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moonstruckme · 23 days

Note

omg hi! I love your writing so much and I’ve seen that you asked for doctor Remus requests and he’s on my mind day and night, I simply love how you write him. I don’t know if it’s a thing in other countries as well but in mine you have to go to the doctors around your birthday for like check ups and stuff like that, mine is coming up and I’m already dreading it (mostly because of the blood test, I end up fainting every time😣) but I’m sure it would be better if it was with Remus instead🥰

Thanks for requesting sweetheart, hope it goes okay!!

cw: description of anxiety, mention of needle, implied blood

doctor!Remus x fem!reader ♡ 972 words

The doctor’s voice is so soothing you keep almost forgetting where you are. You don’t even think he’s doing it on purpose.

“Alright.” He catches your ankle before you can kick him, sharing a smile with you as he pockets the small mallet he’s been using to test your reflexes. “Everything seems perfect.”

“Thanks,” you say, then feel stupid.

You don’t know why you’re acting like he’s complimented you. You’re getting flustered by his raspy timbre and attractive hands (which had, just a few minutes before, felt gently along your neck and the underside of your jaw like you were a thing to be treated with care. Not that that’s important). The doctor—Remus, he’d told you to call him—smiles politely anyway.

“All that’s left to do is get you sorted at the lab,” he says, typing something quickly into his computer, “and then you’re free to go. Ready?”

“Um, yeah.” It’s a struggle to hear yourself over the beating of your heart. You can only hope you sound normal. You’d known this was coming, and still it’s giving you the cold sweats. “I just feel like I should maybe warn you, I tend not to do well with the blood test.”

He glances over. “You’ve had problems before?”

“I sometimes faint.” Your foot starts jiggling of its own accord. You don’t notice until Remus’ gaze drops to it. You stop. “Every time, actually.”

“That’s fine,” he says, straightening and turning away from the computer. “In that case, I’ll probably keep you in here so we can do it with you lying down. Does that sound alright?”

You blink. “Um, sure.”

The nerves are hard to miss in your voice now, and you can’t quite meet Remus’ eyes as he directs a gentle smile your way. He gives your knee a squeeze on his way to the door.

“I’m going to go get some things,” he tells you. “I’ll be back soon, but while I’m gone I just want you to practice taking some deep breaths, yeah?”

You nod. Another flash of that small, reassuring smile as he goes out the door.

You try to do as he says, forcing your lungs to fill and then empty and attempting to ignore the pounding of your heartbeat. You can feel it in your face, in your temples, in your teeth. You’ll think you’re starting to get it to slow, and then a pair of footsteps will come down the hall and it’ll speed right back up again.

It’s almost a relief when Remus comes back, putting an end to your apprehensive torment.

“You can go ahead and lay back, love,” he says, holding the supplies low where you can hardly see them, and you take care not to try. The paper crinkles underneath you as you flatten out on your back. Remus chuckles when it tears a bit and you wince. “You’re fine, it can’t be helped. I’m just going to feel for a vein, alright? Not doing anything just yet.”

You keep your gaze on the ceiling as his gloved finger probes gently at the crook of your elbow. It’s hopelessly plain and undiverting up there, no tiles to count or anything.

“How are you feeling?” Remus asks conversationally.

“Okay.” Your voice comes out with a bit of squeak to it, not entirely convincing.

“Keep breathing for me.” The warmth of his touch leaves, and then a rubbery tourniquet is being tied around your arm. “I don’t want you to worry about fainting. It’s perfectly alright if you do, but we’re going to do our best to keep that from happening, okay?”

You nod. “Okay.”

“Good, just try and stay relaxed.” His voice drops lower, and now you know the soothing effect is intentional, each of his words mellow and mollifying. “Any plans for after you leave here?”

“I, um.” You tense when you feel the cold wipe swipe over your elbow. Remus thumbs over your forearm calmingly. “I don’t know.”

“Seems like you deserve a sweet or something after this, yeah? What sort of things do you like?”

“I did buy myself ice cream,” you admit, “to have after I get home.”

“Smart girl.” There’s a smile in Remus’ voice. You’re tempted to lift your head and see it for yourself, but you don’t. “I like the pre-planning. What kind is it?”

You feel the odd bite of the needle into your skin, and your breath catches.

“You’re alright,” he promises you, rubbing the inside of your forearm again. “What kind of ice cream did you get, sweetheart?”

You swallow. “It’s that new, fancy gelato kind.” Your voice sounds higher than before.

“Oh, I haven’t tried that yet. What flavor?”

You’re starting to get a bit dizzy. “Chocolate cherry?”

“That sounds fantastic. I’m quite partial to chocolate myself.” You feel something shift, and Remus says, “Nearly done. You might be convincing me to pick some of that up. You’ll have to come back here and give me your thoughts once you’ve finished it.”

You laugh a little, and he echoes it.

“Keep still,” he reminds you.

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t be.” You feel the needle come out. It surprises you, a quiet whimper slipping from inside your throat. He tsks kindly. “All done, love. You did really well.”

“Seriously?” You lift your head, and Remus’ eyes are faintly amused as they meet yours. He’s sticking a bandage over your arm.

“Very seriously,” he confirms. “You did beautifully. That ice cream is well deserved.”

The laugh that leaves you is light and pitchy with disbelief. “Thank you. I really owe you your own ice cream, after this.”

He wraps a hand around your elbow, helping you to sit back up. “Careful,” he says lightly, “I might hold you to that. Next time I see you, I’ll be expecting a detailed review at the least.”

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sphynxratedr · 1 year

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Eddie grew up being told what to do.

Well he grew up being told what he cant do

It was always

“Edmund you cannot touch that!”

And

“Edmund! You can’t go in there”

And after a particularly bad one,

“Edmund James. You cannot like boys”

As he grew up of course he tried to not listen to those who told him what he can and can’t do

When he began high school and started dressing as he wanted, Wayne was actually the first to protest

“Now eddie you know I’ll support ya’ but do you really think”, he looked at Eddie’s interesting choice of studded bracelets and ripped jeans,”yer comin’ on a little hard..?”

Eddie huffed and crossed his arms “no I don’t. You know I don’t like meant told-“

“I know I know. And I’m not! But-“

It settled with Eddie changing into blue jeans with holes at the knees and a black band tee.

Eddie never went further than that. He’d have a small protest or ignore the comment in general.

This was time was the last straw.

Eddie had been hanging out with Steve a lot more, now that Robin was away at band camp and Nancy went off to college and the Byers were still in the process of being able to move back.

They’ve shared tender moments, longing stares and a couple of flirty words.

Eddie had to tell him how he felt. had to

So there he was.

Hands shaking nervously as he sat in his van, waiting for Steve to come out of his house. He had honked his horn in to quick sessions like he always does (neither cared if it was too loud)

Steve came out soon after. His hair a mess, his sweater a little out of place as if he had just thrown it on before opening the door

Jesus H he probably just threw on that sweater

Focus Eddie!!

“Hey Ed’s!” Steve pulled open the door and hopped in

“Hey Stevie” he smiled back

“Where we off to?” Steve was buckled in and staring at him with a small blush on his cheeks

“Oh. Just somewhere” Eddie pushed in a tape he had set and pulled out of the driveway

“Somewhere? You suck! Why can’t you tell me” Steve crossed his arms, turning in his seat to face Eddie

“Isn’t that uncomfortable? What happened to safety Harrington” Eddie rolled his eyes, ignoring the butterflies he felt

Im gonna throw these butterflies up if he keeps looking at me

“You’re up to something” Steve mumbled, turning back

Eddie hummed at let the silence be filled with the sound of Black Sabbath

Finally, they arrived at the quarry.

Steve looked over to him with a confused look as he reversed towards the edge.

“Cmon” Eddie smiled, anxiety high in his chest.

Steve followed with out a question as they made their way to the back of the van.

Eddie opened the doors and arranged the blankets he had set back there. Sitting with his legs hanging out of the van.

Steve shuffled next to him, hands centimeters apart.

“So?” Steve said, staring out to the water

“So” Eddie replied taking a deep breath

Now or never.

Don’t run

He swallowed down his nerve before pulling his hand hand into his lap before setting it back, their pinkies touching now

“I- I hope it isn’t just me..I’ve been known to uh” he cleared his throat “jump? To conclusions I guess. At least that’s what Wayne says. Says I used to say dream a lot and would get distracted easily and sometimes not reply when-“

Steve set his pinky on top of the others

“Uhm. Yea. So. I know we’ve been hanging out and stuff. Probably because robins gone and Nancy- yeah. Uhm what I’m trying to say” he took a deep breath before turning to Steve, body fulling facing the younger boy

“I-I think im in love with you. I know that’s crazy- and I know it’s Hawkins but we can be together and not tell anyone- or tell the party because I know Will-“

Eddie paused and looked into Steve’s eyes.

They were tears rising the the surface and he looked like he was holding his breath

Eddie felt ice run through his veins, he pulled his hand back

“…or. I mis- Im sorry. This was stupid. I can-I can take you home” Eddie went to stand, shaking his head hiding the tears threatening to fall behind his mane of hair.

“Eddie” steve whispered, voice shaking

Eddie turned to look at him, biting feverishly at his lip

“You..you can’t love me” Steve shook his head

Eddies eyebrows furrowed

“You can’t- Eddie I’m not a good boyfriend. I- you’re so smart! You deserve someone smart. I don’t even understand your nerd game- I call it a nerd game! That’s so mean! You deserve someone nice Ed’s. You-you’re so good. You can’t love me” Steve shook his head

Eddie took a deep breath, his hands starting to shake. Anger replacing the saddens in his chest

“You.” He shook his head “you cannot tell me what to do”

Steve opened his mouth

“No. You know me better than anyone. You cannot tell me what I can and can’t do Steve! I make my choices. I do what i want when I want and I’m tired of running. You know that. You cannot tell me I can’t love you because..”

he kneeled down grabbing one of Steve’s hands

“because it’s too late for that. I love you..i do. You can’t tell me I can’t because I won’t listen. Whoever made you feel like you can’t be loved well..I ought to..I dunno what but I’ll do it!” Eddie huffed out a laugh

Steve looked at him, a smile smile on his face

“You” he shook his head “you’re so stupid” he smiled wetly, drying his eyes with the sleeves of his sweater

“Now don’t cry,sweetheart. I made sandwiches” Eddie got back up, teaching behind the passenger seat and came back with a plastic bag

“Sandwiches?” Steve laughed

Eddie stared at him, a smile on his face

“I love when you laugh like that”

He took out the sandwiches and handed one to Steve

He didn’t even notice the blush high in Steve’s cheeks

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #idk im soft #eddie fights for what he WANTS #and he wants steve #i also don’t know how to write #blurb #nonsense #steve the hair harrington #bi steve harrington #gay eddie munson

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beabeemu · 10 months

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All This Time Pt.4

Itoshi Rin x Reader

SERIES!!! Pt. 1 Pt.2 Pt.3 Pt. 5 Pt. 6

Uncle Osamu!! (From Haikyuu) Summary: After getting pregnant by Rin at the age of 16, deciding that not telling him about is the best thing you could do for him. Considering his soccer career, you would only get in the way. I always imagined their red hair, the same shade as taylor swift from the all-too-well short film. It's such a beautiful shade!!! Rei's hair is also like that.

MASTER LIST; TAG LIST FORM

join my Tag list so that you can be updated when the next part comes out!!

I was walking towards Rei’s room, going past a milliard of certificates, ribbons, and medals with her name. Even though she’s only been playing for only two years, the coaches and other instructors never failed to recognize her skill, Which I am happy about. All her hard work had paid off, all those late-night practices, she deserved everything that was coming for her.

I knocked first then entered, she was watching an old taping of a soccer match of a team I didn’t know. She paused the video and looked over at me. She’s a really big fan of PXG along with other teams, she mostly kept tabs on Julien Loki, Michael Kaiser, and well, Rin itoshi.

“What is it, Mom?”

I sat down on her bed while hiding something behind my back.

“So you remember when I told you that my boss’ son played for manshine city?”

“Yeah!!??! Reo Mikage is so cool!! And!! They’re playing league soon too!! I’m excited to watch their match!! They're playing against PXG right?!?!?!”

She always gets lost in her own head whenever we talk about anything related to soccer. I chuckled and just patted her head.

“Yeah, they’re playing against PXG on Friday. So back to my boss, he decided to give everyone a week's vacation to get us a chance to watch the game, and they even planned a trip to England to watch the match in person, And I was chosen as one of the higher-ups who gets to go and I talked to my boss if I could have you with me and they said yes”

Then I pulled out the plane tickets along with the tickets for the match, which were VIP as paid by my boss, he’s just so proud of his son you know?

She was sitting up now, so starstruck at the news I just gave her. Then she suddenly hugged me.

“Thank you….”

I smiled and hugged her back, after a few minutes of quiet, she suddenly got out of my arms and started jumping.

“I can’t believe that I’m gonna watch the La Liga match!!”

She was jumping and screaming all over her room, then she started rambling about what she was gonna wear, she even asked me if she could a PXG or a Manshine Jersey.

Right now I’m not even worried if I was gonna be in the same place as Rin, I was just glad that she’s happy

In the end, she got a PXG shirt, My boss seemed to be unbothered by it, I think. We weren’t sitting with them though, Somehow the organizers got our tickets mixed up because instead of us watching from the VIP upper box, we were now seated at the front row, so very near the PXG players. Faith maybe? I don’t know, but Rei was really happy with the mixed up. I was wearing some jeans with a fitted turtle neck sweater with sneakers. I wore a hat that covered my red hair, and I wore sunglasses and a face mask. Good thing it was cold enough here. I am still very nervous about seeing Rin, only because I wouldn’t know what to say to him, or how I should react.

I’ve made scenarios at night about meeting him before, but now that the possibility of meeting him was close to 100 was nerve-wracking. Meanwhile, Rei was buzzing with excitement, I mean who wouldn’t? She was gonna see her favorite football players play right in front of her.

I watched as people filled in the seats, then after a few minutes the opening ceremony started. They said some stuff, then the players started coming out, Rei was squealing happily beside me while standing on her seat, while I was holding her so she wouldn’t fall.

The more players that were coming out the more my anxiety was getting worse. Then he came into the light, I had to remove my sunglasses so that I could see him more clearly. Seeing him in person was different from seeing him on a screen.

He hasn’t changed much, apart from his physique, he was still the same rin I fell in and out of love with. His hair was a little longer, his face looked more mature, and his under-lashes reminded me of Rei’s. As they lined up to sing the national anthem of their respective countries I put my sunglasses back on. We stood up to pay respects, and after the ceremony, the game immediately started.

Since we were near the bench of PXG, they were walking towards us, I kept my head low but Rei on the other hand was standing up on her seat to get a good look at the players.

“Mama! Can you carry me for a bit?? I just wanna see the players please”

At first, I wanted to refuse, but I can’t. So I stood up, took her in my arms and we stood near the railings. I kept my head lowered, my face still covered by my mask and my hair covered with the scarf. Meanwhile, rei’s red hair was standing out, while I looked like someone who was allergic to the sun.

People around us started cheering and calling out the names of the players, which meant they were in front of us, Rei started calling out for Loki, Rin along with the other players. I took a peak and saw the players standing in front of us, they were waiting for the ref to give them the signal to go into the playing field.

My heart was beating hard, he was right there in front of me.

“Itoshi!! Loki!!!” Rei screamed their names, at first I didn’t think that they would look, but they did. Much to my luck. I met eyes with Rin. Rei was waving at them, and Loki waved back. Meanwhile, rin on the other hand was just staring at us, he looked like he was trying to remember something. I looked away, turning my head to the side not wanting to lock eyes with him anymore. Who knew a simple action would have the biggest impact on him?

At that moment you turned your head, and his eyes were met with your red hair, his world stopped spinning. Then he looked at the kid you were holding, She had the same color of hair, but has eyes just like his, she even had the same under-lashes as his. Then everything from the last time you two met up came flooding in, He didn’t know what to think, his mind was blank as he just stared at the kid you were holding. Then he thought, ‘Is she mine? Did she get pregnant? Is that why I haven’t heard from her after all these years?’ Like a miracle, you turned your head back to him, his eyes were wide, he didn’t want to make assumptions but a part of him was hoping that it would be you.

He didn’t have enough time to think about you two anymore because Loki tapped his shoulder saying that it was game time. He shook his head after looking at you two one last time. Then ran off to the field following his teammates, he tried his best to clear his head, but you were just plaguing his head again.

Your likes and reblogs are always appreciated!!!

Taglist: @kimura-uzuri, @10-jiku2, @briefparadisewonderland, @junephantom21, @noshitmyfriend, @decoraboix, @pwr3tties, @miyanaranagikenmal-intp, @vitaniangel-blog@coldteameowjesty, @ieathairs, @sirimiripetrichor

Taglist Form!!

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4 Pt.5 Pt. 6

#anime #blue lock #blue lock fanfiction #blue lock x reader #bllk headcanons #itoshi rin x reader #itoshi rin #bllk x reader #Bllk #bluelock #itoshi rin drabbles #rin itoshi

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writer-freak · 8 months

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The way we are - Robin Buckley x gn reader (fluff)

Summary: You and Robin haven't been dating for a long time, but Robin knows that you are the more experienced one. Doubts are starting to form in her head and you are there to reassure her. Warnings: gender neutral reader, Robin being a bit insecure, lots of reassurance from reader, reader talking about a past dating mishap, just some cute fluff for our favorite lesbian, english is not my first language Wordcount: 1.1k A/n: Thank you for my bestie with coming up with the title. I really just wanted to write something for Robin after the Eddie fanfic and I hope I did her justice.

Comments, likes and reblogs are always appreciated and really motivate me to write more <3

The soft glow of warm, ambient lighting filled the room, casting a cozy atmosphere that enveloped you and Robin in the comfort of each other's presence. The two of you sat on the couch in Robin's living room, a comforting silence hanging in the air as you sipped on mugs of hot cocoa. But before the tranquility settled in, there was a moment of vulnerability that had ignited Robin's nerves. It was a few days ago when she had overheard a conversation at the local cafe, a conversation that had left her feeling uncertain and anxious. It wasn't even about her, but still, it hit too close to home for her to shake off her doubts. Her inexperience in relationships paired with her general anxiety is something that she knows makes her harder to deal with, but hearing someone talk about how inexperienced people in a relationship are hard to deal with, she questioned if you thought the same way. That is how we ended here, Robin fidgeting with the mug in her hand, her gaze momentarily fixed on the swirling steam rising from the drink. She took a deep breath and finally looked up at you, her eyes filled with a mixture of nervousness and fondness.

"So, um, about us" Robin began, her voice soft yet uncertain. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, her gaze shifting between her mug and your eyes. "I've never really been good at this relationship stuff. It's all so new to me." You offered her a reassuring smile, reaching out to take her free hand in yours before gently interlocking your fingers with hers. It wasn't uncommon for her to get nervous, it often happened when she started rambling about something, but you are always there to reassure her. "Hey, remember we're both in this together."

A small chuckle escaped Robin as she shook her head, a mixture of nervousness and amusement playing on her lips. "Yeah, I guess. But, like, what if I mess things up? What if I say something wrong or do something dumb?"

Your thumb gently stroked her knuckles, a soothing gesture meant to ease her anxiety. Leaning a bit closer, you tilted your head, meeting her eyes with sincerity. "Robin, look, no one's perfect. Relationships are a mix of awkward moments and amazing ones. And honestly, I think those awkward bits are something that makes a relationship even more fun."

Robin's gaze softened as she looked at your intertwined fingers, her lips curled into a half-smile. "You mean, it's okay to be a bit of a mess sometimes?"

"Absolutely" you replied with a nod. "In fact, I think those messy moments can help us learn more about each other. And the fact that we can share those moments together is what makes us grow even closer."

She nodded, her eyes meeting yours with a newfound sense of ease. She let out a small sigh, her shoulders relaxing as the weight of her doubts seemed to lighten. "You always know how to put things into perspective" She gave another slow exhale. "You've always been good at this. Opening up, being real…"

You grinned playfully. "Well, one of us has to, right? Besides, I've had my fair share of relationship missteps too, it's all part of the journey." Robin's eyes twinkled with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Oh, really? Do tell."

You chuckled, recalling some of your own awkward moments from the past. "Maybe we should keep my relationship mishaps for another time."

A grin spread across Robin's face as she leaned in closer "Come on you can't reassure me with this and not tell me something." You looked at her and a smile spread across your face before you gave in. "Okay, okay, one time while on a date, I was squeezing some lemon into my glass, and some of it got into the eye of my date. Let me tell you, that wasn't a fun situation, they were practically screaming and everything."

She burst into laughter, the sound filling the room with warmth. "No way! Seriously?"

"Dead serious" you confirmed with a laugh of your own. "See? We all have our moments. And trust me, I think you're doing just fine." Her gaze softened, and she took a sip of her cocoa, her expression thoughtful. "You make it sound so simple."

"It's not always simple, but it doesn't have to be complicated either" you reassured her. "We're in this together, navigating the ups and downs, learning from our slip-ups, and cherishing the moments that make us smile."

Robin's gaze met yours, a hint of gratitude shining in her eyes. "You know, you're pretty amazing at this whole reassurance thing." You winked at her playfully. "Well, I've had some practice. And you, my dear Robin, are worth every bit of it."

Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, a shy smile tugging at her lips. "I'm lucky to have you."

"The feeling's mutual" you admitted with a sincere nod. "And remember, you're not alone in this. We're a team, facing whatever comes our way together. Like we always have."

With a renewed sense of comfort, Robin leaned a bit closer, her head gently resting against your shoulder. "I'm glad you're on my team." You wrapped your arm around her, a contented smile forming on your lips.

Robin's cheeks flushed with a mixture of emotions, her gaze now more intent on yours. "I wouldn't want to be on anyone else's team." Your words were barely above a whisper, trying to eradicate all her doubts.

As your words hung in the air, a spark of courage ignited in both of you. The weight of your feelings seemed to fill the room, and then, with a shared glance, you leaned forward touching your forehead with hers.

"I love you, Robin." you whispered, the words carrying the weight of your emotions.

Tears shimmered in Robin's eyes, a mixture of surprise and overwhelming joy. She took a deep breath, her voice shaky but sincere. "I love you too, more than you can imagine."

There was some hesitancy, but you both slowly closed the short distance between you, your hand finding a place on her thigh, and then your lips finally touched. The kiss was soft, your lips moving against each other, inexperienced but so eager for each other. When you finally parted a big smile was on both of your faces your hands holding onto each other.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoyed

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sunshinejeonglixie · 8 months

Text

Coming Out - Bang Chan

tags: sfw, nonbinary reader, afab reader, coming out, anxiety, bang chan x reader, lots of comfort & softness from Chan, all around just sweet and wholesome even with the anxiety

a/n: I was gonna write all 8 parts of this into one post and just have it be a "coming out to skz as nonbinary" post but then I got halfway through this and decided it would be far too long to put them all in one so we're starting with Chan and going from there. I'll finish all 8 at some point (not tonight but probably within the next couple weeks all the parts will be done)

!!Everything written here is fiction, not meant to be taken as real life, if anything here makes you uncomfortable please just block & move on!!

You and Chan were a great couple, you’d been together for a little over 3 years now & everything was perfect. But then you started questioning your gender and in your mind everything came crashing down. After about 4 months of thinking and questioning, you’ve finally come to terms with the fact that you’re nonbinary.

You had no idea what Chan would think or what to tell him. You knew that he accepts lgbtq+ people of course, you both had multiple friends that were part of the community, but that doesn’t mean he’d still be interested in dating you. Your brain was just too full of all the what ifs. Everything that could change if you told him how you felt.

Finally, you decided to just rip the band-aid off and tell him. He needed to know. This was something important about you and you were honestly getting even more nervous the longer you waited so you needed to get it over with.

You picked a day when he wasn’t going to be super busy, and you had the day off so you could go over to the studio during his lunch break. You picked up your favorite food on the way, hoping it could bring you some comfort and calm your nerves. The walk up the stairs of the JYP building was extremely nerve-wracking, you almost turned back about 4 times before you finally got to the right floor. Taking a deep breath, you slowly opened the studio door to find 3racha hanging out in there, an unexpected sight since Chan said he was working alone today.

“Ah! y/n!” Han smiles & waves

“Hey y/n!” Changbin leans around Han to wave as well.

“My baby!” Chan giggles, excited to see you.

“oooh, food for us?” Han reaches out to the bag in your hand.

“uhh no sorry guys, I only bought for Channie & I. I didn’t know you’d be here too.”

Han pouts but accepts it and moves back to where he was.

“We were actually getting ready to head out for lunch anyways” Changbin says, packing up his backpack and telling Han to grab his stuff too.

“We’ll work on it more later, yeah?” Chan asks as they walk out the door, both of them nod and head on their way.

As soon as the other boys are gone you’re reminded why you came here and the nerves set in again, trying to force your whole body not to start shaking.

“what’s wrong?” Chan asks, immediately sensing your anxiety.

Your mind races, no words come out and you can’t even think of a real sentence to start this conversation. Before you know it tears are falling from your eyes and Chan is pulling you into his lap in his chair, holding you close.

“Hey, take a deep breath, what’s going on? Talk to me please” Chan speaks softly.

You take a deep breath before finally just letting it all spill out.

“I feel like I’m not a girl and I know you probably hate me and want to break up so I should probably just go.” You ramble while trying to climb out of his lap, expecting him to push you out any second.

“Woah what?” Chan says before taking a second to process all that information you just threw at him.

Finally, he finds the right words to respond, pulling you back into his lap fully while you continue to cry.

“How long have you been holding all that in?” is the first question he asks, face and voice filled with concern.

“Like… 4 months probably” you hang your head, feeling slightly guilty you kept it from him all this time.

Hearing that, Chan’s heart breaks. The idea that you’ve been struggling all alone and feeling like you can’t come to him all that time makes him hurt.

“I understand if you want to break up Channie…” you say, not knowing what to do with his silence.

“What?! No! Why would I want to break up?” He genuinely sounds confused.

“Because you like girls… and I’m not that.”

“Baby no I love you for you. If you feel like you’re not comfortable as a girl then it’s my job to take care of you the best I can and help you.”

You melt at his words, just curling into him closer. So thankful that he’s not upset with you and doesn’t want to leave you. After a bit of silence and just trying to settle your anxiety, Chan speaks up.

“Do you want to use different pronouns?”

“I would prefer to use they/them pronouns.”

“What do I call you now? Like not my girlfriend anymore but what do you want instead?”

“I haven’t thought about it much, I think just partner is fine.”

“Are you wanting to change your name?”

“No, I’m ok with it now.”

Chan pauses, thinking of more questions that could be important.

“Should I just say baby now instead of baby girl?”

“Yeah I’d like that” you get a little shy, just loving that he loves you so much and cares about how to make you comfortable.

He pauses again, obviously thinking about something.

“What is it Channie?”

“Earlier this week, I called you a good girl when we were uhm yaknow…” he trails off, ears red with embarrassment.

“Channie just say it please” giggling and rolling your eyes about how he has no shame when you guys actually have sex but afterwards he can’t even say what you did without looking like he’s going to burst into flames from embarrassment.

“You know what I mean. But when I said that you kinda like, zoned out or something. Took a second to get you back in the moment I mean. Is this why?”

“Yeah…” You feel bad because you really do love the praise, just not the gendered portion of it.

He sighs, disappointed in himself more than anything. He never wants to make you feel uncomfortable so knowing he did, and he didn’t even think much about it makes him mad at himself.

Noticing his sadness, you try to comfort him a bit.

“Channie there’s no way you could’ve known it would make me uncomfortable you say that all the time, how are you supposed to suddenly know?”

“I should’ve noticed babe; I’ve been your boyfriend for 3 years I should be able to tell when something’s changed.”

He pulls you even closer, if that’s even possible at this point with how tight he’s holding you, and just takes a deep breath before talking again.

“Shit I probably sound like this is all about me and how I feel, I’m sorry my baby it’s not about me” he apologizes.

“No no it’s ok Channie I understand what you meant; I know this is an adjustment for you too.”

The two of you continue to sit together in a comfortable silence for a while before you hear footsteps and the door opening with Han and Changbin returning to work again.

“Ewww get a room” Han jokes, seeing you in Chan’s arms.

“Uh believe it or not this isn’t your studio.” Chan reminds.

“Technically they had a room already.” Changbin points out.

“Ay woah Changbin hyung you’re supposed to be on my side.” Han whines

“Now why would I do that?”

“Alright alright quit whining I’ll let you guys work” you say, starting to get up before Chan pulls you back down quickly.

“Don’t leave yet baby” he pouts.

“Chan you guys have work to do.” You scold while laughing.

“I can work while you’re here.” He argues.

“Bullshit you cannot.” Changbin points out.

“Yeah hyung last time you tried to work with her here it took like a week longer to get the song done.” Han agrees.

Chan notices you cringe just a bit at Han referring to you as “her”, running his hands through your hair to comfort you a bit before leaning down and whispering to you.

“Do you want to tell them? Should I?”

“You please… I can’t do it all again myself today.”

Chan clears his throat before speaking up over Han and Changbin who had moved on to some other random topic.

“Actually, Hannie it’s them, not her.”

“Huh?” Han had completely forgotten anything he’d said more than 30 seconds before

“You said her, referring to y/n. They actually use they/them pronouns now.” He tells them.

“Oh, sorry y/n!” Han smiles

“Cool, good to know.” Changbin says before they move back to their conversation.

You smile, hiding your whole face in Chan’s chest, just so overjoyed that your boyfriend loves you exactly as you are, and his friends are cool with it too. You know he’ll take care of you and protect you no matter what against anyone and it makes you feel so safe and warm inside.

#fanfic #stray kids #stray kids fanfic #skz #sfw #coming out #nonbinary reader #skz x reader #stray kids imagines #skz fluff #bang chan #seo changbin #han jisung

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lailyn · 7 months

Text

The Terrible Awful

Summary: It's so easy to poison Loki. With words, pie, Kablooie, you name it.

Post- S2E2.

Contrary to lore, the TVA did have a sun to mark the beginning of the day. Artificial or real, that remained to be seen, but it might as well be real, for the effects were the same.

The morning birds sang their tune, their dawn chorus rousing Mobius out of his dreamless slumber.

Except this time, when he opened his eyes, the room was still pitch-dark, the hallways silent.

Was a few hours of shut-eye too much to ask for? Mobius grumbled to himself, knowing full well it was anxiety that was keeping his mind on an around-the-clock alert.

Judging by the little noises Loki was making and all the squirming he was doing, Mobius was not the only one awake.

"Loki? You awake?"

Loki only grunted. It was neither a yes or a no, and that was suspicious in itself.

"What's wrong?" Mobius asked.

"It's nothing," Loki said tightly. "Go back to sleep."

"Doesn't look like nothing," Mobius grunted, pushing himself up on one elbow to turn the bedside lamp on.

In the dim light, he took in the god's sweaty pallor, the shallow panting, and the most telling of all, the death grip around his middle.

Mobius had seen this before, back when they first met. He had even given it a name, the Kablooie Effect.

"Do you have a stomachache?" Mobius asked.

"It's not that bad."

"Loki, you're crying."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. I can see tear tracks on your pillow."

Loki sniffed angrily. "Don't you humans cry from stomachaches too sometimes?"

"Sure, if you're five," Mobius said, his light tone masking his concern not all that well. "All we had was pie."

"Did you not see the colour on that thing? It looked radioactive."

"Well, I'm not sick."

"I guess you're made of tougher stuff then," Loki retorted.

" - and you left, like, half of it on your plate. I haven't seen food waste like that since the Great Egyptian Famine of 1643," Mobius nagged. "It's not a victimless crime, you know."

"There was no famine in Egypt that year," said Loki suspiciously, whose memory was very much intact, despite the appalling state of his digestive system.

Mobius rolled his eyes. "Of course not. It was a branched timeline, wasn't it? And we pruned it, didn't we?"

"Mobius, you didn't know any better."

Mobius could not help but smile; trust Loki to try to make him feel better when he was the one lying in bed looking so pitiful and pasty.

"You have a kind heart, Loki. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

"Don't need a heart," Loki groaned, curling in on himself. "What I need is a new gut."

"Yeah, we'll go bug O.B. first thing in the morning and see if he can't give your internal operating system an upgrade."

"No need," Loki said breathlessly. "I'll live. I always do."

"This isn't about the pie, is it?" Mobius asked quietly. "It's about what Brad said."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What Brad said back there…he touched a nerve," Mobius said. "A very, very big nerve."

"Yes, I think we've established that, since you suckerpunched him in the face," Loki reminded him.

"It was a slap," Mobius said indignantly, "A tiny, tactical slap - "

"Right," Loki nodded. " Of course. Very tactical."

"And I was talking about your nerve, and you know it," Mobius said.

Loki's forehead furrowed as he tried to concentrate. "What was the question again?"

"Does it hurt very much?"

"Be more specific, Mobius," Loki said, fatigue bleeding from every pore in his body. "Which part?"

Mobius sighed. He got out of bed carefully, trying not to jar Loki and, God forbid, cause him more pain.

"Where are you going?" Loki asked, sounding mildly panicked.

"Stay there."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," Loki mumbled. "I can't feel my legs."

Mobius appeared ten seconds later, brandishing an orange box with a big, red cross on it.

Loki craned his neck to better peruse the contents of the tin. It was some kind of medicine chest, filled to the brim with bottles, identical in every way down to the nondescript white round pills, all unlabelled.

Mobius plucked one out at random and upended its contents onto his palm. "Here, take one of these."

"What is it?"

"It's the eierlegende Wollmilchsau of medicine." Mobius' eyes shone. "The panacea of all ills."

Loki blinked as he waited for his Allspeak to process what Mobius just said. "An egg-laying, wool milk sow? In pill form?"

"You're so literal sometimes, it's adorable." Mobius shook his head. "No, you are looking at yet another one of TVA's well-kept secrets. Guaranteed to make you feel better in no time."

Loki squinted at the round pill in his hand. "Isn't this just Tylenol?"

"I assure you, Tylenol it is not."

Loki rolled the pill between his thumb and forefinger. "Feels like Tylenol."

"But it isn't. Just like Kleenex can feel like Kleenex but can be something else."

"So it can be cyanide?" Loki asked hopefully. "A bespoke medicine, customised to alleviate any suffering specific to the sufferer?"

Mobius decided it was time to take matters into his own hands; he retrieved the pill, puckered up Loki's cheeks with one hand, and plopped it into Loki's mouth with the other.

Loki's mewls of protest soon turned into sounds of awe, for the effect was instantaneous. The agonising cramps started to loosen, as did his nausea, and he laid himself down gingerly, moaning in sheer relief.

"Alright?"

"Alright," Loki agreed, and took another breath, deeper now that he could fill his chest again. "That's magic."

"Told ya."

"How does it work?"

"Don't know," Mobius shrugged.

"You're not curious?"

"Why? If it works, it works."

"Something that good, surely comes with side effects."

"Longevity is probably one of them. Might explain why I'm over four hundred years old."

Loki was quiet for a while. "And you're okay with that?"

"What are you trying to say, Loki?"

"Sorry. That came out wrong."

With the return of his strength now that his stomach ache was all but gone, Loki pushed himself into a sitting position. "What I meant to ask is, how do you feel about that?"

"No one's ever asked me that before."

"Well, now I'm asking," Loki said. "Do you have an answer?"

Mobius stopped to think. "It's liberating in a way that it makes you worry a little less about dying."

Loki nodded encouragingly. "I sense a but coming."

"But also anxiety-inducing. Like, what am I gonna do with all that extra time, you know?"

"It's a lot to unpack, sure," Loki said.

"Yeah…" Mobius drawled. Sure enough, he soon drifted into pensive mode again, just staring off into the distance.

"Hey." Loki took Mobius' hand. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, absolutely," Mobius said a little too forcefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Loki said, smiling as widely as he possibly could, oblivious to the fact that Mobius was privy to all his tells by now. "I feel fantastic."

"Yeah, I bet you do." Mobius tugged on his arm. "Come on. Lie down."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Mobius smiled into Loki's hair. "I don't get to be the big spoon very often, so yeah, I guess you can say that."

Loki let out a sigh; be it out of discomfort or content, Mobius did not know.

"I'm sorry Brad said those things to you."

"You shouldn't be," Loki said. "You didn't say them. And the things he said, they weren't exactly untrue."

"Still. It must have hurt." Mobius unconsciously began rubbing Loki's stomach; the pill may have taken care of the physical component of the pain, but he was not as sure of its efficacy on the psychological element of it.

"Life hurts. Short or long." Loki sighed again. "He doesn't like me very much, does he?"

"Who? X-5?"

"Brad," Loki corrected.

"He's a Hunter. You're the reason why he has a job." Mobius quickly amended, "Had a job."

"He said he read my file."

"Loki, everyone's read your file. We may not read the TVA guidebook, but I assure you, your file has passed through every Hunter's hands."

Loki closed his eyes against Mobius' forearm, grateful for the warmth and protection it offered. "He blames me for standing between him and the life he could have had."

"Then he's blaming the wrong guy," Mobius said. "You weren't doing anything but existing."

"My existing…has hurt a lot of people. Still hurts a lot of people."

Hot tears spilled over his arm, and Mobius tightened his hold around Loki. "No. That is not true."

"I'm a villain. Always have been. Always will be."

"It's just a label, Loki," Mobius said fiercely. "You can take it off, you can even not put it on in the first place, like the pills."

"The pills," Loki echoed.

"Call it cyanide, tylenol, whatever. What matters is intention," Mobius said. "Too much tylenol can kill you. Eating one or two cherry pits probably won't."

After a short eternity, Loki wriggled in Mobius' arms until they were chest-to-chest proper.

"Okay?" Mobius boomed, face still red from the tirade.

"Okay, Mobius," Loki finally acquiesced to his conviction. "Okay."

"You have a kind heart."

"I have a heart."

"A kind heart," Mobius said firmly. "We're not budging on that."

As miraculously as his long-forgotten stomachache, Loki's tears dried.

What a magical place this was. He was beginning to understand why Mobius was so insistent on staying.

Loki kissed him softly on the forehead. "Thank you, Mobius."

"Can I have one more?" Mobius requested. "On the lips this time, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind." Loki dipped his head to do as Mobius wished, "I don't mind at all."

FIN

#lokius #fic #whumptober2023 #no.14 #poison #loki tv #sick loki #whumptober 2023

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therealpontius · 1 year

Note

OMG OMG a fic where reader is sexually inexperienced as well as a virgin and Chris pontius is the Caring gently guide boyfriend, helping them/her/him with they're first time.

For the first time…

Chris pontius x reader (smut)

Plot: chris helps you loose your virginity…

Warnings: pain, praise, walking in to someone masterbating (?)

"Whats he like?" The question you heard non stop "whats she like?" The question he heard non stop. Not a day went by that you didnt feel guilty for chris, he was experienced with sex yet your a virgin and werent up to loosing your virginity anytime soon. Chris didnt mind though, he was more than happy but his disappointment and impatience was growing.

"Okay babe im just going for a shower" chris announced, lifting himself off the bed. You smiled lovingly up at him "okay babe, might join you later" everyone thought it was weird that you two were openly naked infront of eachother but not sexually active. "Okay babe" he disappeared into the bathroom and no longer than you couldve gotten comfy in your shared bed the shower blasted on. After weeks of saying you might join him you decided you finally would again.

You stripped off and headed to the bathroom. Knocking didnt seem convenient since he was your boyfriend. You entered the bathroom with a smile, expecting to see chris cleaning himself up. Instead you were met with chris playing with himself, mouth hung open and eyes screwed shut, leaning against the shower glass. He hadnt noticed your arrival through the blinding pleasure and the thundering shower water which gave you two options.

Option number one: walk out in a hurry to save the embarrassment, could possibly catch his attention only making the situation more awkward than option number two.

Option number two: let him know that you were there, he would get supper embarrassed and apologetic. Wouldn't embarrass you as much though.

"Or..." you thought to yourself

Option number three (?): finally do stuff with him, hes clearly wanting to have sex if hes hiding himself away to masterbate. Plus it helps you to not keep the anxiety of having to do it for the first time

Option three sounds better right?

You sneaked next to him, he still hadnt really noticed but he began to whimper softly. You anxiously brought your lips to his neck. he jumped when he felt you, looking down at you in utter shock and stopping his pumps. "Its okay baby you can continue" you softly reassured him "is this like.. you know" "yeah, im ready" with that he turned off the shower and brought you into a tight hug "cmon babe lets go to the bedroom"

Once you made it to your shared bedroom, chris offered for you to lie down on the bed. After you done as he asked he crawled over you, a sweet smile plastered on his face that calmed you right down "are you sure honey?" "Absolutely, ive waited too long and its not fair on you" "i could wait an eternity for you" chris began sloppily kissing your neck, you held back a giggle from his beard tickling you. His kisses trailed down to your belly, with each one he made sure to look at you and made sure you weren't uncomfortable. "Im going to finger you to make it ease you up. Is that okay?"

Suddenly you were filled with anxiety. What if it hurts REALLY bad? Ive never been fingered before, what if im bad at receiving it?

As if he caught on "your going to be fine babe, im here to look after you and make this feel as good as it can for you. We can stop whenever you are wanting" you both paused again "does it hurt?" "At first, yes. But when you get used to it it feels fuckin amazing. And no doubt youll be used to it tonight" once again, you paused from nerves. "Okay baby im ready".

Chris continued his kisses down to just where you clit was, stopping and putting one of his fingers in his mouth "ill go slow, dont worry" you pinched your eyes together in fear as he removed his finger. Softly chris parted your legs and entered his finger making you gasp, it wasnt as sore as you thought it would be. The sensation was really weird and new to you and as the pace slowly got quicker you looked down to chris for approval, his eye caught yours and he gave you a warm smile "this okay?" "Yeah babe it feels kinda good" a chuckle sounded from him as he puts his finger up to your clit and slowly starts rubbing it. "Im going to do two now, remember tell me whenever you want me to stop" you nodded to him, not really scared since you took the first one well. Chris slowly inserted two fingers into you and you gasped in pain, gritting your teeth together.

"Will i stop?" "No babe, continue" you felt uneasy and scared incase it wouldnt get any better but as he continued slowly the pain got more bearable and your uncomfortable shifting slowed down, moans letting themself thread out your mouth softly. "Good girl, i love you so much" you let a small laugh escape your mouth in pure joy "i love you more... i think i might be ready" "really?" You nodd in response, feeling the anxiety crawl up your neck again.

“Okay babe ill do this slow” he sits up away from you and holds his dick up to your entrance. You feel him slowly push his tip in, it felt more sore than you thought it would “FUCK OUCH” you squeal, chris instantly pulling out “nonono keep going” you reassure him, his hand slithers into yours as he continues to try and push into you. You bit your lip in utter pain, screwing your eyes so tight you thought they would never loosen again. You felt yourself stretching around him, soft huffs coming from his mouth “are you okay darling?” “Yeah” you reply shakily “your doing so good im so proud of you” he kissed your hand softly, his dick only half way in.

“Thats me in babe, this next part is going to be sore but your doing so good i cant believe it!” He praised, kissing your cheek softly. The feeling of him being sweet yet making you feel the most pain in your life clashing like sweet and sour. “Okay babe just do what you have to do” he begins pulling out and you let out a deep gasp “your okay darling” chris ran his free hand over your hair and over your cheek softly to help you cope.

Loosing your virginity is hard enough without it being to a literal meat bat.

He pushed in before he was fully out, the pain was there but it was easier to take. Five minutes later the pleasure was kicking in and he sped up alittle, you both moaned quitley. “Good girl, im so proud of you” you laughed alittle at his praising. Your arms wrapped arounf his neck and your brought him in for a sloppy kiss while he started to speed up alot faster than his previous pace. You both moaned into the others mouth, tongues intertwining into a hungry kiss that he had been waiting for forever.

He picked up from his normal pace and sat up, moving his thumb down to your clit. Your moans became alot louder making in let out a deep laugh “stop laughing!” You laugh, grabbing onto his wrist “i cant help it your so cute”.

You had read in multiple fanfics ‘the knot in your stomach’ they always said, you giggled and thought it was just some stupid way to describe the beginning of the end but it really was like that, you felt like a genuine knot was being tied in your stomach.

“Chris… i might finish soon” he kept going, resting his hand on your cheek “youll know when babe, ill finish on your stomach” “are you almost finished?” He nodded and smiled down at you. Your legs shook like jelly and you felt the knot undo its self, the release so freeing. Chris groaned at feeling you tightening around him, bitting his lip (as you did when he first started) like he was about to bite it off.

“Fuck” he gasped, pulling out and pumping himself over your naked body. After a significantly harsher pump his warm cum splatted onto your belly that rose and fell aggressively. “Fuck babe, you done so good” chris praised, standing up. The tiredness took over your body like a tsunami, barley able to speak “thankyou…” you muttered.

Chris made his way out the room for abit, you werent to sure how long from drifting off but he arrived again with a cup of tea and a wash cloth.

“Cmon dear wake up so i can clean you properly” you rub your eyes “im awake, im awake”. Softly he parted your legs, cleaning you up with a cold cloth “oh my god chris!” You yelp from the coldness “well im definitely awake now” you both chuckle “have your tea when im cleaning up then i have a surprise for after.” He beamed, pointing towards your mug that read ‘keep calm, my boyfriends bunny the life guard’

You slowly sipped on your tea admiring him, no man could ever treat anyone as well as he treats you. “Im going to do your belly now its going to be cold” he pre warned, giggling slightly like he was enjoying the aftercare more than anything. Softly he cleaned your belly making you gasp from the change from warm sweat to freezing cold water “thats you all cleaned let me put the stuff away, think of a movie while im gone”

Your eyes were fighting to close while you waiting, mind barley able to think of anything. “Thought of something?” He asks from the door frame “you pick honey i want you to have a treat too” he smiled and made his way over to the dvd stand “ive already had my treat babe”. He picked out Jurassic park and ran over to the bed “your going to love this” slowly he lifted a box from under the bed, in the box contained loads of packaged chocolates “oh my god!” You gasped “babe thankyou! Why do you have this though?” He handed the box to you and proudly said “well ive had them for awhile for when i need to do my first aftercare, i wanna do it right”

He lay on the bed, letting you lie on his chest “honey you have done more than right this is so perfect, you made it so enjoyable” softly he ran his finders through your scalp making you sleepy “ill eat them when i wake up” you trail off, excepting that no way in hell you would be able to stay awake any longer “you eat them whenever you want, close your beautiful eyes. Ill be here when you wake up” “id hope so” you laughed, kissing his chest.

He spent the next four hours watching movies and cuddling you until he eventually drifted off too…

#jackass #chris pontius #wildboyz #mtv jackass #fanfic

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smolcinnamonchipmunk · 5 months

Note

hi hello ask games are my jam

💘❗️🩸

Yay, asks! I always love answering these, especially if I'm in creative ruts/burnout (No clue if I'm experiencing burnout or not). Thank you for the ask, Rose!

Personal Meaning I feel like this changes sometimes for some reason. Sometimes I want vore to be a comfort, a reward in an otherwise supposedly dismal routine of life. Sometimes I either want the vore to be horrible with fearplay (though always 'safe') or to be the comfort after a horrible event, and I'm not going to think about why because that requires too much introspection

Discovering Vore I feel like I've answered this before, but my first memory of vore was the dragon scene from Pagemaster. I didn't know why, but something about it enamored me. It combined my two favorite things: dragons and books. Like, the dragon had a whole bunch of books in its stomach. Logistically, it doesn't make sense, but the thought of just curling up with a good book inside of a stomach? So fucking comfy. I'm not a huge fan of non-organic vore, but for that? Fuck yeah.

I also have a lot of vague memories of playing with some friends as a kid and I kept making the larger toys 'eat' the smaller ones in our game, something that fills me with nauseous cringe at remembering

Reformation Eh, I'm kind of half-and-half on it. Personally I don't really like it because it fills me with a deepset anxiety about whether or not I'd end up actually still being me like an existential dread version of the boat of Theseus. I actually had a RP where reformation was a large part of it, and while it was a really cool concept, it ended up filling me with some anxiety. Sometimes I'll like it if it's explicitly stated somehow that there's an energy/consciousness transfer or some other reasoning that wouldn't fill me with the nervousness of literally becoming part of someone.

Like, even if it's perfectly painless or relaxing and stuff, I don't think I could ever NOT think about how much of the other person was built on me. of that makes sense. If someone's cells are replaced between 7-15 years (minus stuff like spinal nerves and such), how many of those cells would be created or fueled by my 'demise'.

I think I just overthink too much for reformation to be a comforting sort of thing, haha.

#cinnanswers #safe vore #soft vore

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blacknoodls · 11 months

Text

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note : hi guys! finally introducing the first chapter of ‘Fly to my Eternal Truth’! this time i’m not lying the chapter is here and yous can finally read it 🤓‼️ i really hope you all enjoy it, let me know what yous think about it!! 🤍

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CHAPTER ONE ~ New Beginnings

___________________________________

[Authors POV]

Oliver sat on the edge of his bed, surrounded by an array of suitcases and boxes. A wave of nerves washed over him as he looked at the mess he had created, but he couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up inside of him. He was moving to LA, the city of dreams, and he was determined to finally make something of himself. Despite what his father thinks. He was on edge about taking this risk and venturing into a foreign country, but he felt ready for whatever lay ahead.

[Olivers POV]

I shoved the last suitcase into the trunk of the taxi and wiped the sweat off my forehead. "Phew, I think that's it.." I glanced over at the driver and smiled innocently "Give me a second, I want to make sure I've gotten everything!" He gave me a nod and I swiftly ran into the house and up the stairs. As I reached the door to my bedroom I slowly opened it. I looked around my room and sighed, it was so empty. It's weird looking at an empty room that used to be filled with stuff. I smiled and proudly placed my hands on my hips, "Well, this is it. I'm really doing this arent I?" I took a deep breath and headed down stairs where I made eye contact with my dad. I slowly walked over to him. He reeked of alcohol. He stood there with his arms crossed. "Are you seriously doing this, Oliver?" My dad said to me, visibly irritated. "Yeah, I am." I replied, grinning. "Don't come crying back to me when everything goes to shit, you hear me ya fucker?" My dad scolded, "Get out, and don't come back, you little shit." he shouted at me, crazily waving around his arms. I glared at him, holding back tears. I knew he was an asshole, and I'm definitely used to his behavior, but damn do his words still hurt. I turned to the door and dashed out of the house, all of my worries about LA drained out of my body. I just wanted to leave this place, far away from him. Reaching the taxi I quickly hopped in, “I'm ready, sir." I told the driver, pulling myself together. "Alrighty." The driver replied, driving off. I watched as my house got smaller and smaller. I sighed, putting in my earbuds and placed my head onto the window, closing my eyes. 'This is going to be a very long journey..' I thought to myself, clenching my hands together. Here we go, LA here I come.

[Authors POV]

Oliver jolted awake as the taxi hit a bump, he blinked open his eyes trying to regain vision. He looked outside the window and saw 'Cork Airport' in bold letters. "Ahh you’re awake, Mr. Byrne! We've arrived at the airport, let me help you with your luggage!" The driver said to him, cheerfully. "Oh, thank you." Oliver yawned, opening his door.

The driver helped Oliver handle his bags to the entrance of the airport. He thanked the driver and waved him off. Oliver took his suitcases and entered the building. He made his way to a bench and plopped himself there, pulling his phone out, '7:38 AM' the clock read. "I hate mornings." Oliver whispered to himself, uncontrollably yawning every 5 seconds.

Oliver sat there, tapping absently at his phone screen as he waited for his boarding group to be called. Around him, the buzz and hum of the airport enveloped him. He's never seen so many people in a building at once. 'I wonder how busy LA is, I hope I'll be okay..' he thought to himself, 'I'm getting a little shakey, now that I've acknowledged how many people are here..'. Oliver shook his head and went back to scrolling through his phone, attempting to distract himself from his anxieties.

Before he knew it, he was boarding onto the plane. Oliver seated himself next to a window, since this was his first time flying, he felt a bit nervous. He hoped the window would make him feel more comfortable and relaxed. The pilot was very polite. He greeted everyone and went over the basics. After he was finished, the pilot made his way to the cockpit to prepare for takeoff. Oliver was feeling extremely anxious, his mind a tangled mess. A few days prior, he binged videos of people flying in planes and explaining their experiences to ease his worries. But, obviously videos are different than actually flying in a plane yourself. As he felt the plane shake, he gripped onto the seats arms. 'Why am I doing this again?' Oliver asked himself, holding the seat for dear life. 'Probably the stupidest idea I've ever had..'.

As the plane became accustomed to the sky, Oliver felt a lot better. He controlled his breathing, and calmed himself down. 'I'm doing this for my career, to prove my dad wrong, and to show him I'm capable of becoming successful!' Oliver thought, grinning. Those reminders helped him remember what he'd always wanted, reminding him what he'd been planning to do for years! He still felt fairly nervous about starting new in such a foreign place. But, 'It'll all be worth it.' he thought. As Oliver daydreamed about his future in California, his eyelids grew heavy. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, still envisioning the life that awaited him in LA.

*end of chapter 1*

note #2 : hi, i hope you guys liked that chapter! it’s a bit short for my liking but i just wanted to make it short and sweet. i know it’s a little boring but i didn't wanna throw anything huge or super intense because it is only the first chapter. i just wanted it to be a chill opening to my book! i want to formally introduce oliver so i’ll probably make an ‘all about this character’ sheet or something! i was up at 2 in the morning writing and revising this chapter.. i just overlooked it again just to be sure theyre wasnt any mistakes i made (which there probably is..) 😭 i didn’t wanna leave a big cliffhanger, i wanted to but there wasnt really anything to cliffhang on LMAO

as i’ve mentioned before, it will probably take me a while to write chapter 2. i got a lot on my plate and my life is pretty busy! i’ll try my hardest to not take 500 years but i cant promise anything! but let me know how you're feeling about this so far!! please don't be afraid to hit me up with ideas/criticism and shit! i definitely need it and am open to it! ok bye 🤓

i should also say that the book cover is made from picsart lol, the men on the cover, i’m not sure who they are, if anyone knows who they are tell me so i can give credits lol. 🤍

tá grá agam ort 🥰,

- elliot 🦆🦆

#books #new books #new chapter #first chapter #trending #idk how to tag this #blacknoodls #booksbooksandmorebooks #chapter books

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jojolovenotes · 8 months

Note

For the meet-cute prompts, 17 for Okuyasu, please! Hope you're doing well 😄

17. being from different schools, they meet at a tournament, trying to win for their own school

You weren’t even supposed to take part in this school tournament, but someone ended up getting sick and you were the person on stand by. Although you were supposed to be prepared for this, truthfully you didn’t think you would have to fill in. The tournament in question was a video game tournament hosted by the video game club. You had practiced on your home console, but playing the game in an arcade was totally different. Your palms were getting sweaty knowing you would be up after a couple of rounds.

Your thoughts were racing now – you didn’t want to be the one to let your team down. The more you worried, the more clammy your hands felt, and you were sure you were starting to get a cramp in them too. There was no use in psyching yourself out like this�� Maybe it would be good to get some fresh air. At least you had some time to calm yourself down before you were up.

When you stepped outside you began trying to hype yourself up, “You’ve got this. You can do this. Just have fun. Have a good time.” you said aloud to yourself, not realizing you weren’t alone out here though.

“This your first tournament?” Okuyasu asked, he seemed to be studying your body language. He noticed how you kept pacing back and forth and how you would shake your hands out every so often.

“I…Yeah. I was the back up. I didn’t think they’d actually have me play. I guess someone got sick so…” You explained with a sigh.

“It’s cool. Don’t worry about it. The worst part is the before, but when you actually get to play you’ll forget all about it. Just focus on the game. That’s all.” Okuyasu reassured you.

Don’t worry about it… Yeah, right. If only it could be that simple. Both your thoughts and your heart were racing. If only you could calm yourself down and control this anxiety that kept building up within you.

“You’re gonna be ok. Promise.” Okuyasu said again when he realized you hadn’t responded to him just yet.

“Thanks for believing in me…” You appreciated this stranger’s kind words, even if you didn’t quite believe him. Your nerves always seemed to get the better of you. You could see it now – as soon as you stepped up to the arcade, your hands would probably end up shaking, cramping, and cause you to mess everything up for your team.

“No problem. It ain’t a big deal. It’s just about fun.” Okuyasu shrugged. “I think tournaments like these are less stressful than the ones for academic stuff. Those seem like too much… Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.” he shook his head.

“You know you’re really nice for being my competition. Won’t your club get mad at you for encouraging me like this?” You were just teasing him of course.

You always appreciated kindness from an opposing school. You didn’t like it when they took their competitions so seriously that they were rude to you just because you were competitors.

“Haha! They better not get mad at me. I always like meeting new people. It’s all fun… Besides, I come to this arcade even in my free time outside of my school club, so it’s nice to have more friends to meet up and play games with.” Okuyasu grinned.

“That’s really nice. I usually just practice and play on my own.” You said with a smile. You didn’t really mind it actually, sometimes it helped to practice better setting different difficulties for the CPU to really test your abilities.

“Aw, you should hang out with me and my friends sometimes. We come here often. It’d be cool to be able to play games with you too.” Okuyasu suggested.

You were surprised at the suggestion… At first you wondered if maybe he was just messing with you, but his eyes really did look sincere. He just seemed so kind, but at the same time you were afraid you might look foolish if you accepted his invitation right away.

“...We’ll see.” You said. It would be nice to see him again, but you were still on your toes just in case he really was just messing with you. Of course you wanted to believe he wasn’t though…

“Aww, ok. I’ll take it.” Okuyasu seemed to frown for a moment, but then gave a small smile.

“It’s not that I don’t want to… it’s just… We can figure it out later. After the competition.” You felt a bit nervous now. His little frown was so cute - you wondered if he was actually disappointed by that ‘maybe’.

“Sure. Later.” Okuyasu said with a nod. “Just don’t leave me hanging. I’d hate for you to leave without us exchanging e-mails!”

“...We’ll see.” You said again, “See you.” you were quick to head back inside.

Okuyasu raised a hand to wave, but you had already gone back inside. Now he was smiling to himself like an idiot - he couldn’t wait to tell Josuke about this amazing person he had just met. He wanted to make sure not to lose sight of you after the tournament ; he really wanted to make sure he’d be able to see you again.

#received transmission ✨#f/o games ✨#ships: Okuyasu #👽 space dweller #queue ✨

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doweirdthings · 10 months

Text

The Women on the Parkway - pt 1

Pt. 2

I hate driving. Even before the incident, I hated driving. I guess HATE is a strong word, but I could never understand people who find it relaxing - a hobby even. Something they prefer to do. At best, I think it’s boring; at worst terrifying. But just for the normal reasons, you know? Like “I’m driving a giant hunk of metal and with one wrong twitch of my hand I could kill myself, everyone with me, and a lot of people around me” terrifying kind of way.

Not this… other way.

Ok so basically, I was already in a situation I was uncomfortable with. I was driving from New Orleans up to Boone, North Carolina, a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains for spring break.... Which, for reference, is a 12-hour road trip. Not only that, but my partner, Sam, was coming with me to meet my family for the first time. Ipso facto… a lot of anxiety and sweating was happening.

The only good thing about this situation was we could split the drive up into manageable 3-hour legs for each of us to drive twice. My parents moved to Boone a year ago. Even though I had only been up there once before, that was one more time than Sam had been, so we agreed I’d take the last 3-hour leg winding through the mountains.

Most of the drive was completely uneventful (well, driving through Atlanta was a bitch, but if you’ve ever driven through Atlanta, you know why). We talked, listened to music, got a bunch of junk food… normal road trip stuff. The sun went down around 7pm, so the last bit of the trip was plunged into darkness, but that still wasn’t a problem.

In fact, I used to prefer driving at night strangely enough. Not anymore though.

So we’re toodling along, stopped at a gas station around 6:45 to fill up, and kept on trucking. After that it was mostly small towns; I turned onto the Blue Ridge Parkway soon after. I don’t know if this is common knowledge, but the Parkway is known for being gorgeous. People come to North Carolina just to drive on it. Weird people, of course - people who actually like driving. But at night, it's treacherous. The road is built right into the side of the mountains for the most part. There’s a hard rock wall on one side and a steep drop on the other with tons of sharp curves. I was a bundle of nerves.

Man, I wish Sam hadn’t fallen asleep.

I mean, I get it. It was a long day and I had slept through their last driving shift, but still. I really really wish they hadn’t fallen asleep.

Every so often, I’d see another car driving behind me to turn off onto one of the side roads or whizz by to pass me (I drive slow, especially at night, and especially on the Parkway at night). But after almost an hour and I hadn’t seen anyone else I started to feel that something was off. Yeah, it was dark as hell, but it was only 8 o’clock? People live out here. They go places. Not a lot of people… but… I don’t know… I couldn’t help but wonder, where was everyone?

Either way, I took it as an opportunity to flip on the high beams. I hadn’t turned them on yet because a car would come by every five to ten minutes and I didn’t want to blind them. The tree branches were so white and bright; it was unsettling. Like looking at huge, pallid veins trapping us in the mountains. That, plus the extreme lack of other people… I was starting to feel spooked. I turned the music up as loud as it would go, hoping that it would wake Sam up. It didn’t work but I wasn’t too surprised – they’re a heavy sleeper.

I kept driving with the high beams on and the music up for what felt like another hour at least… but still no other cars. Not to mention, I should’ve been at my parents house by then. Or at least closer to it? But my estimated time of arrival displayed mockingly on my phone’s GPS wouldn’t budge. It just stayed stuck at “ETA: 1 hour 6 minutes”. I don’t know when it stopped counting down, but once I noticed, I started to pay closer attention to my surroundings. I know that long, winding roads and forests are not distinctive landmarks, but after a while, I could swear I was driving past the same areas over and over and over again.

At this point, I was freaking out. I kept shaking Sam’s leg TRYING to get them to wake up, but they were completely out of it. Their eyes rolled completely back into their sockets and their head lolled from side to side in a sickeningly limp way. I was about to yell their name until I saw something in the corner of my eye that made my mouth go dry and my blood run cold.

A woman. Just standing between the trees. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to look straight at her, but just the knowledge of her presence sent my heart beating so hard that it was all I could hear. Once I saw her, I couldn’t unsee her. I was always aware that she was there, barely visible out of the corner of my eye. From the details I was able to make out, she was in a long gingham dress and an old-fashioned bonnet - what I’d imagined women wore on the Oregon Trail or something. All of my more rational fears of crashing or driving off a cliff dissipated and all I wanted to do was get away from her. As I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal, I watched our MPH tick up on the speedometer.

But it was like I was running from the moon. No matter how fast I drove, she was there. The trees flew by, I ripped around curves, but she was still there. Standing there. Staring at me.

I turned off my high beams because I didn’t want her to be able to see me better than she already could… but right before I flipped them off, I caught a glimpse of her straight on as I turned a corner.

#horror #creative writing #creepy #driving #cults #short story #fiction #short stories #short fiction #no sleep

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your-sweet-cookie · 1 year

Note

🙃🌟🍏🍎❤️ 👁‍🗨 🍻🌜💃🏹👻☢️🐇📔🖤

🙃- For a lighter, slightly embarrassing secret

An embarrassing secret? Really my dear? Fine, I guess I will have to tell you: You were my first kiss! I... I never kissed anyone before you, okay? I know it's probably dumb for a 23 years old woman to say this, but that's the truth, you're the first person I actually developed this kind of feelings for and allowed to get this close to me to actually experience romantic gestures.*sighs and blushes intensely*

🌟 - For a secret wish or desire of theirs

A secret wish of mine would be for you to tell me that you love me back, but I know that'll probably remain just a wish and a dream... Oh well, dreaming is free I guess.

🍏- For something they secretly wish didn’t exist

Bullies. I wish all of these scums would just disappear off the face of earth, or even better, rot and burn in the darkest pits of hell like they deserve! Especially that little piece of shit Hina....*realizes she's started to speak without thinking to much, under the influences of the strong feeling of anger that took hold of her in the moment, and shuts up before she says something that might come back to slap her back later* Uhmm... I-I mean...*clears her throat awkwardly* Yeah, bullies should just disappear.😅

🍎- For something they secretly wish did exist

I think a mind reader could come in handy sometimes. It would spare me a lot of trouble and anxiety.

❤️- For a secret crush

Really dear? Are you still going to ask me this question?*raises an eyebrow* Fine, his name starts with an "N" and ends with an "i", you can fill in the rest.

👁‍🗨- Talk about someone/something you like, but pretend to dislike

I usually don't 'play pretend'. I'm a pretty honest and open person, so if I like something I will say that I like it and if I dislike something, again, I will be open about disliking it. But fiiiine...*sighs* I do like your teasing sometimes, even if I pretend to be annoyed by it. It's rather... hot.*blushes*

🍻- For something bad/mischievous you did as a child or teen that your parents don’t know about

Okay, this one is a goofy one! There is this one aunt I have that I just can't stand and she hates me too. When I was around 6 or 7, she got on my nerves so bad that I went and poured an entire bowl of tomato broth into her new at the time designers' purse that probably cost her a fortune. You should've seen her face when she found out about it!XD And no one ever knew it was me because I blamed my idiotic, prankster cousin and everyone believed it was him because he did similar stuff too.

🌜- For a ‘weird’ habit or tic that no one knows about

A weird habit or tic I have?*sigh* You are quite curious with these questions, aren't you? I like to tap my nails on objects when I'm stressed or nervous, but I don't know how much of a 'weird' thing this is.

💃- For a talent that they like to keep hidden from others

I know some interesting tricks with knives, if you want me to show you!*smirks* But you'll have to keep quiet, carrying blades around isn't the most legal thing out there, is it?

🏹- For a talent they wish they had

I guess making people like me? I don't know, sometimes I feel like people don't really like me that much and I can't help but wonder how can some people be liked by others soo easily.🤔

👻- For something that scares or disturbs them, but they refuse to tell anyone

Arachnophobia, I hate spiders, but it's a rather silly fear by some standards so I don't really share it much.

☢️- For a controversy or scandal they have been able to keep mostly under wraps

I'll tell you about that incident one day... But now's not the right moment. I guess you're not the only one with a 'sitting you down' kind of talk.XD

🐇- For a secret item they keep (stuffed animal, comfort object, etc)

I have a comfort blanket I like to cuddle during thunderstorms, since they scare me and make me feel uneasy. Please don't make fun of me for it!>////<

📔- For a secret sketchbook they keep (Bonus: Share a sketch or doodle within it!)

You really have no mercy with those, do you? *Kukki's face goes as red as a tomato from embarrassment* I-I do have a sketchbook in which I draw sometimes and since I know you won't stop pestering me until I admit it... My latest doodles have been of you, okay?>////< I'll show you the best of them, I guess...😳

(( Mun intermission: Please do not blame Kukki for the poor artistic skills since I had to go meta with this one and use one of my personal drawings I have, so if it's bad, it's on me. Yup, this 'masterpiece' is part of my personal sketchbook of 'wonders' and it's the only decent doodle/sketch I have of Niragi so far. In a way this might be the best "cute anime boy" face I've ever drawn in my life, so that's the best I can offer for now: a more bishonen anime/manga version than what we've got in the manga for Niragi to fit Dori, (not that Niragi's manga version isn't smug either! But I was going more for the Dori version and since I don't do realism, this is the best I could do to try to approximate Dori's godliness). ))

🖤- For something they secretly wish they could do with your muse

Something I wish to do with you my dear? Well, I would like to go on a romantic date with you, but then again, I can understand very well that this will probably remain just a dream and a fantasy!>///<

#aib roleplay #alice in borderland roleplay #alice in borderland rp #aib rp #aib oc #niragixpsych #rp with kukki #ask kukki

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ambivalent-auguries · 2 years

Text

@distopea // Dorian for Astra (Anthony).

Despite the fact that Dorian knows he has the experience necessary to take on this job, his rationalisation of the events unfolding is not helping the butterflies of anxiety in his stomach as he steps into the school. He is welcomed by the principal, an older woman with kind eyes and a soft voice, exuding pride as she guides him through the halls of the high school he will have to learn to recognise as his workplace moving forward. He has been shown around the place when he was interviewed, however now that the hallways are filled with students, the place looks entirely different; less sterile and more so vibrant.

“We are so excited to have you here, you don’t even know. It’s such a shame to have lost Lavinia, but I’m sure she’s enjoying her time with her baby,” his guide speaks and Dorian offers her a gentle smile, nodding quietly as he clears his throat, hoping his voice is not trembling.

“I am genuinely glad for the opportunity,” he says and he follows the woman around a corner. He hasn’t noticed until now, but the hall is devoid of students and he guesses they’ve entered the section of the school that is usually reserved for the teachers’ office.

“This way,” the blond woman encourages, gesturing towards one of the open doors and he steps in, hands joined in front of him, sweaty, fidgeting as a way to distract from his nervousness. The principal is quick to make their presence known and the other teachers are already getting up to their feet to welcome him. He quickly runs his palm over his trousers to make sure it’s dry, before shaking extended hands.

“Thank you for the welcome,” he smiles, in the particularly kind way Dorian usually does, gaze nothing but gentleness.

“Oh, the coffee machine is here, by the way,” one of his colleagues - Marie, was it? - waves him over with a large smile and Dorian steps further into the room.

“Ah, thank you, so kind,” he offers, before sheepishly meeting her gaze. “I am more of a tea drinker, I must admit,” he chuckles nervously, before Marie proceeds to open cupboards and acquaint him with the tea selection.

“Dorian, if you need anything, I will be in my office,” says the principal, Hilda, before ducking away from the room and he offers her a wave and a quiet ‘thank you’. He still feels overwhelmed, but less so as he gets talking for a moment with Marie who he learns is the French teacher - she of course asks him if he has any inclination towards French literature. The question settles his nerves even further, all of the sudden in his element, talking about books. Marie is expressive and obviously an extrovert in the way she delights at everything Dorian says, her laughter infectious. All of the sudden, Dorian feels like he belongs here.

The PE teacher takes his leave, ten minutes before the first period is due, which prompts Marie to show Dorian to his desk for him to get ready.

“Lemme know if you want me to show you to your class, yeah?” Marie grins, her hands moving quickly as she gathers her stuff. Dorian nods with a smile, putting down his bag in his chair with a soft sigh. He takes in a breath before his gaze raises to meet the of the man’s his desk is adjoined and opposite to.

“Oh,” he almost jumps, startled - he hasn’t noticed the man until now and, for some reason, as soon as he meets the blond’s gaze, Dorian feels disarmed. Tongue tied, even. His stomach churns uncomfortably, still slightly taken aback by the other man. There is a thrill of excitement or danger that rises in his chest and he tries his absolute best to drag his gaze away from the handsome man. “Hi, I am Dorian,” he tries, his voice quivering softly which prompts him to clear his throat. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he chuckles, trying to keep at bay the blush he feels climbing towards his cheeks. Oh, shoot, he thinks as he takes in the man, gaze gliding from detail to another, from his broad shoulders to his glasses, to his perfectly styled hair and those hands... Sturdy yet elegant.

God damn it.

Dorian knows immediately he’s never seen anyone more handsome or intriguing in his life and that realisation alone makes his heart leap in his throat and his cheeks flood with colour, despite his best attempts to hide his admiration.

#distopea #t.dorian

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emily-chant · 5 months

Text

Entry IV - Chant

As you can well imagine, the Case of the Vanishing Lawyer did nothing to soothe my already overwrought nerves. It’s a testament to my state of perpetual, numbing shock in that I didn’t start screaming and trying to dive out of the moving car then and there. I just stared - dumbfounded - at the empty seat where Dawes had sat just moments before.

I’m crazy, was my only thought, and it reassured me somehow. I was insane; that would explain it. The world was not a place filled with uncanny resurrections, mysterious memory loss, and shadow people. I was just crazy.

I’m crazy, I’m crazy, I’m crazy. Another mantra. Strange, how I kept forming them without really meaning to.

“You a med student?”

The voice of the driver from the front seat tore me from my panicked reverie. I jerked my gaze forward so quickly that I felt vertebrae click. Through his rear-view mirror, the driver regarded me with disinterested eyes.

“Yeah,” I remember saying. The lie was instinctual, as natural as breathing. Seconds afterward, I remembered I was still wearing a set of the ME’s spare scrubs.

“How far in are ya?” The driver shifted his attention back to the road.

“Two years,” I lied again, just as reflexively as before.

“Nice,” was the driver’s only reply before he settled back into professional silence.

I took a few quiet, steadying breaths and turned my attention back to Dawes’ recently vacated seat. Then, feeling slightly more even-keeled, I spoke up again.

“What happened to the guy who was with me?”

The driver’s eyes shifted back to the rear-view mirror, an eyebrow quirked. He opened his mouth to respond but then stopped, as though swallowing his words. His eyes widened, shifting from boredom to realization to outright terror.

This persisted for another heartbeat before, abruptly, he relaxed back into his state of friendly indifference. His attention shifted back to the road, and he turned on the radio to some alternative rock station. I remember sitting there, mouth hanging open and hands clenched in anxiety, as Wonderwall crooned through the speakers.

I’m crazy, I’m crazy, I’m crazy. Again and again the thought pounded through my head, paralyzing and reassuring all at once.

For an eternity I was left alone with my thoughts, my shattered memory, my visceral fear. But, in this instance, an eternity was only about eleven minutes.

We pulled up to a brick townhouse in a less-than-reputable part of the city, one being wracked by the throes of gentrification. A blend of hipsters, city workers, and the last vestiges of the neighborhood’s ethnic population milled around the streets. The trees lining the road were freshly-planted, and some of the buildings were recently power-washed - likely to exorcise their graffiti.

The driver said I was here, and gave me the address as though to confirm it. Seeing no options and having no memory of where I actually lived, I could only nod and step out of the car.

And, just like that, I was standing on a sidewalk in my Major American City on the East Coast, shoe-less and dressed in ill-fitting hospital scrubs.

People walked past me in that uniquely “I don’t want to know” way that city-dwellers deal with curiosities. Life flowed around me in a current of unfamiliarity. I felt like a kid lost in a crowded shopping mall, with everything around me feeling too big and moving too fast. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes.

I took some shuddering breaths, trying to center myself, to master the confusion and terror that had been my reality since I woke up in that morgue.

Maybe I live here, I thought. Maybe once I get home, I’ll get better. I’ll see my stuff and my pictures and my clothes and it’ll all come back.

I padded forward, the rough concrete of the sidewalk scratching my bare feet, and tried the front door - hoping against hope it would be unlocked. It was, of course, not. I tried the doorbell. Once, twice, a third time. Nothing. I didn’t hear it sound on the other side of the door, and assumed it was broken. Finally, I knocked.

A few moments of hopeless, gnawing anxiety later, it opened. Behind the door stood a man, maybe a few years younger than me. He was paler than most, with messy hair and a close-cropped beard that hovered somewhere between brown and auburn. He wore a flannel shirt and jeans, with thick wool socks. he held the door open with one hand, and in the other he held a bottle of some over-hopped IPA.

He looked me up and down for a few beats, and then immediately turned and stalked back into the dimly-lit townhouse, leaving the door open for me. As he walked, his voice echoed from the sparely-decorated walls.

“Fucking finally."

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