but she halts him as he leaves the bar. The night air is cool on his skin and numbs his excited senses from the extensive stimuli of the crowded bar. “I have to go.”

“But I’m lonely,” she whines. He scowls.

“Then go home.” Once more, she stops him from leaving. She’s awfully good at that, it seems.

“Being at home is the same as being alone. But you’re some sort of company.”

“Bad company,” he amends. “Being with me is just going to cause you trouble, lady.”

“I don’t believe you.” It seems she will cost him more time than intended. He shifts agitatedly, then notices the high heels she’s wearing. He leads her to a cold, slightly-damp bench edging the canal and they both take a seat. “You look a little weird, sure, but not really like a bad guy.”

“Bad guys have a look now? Am I supposed to me twirling my mustache and laughing into a cat?” She tries and fails to hide her giggle. The sound is…cute.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you thought it, I bet.”

“So, you’re a telepath now?” she teases lightly.

“Only with you.” It occurs to him, then, that they’re borderline flirting, and the thought brings the second light blush of the night to his cheeks. Thankfully, his tanned skin and the murky night work in his favor.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you dodging the question,” Lucy says semi-seriously.

“If I’m continuously dodging the same question, won’t you take the hint that it’s something bad, or something that I don’t want to talk about?” he says wearily, dragging a hand across his neck. Lucy spares him a slight smile.

“I’m stubborn, you know?”

Oh, I know, he groans inwardly.

“Do you believe in stories?”

“Absolutely,” she speaks without hesitation.

“They tell stories about dragons, how they’re the only beings alive that, instead of manipulation the ethernano in the air, pull infinite magic from the One Magic.”

“I’ve heard them,” she utters with low conviction. He takes a deep breath—this is the hard part.

“Well, what would you say if I told you that I’m one of them—no, that I’m the last of them?”

“I’d say your pink hair dye is leeching your I.Q. points,” she says. He fights back the instinct to recoil at the mention of his very natural salmon hair. (He tried dying it a few times, but his body heat always charred his hair back to pink somehow. It is the oddest magic of all.) “Dragons disappeared years ago, and even if they still existed somehow, they’re massive reptiles, not handsome young men.” He’s a bit taken aback by the remark.

“I’m handsome to you?”

“You’re not bad-looking,” she replies in lieu of an answer. “My point is, dragons are not human-looking at all. Well, not unless you’re talking about Acnologia, but that’s a special case.”

“Is that what you think?” Natsu snickers.

“It’s what I know,” she counters.

He felt like he could explain at least part of himself to her, but he can see that it would take time and effort, two things he doesn’t like to expend frivolously.

“I’ll be seeing you then. Thank you again for the meal—I’m really grateful.”

“Wait!” she calls, racing after him. He breaks into a run just to see if he can lose her, and he knows he’s a fast runner, but remarkably, so is she. She gets out of breath after a short while though, not even long enough for him to break a sweat, and he brakes out of pity. “Just because I don’t believe your made-up story?” she pants, hands on her knees.

“Yes, because you don’t believe my made-up story. It’s not made up!”

“What?” she questions dumbly, blinking. He sighs and wonders why he’s going through the trouble.

“Dragons. One Magic. All that shit.” She gives a little frustrated groan, and all he can think is Me too, man.

“Natsu—”

“I’m a dragon, damn you!” he says, briefly not caring about who hears. “I’m a motherfucking dragon!” he declares even louder, his voice echoing into the night sky. “Does that not make sense? Do you not speak English? I’m the last dragon and it’s my fault that the rest of them are rotting six feet under! By my hand—because of me—I’m the last dragon—because I killed all the others!”

She looks very distraught, fleetingly dredging up the sandy wisps of memories he has long since tried to trample and shove into the forgotten crevices of his mind. His fists clasp and unclasp in his frustration, which builds with the silence until it’s all too deafening. He spins on his heel, fully intent on disappearing into the night and hopefully another city, then her voice returns, small and feeble:

“I don’t believe you.”

He lets out a cutting laugh. How could he not, faced with such an outrageous situation? How stubborn and adamant she is!

“Why? Why the hell can’t you?” He’s positively burning on the inside, he can feel the ground sizzling beneath his sandals, and it’s hard to keep his body from shaking. He doesn’t even know why he’s so upset and why he feels like punching a flaming hole through everything he sees.

“Because just by looking at you, looking in your eyes, I can tell you’re a good guy, and you’re lonely.” She’s so sure of herself that it aggravates him even further.

“What does lonely have to do with anything? I just don’t want to be with you—end of fucking story!”

“Natsu, you’re lying.” She says it with such stone-cold conviction it chills him a little. He stops moving even as the fire in his belly refuses to remain still.

“You don’t know me well enough to say that.”

“Maybe I don’t,” she decides, “but I’m a good judge of character.”

“What are you, a freakin’ psychic?” he derided. “A bad one at that, because you’re obviously getting horrible reception.”

“You want to be with someone, anyone,” she continues, her eyes boring into his and deep into his being. The intimacy makes him shiver once before his muscles lock up again. He won’t move, can’t move, not even as she pokes into his cheek. “And it hurts to deny yourself it. Whether you’re a stranger or my own father, I won’t let you be like this.”

She’s so pure hearted, Natsu realizes with a jolt. That’s even more reason for me not to stay here. I can’t deprive the world of someone like her. Not again…

“I…” He tries to speak, but his voice cracks a little. He isn’t sure he knows what he wants to say, if he can even say the right thing. He feels entirely accosted, drawn into a situation he needs to get out of but wants, oh so dearly wants. He contemplates running, but he hasn’t regained control of his body, still shocked into the unyielding pose of a statue.

“Who cursed you?” It is his turn to be punch-drunk. The question throws him so much that he stumbles on air, but he regains his physical bearings fairly quickly.

“What?”

“Who cursed you, I said. Do you not speak English?” she mocks, frustrating him.

“It’s not for you to worry about.” He backs away, but for each step he takes she takes double, maintaining a point-blank distance between the two of them. “Are you serious?” he sighs.

“Very. I won’t let you go until you tell me.” He corrects himself: she’s a persistent little bitch.

“You’re aware that I’m much stronger than you are? That this isn’t a fight you can win?” He doesn’t want to expend any energy, especially on the person that’s just went out of her way to buy him food, but it doesn’t seem as if he has a choice.

“I don’t care.”

He rolls his eyes and seizes her around the waist, hoisting her over his shoulder like a regular bundle. She screeches and thumps his back while her feet swing madly to little effect. Initially, he tries to drop her a few feet away, but her thrashing boots land a kick a little too low and he staggers. She slips from his grip and falls noisily into the river. He waits a few seconds, then she come up spluttering and gasping. While she attempts to climb to the bank he runs ahead, leaving her behind as he makes a roundabout way through Magnolia, tearing down the streets he is so used to but despises. He has nothing, and he’s doomed to always have nothing as long as he lives.

When he is in one of the shadier portions of Magnolia, content that he lost her, he falls against one of the ramshackle buildings panting for breath. He has run farther than intended, and even his well-trained body has its limits, and he hasn’t tested them in so long he feels out of his element. He slides to the ground with a grateful sigh, knowing that she can’t have followed him. Grown men struggle to match his running pace, and she is just a teenager. There is no chance that she—

“I caught you!”

Her loud voice frightens him and causes him to fall on his side in surprise. She’s standing there, somewhat red and with damp hair but majorly unmoved, and…with a long green dress? When did she have time to change? And how did she travel so quickly? His questions are answered as an odd, somewhat metallic scent fills his nose.

“Thanks, Virgo,” she says to a pink-haired woman in maid’s clothes. She bows humbly in response and Natsu takes a tentative sniff of her. She reeks of that weird metal smell, and it takes a moment, but he eventually pins her as a celestial summon. A Spirit.

“There is no punishment today, Princess?” she inquiries with unblinking eyes and a straight face.

“Punishment?” Natsu asks inquisitively, raising a brow. She flushes terribly and raises her hand, waving off the whole affair.

“Gate closed!” she declares petulantly, and Virgo the maid disappears. “Now it’s just the two of us again.”

“Damn it. You’re like a bad itch—can’t get rid of you.”

“Maybe if you weren’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t have so much reason to follow you around,” she declares very matter-of-factly, as if that’s the answer to the whole situation.

“Me?” Isn’t that what is commonly known as irony?

“Yes, you. Even if you don’t want to admit it, you want a friend. I know what it’s like to be lonely without another soul to be with you, and I don’t want you to feel like that. You understand?” She looks very sincere, which surprises him a bit. He doesn’t recognize humans for their sincerity.

“I don’t want your charity.”

“But it’s not charity. I really do want to be friends.” She smiles, and something in his heart pulls and tightens like a guitar string being fastened and tuned. He is suddenly hyperaware of her gently curving body, ample bosom, and wide hips, more so than he has been aware of any other female in a long while. His hand twitches vaguely in her direction, which she notices with a little smile and takes his fingers in hers. “Promise,” she adds with a broader smile. Despite himself, he emulates it. I’m actually starting to get convinced to become friends with her…

“Lucy…”

“Fire!” someone in the distance screams. He feels his stomach plummet as both their heads snap towards the opposite end of the street. The horizon is gradually gaining an orange hue, and at the same time the distinct tang of smoke wafts through the air. She scrunches her nose up in revulsion while his breath catches in his throat. Oh, no, nonono, is all he can think, his heart racing in his chest.

“Natsu?”

“No,” he whispers before his breath fails him. She follows his eyes, pink lips parting in shock as comprehension strikes her.

“That’s… That’s my apartment!” she cries. “The landlady was sleeping there! I have to check on her!” She pulls out a golden Key and thrusts it forward, leaving a wispy trail of white in its wake. “Open, Gate of the Lion! Loki, come help!”

A flash of golden stars blind him for a minute. When his vision returns, he sees a spiky-haired man in a spotless suit and azure glasses. He spots the fire and jumps into action. “What to do?” he asks her.

“Take me to my apartment! Fast!” she yells. He nods and takes her up into his arms before running off down the street. He’s fast, though Natsu thinks he’s faster. But, as he tries to follow, his legs are too shaky to work, and he stumbles and falls down on one knee, eyes blinking furiously to fend off the tears.

“Wendy!” he shouted, pushing aside the smoldering remains of a tree as it crumpled over him. Again, he couldn’t see her past the walls of fire that obscured his peripheral. Plus, the acrid taste of smoke filled the air, blocking her scent, and his hearing was stifled by the crashing of trees as their foundations failed and they toppled. He whirled around frantically, but the only thing he could see were forest trees burning like matchsticks. Even if Wendy was within his line of sight, she was obscured by the flames and smoke.

You knew this would happen, didn’t you? his common sense reprimanded. His jaw tightened as he went and smashed his fists into a nearby sepia, sending its blackened skeleton down and onto another row of trees, the orange briefly blazing brighter. It was his fault after all—what right did he have to complain of the universe simply righting itself?

“Natsu-san,” came a weak cry, but it reverberated through his ears like the roar of thunder so he couldn’t pinpoint the direction it came from. He barreled through the darkened trunks like a bull, using his arms to cushion the blows; he searched and searched with renewed vigor, but as results were grim, he was nearing full-on defeat before he spotted his saving grace: a lock of dirty cobalt hair amid a burnt-out patch of soil. He gulped the flames around them even as it made his stomach feel fit to burst, allowing him focus on the dark earth covering her. She most likely tunneled beneath so to protect herself—she always was a smart girl. He stooped into the ashes and soot and, with gentle hands, dug her out and turned her over. “Na—” She broke into a coughing fit, where he elevated her torso and laid her against him.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispered, even though his heart sunk with every second. Her skin, previously pale and soft in sharp contrast to his, was soiled in most places, splotched red in others. Her eyes were squinted and inflamed from the smoke, and her hair was matted and stank of ash. He held her as she coughed, frail arms limply draped round his waist as she tried and failed to catch her breath.

“I—”

“Don’t speak!” he interrupted sharply, ignoring her flinch in favor of her health. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay?”

“No…I’m too…” She couldn’t manage any more, and he was glad: he didn’t need another reminder of their grey outlook.

“Wendy, keep your eyes open,” he ordered, lifting her in his arms. “I’ll get you out of here, I promise.” She reached up, her small hand quivering as it clutched his charred vest.

“I…I’m sorry, I couldn’t…kill…the fire…”

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he charged through the forest, shouldering past walls of fire and clusters of trees. His beaten body took the brunt of the force to guard Wendy’s smaller, frailer one as he propelled back towards the city. Any city. Any hope. “Wendy, don’t talk. Don’t talk. Please. It’s gonna be okay, it’s going to be okay…”

He kept saying that until the smoke finally got to him. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, his stomach constricted with every step, and his muscles felt like he was working them by strings. Even though he had Wendy (who had probably passed while he was running) he failed her and he failed himself. He closed his eyes against the inferno but saw it still, the product of his presence and existence, and he couldn’t stop himself from crying.

The street is a vein of noise and motion clouding the backdrop of a growing blaze behind it. Folks huddle in five-person groups near the river, whispering furiously in wait for more Mages to come by to aid. He catches one woman saying: “I’m sorry, I just left the pot on too long, I didn’t mean for it to catch on—I don’t even know how it happen—” but he disregards it. He feels the thinly-sewn edges of his stability and self-will slowly unravelling, and although every instinct in his body cries out in objection, he makes his way towards the burning building, towards Lucy.

He can smell them, her sweet strawberry scent and the lion’s otherworldly odor covered by cologne—they’re originating from the second floor of the fiery apartment. Without dedicating another misused second to thinking about it, Natsu pushes forward, and with three steps he leaps into the air. For a moment, the exhilaration burns through him, and his eyes widen into the wind and pungent, scalding smoke, right until he hits the window. His attempt was to land through it, but his head crashes against the metal framing instead, and he’s inches from blacking out and plummeting to the ground when a male hand snaps out and, seizing his jacket, jerks him inside. He blinks into the subdued colors of the area before his tear-blurred eyes can focus on Loki’s haggard face.

“Lion,” he says, beginning to thank him, but he sets his hand on Natsu’s mouth, shushing him.

“I have to restrain myself from killing you right now.” His words astonish Natsu, but only just. “This whole mess is because of you, after all. This is your fault.”

My fault. My fault. His jaw falls at the prosecution as it bounces around within his skull. He feels his mouth go dry and his hands shake, but he hides it by scrunching his fingers into fists and swallowing. “…What did I do?” he questions, still out of it.

“Your curse,” he says, “that’s what you’ve done.” Natsu gulps air but can’t quite manage to release the breath again, faced with Loki’s taciturn, detached gaze. He lets the information sit for a moment within the tumultuous heart of the Dragon Slayer before pressing on, his glasses glinting like fire flint in the light of the inferno. “Look, I don’t know the fine details of it, nor do I care to know.”

“I…” His words die on his tongue, and gratefully so, for Loki is like an immovable rock.

“As I’ve said. I do know, however, that even if this isn’t your direct doing, it’s because of you that Lucy’s lost her home and may lose her life.” Frustration builds in the space that the numbness has left, and Natsu explodes in Loki’s face:

“Then why haven’t you done anything, huh? You’re her protector or whatever, so why didn’t you help her?”

He’s still annoyingly cool as he responds, “This fire is unnatural. It cancels out my magic so I can’t do anything myself. It’s all I can do now to just be here, look.” He holds his hand up and draws down his sleeve. His skin flickers in the light like glass, sometimes solid, sometimes not. Natsu immediately deflates as Loki’s look sharpens behind his specs. “I know you can help.”

“I can, but…” But will he? Will he push past his fears and trauma and go to rescue what is surely a lost cause by now? He doesn’t think he’ll be able to bear it. He’ll snap, he’ll surely snap at the pressure. Loki sees his mental turmoil and frowns.

“I know you’re not a bad guy, since Lucy holds you in high regard.” What? She does? he reflects dumbly. “But I can also imagine this is hard for you. Nevertheless, I’m not here to coddle you and give you some grand speech about the consequences and gains you’ll get from this.” He sweeps a hand around at the scene before bringing it down heavily on Natsu’s shoulder, startling him. “To make this as concise as possible, considering we have no time to waste, if you don’t act now, Lucy will die.” With that, Loki vanished in a show of gold and white sparkles.

If you don’t act now, Lucy will die.

Whereas his legs were frozen stiff before, they’re now pumping despite himself, following the trail his nose has given. His mind still feels sluggish as if it’s slogging through tons of mud, but his heart has a clear idea of what’s to be done. His heart is, after all, the one part of him unchanged by his past, and within it is borne the one remnant of Igneel’s teachings: “If there is someone in trouble, Natsu, regardless of who they are or what they may have done, if you have the ability to help, you go help.” And go help he does—he goes to help the first human to have shown him caring and generosity in a long time, and the first human that has made him feel human too.

Even if I have to die, he resolves, expression stoic, I’m going to make sure Lucy lives.

He charges through the fire, using it to satiate his hunger as he throws burning debris from his path like a madman. Somewhere along the way, the last of his jacket perishes and he tosses it away, leaving his t-shirt and canvas pants that he picked up at some dingy store. He finds the stairs, except they’re crumbling like dirt as the foundation is eaten at by sparks, and he doesn’t realize it until he sets his foot on the second one and it falls apart, causing him to drop headfirst to the ground. It appears Igneel was right: he does, in fact, have a head like steel.

“Lucy!” he shouts into the din as the ceiling starts breaking apart.

“Natsu…” He catches her weak cry a little further up, past the train wreck of bunched furniture that is the front door. He kicks away fallen beams, blackened fixtures, and disintegrating walls, until he finds her on her hands and knees, eyes red and slightly squinted even as she lays below the mass of smoke. Beside Lucy is a short, round lady with a nasty gash on her forehead, most likely her landlady—she breathes uneasily but steadfastly, putting her in better condition. Lucy must have protected her. And as he takes a closer look at the soot-covered blonde, he sees that his words couldn’t be truer. From her chest protrudes a large projectile made of wood and beaded with steel bolts, and it begins from between her slim shoulder blades and juts out into the air with a gently-blackening jagged end.

“Please,” he urges, though he is not sure to who. “Don’t do this to me again. Not again.”

“Natsu…you came,” she says easily, smiling softly as if there isn’t blood running from the corner of her mouth and dripping in a growing puddle below her stomach. His heart and belly constrict at the sight and he doesn’t know if he wants to throw up or pass out.

“Lucy, you…you’re hurt…” More than hurt. Hurt is, in fact, a disgusting understatement of her condition. Something far more accurate: pierced through like a pig on a spit. His guts tighten again and he leans more towards vomiting.

“T…The landlady’s fine,” she replies, glancing over. What a pure soul she is, he thinks with a frown. Why do I have to be the one to take her from this world?

“Lucy, I’m going to get you out of here.” He takes a step forward and she inches back.

“My landlady first. Please.” Gods, she’s too pure. Natsu feels a growl rumble deep in his throat as he bends down, tossing the heftier lady over his shoulder before taking Lucy into his arms. She gasps for breath as he rises into the cloud of smoke, but he makes the trip quick as he retraces his steps, shielding her from all detritus with his torso and moving as softly as possible. He reaches the stairs and realizes that they are an entirely lost cause, so instead considers the window he entered from. There is no possible way for him to slip through with two extra bodies, but he can scorch his way through, especially with all the fuel behind him.

“Fire Dragon’s Roar!”

Fire erupts through the front wall of the apartment, sending charred and ashy remains of plaster, wood, and glass soaring out towards the road and tributary. The crowd ducks for their safety and look up with awestruck eyes as Natsu jumps, landing without difficulty on the balls of his feet without manhandling either of his passengers. He lets the nearby Healing Mages collect them, even as his grip involuntarily stiffens around Lucy, and steps back to allow them to work. And though the landlady groans back to semi-consciousness fairly quickly and uneventfully, he watches as Lucy’s condition fails to improve. The main one working on her, a woman with a green bob, shakes her head slowly and looks at Natsu piteously. No, please, I don’t want your pity…no…

“I’m sorry,” she says, looking at the spike still sticking from Lucy’s chest. “She’s already lost too much blood, plus there is a lot of internal damage from both the projectile and the smoke—” He grips it, frustrated, and wrenches it free before she can finish. It can’t mean any more damage than what’s already been done, after all. Lucy will still die, after all. Blood stains his hands and arms and her front from the action, but neither pay much attention to it.

“No, I’m the sorry one here,” he mourns. The Mage looks between them with a wan countenance. Then she begins collecting her medical tools, preparing to work on other injured, but before she walks off, she glances at him once more.

“Were you two close?”

“I wish,” he utters as the Mage turns back to the crowd. He doesn’t know when it happened, but he’s on his knees staring at her face, her beautiful face softened into an eternal relaxation. The sight digs into his heart like the poisoned fangs of a viper. “Lucy,” he murmurs, allowing himself a single touch of her soft cheek. Her injury glares at him, a wide slit between her breasts and around her arcing collarbone still leaking blood. He growls a little at the sight, but mostly he’s miserable as he returns his hand to his side. “I can’t express how sorry I am with just words… Because of me, all your dreams had to end today. I wish that one way or another, I could turn back time…” But he can’t, and doesn’t he know it. He can’t ever undo what he has done today. For as much as he gripes, cries, and laments, Lucy Heartfilia is forever gone, dead.

“Goodbye, Lucy.”

“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice clear as day. His eyes snap wide open into hers, her small mouth puckered with confusion. “Natsu?” He begins to speak, then his eyes are drawn to her body. Though she blushes under his scrutiny, he feels even more lightheaded: her injury is completely gone, replaced by ruddy pink scar tissue. She’s alive, and more than that, she’s healed. As if it’s never happened in the first place.

What the fuck?

#fairy tail #ft fanfiction #Nalu

4 notes · View notes

ecotone99 · 5 years

Text

[SF] End of Days Part 2.

Please leave feedback!!! We make it to willstown. Barely. The two day drive turned into a five day walk. After about a day of driving the truck gave out. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway way. Gridlock. Abandoned Cars for miles and miles. So we walk and walk and walk. Our food and supplies dwindled down to nothing. We haven’t in almost two days. To make matters worse Lucia and Jr are starting to get sick . The rain and the weather Change has everyone rundown.

As we approach the gates a sign reads “trespassers will be executed”

That’s comforting - Maria

We haven’t eaten In almost two days, we need to rest. Only two days till the ship reaches Bayonne it will all be over soon - jr

Everyone stay close and follow my lead - me

Heavily armed guards, line the top walls.

What’s your business here? - says a guard at the gate.

We are here to trade- I reply.

Let me see what you got boy. - guard.

I open up the back pack and show him the pills.

We have two more bags just like this - me

Alright, looks good. He says and takes the back pack out of my hand

What are you doing ? I question and go to grab it back

No funny business now . Consider this an entrance fee . I Wouldn’t want to have to hurt a pretty face like hers- he says as he stares at Maria

The antibiotics. The most important bag. I need to get this bag back.

I’m reaching down to my hip to grab my pistol before I can. Maria grabs my hand

“It’s not worth it “ she whispers in my Ear

The guard whistles and the gate opens

It’s just like a shanty town. Run down buildings. Some bigger buildings toward the back. Looks like an old apartment building. There’s one sign . It reads Willstown

Behind the sign is a massive bulletin board of pictures with the word MISSING written in red. It’s pictures of Men, women, and children. From all walks of life. The end of times doesn’t discriminate. We were all effected the same way.

Mommy I’m tired - Lucia says as we walk through the compound.

Here get on my shoulders - I say as I bend down

I can’t help but notice a massive make shift stage in the middle of the compound separating it into two sides.

Maybe they host a nightly talent show - JR says

We all laugh.

A tall man dressed in a black trench coat appears on the stage.

Attention ladies and gentlemen . Boys and girls would you please Make your way to the stage - he says into a mega phone

I hand lucia to JR

you take Lucia and Maria to apartment building in the back I’m gonna check this out with Josh. - me

Alright captain - Jr says sarcastically.

As you know we don’t have many rules here but we do have two! - the man continues to say.

And what are they ? - he questions the crowd

No stealing and no killing! They reply.

Josh and I look at each other and people begin to pour in to the front of the stage.

Well today we found a thief! He smirks

The crowd boos

Two men dressed in military fatigues drag a man on to the stage.

Now this man was already caught stealing and was punished - the man says

Fortunately I’m a merciful man. - man

the guard pulls up his sleeve and his left hand is gone.

The crowd begins to Cheer loudly

But today not so much - the man

Another man comes to the stage and hands the man a massive Scythe.

It clicks in my minds. Holy shit it’s the grim reaper.

I think that’s Gary - josh says.

I thought it couldn’t get worse but it did,

The man who gave him the scythe rolls out a pillory... a freaking pillory.

The other two men strap the thief in.

Please no please I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again.

The crowd begins to boo and throw things on to the stage.

It’s a mob mentality. It’s sickening . These people are almost like savages.

The reaper approaches the thief.

Please I’ll do anyt - thief

In one fluid motion he slices the mans head clean off his body.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!!! He yells into the mega phone as loud as he can.

The crowd absolutely loses it. They are going nuts.

Joshes face is white. Whiter then the purest snow.

I shake him

Snap out of it man- I say

He just stares at me.

I grab his arm as we make our way out of the crowd

We keep walking and we can still hear them in the distance.

We reach the run down building and see JR, Maria and Lucia , sitting on a old couch with the springs sticking out.

I got one room follow me - Jr says

We gather out stuff from the front and walk down the hall.

What did it cost? I asked . Three bottles of Vicodin for the night the lady drives a hard bargain - Jr

Jesus - I rub my forehead .

I know but we need this, look at everyone. We are barely holding it together - Jr

I know I know . Good job.- I say as we walk up to our room .

We open the door to a medium sized room. It’s dusty with cob webs everywhere. It’s illuminated by one lightbulb in the center room. Two cots, a table, and a broken couch.

Well it’s certainly not the presidential suite- JR says

And um what’s wrong with josh ?- Jr

Josh is standing in the door way with a blank expression on his face

Here drink this - Maria says as she give Josh a bottle of water.

He’s in shock- I say

What did you see out there? - asks Ricky .

The grim reaper- josh finally speaks .

Here lay down - Maria puts him on the couch with a blanket.

Lucia go sit on the bed while we talk - Maria says.

This place isn’t safe. The reaper just executed a guy in front of everyone. - me

We can’t just leave we have no food and barley any water left - Maria

And just like that . We hear a roar of thunder and it begins to pour.

Well we definitely aren’t leaving now - Jr says

Let’s work on the food and water situation, JR stay here with Lucia and josh. Maria and I will go out and look for Something to eat and what ever you do don’t open this door until we’re back . I need you here , Josh can’t watch Lucia by himself - me

I got it - Jr says as he takes out the AK and begins to load it

As we leave the apartment and go out into the Compound, people are standing outside trying to collect rain water. They have buckets, cups, some are just cupping there hands together to collect as much rain as possible.

We continue to walk.

Is everything all right guapo ? - Maria looks at me and knows there’s something wrong.

I want to tell her everything and come clean about my illness but there’s a lump in my throat and I can’t seem to do it. Im scared. I don’t want her to judge me, or leave me, or think I can’t protect her and Lucia. I’m becoming more and more unstable as the days past . The depression and anxiety combined with no sleep and the delay in the medication is taking a toll on me. But I need to keep it together. Just a little longer. Once we make it to safety everything will change for the better.

I’m fine baby I’m just tired - I say as I kiss her on the forehead. It hurts to lie to someone you care about. But I can’t let her know the truth

Let’s go in here - I say as I change the subject

There’s basically just random things all over the place on make shift counters and tables . But I do spot a toy doll. It’s perfect for Lucia.

I grab the doll and go up to the man at the front . I take 3 pills out of the bottle before I get up there I don’t want him to know how much I have on me.

I’ll give you three of these for the doll.- I say

Them brand name pills you got ? He questions

Yes brand name -I reply

Well you got your self a deal. Pleasure doing business with you . He says and shakes me hand.

I give him the three pills and he immediately puts them in his mouth, walks out of the store and looks straight up for a few seconds then swallows the pills with the rain water.

Well that’s innovate to say the least - maria says to me as we walk out.

Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess - I reply

I spot a store with canned goods. We walk in.

As we look through the cans most of the stuff is expired but we do find a few hidden gems . Canned peaches , beans , carrots , and last but not least canned Tuna. I hate fish but then again, got to get my calories in.

Ooooo look! - Maria says as she grabs two boxes of chocolate chip cookies off a shelf

And there only expired by a month - she laughs

Could be worse - I say as I look for more cans.

I gather everything up and approach a woman at the front of the store.

I’ll give you two bottles of pain pills for all the supplies -me

She looks at me and then looks at the supplies

No thank you I got enough pain pills, what else you got - the lady asks

How bout these ? I pull out a bottle of uppers. We don’t have much to play with considering 1/3 of are stash was taking at the gate .

She takes the bottle from me. Reads the label.

Fine, now get out of here.

Maria puts everything into her back pack And we leave.

The rain is starting to pick up so me and Maria run back to the apartment building.

I’ve had a enough of that - Maria says as she puts he hair in a pony tail

I know hopefully it stops before tomorrow or it’s gonna be a long walk - me

We walk down the hall to our room and the doors open.

JR I told you to keep the door shut.. - I say as I walk in only to see The reaper standing in the middle of our room. Jr was sitting on the bed holding Lucy and josh is no where to be found.

Before I can even think about it my hand is on my pistol.

I wouldn’t do that if I were you - the reaper smiles

Two men with shotguns come in the room and stand behind us.

I’m here to thank you for the donation you made to our compound. Antibiotics are very hard to find these days - the reaper says as he walks around the room.

My daughter is sick and we need those pills - Maria pleads

Listen I’ll give you this whole bag of pain killers for half of the antibiotics- I say to the reaper

The reaper looks at Lucia and turns around to face us.

Well I appreciate your offer but I have to politely decline. I am a fair man though. I will give you a chance to win them back. - he stares at me.

What do you mean ? - I question .

Come to the pit at sundown. It’s on the left side of the compound. You’ll know it when you see it. - the reaper gives his guards a nod and they all leave.

Lucia are you okay ! Maria yells as she runs to Jr to take her.

I’m okay mommy - She says as she hugs Maria

You were very brave Lucia. I have a present for you - I say as I give her the doll.

Thank you Mr Michael - she says with a smile on her face

Let’s lay down Lucia - Maria says as she takes her to the bed.

What happened ? I ask JR.

Josh woke up and said he needed some air, he got up and left . I locked the door behind him. 20 minutes later . Boom! The doors fly’s open and the reaper is here. Then 5 minutes later you guys arrived - Jr explained .

What the hell - I say as I struggle for words.

We need to leave now - Jr looks at me

We need those antibiotics, you and Lucia are sick - I say.

I know I know- Jr replies .

Lucia is very warm and she’s still coughing - Maria says as she walks over.

I’ll go to the pit, i let Josh leave it’s on me - Jr responds

No . Your too sick. We can’t afford anything to happen to you. We are almost to safety. I’ll take care of it . I say as I look at Maria and then JR .

I can see the concern on there faces .

I’ll be back . I need some time alone. - I say as I walk out of the room and into the hall.

As I walk outside I see a store front that resembles a bar so I walk in

My breathing becomes very short, my chest is tight, I feel like I’m gonna pass out . Shit another panic attack. They are becoming more and more frequent.

I sit on a stool and count to 10 to try to get my heart rate back to normal.

What are you having ? - the bartender asks me

The strongest thing you got - I respond

My heart is still beating fast Bottoms up - he says and pours me a shot

Something to calm the nerves. I say to myself . I take the shot and immediately I can’t breath , my lungs are on fire

What is that! I say as I struggle to breath.

That’s moonshine, my secret recipe - He laughs

On the house - he says as he passes me a soda

My mouth and lungs are still on fire but the good thing is my anxiety is gone. I chug the soda and the pain subsides.

So what is the pit I hear everyone taking about - I ask the bartender.

That’s what keeps everyone sane - another customer says and sits at the bar .

It’s the reapers source of entertainment - the bartender says

What do you mean ? - I ask

Well you see there isn’t much to do around here. No tv, no internet, no movies . But there is still one activity that’s entertained humans for centuries. Fighting - the bar tender responds.

Every other night at sundown, everyone shows up to the fighting pit. 4 people volunteer to fight the reapers champion. And If you win, you get anything you want in the entire compound. It’s his sick form of entertainment. It gives the citizens something to look forward too. Without something like that this place would implode. Like that old saying an idle Mind is the devils workshop. - the customer says

Has anyone ever won - I ask

Ha! I’ve been here for about two months and I’ve seen one person win- the customer laughs

Blood sport. It keeps everyone entertained - says the bartender.

If your thinking about entering that fight , your gonna be in a world of trouble. We don’t exactly have the best medical care and they don’t treat the losers too kindly. - the bartender warns.

I think someone died two days ago - the customer chimes in.

Thanks for that- I say as I leave a few bullets on the bar for the bartender.

As I leave the store I hear the bartender say “ good luck”

I walk back to the apartment building and the rain begins to lighten up

Well that’s a plus- I say to my self

I open the door to the room.

No sign of Josh. Maria is sleeping on the second bed holding Lucia. She’s wheezing heavy. I feel her forehead and she’s on fire. JR Is sitting in a chair facing the door he looks sickly.

you don’t have to do this - Jr says to me.

We are a family . We take care of each other- I respond to him.

I’m sorry - Jr says as his eyes fill with tears.

Don’t wake them. I’ll be back. - I say as I look outside the window and see the sun is almost down.

I leave the room in silence and walk outside.

A herd of people are walking and talking so I follow them to the other side of the compound.

I reach the pit.

The pit is about the size of a boxing ring . It’s all dirt surrounded by four waist high wood walls. It’s illuminated by two big lights.

The crowd brings to settle in all Round the ring . I move my way to the front .

The reaper is in the center with his mega phone .

“ Are you ready” he yells into the megaphone .

the crowd screams and beings to chant CRUSHER CRUSHER CRUSHER.

Someone taps my shoulder I turn around and it’s one of the reapers goons .

Come with me - he says.

I follow him out of the crowd and we walk around to the right side of the ring. It’s blocked off to the rest of the citizens.

I catch my first glimpse of crusher.

Oh shit . Hes huge. Looks like he’s about 6’5 and at least 300 pounds. He’s shadow boxing in his corner.

Your number four. When it’s your turn I’ll bring you out - the goon says to me.

Our first contestant is Dave from Virginia- the reaper Announces

The boos ensue.

If you win you get your choice of anything In the whole Compound. What do you want Dave? The reaper asks.

Dave. Looks like he’s in his mid thirties not a big guy but not a small guy.

I want Unlimited beer!!! DAve yells and pumps his fists and jumps around.

Jesus. I say to myself.

The crowd begins to cheer

Settle down everyone. Thank you Dave. Make your way over to the blue corner. It’s almost show time.- the reaper says

Now out of the red corner, weighing at at whopping 350 pounds, standing at 6ft 6 inches. With a record of 250 wins and 3 losses I present Yuri The Crusher kholechk. - the reaper screams

The crusher joga the ring to the roar of the crowd.

Tonight the only rule is No rules. We’re fighting prison style. Boys and girls . Let’s fight. - he yells.

A bell rings and the fight begins.

They meet in the center of the dirt ring. People from the crowd begin to throw objects in the ring, Dave swings at the crusher and hits him right in the face . The crusher looks at him and laughs. Crusher cocks back and plants a left hook on Dave and he goes down immediately.

The crowd begins to laugh and cheer.

Crusher walks around the ring and picks up a bottle of beer that was thrown into the ring .

Dave begins to get back up and the crusher just kicks him back on to the ground .

Crusher takes the beer opens it and chugs it.

The crowd goes wild, they are screaming and banging on the wood corners of the ring .

The crusher takes the empty bottle. Smashes it on the wood and it’s shatters In half . Dave finally musters the strength to get up and charge forward to the crusher .The crusher turns around at the last second, takes the broken bottle and Jams it into Dave’s stomach. Dave goes down with a screech . We are watching him bleed out to his death .

The crowd cheers CRUSHER CRUSHER CRUSHER.

The reaper enters the ring, grabs The Crushers hand raises it in the air and yells WINNER BY UNANIMOUS MURDER THE CRUSHER.

Yuri bows and the crowd continues to cheer.

Let’s take a 5 minute break! Don’t forget to place your bets!!!. The reaper says into the megaphone.

I sit in silence. It’s scary knowing that I’m most likely going to die. But In a way I’m almost not scared. At least I know how and when it’s going to happen. And it makes me feel noble knowing that i am doing this for the people I love.

Look who decided to show up - the reaper says to me with a smirk

Looks like another perfect day for the crusher - he laughs and walks away.

Fight two begins and ends almost the same as the first. Another body dragged out of the ring. This time a snapped snack.

Fight three takes an interesting turn. The crusher looks tired, the guy he’s fighting now is running around the ring to tire him out. But it only worked for so long . The crusher gets his third win.

And our final victim of th..... Excuse me folks . I mean fighter of the night is Mike from Florida. - the reaper announces

The crowd boos

Showtime.

I’m trying to keep my anxiety under control. I’m focusing on my Breaths and trying not to hyper ventilate .

I step into the ring and go to my corner. Broken bottles, glass, and blood cover the dirt. The crowd begins to cheer as the crusher goes to his corner

Let’s fight - the reaper yells into the megA phone

The bell rings and immediately adrenaline courses through my veins. My flight or fight has kicked in. I have tunnel vision and everything is in slow motion.

The crusher sprints at me, my reflexes take Over. My body won’t allow me to die that easily. I move to the other side of the ring. He changes directions and comes at me again. I’m trapped in a Corner. He swings , I duck and counter with a right to the face. It doesn’t phase him. I see some daylight and slip out the of corner. Now were in the center of the ring . I throw a right hook and he grabs my fist .

Fuck, I’m in trouble . He Takes my arm and bends it backward.

It snaps. But I don’t feel it, I only hear it. I’m in shock. Then a brutal headbutt . I feel my nose explode. I’m on my back. The crusher is standing over me . I look to the right And try to move my arm to protect myself. Nothing. I’m pretty sure my arm isn’t supposed to bend that way. I’m trying to blink the blood out of my eyes as I struggle to breath from the blood that drips in to the back of my throat from my nose.

This is it. The crusher gets on top of me. The worst possible scenario. He raises his fist and I feel my face breaking after each punch connects. I can barely hear the crowd cheering anymore. another punch . I’m starting to fade in and out of consciousness. I look to my left I see Maria crying and screaming as JR holds her back. I don’t know if this is real or my brain is short circuiting from the trauma . I reach my hand hoping she pulls me out from underneath the crusher. Another punch and the crowd screams.

I am a god - the crusher yells to the sky

As my left hand drops to the ground I feel something . It’s sharp it must be shard of glass. I grab it. I look up and the has both of his fists clenched together as he raises them over his head. The kill shot. But before he finishes me I see jugular is exposed. With the rest of my strength and will I throw my left arm across my body with my shard of glass in my hand I go in for the kill.

Silence .

He grabs his throat and chokes for air. The blood pours out onto me. He keels over. My body isn’t being crushed anymore I can breath again. I roll back over on to my back. There is another figure standing over me. I can’t really see who it is but My only guess is the reaper coming to finish the job.

You did it guapo- Maria whispers into my ear. As her and Jr pick me up from the dirt .

I look into the crowd and they are stunned. They are still silent. In shock.

Put your weight on us - JR Says as him and Maria walk me out of the ring I see the blood stained sand and the crushers dead body.

I just killed a man. I took another mans life. I’ve been afraid of death my whole life and I just became what I’ve fears the most . Death.

I’m awake now. Im back in the room. I don’t remember much about the walk back. My left eye is swollen shut but out of my right eye I can see Maria and Jr staring at me.

Whoa whoa whoa Relax take it easy - JR Says as I try to get up.

Water- I try to say but my mouth is so dry.

Maria brings me a bottle and helps me drink.

My organs are thankful for that .

Bravo Bravo Bravo. The reaper says as he walks in the room

I am very impressed with that performance. He smiles

Please can we have the Medicine now - Maria pleads with him.

Of course - he says and goes to hand her The backpack.

But I think I have something else you would be more interested in- he says and pulls the bag back.

I struggle to sit up to look at reaper

He nods to one of his men. They drag josh into the room and throw him on the floor his mouth duct taped shut and hands cuffed behind his back. I can see the fear in his eyes.

We found your friend sneaking around the prison cells trying to break out the other prisoners and you see I can’t have a rebellion on my hands . So I have a new proposal . Your friend or the bag of medicine your choice - he says and looks directly into my eyes.

And I forgot to mention an act of treason is met by death. - the reaper laughs

Josh begins to whimper and cry. I see the tears roll down his face

I look at the horror in Maria and JRs face. Both their jaws are dropped.

I look at Lucia . Laying in the bed next to me . I can hear her wheezing and laboring to breath.

I have to make this decision. No one else will be able to live with the guilt. I promised Maria when we first met that I will take care of Lucia no matter what.

I’ll take the medicine - I say and Look right back in to the reapers eyes.

He looks shocked but hands the bag over to JR. He gives his men a nod and they pick josh up. They drag him out of the room as he’s cries and flails.

Before he leaves the reaper turns around and says You are one sick son of a bitch - then shuts the door behind him .

submitted by /u/mikechello34 [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/2K05Nnn

#Blogger #Story

0 notes