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2w1ld3st-2dr3ams · 7 months

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𝔻𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞 𝟙: ℍ𝕪𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕤

K!nkt0ber Day 1: Hybrids

➸ Muse 1: Tomioka Giyuu (Demon Slayer)

➸ WC: 3.3k

➸ CW: Cow Hybrid!Giyuu, mentions of pornography (or a raunchy scene in a movie), inexperienced Giyuu, mentions of past abuse, fluffy shit all things considered, a lot of boob stuff, TLDR: Just milking Cow Giyuu's tits and there's feelings in there.

➸ Mumbles: Recycling baby (this was meant for last year, help me) Also, an excuse to write for Giyuu tits tbh.

It wasn't often that you heard rustling in your backyard, given that you didn't have any pets and wild animals weren't anywhere near your house. Perhaps it was your neighbor's dog or that one raccoon you saw stuffing it's face with garbage nearby that one time. Either way, you didn't particularly like the idea of something rummaging through your backyard, especially if that thing decided your backyard would make an adequate toilet. God knows you had one to many debates with your neighbors about their animal's bathroom habits and, in your personal opinion, too little time had passed between the last one and this up and coming one.

Whatever the reason, you decided it was better if you shooed the little critter out yourself. If you caught it early enough, maybe you could persuade it to leave it's business elsewhere, preferably not in your recently remodeled backyard. You grabbed a nearby broom to shoo the animal away and begrudgingly made your way to the origin of the sound. When you got there, however, all that greeted you was the stillness of nature and a prominent hole near one of your recently planted bushes. This, in turn, damaged the structure your bushes were resting on and managed to make one fall over. As you could imagine, there was an even more sizable hole in your backyard now, not to mention the de-rooted bush that lay so pathetically on its side.

Irritated by the revelation of such sabotage against your hard work, you made your way back to your house to look for your tools—the faster you took care of the now ruined section, the faster you could set up some proper fencing to stop any further incidents. You quickly zoned out as you got to work, trying not to think of the culprit of this crime most likely laughing at your agony or the fact that you were feeling very strongly over a simple hole. Just as you were finishing the maintenance and re-planting the bush, you noticed some rapid movement out of the corner of your eye. A flash of hair was escaping the corners of your vision when you turned your head towards the movement. All you could figure out from all the rapid head turning was a scurrying tuff of dark hair that seemingly swayed with hurry.

You, of course, deducted that whatever that was had to be connected to your backyard. It was a rather large animal too, considering the size and quantity of the hair. You couldn't think of many animals near your area that would match the description, so you settled on incriminating the little trash eater that still made such a ruckus at night. Deciding to leave the thought of sentencing animals like a judge aside, you made your way back inside once you had finished packing your tools away. You would go visit the town center and find some fences tomorrow, today you had promised one of your neighbors that you would dog-sit while they went on a weekend getaway with their boyfriend.

A few hours later, you found yourself hiking to your house as exhaustion was dragging you down by your hairs. Any chiropractor or orthopedic would be cringing at your posture right now, your back almost made a perfect arc forward and your head was inching closer to the ground. Your neighbors dog was adorable and you didn't mind doing them a favor every now and then, but if you heard that damm dog bark at the wind outside one more time you would've lost your sanity. Apparently, all the other dogs of the neighborhood had been feeling some sort of way about the outside of their comfortable homes at exactly the same time. You would hear a cacophony of barks during the late evening and sit there rethinking your choice of living situation.

Through the snippets of conversation your tired ears caught, your neighborhood was being haunted by…something. You weren't sure if haunted was the right word, more like invaded. There had been multiple reports of something terrorizing people's backyards and an increase in black-haired-animal sightings nearby. Considering a possible raccoon infestation, you made a beeline to your backyard, getting anxious by the second that your little thief-cosplaying friend had decided to pay you another visit. The noise you made clearly scared whatever was inhabiting your garden, as you heard a very pronounced "Ah!" coming from the darkness.

Instead of being greeted with a chubby, short, and dual-colored cretin, you were greeted with a very naked man sporting peculiar cow ears and horns and a matching tail. He was in a horrible state, if being publicly naked wasn't bad enough, sporting a variety of bruises in an array of tones. His chest area was especially bruised, sporting what appeared to be suction marks around his nipples. He was, rightfully, terrified, his face contorting into a mixture of fear and regret. The one thing you noticed about him the most, however, was that peculiar head of very prominent black hair that almost camouflaged into the darkness of the night.

Your first thought was relief, since you finally had a face to the culprit of the crime scene that you had just cleaned up hours prior. Your second thought was checking what you last ate and drank in the last 24 hours. After making sure you didn't consume any hallucinogenic substances, you turned your attention back to the man—half man was probably a better way to put it. You couldn't get a proper word out before the being in front of you began rapid-firing apologies and explanations. You couldn't make out very much from his…eloquent speech, apart from the words "farm", "mistreatment", "hybrid", and "escaped".

Though not much information was supplied, it was enough for you to put two and two together. Plus, if the continuously frequent visits from men in uniforms asking about "a missing product" told you anything, this farm had located him and was currently hunting him down. Now, you weren't educated in the laws about half human-half animal people, but you were fair to assume that whatever was happening at his farm was against a bunch of workplace regulations. You did your best to bring the now hyperventilating man to your house without causing too much suspicion, which was noticeable hard to do considering how sketchy it would look to see your neighbor's silhouette dragging something prominently non-human back to their house. Nevertheless, you both made it inside without anybody calling out to you, which you would take as a victory.

First order of business now, get some clothes on the poor man. It was decently into the nighttime now, the poor thing must've been freezing. You told him to sit down near the heating device while you went and got some clothes and blankets for him. You got him one of your old shirts as well as some sweatpants and underwear. While making sure he was comfortable and warm, you started making light conversation just to fill in the air. You weren't sure what to do in a situation like this, so maybe eradicating the silence would make you think better. Your efforts were wasted on him though, as he looked down at his lap with a perfectly sculpted neutral expression.

Deciding to let him be, you got up and cooked the both of you some food. You made sure to avoid steak or dairy products, half out of respect and half out of dumbfoundedness. You sat down next to him and handed him his food, which he immediately dropped. Startled and a bit offended, you asked him why he did that. He responded with that neutral face, perhaps sporting hints of embarrassment, that his muscle function was heavily underused thanks to the abuse he endured back at the farm and that it would take a while before he got full control over his actions. It made you question how he could've made such a sizable hole in your backyard, but you were too tired to question him about it. Your half-asleep mind came up with a brilliant solution to his dilemma, fortunately.

Picking up your fork, you pricked a bit of food and brought it to his lips. Surprised adorned his face for seconds before he hesitantly opened his mouth, allowing you to feed him. You went slow, matching his pace and letting him tell you when he wanted another bite. It was serene, an act of kindness that the hybrid in front of you probably hadn't felt in a long time.

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

Giyuu didn't register when his adoration for you intensified to what it was today. He remembered the night when you first met very clearly, as it managed to break down every single prejudice he had about himself in mere hours. You were so gentle with him, so patient and loving, even when he had dropped your food and messed up your backyard. You didn't send him back to that place, you never even pressured him to tell you about it.

By this point, he had been living with you for about a year and a half now; it melted his heart that you wanted him to stay and hadn't kicked him out yet, but it also made his ever-growing feelings for you fester for longer. It scared him, being so close to you. Closeness back at the farm meant he had broken a rule and was about to be punished, it meant torture and nights spent crying until he had no more left to give. Closeness with you, however, felt like home. Home, what a funny word indeed.

He felt close to you when you both sat down by the heating device that night you met, knees almost touching due to the proximity; he felt at home with you when you softly brought food to his lips, letting him know you were willing to cooperate with him in the moment. He felt close to you when he was cowering into your chest because of a nightmare, reduced to a sobbing mess of tears; he felt at home with you when you gently cradled his head in your hands, wiping his tears away and promising that he was safe with you. He felt close to you when he let you touch his horns, bowing his head to you in an act of submission; he felt at home with you when you traced over his horns like they were made out of porcelain, like if the man in front of you deserved nothing but the softest of touches.

You were his home, the place he could run to without judgement, the place where he knew he wouldn't be shunned or thrown away. Naturally, Giyuu wanted to repay you; old habits die hard and this one just happened to be learned back at the farm. He knew that relying on his instinct for this wouldn't get across his point though, so he had to formulate something else.

He thought for days about a variety of presents he could give you, but none of them seemed perfect enough. You had enough home decorations, he couldn't cook all that well to make you something, you had made it clear to him that you didn't want a maid much less try and use him for food, he didn't know how much he wanted to risk going outside with you; there were so many discarded options he was beginning to get overwhelmed. He could always offer you his body, but he wasn't quite sure how to approach that subject. Sex and intimacy back at the farm where basically two different worlds; where there was one, the other couldn't be. He couldn't give you something as bland as a sexual experience, you could get those for less than he was offering you and with much more experienced people.

Why was this so hard? All he had to do was thank you for everything you'd done for him and then give you something in return, why was he fretting so much over this? He looked at you in search for something that might help him figure out what he could give you—and accidently stumbled upon the perfect gift. You were staring at the TV screen, soft eyed and sporting a stupidly lovesick grin, as some movie played on the screen. Said movie just happened to include a couple's first time, and they couldn't have been more awkward about it. Still, the way each touch they made radiated love and adoration was making you giddy. Giyuu saw how much fun the couple seemed to be having, even though they had failed to advance below the waist for the past 45 minutes or so, and could instantly feel his cheeks heating up. Did you want something like this?

It was a little overwhelming, you see. Giving you his all, his most vulnerable, and recieving the same from you? Being treated so gently, so softly, so…human. The image on the screen flashed to a shot of a pair of hands slowly carresing and fondling with the chest of the other, taking time to squeeze them and tease their partner. Giyuu looked back at you and saw you with a slightly darker hue adorning your cheeks. Huh, he might've just found his gift for you…and all thanks to some random Saturday night movie.

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

You came home from a night out to a completely silent house. Yeah, Giyuu wasn't known for being loud, but he would at least have something playing in the background while he went about his day. Sometimes you would catch him humming some tune you've never heard before, but it never failed to make your day. You put your bag down, took of your shoes, and traveled deeper into the empty house. Once you reached your bedroom door, you began getting suspicious. Did he run away? Was he unhappy here? Was he playing a prank on you? Did the people looking for him miraculously find him? You hadn't seen him since you set foot in your house and you couldn't distinguish even one sign of life anywhere.

Still, your concern was overpowered by your tiredness, so you promptly entered your bedroom and passed out almost immediately. You swore you would never underestimate how soft your bed could be again; it felt like you were sleeping on a very fluffy cloud. As you dozed off, you failed to notice the door of your bathroom door opening and closing, a figure now ocuppying the space in front of it. Your lost roommate was blinking down at you in confusion; you weren't supposed to fall asleep this early, were you seriously that tired? His plan of recreating the movie scene failed, and that stung a bit, but you looked so comfortable drooling on your pillow that he let you be.

Though, he couldn't help but sit down next to your pillow, pushing his thighs together until they sort or replicated it. He had done his own research, no matter how long it took him to figure out how to work your computer, and found that humans liked resting their head on soft things. And if you asked him, his thighs were pretty soft. Slowly, almost as if he wasn't even moving at all, he managed to position your head on his thighs, moving the pillow away from you. It was a different touch than what he was used to, the blades of the machines never felt quite as soft as your hair on his skin. He looked down at your sleeping face, scrunched up yet so peaceful, and he couldn't stop the strange warmth that invaded his chest. He never understood you fully, but having you here with him was enough for now. Even if he had planned for something completely different, this wasn't so bad either.

❥❥❥❥❥❥❥❥

You don't remember your pillow being so warm, and so soft. Slowly shifting to lay on your stomach, you wrapped your arms around your comfortable pillow and snuggled into its warmth.

Oh how you couldn't be more wrong.

Giyuu was both flabbergasted and appreciative. You looked like you were having the best sleep of your life, but the way you hugged onto his hips and how your lips would occationally graze his thighs had him more worked up than he wanted to admit. There was a faint ache in his chest, different from the mushy feeling he felt. This one was a bit more painful, as if something was messing with his chest. He knew that feeling all too well. It was the same feeling he got right before those suctioning cups were placed on his chest.

Maybe, releaving himself a bit wouldn't hurt—at least, not more than the pain he was in right now. Holding in his milk wasn't healthy and, no matter how badly we wanted to keep this from you, he also didn't want to wake you up. So, he relied on his instincts to guide his hand down towards his nipples, a wet stain on the shirt he was wearing. He flicked one of his nipples over the shirt, stain becoming just a tad bit bigger as he could feel the liquid drip down his chest and abdomen. He bit his lips hard, attempting to muffle any noises that fell out of his lips. He swore he didn't sound so sinful back on the farm.

"Ngh~"

You turned back around, laying on your back once more before yawning. You felt something wet fall on your tongue.

Was that…milk?

Your face scrunched, confused as to why your saliva tasted like milk. There was also something dripping on your face. Did you sleepwalk outside again or was there a leak in your roof? You slowly opened your eyes, bothered by the constant droplets on your face which broke the very nice dream you were having. Instead of being greeted by another hole—you were starting to notice a pattern—you were greeted by the sight of Giyuu's chest slightly covering your vision as his hands teased and played with his chest. Your ears, which were apparently not working before, suddenly decided to bless you with the sound of soft moans and wanton whimpers, a few keens here and there when his fingers did a particularly rough motion.

What a wonderful sight to wake up to.

"A-ah! P-please~"

He didn't even know what he was begging for, but it only made his motions become rougher. He was in too deep to notice that you had opened your eyes and had shifted your head off his lap. That is, until he felt your hand on his shoulder. He turned his head towards you, eyes dazed yet holding a twinge of panic. Still, he couldn't stop his fingers from moving across his chest, moaning shamelessly. He was panting like he ran a marathon, chest swollen and a bit heavy.

"Y-you're awake! I have a—mphm!—g-gift for you!"

He managed to get out through his moans. With a not-quite-all-there smile, he pushed his tits together. You could see why they were so heavy now, as milk seemed to endlessly pour down his chest. He leaned forward slightly, allowing a perfect view of his cleavage. He looked up at you with half-lidded eyes, a dumb smile on his face.

"I-I saw how much you seemed to like that—ngh!—s-scene in that m-movie the other day, so…"

Well, he didn't need to tell you twice. He let out a loud keen once you attached your mouth to his nipple, tongue running over the sensitive bud while you teased more milk out of his chest. The sounds he was making were glorious, and you were quite thirsty after that long nap…

Oh well, he'd have to sit still and pretty for a few hours while you got your fill.

#☁️w1ld3st dr3eams #☁️k!nkt0ber 2023 #☁️dream world–>(demon slayer)#☁️dream sequence–>(one shot)#☁️muse–>(giyuu tomioka)#dom reader #sub character #sub demon slayer #sub giyuu #☁️presentation–>(gender neutral)

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kirislovelygf · 7 months

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something there (kiri sully x metkayina fem! reader)

contents: fluff, wlw flirting, shy kiri, black cat x golden retriever energy, neteyam + lo’ak being supportive brothers, kiri’s crushing HARD, wlw crushing <3

wrd count: 1.5k

a/n: hii my loves!! sorry i’ve been gone for a while, i was going through a breakup and wasn’t in the mood to write any romantic stuff, but i’m back now!! and feeling much better <3

✮ ✮

it’s been four months since the sully’s arrived.

the kids have started to grow accustomed to life on awa’atlu.

olo’eyktan tonowari’s daughter has especially grown closer to the siblings, having close relationships with all of them.

except kiri. y/n wanted to be friends with her, admiring her beauty and curiosity of the island but she never made an effort to talk to her.

because the first thing kiri noticed was that y/n became friends with neteyam first.

those two became best friends first, having many things in common.

one day, neteyam and y/n were hunting together in the reef and they began talking.

“hey, what’s the matter with your sister?” she asked him while pulling up a fishing net from the water.

they stood in the shallow water, observing the life that scattered all over the sand below.

“what do you mean?” he replied, helping her pick up the net.

“like… is she shy on purpose? she’s barely said two sentences to me since you got here.” she continued.

he laughs softly. “i’m serious, is something wrong with her or does she just hate me?”

“she doesn’t hate you. i think she actually really likes you but is intimidated by you.” he said.

“what? i’m not intimidating.” she scoffed.

neteyam side eyes her and scoffs quietly to himself. he thought she was aware but evidently, she wasn’t.

“yes, you are. i didn’t get a smile out of you until i spoke to you. up until then, you just glared at us.” he chuckled.

y/n sighs and turns around to throw the fishing net again.

“she seems nice. i just wish she didn’t look at me like she hated me.” y/n said, catching neteyam’s eyes as he stepped next to her.

“she’s like that with new people.” he shrugs.

“but i’m not new! you’ve known me for four months!” she laughed out.

“to her, you are!” he says. y/n sighs out and watches the water in front of her.

“i’ll put in a good for you later tonight. maybe then she’ll pay some attention to you.” he says.

y/n gasps as she looked up at him. “you’re the best!”

“don’t thank me till you get a date with her.” he chuckled, nudging her shoulder. she laughs softly.

the two friends continue to fish for their families before heading home later to eat them in the afternoon.

as neteyam sat in his bungalow with lo’ak and kiri, eating and talking, neteyam brought up y/n as casually as possible.

“y/n helped me catch all this, you know. she’s so cool.” he said.

kiri says nothing, just looks at him.

“oh yeah, she’s helping me make my own crossbow tomorrow.” lo’ak mentioned.

“oh cool. you should go with him, kiri.” neteyam suggested.

she stared at him for a moment, wondering why he would ask her to do that. and she asks him.

“why would i do that?” she asks, laughing almost.

neteyam keeps the act up and shrugs. “you could get to know her better. she’s nice.”

“i guess. she seems kind of like a mean girl..” kiri mumbled.

“she’s not mean! she’s super nice, i promise.” he responded.

“she doesn’t care i exist neteyam. i’d rather stay here.” she shrugged.

“fine, i’m telling dad.” he said quickly. lo’ak rolls his eyes. he’s heard that sentence in his life more times than he can count.

“fine! god, i hope you drown..” she muttered.

neteyam smiled to himself, now knowing there’s nothing else left for him to do except watch as their romance blossoms.

a couple hours pass and kiri was in her room in the bungalow and lo’ak was about to go into his when neteyam pulled him aside.

“hey, i need a favor from you.” he whispered.

“depends.” lo’ak responded.

“i’m trying to get kiri and y/n together. so, tomorrow, tell her dad kept you busy with something and you can’t make it. but don’t tell kiri, she’s still gonna go with y/n.”

lo’ak shrugs. “uh.. okay.”

“thanks. and don’t say anything!” he scolded.

“i won’t! i can keep a secret.” lo’ak argued.

to be clear, lo’ak cannot keep a secret to save his life. he’s too much of a gossip.

so. lo’ak was struggling being anywhere near kiri.

the next day comes and kiri is walking down the beach to meet up with y/n. she wasn’t worried about showing up alone because lo’ak lied and told her he’d be there later because their dad had asked him to do something.

kiri met up with y/n, who was fixing up her own crossbow while sitting comfortably on a woven knitted blanket draped over a boulder.

kiri watched her in the morning sun, as she calmly sharpened her knife that she used to make the said crossbow.

she starts to fidget with her fingers, hesitating before approaching her, but y/n looks up.

she smiled at kiri and waved her over. kiri sighs and walks over to her.

“good morning, kiri.” y/n gets up and gives kiri a kind hug.

“oh, morning, y/n.” she said, nervously hugging her back.

y/n pulls away, thinking she shouldn’t have hugged kiri with how tense she was.

“uhm, is your brother coming?” she asked her.

“yeah. but our dad asked something of him so he will be with us later.” kiri explained.

“ah.. okay. well, we can get started.” y/n smiled kindly. kiri blushed at her kind demeanor and followed her to sit on the boulder.

y/n gave kiri all the materials to make a crossbow and showed her step-by-step how to put it together and how to decorate it so others will know it’s hers.

“this reminds me of when au’nung taught me how to make mine when i was younger.” y/n smiled softly.

“oh yeah?” kiri muttered.

“mhm. i had carved a hole in the handle and tied a chain of seashells and pearls through it. it broke off a couple years later when i threw it on the floor too aggressively.” she chuckled.

“that happened to me once too. with my bow.” kiri chuckled.

y/n looks up excitedly, seeing kiri finally contributing to the conversation.

“oh really?”

“yeah. lo’ak and i were arguing over something and when i went home, i threw my bow at a tree and it snapped somehow and i had to make a new one.” kiri smiled.

she looms up and sees y/n staring at her, making her quickly try to end it.

“so.. yeah, i learned not to throw stuff around when i’m in a mood.” she muttered.

“not me. my siblings make sure to keep me away from shore when i’m mad so i can’t pick up any rocks to throw.” she shrugs.

kiri laughs softly at her joke. y/n smiles heading her laugh, it was like a little victory for her.

they finish up making the crossbows and y/n takes kiri to the outskirts of the jungle to test it out.

“uhmm.. oh here.” y/n pointed out a fruit tree with colorful fruit hanging down from the branches.

they stepped back far away enough so jodi could test out her new bow.

at the same time, neteyam and lo’ak were looking for fruit for their family to snack on.

they carried baskets against their hips as they walked and talked together.

“oh shit, look.” lo’ak chuckled. he pointed at his sister and his friend.

neteyam gasps and drops his basket.

“okay. go home, find dad’s tablet and run back here as fast as you can.” neteyam whispered.

“what? why?” lo’ak asks.

“so i can take a picture, hurry up! before they leave.” neteyam said.

lo’ak rolls his eyes but does it anyway while neteyam sits down by a tree trunk and waits for him.

“did you hear something?” y/n asked kiri, looking around the jungle.

“uh.. no.” kiri said softly.

“oh. alright, anyways. just pull this top thing back to get the arrow ready.” she instructed.

“see how the thing pulls back like a normal bow and arrow? it’s just the same but smaller and easier.” she said.

“yeah, i wonder why we never had these in the forest.” she asks softly.

“are you guys serious about traditions?” y/n asks, putting her hands on her hips.

“..yeah.”

“that’s probably why.” y/n smirked.

kiri smiled softly at her.

once they had finished and proved kiri’s new weapon worked, they caught a couple fruit and y/n walked kiri home.

“i had fun today.” kiri said softly.

“you did?”

“yeah. to be perfectly honest, i didn’t think you liked me. or even cared that i was here.” kidi admitted, turning to face y/n as they stood outside her hut.

“how could you think i don’t care? i was interested in you the moment you came here.” y/n responded. she didn’t know how it sounded until she saw kiri’s blushing face.

“oh.. so uhm..”

“yeah, uh.. i should get home. but we will hang out soon. maybe later tonight.” y/n said quickly. she was wondering why her heart was beating so fast.

“okay. bye, y/n.” kidi nodded. they stare awkwardly before turning away suddenly.

one hurriedly rushing down the woven dock and the other quickly jumping into the hut and scurrying into her room.

“kiri!”

“what, neteyam!?”

“i got somethin to show youuu…”

✮ ✮

#writing blog #atwow fluff #avatar the way of water #atwow x reader #writers #avatar #kiri sully #kiri x y/n #atwow kiri #kiri sully x reader #wlw #wlw blog #wlw writing #avatar fluff #flirting #avatar fandom #kiri x reader

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avionvadion · 3 months

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One, really love the drabble regarding El and Lucifer. Especially since you can tell Lucifer is struggling to stay in the moment, but Elanora is doing a pretty good job keeping him grounded in reality. Which works out in his favor because that actively lets him start writing the letter instead of giving up before he even starts.

Two, I admit it. Whilst I know the circumstances probably won't let it happen, I can totally see El joining in on Ellie and Charlie's duet during "You Didn't Know" (maybe she was dragged along so she can guilt trip the higher ups of Heaven lol) because sure, she may not be able to come up with lyrics on the spot, but I can see her being able to join in on that sort of thing. And, well, considering everything revealed at Heaven El would be justified in getting a bit angry at Sera alongside Ellie and Charlie-

Alsjslsjlaksks thank youuuu! 💕💕💕

I struggled so hard trying to write Lucifer a song. El was going to sing a song that followed the line of “trust me” but I couldn’t find one outside of FnaF and Jungle Book (oh the irony there) before scrolling through my old middle school Sound Cloud playlist and was like, wait. Holy frick. Lost Within fits Luci so well???? And thus that happened, lol.

Anyways! Sorry. I ramble.

Luci’s brain is so scrambled, he needs someone to pull him back sometimes. I imagine there ends up being a few moments when he and El are together and he starts to get so distant it actually starts to scare her, and she ends up grabbing his arm- surprising him and snapping him out of his spiraling mind- to make sure he doesn’t just… disappear.

And for sure El would go with them. Charlie will be using her to be like, “All the Sinners at the hotel have been protecting this poor, innocent soul that was wrongly summoned to Hell! She’s been helping me redeem them, one step at a time!”

Heaven is absolutely going to lose their shit because WHAT DO YOU MEAN A HUMAN WAS SUMMONED INTO HELL!??? Emily would be ecstatic while Sera is just… no longer functioning.

They probably try to convince her to stay in Heaven instead since she’s so “pure hearted” or whatever and it’d be safer for her, but El is like, “Haha sorry I promised Lucifer a thing so I gotta stay” and they’re like “LUCIFER!??? WHAT PROMISE!???” “Ah, well, he said he’d protect me if I give him advice about some stuff and I kinda gotta be in Hell for that…” and Adam just fucking loses it. “BITCH YOU’RE STAYING IN HELL FOR THAT FUCKING LOSER???” “That loser’s ex wife used to be YOUR wife, dude” “SHUT THE FUCK UP, STAY IN HELL. HOPE YOU DIE TOMORROW AND TURN INTO A DEMON SO I CAN EXTERMINATE YOU NEXT WEEK”

(Adam immediately gets smacked upside the head by Sera)

I think by that point in time, El has been in Hell for so long she can participate in songs- but she can’t burst out singing with one of her own. Also maybe her relationship with Lucifer comes into a play a bit, since he’s magic (ancient magic, specifically) and… well…

Being repeatedly exposed to magic would certainly start letting one be affected by it, right? Haha… ha… ahem. Maybe she isn’t wholly human anymore after a while. El may not have fallen or died, but giving oneself to the literal King of Hell, former archangel or not, isn’t about to let you stay Human. 👀

Anyways. Yeah. El would be pissed and would probably throw shade at the angel council that, while Hell may be full of horrors, the people there are at least honest- something Angels are supposed to be- and have gone out of their way to make her feel welcome, whereas Heaven is full of hypocrites and assholes like Adam who just make her uncomfortable.

“If Hell is forever then Heaven must be a lie! If Angels can do whatever and remain in the sky!” Ellie hops up on the table behind Emily and Charlie. “The rules are shades of gray, when you don’t do as you say! When you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again!”

Hell is Forever is such a freaking bop though oh my gods. You Didn’t Know a masterful reprise of it.

I’m obsessed with Loser, Baby though. It’s so swingy and jazzy and UGH. It’s so good.

#hazbin hotel oc #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin hotel #Avion answers #hazbin hotel spoilers

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annasinterests · 10 months

Text

don't look at me like that unless you mean it

smiling, having fun ♫ feeling like a number one

|| series masterlist || main masterlist ||

a/n: god dayum this took me so long to put out and i sincerely apologize friends!!! my family's been in town and i've been planning trips with my bf for the next couple of weeks so i've just been sooo busy. to make up for it, enjoy the longest chapter i've written yet :)) i legit had so much fun writing it but i also fussed w/ it a ton because i wanted to get it just how i envisioned it. nuff' ramblin' from me, love y'all, enjoy !

word count: 9.8k (i had over 10k written b4 editing but still omfg!)

pairings: joel miller x f!reader

warnings & tags: minors dni, cursing, joel/reader/tommy being cute, tommy being an instigator lowkey, mutual pining, joel and reader going on a lil 'date', sexual themes, mentions of alcohol/being drunk, honestly kinda self-indulgent esp on the music parts, angst RAAAAAAAAH — please tell me if i missed anything!

Friday. Thank God.

As the morning light painted the sky in soft hues, you opted to savor your coffee on the front porch with your feet kicked up on the deck railing, basking in the quiet before the day's festivities consumed the town.

The early hour granted you respite from the scorching sun, sparing you the discomfort of the sweltering heat that would undoubtedly arrive later. Dressed in a small tank top and shorts, you relished the cool breeze that gently brushed against your skin. Tilting your head back, you closed your eyes, allowing the sounds of chirping birds to serenade you and the warm rays envelop you in a soothing embrace.

You thought back to last night with Ellie, how much fun you had with her even though you passed out before the movie was even over. It was the perfect start to your two days of rest, and it prompted you to commit a rare act of self-care by pushing off your new workload until the new week started.

You always did something on your days off for Jackson, whether it was doing a few favors for neighbors or finding yourself in Maria’s office all day. Nothing ever to give yourself the time you deserved.

And maybe it was selfish– irresponsible, even– but you needed a real break, and when would you get that if not today? Tonight promised laughter, music, and camaraderie. All your problems and issues would still be there tomorrow anyway.

"Put some clothes on, would you?" You jerked your head forward to meet Tommy walking up with a grin on his face. You rolled your eyes.

"I'll put on more clothes when you shave off that disaster you call a mustache."

He put his hand over his chest that shook with laughter and took the vacant seat next to you. When you offered him coffee, he politely declined, chuckling when you insisted that you could add whiskey to it for him. "I actually came to ask a favor."

He watched as you peered down at the imaginary watch on your wrist before giving him a skeptical look. “Tommy, if you’re asking me to work, the answer is-”

“No! God, no.” You let out a thank fuck under your breath. “It’s for tonight.”

You raised your eyebrows as you drew a sip from your coffee. For tonight? He took your silence as a cue to continue.

"Joel tells me that you've got quite the music collection. I was wonderin' if I could borrow a couple of your tapes or CDs or whatever y'got?"

You thought about it for half a second, but pretended to be in deep contemplation. He grew antsy, attempting to seriously reason with you, and when you couldn't hold it together any longer, you hid your grin behind your mug as you watched him realize that you were fucking with him. You got up from your seat and signaled for him to follow you inside as you grabbed cassettes for his cause.

Joel had been in the kitchen pouring himself a cup from the pot you had already brewed. You peered around the corner to set your mug on the counter, flashing him a bright smile before quickly scurrying off, catching a glimpse of how his face dropped from a smile to confusion upon hearing more footsteps in the house. You giggled once you heard his groan, followed by 'Jesus, don't you know what time it is?'

You picked through your pile, grabbing tapes that you were certain would be winners. Once content with your selection, you brought them back to Tommy in the kitchen. His eyes and smile widened at the handful, carefully taking them into his possession. Joel, still clearly waking up, watched the interaction with a dull curiosity over the rim of his mug, flickering his gaze from you, to the cassettes, and lastly Tommy.

Your eyes lingered on the tapes, a small smile brought to your face at the pure nostalgia they held. You knew each track on each tape, word for word. You remembered when you heard them for the first time, what life had felt like, and when you found yourself listening to them the most. Normally, you'd feel hesitant to lend out your most prized possessions. They’d been with you ever since before outbreak day, and the one constant you had since the beginning that got you through your toughest times. But this was Tommy, and you didn’t have to think twice about whether or not you could trust him.

"Wait, I almost forgot!" You snapped out of your thinking to go and retrieve another part from your pile. You handed him a small deck of index cards binded together with twine in what was your own way of personally cataloging. "It's already in order, by cassette and song title, so you can figure out if there's something you don't wanna play.. or whatever you got planned." You lazily gestured.

The brothers exchanged a look before turning their attention to the cards. Joel set his coffee down and took the thin stack from Tommy, reading over it together as they glanced back and forth between the cardstock and the tapes. The corner of his mouth curled up as he skimmed over the songs, making it impossible for you not to smile either. You sheepishly looked down while rolling your feet from heel to toe with your hands behind your back, feeling like a kid showing their parents a piece of art they made at school.

"Had the world not gone to shit, you could’ve been a mean music curator.” Joel waved the cards between his thumb and forefinger, a suppressed laugh leaving your lips.

“Yeah.. damn, these bring back some good memories. Buncha’ old ones on here, some even way before our time.” Tommy motioned between himself and Joel.

The small smile on Joel’s face grew bigger, his face becoming more lively at a realization. “Y’know, ‘lotta these were popular bar songs. You were just shy of eighteen back then, weren’t you?”

Tommy quickly caught on to Joel’s train of thought, matching his grin. You stared at him with a subtle smirk, knowing that he knew he was right, and only asked to make it a point that he knew that. And in a way, you found it kind of.. hot? He was keenly aware of your timeline and able to make the connections that no one else really could. He didn’t have to do the mental math like Tommy probably was after he said it. You felt a surge of heat in your cheeks and on the tip of your ears as their gaze on you persisted, waiting for you to answer.

“.. I may or may not have snuck into them..”

Their voices overlapped with elation, to which you stuck up a middle finger for each Miller.

“Sounds like you were living on the edge,” Tommy peered down at Joel’s hand, “..of seventeen.”

Before you could open your mouth to scold Tommy for popping the corniest joke in all of the apocalypse, he and Joel fell into their own fit of laughter, bumping shoulders and elbowing one another. So proud and smug of their joint-effort to expose your rebellious years. But you found yourself grinning, not at the joke, but at them.

You shook your head, letting out a mix of a laugh and sigh, “Alright, you boys had your fun. Now Joel, why don’t you do your big brother duties and show Tommy the way out?”

He raised a brow at you, bringing his mug to his lips, “Must I remind you that it was you that brought him in here, not me?”

Tommy raised his hands up in defense as you glared at Joel, “Alright- I’ll see myself out.” He winked at you as he walked past, “Give you a break before ya’ gotta deal with me tonight.”

You and Joel walked him to the door, exchanging goodbyes until later this evening. Just before stepping out, Tommy suddenly turned over his shoulder to you. "Oh! Before I forget– Are you seein’ anybody?”

You froze at his question, your smile slacked and your eyes widened. The residual feeling of laughter in your chest subsided quickly as if it never existed in the first place. He held up his left hand, “Not for me, obviously.”

You rolled your eyes, then narrowing them at him. “Yeah, no shit. What, are you playing matchmaker for me?”

“Not for you, someone else.” A shit-eating grin appeared on his face. “So, are you?”

The short answer was no. You were too busy with leading your life in Jackson.. And being hopelessly in love with his brother.

“Uh– no. I’m not.”

Joel's gaze shifted towards you, your words evoking enough of a reaction out of him, to which Tommy caught and raised an eyebrow with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. They bounced between you and Joel as if he had caught a whiff of the unspoken agreement you two held. You felt your cheeks go hot again, knowing that your words hadn't gone unnoticed by either of them.

He bid a final farewell with an unconvincing nod that left you both standing in the foyer quietly, which was luckily cut short by Ellie coming through the back door, giving you both the perfect excuse to forget all about.. whatever that was.

She rubbed away the sleep in her eyes, murmuring a good morning to you and Joel as she made her way into the kitchen, both of you treading in after her. You inquired about the basics. How'd you sleep? Want me to make you something for breakfast? Do you want orange juice? What are your plans for the day? Joel watched as you engaged in conversation, admiration and warmth flaring in his chest as you seamlessly transitioned into your role as a caretaker.

You were receptive when she shared her plans for the day, further inquiring about smaller details of her schedule. He watched as Ellie became more animated the more she got to talk about her day ahead, especially as you encouraged her.

"What about you guys? Don't you both have off today?" Ellie faced in her chair so that she could clearly see you both.

You exchanged a glance with Joel before you both shrugged your shoulders. You hadn't realized that he had the day off as well, if you were being completely honest. As you thought about it, it occured to you that you hadn't gotten to figure that part out, since Tommy and all. When you confessed that you hadn’t planned anything for the day, Ellie’s eyes squinted in deep thought for a moment, then looked back at you both, “Why don’t you guys do something together?

You straightened up at her proposal, mildly thrown off, sharing another look with Joel before you both attempted to give a series of excuses, which just came out in a mess of jumbled, almost incoherent words.

“Oh, come on! You guys almost never do anything together.”

You folded your arms in defiance, but it came off more as a pout. “Yes, we do.”

“Sitting at home together doesn’t count.” You opened your mouth to disagree, but nothing came out. “Go out! Have a date or something.”

You nearly choked on your coffee as Joel sighed, speaking with caution, “Ellie–”

“Anyways! I’m off to Dina’s for the day.” She beamed and laughed in victory as she watched you two writhe in place. You could hear the smile in her voice as she left out the back door, “You kids have fun tonight, and make good decisions!”

God– first Tommy, now her. It couldn’t have been past nine yet.

You hand cradled your elbow, the other hand covering your eyes as your thumb and middle finger kneaded at your temples. Okay, maybe she was right. Maybe you and Joel didn’t spend proper ‘quality time’ together, but it just wasn’t something that either one of you were accustomed to. Before Jackson, the most you were able to be alone outside of your apartments were during smuggle runs, which was definitely not the type of recreational activity that she was referring to, and once you picked her up and finally settled here, your lives were centered around her and your respective jobs for the community.

Joel crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway that bordered the dining room, staring at the back door and then subsequently at you. You hadn’t noticed him looking, still hiding behind your hand to mask your embarrassment, and saw how his eyes raked over your figure, taking in how little clothes you were wearing. The black tank top was a deep cut halter that exposed your arms, chest, and just the littlest bit of midriff. Your shorts matched in color, the fabric just hovering over the higher part of your thighs with slits up the sides.

It was a good thing for him that you had your eyes covered. You weren’t able to see how his tongue poked over his bottom lip and his eyes that were drawn to your cleavage that was accentuated by your arms drawn together. Even with your fair share of scars, your skin looked so perfect and soft under the glow of sunlight through the window, so much that he could barely keep himself back from touching you, wanting to trace the contours of your arms with his fingers and hold your face in his palms again.

His heart thumped in his chest as he wondered what it would feel like to rub your legs against his under bed sheets. How it would feel to press his fingertips into the soft flesh of your hips–

“Joel?”

His head jerked up slightly as his eyes darted to yours. “What?”

Irked, you threw your hand away from your face in an exasperated manner, “Do you wanna come?

He stared dumbly at you, stuttering, “Do I- w-what?”

“To Lake Falwich! Weren’t you listening?” You threw him an incredulous look as he shook his head to himself, apparent to you that he in fact hadn’t listened to a damn word you said.

Lake Falwich was located off of Elk Creek, an area you and Joel switched off on patrolling. You’d found the place when you went off-path during your first summer patrol, deeming it as another little hidden gem of Jackson County. Over the years, you grew fond of it and made it a point to frequent it whenever beyond the walls, but you hadn’t been yet this season.

“Uh, yeah– Yes– Sure.”

You didn’t know what had gotten into him in the last few minutes, but you couldn’t deny that you enjoyed seeing him all flustered and not being able to keep eye contact with you. How the tables turned for once.

“I’ll be ready to head out in ten.” You began to head towards the stairs for your room, but stopped at his side and placed your hand on his shoulder, curling your fingers over the muscle, “Don’t keep me waiting.”

A grin adorned your face as you walked away, leaving Joel to hang onto the sensation that burned his skin where you touched him and force himself to calm down from the excitement growing in his pants. He hadn’t really known what he’d just gotten himself into with you, and you were pleasantly surprised at his answer as you half-expected him to come up with some reason to not go.

But one thing was clear to you both: It was definitely not a date.

Your hands draped near the straps of his pack by his hips as you rode out, brushing against his belt and jeans every so often. It wasn’t a difficult route by any means; fairly smooth and clear of any obstructions.

Being the passenger gave you the opportunity to be immersed by your surroundings rather than having to focus in front of you. You got to pay attention to the small things, like the rhythmic beat of the horse’s hooves against the ground and the scent of pine mingled with the earthy aroma of the forest. The trees towered above you, their branches forming a natural canopy that filtered the sunlight, casting dappled shadows on the trail. Every so often, the trees would give way to open meadows, where wildflowers swayed in the gentle breeze.

When you weren’t being captivated by nature, your attention was drawn back to Joel. The heat had caused his hair to curl at the nape of his neck that was slicked with sweat, seeping into the collar of his dark gray shirt that stretched across his shoulders and back with more splotches of sweat. Now and then, you’d get a glimpse of his profile when he scouted around. You felt like a teenager getting to hang out with her crush that she’d had since elementary school, your stomach doing flips just from the proximity alone.

The ride itself was filled with comfortable silence, punctuated by moments of look there and did you see that? with every passing mile. You could get used to this– having these little outings together.

You could hear the rushing water before you could see it, the sound of it growing louder and louder until it finally came into view. When the landscape presented itself before you, you felt a child-like thrill growing in your chest. The clear water shimmered with a vivid turquoise hue that seemed almost unreal, partnered with tall limestone walls that framed the lake. Smaller stone structures and boulders formed near the base of the waterfall, enticing you to explore and conquer their heights again like you’d done in the past. The vegetation extended all around the area, mosses and ferns clung to the rock walls in a tapestry of greenery. It all gave you a sense of simultaneous exhilaration and peace.

Eager to get to the water, you dismounted from the horse before Joel could hitch it, causing him to call out after you in protest and watch you with a careful eye as he got everything situated. You stood at the mouth of the lake with your boots kicked off when he joined you, slowly following suit.

“So.. What do you wanna do now?”

With the heat, there was only one thing to do.

“Jump in.” You pointed to a ledge that was a considerable height up. “From there.”

He met where your finger signaled, then back to you with a quizzical look. “Don’t you reckon that’s a bit high?”

You shrugged your shoulders and threw a smile over your shoulder as you walked away from him, earning a scoff and one of his typical disapproving head shakes. His eyes stayed on you as you made your way, widening when you started to peel off your clothes piece by piece.

First off was your tank top, slipping it effortlessly over your head, then the undoing of your belt and shimmying out of your jeans. You’d stripped down to only a sports bra and underwear, both of which happened to match, which was very much unplanned. Through each removal of clothing, Joel couldn’t help but have his eyes glued to you. He became restless, running his hands through his hair and turning around just to face back to you because he simply couldn’t keep his eyes off you. And when you looked back at him, you felt a little boost of confidence in seeing how he kept his attention on you.

You ascended the rocks, reaching your desired spot and standing proudly, waving your arms above your head at a miffed Joel. The air was filled with a refreshing mist, carrying the fragrance of damp earth and the invigorating energy of the cascading waterfall. The lake below you offered a new perspective on how high you really were, and for a second, you considered that Joel was maybe right.

But fuck it.

Your legs propelled you forward, curling up as you plummeted, and your shouts of joy drowned out by the thunderous roar of the falls. The water engulfed you, prickling your body with its cold touch. Submerged beneath the surface, you held onto the sensation of being weightless, listening to nothing but the ebb and flow of the currents and feeling them weave through your fingertips.

You emerged from the depths to the sun’s warmth on your face. When you refocused your vision, you saw that Joel was standing in the same spot as before, now with his arms crossed against his chest. You swam closer to the shoreline.

“Come on, water’s fine!” He shook his head. “It wasn’t a question, now get your ass in here, Miller!”

He rolled his eyes and huffed, shaking his head once more before pulling off his shirt by the collar and tossing it aside with his boots and pack, and despite being in the freezing water, you flooded with heat at the sight of him. You’d only seen him in small increments when tending his wounds, but now you could finally know what he looked like underneath those damned clothes.

Just as you suspected, his shoulders were strong with muscle, and the prominent veins in his hands and forearms traveled upwards through his biceps. His chest and abdomen were toned and had an even layer of hair, and you basically drooled at the definition of his hips and the trail of hair leading down that was secured by a belt. Beyond his attractive features, though, you saw his scars of survival. His torso littered with healed lesions, many of which you cared for, and a significant mark near his side that reflected the time of his near-death.

“Don’t splash me now, alright?” He stifled a laugh as he undid his belt, which took all your self-control to not watch his hands and think ungodly things. Once he stripped down to his boxer briefs, he stepped further into the lake, wincing at the coldness as he got deeper. When the water reached his thighs, he sucked in a sharp breath and hissed, “Shit- That’s cold.”

You were too busy gaping at how muscles tensed and contorted to make a stupid remark. He delved deeper into the lake until he fully submerged himself, surfacing quickly and shaking out his hair, which was doing things for you. In all the years you spent with him, you didn’t think that he could possibly get more attractive, nor did you think that you’d ever be like this right now, yet here you were.

In what was supposed to be a little fun getaway from all the stresses of the world, you found yourself seriously lusting for him in this moment, which was a stress all on its own. You were alone in a very much secluded area, only an article of clothing or two away from being naked, moreover. The very thought sent you over the edge, making you physically ache where you wanted him the most. How easy it’d be to just close the distance and get lost in him for hours.

The fact that you couldn’t do that, though, pained you viscerally. You couldn’t keep looking at him, or else you’d do something stupid, so you closed your eyes and spread your limbs out to drift on your back. You focused on your breathing, honing in on how your body bobbed with each inhale and exhale and letting the water guide you in any direction.

The next few hours were spent floating, challenging Joel to swimming races, and jumping off the rocks to see who could make the bigger splashes. You found yourselves in lots of banter and bickering, especially when you did a flip off of a ledge and Joel was very displeased that you could’ve hit your head. All you could feel was pure, unadulterated happiness. Together, you were having fun. Real fun. Enjoying each other’s company and nature’s playground.

A while after you returned to drifting on your backside, an unfamiliar sensation across your back and thighs caused you to flail and frantically look around. Sheer panic rose as you realized that you’d drifted off into the deeper end, and you tried to calmly but quickly thrust yourself back into shallow waters.

“Somethin’ got you scared?” Joel had been awfully calm with an arrogant grin on his face, and his laughter rung out clear in the air as he watched you go through the motions of panic, confusion, and finally disdain.

You feigned indignation. “Don’t be a dick.”

Once your feet touched the solid floor, you waded and found a spot to sit in the safety of the shallows, pulling your knees up and resting your arms on them. As Joel drew in to join you, you watched as the water lapped at his waist, drawing your attention to the band of his boxer briefs that seemed to hang dangerously low on his hips and how they clung to him in a way that’d have all the women in Jackson ready on their knees for him. His body swayed with a subtle rhythm and cadence that was uniquely his; full of purpose and so.. virile. You averted your gaze to the sediment of where you sat in an attempt to rid yourself of the thoughts you were having.

The clearness allowed you to examine its composition of pebbles and rocks of all kinds, and you picked up handfuls of them to admire their different qualities, quickly getting wrapped up in recognizing unique patterns and markings. Joel watched as you threw the ones you didn’t like further into the lake, like it was a process of elimination until you found the best one.

When you liked one, you wordlessly handed it to him without taking your attention away from the ones in front of you. There was a serene grace in your actions, as if you were entrusting him with something fragile and precious, and he took notice of the care in which you handled each stone. He’d give it a once over, his fingers gliding over the surface, before dropping it back into your hand. There was something about you doing this, yielding to human nature’s innocent curiosity, that made it so much more than just a seemingly mundane exchange to him.

Your eyes met his briefly, and you saw he was truly relaxed from how the hard lines of his face were softened. The sun shone on him in where you could really see the depths of his eyes; the green-gold that seeped into a lighter brown around his pupil, creating the most beautiful iris structure you’d ever seen. His skin held a perpetual tan with freckles all over his shoulders, a feature that you weren’t necessarily familiar with. Waves and curls formed near his ears and forehead as his hair dried, most of it disheveled and left you wanting to run your fingers through to tame it. Your eyes drifted to his body for a moment, overly cognizant of how much bigger he was compared to you. With a tinge of a smile, you turned back to your little stones, gently placing them back in the water in a decision to leave them where they belonged.

“As much as I’ve enjoyed this,” Joel’s voice filled the silence, “we should get goin’ soon. Promised Tommy I’d swing by to help set up a couple things.”

You hummed in acknowledgment. If there was one thing about Joel, it was that he always showed up for Tommy, no matter how big or small it was. Even if it was a five-minute task or a project that Tommy was entirely capable of doing on his own, Joel was always there. You had that in common with him, back when you had your brother.

As you were about to stand, Joel hovered over you with an extended hand. You clasped it with your own as you gained your balance, but when doing so, your eyes caught a glimpse of something slithering right under your feet. You yelped at the sight, tightening your grip around his hand, and he instinctively pulled you to him, wrapping a protective arm around your waist while acting as a shield between you and the potential danger. He scanned the water, catching on to what you saw: a plains garter snake.

At the sound of his chuckle, you braced yourself against his chest in confusion as his arms were still around you. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s not-” he loosened his hold, but his hands still splayed over your waist. “It’s harmless, nothin’ to worry about.”

“Oh.” You bowed your head forward in relief and slight embarrassment, and a faint smile played at his lips. Your hands were still on each other, almost as if you were trying to play it out as long as possible until either you pulled away or he did, which winded up being the former. You drew back to yourself, stepping backwards as he released you. “Thanks.”

You both retrieved your belongings and set up on a flat bed of rock to dry out, another comfortable silence enveloping you once again as you bathed in the warmth. With your arm slung over your eyes, you could only sense Joel’s presence beside you. You slid your arm up to peer at him, his eyes fixed on the lake. His legs were drawn towards his chest with his forearms on his knees, his chest rising and falling in calm breaths. There was a peacefulness in his expression, a sense of contentment that mirrored your own. You smiled before covering up again, but he caught you at the last second.

“What’re you thinkin’ about over there?”

You brushed off his question. “Who says I’m thinking?”

“If there’s one thing about you, it’s that you’re never not thinkin’.” You sat up at the accusatory words, arching your eyebrows in disbelief. “Go on now, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“I..” a grin spread on your face, “..was thinking about how much fun your shift must’ve been with Fitz yesterday.”

You giggled as he let out a groan, successfully diverting away from where the conversation was leading. “Oh, it was a fuckin’ shift alright– and I don’t wanna talk too much about work, but he shouldn’t be bothering you anymore.”

You faced him and leaned back on your hand, eyeing him, “Joel, what did you-”

“I took care of it.” He left no room for you to speak, his voice stern. He softened a moment after once he realized how it came out a little too sharp. He lowered his attention down to his hands, rubbing his thumb into his palm, “..Not s’pose to treat a woman the way he does, especially when it’s you.”

A moment came and went in where it looked like he regretted his words, fearing that he may have revealed too much, or maybe not enough. But what you felt was incomparable to anything you’d ever felt before, hearing him tell you– blatantly admit to you that he regarded you differently than other people, and that if someone crossed you, they were crossing him too. You always knew he had your six, but this was different than that.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was doin’ that? Or Tommy?”

Those dumb, beautiful eyes conveyed a genuine concern that immediately made you feel guilty for not saying something sooner when you very well could’ve. At the same time, you didn’t want to fuss or make a big deal out of it. It was better that it was you than someone else, like Joel. So you tolerated it, because you were still able to do your job even with an annoying fucking twat as your partner.

“I never took him seriously. I thought he’d just stop if I ignored it enough, but.. clearly not.” You gave a half-suppressed laugh, knowing how ridiculous and naive it sounded out loud. He sighed at your answer, making you fidget, “I know! I know. You’re right– it was stupid of me-”

“Sweetheart–” his hand on your leg and delicious southern drawl shut you right up, “nothin’ stupid about you tryin’ to keep the peace. Just.. let me know next time, okay?”

All you could do was nod, dumbfounded by this new, open protectiveness towards you. He knew better than anyone else how you could handle yourself, but he still couldn’t help but feel that it was his job to keep you safe and be your advocate when you weren’t your own.

Without another word, he rose and offered you a hand up, indicating that enough time had passed and you should get going if you were going to be on time for the party. You accepted the gesture again, but he held your hand longer this time as he guided you down the rocks so that you wouldn’t trip, a chivalrous act that also gave an excuse to linger on your skin.

A hot shower was what you needed to scrub the freshwater off your skin and out of your hair, also to give you some much needed relief from having to control yourself the whole time you were with him, but of course you did that after he left since you shared his bathroom.

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over Jackson. The vibrant energy of the evening pulsed through the town, the streets alive with people as they made their way to the most popular establishment, laughter and music floating through the air. You’d gone through about four outfits before ultimately deciding on a ribbed henley tank, jeans, and sneakers

Just before running out the door, you checked yourself in the mirror to smooth any stray hairs away from your face. With a smile, you stepped out, falling in with your neighbors who’d been on their way over as well, engaging in conversation on the short walk there. There’d been a crowd gathered outside the Tipsy Bison, people mingling and sharing stories, some already on their second round of drinks.

Through the doors you were immediately greeted by a wave of warmth and liveliness. Your eyes danced around the bar, jumping from full booths and high tables, to the large alcohol selection behind the counter guarded by about three barkeeps if you were counting right. The air was filled with a thousand different scents, ranging from beer and cigarettes to perfume and aftershave. And lastly, the sounds which brought it all together, the clinking of glasses and hum of conversation, and of course, music. Your music that people were enjoying.

Searching the crowd, you spotted familiar faces and friends scattered throughout the place, engrossed in their own circles, but the one person you actively sought out was nowhere in sight. Your efforts slowed as you heard a picking of chords grow louder over the speakers, causing a wild smile to grow on your face.

♫

I looked out this morning and the sun was gone Turned on some music to start my day I lost myself in a familiar song

♫

“I closed my eyes and I slipped awaaay!” Tommy appeared at your side two shots in one hand and unopened beers between his fingers in the other, slinging the arm around your shoulder as he pushed the small glass into your hands.

Without hesitation, you threw the shot back with him, feeling the instant burn go down your throat. You both popped off the beer caps off a nearby counter, a party trick you’d gotten quite good at over the years, before rushing over to the middle of the floor to join the rest of the party and sing your hearts out to your first song of the night. You could barely hear yourself over the speakers and fellow singers, saving you from the embarrassment from being incredibly off-key. Your body reacted instantly to the music, finding the rhythm and constantly moving in accordance. That was the other thing about music, you felt most comfortable in your skin when you listened and danced to it, being able to fall in with whatever played. In between the verses, you hurried over to the bar to grab more shots and beers, slamming doubles back before pulling each other back to the floor.

You and Tommy locked arms and pressed back to back while holding up your bottles in a toast-fashion, switching off during the last chorus and refrain and holding out the longer notes.

♫

It’s more than a feeling (More than a feeling!)

When I hear that old song they used to play (More than a feeling!)

I begin dreaming (More than a feeling!) ...

♫

The alcohol was slowly but surely taking over, a key indicator being the warm, fuzzy buzzing that flourished throughout your body. You clung to Tommy’s shoulder and leaned towards his ear during a break between songs, “Tommy, this is way better than I thought it was gonna be!”

He looked at you with wide eyes and a grin, “I know right! Joel really helped pull it together before we opened the doors!”

You smiled at the compliment towards his brother, then furrowing your brows. “Where is he, anyway?”

You both looked around for a moment before Tommy steered you off to the side, yelling that it was too hard to see from the middle, and your efforts were put on pause again as you winded up near a large group of patrolmen that grabbed Tommy’s attention. He dragged you with him to socialize, though you mainly watched from the outskirts of the circle, smiling and nodding along where the conversations went as you didn’t have much to say or add.

When you went to drink from your bottle, you noticed the lightness of it and realized that you needed another, giving you the perfect excuse to slip away and look for him. You checked over your shoulders as you squeezed your way through to the bar to request your next drink, and it didn’t help that the room was dimly lit and was accompanied by flashing strobes.

The barkeep slid you a bottle across the counter and you swiftly popped it off, taking a swig before turning around right into somebody. An apology flew out of your mouth before you could even see who it was, their voice catching your attention and making you look at them.

“Hey, no worries! Both still got our drinks, yeah?”

Samson flashed you a grin, his hand light on your arm but enough to keep you steady. You raised your beer to him, his eyes flickered between it and you before raising his own and tapping the neck of your bottles together. You both took another swig.

As you got into conversation, you moved away from the bar towards the wall where there wasn’t much action going on. You talked about how nice the place had been transformed for the night and shared your favorite drinks, occasionally dropping a drunk-story from your youths. And the weird part? You found yourself genuinely enjoying his presence. With the way he kept eye-contact with you and made you feel like he was actually listening and comprehending the words falling out of your mouth, laughing and giving you verbal cues that he was following along, it made you see him in a way you hadn’t before.

You were.. enchanted. If it had been any other man, they’d dominate the conversation, going on about themselves the whole time and forcing you to listen. But with Samson, he treated you like an equal. He never cut you off or interjected to relate, waiting until you were entirely done or if you allowed him to weigh in between your thoughts.

“By the way–” he wiped his mouth of any residual beer, “I don’t want this to come off as weird, but you look incredible tonight. I don't think I’ve ever seen you dress in anything other than like, work clothes– and not that you look bad in that!” You giggled as he tripped over his words, his cheeks flushing a deeper shade. “What I’m trying to say is that I think you’re very beautiful, and I don’t want you to think I’m like Fitz.”

Your fingers brushed against his arm, furrowing your eyebrows at him for thinking such things, “Awh, Samson! You’re nothing like him, I hope you know that.”

He smiled down at his feet before back at you, “I know the other day you said that you and Joel weren’t a thing, and Tommy told me you weren’t seeing anybody– so I guess I’m just triple checking here– is there someone in the picture?”

So this was who Tommy was playing matchmaker for.

Your heart slowed and you fought to keep the innocent smile on your face. Was he approaching you at the bar when you bumped into him? Was he pretending to act like that just to segue into this? Several things ran through your mind as your eyes drifted away from his, and just when he was about to call you back to attention, the devil himself appeared: Tommy.

He swooped in around Samson’s shoulders, nursing a beer in hand. He held a smugness in his demeanor, surely you thought it was about the scene he’d set up until he spoke.

“Looks like you may have a roommate for the night.”

He jerked his hand behind him to a woman leaning against a pillar with Joel standing mere inches in front of her. He stood still with his hands to himself, but dropped his head closer to hers with a clear smile on his face. She beamed up at him with a look you knew all too well, not even attempting to conceal her attraction to him. She laughed too much for your liking while gripping his bicep, probably sneaking in some flirty comment with a double-meaning. Good fucking God.

You thought maybe you had a breakthrough at the lake, but this proved that you clearly didn’t, and you couldn’t believe you were stupid enough to think that what he said had any depth underneath it. Joel cared about you– this you knew. He cared in the same way he cared for Tommy and Ellie. But somewhere along the lines you’d gotten it confused with love, something he had for them, but maybe not you. Samson’s words replayed in your head in a painful reminder.

You said you and Joel weren’t a thing… Tommy told me you weren’t seeing anybody.. Is there someone in the picture?

Your eyes widened then narrowed, your jaw wiring shut as your chest began to heave. Tommy’s grin fell as he watched your features morph into something between resent and heartbreak, his eyes nervously peering from you, to Joel, to Samson as the alcohol took a momentary backseat.

He’d always sensed something between you and Joel after you settled in, though he knew that neither one of you would ever admit to your feelings for each other out of stubbornness. But he saw the way Joel looked at you after saying you didn’t have someone to call your own this morning, how his big brother almost looked offended by the truth of your answer. The reality was that Samson was interested in you, but Tommy had seen it as an opportunity to put pressure on the status between you both, and now he saw that it didn’t go in the direction of which he hoped and it was clearly affecting you.

“Oh, y’know he won’t take ‘er home! Never’s taken anyone. Not like that with him. Too chickenshit.” He tried his best to play off his earlier comment to put you at ease, but by the way the gap seemed to be closing between them only made the green-eyed monster rear its ugly head in full force.

You cleared your throat as you broke away, grabbing three shots off a nearby high table and handing them to the two men before you, needing to wash down the bitter taste in your mouth. “Oh, Tommy, you must’ve mistaken me for someone who cares. Who knows if I’ll even be going home tonight?”

Samson’s face lit up in surprise as you wiggled your brows at him and grabbed his hand to lead away while leaving Tommy open-mouthed as he saw right through your spite. Breathless curses left his mouth as he watched you disappear through the crowd, a frustration growing towards you and Joel for being so goddamn stupid about each other.

The barkeeps fed you two more shots and another beer. The alcohol was definitely hitting now. A few minutes ago, you were properly pissed off, wanting to storm up to Joel and give him a piece of your mind and telling the woman to go kick rocks, but now you were all over Samson, turning up the charm for him. It didn’t matter anymore if he just wanted to fuck, because maybe you’d just let him. He let out a chuckle and smiled, prompting you to tilt your head at him in question.

“The music tonight has been so fucking good,” he drank from the bottle, a smirk forming on your face, “I mean, when was the last time you heard this song?”

The bass riff and guitars let you know exactly what song had been playing, a long-time favorite of yours. You could’ve answered 'a couple months ago' to his question, but you took silent pride in knowing that he was another person impressed by your picks. He understood your cue as you turned your head to the middle of the room and back, placing his hand on the small of your back as you weaved through people. You wrapped an arm around his shoulder as he drew you closer to him by your waist, moving in sync to the beat.

♫

One of these nights One of these crazy old nights We're gonne find out pretty mama What turns on your lights ...

♫

If intimacy, yearning, and sex was a song, surely it’d be this one.

♫

Ooh.. someone to be kind to In between the dark and the light ...

♫

You sang out with your heart, pressing your body into Samson’s, but knowing the lyrics were about him. And deep down, you wanted him to hear it and think of you. Think of how you were the daughter of the devil himself and the angel in white, the woman he’s been looking for with a little of both and how she is in sight.

Around you were all couples reflecting exactly what you’d been doing, some doing more but your eyes didn’t linger on them long. You caught the faces of work friends and neighbors totally focused on their person as you swayed around, smiling at their fun. Eventually, the whole room sang along, an imperfect harmony to your ears that you couldn’t get tired of hearing tonight.

As the song winded down, Samson held you closer and craned his head down until your foreheads and noses were touching, still swaying to the guitar riffs. You took it a step further and pressed your mouth to his, your hand cupping his cheek and fingertips grazing his hair. You hadn’t expected anything out of it other than the feeling of your lips on someone else’s, but you didn’t pull away. You couldn’t. Your tongues found one another every other kiss, deepening as they went. His warmth kept you glued to him, and you found yourself taking a liking to his taste of alcohol and.. mint, maybe? Definitely something with an icy, refreshing hint.

You didn’t realize how long you’d been kissing, or kissing enough times that it was leading to straight-up making out, until you heard clear hoots and whistles during the switch between songs. When you pulled away, his lips were noticeably more plump compared to earlier, and the tingling sensation on yours let you know that they probably looked the same. You bit your bottom lip as you looked around at the ones cheering you on, the corners of your mouth curling up, but you broke out into a complete grin once you saw his face.

♫

Off with your head Dance til you're dead Heads will roll Heads will roll ...

♫

You’d almost tripped over your own two feet, discreetly looking over Samson’s shoulder from left to right to make sure you were seeing things right, and the excitement you felt when they were? Unmatched. And almost as if it’d been planned, the perfect song was playing.

If he’d been giving you or Samson a death-stare, you couldn’t tell, but either way, you loved seeing the scowl on his face. His fingers tightly curled around his beer that if he did it any tighter it’d break, the hard lines on his face prominent to you even this far away. You situated yourself to the side, giving him the perfect view as you brushed your nose against Samson’s, giving him your best doe eyes before melting into his mouth again, making sure that Joel could see the smile on your lips when you broke away and went back for more.

Your body winded up as the song progressed, building up to the drop and heavy riff. The strobe lights blinked quickly enough to cause a stroboscopic effect on everyone’s movement, perceiving them to move slower than they actually were. But when you looked back at Joel, he stayed completely still, his eyes locked on you between the several bodies that separated you from him. He looked so.. menacing.. that it made you shiver and throb. A wicked grin spread on your lips.

♫

Off, off with your head! Dance, dance til you're dead!

♫

Turning around, you pressed into Samson and grinded your backside into him. His hands were off you as quickly they were on you, frowning at the absence, you spun around and saw why: Tommy, again. You’d suspected something bad from the way his gaze fell back and forth between you both and he had a strong hand on his shoulder, but were eased when Samson held up a finger to you and smiled.

As much as you wanted to dance, you also wanted another drink, the empty bottle in your hand now warm from holding it for so long. Sliding shoulders through the floor, you looked between the bar and the bathroom, choosing to make the pitstop before continuing on. Pushing in the door, you were relieved there wasn’t a line, darting into an open stall to squat and do your business. As you finished, another body entered the bathroom in heels that clicked and echoed until they stopped in front of the sink, to what you imagined was a woman checking her makeup. When you got out, you saw their reflection in the mirror– indeed they’d been checking their face, but it’d also been the woman that’d been smitten with Joel. You paid no mind to her other than your initial glance, ignoring her presence and harshly scrubbing the soap on your hands.

“That older Miller’s somethin’, ain’t he?” Your hands froze under the running water. “I only got a taste earlier, but I bet he’s real good in bed.”

The fuck does she mean she got a taste earlier?

Your face must’ve been showing too much of a reaction based on the stupid fucking smile on hers and a snobbish laugh. Not even bothering to dry off your hands with paper towel, you rubbed them against your jeans and threw the door open to leave, storming up to the bar and impatiently tapping your fingers against the wood as you waited.

Fuck her, and fuck Joel. And you know what? Fuck Tommy, too. If he hadn’t brought it to your attention, maybe you wouldn’t have seen it. Then you wouldn’t have downed one too many drinks and legitimately considered sleeping with someone as rebound off hurt feelings, and then maybe, just maybe, you wouldn’t be feeling like all kinds of fucked up right now. You blinked back the burning in your eyes. Don’t cry. Don’t fucking cry over this right now.

The lights returned to their original dimness and calmed down on the strobes, allowing you to search around a bit easier for any of the three people you found yourself with most tonight, but had no luck. Samson and Tommy were out of sight, and you didn’t have the slightest idea of what he pulled Samson away for. As for Joel, he moved from the last spot you remembered him in, or was it over there? You shook your head. It didn’t take much contemplation to decide on going home, you had your fun, but it was over, and you were too far gone to spark it back up in any capacity.

You held your arms tight to your body as you embraced the cool air on the walk to Rancher Street, a fair distance from the Tipsy Bison. The lightness in your head caused you to stumble quite a bit, wishing that either your house was closer or that someone would’ve walked with you. Other times when you drank too much, though it didn’t happen very often, either Tommy or Joel were right there at your side to get you home safe, but you wanted to throw yourself in someone’s yard and pass the fuck out rather than be alone.

Stomping up the porch, you caught yourself on the doorknob last minute as you tripped, fumbling it open and pushing inside. You ungracefully dropped to your ass, tugging at the aglets of your laces in the dark until the knots came undone and kicked your shoes off. So focused on keeping yourself upright, you hadn’t noticed Joel staring at you while leaning against the entryway of the living room with his arms crossed.

“Wasn’t expecting you.” His tone was deep and flat. You scoffed as you got off the floor, face contorting as you mocked him.

“I live here, don’t I?”

“Alone, I meant.” You shook your head as you walked past him, but he grabbed your wrist and held you in place, feeling the heat of his glare on your back. “You gon’ tell me what the hell that was back there?”

You met his eyes over your shoulder. “That was me having a good time. Same as you with that lovely woman.”

“Bullshit.” He shot back. “That wasn’t the same.”

“Oh, please,” you scoffed while yanking your wrist back, turning into the kitchen and bracing yourself along the island, “s’hardly a difference.”

“Really?” He followed you, his frustration apparent in the way his jaw clenched. “‘Cause it sure looked like you were all over him tryin’ to prove somethin’.”

You pointed at yourself, “I don’t have anything to prove to anybody!” you snapped, the words coming out slow but loud, “And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous.”

His eyes darkened, slowly taking a step towards you, “I am not-”

“Then what the fuck is wrong?” You staggered around the island on the emphasis of the curse, throwing your hands up, “I didn’t do a damn thing, and you’re losing your fucking head!”

“You didn’t– Wow.” A wry laugh came out his mouth. He waved you off, his tone dripping with bitterness. “I ain’t gotta explain myself to you.”

“And neither do I!” You retorted in defiance, your arms grandly gesturing. Your cheeks were hot with anger now, more so than before. “I can do whatever the hell I want, Joel! I don’t need your fucking permission!”

He dragged a hand down his face, turning away from you before whipping around and meeting you at the end of the island, raising his voice at you. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“And you’re insufferable!” you seethed as you pushed his chest, his hands seizing your wrists, “Acting like you have some fucking claim over me when we’re not even together!”

The silence after your outburst was deafening.

His anger faltered as a flash of pain crossed his face, quickly making your own frustration subside. The hard lines on his face deepened, a slight frown and somberness settling upon it. His grip on your wrists remained firm, but there was a hint of vulnerability in his touch. You wanted to blame the alcohol for making you so mean, but it was really the floodgate of feelings that’d been repressed for far too long.

You huffed, “Joel, I-” he interrupted you by tearing his eyes away from yours and releasing your wrists.

The pang in your chest was unmistakable. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. This was the part where everything was supposed to come out, to confront the truth of your feelings, but instead he was backing away, retreating and shutting down that conversation before it could even begin. You said his name again, but he simply raised his hand and continued to walk out of the kitchen.

Fuck– No. No, no, no. Your dejection passed and your temper flared up again. No, he doesn’t get to just walk away.

“Joel!” You called out, your voice tinged with frustration and desperation, “Joel, stop!”

But he didn’t. He kept walking, putting more distance between you and fueling your determination. Your heart was pounding as you quickened your pace to catch up with him upstairs, his arm just out of reach before he slammed his door in your face. He didn’t respond when you pounded on the door and demanded for him to come out, your temper mixing between anger and hurt.

“Screw you, Joel! I’m so tired of this– whatever the fuck this is!” Your voice trembled, feeling a punch to the gut when you remembered an obnoxiously accurate point he’d made to you once before. “I-I fucked up– but people do things when they’re scared!”

Your eyes stung, and it hadn’t dawned on you yet that you were potentially jeopardizing everything by blabbering off, but you couldn’t stop now.

“I can’t- Fuck-” a ruined sigh forced itself out your lungs, your thoughts moving too fast for you to comprehend, “If you’re gonna break my heart, do it now, because I can’t-”

You didn’t know when he’d opened the door and stepped out, but you stopped your rambling as soon as you saw him. The silence fell heavy, the only sound being his boots stepping towards you until his chest was nearly touching yours and his breath fanned over your skin. Your eyes darted around his face, from his eyes, to his nose, lips, beard, and back to his eyes again. Just the slightest inch forward and you’d be touching him, the fact making you shiver and fiercely pulse between your thighs.

Your heart ached when you saw the raw emotion in his eyes– an amalgamation of sadness, yearning, lust, and tenderness– all things you grew to be familiar with when you found yourselves running in circles. You couldn’t stand the way his eyes flickered between yours and how his warm hands were slowly reaching up to cup your face. And how you could now feel his chest pressed against yours. And how his lips parted. And that fucking look on his face.

“Joel,” you quavered, “don’t..”

But he knew.

A soft, broken breath escaped you as it was all suddenly becoming too real, reaching the point of no return.

“Don’t look at me like that unless you mean it.”

His lips crashed into yours.

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller fic #tlou #the last of us #tlou fanfiction #annasmasterlist #annawrites

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thee-morrigan · 5 months

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in any universe

The Wayhaven Chronicles Ava du Mortain/Dinah Batra/Nate Sewell 6.5k words rated G (for 'good god I didn't expect this to get so long???') content warnings: snowstorms, mysterious cabins, a rogue time-traveler, and gratuitous descriptions of Ava's eyes read it on AO3

I had the absolute pleasure of writing for @evilbunnyking as part of the @wayhavensecretsanta this month. (Did I spend the past several weeks fully giggling, twirling my hair, kicking my feet, glitter-gel-pen writing in my diary about Dinah, Nate, and Ava? Maybe! 💖) Thank you for letting me have a playdate with Dinah! I had a blast with this, and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it 💖🥰

— It’s barely past noon, but already the watery winter sun is fading, rays of diluted daylight trickling slowly past the stark, spiky tree limbs that jutted at irregular angles into the blue-grey sky. What little of it filters onto the ground — hard and hoary with frost and the dusting of snow from the spindrift of flurries early this morning — is weaker still, the scant brush of the sun’s warmth against Dinah’s face barely registering, its light trailing off like unfinished sentences, thin tendrils curling into nothing but air, like the smoke of a snuffed candle.

“We should have taken the SUV,” Ava says, and Dinah looks up at the woman walking alongside her, the spectral tendrils of sunlight gilding the edges of her face — the slope of her nose, the wisps of pale hair that the wind has tugged free of her usual low bun — turning the other woman’s profile as silvery as the frosted path beneath their booted feet. For her part, Ava does not look at Dinah as they walk, hawk-sharp eyes sweeping along the path ahead, across the surrounding wood, as if the trees standing sentry are liable to go from resembling a watchful assemblage to becoming one entire, long bare limbs poised to come alive as soon as she looks away.

“It’s not far,” Dinah replies, turning her gaze back to the path ahead as well, the winding, snow-flecked bridleway looping its way through the forest just as the fissures in the bark of the surrounding trees spiraled up and around their vast trunks.

Sweet chestnut trees, she thinks, though she can’t remember when or why she came by this knowledge, at what point she learned to associate the thick, purple-grey trees with that identity.

“It is an unexpectedly lovely day for a walk,” Nate adds from her other side, throwing Dinah a gentle smile. “I’d thought we were due a heavier snowfall than this morning’s flurries turned out to be.”

“We are,” Ava says, turning her head to look at both Dinah and Nate as they traipse further through the woods. “The radar this morning indicated we can expect winter storm conditions this afternoon, and perhaps into tomorrow as well.”

“We’ll be safely back at the warehouse before the worst of it hits, Ava,” Dinah soothes, though she can’t keep the corners of her mouth from curving upwards in mild amusement at the idea of Ava monitoring the weather radar map. “And Nate’s right: at least for now, it’s a nice day.”

Ava sighs and turns her gaze back to the path ahead, though not, Dinah notices, before her expression softens a bit, her mouth relaxing, green eyes glimmering with something approaching a look of fondness towards them both.

Dinah is right about the cabin not being much further, situated only a few miles away from the warehouse, and so it isn’t much longer before they reach the place. Despite its relative closeness, however, and perhaps because of its being nestled just that much deeper into the forest surrounding Wayhaven, there is a certain air of isolation about the little house, as though they’ve somehow managed to travel much further than could ever be possible in the time they’d been walking.

She thinks this air about the old cabin, this shimmer of eerie uncertainty surrounding the property, is partly why Tina had begged the favor of her, to check in on the house after a few reports from the owner about things seeming just the slightest bit out of sorts recently — windows that should have been locked being cracked open, bedside lamps left switched on when they oughtn’t have been, and that sort of thing. Tina had been inclined to chalk it up to the particular quiet of the surrounding wood and simple human forgetfulness on the owner’s part, given that he mostly kept the cabin as a source of supplemental income these days, letting it as a vacation rental property. The only reason he’d known to report anything amiss in the first place had been thanks to the cleaning crew he paid to check in on the property once a month, give or take when the cabin was occupied by guests, whose presence could explain any or all of the unexpected occurrences the owner had reported to the station.

Still, Tina had said when she relayed all of this information to Dinah a few days ago, I know it’s probably nothing, but, if I’m being honest, that place has always kind of given me the creeps.

And so Dinah had agreed to the favor. One last thankless detective’s task for old time’s sake, she supposes.

“Just a quick look around and we can go,” she promises Nate and Ava as they approach the cabin now, raising her voice slightly over the wind, which has begun to pick up in the past few minutes, accompanied by a fresh flurry of fat, wet snowflakes.

Despite Tina’s apparent discomfort with it, the cabin appears, if anything, like something you’d find in a winter painting or emblazoned on a postcard, nestled in a clearing surrounded by towering ancient cedar trees and the elegant sweeping cradle of silver birches, long-limbed and half-frozen. The snow-dusted roof glitters in the white-gold wash of afternoon sun, contrasting against the darkened timber walls of the cabin. It emanates a certain charm, as if it holds secrets within its sturdy frame.

Nate, his gloved hands tucked into his coat pockets, gazes at the cabin with a sense of wonderment. "It's like something out of a fairy tale," he murmurs.

“I wonder why Tina said it gave her the creeps,” Dinah muses as they step onto the wide, weathered planks of the porch, pulling her phone out of her coat pocket and scrolling through her last texts with her erstwhile colleague until she sees the code to the lockbox fastened next to the front door.

She punches the code into the keypad with gloved fingers, a bright, staccato chirrup sounding as the electronic latch clicked open, allowing Dinah to retrieve a small leather keychain bearing two keys, one silver and one a dull bronze. It’s the silver one that must be the cabin key, she thinks. The bronze one is smaller, with fewer teeth than its companion. It almost resembled a mailbox key, but she’s not sure it’s quite large enough for a standard post-office box.

She puts it out of her mind, though, as her assumption about the silver key being the one needed to enter the cabin proves correct. As she inserts the key into the lock, a gust of wind howls through the treetops, causing the branches to sway and creak. The sound is mournful, as though the forest itself is warning them of something unseen.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Dinah steps inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering through the frost-laced windows. The cabin is unexpectedly warm, despite its emptiness and the cold of the world just beyond its wooden walls. The wind and promised winter storm conditions have begun to pick up in earnest now and, while the interior warmth is a welcome surprise, she hopes they can report everything in order quickly and begin the trek back towards town and the warehouse before it gets any colder.

Dinah steps further into the cabin, letting the warmth envelop her. She glances around, taking in the worn wooden furnishings and old-fashioned charm of the place. The thick wooden planks that make up the walls are dark and weathered with age, each knot and grain clear as day, like a tapestry of nature itself. The scent of pine and wood smoke fills her nose, mixing with the musty odor of dampness and age, lingering beneath the sharper tang of citrus — oranges, she thinks, rather than lemons — particular to furniture polish and oil soap. Lingering from the cleaners, she presumes.

Before or after they’d phoned the owner? She wonders. Before or after they noticed whatever it was they’d noticed to create the impression that all was not as it ought to have been?

Nate follows behind her, pausing only to scrape the frost and forest debris off his boots and onto the coarse fibers of the doormat. "Seems normal so far," he remarks, though his voice holds the barest tinge of unease.

She thinks she understands it, this shade of uncertainty coloring his voice; perhaps it is only the way in which her brain has primed itself for something, anything, to be unusual. Perhaps it is how preternaturally lovely the cabin had been as they approached it outside, the glittering winter panorama that had made Nate think of fairytales.

Perhaps it is the slight, burnt-sugar taste on her tongue, the roof of her mouth, whose flavor she associates with campfire-scorched marshmallows and, more recently (more pertinently), with magic.

Ava is close behind, the door creaking slightly as she pulls it shut, leaving them in near darkness until she finds a light switch. Dinah’s eyes have swept from Nate’s face to Ava’s, as if seeking a second confirmation of something, but Ava’s gaze is narrowed on the large stone fireplace in the center of the living room.

“How long did you say it has been since this cabin has been occupied?” She asks.

"Quite a few months, if I remember correctly," Dinah replies, her gaze following Ava's to the fireplace. The hearth is immaculately clean, not a trace of ash or soot to be seen. Stranger still, the scent of freshly burned wood hangs in the air; evident beneath the pine and citrus scent. “Well, aside from the cleaners, I suppose. They would have been here last week, I think? Or the start of this week.”

“It seems unlikely that they would have built a fire,” Nate muses, his expression thoughtful as he watches Ava, her gaze still fixed on the rough fieldstone fireplace. “Though the room certainly smells of one.”

"Indeed," Ava replies, her voice low and thoughtful. She steps further into the room, striding past Dinah and Nate to kneel before the fireplace, stretching one hand out toward the cold hearth. Her fingers hover for a long moment over the scrubbed, smooth grate before she pulls her hand back, straightening and turning back to face the others.

“It does not seem to be any warmer than it ought,” she concedes, the beginnings of a frown creasing her brows. “But it smells as though someone lit a fire. Recently.”

“Maybe they burned a candle?” Dinah suggests with a shrug, though her hazel eyes are pensive flick between Nate and Ava, watching whatever unspoken conversation they’re having.

“Perhaps.” Ava does not sound convinced.

“You’re probably right,” Nate says gamely, giving Dinah a smile that almost successfully wipes the earlier glimmer of uncertainty from his face. “What else did you need to check before we head back?”

Their sweep of the other rooms, thankfully, doesn’t seem to spark any additional sense of lingering disorder, although it does take a bit longer than Dinah had anticipated because of the cabin's surprising size. Closets, bedrooms, and a surprisingly well-stocked kitchen are methodically examined by the trio. Finally satisfied that she's done her due diligence and can report back to Tina that everything seems more or less normal, Dinah checks her watch, squinting at the dimly lit dial.

"I think that's it," she says as they finish their search of the cabin. A soft sigh of relief escapes from between her lips as if expressing a quiet gratitude to the labyrinthine cabin for not exposing them to any other irregularities.

Nate, who had stopped to scrutinize an antique grandfather clock situated against a wall just past the entryway, looks up at Dinah's voice, his own lips parting as if to respond. It is Ava, however, who speaks next, calling to them from the far side of the living room, where she's taken up what Dinah can only consider her typical position before a window, this one overlooking the front porch and, beyond, the path they had taken to reach the cabin earlier this afternoon.

"It would appear we have run into a problem," Ava says grimly, her beryl eyes narrowed at whatever she's spotted outside the cabin.

"What is it?" Nate asks, stepping away from the old clock and towards the living room.

Dinah answers as he ducks through the open doorway, having twitched aside the curtain of another window nearer to her. "Winter storm conditions,” she sighs.

They decide to make the best of it — because what else can they do, really? They will spend the dwindling daylight hours and the coming night in the cabin and reassess in the morning. By then, they reason — they hope — the worst of the snowstorm will have passed.

Once more, the trio split up, this time in search of necessary supplies for the coming evening rather than the presumed vandals or squatters they’d been sent to suss out earlier. Ava elects to venture outside and to the small shed behind the cabin in search of firewood, before the snow completely blankets the forest and renders visibility difficult for even supernaturally keen eyesight. Nate and Dinah will stay inside, sorting through the numerous closets and cupboards for candles, blankets, and foodstuffs.

The cabin resonates with a strange sense of harmony, each of them engaged in their own tasks; Nate humming slightly as he sifts through kitchen cabinets, the rhythm of Dinah's steps echoing through the rooms as she ascends and descends the staircase, rifling through bedroom closets.

Ava returns, though after how long, neither Dinah nor Nate are entirely sure. Time has seemed…looser, since entering the cabin, perhaps since entering the surrounding wood altogether. Slowing and speeding at intervals irregular to their own cadence, each moment stretching on indefinitely but also second by second – ticking away as marked by the steady rhythm of the grandfather clock.

Nonetheless, she returns, indeterminate time notwithstanding, arms laden with chopped wood, cheeks flushed against the biting cold, her form in the doorway a specter-like silhouette against the backdrop of mounting snowfall. She shakes loose a flurry of snowflakes caught in the folds of her scarf, the collar of her coat, shuffling wet clumps of snow off of her boots and onto the wide, wooden planks of the front porch before stepping past the threshold and into the cabin proper.

Nate emerges from the kitchen as she deposits her findings in a precise stack next to the fireplace, the logs clattering and thudding methodically alongside one another.

“It seems we were wise not to have attempted the walk back,” he says by way of greeting, crossing the living room to pull the front door shut where Ava, arms otherwise occupied, had left it half ajar. The heavy door slides shut with a muted thud, the worn, smooth metal of the brass handle icy beneath his palm as he gives it one more firm, brief tug before releasing it, satisfied that the torrent of snow falling in wet, heavy swirls outside wouldn’t make it into the dry warmth of the old cabin.

Ava gives a murmur of agreement, on her knees before the hearth, hands busied with the work of starting a fire with the wood she’s procured and the ceramic urn perched on the mantle, which is full of matchbooks, taken over a period of years, no doubt, from restaurants and bars and hotels. The logs are slick with the meltwater of snow and ice, although some thoughtful previous cabin guest has left a small stack of newspaper pages on the hearth, tucked behind the spindly wrought iron stand holding a small assortment of fireplace tools, presumably to be used as tinder.

With deft fingers, Ava strips off her gloves, laying them neatly on the stone of the fireplace, and reaches for a sheaf of newsprint, crumpling the pages into loose wads. She arranges them with a few of the driest twigs, striking a match against the strip on its book cover and holding the tiny flame to the newspaper until it catches and begins to consume itself in a bright orange glow. The first crackling embers in the grate send out a thin spiral of fragrant smoke, wrapping itself around Ava as she fans the flames into life. She pauses, straightening a bit to unwind her still-snow-speckled scarf, the wool of it damp in spots where the warmth of the cabin and her fledgling fire have begun to melt the lingering frost, and watches as her handiwork takes hold and steadily grows. The warmth now emanating from the fireplace is welcome, cutting through the chill that had started to settle in her bones.

“Thank you, by the way,” Nate says, coming to stand next to where she’s still knelt before the fire, a pleased hum of a sigh accompanying the words of gratitude. “For the fire, and for venturing into—” he sweeps a hand toward the front windows “—that to gather firewood.”

“And for not reminding either of you that I advised against walking here in the first place?” She leans back on her shins and tilts her face up to look at him, the tops of her booted feet pressed flush against the floor, her palms resting flat against the tops of her thighs. Ava’s voice is dry as bone, but there’s an unmistakeable shimmer of amusement in her eyes, the bright green of them turned aventurescent in the flickering glow of the firelight.

Nate laughs, and the warmth of it, resonant and radiant, sears through any lingering coldness in her that had gone unreached by the heat of the fire now burning steadily in the grate. Warms her to her marrow, as his laughter (his voice, his existence) has done for over three hundred years, now.

“That too, I suppose,” he amends, still smiling as he offers his hand to her, although they both know it is an unnecessary politeness — she does not need assistance to unfold herself from her position before the fire, to rise to her feet. She accepts it anyway, pale, calloused fingers grasping his dark, fine-boned hand as she rises to stand beside him.

Deeper into the cabin, footsteps sound, light and quick, as Dinah emerges from the dark of the corridor behind Ava, a bundle of fabric and a cardboard box cradled in her arms. She smiles, glancing at the fire as she steps further into the room and towards the two vampires standing in front of it.

Something about it — everything about it, she amends, for it is everything, really, about their current situation — strikes her with an odd feeling, a warm swell of something like familiarity or nostalgia or sentiment that takes her a moment to place. The crackling blaze of the fire, warm as bathwater against her face as she draws nearer, warmer still where its glow reflects off of her companions, its light painting their faces and hands in shades of rose and gold and ochre. How the light and heat contrast with the mercurial silver of the afternoon outside, the cloud-smothered sky already grown too dark for the hour, even for winter, its icy fingers pressing and dragging against the windows. The way Ava and Nate always seem to look at her, and even more so how they always — have always, at least as long as she’s known them, in each, century-spanning context — look at each other.

When she places the odd, slip-sliding sensation, she can’t quell the soft laugh that bubbles out of her. Nate gives her a quizzical smile as he steps towards her, reaching to pull the box from her arms. He sets it on one of the two chintzy, overstuffed armchairs in the middle of the room, the one nearest to the fireplace, lifting one of the flaps to peer at its contents.

“Is something amusing you, agent?” Ava asks, one dark blonde brow arched as she unbuttons her woollen peacoat before moving to hang it next to Dinah’s on the wooden coat rack by the front door.

“Just experiencing deja vu, I think,” she answers, unfolding the bundle of cloth still draped across her arm — a cable-knit sweater, it turns out, large and cream-colored and heavy looking, which Dinah slips on over her own thinner sweater, warm enough under her coat for the weather earlier in their day, but somewhat lacking in the current snowstorm. The garment hangs loose on her, the hem landing halfway down her thighs, and she has to roll the sleeves twice to free her hands, but it’s gloriously warm, and she almost laughs again at the memory of another borrowed sweater, in another lifetime.

“Deja vu?” Nate asks, still sorting through the box Dinah had unearthed. Her search of the bedrooms had been a fruitful one, it seems: the box is full of useful paraphernalia for anyone unexpectedly snowbound, including, among other things, at least a dozen long, white candles, a couple of camping lanterns, one heavy flashlight, and packages of batteries for each. Ava has crossed back over to them now, too, and slips a hand into the box alongside Nate’s to help him sort through its contents.

“Thinking of the last time we were…unexpectedly ensconced in a remote location like this. Lauterbrunnen.”

“Ah,” Nate says, and she knows before even looking at him that he’s smiling at the memory she’s called up, can hear it in that one syllable alone.

“The selection of reading materials pales in comparison to the chalet, of course,” she allows, failing entirely to contain her grin at Ava’s quiet, whip-quick rejoinder: “The volume of materials, as well.”

“But,” Dinah continues, that irrepressible grin seeping into her voice, “we do have electricity and running water here, so.” She shrugs. “Maybe that almost evens out, all things considered.”

And, of course, of fucking course, it is at that moment that the power flickers — dims — and peters out entirely.

The kitchen, bathed in a blend of candlelight and lantern glow, becomes their sanctuary as the world beyond the frost-coated windows plunges into the inky cold. The kitchen turned out to have an old-fashioned wood-burning stove, so Ava has built them another fire, its comforting warmth and scent filling the air, coupled with the aroma of the soup Nate had found in the pantry (although he’d seemed truly distressed at having only canned food to offer Dinah, with no fresh produce to supplement it, and it had been an effort not to laugh at the consternation on his face).

Canned though it may be, the soup is hot and filling, and Dinah sips at it happily enough, warming her fingers against the large, earthenware mug as she does. In addition to the lighting supplies they’d quickly put to good use, she’d found a jigsaw puzzle in a hall closet, and so, for lack of much else to do, they’re now sat together at the long kitchen table across from the wood stove, puzzle pieces strewn across the width of the table, tiny cardboard islands in a sea of dark mahogany.

Even as they collectively bend towards their task, their breaths intermingling in a rhythm of shared concentration, Dinah’s mind remains centered elsewhere. She finds herself watching her companions more than working on the puzzle, studying their focused faces under the flickering candlelight. There is a certain harmony to their movements, the result, she knows, of years and years and years of working all manner of tasks alongside one another, and Dinah can't help but feel a pang of affection for them both.

“You know you can’t win a jigsaw puzzle, Ava,” Dinah remarks, a teasing grin tugging insistently at one corner of her mouth.

Her comment is rewarded by a soft huff of laughter from Nate and a pointed silence from Ava — although perhaps the latter is less due to Ava choosing to ignore her and more the result of the commanding agent’s intense focus on the scattering of puzzle pieces arranged before her.

She’s not surprised, of course, that Ava takes jigsaw puzzles as a kind of tactical challenge, that she faces them as something to be outwitted through strategic brilliance and logical prowess. It’s part of why she likes her, really: a shared thread of fiery determination that runs through them both, this impulse — this compulsion — to rise to any occasion, meet it head-on and straight-backed, no matter how un-momentous the occasion may be. After all, hadn’t Dinah once taken the task of choosing a wine that Ava might enjoy as a challenge to be faced? Heracles and his Labours; Dinah and her (unboxed) wine.

Ava and her jigsaw puzzle.

Still, scouring hundreds of puzzle pieces in the dim light of the lanterns and candles, coupled with the growing lateness of the hour, is beginning to wear on Dinah and her human eyes, so she leans back in her chair, stretching languidly as she does. Propping one elbow on the back of the chair, she twists in her seat, casting her eyes about the room if only for a brief change in focal distance. Through the open doorway of the kitchen, she can see into the living room, the light of the still-crackling fire a rippling glow, illuminating the overstuffed armchair set closest to the fireplace.

Illuminating the object resting thereupon, which Dinah is quite sure had not been there earlier in the evening. There, lying open and facedown along one of the chair’s puffy arms, is a book.

It’s a squatty paperback, small and thick, its pages, as best she can tell through the dimness and the distance, gone slightly yellowed with age, corners slightly rounded and curling, dulled with the thumbing of untold hands over unknown years of use.

“Nate,” she asks, cutting off whatever conversation had been happening, whatever idle, puzzle-side chatter she’s fully relinquished the thread of now, her focus grasping instead for the unexpected snag of this book in the living room. “Did you leave that there? That book, in the living room?”

She tilts her head, chin jerking slightly in the direction of the doorway, not taking her eyes off the book as she speaks, because she already knows what his answer will be, already knows that, even if he had found a book to peruse while she’d been rummaging through bedrooms and closets upstairs, he would not have left it thus, splayed carelessly as if forgotten in the wake of something more captivating. Knows that, whomever it was who had last touched this book and then left it, discarded and haphazard, on the arm of the chair, it would not have been Nate, whose elegant hands are gentle and careful with almost everything they touch, and always so with books.

Well. Give or take a scant few exceptions, she remembers, although when she thinks of the circumstances in which he might be — in which he has been — so driven to distraction as to be truly careless in setting aside a book, she is reasonably confident that they do not apply to this particular scenario.

Nate looks up from the scattering of puzzle pieces through which he’d been sorting, eyes moving first to Dinah, half-twisted in her chair across from him, to the open doorway through which her gaze is still focused, finally alighting on the book in question. His brow furrows slightly as he glances from the discarded paperback to Ava, who has wrested her own focus from the jigsaw puzzle to the two of them, something in the tone of Dinah’s voice tugging her away from her consideration of optimal puzzle completion strategies.

“No,” he says finally, and can see his own confusion mirrored in Ava’s expression as those cool, emerald eyes slide to meet his, a mélange of question and calculation flickering there as he answers.

Green eyes and brown shift once again towards Dinah as she twists back around to face them, her own dark eyes lingering over her shoulder and into the living room for a too-long moment, as though not trusting the room behind her to remain static once she turns her back on it.

She lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and looks between the two vampires, her mouth stretching in a grim almost-smile. “I didn’t think so,” she murmurs ruefully as she meets Nate’s puzzled gaze. “Although I was really, really hoping to be wrong.”

She stands abruptly, the chair skidding back on the wooden floor with a harsh rasp that echoes in the silence that has settled over the three of them. Dinah meets Ava’s eyes first, holding her gaze for a moment longer than necessary before shifting her attention to Nate. There's a sense of urgency crackling around her as she strides towards the living room, her fingers tightly curled in anticipation.

She moves deliberately towards the forgotten book, each footfall echoing in the stillness of the room. She hesitates for a moment, then reaches out and picks up the novel, the rough edges of the worn pages making her fingers prickle with an odd sense of unease.

She flips it over to see the cover — the title, Time's Shadow, is embossed in gold letters above a dramatic illustration of a branching tree, its roots plunging into a shadowy abyss while its leafy arms reach towards a clock face trapped in a twilight sky, although its hands point to a minute shy of twelve o'clock.

Puzzle abandoned, Nate and Ava have followed her into the living room, though neither of them seems to have any more idea than she as to how this book came to be here, or from whence it came.

Dinah flicks through the pages, her gaze quickly scanning the taut lines of text. The scent of old paper and ink wafts up, mingling with the room's musty air. There is nothing else remarkable about the book. No annotations, no dog-eared pages, no forgotten bookmarks or slips of paper. Just an ordinary book left in an extraordinary circumstance.

Nate steps forward, a mix of caution and curiosity on his face. "May I?" he asks, extending a hand towards Dinah.

Wordlessly, she hands it to him, watching him as he studies the book. He traces the edge of one golden letter before opening the paperback carefully, his long fingers leafing through the worn pages with a careful reverence, dark eyes skimming across the pages, though nothing seems to catch his attention.

The silence of the room is broken, suddenly, by a soft voice. "I hope you were kind enough to mark my place before you turned the page."

The trio whirls around, startled by the unexpected voice that had so disrupted the stillness of the room, a stone thrown into a tranquil pond. Seated comfortably on the weathered armchair against the far wall is a man who wasn't there moments ago, hands folded neatly in his lap, a thin smile etched across his face.

The man is nondescript in most ways — medium height, mid-forties perhaps, with salt-and-pepper hair neatly combed back from a high forehead. His eyes, as calm and deep as a placid lake, meet theirs with an amused glint.

Dinah straightens her spine and takes a step forward, her gaze hardening to steel on this stranger. "And you are?" She manages to ask, forcing her voice to remain steady, courteous, even, tempering the whirlwind of questions threatening to break loose.

Ava has moved to lean against the threshold that divides the two rooms, her fingers curling around the edge of the wall as she studies the interloper. Her green eyes hide nothing of her suspicion as they flicker over him, assessing and analyzing with a calculated precision.

The stranger chuckles, the sound warm and non-threatening. "My name is Cyrus," he says, his voice as soft and smooth as worn leather. "And I mean no harm."

Nate, still holding the book, steps closer to Dinah, his face unreadable. There is a moment when their gazes meet; an unspoken understanding passing between them. When his gaze flicks to the stranger, though, there is nothing but polite interest on his face, as open and friendly as it had been the day Dinah had met him. "And why are you here, Cyrus?"

The stranger — Cyrus — merely chuckles, a low, pleasant sound that echoes through the silent room. He leans forward slightly in his chair, steepling his fingers together. "There are many answers to that question," he says finally. "Some requiring less explanation than others."

He glances at the worn paperback still clasped in Nate's hand. "I suppose you could say I'm here for my book." He gives another light laugh, then shifts, leaning back a bit in his chair before unfolding his hands and gesturing towards the other armchair, the couch. "Please, take a seat," he says, an air of welcoming familiarity settling around him. "There's much to talk about."

Nate and Dinah share a glance, a silent question passing between them. Ava's gaze is fixed on Cyrus, her posture rigid but curious. Finally, Dinah steps forward, her footsteps echoing in the quiet room as she takes the offer. She sits, her back straight and her mind whirling with a thousand questions.

Nate follows suit, handing the book back to Cyrus as he does so. The man accepts it with a warm smile, tucking it next to him on the chair.

"Now then," he says. "I, along with my book, am here, in part, because this is my house."

An indignant, disbelieving noise escapes Dinah before she can stop it. "No, it isn't. Micah Langley owns this cabin."

The stranger's smile, while not fading exactly, has morphed into something cut through with sorrow. "Micah Langley is my husband. Or, well." He pauses, as if considering. "I suppose it may be more correct to say he was my husband. What year is it, please? It is possible that I may have already died. It's so difficult to keep track of which year it is, let alone which timeline one has stumbled into."

The statement hangs in the room, a tangible thing that seems to ripple and flex with tension.

“I am,” Cyrus continues calmly, voice as placid as if he is discussing the weather on any given Thursday, “come unstuck from time.”

They gape at him, for a long stretch of moments.

Nate breaks the silence first. "I beg your pardon?”

"Unstuck," he repeats with a nonchalant shrug. "One minute I am somewhere, the next... here. I do not control it. It just... happens. Just as you might walk through a door. Exit one room — one time — and enter another."

He asks again: What year is this?

When Ava answers, he sighs and gives a small nod. "As I suspected. In this timeline -- in this universe -- I am unfortunately no longer among the living."

The group's silence stretches on for a few moments longer, the only sound being an occasional crackle from the fire in the grate behind them.

And then they begin to ask questions.

Where had he come from? What year had he left? How did he cope with the constant displacement? Did he have any control over it?

While in this timeline — in this universe — he is dead, he confirms, in answer to Dinah’s slightly incredulous protestations that he hasn’t been alive as she’d known him — known of him — for almost a decade. However, in other universes, other timelines, he is very much alive. Oh, he’s dead in some of them still, he acknowledges. But in others he lives on, lives well, lives differently.

In every universe, though, the one constant: his beloved.

The man who owns the cabin still, though has barely stepped inside it since the death of his husband — this breathing, dime-store-noir-novel-reading, dead-not-dead man sat on an armchair before them.

Somehow, in every timeline, Cyrus finds Micah, or Micah finds Cyrus, or they find each other.

Across any world, each forking decision path splitting into a crystalline myriad of mirrors, a tapestry of threads, tangling and intersecting and weaving together in infinite ways. In every universe, they are bound to meet, or to have met. A microcosm of their own making, each of them the reference frame for the other -- the special relativity of two human bodies, the nature of their time and space impacted by the other's gravitational pull.

The night passes and they are insatiable, the three accidental guests of this man’s former home, asking him question after question. What does he mean, unstuck from time? How does it work? How can he know how else he lives in other realms of time? Of space? Are they each of them truly him? How did he first learn this? What does this mean, practically speaking? How, how, how?

To his apparently eternal credit, he answers all of them, or at least all of them as best he can, with the same unflappable serenity of demeanor with which he’d introduced himself and his…situation.

At some point, the power clicks back on, lamps humming back to life, the radiator clanking as it begins the process of re-warming itself and the cabin. The sudden noise and light — low though it is — cracks through the spell of the evening — no, somehow now nearly morning — and the four of them blink at one another as reality creeps back in.

Cyrus stands and stretches, stifling a yawn. "I do believe, my friends," he declares, his voice resonating with the soft weariness of the late hour, "It is time I took my leave."

"But," Dinah protests, her sleep-deprived mind still struggling to grasp the enormity of their conversation, "where will you go?"

He tilts his head towards Dinah and smiles, a sad but understanding gleam in his eyes. "Once more into the fray, I suppose. Another timeline, another universe."

He walks to the entrance and looks back at them, his features softened by the diffused light from the lamps. "Do not worry for me. In each world, I am home."

(Later, as they are straightening up and finally, finally preparing to leave the cabin and return to their own homes, their own reality, they will discover that he has once again left his book, forgotten once more on the armchair nearest the fire. None of them are certain whether the dog-eared page — the sight of which once again sends a streak of dismay across Nate’s face — marks the same spot as the book had been opened to before. But whether it is or it isn’t, the page that’s been saved now includes a note, of sorts, in the form of a single highlighted sentence: Space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality*.)

*this is, in fact, an actual quote from the physicist Hermann Minkowski, in an address to the 80th Assembly of German Natural Scientists and Physicians, 1908. Physics: secretly the most hopeless romantic coded science since 1908!

#yall i went into a full fugue state and emerged 6.5k words later #wayhavensecretsanta #twc #katie writes things

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khaleesiofalicante · 2 months

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okay now that all the lbaf drama and crying is behind us (it is, no more fighting about it, okay?? no hard feelings from anywhere) here is some unhinged crack I am writing for tomorrow:

“You’d actually date someone if you text them back instead of overthinking,” Jackson had told him weeks ago when David had pointed it out.

“I don’t know what to say!”

“Aren’t you a writer?”

“Aspiring writer.”

“Well, you need to stop aspiring and catch a dick,” Jackson had rolled his eyes. “God knows it would make my life easier.”

It had been very rude, but kind of fair. After all, David did drag Jackson everywhere with him – from the cinema to the park – since he didn’t have a boyfriend.

“Are you sure this man won’t leave me high and dry?” David asks now, one more time, since his anxiety was all over the place.

“Yes, love, I texted him saying I need a personal favor. He should get you what you need,” Jackson informs with the patience of a God. “I know him personally. He always has the best vegetables in the farmer’s market.”

“Maybe I should visit this farmer’s market with you,” David hums in contemplation.

“You should,” Jackson grumbles. “Instead of going to that disgusting supermarket to buy your vegetables just because the cashier is hot and has tattoos.”

“I have never heard a more outrageous lie-”

#my biggest fear in life is yall thinking I don't have a job because I am constantly updating fics #BUT I PROMISE ALL I DO IS WORK TO THE EXTENT THAT IT GOT ME SICK #anyway tune in tomorrow to watch the birthday boy catch some dick x #mavid #my fics

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skyevergreen · 21 days

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Solitudinarian (A horror short story Im writing)

(Little pre-thing this is my first time really posting anything of this kind on Tumblr and So im gonna post this story in chunks and as I write more do little updates also very rough draft) “We interrupt your current broadcast to bring an emergency broadcast, this broadcast is being brought to you by the United States Public safety department and is a message to all residents of the United states. There have been a total of 500 thousand people coming into hospital with symptoms never seen before in any known virus. Symptoms observed have been red eyes, nose bleeds, ringing ears, irregular behavior, sleep walking, violent and sporadic movements, twitching, and overall brain failure. All cases of this virus have been fatal, and those who haven't died are now missing. Those infected have reported seeing shadows in the corner of their eyes, or feel like they are being watched. Along with infected individuals, sightings of tall and disfigured silhouettes have been spotted around neighborhoods. If you make contact with any of these creatures, make distance between you and the entity. If you or a family member are suffering from sickness, do your community a favor and keep yourself indoors and locked inside. For those uninfected lock all doors and windows, stock up on supplies, and do not leave your home. Have trust in your government, May god be with us all”.

The TV broadcast rips through the air once more. It's the same old message that has been repeated for the last 2 months. I tune in just for the chance of there being an update, a chance that maybe this whole thing will all be over. As the same words play again I hit the power button to the box Tv leaving me alone in the darkness of my living room. My stomach growls and I feel my body ache at me telling me it's time to eat, all these days that have strung together hunger is the one of the things that's at least stayed the same. I stand up feeling my body ache and looking around at the can littered floor I make my way to the kitchen. Flicking on a light switch, blinding myself for a few brief moments. As my eyes adjust I lay sight to the dirty counter space that matches the off white walls. A cockroach crawled from under the fridge and almost as fast as it crawled out it scurried right under another counter. Taking a deep breath I open the cupboard to be met with stacks of canned food. Sighing deep I grab one of the cans of food and pry it open, my eyes are met with the can of meat that I'm only half sure what's in it. But it's better than starving so I sink a spoon that I had found on the nearby table into the meat. It gushed liquids and made a disgusting noise as I dug into it. Getting a spoonful I take a bite and chew, it's the same stuff I've been eating for days now. The disgusting taste is now almost welcome. As I finish the can of food I lay it on the counter with the rest of the empties. My eyes are heavy, I've been awake for far too long, it's probably best I get some rest. I leave my kitchen and make my way down my hallway, that seems to extend for miles due to the beckoning darkness. I stumble down the hall passing the bathroom door, I arrive at my bedroom, it's lit by a dim lamp revealing the piles of clothes and several empty bottles of water. I fall onto my bed reaching to grab my medicine from my bedside table. I take 2 pills and lay my head on my pillow and let the mattress grab ahold of my body. As I close my eyes I feel myself drift off into the void of sleep, Maybe tomorrow will be different.

#short story #horror #creative writing #orginal work #rough draft #writing #project

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stuckyxren · 1 year

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Steve and Bucky discovered that pranks are still something funny. And with the help of Sam they also discover some TikTok pranks and want to try them with you.

Some angst fluff? 🥺

Prank Wars- Stucky x reader

Warnings: maybe some LaNgUaGe

Authors note: sorry if this is crap. I know it’s super short, but this was kinda out of my comfort zone writing wise. I hope you enjoy it! (*no editing was done*)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve’s mom always said that laughter was the best medicine. As long as Steve has known Bucky, when all else has failed, Bucky would make Steve laugh. When they grew older and moved in together, when Steve was frequently sick and they couldn’t afford his meds, Bucky would start a prank war. Just stupid little practical jokes that were harmless, but they made Steve giggle. Soapy sandwiches, objects moving away from a person that was trying to pick them up, wax food items and other little jokes never failed to put a smile on Steve’s face when he was at his lowest in all aspects.

One night after a long mission, none of you could sleep, so Bucky and Steve would tell you about their past lives. This particular night was the eve of April 1st, most popularly known as April fools day.

“Okay okay.” You giggled after hearing Bucky tell the story of him and Steve at Coney Island once again. “I have to know. Since tomorrow is April fools day, did you ever pull pranks back in the day?” You asked, waiting on edge for the reply you were sure was to come.

“Absolutely!” Bucky said, turning and propping himself up to see you better. “I used to prank Steve ALL the time when he was really sick.” Bucky said, smiling proudly in the darkness.

“Bucky!” You gasped, smacking his chest. “That’s not nice!” You scolded, shoving your lover.

“Hey! It was consensual!” Bucky defended.

“It’s true. Ma always said laughter was the best medicine and Bucky always knew how ti make me laugh. He’d start a prank war and I’d be feel better within hours!” Steve said, shaking his head at the fond memory.

“We will never know if it was the distraction or the laughter, but he made it out alive.” Bucky said, reaching across you to caress Steve’s cheek.

“Thank God! You’d be insufferable without him.” You said, sounding serious, but smirking as Bucky gasped in mock offense.

“So wait.” Steve said suddenly. “Are pranks and prank wars still acceptable?” Steve asked, turning and propping himself up as well.

“Absolutely!” You said, smirking to yourself in the darkness. “In fact, the April prank war starts tomorrow with April Fools day. So, may the odds be ever in your favor.” You said, patting your two men before turning into your usual sleep position and falling asleep.

“What does that mean?” Bucky asked, curious and cautious all at once. You didn’t answer.

“Doll? What do that mean?” Steve echoed, trying to grab your attention once again.

“Shhhh. Sleeping.” You said, snuggling in and pretending to fall right to sleep.

———————-

“Sam. I need your help.” Steve said, dragging Bucky along. Bucky was not happy about asking Sam for help, but they were both too embarrassed to ask Tony or Peter.

“What’s up Cap?” Sam replied.

“What does ‘May the odds ever be in your favor’ mean?” Steve asked, shifting back and forth while looking down, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Normally nothing good. Who said it?” Sam asked, chuckling at the flustered captain.

“Y/n.” Steve mumbled.

“Context?” Sam pushed.

“Well, we were talking about prank wars that Bucky and I had in the 40s and that brought up today being April fools day.” Steve explained.

“So, should we be expecting pranks from her? Is that what that means?” Bucky asked, getting straight to the point.

“Oh, most definitely.” Sam said, nodding his head vigorously.

Steve and Bucky both looked at each other and immediately started strategizing. Talking about all the old pranks that they pulled in the 40s and how they could pull them on you now.

“Woah woah woah. Grandpas. Hold it. You can do better than that.” Sam said, stopping the pair before they could solidify their plans.

“And what’s your ideas genius?” Bucky asked, looking at Sam with a deadpan expression.

“Well I’m sooo glad you asked.” Sam said, pulling out his phone. “Behold. TikTok pranks.” Sam said, waving his phone in the air. “I’ll send you a few that I think you guys should be able to pull off. Just make sure Friday is recording and sends me the footage, alright?” Sam said, smiling smugly at the couple.

Both men nodded and walked away as their phones started blowing up with videos from Sam.

————————

For their first prank, Steve and Bucky involved the team. It was movie night and everyone was gathered in the living room. As soon as you walked in, Bucky yelled “ANDY’S COMING” and everyone dropped.

“What the hell?” You laughed. Almost dropping the popcorn you just made, you placed the bowl on the table to clutch your sides. Never in a million years did you think the avenger would do this prank. “I’m done. I’m done.” You laughed, walking back into the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, you quickly plotted your revenge and put it into motion. You walked back into the living room to find the team bickering over the movie choice. Per usual, Steve was sat back with Bucky watching the chaos unfold.

“Stevie. Can you crack my back for me? It really hurts.” You said, coming to reach a hand out to your lover.

“Sure thing doll.” Steve replied, immediately unfolding from Bucky’s arms and standing behind you.

You sneakily placed two pieces of dry pasta in your mouth and let Steve get into position. You guys have done this many times before. As soon as Steve pulled up, you crunched down on the pasta with a loud groan.

“Holy shit Steve!” Bucky yelled, coming and grabbing you as you crumbled in Steve’s hold.

“Oh my god! Baby!” Steve shouted, gently lowering you to the ground. “Talk to me. Are you okay?” Steve asked, not touching you as your body shook, assuming that you were crying.

When Bucky moved your hair, he breathed a sigh of relief. “That was not funny!” Bucky said, sitting back and shaking his head. “She’s laughing. She’s laughing with dry pasta spilling from her mouth!” Bucky exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

“Oh my God.” Tony laughed, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. “Fri. TELL ME you got that!” Tony asked Friday, wiping away tears of laughter.

“I did sir. Already sent it to your phone.” Friday said, sounding smug for an AI.

“Not cool y/n.” Steve said, shaking his head and laughing slightly. “You got me good.”

“I’m the prank queen.” You said, standing and stretching to kiss Steve and then Bucky.

#mcu #bucky x reader #stucky #steve rogers x reader #james bucky barnes #steve rogers #bucky barnes #steve rogers fanfiction #stucky fluff #prank war

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sugarsfics · 1 year

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Overachiever

Summary: You are the oldest siblings and that takes a toll on your life. Now you are getting your taking your permit test, it doesn’t end in your favor but maybe your day will.

A/N: This one if for my overachiever girlies. My longest fic so far. This is a little glimpse into my life, most of this was heavenly inspired by want happened when I took my permit test and what I was feeling and overall, how my family life is :/

Trope: Boyfriend!Eddie x girlfriend!reader

Warnings: Hurt to comfort, cussing, crying, a little sexual, use of Y/N bad writing, Eddie being the best

Word count: 2.0k

You can’t cross a double yellow line. Wait, yes, no, you can’t cross the broken line shit. Here you are studying for your permit test in the late hours, probably not convenient, but you need to study. Tomorrow you are finally taking the test, you feel bad for asking your parents or your boyfriend, Eddie, for a ride for God sake you are in college have a whole ass job and still don’t have you license. After a long time of thinking and figuring out how to do it, you made your appointment. It has been stressful to say the least. You were the oldest of four the “Guinea pig” the “third parent” the “brain” the last one is how they introduced you, who you knew that one trait could take a toll on you. They weren’t wrong, you were way smarter than your other siblings, but your parents put you on this high pedal still. Yes it was nice but they only showed their proudness in public, when you would tell them about a test you aced that you have been studying so hard on because that lesson was kicking your ass, they would look at you and say” “Ok that is what we except of you” and walk off or when you need help your dad would tell you “You should know this already” and then when you failed they made it a pity party all of a sudden wanting to help loudly. But when it came to your brother, the jock, when he came home with a C oh, they praised him, would throw a party. You never got that praise, that where your praise kink comes to play but that is for another time. But Eddie oh Eddie how he gave you the praise you needed that you crave in and outside the bedroom. (Teehee sorry) He was always the first to congratulate you on your A with a big kiss and a promised night of milkshakes, he was even so proud when you made the appointment for your permit test. He was a little sad because he loved driving you around but knew you wanted this.

Your alarm wakes you up when you checked the time in big red color it read 8:30. Shit, your appointment is at 9 and it takes about 20 minutes to get there Eddie is already on his way shit shit shit. You hurriedly got ready brushing your teeth while finding clothes. You spit out then put on one of Eddie’s shirts and pair of jeans. As you button your jeans you door open “Hey knock-” “Oh hi babe” “Hey my girl late start” “Yeah” “Alright let's get you finished and get this show on the road” he grabbed your purse and look at your calendar “Hey babe what time did you say you appointment was at” “9:00 we got to get going” “It say 9:40 here” “What let me see” Yep you got the time wrong “Oh my god” you were wrong “I am so sorry I thought it was at 9 I-” he kissed you “It’s ok your mind as been going crazy lately good thing I check and good thing it was later not earlier now sit and take a breather” he said calmly. He is right just breath. You already messed up twice and it is not even 9.

You both ate some breakfast then headed for the van. “M’lady” he bowed as he opened the door. Your curtsied back “Thank you kind sir” he tapped you butt as you hopped in. He made his way to his side “Ready” “Ready has I will ever be” you said nervously. You and Eddie jammed all the way to the DMV. You totally forgot where you were going until he made the finally turn into an ugly gray building. “Ok we are here do you want me to go in with you” “Please” you said weakly. He knew you were scared it was written all over your face, he grabbed and kissed your hand then hopped out to open your door. He held your hand the whole time, your number was called he walked up with you and let you give your information. You started to play with his hand you were getting nervous, the man told you where to go to take you picture your eyes widen. You walked back “Eddie I didn’t know they were going to take my picture” “You look beautiful and plus you are wearing an amazing shirt” he winked, you blushed you forgot you were wearing Eddie’s shirt.

You got in line for a picture you fixed your hair every two minutes you didn’t realize until Eddie grabbed your hands “Stop you look amazing ok it is just a picture not going on your actual license” right you thought. You held on to Eddie until it was your turn “See you on the other side” he teased as he kissed your cheeks. You step on to the feet on the floor “Don’t move till after the flash” the lady said in a monotone voice. You held a little smile as it flashed, she handed you the paper “Go to number 6 and press start” Here you go Y/N you got this deep breath. You pressed start the first question popped up, you answered. Then your mind wondered seeing everyone face when you failed this seeing Eddie’s disapproved face. Then you thought about how everyone will act when you passed happy, Eddie was happy. Your life would start when you passed, as you answered more questions the more you doubted yourself before you knew it those words popped up FAILED.

Your heart stopped you failed; you don’t fail. You did the walk of shame to the next man at the window you lowly said, “I um fail so” “Ok you have two more tries, study then make another appointment” and let you go. You failed. Eddie was sitting in the waiting room and making eye contact. You shook your head, he nodded and got up stretched and made his way to you. He put his arm around you and walked out together in silence. He opened your door and squeezed your hand as you went in. He took one look at you and said “Are you doing to cry” “No” you said weakly followed by a sniffle “Come here” he leaned over a brought you into a hug he heard your muffled I failed I failed I'm a failure “Hey you are not a failure ok you still have two more tries it took me 5 times to pass” “Yea but that’s you I don’t fail I pass the first time” “I'm not going to take that offensively” he teased “I'm sorry I didn’t mean that” “I just teasing I know what you mean” You mind was racing seeing all the different scenarios that could happen when you get home, there is one were they overly feel bad and then start helping, one where they look down upon you calling up stupid and telling you how it was common sense anyone could pass it, the last one oh how you hoped it was the last one they would console you and tell you that they were sorry that they didn’t help you and how they put too much on your plate will you were trying to study. Please be the last one.

Eddie pulled into your driveway “Ok” he began “I got to get to work I will come by later night” “Ok see you then” he pulled you in to a passionate kiss “You are going to be fine my love plus I like you as my passenger princess” you nodded and headed your door; you waved as he left. When you walked in your mom looked at you, “So” she blurted “No I didn’t pass” please be last one. Nope he was a combination of the first and second one, it took you over an hour to get into your room because all you wanted to do was be alone. Your dad said his famous line 100 times “It’s common sense” that he asks you what questions you missed, like if you knew, you explained how the test work and you didn’t see if your answers were right or wrong, he told said you were wrong “that’s not the way when I took it” I JUST TOOK THE TEST he took it years ago. You lied on your bed and cried, cried until you couldn't breathe any more. As slumber took over you heard you window open and the scent of Eddie filled your nose, you were facing the wall, you hear him unbutton his pants and the chains clunking together when the fell, you heard him tripped over his on feet with a faint shit, your bed dipped as his big hands grabbed your waist and turned you over.

What he saw made his heart break his girl his baby his love with red puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He brought you into his chest, rubbed your back and kissed you head, you couldn't hold back any more fat tears fell from your eyes as your body shakes “Yep let it all out” “I don’t understand” “What my love” “They make me feel as if I’m not good enough or too good I don’t know they- they make me seem like this perfect smart daughter then when I’m not all hell goes loose or when I am they give my nothing” you cried “I got into an university a fuckin university and I was the only one excited, you were excited, they told me that that is what the except of me so why celebrate” “I-I-I" “Relax ok I got you” Eddie interrupted “I just want to go away live my life without worry, not worry about how they would react or say” you added “Then let’s go” you sat up “What?!” “Yeah, let’s go run away me and you” “But you have a job and Wayne and-” “Pff I have enough money saved for us to go away for a while find our life...I have actually been thinking about it for a while so what do you say” you sat there for about 10 minutes and Eddies know you are thinking of every scenario possible “Yeah let do it”

You and Eddie quickly grabbed clothes and pictures and anything else you might need. As Eddie snuck in and out of the window putting your clothes in the van you wrote a letter. Dear family, by the time you read this I will be out of Hawkins, maybe out of Indiana but I need to do this. I'm not sugar coating anything I am running away because of you guys, yes, I love you mom and dad and my siblings, but you are too much you put too much on me. I never got to live my life my “teenage years” I was either babysitting or cleaning or study then you would tell me to let loose stopping being uptight, so I did and met Eddie, then I was reckless and wasn’t acting right. I will never see as perfect in your eyes; I will never get that praise and love I need from you. So, I am leaving to find my life. I will always love you and don’t go looking for me, I will call when I am ready. -Love Y/N Tearing were coming again “Ready” Eddie said kissing your cheek. You nodded “Ready as I will ever be” Eddie helps you out your window and duct down to his van. When you got to Eddie place Wayne was there bringing you into a big hug. Eddie explained what you both were doing, and Wayne understood, he wished you good luck and called at every rest stop. As he left for his shift, he gave Eddie a long hug with words of encouragement and joked about getting his room back. After getting all of Eddie’s things together you snuggled into Eddie’s bed for the last time and talked about the future, sleep took over. Tomorrow will be the start of your life with the love of your life.

#eddie munson #eddie stranger things #stranger things #eddie x reader #eddie x you #eddie fluff #eddie munson oneshot #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson fanfic #boyfriend!eddie munson #boyfriend!eddie x girlfriend!reader #eddie my beloved #eddie munson fandom #sugarsfics

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seekfelt · 11 months

Text

4* Gemini Yachiyo Tsuruhime - Bond Stories

To die together, like Castor and Pollux... Isn't that what we should've been?

The True Esssence of Fear

Location: Siegfeld Rehearsal Room

Yachiyo: (Gemini is a constellation split in two. To express that, this costume has a black-and-white asymmetrical look... The lace and decor work to tie everything together.

That's what I was going for, at least! It'd honestly look better if the top was all-white.)

But two brothers, huh... I'm still not sure whether to play Castor or Pollux at all—)

Karen: WOAH, is that one of the Star Celebrate costumes???

Yachiyo: W—... Jeez, Karen-san!?!?

Karen: Heheheh! Surprised to see little ol' me? Shiori-chan told me you were near, so I thought I'd visit.

I knocked, but nobody answered, so I took a peek!

Yachiyo: That's not~... Why'd you come to Siegfeld?

Karen: What the what? I sent you a text, right??

I was all like, "Thanks for supervising my Taurus! I'd love to talk more about the constellations, so I'll be there!!"

Yachiyo: I didn't get... a text...?

Karen: Huh. HUH.

HUUUUUUUUUUUH????

I'm sorry!! I sent it to Hikari-chan by mistake!!!!!

I got a reply like, "I'll wait. No need to inform beforehand." and I came right here.. but...

Yachiyo: So your first instinct's to always text Hikari-san?

*giggle* That's so cute...! You two must be really good friends♪

Karen: I'm sooo sorry... Now I made Hikari-chan wait too... Maybe I should write up an apology...!?

Yachiyo: Do as you like~ I'm still checking over the costumes, so it'll be a short while before we get to discuss the constellations anyway.

[Some time later]

Karen: *sigh*... There's the metric ton of "Karen, you numbskull"...

Yachiyo: Done with my work♪ So, did Hikari-san forgive you?

Karen: Yup. She said she'll forgive me if I could withstand polishing my tiptoe—... my pointe technique!

Ugh... Hikari-chan's a harsh teacher, though, so! I'll have to prepare myself!!

Yachiyo: ...Sure is nice to feel that way.

Karen: Feel that way...? In what way?

Yachiyo: It's nice to feel supported by your loved ones, I mean!♪

Karen: Ohhh! That! I know right!? Makes me feel like I'm over the moon~!

Karen (Io): "That's why I, Taurus, would like to get a return on that favor.

Tell me the story of you twins, closer than anyone else."

Yachiyo: Aha... ha... Isn't it a bit sudden...

Karen: WDYM?

Yachiyo: Thing is... I'm still a bit unsure on how to play Gemini, so...

Karen: Oh, I see... Being asked to do an etude without a script's always a surprise!

Yachiyo: Exactly. "The constellations shining in the sky will lead you, shooting star, to tomorrow..."

Karen: Mhm! A story about us giving our most precious things, then leading the shooting star onto the next constellation!!

Yachiyo: This "most precious thing" business is a bit vague to me.

Based on the star sign, sure, but then it's up to the performer to choose... You feel?

Karen: Yeah...

Oh, I got it!! If you're having so much trouble, how about we try consulting Gemini directly?

Yachiyo: ...

Karen: Sooo from what I remember, the story of Gemini is—

Yachiyo: ....Originally based on two sons of Zeus, Castor and Pollux.

They were very close, but the elder Castor was only a mere mortal. Pollux, the younger, was blessed with the power of the gods, giving him immortality.

In battle, Castor loses his life...

Karen: WHAT?!?

Yachiyo: Lotsa twists and turns in this tale~ Then, in mourning, Pollux begged to his father Zeus:

Yachiyo (Pollux): "I implore you, deal me the same death as my dear brother. We were born together, so I plead to you, for us to die together as well—"

Yachiyo: Touched, Zeus took half of Pollux's divinity and ascended the brothers to the heavens... Theeeee end♪

Karen: O-Oh...

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Yachiyo: Ahahaha! A beautiful tale, is it not♪ The love between two brothers is super—

Karen: Y... Yachiyo-chan?

Yachiyo-chan... why are you crying?

Yachiyo: Huh...?

Even if Thousands of Years Were to Pass[1]

Yachiyo: I'm... crying...?

O-Oh!! I am!! Why the hell am I crying on my own... Ahaha, sorry, this is embarrassing~

Karen: Yachiyo-chan...

Yachiyo: Um. You see... I'm not really the type to discuss things like these with others... so I end up just monologuing.

There's another precious half of "me".

She'd stand on stage beside me when nobody would... Ever since I was a kid, she guided and protected my heart.

Karen: Just like me and Hikari-chan!!!

Yachiyo: Wow~ Do we really compare to such a lovely relationship?

But, yes, close enough... She was just that important to me, like she was the stage itself.

A lot's happened, though. Now she's watching me from the audience—

Karen: The audience... So she isn't with you on stage anymore?

Yachiyo: Yeah! I've made some great friends, and I've found the place where I belong, so she conceded "that" spot in my life to them.

But that's exactly why—I'm scared.

Karen: Scared?

Yachiyo: After staying with me all these years, I wonder how she looks at me now.

From the audience, she can see me. But when I'm on stage? It's so bright, I can't even see her... That's why I'm so scared.

Karen: ...

Yachiyo: Is it really okay for me to be the one enjoying these brilliant days?

For me to be surrounded by my friends? Clashing with them?

For me to be the only one moving on with my life?

To die together, like Castor and Pollux... Isn't that what we should've been?

I just can't help but worry... How does she view me now? Is she angry, perhaps—

Karen: YOU'RE FINE!!!!!!!

Yachiyo: Huh...?

Karen: You said she's like the stage itself for you, right? That must definitely 100% mean.... You're fine!!!!!

'Cuz I know Yachiyo-chan loves the stage VERY, VERY MUCH!!!!!

Yachiyo: Y-You're being pushy...

I'm just saying she might hate me now. If my "most precious" feels that way, I...

Karen (Io): "Let's hear it, then, Gemini... From the other you."

Yachiyo: !!

Karen (Io): "Your story, your way of life... Tell me this, and the 'most precious thing' born from it."

Yachiyo: ...I—

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???? (Castor): "You wanna know how I feel about my li'l bro? I'm MAD! He's being an idiot!"

Karen (Io): "Of course, that anger..."

???? (Castor): "I knew he wanted to die with me! I know!! But I wanted him to LIVE FOR ME!!"

Karen (Io): "*chuckle*... Just as I thought!"

???? (Castor): "He better get that in his thick little head, yeah? I know he can, worrying over me so damn much."

"But y'know... It cheers me up, seeing him look at me that way."

Karen (Io): "It does?"

???? (Castor): "Whenever that kid thinks of me, our hearts begin to form a harmony.

We are a pair of stars. Do you know the name of the radiance that unites two into one?"

Karen (Io): "This radiance... Could you tell me?"

???? (Castor): "*giggle* Yes! Of course, I'll tell you. Our most precious thing to give to the Shooting Star—"

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???? & Yachiyo (Castor & Pollux): "Its name... is love."

This is related to Yachiyo and Chitose's names. Yachiyo means "eternity" while Chitose means "a thousand years". The "chi" in both names is the 千 (thousand) in the title of the bond story.

#shoujo kageki revue starlight relive #starira #24;tsuruhime #1;aijou #????:chitose #HELLO.

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nihilnat · 2 years

Text

Your favorite song

[chapter I] [chapter II] [chapter III] [chapter IV]

Summary: When Vecna’s curse affects you, someone who doesn’t consider himself as a hero outside of D&D comes to save you with his amazing guitar skills, playing your favorite song to save you from it.

Author’s Note: Heavily follows the plot and contains spoilers! If you haven’t watched S4 I wouldn’t recommend reading this fic. Maybe you could save it for later? The summary is for the entire series, not only for this chapter. I highly recommend you to check out the previous chapters! I try to follow the plot as strictly as possible but there are certain changes. Hope you enjoy it. There isn't any volume 2 spoilers.

Word Count: 3.5k

What to Expect: Reader x Eddie Munson, a nightmare about Eddie, takes place during the 'Dear Billy' episode with some changes... read to find out more!

Spoilers below cut, you have been warned!

After Max found out that she was going to die tomorrow, she couldn't sleep. Instead, all she ever wanted was to write letters to the ones she cared for the most. Or to the ones she wanted to say something for the last time. She knew that she didn't have much time left so she wanted to leave others something that they could cherish after she was gone.

While Nancy and Robin were choosing their ‘academic looks’ for tomorrow upstairs, you helped them pick some of the pieces they were going to wear. As much as you wanted to stay right beside Max, she was too busy with her letters and didn’t want to talk to anyone. And as a result of that, you were now listening to Steve whining about always being the goddamn babysitter.

‘Nancy, does Robin look like an academic scholar to you?’ He asked while looking at Nancy, moving his eyebrows up and furrowing them, asking the question seriously.

Then immediately, you heard Robin saying ‘Oh my god it has a little ballerina in it!’ while holding a small music box, showing it to you and the others.

‘Robin it’s not the best time-’ you quickly whispered. You were sitting on Nancy’s bed so you were close to Robin. She heard you and quickly but clumsily, she closed the cute little box and put it where it belonged.

Steve was looking in Robin's direction and he rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed at how Robin always ended up partnering with Nancy when he could’ve spent that time with her. He turned to Nancy once more to check if she was sure of the decision she made... She was.

‘Maybe not right now but when she wears this, she will be.’ Nancy smiled and turned to the rest of you. She was holding a preppy, pastel colored flared top and a long skirt. She also had some jewelry for Robin which fitted with the whole vibe of that look. Robin looked at Nancy in disbelief and tried to protest her but she also knew she didn’t have another choice.

After deciding Nancy’s look too, you all kicked Steve out of the room. ‘Oh so you guys are gonna change now? Well I uh, I can turn around and wait.’

‘Steve… leave this to us girls, okay?’

‘Oh okay… Well, I’ll just go and check up on the others.’

‘Let me know if you guys need anything.’ He said as he walked out of the room. Robin got up from the bed and followed Steve to close the door behind him. She was saying ‘Yeah yeah we will, just go now.’

As she was closing the door, Steve turned to his back and tried to stop Robin, his hands on the door. ‘You know I can use my charm Nancy!’ He yelled.

‘STEVE DO US A FAVOR AND GO BABYSIT THE GODDAMN KIDS!’ Robin shouted as she closed the door shut to Steve’s face.

You looked at Robin and saw the amusement in her eyes. She was trying to hold back her laughter because Steve was desperately trying to be close to Nancy. You also tried not to laugh and you guys were now having a kind of staring contest to see who would break out laughing first.

But neither of you lasted another second as you started to give up and laugh loudly. While you guys were busy having fun, you noticed that Nancy was giggling, she had a little smirk on her face. She was trying to hide it but she wasn’t very good at it.

All of you stayed at the Wheelers’ house that night.

****

After Nancy and Ms Wheeler made sure everyone had a blanket and a pillow, Ms Wheeler said good night to everybody and got out of the living room in order to go to her bedroom.

When Nancy heard the cracks coming from the stairs, she understood that her mother was far away from them. Without wasting another second, she turned to Steve, Lucas and Dustin and told them that they had to keep an eye out for Max.

Anything could’ve happened to her in a matter of seconds and none of you wanted that. So in order to prevent it or at least discover it before it's too late, Nancy thought of watching over her.

Even though you didn’t know how to protect her from an invisible murderer-monster, you knew she would feel safer with other people around her.

And it was up to the guys to watch over her. You normally would’ve stayed with them but Nancy invited you to her bedroom and you couldn’t turn down a more comfortable sleeping environment. Robin was going to sleep in Nancy’s room too.

Everyone said good night and the three of you headed upstairs. After a little walk down the hallway, you reached the bedroom and got settled, getting ready to sleep. Just after you, Nancy and Robin sat down on Nancy’s bed and they started to go over their plan for tomorrow one last time, before sleeping.

They were trying to keep it quiet but Robin wasn’t really good at whispering. You didn’t mind it though. After the visions and the horrible nightmares you had for the past couple of days, you didn’t want to be alone in the dark. So needless to say, you were happy about the company.

*****

And after you had a much needed quality sleep, tomorrow came.

You woke up feeling the tingling and warm sensation of sun rays on your face. It was early in the morning; the sun was shining and the birds were chiming. It seemed like it ought to be a good day. At least, you hoped that way but life had other plans for all of you.

While you were still under your blanket, yawning and trying to get rid of the foggines that was covering your brain due to just waking up, you heard Nancy rushing out the door.

She went downstairs and walked to the living room quickly to check on Max and the others. You stood up and went to the bathroom to wash your face. A few minutes passed and you heard Robin calling your name for you to come to the living room.

You rapidly went downstairs and joined the others. Everyone was packing their things and were ready to go. Nancy and Robin were going to the asylum as planned and Max wanted to drop off some of her letters to her house so Steve was going to drive the kids there.

And while the others were busy with all of that, you were going to go to the supermarket to grab Eddie some snacks… and maybe a 6 pack. They promised to go back to the shack and check him in the evening if everything worked out perfectly. So you had to be prepared in case you got to see him.

****

After shopping, you wanted to reach out to Eddie and tell him that you got him the six pack he desperately wanted. Though unfortunately, Steve and Nancy got the walkie talkies and you didn’t have another option other than Dustin’s setup if you wanted to talk to Eddie. So, you went to Dustin’s house to try out your luck.

With a paper bag full of snacks and beer cans, you knocked on the Hendersons' door. A few seconds passed and you knocked again. Hearing nothing but a distant car engine noise, you started to grow impatient. You knocked one more time and yelled,

‘Ms Henderson, are you at home?

‘HELLO? Anybody?’

It was clear that she wasn’t at home. But you didn’t give up, you weren’t planning on it. So, you wandered around the house and found Dustin’s bedroom window. You needed something to step on in order to reach the window and get inside. Luckily, there was a mini ladder in the backyard of their neighbor.

You swiftly skimmed around and saw that no one was nearby; Hendersons’ neighbors must’ve been at work and there was no one in plain sight.

Then, with the adrenaline rushing, you quickly moved over to their garden and grabbed the little white wooden ladder, placed it underneath the window and climbed up.

When you grabbed the hems of the window, you put all the pressure on your hands and jumped inside, landing on the floor. When your body met the floor, there was a big noise. A noise big enough to alert Dustin’s cat. You quickly stood up.

You’ve been at Dustin’s house dozens of times by now and you tried to pet Tews in every chance you got. A year or two ago, their first cat Mews died and in order to open their house to a new cat and try to fill the emotional gap, they adopted the cute little Tews.

‘Hey baby.’ You whispered gently and Tews came closer to you, rubbing himself onto your legs. You quickly crouched and started to pet him. Hearing the lovely purrs he makes made your heart melt.

You continued to pet him a little longer and as far as you could tell, Tews was very happy with his current situation. As much as you wanted to spend more time with him, you had to speak to Eddie.

It’s been a long time since you two last talked and you desperately wanted to hear him. Hear him saying that he was safe and happy.

You didn’t know all of Dustin’s ham radio setup but luckily you knew the basics. He has taught you about it when you asked what it was the first time you were in his house.

You weren’t actually curious about how it worked but when he started to tell you all the details about it, you knew you had to listen to him because he was so happy to teach it to somebody. You couldn’t stop him after you saw the excitement in his eyes.

And this one time in Family Video Parlor, while he was telling about his day to Steve, he mentioned that he taught you about his radio.

‘See, (Y/N) is way cooler than you, Steve. You never wanted to learn about it!’

‘Woah woah woah woah… Henderson?’ He looked hurt, placing a hand over his heart as if he had been stabbed.

‘Don’t sound so surprised Steve, he’s right. She is definitely cooler than you.’ Added Robin.

You chuckled at the sight in front of you; Steve was furrowing his eyebrows and his mouth was agape, looking confused and a little sad. He was definitely putting on a show.

In the meantime, Dustin was looking directly in his eyes, challenging him and smiling brightly than ever. These little moments brought joy to your life.

****

After setting the radio and controlling all the buttons, you braced yourself and touched the voice button.

‘Munson, can you hear me?’

No sound.

‘If you can hear me, please say something Munson. This should be working.’

Still no answer.

You tried again.

‘Eddie, please answer me… EDDIE!’

After yelling, you heard nothing but Tews’ little meow. You couldn’t comprehend what was going on. You did everything like Dustin has shown you. You checked all the buttons again, fearing the worst;

What if Eddie got caught? What if the police found him? Or worse, what if Jason and the others found him? You didn’t want to let the bad thoughts consume you but it was late. You were already scared.

You felt your vision getting blurry as your eyes began to water up. You looked around the room in an attempt to clear your head but suddenly, there was this painful ache in your heart, your throat burning.

You didn’t know what to do. For a few seconds, you blankly stared at the wall in front of you, trying to come up with an idea. Then you thought of communicating with the others so that you guys could make a plan and go see him sooner.

You were trying to change the station in order to reach out to Dustin’s walkie talkie. You did the last adjustments and you were ready to go.

‘Dustin? Dustin please tell me you copy.’

‘(Y/N)? How?’

‘I uh, broke into your house but that's not important right now.’

You tried to ignore the lump in your throat and continued: ‘I can’t reach out to Eddie and I’m worried, like really worried.’

‘...Are you sure you checked all the buttons? Maybe you made a mistake-’

You knitted your eyebrows as you felt a couple of tears streaming down your cheek and tried your hardest not to break into tears.

‘Dustin look. I controlled them over and over again. I didn’t make a mistake. We have to go to the shack as soon as possible, I need to know if he’s alright.’

‘Maybe he is busy with something (Y/N). We’re here at the graveyard right now, Max is sitting in front of Billy’s gravestone, reading her letter to him.’

‘Once she finishes, we’ll come pick you up and go to the shack okay? I promise. But us coming to you, it could take a while.’

‘Dustin please, you don’t understand. We have to check up on him as soon as we can. We could be too late.’

For a while, Dustin didn’t give you an answer and you didn’t hear anything from them. Not even a single noise.

‘Dustin?...DUSTIN.’

You heard a distant voice, you figured that it belonged to Lucas. ‘DUSTIN SHE’S FLOATING! ...FLOATING!!’

‘...Oh sHIT SHIT SHIT!’ Dustin exclaimed. His voice was higher than usual, meaning he was really scared.

‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN FLOATING? DUSTIN WHA-’

‘(Y/N) GOTTA GO TALK TO YA LATER.’

****

After talking to Dustin, you had so many questions but you didn’t have anything to do. Your hands were tied and this waiting was going to drive you nuts.

Hoping that Nancy and Robin found a way to beat Vecna, you laid down on Dustin’s bed and drifted off to a small nap without realizing. Turns out, after all that mental exhaustion you desperately needed a rest.

Even though your nap was small, the dream you saw had a long lasting effect on you even after you woke up.

In your dream, you were in the same exact position, laying down on Dustin’s bed in their house, Tews snuggling up to you. For a second, you looked so peaceful.

But this moment didn’t stay for long. After a few seconds, you woke up to a gunshot sound that had just flared. The noise came from somewhere close, as if it happened in the backyard of Hendersons’.

You quickly but carefully stood up, trying not to wake the cat up. First, you looked outside from the living room window but you couldn’t quite tell who those people were at first glance. But there were two people, one on the ground who was fighting for his life and the other was holding the gun towards him.

You rapidly made your way to the backyard door and opened it. When the guy with the gun heard the noise, he started to run, escaping the backyard.

You yelled at the guy for him to turn back, so that you could understand who it was. But when the sleepiness wore down, you understood everything perfectly. It was Jason.

So, that meant that the person who was shot would be… Eddie. You quickly turned your gaze towards the guy on the floor. And it was him. Gasping for air, his torso covered in blood, a single tear streaming down his left cheek.

You ran to him, almost throwing yourself at the ground beside him. Your hands immediately cupped his face and his gaze turned towards you, leaning into your touch.

‘(Y/N)?’ He looked deeply in your eyes and forced a smile. It was obvious that he was in pain. You tried to keep your composure for a little bit, trying to look brave for him.

‘Eddie, Eddie you’re going to be okay. I promise baby, I promise everything is going to be alright.’

You dropped your hands and looked around for Dustin, Steve… For anyone. But unfortunately, there was no one. It was only you and him.

‘I’m sorry. Sorry for puttin’ you through hell. You didn’t deserve it.’ He hardly said while gritting his teeth. Your heart broke at his words.

‘No Eddie, none of it is your fault. This is not goodbye, you hear me? We’ll get you to the hospital and-.’

‘I love you (Y/N).’ he whispered.

And a tear fell down your cheek. He already accepted his fate and now it was your turn to accept the hard reality.

‘I love you too Eddie.’

****

You woke up in cold sweat as you heard Steve’s car roll in. You couldn’t comprehend where you were for a long minute or two. That was one of the worst nightmares you ever had in your entire life. Seeing someone you truly love die in your arms…

You heard the lock of the main door opening and Dustin yelling ‘(Y/N)! We have so much to tell you!’ If it wasn’t for Dustin, it would’ve taken you much longer to grasp the reality. It was just a nightmare, you thought to yourself. None of it was real.

‘D-Dustin! I’m here with Tews.’ you exclaimed and they followed the sound of your voice.

When Steve, Lucas, Dustin and Max came to the room, Lucas said, ‘You won’t believe what happened…’ and they all turned to Max. She looked distressed, tired and she had her headphones on, listening to Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.

While all of the gaze was turned towards her, she was trying to avoid eye contact, her arms were crossed. But eventually, she started to tell you about what just happened to her minutes ago and the others joined her, telling the story from their point of view.

****

After learning all the stuff about Max escaping Vecna with the help of her favorite song, you felt a certain comfort. If something were to happen to you, at least you knew what to do; You had to listen to your favorite song and stick to your happiest memories. When you thought back of all of the happy memories you had, there was always a certain person popping up in all of them: That person was none other than Eddie Munson.

You were still debating on whether to tell the others about your symptoms or not when all of you heard a knock on the door. It was Nancy and Robin. When they saw Max safe and sound, they felt a wave of relief washing all over them.

After everybody catched up on the latest news in a detailed manner, you finally filled everyone in about Eddie. How you couldn’t reach out to him and that it has been a couple of days since you guys last saw him… That you missed him and that you were worried about him. And finally, they all agreed to go to the shack to look out for him.

****

A long car ride after, you were finally at the shack. But there was a problem: Police cars were everywhere. Your breathing started to fasten at the sight that was being displayed right in front of you. You all momentarily froze, trying to understand what was happening.

Steve was the first one to get out of the car and seconds after, he was followed by you. As soon as you got out of the car, you saw Jason, all wet and wrapped up in a blanket. He was talking with one of the police chiefs.

You instantly turned to Steve, only to find out that he was looking at you with worry in his eyes. You returned him the same look and your eyes went back to Jason. Still talking with the chief, he felt your eyes on him and fixed his gaze towards you. You’ve never been fond of him -although he didn’t know that- and all this ‘hunting’ thing and the nightmare you just saw, were not helping the situation.

After locking eyes with him, you politely flashed him a little smile. He didn’t know you were close with Eddie and you thought that you could use that to your advantage. Talking to him could’ve helped you understand where Eddie was. You quickly returned your gaze towards Steve and mouthed ‘Go and leave him to me.’

He said ‘No I can’t leave you with this guy.’

You quickly moved to Steve’s side and whispered to him so no one else could hear you: ‘He shouldn’t see Dustin and Lucas. Don’t you remember what Lucas said?’

‘...What about you?’

‘He doesn’t know I’m close to Eddie and I have a plan. Don’t worry, just drive somewhere safe and be alert in case he calls.’

‘On it.’ He turned to the car and opened the door, putting one foot in.

‘Oh and Steve?’ He turned to you.

‘Yeah?’

‘Come pick me up 15 minutes later.’

****

Thank you so much for reading chapter four of the series!

If you like this part, let me know by liking, reblogging or even leaving a comment. All of it is appreciated. Also If you’d like to be added to the taglist, let me know.

(Sorry that it took me so long to publish this chapter. All I have to say for myself is: Fuck you Duffer Brothers. Certain someone is still alive and well. Also I plan on keeping this series longer than I planned. Let me know your thoughts!)

Stay in tune for the next chapter <3

taglist:

@theold-ultraviolence

@eyesfullofstars311

@unatempesta-dipensieri

@nobody-000

@silky-luxe

@fuckthisandrock

@studysimsx

@your-momahoe316

@dan-the-space-man

@mosf13

@httpjiikook

@shinydixon

@sadenchiladas

@liv0679

@jungwoo-siwa

@jaazzsblog

@m-i-1-0

@plk-18

@eddies-gf

#eddie munson #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson fic #stranger things s4 #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things fic #joseph quinn #steve harrington #dustin henderson #max mayfield #lucas sinclair #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #yourfavoritesongseries #writings

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twilightknight17 · 2 months

Text

Last night on P3R: middle-school SEES, struggling with my social calendar, the Abyss of Time, questionable movie choices, and oh god we finished Sunset and now I’m hitting sad stuff in everything else I’m playing/watching too.

I’m still in Tartarus from last time, so I can knock out a few more floors before we go home. I’ve been introduced to a new thing, though, and it’s a Big Hand!

I kind of love how goofy the hands are. They do a little dance and sometimes it syncs up with the music. ^_^

After that, it’s time for the next gatekeeper floor! And it’s--

...oh. Oh god. Is this it? I’m not ready for this. I’ve got Mitsuru with me, but oh man. Not the Table.

……

...false alarm. This is a Terminal Table, not a Crying Table. We’re safe for a little longer.

That wasn’t so bad.

Also, I got a weapon for Shinji as a quest reward, and it’s a crossing sign from in front of a school. It’s so silly.

I rolled through the next set of floors pretty quick, but I don’t think anyone’s quite prepared to take on another gatekeeper. Everyone is pretty drained in terms of SP. So we’re gonna head home for the night, and go learn some more nonsense from school tomorrow.

...all right, actually an acceptable discussion related to the book we’re reading. But hey, sometimes your soulmate can be your rival! Seven years from now, two rival soulmates are gonna be climbing through a cognitive space station!

This is not a fair discussion when Minato’s soulmate still isn’t here for another month and a half.

Anyway, Mitsuru is very worried about Shinji. He wants to extend his leave of absence from school again even though he’s come back to the dorm. So I guess he’s been absent for two years now? She really wants him to re-enroll, though. She, Akihiko, and Shinji were the only three members of SEES originally, back when the three of them were in middle school.

Apparently they could barely handle the first floor of the tower, which… They were children, so I’m not surprised. No adult supervision, either, and Mitsuru only had minor navi powers. I’m surprised none of them got killed. At least Ken has all of us who’ve already learned to fight to keep him safe.

They promised that they’d all graduate high school together, which explains why Mitsuru is so invested. She clearly cares about both of them a lot.

You can hand over the extension form here, but there’s also the option to hold onto them and go find Shinji to talk again. So… I guess you can literally just end the events there if you choose to not take the form back and go pry.

...there’s nothing we can do?

And any miracles I can make will come too late. If only my sister was here… It’s just a cruel twist of fate that which twin survives the car accident determines whether Shinji can live ten years later.

He says he’s happy to spend time with me, though.

This isn’t fair, you can’t hit me like this after the fic Jade and I finished and the end of MGS4 and the fic my other friend is writing AND--

God. And he doesn’t want to tell anyone.

At least Junpei is happy. He really, really likes Chidori. But he’s willing to go at her pace on everything.

Good for you, my guy.

Let’s go upstairs and check on Ken. He’s banging something around in his room, so probably good to make sure that he hasn’t dropped a box on his head or something.

He’s fine, but he does ask me to come in, because he wants to ask for a favor. Turns out, he’s got a pet hamster!

...you’re gonna be fine, Ken. But okay. What’s the little guy’s name?

……amazing. Yes, I will take care of Hamburger, but I’m also not gonna let anything happen to you. Everyone here is going to take care of you. You’ve noticed, right?

Because you’re the youngest and you’re our collective baby brother/kid. No one wants you to get hurt, and it’s unnerving how you talk like you don’t matter, and like you’re not planning to make it through all this alive.

Maybe school will be less depressing. It’s a good day to go to art club. Apparently Keisuke’s dad is very enthusiastic about him studying art abroad! And he says he’s going to go! But then he immediately says he’s not excited about it, so… Keisuke, seriously. What do you want to do?

Ah, well, I’m sure he’ll figure it out.

And then a box falls on Minato’s head, and everything goes dark.

Keisuke gets Mina to the nurse’s office, and after he wakes up, checks him over. Apparently Minato has dodged a concussion. He blames himself, because apparently he’s the one who put the box on the shelf. He’s not used to cleaning, because the maid does all of that at home.

Right. Sure. Careless at cleaning because of the maid. Cool.

He really seems to like the idea of being a doctor, and he’s afraid that if he goes to become an artist, that’s it, he can never be a doctor.

So… sounds like you made a decision, dude.

Keisuke. What. Do. You. Want. For fuck’s sake.

Anyway. So people have been talking about the culture festival all week. There’s gonna be a haunted house. There’s gonna be fried food. The archery club was gonna do a maid cafe, which I know because Yukari was so mad she was gonna have to wear a maid dress.

But, a typhoon is rolling in, so the festival is canceled, and isn’t gonna be rescheduled despite Mitsuru’s efforts. And after school on Friday, we head straight home, because the wind is starting to really kick up.

But… there’s still one person wandering around Port Island Station.

He’s not worried about the oncoming storm. He wants to talk, specifically about Chidori. He asked if she was okay. If we were taking care of her. If she was being a problem.

...no, you dumb asshole.

He also wants to bitch at me again about how we want to stop the Dark Hour.

Apathy? Maybe if you’d caught me six months ago. I have people I like now, and a reason to care. Meanwhile, you’re sitting there talking about how I don’t understand the ‘true value’ of my powers. What value is that? Wandering around at midnight killing people, like you do?

Minato is drenched by the time we get back to the dorm, because the downpour has kicked in and the typhoon has properly arrived. Everyone is a little cranky about missing the festival (except Yukari), and Minato’s got chills and fatigue from getting soaked, so he opts to go to bed early because he’s not feeling well.

…uh. Hi? Is the elevator about to crash?

Igor says that he hasn’t called me in my dreams in a while, and wants to open up some more special fusions for me to do. Which is great and all, but like… I am trying to sleep because I am sick. Can we do this any other time?

I see. Well, that’s… vague? Are you talking about like… the other Full Moon Shadows? The Clockwork God? Do you know what’s about to happen and won’t tell me? Although I guess you can’t help it, considering who made you.

Even if he wasn’t always like that.

Well, let’s get a good night’s sleep and see how we feel in the morni--

Minato. Mina. Darling. It’s MONDAY. You slept for TWO DAYS?

So, according to Q, Minato was feeling well enough that the team went to Tartarus last night. And Igor left the Velvet Room at some point, making it unstable enough to crash the elevator into the Abyss of Time. Apparently it’s not just the Abyss that no one remembers. They don’t seem to remember the instigating trip to Tartarus either.

Weird. But understandable I guess.

Anyway I missed two days of possibly playing my MMO all day. You could have at least showed me my teammates checking on me!

I guess I’ll spend my vacation hanging out with Shinji. Senpaiiii, teach me to cook!

...senpai is mean. XD

But apparently I’m a menace in the kitchen, so maybe I deserve it.

Let’s go to the movies, too!

Yes, we’re seeing this. It’s a movie about cute animals!

…….oh fuck me this is Watership Down isn’t it

Shinjiro-senpai I’m so sorry.

He sounds like he’s about to cry. X’’’’D

I thought it was a nice movie!!!!

Well, now someone has wandered into Tartarus again, so let’s head back, and check in with the Velvet Room about those new fusions. I’m not a high enough level for them yet, but it can’t hurt to look.

...why does it get its own fire attack. Why does it inflict charm.

WHY IS ITS LEVEL UP ITEM ITS HEAD. WHAT HEAD.

God.

After buying everyone new weapons and fusing some more personas, we’re probably going to be in Tartarus for a while. Because, well…

I’m broke.

So next time, yeah, we’re gonna save people, but also, time to look for so much money.

#Li plays P3Re

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ellienettie · 2 years

Note

You haven't told me about demi-god!Tim 👀

and I never will :)

/j if you're who I think you are then hey babe imu <3 ily <3 I hope you choke on a stick and step on a lego <3

so anyway half god Tim is an au collection of snippets of Tim being various gods and goddess' son.

So far I only have Nyx, Zeus, Athena, Persephone & Hades, Aphrodite and Hermes written down BUT I have plans for Apollo (w/ cool aunt Artemis, Eris, and Hestia (but he's completely human with Hestia) and I want to write more :D here's some snippets <3

________________

The sky was clear. No sight of rain of fog whatsoever.

It was a normal night. It was a normal night, filled with fighting, bickering and slight physical attempts from Damian's side.

Dick sighs, already feeling a headache as Damian's grip tightens on the butter knife. Tim glares at him, and his eyes are so blue, shining with something almost electric. He flicks his gaze at Damian. "Aren't you going to do something? That brat's---"

"Pathetic, Drake. You can't handle me by yourself. It's a miracle that you're still alive."

There was a thunder as Tim's jaw clenches. He breathes, trying to calm down. Dick clicks his tongue. "Wooh. Looks like there'll be rain soon. Maybe we could skip patrol and just work on cases today." he nervously laughs, trying to ease the situation.

Tim looks at him again, and call Dick crazy, but he sees flecks of yellow in his eyes. Maybe it was the light. "I'm taking the night off. I have papers due tomorrow and some brat," he looks at Damian this time, and thunder rumbles again. "ruined all my hard work."

Damian tuts, chin raised high. "I did you a favor. Your work was sloppy. I expect you to take care of my company well, not to bring it to the ground before I've had a chance to fix your mistakes."

Tim clenches his fist and lightning flashes outside, striking a tree. Tim breathes, unclenching his hands and smiling politely at Damian.

"You'll be the one to bring WE down."

"Tim!"

His smile grows more vicious as lightning strikes closer to the mansion, rain starting to fall at a rapid phase. "You're an idiot, Damian. You're too rash with your decisions, you never think about the problems you'd cause for the future. The long term effects of your decisions in the present. You and your ego will be the reason for not only WE's downfall, but yourself as well. I hope you know that I wish you absolute misery in your future." Lightning strikes the tree right outside their house, splitting it down to the middle.

Tim nods at Dick. "Good day."

________________

Tim gasps at the sight of blinking lights around him. He tugs at the skirt of his mother. “Mama, what are those?”

Nyx turns to her child, looking at the sparkling lights surrounding them with awe. She smiles. “Those are stars, my love. They guide my path through darkness as I drive the moon across the sky.”

He looks up at her, owlish blue eyes looking at her in awe. “Can I have one?”

She laughs, loud and free in her chariot. “My darling son, you can have them all. Connect them, move them, do with them as you wish. The only star I truly need is you.”

Tim smiles at her, his skin sparkling as the wind tussles his hair. He’s bright, a brilliant light in her life. Her son. Her precious son. “I’m your star, mama?”

She nods at him, gazing at him with love, a softness to her stare. “Yes Tim. You’re my star.”

#tim drake #tim centric #dc #batman #red robin #demi-god!Tim #timothy jackson drake wayne #timothy jackson drake #tim drake wayne #tim wayne #greek myth x batman #dcu

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musicalluna · 2 years

Text

50 shades of gold-titanium alloy

so i wrote this in 2015 and the cute ambitious part of my brain was like, 'yeah, this can be a whole series about steve and tony getting into bdsm! that'd be fun!' ignoring that i'm not part of the bdsm community and struggle with writing smut at the best of times so something like that would be a massive way-outside-my-wheelhouse undertaking, but i just re-read this bit and actually it's not a terrible standalone fic. so enjoy some seven-year-old steve/tony that's smutty mostly because they're reading excerpts of 50 shades of gray :D

"Tony, I really don't have time to discuss this with you right now," Pepper says. She's signing paperwork and has stopped sounding tolerant and amused. He's worn out his welcome.

Tony leans over the desk and kisses her cheek, gets a glare for his trouble.

"Cool it, Potts," he says, holding up his hands, "I'm going."

Her look softens then. "Maybe we can talk about it tomorrow, okay?"

He smiles at her, easy as can be, taps his knuckles on the desk, which is strangely soft and hollow sounding. "Sure thing." He glances down—the reason the desk sounds strange is because his knuckles are resting on a stack of papers that appear to be covering a book.

Curious, he peels up the papers and peeks underneath. It's thick, black with a silver tie on the cover. The title rings a bell, but he can't quite put his finger on where he's heard it before. This is Pepper's “get it the hell off my desk” pile though, so he feels like he's doing her a favor when he slips it out from between the loose-leaf pages and tucks it against his side. “Later, Potts,” he says, tossing her a wave.

“Bye Tony,” she sighs, attention already elsewhere.

–

He forgets he's even holding the book until he slides into the car waiting for him on the street.

“Hey Mr. Stark,” the driver calls back. “How you doing, sir?”

“New York has remained un-besieged by aliens for almost three months now, I have dinner plans with my boy toy tonight, and my CEO doesn't totally hate my guts, I'd say we're three for three,” he replies.

That's when the driver nods at the book in his hand.

“What have you got there?”

Tony holds it up so the guy can get a better look. “Heard of it?”

“Oh, hey, yeah, 50 Shades of Grey. My wife's been reading that book, says it's hot as hell.”

Tony's eyebrows climb his forehead. “You don't say? What's it about?”

The driver waves a hand, nose wrinkling. “I dunno. I'm not much of a reader. Prefer puzzles and things. Whatever it is, gets my wife revved up though.”

Tony stares at the cover of the book and tries to imagine what the hell could be inside. Pepper was reading it in the office. Maybe his wife just has a thing for ties.

Curious, Tony flips the book open, letting a few dozen pages flutter by before opening it wide enough to read.

...his hands move beneath the waistband, skimming me and moving to my behind. His hands glide slowly down my backside to my thighs, removing my jeans as they go. I cannot look away. He stops and licks his lips, never breaking eye contact. He leans forward, running his nose up the apex between my thighs. I feel him.

Tony's mouth twitches, his eyes going wide. Holy god, Pepper's been reading porn at work.

Gleefully, he skims further down.

He kneels up and pulls a condom on to his considerable length. Oh no...

Will it?

How?

"Don't worry," he breathes, his eyes on mine, "You expand too."

He is going to give her so much shit, holy hell. Pepper must have pitched it for the writing quality—it's not great by any standards. What's with all the weird euphemisms?

And this is only a hundred pages in, what the hell else is in this book? Is it all just sex?

He flips forward some more and holy crap, yep, they're at it again barely twenty pages later. Still?

I pull him deeper into my mouth so I can feel him at the back of my throat and then to the front again. My tongue swirls around the end. He’s my very own Christian Grey-flavored popsicle. I suck harder and harder … Hmm … My inner goddess is doing the merengue with some salsa moves.

“Okay,” he says aloud, “the popsicle thing is a sexy visual, not— That's just—ew. Inner—seriously?” He leans forward in the seat and holds up the book. “You said your wife likes this?”

“Yes, sir,” the driver replies. “Loves it. She hasn't put it down since she got it over the weekend. I guess her friends have been pestering her about it for a while now. It was published maybe a year ago, but according to her it's been getting pretty popular.”

Tony looks back down at the book. He needs to know more. There are women—Pepper—reading this porn widely enough across America that he'd pinged on the title. He has to. For science.

Tony settles back and starts to flip through the pages, looking for the next juicy bit.

–

Steve drags himself into the bedroom at half-past nine and it's early, but he's exhausted. Dinner with a group of NYC's most powerful bigwigs is enough to take it out of any guy, but he finds it particularly grueling. He's tugging his tie from around his neck when he hears, “Steve!”

Tony's voice automatically makes him smile, the sound of his bare feet smacking across the floor stretching it wider. Tony comes flying at him and Steve manages to catch him, though momentum carries them through a half turn. “Hi, Tony.”

He gets a quick kiss on the mouth and then Tony's looking up at him, practically vibrating; he's in a good mood and Steve doesn’t know what’s caused it, but it makes him happy.

Then, face schooled into a serious expression and hands cupped around Steve's face, Tony says, “Can I suck your Steve Rogers-flavored popsicle and try to awaken your inner Latin-dancing goddess?”

Steve stares. “Excuse me?”

Tony breaks into what can only be described as delighted giggles and catches a hand around the lapel of Steve's suit, dragging him toward the bed. “You have to check this out, Steve, it's awful.”

He's surprised when Tony crawls onto the bed and sits up on his knees, holding out—

“A book?”

Steve takes it, easing down at the edge of the bed. Tony shuffles over to drape himself over Steve's shoulders. He's warm and smells like grass and aftershave and Steve sinks back against him a little, finally able to relax. Dinner had been awful, he hadn't enjoyed it at all, and it's a relief to be home.

Tony seems to notice this and his head comes down to peer at him. Steve feels his fingers curl gently in the hair at the nape of his neck. “Hey, sorry, I came at you hard. How are you? How was dinner?”

Steve sighs. “Just...awful.”

Tony makes a sympathetic noise. “Damn politicians.”

“They're vile.” Steve sighs explosively as Tony digs his thumbs into his shoulders. “You seem to have had a better day,” he observes.

Tony rubs a little harder at his shoulders and then pats them, kisses the top of his head. “Come on, let's get you ready for bed. This will cheer you right up, and if it doesn't you can kick me out of bed.”

“Is that supposed to be an incentive?”

Tony's face crinkles with a grin, pleased but shy. “Come on,” he demands. “Change.”

So Steve strips out of his clothes, sighing with relief at how being free of them instantly makes his muscles unwind. He pulls on a loose pair of striped drawstring sleep pants and brushes his teeth while Tony waits for him on the bed, flipping through the book and giggling to himself. He's cute.

“Okay,” he declares when he's finished, “what's this about?” He drops onto the bed next to Tony, tucking a smile into his teeth when it nearly catapults Tony off. He props himself up on his elbows and tugs the book toward him when Tony pushes it over.

“First thing you need to know: I stole this off Pepper's desk,” he says, draping his arm over Steve's back and leaning his cheek into Steve's shoulder.

Steve eyes him warily. “Tony...”

“It's fine!” Tony hurries to explain. “It was in her outbox.” He crosses his heart. “She will not come for our heads for this.”

“All right,” Steve says and looks down at the book.

Tony taps the page and says with barely restrained glee, “Here, start here first.”

He then starts on my right foot, repeating the whole, seductive, mind-blowing process.

He’s going to kiss me there! I know it. And part of me is glowing in the anticipation.

Steve stares at the page. “Tony, what the hell am I reading.”

Tony giggles in his ear, fingers squeezing his shoulders. “No, no, wait, it gets better.”

He goes on, directing Steve to flip through pages, stopping him here and there to read selections. The prose is—terrible. Steve imagines if Dum-Dum and Falsworth had written a book it might sound a lot like this, though probably with a hell of a lot less references to “down there”. He starts reading the particularly bad lines aloud in the deepest voice he can muster until both he and Tony are in wheezing paroxysms of laughter.

“This is what people think is sexy,” Tony says, wiping tears from his eyes. “Truly, the world is a magical place.”

“I probably owe Fury another ten bucks,” Steve admits, lying back on the bed with the book held aloft over his face. “I can't imagine why you'd want to get tied up. I've never enjoyed it.”

Tony grins at him, face crinkled with affection. “Yeah, but you've only ever been tied up by supervillains.” Then his eyes light up. “We should try it.”

Steve's eyebrows creep up his forehead. “Try it?”

“Yeah,” Tony says, and rolls onto his belly, their hips bumping as he gets close. He presses onto his hands, propped up over Steve. Then he leans over, retrieving Steve's tie from where he'd left it at the foot of the bed. He waggles his eyebrows. “You wanna?”

Amused, Steve settles back and holds up his wrists, pressed together. “Go nuts.”

“You are so game, I love it,” Tony says, and starts looping the tie around Steve's wrists. Steve watches him work, happy and pleasantly relaxed after a half an hour spent laughing with Tony.

Tony finishes the restraint off with a big bow and Steve can't help but grin.

“Well?” Tony says. “Do you feel tingly down there?”

Steve tilts his head, pretending to consider the question. “I think I feel an itch.”

Tony laughs and then straddles Steve's hips, lowering his eyelids to half-mast. “What about now?”

Now there is some warmth gathering down there, but Steve's pretty sure it has nothing to do with the tie, and everything to do with Tony's body against his.

“Not doing it for me,” he says. “Sorry to disappoint.”

Tony leans down to kiss him with a smile and pushes Steve's bound hands up over his head, out of the way. As he kisses deeper into Steve's mouth, he presses down, pinning them to the mattress.

That's when Steve feels a jolt that goes straight to his dick. He sucks in a breath, startled, and Tony pulls back just far enough to look him in the eye.

“You o—ohhkay, wow,” he says, and Steve can feel the flush that's prickling across his cheeks and chest. He wriggles a little and that just makes shivers crawl down the length of his raised arms. Tony's looking at him, picking apart his expression. “You like?”

“Um,” Steve says, and then swallows thickly. “I—yeah. I think I do.”

Tony blinks at him, processing this. Then he licks his lips, eyes darkening a shade. “Do you wanna?” he says again, but this time low and rasping and Steve's breath catches.

“Yeah,” he breathes, “yeah, Tony—”

Tony rolls his hips and Steve moans, fingers curling into fists, hands still held firmly in place by Tony's.

Later, Steve lays on the bed, a little in shock, his head swimming in the afterglow. Tony's still panting, leaning heavily against his hip as he picks the tie loose from around Steve's wrists. “Holy shit, Steve,” he says. “That was—”

“Yeah,” Steve breathes.

“Unbelievable,” Tony says.

“Yeah,” Steve agrees. Tony slumps down next to him, pressing up against his side even though they're both sweaty and still hot. Steve finally relaxes though, eyes slipping shut as Tony skims his hand down Steve's chest, pressing a kiss to his collarbone.

“Wow,” is the last thing Steve hears him murmur.

–

“Pepper! Thank you for inadvertently inspiring some of the best sex Steve and I have had yet. And that's saying something.”

Pepper wrinkles her nose at him. “I really didn't need to know that, Tony. And what did I do to inspire you to greater sexual heights?”

“That book,” Tony says, tapping the desk where it had lain yesterday and hoisting a hip up onto the edge of her desk. “Inspiring.”

Pepper's eyes go wide and she reaches for the pile, hands growing more frantic when she doesn't find the book. “Fifty Shades of Grey? You— Tony, oh my god, are you all right? What the hell did you do? That book is—it's—it's disgusting. It's abuse wrapped up as a romantic love story, I was going to have it burned.”

She starts tugging at his sleeves, frantically scanning the skin underneath.

“Whoa, whoa, Pep, relax. All I did was tie Steve's hands together with his tie. He could have torn it to shreds with like, zero effort. No abuse, I promise.”

Pepper lets out a slow breath and smooths her hand over her hair. “Don't scare me like that, Tony. Promise me you won't imitate anything else in that horrible book. If you want to experiment with BDSM you can talk to Natasha.”

Tony stares at her. “Natasha. Natasha Romanova? Nat Natasha?”

Pepper gives him a wry look. “Yes, that Natasha.”

Tony thinks about it and then says, “You know, that is not surprising in the least.”

“Throw the book away,” Pepper orders. “And if Steve wants you to tie him up again, you'd better go talk to Natasha. She'll cut your balls off if you accidentally amputate Steve's hands.”

Tony stares at her some more. “That's a thing you can do?”

“That's a thing you can do,” she confirms.

“Oookay,” Tony agrees. “I will talk to Natasha.”

#steve rogers/tony stark #stony #steve/tony #musicalluna writes #i've forgotten how to tag #steve rogers #tony stark #captain america #iron man

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