#my boss asked about my purple hair and how it fades and i realize i just have this problem with
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Hazbin Hotel: The Contract of Blood Ep. 1
*Hello, guys! I'm back with both of me and my friend making a collab fanfic for Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss crossover. This episode is published on February 27, 2024. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Warning: this will have implied sexual assault, which it only appears in the first episode. There will also be a lot of vulgar words. Reader discretion is advised.*
The alarm clock rings in Charlie’s bedroom. Sharing the master bed covered by purple and velvet sheets, Charlie and her girlfriend, Vaggie, are cuddling each other.
Charlie snaps her eyes open and slams the alarm clock. She is about to turn over and get out of bed, but she realizes her girlfriend is slowly waking up. She kisses Vaggie’s forehead.
“Morning, angel,” Charlie whispers, scooting out of Vaggie’s loose hold.
Vaggie lifts one eyelid open. “Morning.” She sits up in her tank top, her gray hair covering over her missing eye with a red x over it.
Charlie opens the shades, revealing a red sky with a faded symbol up on the sky. Down below, there are reeks of chaos of sinners killing each other. She inhales and exhales, and then looks at Vaggie.
“Today’s the new day,” Charlie says while hurrying to the bathroom.
Vaggie sighs lovingly at her girlfriend and scoots off the bed.
The happy music starts as Charlie exits the bathroom in her red suit, her face pale with rosy blushes she always had. With her blonde hair in a ponytail, she starts to sing cheerfully.
“Oh, oh,
I woke up today,
Whoa.
Feelin’ the way I do.
Whoa.”
Charlie swiftly walks out into the hallway to see the short maid cyclops dusting the halls, the maid’s work noted by her song.
“Nifty is dusting the halls.”
Charlie hears the radio static in the speakers.
“Good morning, sinners. It’s currently eight in the morning with the weather being Hellish today,” Alastor’s voice announces.
Charlie croons excitedly as she slides down the stairs,
“Alastor is giving his daily announcements.”
She shifts her gaze towards the bar to see other patrons enjoying themselves, including the familiar spider demon with six arms and skimpy clothing named Angel Dust and the cat demon with red wings named Husk.
Husk leans closer to Angel with a lovesick smiling while Angel is talking his ear off non-stop.
Charlie notices this and sings teasingly,
“Angel at the bar flirting with Husk.”
Angel and Husk hears Charlie with shocked looks.
“We’re not flirting,” the men said simultaneously.
Charlie feels Vaggie’s hand on her shoulder and massaging it.
Vaggie sings along with her girlfriend.
“Okay, babe, calm down.”
Charlie jumps in excitement.
“How can I be calm
When everything is going right?”
Charlie gestures to the sinners coming into the hotel as she sings more happily.
“Look at all the residents now.
Sinners from all the seven rings
Coming to this hotel to seek redemption!”
Charlie opens her arms wide to welcome incoming sinners.
“Good morning, sinners!
Welcome to Hazbin Hotel!
Where change is possible!
Where we try every day to be better!”
Charlie ushers the other sinners in while repeating her chorus.
“Good morning, sinners!
I hope you enjoy your stay.
This is a rehab to leave behind all of your old habits.
A place where we can all grow together!”
She tries to ask the sinners if they need help while singing,
“Oh, oh.
How can I help you today?
Oh, oh,
How can I assist you today?”
“Honey, that means the same thing,” Vaggie reminds Charlie, trying to calm her down.
“Heh, right,” Charlie utters with a nervous smile.
Nifty jumps out, chasing the black bug crawling around the floor and singing,
“I’m gonna kill some bugs, hehehehe!
Ooh, is that a knife I see?”
Angel comes into the scene and lifts Nifty away from sharp knives at the bar while crooning.
“Whoa there, missy, Charlie says for you to not touch sharp objects.”
Charlie smiles and sings happily,
“Thanks, Angel.”
Angel nods while Husk notices a patron sulking.
Then Husk sings in baritone,
“You look like shit.”
The patron croons back,
“Give me the strongest you got.”
“Uh, isn’t that too early for that?” Husk asks the patron. The speakers goes static, which hurt Husk’s ears temporarily.
Up in the radio tower on the several story hotel, the tall demon with a red bob-cut hair and ears like a deer, Alastor, starts to sing in his radio voice.
“In today’s announcements,
The hotel has gain population
Four months after the last extermination.
What a miracle that it garners folks’ attention.
I guess Charlie’s little idea might bring hope.”
Charlie sings the chorus to welcome the new hotel guests.
“Good morning, sinners.
Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel.
Some day, you’ll reach the pearly gates.
Some day, you’ll break free from old habits.”
Vaggie, Angel Dust, Husk, Alastor, and Nifty gather around Charlie to sing with her in the last chorus.
“Good morning, sinners!
Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel!
Where we all have each other!
Maybe some day there will be a path to Heaven.”
The music ends in a happier note, leaving the incoming guests to cheer at the gang.
Charlie claps excitedly and turns to the rest. “Well done, guys!”
“We want to check in,” the hotel guest with family of four uttered.
“Oh yeah, be there in a minute,” Charlie calls to the hotel guest and looks at the gang. “Make sure you guys get comfortable. We’re going to do some trust exercises later.”
Husk and Angel groan at the activity while Vaggie rolls her eyes at them. When she walks away, Angel shifts his glance at Husk.
“Will you catch me when I fall later?” Angel asks in a flirty tone.
“That depends on the mood,” Husk answers with a smirk.
Angel chuckles. “Mind if we talk some more at the bar?”
Husk nods and walks over, leading Angel back over at the bar.
“So, got anything to spill to an old bartender?” Husk asks.
“Oh, you know the usual. Last night was fucking insane.”
“Do tell.”
“Okay, so Valentino had some kinks that are just weird. Like a crime show where the cops fuck the prisoner or something.”
“Huh, weird.”
“I know. And guess who's the prisoner?”
Husk ponders, pretending to think with a smirk. “Hmm, the one who snorts thin lines on a hunk’s abs--”
“Oh, fuck you,” Angel teases.
“I mean if that’s what you want to do.”
Angel giggles. “Ah, you’re learning the ways of my jokes.”
“Your mind can’t even get out of the gutter for one goddamn second,” Husk responds with chuckles.
Both of the men share laughs while Husk’s hand was close to one of Angel’s hands. His pinky claw manage to rub the top of Angel’s pink glove hand before hearing the phone ring.
Angel’s smile instantly fades away once he looks at who’s calling him.
Valentino.
Husk reads his friend’s face for a moment with a frown. “You don’t have to answer that.”
Angel looks up at Husk and then back at his phone. He appears like he’s not going to answer the call, but hesitates.
“I have to,” Angel utters, answering the phone. “Hello?”
Husk watches Angel hugging himself nervously with his four arms, his legs dangle from the barstool.
“I can’t today, Val. I got some chores to do at the hotel--”
Husk can hear Val screaming about something, but can’t make out the words. However, he watches Angel’s shoulders trembling.
“Okay, okay...I’ll be there. Don’t worry...I’ll--”
The voice interrupts Angel for a moment.
“Yes, five minutes. Okay. Bye,” Angel says as he hangs up the phone. A deep sigh escapes from him, leaving concern for Husk.
“You have to go?” Husk asks.
Angel lifts his head, taking a deep breath as if he is putting on the mask. “Yeah, I’ll be gone for a while. But I’ll come back for a drink.”
Husk fakes a smile while watching Angel getting up from the barstool. “Alright, I’ll see you tonight then.”
“Tonight sounds good,” Angel replies and struts away with confidence, but Husk can see that Angel was in a rush to get to the studio.
Husk loses his smile and sighs sadly.
“Hey, you okay there?” Vaggie’s voice calls him.
The bartender glances up to see Vaggie, straightening himself up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
Vaggie smirks. “Getting worried about Angel, huh?”
“No, I ain’t even worried about him. I’m sure he can handle himself.”
“Not like you’re on a date with him, are ya?”
“What? Fuck, no! He’s just my drinkin’ buddy,” Husk responds defensively.
“Uh-huh, sure,” Vaggie teases.
Husk gruffs, but he doesn’t expect her hand on his shoulder in comfort.
“I’m sure Angel will be fine. Just as long as he comes back from the studio in one piece, he’ll be just fine.”
He sighs and nods. “Yeah, yeah, I ain’t that worried about him.”
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” she responds with a smirk, walking away.
He moves his gaze up to watch her walking away back towards her girlfriend, giving Charlie a peck on the lips of affection.
His thoughts are on him and Angel immediately. Does Angel think that he has feelings for him? Or does Angel even have feelings for him? Damn it, now he’s thinking Angel of all people to think about. Husk groans at himself and turns to the refrigerator next time. He opens the fridge and notices a lot of food they have been storing up. Husk pulls the food out and examines the bread. A nice thought enters his head. Maybe he can make Angel some lunch...you know, for the wild rough sex he might have later. Might as well have some food in his stomach. Or does Val allow lunch breaks for Angel?
Husk shrugs the question off and begins making a sandwich. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. That should be a safe meal.
Husk takes the brown paper bag out and stuffs an apple in the bag. Then he gets out a ziploc bag and puts the sandwich in it. He places the sandwich in the brown lunch bag. He rolls up the top to seal it and writes Angel’s name on the bag with the sharpie.
“Perfect,” Husk mutters to himself. He looks around to make sure Vaggie and Charlie or Alastor aren’t around. He sneaks out of the hotel as quickly as he can and hurries down into the city.
~.~
“Where’s that damn studio?” Husk curses himself, searching around the city for the studio Angel works at. He looks up to see the big sign that says ‘Porn Studios’. “Oh, fuck, there it is. Make it big and obvious why don’t you?”
Husk enters the studio with Angel’s lunch. He walks through the studio where he hears a familiar slimy voice. And then Angel’s moans. He follows the sounds of Angel’s moans and manages to enter the right film set. Once he enters, he sees Angel laying naked on the wooden table with the actors dressed as cops.
Husk looks away quickly before he can analyze any one else’s nakedness. He hurries to the small table with all the bags.
Val notices Husk walking to the side with a groan. “Ugh, cut.” He turns to Husk. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Relax, man, I’m just delivering something,” Husk answers while looking at Angel, who is now covering his nakedness with his pink robe. He shows Angel his lunch and puts it in the spot where he will remember it.
“Thank you,” Angel mouths.
Husk smiles softly at Angel.
“Make you sure you watch Fat Nuggets for me,” Angel adds with a whisper.
Husk gives him a thumbs up and nods.
Val notices the exchange, watching the way Angel smiles like a lovesick school boy at Husk and Husk gives him the same look. With a small growl and he whispers to the other actors.
Husk sees that and wonders what Val’s whispering about. The actors come back on set with Angel undressing himself off of his robe.
“Action!” Val shouts impatiently.
Husk is about to walk away until he hears Angel gasp in shock.
“Wait, this isn’t part of the script!” Angel cries.
Husk snaps his attention to Angel, watching Angel getting manhandle on his stomach by three of the buff actors. His head is slammed against the table while he is struggling helplessly.
“No, wait, stop!” Angel shouts in fear.
Husk clenches teeth, feeling a growl rumbling in his throat. He witnesses one of the actors taking his pants off and forcing himself in Angel, who screams in pain.
“Ah! AH! It fucking hurts! Stop--!”
“Keep it going,” Val says slimly.
Husk’s anger rises to his chest, losing control of himself at the moment he watches Angel scream in pain. It’s sudden that black tentacles grows from the ground around Angel, shoving the other actors off of him.
Val turns with a surprise look at Husk, whose eyes are turning glowing green.
“You get the fuck away from him!” Husk screams, teleporting in front of Angel’s naked figure to protect him from the other actors.
The actors scream in terror at the sight of the tentacles growing all around Husk and Angel.
“Husk?” Angel calls softly.
Husk breathes heavily, losing control of himself. He uses the tentacles to stab through the actors, possessing them to turn against Val.
“Husky, what the hell are you doing?” Angel questions, now more scared.
Husk controls the other actors to take out weapons, ready to use against Val. Angel notices that Husk is out of it and runs in front of Val to defend him.
“Husk, stop!” Angel cries.
Husk stops the actors from pursuing Val, knowing that Angel is standing in between them and Val. Val smirks at Husk.
Husk relaxes his shoulders and the tentacles. “Angel?”
Before Husk can say anything, a green shackle appears around his throat. Instantly, the tentacles disappears and the actors are not longer possessed.
Angel watches Husk struggling in his chains with the green glow in his eyes still. Soon, his eyes start to tear up as he rushes up to Husk. “HUSK!!!”
Husk starts struggling in his chains, not realizing that Alastor appeared beside him.
“Sorry for the little inconvenience,” Alastor replies to Val as he’s dragging Husk away. “It won’t happen again.”
Husk attempts to swipe at Val like an angry cat, but misses. “No! You leave him alone! Don’t you fucking hurt him! Don’t you fucking dare hurt him--!”
Alastor manages to pull Husk out of the studio as Husk is passing out from using his unknown powers, leaving Angel alone with the other actors and Val.
Val snaps his head to glare at Angel, who is starting to breathe heavily in fear.
~.~
“Don’t you fucking hurt him! Don’t you fucking dare hurt him! Please...please...please, don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him.”
Husk starts fluttering his eyes open with a pained groan.
“Ow, what the fuck?” Husk utters before realizing he is being dragged away from the studio. He glances up and watches Alastor dragging him away. A sudden pang of fear flashes across his face as he starts to struggle.
“Wait, what the fuck? What’s going on?!” Husk screams in panic.
“Ah, you’ve finally snap out of it. Took you a little while,” Alastor says in a radio static voice. “You have been a little nuisance to Val.”
“N-Nuisance?” Husk gasps in realization. “Wait, he was hurting Angel--”
“Ah, that’s the only reason why you used our shared powers, eh?” Alastor replies, helping Husk up on his feet.
“S-Shared powers?” Husk asks.
“Why yes. Since your soul belongs to me and you are in these chains, you have also my shared powers that you can use whenever you want...however, I never tell any overlords that. You are the only former overlord that I know that knows this now. You’ve gambled for power...you got it. Only half of it.”
“I-I didn’t even know,” Husk replies while walking with Alastor.
“Well, now you do. So, every time you feel a powerful emotion, these powers will serve whatever your emotional desires are...which seems to be protecting your sweet, sweet Angel from one of the most powerful overlords.
Husk remembers suddenly of how Angel stands between Val and him, stopping him from potentially killing Val. He clenches his teeth in hurt when he remembers how scared Angel appears to be.
“Shit,” Husk mumbles tearfully.
“What was that?” Alastor questions.
“Nothing,” Husk responds while wiping away any tears leaking out of his eyes.
They finally arrive at the hotel with Charlie and Vaggie by the door. Charlie rushes up to Husk and Alastor.
“Alastor, what are you doing to him?” Charlie utters in fear at Husk being in chains.
The chains around Husk’s neck disappears.
“I manage to find him at the Porn Studios with Angel. But don’t worry, everything is fine now,” Alastor reassures the girls.
Charlie shifts her glance at Husk in more concern. “Is everything okay, Husk?”
Husk frowns and looks away. With a huff, he walks into the hotel without an answer.
Charlie and Vaggie exchange glances at each other in concern and then look up at Alastor, who just shrugs and walks into the hotel after Husk.
~.~
Night comes around as Charlie and Vaggie watches Husk cleaning the same shot glass for hours straight.
“Yeah, there’s definitely something wrong with Husk,” Vaggie assumes.
“Alastor said that he’s at the Porn Studios...he must have witness the shitty treatment Angel gets at that place,” Charlie says with a frown. “Should we go over there and comfort him?”
“Eh, I think he’s in his own head for right now--” Vaggie’s sentence is interrupted when Angel walks through the doors, with a black eye on his left eye and a busted up lip. Blood is trickling down to his neck. Bruises are on his arms as if someone grab him and manhandle him and on his neck as if someone is trying to choke him. He has slashes across his legs and bloody bite marks on his shoulders. His clothes are shredded and his legs are wobbly from walking long distance.
“Holy shit!” Charlie cries, her horns appearing on the sides of her head while her eyes turns red with white pupils. She and Vaggie hurry by Angel’s side to help him walk properly through the door.
“What the fuck happen to you?!” Vaggie asks angrily.
Charlie summons the first aid kit and opens it to get the alcohol and cotton ball out.
“I-I’m fine, guys. I’m fine,” Angel reassures with his voice barely audible.
Before the girls can insist otherwise, they hear Husk’s footsteps darting across the bar and towards where Angel and the girls are.
Husk stands there behind them, unaware of Alastor approaching the scene to watch the events unfold.
Nifty keeps dusting the furniture, ignoring the situation completely.
Husk breathes heavily, the anger returning to him. “He did this to you, didn’t he?”
Angel seals his lips and looks away.
Husk clenches his fists. “That’s it! I’m going to kill him! I’m going to kill him--!”
Before Husk can storm out of the hotel to find Valentino, he feels the chains around his throat holding him back. He looks to see Alastor, who shakes his head for him to stop. Husk glances to see Charlie and Vaggie tending to Angel’s wound, not following Husk or telling Alastor to let go of him.
“Husk, you need to calm down,” Vaggie says, putting her hand up like she’s trying to calm a feral cat. “I know you’re upset about what happened to Angel. We are too. But--”
Husk slams his fist against the wall next to the front door, leaving a large crack on it. The tears edges out of his eyes. “Then why the fuck hasn’t anyone done anything about protecting Angel, huh?!”
No one answers the question. Charlie’s horns goes back into her head as she keeps tending to Angel’s wounds.
Husk breathes heavily in hurt, noticing Angel’s scared expression. A groan escapes his lips as he shakes his head. He storms back into the hotel and upstairs to find his room, the chains around his throat disappearing.
Charlie and Vaggie soften their gazes at Husk, which is noticed by Alastor.
“Don’t worry about him,” Alastor reassures the girls. “He’ll come around.”
Angel frowns in disbelief, watching Husk going into his room.
~.~
Husk hugs his legs on his bed within his room. His wings wrap around him as he tries to withhold his tears. He doesn’t know why he’s been hurt that a local pornstar is getting hurt and abused.
Husk buries his head into his thighs until he hears a knock.
“Go away,” Husk utters, but it is muffled by his croaked voice and his thighs. The door open. “Do you not get the concept--?!”
He stops himself to realize that it is just Angel entering the room, now in a pink bathrobe with a sandwich on the plate.
Husk immediately wipes a tear away. “I thought you’re Charlie.”
Angel softly smiles and walks over to Husk, sitting next to him on the bed. He offers up the plate with half of a sandwich.
“I saved you a sandwich,” Angel responds, his voice recovering a bit slowly, though it is still cracked.
Husk frowns at hearing Angel’s voice. “He destroyed that pretty voice of yours, did he?”
Angel waves it off as if is no big deal. “I’ll get my voice back. Besides, this is usually the time I snort crack at a local club.”
“But you didn’t though.”
“I rather be in here with you than out there,” Angel says, one of his hands on Husk’s. “I miss my bartender.”
Husk holds Angel’s hand tightly. “I wish you let me kill him.”
Angel frowns and scoots closer to him. “You can’t kill overlords unless you’re Alastor. Besides, I don’t want him coming after you if he comes back from the ‘dead’. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s that bastard who fucked you up,” Husk argues. “Every night is like this. Every night, you come home in pain and now, you can barely talk. This shit ain’t normal, Angel!”
“It’s normal to me,” Angel blurts out, tears leaking out of his eyes.
Husk stops with his words and frowns. He shakes his head and lets go of Angel’s hand.
“I wish it wasn’t normal for you.”
“As long as the contract stands, I can never leave Val,” Angel replies to Husk, hugging him to comfort him. “I can’t leave him, Husky.”
“I know, I know, legs,” Husk responds, hugging Angel back. His heartbeat is calmer than it was in the past few hours. Angel’s hugs are always so warm...why?
“I know that this might be the worse time to say this, but you’re hot when you summon those tentacles,” Angel whispers to Husk.
Husk snorts. “Really? I could’ve hurt you with them.”
“Well, if I wasn’t so scared for you and what Val will do to ya, I would’ve been turned on. Do you think you can summon them again?”
Husk breaks away from Angel, shaking his head. “Are you kidding me? No. I don’t even know how to summon them again.”
“Aw, not even one more time for me to see, daddy~?”
“Alright, that’s enough of your kinkyness. Get on out of here before I summon them again to slap the shit out of you,” Husk teases Angel.
Angel coos jokingly. “Aww, you would never do anything to hurt me, Husky boy~”
“Keep at it and you’ll see,” Husk responds, failing at containing his laughing smile.
Angel smirks at Husk, groaning playfully. “Fine, I’ll go to bed. Fat Nuggets must be waiting for his papa. Thanks for looking out for him.”
Husk widens his eyes in realization. “Uh, shit, I, uh, was too wrapped up in thinking about what happened at the studio. Shit--”
“It’s okay, baby. I get it. Get some rest. We’re both gonna need it.”
Husk smiles and nods. “Okay, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Angel leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
Husk loses his lovesick smile, staring out of the window to see night with the red sky still. The soft music begins as he takes a deep breath and looks at himself in the mirror in front of him.
“How could I watch him get hurt?
Why am I such a loser?”
Husk stands up from the bed, ambling towards the balcony as he croons more.
“I’ve lost my way.
I never thought I find someone just like me.”
Husk looks down to find Angel taking Fat Nuggets, his pig, out for a walk.
“You have to deal with the gruesome damages
From that motherfucker of a boss.”
He looks up at the radio tower where Alastor is watching over everything.
“And there’s nothing we can do to save each other.”
He glances down at Angel, watching him turning a corner where he can’t see him anymore.
“Oh, there’s nothing we can do.”
He has a sudden memory of what Angel says a moment ago.
“As long as that contract stands, I can never leave Val,” Angel’s voice enters his head.
Husk blinks in realization and sings.
“Unless there is a way.”
The music begins to build up as he sings with more determination.
“Unless we can get out of this loop of abuse.
Unless we can escape from this torment.
We don’t really have to live like this anymore.”
The music builds up as Husk notices the faded chains around his neck and sings.
“If only I can break these chains,
I can save you from your boss.
If only I can break these chains,
We’ll be free from the shit-hole we’re in.”
Husk extends his wings and takes off flying from the balcony, feeling the cool wind. He looks down to see the ground getting smaller and smaller as the music starts to pick up the pace.
“I know I’ve fucked up, but maybe Charlie’s right.
If we free our souls from the powerful overlords,
Maybe that’s our one-way ticket to Heaven’s Gates.”
Husk feels a tug around his neck before he goes further than half of the city to get to Porn Studios. He glances to find the chains tightening around him. He struggles to fight it as the guitar solo starts to play.
“But these damn chains keeps getting tighter and tighter!
Oh fuck, I can’t breathe!
What can I do to save you?!
I’ll give anything if it means saving you!”
Husk starts to black out for a moment. However, once he opens his eyes, he sees a bright beautiful forest land that goes for miles without stopping. He looks down to see that the chains around his neck on the ground. He sees Angel up ahead, waving at him with one of his arms before running off. Husk chases after Angel while singing in beautiful melody.
“Once I break these chains,
I’ll be running through the field to get to you!
Oh, once I break these chains,
I’ll be running through the forest to get to you!”
Husk manages to catch up with Angel, grabbing both of his bottom set of hands. Angel laughs and spins him around, colorful butterflies flutter around them in the meadow.
“Whoa, I don’t know what’s gotten over me.
I don’t want to wake up from this dream.
Don’t wake me up from this dream--”
Husk watches Angel’s body disintegrate into butterflies, flying away from his hands as the darkness sucks him away from Angel.
Husk gasps on the bed in his bedroom. He looks to find the chains tied around his neck, now more visible. He stares up at the ceiling, tears leaking out of his eyes.
“I swear I’ll get us out of this goddamn place,
Even if kills me.
What more can I do for you,
If I’m in these fucking chains?”
Husk sits up, breathing heavily and now determined. The music picks up the pace for the final chorus as he strides towards the balcony again.
“I’m gonna set us both free from these chains!
I don’t know how or when, but hold on for me!
I’m gonna set our contracts ablaze and pray
That someday we don’t have to stay here long!”
Husk pauses as the music softens. He looks down to see Angel cuddling Fat Nuggets from below. He softens his gaze and perches at the railing of the balcony to get a better look at Angel.
“Some day, we won’t have to stay here ever again.”
The music ends while Husk is staring at Angel with a gentle smile.
~.~
“Do you think Husk is mad at me?” Charlie asks Vaggie while they are taking a walk around the hotel.
“Babe, he’s not mad at you. He’s just upset at what happen to Angel. And I don’t blame him. I want to kill Val now just as much as anyone, but I don’t want to put Angel through worse abuse because of it,” Vaggie reassures her girlfriend. “I think Husk and Angel are in a secret relationship.”
“What?! No way!”
“Yes way.”
Charlie squeals. “Aww, they are so fucking adorable. I’ve been shipping them since they got home from the club one night. I hope it all works out for them.”
“Hey, that’s what I think, babe. Take it with a grain salt,” Vaggie reminds her girlfriend softly.
“Of course, of course, it’s--” Charlie notices something or someone in the bushes, watching them.
Vaggie notices it with her girlfriend, taking out her spear. “Show yourself, you fucking creep!”
The little yellow-furred spider girl stumbles out of the bushes.
“Aww, she’s just a child,” Charlie coos.
Vaggie slowly puts her angelic spear away. “Oops.”
Charlie crouches to make the same eye-level contact. “It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you. Where are your parents?”
The little girl doesn’t answer.
Vaggie arches a brow and looks around for her parents. “Did they leave you here?”
She winces when Vaggie tries to come closer to her.
Charlie notices the spider girl’s injured leg. “Aw, you’re hurt. We have first aid kit. We’ll patch that wound right up.”
The little spider girl comes just a little closer to them once she realizes that they aren’t there to hurt her. Her legs wobble, with the injury revealing a hellhound bite.
“Holy shit,” Vaggie gasps in shock. “Here, let’s get that clean up.”
“Yes, come on,” Charlie says while extending her hand.
The little spider girl grabs her hand as she is being led by both Vaggie and Charlie back into the hotel to get a better look at the wound.
To Be Continued...
#hazbin hotel: the contract of blood#charlie morningstar#vaggie hazbin hotel#hazbin alastor#hazbin hotel husk#angel dust#huskerdust#friends ocs#nifty hazbin hotel#valentino hazbin hotel
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man you know how some people are just so easy to talk to...i feel like i am the Opposite of that um how do you just like.....have things to say
#having a conversation with me if we;re not close friends must be so painful...#its not that im not a good listener its that i am just constantly no thoughts head empty. i have nothing good to say and i accidentally al#always end the conversation as soon as i possibly can#I DONT EVEN HAVE ANXIETY THATS NOT MY PROBLEM i just literally hate everything that comes out of my mouth <3 i dont want to make people spe#speak with me<3#halfway through a sentence i will realize No One Cares and lose all ability for thought#and i feel so dumbbbbbbbbbbbb like#going to work the last two weekends just heightens it like my coworker came and complimented my 'vulcan eyebrows' because i shave t#them off mostly and draw them on and he starts talking about pointed ears and how theres a cosmetic surgery you can get#and im like omg no way yessss i want to get piercings on the tops of my ears to make em look pointy but ok go off buT LIKE??? HE DOESNT#CARE THAT I WANT EAR PIERCINGS???? this sounds so superficial but constantly i just feel so dumb and unworthwhile unless im demonstrating my#🤪superiority when we start talking about something i care about and i talk for two straight minutes and THEN realize no one cares#AND i sound pretentious#my boss asked about my purple hair and how it fades and i realize i just have this problem with???? not being able to be concise like i am s#so eager to offer information without thinking that it takes me forever to get to my point and i sound so dumb in the process!! and then i s#shut down and dont want to say anything like omgjfkhbgfdbhgjbvf i cant WIN why dont you think before you open your mouth!!!#like this is what i mean when i say it must be literally so difficult to have a conversation with me. i swear im fun and interesting im just#BROKEN OR SOMETHING#i talk my way through four topics and dont make a single point and then i stare blankly like im so sorry you have to talk to me rn#EVEN NOW IM INCAPABLE OF BEING CONCISE AND NOT TALKING IN CIRCLES SHUUUUUT UP#my roommate asks me one question and im like UM well this but also this but i think this but you can do this too but well this OH yea that<3#because i dont stop for a second and process the question before replying i dont form an answer i just speak until i feel like ive given eno#enough information but i SOUND LIKE AN IDIOT IN THE PROCESS all the time literally all the time <3#anyway whatever i just genuinley envy people who are naturally outgoing and capable of carrying conversations so much..why is my brain actua#actually just Empty.#or all the thoughts are SOO unworthwhile like no one cares about the thing you want to buy WHATEVERRRRR#op#:( sigh
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Compulsion
Pairing: Mafia!Dabi X Reader
Warnings: dubconish themes, flirting with Hawks, blood, murder, blackmail, fingering. NSFW, quirkless AU!
Word Count: 4.4k
A/N: Alright! This piece is for The Smut Pile Mafia Collab
I have to give my wholehearted thanks to @hisoknen @some-kindofgnome , @pleasantanathema, and @ever-enthralled for reading this over the last couple weeks, and making sure it reads well! I am so happy to have you beautiful souls! Also a special shoutout to Raph for brainstorming with me when I was stuck at the very end. 💕
Edit: This has fanart! Beautiful @maewoahoah created a Mafia!Hawks piece right here and a Mafia!Dabi piece here! She’s very talented! ;)
On this ominous winter evening it begins snowing.
You readjust your peacoat and step through the frosty glow of the street lamp to your front door. Your muscles ache a little more than usual, your steps a little heavier. It’s been a long and tedious day at work; far less stimulating compared to Toga’s position working for a bootlegger named Tomura. But both jobs pay the rent. You push papers and withhold your scowls towards clients. Now, you want a bath.
The sound of a muffled radio plays on the other side, and it floods your ears as you walk in with warmth and an iron smell wafting your chilled nose.
“Folks, I'm goin' down to St. James Infirmary...
Seeeee, my baby there;
She's stretched out on a long, white table
She looks so sweet, so cold, so fair.”
Toga’s playing blues again. It’s a routine she has before the graveyard shift across town. At this time, she’s in the kitchen making something before she goes, but you’re having trouble figuring out what food smells like copper.
“He-e-e-y,” you call lazily, a sing-songy tone in your voice.
She doesn’t answer, though you hear the clacking of stiletto heels on wood, which makes you amble down the hall to see what she’s doing.
“Think you can smuggle some whiskey tonight? I thought we had some, but Keigo probably polished it off last—“
You stop in the doorway.
There’s a poor bastard lying flat on his back, head twisting too far towards the sink. Ribbons of blood streak down his colorless skin, pouring out from a dark and glossy hole just beneath his jaw. You see it puddle and stain the edges of his hair a sticky red, the only sound besides your heart thudding is the soft thrums from the parlor.
“ When I die please bury me in my high top Stetson hat
Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So the gang'll know I died standing pat.”
You’re in a daze, one where you’re not sure how long you’ve been staring. It doesn’t seem real. Is it real? But it’s not until you hear the sound of heels clicking against the wood floors that you drag your gaze to the noise.
Toga’s standing near the stove, her features vacant, shoulders slouched, and she’s holding a knife that’s still wet.
What the fuck?
You want to scream, berate her, seethe what the fuck was she thinking, or if she was thinking for that matter. But the blonde speaks up before you do, with a voice above a whisper.
“He was going to leave me. Said he was too dangerous.” Toga doesn’t look in your direction, moving to the rim of pooled blood which has stopped spreading out, “I told him I wouldn’t let anyone come between us, but he wouldn’t listen.”
Your jaw goes taut, staring incredulously at her steely face. The lack of emotion gives you a sinking feeling in your stomach.
The man wasn’t a random suit who bled out on your floor, this moron was seeing Toga on and off for months and had been trying to be more present.
Nights spent arriving at your door with flowers and sweets, and driving her to work was becoming a staple in his routine. He preferred staying in Toga’s room if they had the day off, and he always slipped out when the morning frost dusted the grass, a soft bluish hue painting the streets before sunlight.
But that’s not the problem. See, he was a core member inside the Mafia running the northern side of the city, ‘The League’ they like to call themselves. The only men above this guy was his boss Tomura, and the underboss Dabi. You don’t know the former, but you’ve spent time with the latter.
You’re aware of his sadistic nature that flashes behind those teal eyes, and he doesn’t try to hide it, either. The sideway glances during a poker match before he fucked someone over , the smile he wore when you asked about the purple bruises on his knuckles.
So fan-fucking-tastic, the broad has some nerve.
You curl your lip, already shrugging your shoulders from your coat. You toss it over the table and start rolling up your sleeves to the elbows.
Toga finally turns towards you after catching movement by her side, brows raising confused, “What are you doing?”
“You’re gonna grab his feet and we’re gonna move him onto the rug in the hall.”
You step in the blood, grabbing him by the rusty black colored jacket and dragging him from the puddle. Of course it leaves drag marks, your heels making tracks alongside, but you can deal with the clean up later.
Toga hurries over to help, carrying him by the legs and letting you guide the body to the floral rug.
“You don’t want to know what happened?”
You stop. Immediately dropping the dead weight, his blond head lolls off to the side. Your palms sheen with red, but you straighten up and push a beach curl from your cheekbone with the back of your hand.
“Not really. All I want is this fucker out of my house.”
It’s her turn to stare at you incredulously. This is completely out of nowhere for you to be assisting in hiding a dead boyfriend, even if you two are roommates. You’ve only been living together for four months now.
“Toga, I need you to listen, okay?” you say, a bit mockingly, “I can look past the murdering business by pretending you acted in self defense, but if you don’t have the goddamn brains to realize this idiot has friends, then I suggest you don’t stab people!”
Toga flinches slightly at the lilted pitch in your voice, already suggesting panicky, “We can take him to the woods and hide him there?”
“That’ll work.” You don’t think Twice about it.
Working together, you both hoist him a couple feet onto the rug, refusing to look at his face. You didn’t need to be feeling a pang of guilt. It doesn’t take long for you to roll him towards the front door, as the material wraps around his figure.
The hardest part is retreating to the car. The moment you push through the door, you see the distance from where you stand and the car parked a little down the sloping street. You both give a hard look to the powdery snow dusting the ground, quiet and enchanting. It would be beautiful...had you not been carrying a corpse.
“Stop being a little bitch and heave!”
“I can’t! You’re making me hold all the weight!”
“He’s off the ground! How the fuck are you holding all the weight?”
“But my arms hurt!”
“Fucking hell, Toga. What if I had stayed at my sister’s tonight? What then?”
“Stop yelling at me! I get it, alright? I shouldn’t have done it in the house!”
Your bickering toils through the winds, muffled by the falling snow. The burst of cold air is running through your buttoned blouse while crossing to the 1929 Chevrolet causing a shiver to roll down your back. When you reach the car Toga plops the rug down onto the snow first, then you. Your wet fingers feel numb against the metal handle.
There’s one entrance on each side, which likely will make shimming the body to the backseat much harder. You pause, looking at the front in thought.
“I’ll go first,” you say, “when he’s in, you go and grab our coats.”
“Are we burying him?”
“Think the lake’s faster.”
“What if it’s icy? They’ll see the hole if we throw him in.”
You both ponder your options for a little while, this isn’t exactly something you’ve done before...You can’t say the same for Toga, but she seems just as puzzled, almost clueless on how to get rid of her ex.
Meanwhile, the rolled corpse behind you starts to slip downhill, little by little. The slanting street gives speed and the rug starts to roll.. Red droplets trail behind in its wake.
You just happen to see it first.
“Toga—Toga, the body! The body!”
Toga cries out, taking off after the rug as best she can on a frozen sheet. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
The graceful snowfall flutters with pain and chaos.
Toga skids against the fresh ice, feet stumbling under her navy blue dress. She falls to the ground with a hard thud, and you see she isn’t stopping. She keeps going alongside the body, sliding until the two disappear under another parked car.
You don’t have time to think, a chill strikes up your spine in your panic.
“Toga!” you call out, taking off after her. Unfortunately you find yourself abruptly on your back, pounding hard on the stones and stealing the breath from your lungs.
If you could sigh right now you would. Or rather, if you could punch Toga right now you would, as rage twists with a throbbing pain in your chest. Was all this worth having a mobster roommate? The odds were piling against her. You have a mind to push her in the lake when you get there.
Several silent minutes go by with you staring up at the cloudy sky. It’s brighter from the illuminating white snow, and despite the icy powder prickling your flesh, you have no choice but to wait for the ache in your chest to fade.
“Enjoying the view?”
You hear a new voice, male, and the suave tone tells you who it is before he treads near. He looks over you with half lidded eyes of honey gold.
He’s very pretty. The drifting snow flakes above his wheat coloured head manage to enhance this, though the uplifted eyes lined in black, and nicely sharp features are the last thing you want to see. You’re nowhere near ready to start lying out of Toga’s mess.
“That can’t be too comfy down there,” Keigo says, bending forward with an outstretched hand,“C’mon, upsy-daisy.”
You take his hand, feeling another leather glove hold your waist and lift you onto your feet. When you settle, he starts brushing the caked snow off your back. Mobster or not, he’s at least a gentleman.
“You alright?” he asks, giving you a once over for any fresh scratches.
You give a slow nod, crossing your arms over your chest. Fear’s got the better of you, and you look anywhere but him., “What are you doing here? I thought you were working tonight.”
“Oh I am! You could say I’m on patrol, need to pick up a few things.”
Your gaze stills to your left, heart skipping. Keigo’s not alone. Standing nearby, a slim figure dressed in black from head to toe is watching you two lazily. A thread of smoke seeps from his parted lips, clouding a handsome face and spikes of black hair. Keigo keeps talking, but you can’t take your eyes off the ghostly presence you know to be Dabi.
“Unfortunately that includes loverboy. He was supposed to be back hours ago, but we figured he’s still fooling around,” a little smirk tugs at his mouth, suggestively “He’s still inside, right?”
You blink, turning back to face Keigo, “I wouldn’t know, I just got home,” you lie.
“Look at you! You look like you’re about to freeze to death.” He starts suddenly, swiftly slipping his arms out from his heavy coat, revealing a black three piece with pinstripes, and a brighter crimson tie. In one smooth motion he twirls the long, beige coat over your shoulders, letting it rest over your figure.
“Thank you,” you say, before your eyes catch something.
Dabi moves towards the clumsy skid marks, head tilting down to the red dots in the snow near his polished shoe. You stiffen.
“You sure you’re okay?”
Your gaze flashes from Dabi’s retreating back to a politely smiling Keigo, “Yeah, I’m fine! I’m really cold is all.”
“Well, we should get you inside. You know you left your door wide open?” Shit, the door. You forgot about the stupid door—
(Dabi looms across the indents in the snow and follows down the hill like a dark shadow against crystals illuminating bright.)
“Ah yeah, I thought I left my purse in the car. It was just for a second, and then I slipped,” You force a smile. Relax. You need to relax. Keigo doesn’t seem convinced, reading something off in your features.
“Is that right?”
(He gets the edge of the old Ford, and notes the specks of red soak wider here. The spots lead underneath.)
“I know, it’s pretty foolish. It’s um...It’s a good thing you showed up when you did, or...”
Your eyes drift over Keigo’s shoulder. The underboss starts to crouch low. Your pupils shrink, a new wave of panic tingles the back of your neck. Damn him, why was he so clever?
“Dabi, wait!” you shout, pushing past Keigo’s shoulder. In your hurry you kick up the snowy crystals, rushing to the taller mobster in his long obsidian coat. Dabi quickly turns, standing up.tall before you hook onto his upper arm like a lover. “I saw an animal go under there that looked hurt. You shouldn’t mess with it.”
A smirk that breaks into a grin spreads on his face, a look of amusement blooming from your look of fright. You want to glare at him, though that could be dangerous. Why does he like seeing you scared?
“An animal, you say?” he parrots back, adopting the same mocking pitch you gave Toga earlier. He’s not in the least bit on edge, and you really don’t like that. He flicks his teal eyes up to look behind you just then, “Good thing I have the city’s best exterminator right here.”
As if on cue, you hear the crunching boots of Keigo walking to the car. “Give me a break with the dirty work, will ya?”
“What, scared of a little pest?” Dabi taunts back coolly.
“I’m not too fond of getting my knees wet, actually,” Keigo returns quite dryly, sharp eyes studying the long pattern marks. He places his gloved hands on his thighs and drops himself to a crouch in front of the vehicle.
You desperately hope Toga proves you wrong. Maybe she had the common sense to bail while no one was looking. It’s all you can do at this point, while Keigo dips his head underneath. You don’t realize, but your grip on Dabi’s arm presses tighter into the wool.
Keigo inspects below for a moment. There’s a long pause like a winter evening should be. Silent. Calming. You can almost believe in the soothing little lie. Then Keigo coughs a laugh that echoes through the street. Bursts of manic giggles grow louder from the mobster, leaving you tilting your head at his pushed back hair, confused.
“There’s a pest, alright! I think I caught something—“
Keigo reaches under, and with an impressively strong yank, Toga’s head pops out in a doe eyed stare. Her arms are wrapped around a bundled rug with a fairly familiar head sticking out.
“Hey there, Toga!” Keigo exclaims, “When did you become a rat?”
Dabi tips his head down, drawing the lit cigarette back to his lazy smile. He’s shockingly calm which does nothing to ease your shivering panic. Toga however, seems fine. In fact, she’s moved on to livelier feelings.
“Hey! Does it look like a rat could’ve done this?!” she snaps, shaking the body in her arms. It bangs against the bottom of the car sending loud echoes through the nearly empty street. Specks of blood dribble on the white ground, and a couple more drops spray her cheeks.
You stare up at the clouds, rolling your eyes. Goddamnit Toga.
“Yeah, I guess a rat can’t hold a knife, huh? Ya got me there.” Keigo turns and beams you a smug look, eyes half lidded in an expression that reads, nice try, but you failed.
You scrunch your nose, quietly shooting him back a glare. Asshole might’ve caught you both red handed, but he didn’t have to be so fucking cocky about it. It’s only charming when he has a winning hand at cards. Beside you, Dabi’s shoulders shake with silent laughter, though you don’t have the guts to flash him the same glower. He is second in command after all.
“Yeah, see? That’s what I thought!” Toga says in victory.
You blink very, very slowly at Toga when she finally meets your vastly unamused gaze,“...Nice work, Toga.”
It comes suddenly. A fiery warmth ghosts the dip in your waist as Dabi leans in. It’s not unwelcomed, raw and soothing even, but it hardly lasts. His hand curls around Keigo’s coat collar and pulls it off your shoulders. The crisp wind rushes to your exposed arms.
“You got any rat poison on you, Hawks?” Dabi tosses the coat to Keigo.
He catches it mid air as he rises to stand. “Nah, fresh out. But we have some back at the house.”
“You want to take care of our rat problem then?”
“Can do, boss man.”
Before you can figure out what they mean–what they have planned for Toga–Dabi’s pristine leather glove presses at the small of your back and directs you toward the pouring light of the open door. “Don’t wait up.”
It’s barely there, but as you shift your eyes to Keigo, his features take on a darkened look toward Dabi.
“Play nice, now,” you hear Keigo say. This time though, the joyous tone is gone.
A new song hums on the radio when you’re pushed through the threshold, you listen to the richly solemn blues as Dabi closes the door. He turns the lock with a click and pockets the key.
“I forgive you
'Cause I can't forget you.
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea”
He doesn’t give you a passing glance, instead he turns and strolls down the freshly bare hall. He hasn’t removed his coat, and each room he passes he tilts his head in to search for something, stopping by the parlor. With a twist of a knob, he shuts off the radio.
“Where’d she ice him?” he asks, still not looking at you by the stairwell.
“In the kitchen.” You return. No point in hiding it now.
His steps creak the wood as he ambles further down, knowing full well where to go. He’s been here a handful of times; of course, those were happier evenings filled with drunken laughs.
You watch him stand by the doorway, staring at the vibrant mess of a crime scene. He pops the tip of his cigarette in his mouth before slipping from your line of sight. Dabi’s got the key to the door, so it’s not like you can run away—especially with Keigo just outside. It’s too risky to try and you know it, but it does cross your mind.
Summing up the courage, you decide to follow Dabi with measured steps, “What are you going to do with Toga?”
When you face the kitchen, Dabi’s near the table where you threw your coat. He has a hand in one of your pockets, and he’s fishing for something inside. It jingles in his grip as he stuffs it into his own pocket. Your car keys.
“Are you going to kill her?” you try again, a little irked he’s swiping your things left and right. He doesn’t release your coat either, laying it over the crook of his elbow.
He draws a final inhale from the dying bud, and crosses to the sink to snuff it out. An exhale of smoke blows out from his lips, “Killing her seems like a favor, don’t you think?”
“I thought it was the other way around.”
He turns, flicking teal eyes sheening with energy at you, “That lunatic’s no longer your concern. Right now, you ought to be more worried about yourself.”
Your features go taut, which in turn makes Dabi’s sadistic smirk return.
“I didn’t help her kill him.”
“No,” he agrees, taking a few strides around the blood to approach you,“but you were willing to stash the stiff.”
“Yeah, for this very reason. I didn’t want you coming after me!”
Dabi draws dangerously close, mere inches apart as he glances down with lidded eyes, the smell of tobacco perfumes from his shirt collar nestled under a violet tie. He crooks his index finger, embellished with a silver ring, ghosting it under your chin. “How’d that turn out for you, babydoll?”
With a ruthless smile, he breaks the fixed stare and rounds you to the hallway. He seems to be making his way towards the parlor again, but the swish of your peacoat in his arm, set you off.
How dare he? You don’t like how he’s walked inside, claiming what’s yours. You might have your life screwed over, but at the very least you want your coat back as some semblance of control.
You stalk after him, picking up pace to aim for his arm. The clacks of your heels are loud, but you currently couldn’t care less about being sneaky, “Give it fucking back. You’re not keeping that!”
You lunge for the black wool, but as your fingers brush the material on his left elbow, Dabi whips the coat, rotating arms. You’re not fast enough, but you try a second reach for his right arm, huffing out a growl at his stealthy reflexes.
“Dabi, I’m serious! You’re such a—”
In a twirling motion his newly free palm shoves at your shoulder, pinning you against the stairwell’s wall. He’s close, so close, the blue flames in his eyes are absurdly intense.
“That makes two of us. You’ll get this back when I say so.”
His voice is low, soft lips almost connecting to yours. You tilt your chin up, glaring at him with fearful, tentative eyes. His gaze flashes with mirth, and he huffs a small laugh at you.
“I’ve always liked this about you. That spark inside you.” He muses. The peacoat spills to the floor. Dabi lifts his slender fingers, pushing back a loose curl from your cheek.
Your stomach flips, as shocks tickle your skin. There’s been subtle flirting between you two before. You just wrote it off as overthinking the moment. Even though he only called you, babydoll, and he sat next to you at gatherings. How he filled your glass with water instead of booze as the nights waned. Now, you feel foolish for denying the little signs.
“You have a horrible way of showing girls you like ‘em,” you counter back, your voice’s quiet but leveled.
“Yeah?” he asks. The arm holding your shoulder tightens, while the other lowers to collect your long skirt. He traces his knuckles on the soft flesh of your thigh. As his hand trails up, his eyes remain fixed on your facial features. “Maybe this will help.”
His slim fingers reach the cotton slip, and it’s easy to pull off to the side, exposing the lips of your warmth. He tests the waters, sweeping the tips of his fingers across your folds. Your mouth parts in a breathless hitch in your throat. Dabi parts his own lips drawing near, ‘til his lips touch yours but not quite pressing together yet. His pierced nose bumps yours.
“Now here’s what’s going to happen,” he starts, just before sinking two fingers between your folds, pumping deep and slow inside. “You’ll go upstairs and pack what you need. When you come down—”
He thrusts particularly hard into you, sending a gasping moan to fall from your open mouth. His voice remains calm, a hint of glee can be detected. Fucking bastard.
“—You’ll be leaving with me. You’ll work for me...Live with me…And you’ll do everything I say. You got it, babydoll?”
He adds a third finger, soaking his knuckles deep with your slick. He’s hitting the right spots, the perfectly deep pressure. Your attention turns hazy as wakes of pleasure tighten just below your stomach. Your hips buck against his thrusting hand, yet still, you manage to nod your head.
Moans flutter from your lips and vibrate onto his smiling one. To heighten the pleasure he begins swirling your wet clit. “Ah, Dabi...Oh god, Dabi—”
He slows his fingers suddenly, which makes you cry out. He pretends to ignore it. “If you try to escape me...I will hunt you down and hurt you in ways that will marr that pretty skin of yours. I’ll make you scream so loud, and no one will be there to save you. Tell me you understand.”
He curls his knuckles, pressing into a rough spot at the top, pumping fiercely against your slippery, muscular walls. You cry out, squeezing at his shirt collar and coat. “Fuck—I understand, I understand! Baby, right there, ah!”
Dabi gives you no mercy. He tugs and twirls the bud of sensitive nerves, swirling with driven circles that clench your walls in wonderous pressure. You’re close, he’s so close to sending you in high bliss. Your moans get heavier, and your clenching more and more and—
He removes his fingers. Another cry of protest sobs from your mouth only to be swallowed by Dabi’s lips on yours. His tongue massages the moans from your breath, his scent of cigarettes and smoke immerse your senses as you drown in the kiss.
He slowly breaks apart with a wet sound, looking deeply in your lust-glossed eyes. His voice is low and arousingly husky. “Now get your things.”
Before you know it, Dabi pulls away from your shoulders, and turns for the parlor. You try catching your breath, watching his slim, muscular back...Did that happen? Did he rob you of everything? Your home, your life, your orgasm?
Eventually, with light steps you do as you’re told, and turn to climb up the stairs. What choice do you have? He has your life in the palm of his hand. And right before you make it to the top, your hand drawn on the railing, the spinning clicks of your house phone perk your ear.
A long pause. Then finally, Dabi’s rich voice speaks up from the parlor,
“Hey, I’ll be needing a few guys at Togas...Yeah, we found him….Toga did him in pretty good...No, we’ll need the good bleach for cleanup.”
***
P.S, this might be a mini series 👀
#dabi x reader#touya todoroki x reader#bnha fanfiction#mha fanfiction#dabi#touya todoroki#my hero academia fanfiction#boku no hero academia fanfics#mafia!dabi#tw blackmail#tw blood#keigo takami#bnha x reader#the smut pile#tw dubcon#shadow tales
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Wilhemina Venable x Reader- When the time is right - Pt 1
Part 2, Part 3
word count: 3.8k
warnings: mention of scoliosis, angst + fluff at the end
A/N: This story is kind of an AU. Reader meets Venable when Wilhemina is light Mina (orange hair, adorable, cute, friendly) and they get together. One day Wilhemina breaks it off suddenly and they only reunite years later but Reader is met with a much darker version (dark Mina).
Also, this used to be on my Wattpad but I decided to completely rewrite it and add multiple parts
Taglist:
@lunaticwhittaker, @rainbow-hedgehog, @mrsdeanhoward, @alexajbitar, @in-cordelias-coven, @kenzbro, @loverofallthingssarah, @twistedpoeticjustice, @billiebeanhoward, @minaslittleone, @lilypadscoven, @vintagepaulson, @ninaahs, @whitelotus00, @httpfiftyshadesofgay
-Flashback-
''Are you serious right now after all we have been through?'' you try hard not to scream but it feels like your body is on fire, your lungs are burning, heart racing and your eyes watering. You cannot believe you are having this conversation with your girlfriend Wilhemina right now. After a whole year of knowing each other and eventually giving the relationship a go she is talking about moving on.
'It's for the best'' is all she said in return and then she walked out, cane in her hand hitting the floor hard and not once did she look back, she ignored your cries, you begging her to stay and please turn back around. You keep repeating this is a nightmare and you are gonna wake up any minute to her holding you in her arms. But it was no nightmare and she did walk out of your shared apartment and ever since that day you have tried to move on. But no matter what you did working, moving out of the apartment, meeting friends, getting to know new people it didn't work, Wilhemina was always on your mind, when you are asleep she would visit in your dreams, when you are driving or outside and a song plays, she is there in your memory as if she never left in the first place.
-End of Flashback-
Even right now as you are walking through the streets on your lunch break, coffee in your hand and earphones in your ears listening to music she is here again.
''I never needed you like I do right now....I never hated you like I do right now'' as you hear those lyrics your heart skips a beat and it feels like it is breaking all over again. You tried everything you could think of, start a new job in a new field, you moved to a new city but nothing seems to be able to take your mind off the redhead, clouding your mind, her touch still so present lingering on your skin, her voice still ringing through your ears and the smell of lavender following you wherever you go.
Currently, you are working for a company in California, in the social media department and to promote the brand and their work. It's mostly boring but you do enjoy social media and advertisement so you gladly took the job considering it comes with a higher paycheck and a brand new apartment. There was nothing left in your old city, no friends anymore because you drove them all away as they always talked badly about your ex-girlfriend and the feelings you still have for her. No family because you were kind of always on your own and after quitting your job there, there was nothing holding you back. The woman with red-orange hair and a purple obsession is currently on your mind again and no matter what you do she is stuck in your head, like a catchy record and it hurts. As you think about her a wave of flashbacks hit you, with no way of putting a stop to it and keeping the storm at bay.
''Wilhemina Venable, nice to meet you'' was the first few words that you ever heard her say and for a moment you were so struck that you couldn't even say anything. ''Cat got your tongue hmm?'' was what she said afterward and what got you to snap out of it, introduce yourself, and shake her hand. And when you touched her for the first time you knew you would never ever get tired of feeling her soft hands.
You would also never grow tired of looking into her beautiful brown eyes or the soft smile she would give you whenever she would see you. Back then you just finished college and you took your first job and she was your co-worker. Starting a relationship with a co-worker is sometimes frowned upon and there probably are good reasons for that but you didn't listen, not to your friends telling you not to do it and not to the other co-workers after they noticed the glances you and Wilhemina exchanged at work. But you both never let that stop you and you fell for her and you fell hard.
Although you had some crushes before, mostly on teachers in college or celebrities, you never had been in a relationship before. Every morning before work you would get up so early and make sure to put your best clothes on, you would improve your makeup skills and try different hairstyles to impress Wilhemina and you did. She would notice how often you would come around to her desk and ask her silly questions you both knew the answers to but you pretend you didn't. And eventually, she took all of her confidence and asked you out and that night was the most magical night of your life.
You went to an expensive restaurant and after she took you home and she gave you something that night that was precious and you held onto it till today. Patience. She was your first love and she made sure to not rush, to not hurt you, to be there for you and hold you whenever you needed her. After your first date, you went on some more magical nights together, before you were ready to allow her to love you and to love her in return and she made you feel things you never felt before. She would make your whole body feel beautiful and worthy, all your insecurities left whenever you were around the woman who had many insecurities herself due to her back. And that's probably what you admire most about her, the way she made you feel whenever you were with her.
Thinking about all this, you think back to the many dates you both went on, to restaurants, shopping, the movies, car dates, attending work parties together, going to get drunk together. Life felt so easy with Wilhemina around, although she was a few years older than you she was pure, she was funny, soft, kind, precious and she was innocent. She would always treat people with respect and offer help and you loved her beautiful and kind personality. You never thought that one night after being with each other for almost a year she would randomly walk out of your life and not once turn back around or try and talk about it.
Hearing the lyrics repeat, you sigh and shake your head because it is true, one part of you needed Wilhemina back in your life because no matter what you do you can not get her out of your head or heart for that matter. Part of you does hate her for leaving and walking out, you never cried harder in your life than the night she left and you couldn't function for days. All you did was cry, toss and turn in the bed or curl up on the floor in a little ball until you couldn't cry anymore but the pain never stopped. It took days and in the end, your friends who picked you up again, taught you how to take care of yourself again by eating, showering, getting dressed, and going to work and you hoped that moving and changing jobs would change something.
As you are sitting in a park, only a few blocks away from your new workplace, watching people having picnics, playing with their kids, walking their dogs, or doing exercise you realize that all this wasn't worth it. Moving away, leaving your job, apartment and friends did nothing, you still miss her and she still haunts you. You miss her gentle side, the soft Mina as you used to call her, who would hold you in her arms, who would say soothing words until you would fall asleep, and who would make you feel better after a hard day at work, hold you after a nightmare or would let you ramble about another one of the co-workers annoying you. You miss telling her about your days and how you feel because you could be free with her and be who you are and you haven't been that way in a very long time.
Checking your phone you notice your lunch break is over in five minutes so you toss your empty coffee cup in a nearby trash can and walk back to your office. Today has been particularly boring because all you have to do is answer people's dm's and requests on social media because currently there is no campaign going on. As you walk back to your desk you put your coat and bag away and start logging onto your laptop. That's when you hear your boss on his way to your desk and you can't help but internally roll your eyes. He isn't a bad guy or anything, he is in his fifties, grey hair, always wearing a suit and he treats you with respect and you appreciate him but whenever he would approach you it means a problem, like an advertisement going wrong or a complaint or a new major client and that means longer hours and staying in the office till midnight. Not that you mind considering there is nothing or no one to come back home to.
''Y/N'' he says as he finally reaches your desk. Looking up from your desk, you force a smile and reply ''Yes Mr. Odell what can I do for you?''. By his posture, you can tell he is in some kind of distress.
''Listen we have a potential new client and I want you to come to our first meeting with them'' he says excitedly and you question why he can't just bring his assistant. ''I can't bring Janet she is sick so I need you to get your things'' he explains and you log off your computer, take your coat and bag and follow him outside the building. It is quite chilly, so you are glad that you put a jacket over your blazer.
As the familiar buildings and streets fade into the distance, you try not to zone out like you usually would but these days your mind would often be preoccupied with daydreams or memories as if someone else was entirely in control of your thoughts.
''I have a meeting with a Mr. Pfister and Mr. Nutter'' he says absent-mindedly while looking into his calendar and talking about the company you are headed to. Snapping out of your thoughts, you nod and mumble ''Of course Mr. Odell'' before averting your gaze back to the window looking at the hectic city and people going on about their days. Your thoughts wander back to work and you try to think of a few possibilities to advertise their products, as that might not be as easy as you originally thought when agreeing on accompanying your boss.
The first thing you see as you walk into a large unfamiliar building, following your boss's steps, is a front desk with some employees sitting there, it seems that this building is home to a few companies and different departments as they guide people into different parts of the building. You watch as your boss approaches the front desk, ''Hello may I help you?'' a woman with blonde hair asks politely.
''Yes I have a meeting with Kineros Robotics'' he says and she looks at you, then him again, and points towards a sign. ''It's to your right just follow the signs'' she says and you notice how her facial expression changed from nice and friendly to cold and possibly scared? after your boss mentioned the company name. Reading people's expressions and understanding their underlying feelings, has always been something you are good at but you quickly shake the thought away and follow your boss.
As you walk down the corridor you see a young woman with long brown curled hair wearing a blouse with flower prints and a skirt run down the hall with a box in her hand, her heels echoing through the building. ''I'm sorry'' she mumbles hectic and nervous as she zooms past you and you give Mr. Odell a questioning expression before reaching the department.
''I'm so sorry there was a bad accident on the 101'' you hear the woman say and then you hear a sound that sounds both so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The cane tapping. For a moment you freeze, knowing this isn't just any cane tap as you are so used to a certain redhead woman expressing her emotions partly through the very device that helps her keep her balance. Despite not having heard the sound in over a year, you know exactly who must be on the other end of the hallway.
Temporarily you freeze, thinking maybe her leaving you and breaking things off with you, has ultimately clouded your senses and affected your brain and maybe you are imagining everything. After all the rational part of yourself, is trying to remind you that there is no explanation right now as to why she would be here of all places.
However, the next thing you hear is a clear confirmation that your brain is not tricking you, it's not your mind so clouded by her absence, she is here, the only thing keeping you from seeing each other is a wall and a few steps apart. As you hear a familiar voice your heart stops beating and your throat goes dry.
''Not as bad as the accident that brought you into the world'' that is all you heard and although her voice sounds more cold, harsh and raspy you are fully aware that Wilhemina is sitting at the end of that corridor. For a moment your body goes into a state of shock, your ears ringing, vision blurring, and your heart beating out of your chest.
Shortly after the girl what you assume now to be an assistant comes running back towards the corridor with tears in her eyes and her heels making the same clicking sound. She zooms past you and Mr. Odell again and all he says is ''Damn she seems feisty'' and you know it's aimed at Wilhemina and for a moment you debate whether to just turn around and pretend to be sick or needing to answer a phone call but you know you can't back out now, after all, you have missed seeing her for too long now.
All you wanna do is see her adorable orange hair, that you used to run your fingers through and untangle some knots after she had a long day, the dorky glasses that you sometimes made fun of, and beautiful pastel purple probably everywhere if this truly was her workplace after all. ''Come on'' your boss says, pulling you out of your thoughts yet again and you walk into the large room.
Eyes instantly wander to the source of purple in the room and the source of darkness in your heart and emptiness ever since she left but not only does your heart stop for a moment as you take a look at her, you blink a few times, now actually sure whether this is real or some kind of nightmare.
Wilhemina's hair is a much darker shape of red now and styled into a tall sharp quiff, no sign of her usual high ponytails anymore or the lighter and orange shape it used to be. You notice she doesn't wear glasses anymore and you are convinced her eyes look an even darker shape than before too. She is wearing a dress and it's also a very dark shade of purple with matching earrings. Even her makeup is darker, and as you see her sitting by her desk you can't deny how intimidating she seems, looking at some files, her cane resting on the desk right beside her. Even the cane is different now, it has a snake shape at the top and it's not the old plain one she used to have.
For a moment you believe you just walked right into your own personal nightmare, the funny, sometimes sassy, and beautiful girl you used to love now seems like a completely different and somewhat evil person. The Wilhemina you once loved and still have feelings for, as they never truly changed, seems gone and it seems like she was replaced by a new one, a colder version.
She would have never spoken to anyone like that or treated someone the way she just treated that girl that seems to be her assistant, by the looks of it. All the staring and observing Wilhemina happened in a matter of seconds although it feels like an eternity, everything is silent for a moment, all that is to be heard is your own heartbeat and the typing on Wilhemina's keyboard.
You watch as your boss approaches her and you follow him and finally, Wilhemina looks up noticing the presence of someone else in the room and her gaze is focused on him, so she hasn't seen you yet. He tries to shake her hand and says ''My name is Mr. Odell I have an appointment with Mr. Nutter and Mr. Pfister'' and she just looks at him and his hand with a slightly disgusted expression but she doesn't bother shaking his hand.
''Very well'' she says and takes a glance at you for a split second, noticing a second person in the room and her eyes wander back to her laptop thinking you are just some assistant but when she realizes who you are she immediately looks back over to you and she doesn't avert her gaze at first.
Wilhemina takes in your features for a moment, the sense of fashion, dressing smartly and formally but at the same time stunning as she always said, your hair, the improved makeup skills, and still the same details she always loved about you. She doesn't look into your eyes yet and you are interrupted when two men walk over.
One of them has brown hair and the other blonde hair and you try hard not to chuckle when you see them because they look hideous. ''Mr. Odell, nice to meet you'' they say and shake hands. ''This is Y/L/N maybe someone could show her around while we finalize the details?'' your boss suggests, taking you by surprise, and one of the two turns to Wilhemina and says ''Miss Venable would you give this beautiful lady a tour please''.
For a split second, you are convinced, she is about to kill him but you aren't sure if it's about the tour or compliment. ''Of course'' she mumbles and your boss and the two men leave and you are left there with your ex-girlfriend and awkward silence filling the room. You haven't looked up or into her eyes yet and it terrifies you, she terrifies you.
Wilhemina has no idea what to do or how to react after not seeing you for two years and the last time she did she walked out of your life and your relationship. The redhead looks at you and without looking into your eyes yet she knows the pain, she can see it and she can tell this is killing you inside, the last thing she ever wanted was to cause you pain.
You take a deep breath with your eyes closed and turn to Wilhemina and your eyes instantly lock and you look into her dark brown eyes and not leave her gaze for one moment. She takes a few slow steps towards you, her cane hitting the floor, and with every tap and echo in the room, it feels like your heart is ripped into more pieces and your past is here confronting you right at this moment.
''Mina'' is everything you can say but it comes out as a whisper while your voice cracks. Your ex-girlfriend's eyes close right away because she has missed hearing you call her that for the past two years but as she opens her eyes she reminds herself internally, who she is and that she is currently at her workplace.
''Follow me'' she instructs and you follow her while she walks down a corridor and into a room with big machines. While you follow her you can't understand what would have happened to her to turn into this cold-hearted person. She used to be the sweetest and kindest person you knew but clearly, something has changed. You cannot take your eyes off her and as she walks you into the room with machines, she explains about the work they do here and how they do it and as much as you try to focus and look at the things she shows you, you can't and Wilhemina notices.
''Do I bore you?'' she suddenly snaps in that cold voice again, her nostrils flaring and your heart feels like a knife was just thrown right into it. ''I'm sorr- sorry I-'' but you can't even think of a good enough excuse so you just look at the floor and try hard to keep your emotions at bay.
''Anyways, these are the machines and devices we use, whenever someone places a custom order we make sure to fulfill that order as efficient and quick as possible'' Wilhemina explains her voice still stern, sounding like she has given this tour so many times, she has memorized every single word.
However, you do notice her looking at you the entire time she explains and it seems like she wants you to say something but there are too many things that you want and wanted to say to her for years but you never imagined one day you would run into her like this. For several minutes the two of you stand in the rooms with machines, Wilhemina explaining and you trying hard to focus on her words intently.
''Y/N'' you hear the voice of your boss coming from the door, the two strange-looking men behind him, and you look at him, noticing the satisfied looks on their faces, indicating the deal worked well, and he says ''I'm finished, thank you, Miss, for giving her the tour'' he adds now focused on Wilhemina. ''Let's go'' he says and you walk in his direction without looking back at her and just as you are about to walk out of the door you look at her and say ''Thank you'' and then you walk out.
As you walk out of the large office building, back through the same long corridor, and past the front desk, you can't hear anything your boss is trying to say and the entire car ride back to the office you try and wrap your head around what just happened, abandoning every single word Mr. Odell is saying.
''This didn't happen wake up Y/N wake-up Y/N'' you keep repeating in your head but it's no use this is no nightmare this is reality.
#wilhemina venable#miss venable#venable#wilhemina venable x reader#venable x reader#au#american horror story#ahs#ahs apocalypse#wattpad#writing#fanfic#one shot#part 1#lgbtq#angst#fluff#sarah paulson#sarah paulson x reader#sarah paulson imagine#wilhemina venable imagine
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Paralyse
this is for @libiraki. ily pwetty lady (づ◡﹏◡)づ
warnings: tw.dubcon, tw.cucking, SMUT/18+ only, vouyerism, fingering & other dirty things
Paralyse
par·a·lyze
/ˈperəˌlīz/
verb
cause (a person or part of the body) to become partly or wholly incapable of movement.
It should have worn off by now.
It’s not supposed to take this long, to feel like this. It had barely hit him; there’s no way he hadn’t dodged it in time. Fucking, stupid, quirk. Why bother to activate it? What’s the use if it doesn’t kick in for hours? It hadn’t helped the man; he’d died all the same.
Goddamn it.
Shigaraki tries to shift his fingers, his toes, his shoulders. He can sense that his brain is sending the right signals, that the correct neurons are firing, sparking, fizzing within his heavy muscles; they have to be, because he can sense the ache that they leave behind.
But nothing changes. He’s locked in place, his head craned against the floor, eyes narrowed, teeth gritted, a thin line of drool slipping down his useless lips.
Dabi had knocked him from the thin mattress, forcing you to crouch down beside him, telling you how to position him, to lift his chin a little more, to ensure that Shigaraki can see everything that’s unfolding before him.
Dabi’s not supposed to be here.
No, Dabi had said he was going to be away for the next few days, pounding the pavement and scouting for new recruits. He must have finished early, or given up. He always had some kind of excuse, some brisk wave of his long fingers, staples glinting against the dim light of the bar top, assuring his “boss” that he’d get to it, eventually.
Shigaraki isn’t even sure how the asshole had gotten into his room.
For his part, Shigaraki had been useless for hours, collapsing soon after his return, his body hitting the floor with a dull thud, scattering dust and a sharp collection of gasps from his followers. You’d reached for him, hands tugging his head up, begging him to tell you what was wrong, what had happened.
He couldn’t say, couldn’t answer, his jaw tense, already locking up from the paralysis quirk he’d been unlucky enough to fall under the spell of.
You’d done your best to prop him back up and Kurogiri had ensured that the two of you were warped to the dark sanctuary of his bedroom seconds later, sequestering him from the prying gaze of the others.
Someone must have told Dabi. Must have said that Shigaraki was incapacitated, weak, vulnerable, leaving you, by default, ripe for the taking.
He’d never liked that you’d elected to pair off with Shigaraki. Always snapping and baring his teeth at the two of you, angry that you’d somehow managed to slip through his mottled fingers.
Shigaraki had done his upmost to play up on those frustrations, pleased he could rile such vehement emotions from the flame user. He’d flaunted his access to you, touching you, kissing you, marking you with dark bites and bruises. Apparently, he’d struck more than a nerve.
Well, if turn about is fair play, Dabi’s done his best to ensure that Shigaraki has got a good view.
You’re splayed across the bed, one leg braced under Dabi’s burned skin. There are bright pricks of red and purple that litter your inner thighs, evidence of his all too hot touch against you. He hasn’t left you with a single scrap of clothing and your naked skin prickles against the heat of his fingers and the cool sucks and licks he leaves behind, evidence of his ravenous want.
“Stop being so quiet,” Dabi chides, cerulean eyes lifting to yours, fixing you with a sharp glare. “How can he hear you if you keep biting your tongue like that? It’s not fair, is it boss?” His head whips around and he barks out a cruel laugh, teeth bright as he leers down at Shigaraki’s prone form. “Anything you wanna see? You fucked her in the ass yet?”
You gasp out a sharp whimper at his final question and squirm under his grip. Dabi looks back at you, staples pulling against the lift of his smile. “Ooooh, think I can take that as a no. Well babe, let’s put on a show for him. Let him see how to really please you, cause’ I know he hasn’t. I know you need something else, something better than the weak fucks that pent up incel has been giving you.”
One of his hands curls under your chin and you lower your head, teeth snapping, trying to catch one of those long fingers as they dance away. He just chuckles and puts more of his body weight against you, his head dipping to the line of your throat.
“Don’t be like that. Who knows? You might like it. Might like it so much you’ll want more.”
As he presses his nose to your pulse, taking in a sharp inhale and sighing blissfully at the heady scent of you, his other hand has wandered to the apex of your thighs. Deftly, he pushes past your dampening curls and moves his middle finger along your folds, delighting in your sudden, unbidden reaction.
Your hips coil upward, betraying you with a swiftness that makes your head spin. He’s careful to keep away from your pulsing entrance, pinching at your slippery labia as his tongue traces a wet line to your ear.
You shake your head, angry with yourself, lifting from the tattered mattress, eyes peering into the darkness, searching for that familiar mop of white hair; looking for him, the one that you really want, you remind yourself, the man that you need. Not Dabi. Not him. You don’t...you don’t want...oh...fuck–
“There we go. I’ll make you a deal, say my name and I’ll touch you where you want me to. How does that sound? Hmmm?”
“D-Dabi! Don’t...I–”
Dabi’s found your clit.
His calloused thumb and forefinger are pinching around the bud, frigging and tweaking it until faint dots pass over your eyes. Your head drops back to the bed and your hips roll, legs unconsciously spreading, your traitorous cunt betraying you, offering you up.
“Mmm, you look real pretty like this, so pink and...and...fuck babe, look how wet you are,” Dabi pulls away from your heat, catching the spidery strands of your arousal, stretching them across his fingers.
“No! I didn’t...I don’t want this....get off me! You...fucking...disgusting...ah–”
Your voice fades away as you watch him, eyes drifting to half mast, lungs burning as you try to contain your budding excitement. He’s licking his digits into his mouth, slurping hungrily at the wetness of your cunt, head turning back to the stiffened man behind him.
“Look at her! Can you do this? You ugly fucker? Can you make her wet from just one touch? Do you even fucking know what to do with her? You don’t deserve this, you haven’t earned it. Bet he can’t even make you cum, can he babe?”
He’s looking down at you again, one dark brow arched. “Let’s show him how it’s done. Come on doll, let me hear how much you want me.”
It’s all the warning that you have, all the preparation he allows before his fingers are slipping past the tight ring of your entrance. You neck arches under you, breasts lifting as your back bows off the bed. Before you can blink, his lips are around your tightening nipples, passing from one to the other as he strokes and teases, searching for something within you.
“Such a good girl, saying my name like that and you’re so sensitive,” Dabi coos, tongue tickling under the curve of your breast. “Tomura, does she do this for you? Nah, I doubt it. Look how much she likes me!”
The only sound from the paralyzed form of Shigaraki is his labored breathing. It rasps across the room and it makes you shiver to know he’s watching. Before you realize what you’re doing, your arms are lifting from your sides, cupping against the back of Dabi’s head, holding him to you as you writhe and buck under his talented fingers.
Dabi gifts you a low groan, teeth dipping out, worrying your tender skin under his soft bites. “Yes, just like that. Tell me babe, tell me what you want. I’ll give it to you, I’ll make it so good you can’t fucking think.”
You voice is frozen, trapped within the confines of your throat, but your body is speaking for you, answering him with hazy want. On an upward cant his fingertips hit something within you, something that makes a broken sigh escape your trembling lips. You can feel his grin, his lips curling, warm staples passing over you as he taps against the spot again.
“There,” he moans, rewarding you with another press. “You like that, huh?”
“I–” you falter, mouth falling open and hips lifting. “I don’t...I don’t...”
“Don’t what?” Dabi teases, lifting his dark head from your breasts, raising those preceptive blue eyes to yours. “Want me to stop?”
“No!” you hear yourself cry out, ashamed that you’re so fucking weak, so fickle, but you can’t help it. You want more, you want him.
“Mmm, you’re ready for something else, aren’t you?”
He waits for your answer, fingers stilling within you, making your pussy clench and suck at his stationary digits, vainly asking him to continue. You lift your head, eyes pulling away from his to rest on Shigaraki, searching the vermillion, looking for some kind of answer.
“Don’t look at him, don’t even think about him,” Dabi scolds, slick fingers snatching your chin, demanding your full attention. “Do you want my cock babe? Do you want me to fill you up?”
Your mouth has gone dry and you can’t think, not when he’s looking at you like that, not when you know Shigaraki is watching, listening, taking all of this in. He must be hard, he must be so hard and he can’t relieve himself, can’t grind his hips over the cold ground, can’t...
Dabi’s hand cracks against your side, slapping against the swell of your ass and driving you into him, bare breasts scraping against his loose shirt. “I said, don’t think about him. I’m all you need and I’m going to make you realize that, one way or another.”
He shoves you back down, a large palm spaying over your collarbone as he rids himself of his dark pants, freeing his heavy, dripping cock and giving it a few quick tugs.
Your eyes drift downward, widening as you take in his thick girth and gleaming piercings and the gasp that leaves you is all the encouragement he needs. As soon as the exhale leaves your lungs he’s driving forward, splitting you open and flashing you a wild grin as you brokenly call out his name.
“That’s it baby, say it again, tell me again. Say my fucking name,” Dabi laughs, pulling his hips back slowly, watching as his length emerges from your cunt, glistening and wet.
“D-Dabi,” you groan, toes digging into the sheets, bracing yourself for another rough cant, ready to feel him again.
“Again,” he pants, picking up his pace, his thumb reaching for your throbbing clit. “Say it again. I don’t think he can hear you.”
Shigaraki is mumbling something, his voice hitting a frantic note. It might be your name, it might be a curse, it could be anything, but, at this point, you’re too focused on Dabi to care. He feels good and those piercings of his are heating up, scraping against you until you’re a shivering mess.
“Harder!” you beg, fingertips reaching for the skin of his mangled hips, curving over the slope of his ass, pulling him into you. “Fuck me harder, Dabi. Give me more!”
“Such a good girl,” Dabi laughs, slinging your shaking legs over his shoulders. “Hurry up and break outta that quirk boss. I wanna see what she feels like with two of us. It’s waaaay past time you broke her ass in. Just think how tight this cunt of hers will feel then. Ah, fuck...yes baby, just like that, do that again.”
Shigaraki is gasping behind the two of you, his throbbing cock leaving wet drips against the front of his pants. You look so good. Goddamn it. Why the fuck do you look so good? He should kill Dabi, just reach out for that nasty skin of his and crumple him to dust, but he’s right. Shigaraki wants to see what you feel like with two dicks. Will it make you tighter? Will it feel good? How loud will you scream for him when he shoves past the puckered ring of your ass?
God.
His arms are starting to tingle and he can feel his toes again. Not long now, he thinks, watching as Dabi pounds you into the ratty mattress, dragging more whines and gasps from your pretty lips. He’ll get his due and he’ll show you what a fucking slut you are, show you just how much you need him.
How much you need both of them.
notes: sigh, it got too long :(
#drabble#kinda?#idk#i cannot write small#sigh#for libi#libiraki#shigaraki tomura#tomura shigaraki#dabi#touya todoroki#todoroki touya#tw: dubcon#tw: cucking#bnha smut
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pairing ╾ ben poindexter x fem!reader
word count ╾ 1.6k
synopsis ╾ a long night at the nyc gentlemen’s club results in a brewing attraction between a certain fbi agent and dancer
warnings ╾ flirting?? that’s all really. maybe slight nsfw hahah but nothing serious
a/n ╾ i just finished watching daredevil and i have found my muse.. possible spicy part 2? (;
———
“Come on, girls! Let’s go!” Your boss shouted into the dressing room, music blasting from the club behind him. “Can’t keep the gentlemen waiting!”
You rolled your eyes and continued taking your time with fixing your makeup. The private dance you finished earlier got a little too handsy for your liking, so you had to redo your look. You carefully outlined your eyes with black eyeliner, adding gems to the inner and outer corners of your eyes along the way. You continued to add more highlight before taking out the messy ponytail you had. You quickly brushed it out, letting your natural hair waterfall onto your shoulders, effectively accentuating your collarbones.
Then, you changed your pink outfit into a dark purple one, paired with your usual black stilettos. You quickly sprayed on perfume before following your fellow dancers out the door onto the main-stage. You placed a smile on your face, quickly maneuvering yourself around the dancing pole in the middle of the stage. Men with wads of cash carelessly threw dollar bills by your feet, clearly desperate for your attention. You chuckled to yourself, sliding into the floor to teasingly pick up your earnings.
This routine of dancing, changing, refreshing, back to dancing on stage, dancing on people, and changing again was how you spent your usual nights. Dancing at a strip club in New York City was your survival job—and, hey, who’s to judge? It has been your dream to live in that so-called “city that never sleeps.”
You finished the night with $3000 in your pocket, which was pretty good for an early Friday night. You asked for the weekend off because you have been working nonstop for the past month. You said goodnight to your friends and headed for the closest bus stop.
The “Northstar Lounge” was located closer to Times Square, but you lived in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen with a few roommates—majority of them your age. When you came home that night, all four of them were there as well. They cheered when you walked in, knowing that you had a stay-cation weekend. You smiled in response and quickly dove into your room to change.
When you came out, you had a comfortable outfit on and quickly found yourself melting into the couch. They huddled over to you, offering water or some snacks—being the angels they are. After providing a bag of popcorn and pizza, they made themselves comfortable on the couch with you.
It was the most amazing, relaxing night of your life. You realized you should probably take breaks more often, but that dream quickly faded when your closest coworker called you on Saturday.
“BITCH,” they squealed into the phone, “you have to come to tonight. These fuckin’ FBI weirdos are renting out the place. So weird, but it has gotta pay well. Come on, it’ll be fun!”
You considered it for a moment, remembering that you loved the job for it’s interesting characters and learning about the people who come in. And, this would be the next-best gossip for the next couple of days—you couldn’t miss this. You groaned, “Fine. I’ll see you later.”
You dragged yourself out of the bed to prepare yourself for the next couple of hours. You promised to just sleep in tomorrow morning. You threw on your favorite dance outfit before putting on regular clothes.
You said bye to the other roommate who stayed in tonight before heading to the club. You checked in with security and your boss before heading backstage.
“There she is!” One of your friends screamed at your arrival. You greeted everyone with kisses and then headed to your mirror. You touched up on your makeup, switched out your stud earrings for hoops, took off your outerwear, and pulled your heels on.
Music bounced off the walls of the club with lights flickering here and there to add to the ambiance. It was darker than usual, but you figured because it was a “work” event. You ignored the circumstances and made your way across the room.
You greeted various agents and officers, none of them catching your eye. You scanned the room so more, searching for the right person to sort-of interview. Just as you were about to head in to change, you crossed paths with an agent with perfectly slicked, dark blonde (nearly brunette) hair sitting by himself in the darkest private booth.
He seemed like he wasn’t enjoying self, nor that he wanted to be there in the first place. You strutted over to him, letting yourself get swept away with compliments by some passing agents. When you reached out, he had already seen you coming.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to do anything.” He gave you a slight nod, pursing his lips in awkwardness.
You grinned, “No worries. How about a chat instead”
He hesitated, “Oh, sure. Can’t guarantee I’ll tip as much as the rest of the guys out there.”
You let out a laugh, “What’s your name, agent?” You slid in the seat next to him, catching a glimpse of his fading cologne combined with a hint of sweat—god, you were entranced.
“My friends call me Dex,” he took a sip of his drink. “What’s yours, ma’am?”
“Definitely not ma’am. And, we’re friends now, Dex?” You reached over to dust some lint off his jacket.
“We could be,” he whispered in response, pulling closer to your face before going for another sip.
You were slightly caught off guard by his behavior, but you weren’t complaining. A good work night always consisted off heated flirting, “they call me Love.”
“You sure that’s really your name?” It felt like he could see right through your lies.
“Sorry, I’m working. And we’re not friends.” You teased and stood up to leave him wanting more.
“Love, wait,” Dex cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to finish his thought, but it never came.
You sighed in an exaggerated, exasperated manner, “I’ll stay.”
“Good,” he nervously laughed, “I’m not used to being here.”
“That’s okay, I can do whatever you’re comfortable with.” You shrugged, making yourself comfortable in the seat across from him. This allowed him to get a full look at you—and he was captivated by your essence. He doesn’t remember seeing anyone so perfect, so commanding before.
“Sure,” Dex gulped, his head buzzing with thoughts. He took a deep breath and pushed them away. “You from New York?”
You shook your head, “you?”
“Me neither,” he responded. “Do you like it here?”
You nodded, “you?”
“Yeah, I really enjoy my job.” Dex smirked as if a happy memory came back to him.
You smiled in response, “that’s good to hear. Don’t know if I can say the same things sometimes.” You playfully played off the last part.
“What makes you say that?” He asks, genuinely curious.
“Sometimes men suck,” you shrugged and leaned back into the cushioned pillow behind you.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” you smiled and placed your hand on the table that separated you two. You hesitantly glanced at his hand, just mere inches away from yours.
You and Dex continued to talk throughout the night in profound water-cooler conversations—small talk that allowed you two to get to know each other better. He was really an interesting character: he was in the army, he worked at a suicide prevention hotline, and he played baseball. So, when the party left, you were kind of disappointed to see Dex go.
And, what sucks most, is that you didn’t get any of his information nor did he get any of yours. You sulked back to the dressing room to get ready to go home. You did your usual nightly routine and hopped on the next bus to your apartment.
When you made it to your stop, you quickly got off to rush home. You hated being out in your neighborhood late for every and all safety reasons. You heard rustling in the bushes across the street, which was enough to prompt you to speedily walk to your front door.
———
The next morning you woke up decently late. You decided to spend the day running errands since you had the time to take your time. You were able to do laundry, buy groceries, and drop off mail at the post office. However, you struggled with the amount of laundry and groceries you had to carry.
You wobbled over back to your apartment to complete your list of chores. Then, one of the straps of your reusable grocery bag snapped, causing some snacks to fall out.
Before the wrappers could hit the ground, you heard someone practically dive for them. They grunted as they stood back up. He had that similar lopsided smile with dark blond hair.
“Dex! Are you stalking me or something?” You playfully teased as he put the snacks back into your bag.
“I was just meeting a friend in the neighborhood, so I think you’re stalking me.” He joked, flashing that cocky, charming smile you have grown to like.
You rolled your eyes, “And, I just happen to live in the same area. Very coincidental.”
“You live here? Here, let me help you with that.” He gestured to your massive load of bags. You agreed and took him to your front door.
“I got it from here, thanks Dex.” You hoisted the remainder of your bags onto both your shoulders.
“Are you sure?” He rose a brow.
“Yes, I’m just as strong as you.” You laughed.
“It’s really no problem,” he insisted.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m just worried about the state of my place.” You placed a timid hand on his arm.
“Maybe we can hang out someplace else then?” He suggested.
You tried not to scream in excitement, “I’d love to.” He took out his phone to get your number, which you gladly gave to him.
“I’ll see you around then, my Love,” he chuckled, already sending you a text so you knew who it was.
You giggled, “You know where to find me.”
#fanfic#fanfiction#reader insert#writing#dex#ben poindexter#daredevil#netflix#dex x reader#ben poindexter x reader#daredevil x reader#imagine#bullseye#marvel#marvel x reader
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Misunderstandings
I HAVE FINALL MADE CONTENT FOR MY SPIDER MONKIE AU! And SURPRISE, it’s angst!
Despite his best efforts, MK knew that he was a terrifying image to humans when he dropped his glamor. He loomed over most people due to his size, lower body plated with a dark exoskeleton with long legs which were sharp enough to impale someone without much effort. MK had tried to make it look less intimidating by painting bright little doodles all over his lower body. Soft and precise strokes decorated his exoskeleton with a couple of noticeably lower quality, lines shaky and uneven as if done by a beginner. Yet they were the ones he treasured the most. Particularly the large purple and orange hourglass symbol dead center on his spider abdomen.
"Am I doing this right sweetie?" She asked, long black hair pinned back to keep it clean yet it was still stained with streaks of paint. The same can be said for her worn robe, the faded fabrics speckled with rainbow flecks of paint. Her lips were pursed in concentration as the paintbrush shook in her hands.
It was certainly an image of the feared Spider Queen that few had the luxury of seeing and living to remember it, MK being one of them.
"Yeah mom, you're doing great. Try focusing on where you want the brush to go instead, it'll help smooth out your strokes," he suggested, having to contort a slight bit to see what she was doing. She followed his advice and happily finished the symbol.
"There! Now everyone will know to fear my little spiderling the moment they lay their eyes on him," Spider Queen cooed, putting the paintbrush away to pat MK on the head, accidentally staining his dark hair with the purple and orange paint which had gotten on her hands.
MK held a brief smile at the memory before letting out a sigh.
Unfortunately, bright colors and cutesy symbols could only do so much against the large collective fear of demons, especially big ones with fangs and multiple legs. Which he was unfortunate enough to find out when fighting a demon who's whole speciality was glamor magic and could see right through him.
"That must be uncomfortable, squeezing yourself into such a small form. How about I give you a chance to stretch your legs for a while?" The demon said mockingly and before MK knew it, he was enveloped in a cloud of shimmering dust. Suddenly, everything was a lot smaller to him and MK was left to clumsily stumble as his two legs became eight without warning. He squinted as the world was now a lot brighter through his four eyes, colors even more vivid than before to the point it nearly gave him a headache.
Yet it all only registered to MK when he heard people start screaming about a giant spider demon.
“Oh no…” He whispered to himself, wincing as his vision cleared only to see civilians running away from him. And while he understood why, it still felt like a stab to his heart to see people terrified of him. The hurt quickly became panic once he hit what felt like a blockade to his magic, preventing him from re-activating his glamor.
MK was stuck like this for the time being.
“This can’t get any worse,” he hissed, freely skittering through the now empty streets now that he wasn’t at risk of accidentally stepping on someone. He was instantly proven wrong when he heard the twin sound of motors headed right him and MK had to dodge quickly to avoid getting hit by Mei’s bike head on and from Pigsy’s truck from crashing into one of his legs.
It just got worse.
"Alright demon, might be best to give up now-!" Mei froze mid-boast, face going pale underneath her helmet. She was soon joined by Pigsy, Sandy, and Tang who looked at what had her so shaken and their own confusion quickly transformed into their own individual shows of shock. Pigsy looked genuinely sick, Tang didn’t seem to be breathing with wide eyes behind his glasses, and Sandy’s entire being seemed to bristle as if to make himself look even bigger out of self-defense.
It dawned on MK once he saw they were all staring at the staff still clenched in his clawed hand.
That he was still holding while in his true form. Which wouldn’t look out of place as part of the Spider Queen’s forces, skin now covered in purple fur and eyes a dizzying bright green. And was still wearing his easily recognizable orange and purple jacket and headband now draped around his neck from the chaos.
MK now realizes that this did not paint a good picture in his favor.
“I… can explain,” he stuttered, wincing at the sound of his own voice: hoarse and deeper to his own ears.
He had no way of explaining this.
“What did you do to my boy?” Pigsy was the first to break the silence, eerily calm yet everyone could tell that his rake was close to snapping with how tight his grip was. Following behind him, everyone else’s shock and horror morphed into rage and MK felt his stomach tighten further and further in fear. Tang’s eyes were hidden behind the glare of his glasses with a stillness to him that made you fear he would strike at any moment before you could react. Sandy’s entire demeanor had changed in a way that made MK understand Pigsy’s past descriptions as him being a feared warrior.
And Mei?
Well Mei’s entire being was wreathed in green and vibrating with barely restrained wrath.
MK stumbled back on his eight legs, feeling incredibly small in the face of his family’s anger despite towering over them.
They didn’t know it was him. As far as they knew, he was just another demon.
He didn’t know if this was better or worse for him.
“We will not repeat ourselves, demon: What did you do to our kid?” Tang demanded with a glare as sharp as knives. MK soon found himself surrounded, breath turning shorter and shorter as his family came closer and looked ready to tear him apart if it meant getting the answers they wanted. Yet he could only see the image of the calabash copies of his family and mentor pouncing at him to prevent him from escaping, countless nightmares of them successfully trapping them in his “perfect” world weighing on his spine.
So it was only natural that he panicked when they all descended upon him as he remained silent, throat closed up in sheer anxiety. It had happened so fast but before MK knew it, he had bound them all in web cocoons without even meaning to.
Yet he took the opportunity while they were struggling to free themselves to go for the most logical course of action according to his panic-ridden brain: run away, far and fast. He didn’t even know where he was going, all MK knew was that he had to make himself scarce around the city until he could finally use his glamor again. If he wasn't sick from panic, he could almost laugh at the image of himself struggling to balance all eight of his spider legs on the staff as he pogoed through the city.
So it shouldn’t really have surprised to find himself on the beach of Flowering Fruit Mountain, the monkeys scattering away in fear at the sight of him as he created a small crater in the sand.
The following silence was deafening, allowing his thoughts to continue to run wild without anything to focus on. He only faintly realized that tears were running down his face as the mountain breeze gently blew against him, as if trying to offer its own form of comfort as he spiraled.
MK couldn't stop seeing the faces of his loved ones, his family, as they looked at him with such hatred and rage. He tried to keep reminding himself that it was only because they didn't know it was him, as far as they knew he was a random powerful demon who managed to get their hands on the staff. But tell that to his heart, which felt like it was genuinely breaking into pieces. The pain was enough to put MK to his knees, choking on his tears and grip on the staff tight enough to make the joints of his exoskeleton-plated hands ache.
"Kid? You here kid?" MK didn't even think, he found himself scrambling towards the familiar voice of the Monkey King, desperate for comfort. Sun Wukong grunted as he found his arms now full of a panicked spider demon but was able to adjust his footing before he could lose his balance. He let out a sigh of relief, no longer struggling to hold since he had lifted far heavier people in his long life. Questions died on his tongue as the sound of muffled sobs entered his ears, his successor’s face buried in his fur as if wanting nothing more than to hide from the world.
“What happened bud? You wanna talk about it?” MK was silent for a moment before he gave a garbled response in the Monkey King’s fur. “Sorry, what was that?”
“A demon messed with my glamor, leaving me stuck like this and they saw me. They didn’t know it was me and they saw the staff and they thought… they hated me,” he rambled, a fresh round of tears leaving his four eyes. Wukong remained silent but silently walked towards his home, MK still in his arms.
“Oh kid, I’m so sorry. You know that they wouldn’t be that way if they knew that it’s you. But that definitely explains why Pigsy called me, threatening to eviscerate me the moment he saw me if anything had happened to you,” Wukong gave a smile at the wheezy chuckle MK let out at the image of his boss and father figure calling the Monkey King just to rip into him. Yeah, that sounded like Pigsy alright. “I think I can fix up whatever that demon did to your glamor. Then you can hang out here for a while, if you want, before going back home. That sound good bud?”
“Yeah… sounds great Monkey King,” MK answered before letting out a yawn, now left exhausted now that the anxiety and panic has leaked from his system with the presence of his other father figure mentor there to comfort him. Wukong gave a chuckle, gently placing MK down on his couch and putting on Monkey King: The Animated Series without a second thought. Seemingly realizing that he was no danger to them or their king, the monkeys quickly began to use MK as their personal jungle gym without any fear. That seemed to do the trick, as he was now chuckling at the sight of the little monkey’s looking at the doodles on his exoskeleton with curiosity.
Wukong watched the scene before him with a warm look in his eyes before it quickly hardened as he slipped out of his home for a moment. Pulling out his phone, he gave a deep sigh to calm himself before tapping to call a very specific number.
“Sun Wukong, to what do I owe the pleasure?” A velvety voice answered upon the third ring.
“A demon severely messed up the kid and I figured you’d like to… return the favor,” he answered, voice dead serious.
The line went silent, the echoes of enraged hissing barely audible in the background.
“What did they do to my baby?” Any hint of playfulness was gone in the voice, the Spider Queen enraged to know that someone had harmed her son in such a way to make the Monkey King willing to contact her.
“Messed with his glamor and the others saw him, nearly attacked him thinking he was a demon that had managed to get the staff. He’s fine physically but he’s an emotional mess. All the kid was able to tell me was that they specialize in glamor magic. Think you can work off that?”
“Of course I can, what do you take me for?! But… is he alright?” Wukong smiled, almost quipping about her getting soft over the years but she could very easily call him a hypocrite.
“I have him with me and have everything under control. Just do what you do best S.Q. and I’ll keep in touch, ‘kay?” Everything about him was casual yet the look in the Monkey King’s eyes was nothing but fire that promised he would have burned whoever harmed his kid without mercy, if he wasn’t “retired”.
“Of course, might as well make use of your “retirement” after all. I’ll make sure to make our… displeasure to that foolish demon evident for the both of us. Take care of my spiderling Wukong, otherwise I will figure out a way to make you mortal to end you.” Despite her tone, Spider Queen was only half serious since she knew ending the Monkey King would make MK upset with her. And the last thing she wanted to do was lose her spiderling after searching for him for so long.
“Sure you will S.Q., I totally believe that. But until later, see ya!” Wukong said before hanging up, satisfied but antsy which was typical after every occasion he spoke with the Spider Queen. Walking back inside, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of MK now fast asleep with the monkey’s cuddled around him.
Totally worth it.
#lego monkie kid#monkie kid#mk#sun wukong#spider queen#pigsy#tang#sandy#mei#spider monkie au#my writing#fanfiction
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-Hotel For Demons- (Intro)
Pairing: eventual ot7 x reader; the first few chapters are very Yoongi x reader centric.
Warnings/tags: Stripping, teasing, gambling, mentions of some dark/mob activity
( eventual )Smut-angst-fluff
Summary: You work as a stripper at an extremely secretive casino resort that caters to people of a dark nature. You are used to strange and ignoring your fears. Yet one night a man, more scary and more intriguing than any other seems to grow fond of you while you dance. You play a game with him that takes you away from everything you’ve known and into an even darker world than you’d ever known...and now he’s calling you his wife.
a/n: (this is very unedited sry for typos and things if they appear) taken some inspiration from the anime ‘Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits.’ It starts out a bit dark but it's going to be a lot more lighthearted in some chapters. Once I get the initial set up to the story, this fic will just be a bunch of short episode like stories with y/n having different moments with each member or a few members, not always directly connected to future chapters or the chapter before, just set in the same world. Let me know what you think!!
------
It felt to the men in the crowd like they were hypnotized watching you.
You were the one hypnotized though, by the music, and by the thudding of the bass in rap song you’d picked for your dance vibrating through the club.
You could feel it in your chest, each thump pushing your hips forward as you grinded against the pole, sticking your ass out as you jumped onto the pole and spun. You swore you heard one man in the crowd gasp as you did.
The purple stage lights flashed to blue as the song hit a slower beat. You slid down the pole slowly, your hands gently moving down to the floor with the rest of your body.
As you continued on with your floor work you could practically feel the eyes of one man in particular sitting on you with an almost unblinking stare.
You could only see his eyes, the lower half of his face was covered by a black mask with a pattern that made it look like blood was dripping all over it in a very cartoonish way.
It wasn’t uncommon for people to wear masks like that here, but his was quite an interesting choice.
You could see bits of black hair peeking through his black jacket’s hood, which was also strange. He seemed so secretive with his appearance. Maybe that's what was giving him the confidence to stare at you so obviously.
Most men tended to get shy when you stared them down.
No...maybe he really hadn’t blinked once…
You realized you’d been focusing on him a bit too long and quickly danced your way to facing away from him.
Though you couldn’t escape the powerful gaze that you felt on your backside the entire time.
You knew the ending of your song was coming up and you took to the pole again to finish the dance.
It might have been obvious to everyone in the club that whether it was intentional or subconscious, you had started dancing for him.
When you ended your dance, the last step you took had you facing right at him, chest heaving from putting a bit of extra effort into your moves than usual.
You weren’t sure why, it didn’t make sense. You never usually got this worked up over someone in the audience, but his attention was exciting.
Some men clapped, and a few threw some money on the stage. You gave a twinkle wave to no one in general as you turned to walk back to the dressing rooms behind the stage.
The girl that would come out and collect your money off the stage for you squeezed your shoulder as you walked by and gave you a smile.
“I haven’t seen you perform like that in forever!” she praised loudly over the song that was playing while they set up for the next dancer.
You mouthed a thank you and from the corner of your eye you caught the mysterious man standing up from the table and leaving.
Your heart dropped a little bit. You had a second song still later that a part of you had hoped he’d have stuck around for. He hadn’t even paid you. He paid the entry fee to enter the strip club area of the casino resort, bought one drink, watched just your song, and left.
It was strange.
You were used to odd people. Sometimes even dangerous people. The casino you worked at catered to a very particular crowd of very rich men.
They weren’t the type of rich men you’d see on the news or in magazines. They were all a very secretive type. You were told when you’d been hired two years ago that you weren’t ever to ask the men about what they did for a living.
It always made you wonder, but it never bothered you. The amount of money in their wallets was enough to make you not need to read too deeply into any of it. Why mess up a good thing.
It's not that you only cared about money...but everyone has their amount. Everyone has a number to where they’ll turn their eyes the other way.
At least that's what your boss had told you the first time he’d sat you down in his office and handed you a blank check with his name already signed on it.
The day that you’d seen something that you never want to think about again.
Now you don’t have to.
Aside from the anomaly that was that man today, the diamonds on your wrists that would dance while you did were enough of a distraction from the things you’d seen.
With some of the things you’d witnessed go down in this casino you were glad that your number was as high as it was.
When it was well past 3 in the morning and your shift was done you put on your coat and began to walk towards the main entrance of the building to leave. Almost everyone besides those who worked there had left for the night, either returning to their hotel rooms or getting up to some business you’d rather not think about.
Just before you’d walked past the last of the blackjack tables you heard a voice call out to you.
“y/n right?”
A chill ran down your spine. You never used your real name at the club, it was a rule that you’d never tell customers your real name.
Your head whipped around to see that same man from earlier sat down alone at the table, shuffling through a deck of cards.
On closer look the cards were definitely not ones from your casino, almost as if he’d brought his own with him, another rule broken.
“No…” You lied. “You must be confused.”
You heard a chuckle from behind the mask. “I’m never confused. Sit down.”
He spoke so sternly and with a low gravel that spiked some fear into your body.
But you sat anyway. Maybe it was fear of what he’d do if you said no, but more likely it was that you were still wildly intrigued by this strange man.
“How do you know me?” You spoke as you sat down in the seat across from where he sat in the dealers chair.
“That's not important right now.” He muttered. “Want to play a game?” He spoke those words with such a smooth and beautiful compelling tone.
“Why not.” You decided, shifting in your seat and trying to get a better eye on the cards he was still shuffling through.
You wished you could see behind his mask, but all you could see was a mischievous glint in his eyes.
He laid out three cards in front of you face down. They were black with the images of blood dripping down them, the same as his mask.
“Pick one.” He demanded.
“Shouldn’t I know the rules first?” You cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Rules don’t really matter here do they. Surely you know that better than anyone.” He replied.
“There are some rules that matter.” You debated. “Like you calling me by my real name.”
“Not to me.” He then tapped on the table in front of him with a closed fist. “Pick a card.”
You sighed and figured ‘What's the worst that could happen.’
You stared at the cards in front of you, not sure if it even made a difference which one you’d pick, but still, you studied them before finally pointing to the one in the middle.
He then reached out and flipped the card, revealing a very detailed drawing of two golden rings intertwined together.
He seemed to sigh a big exhale of relief.
“Good.” he muttered.
“That's good? For me, or you? What game are we playing here!” You were starting to get frustrated.
He then flipped over the other two cards, revealing one that was a painting of a gravestone, and one that was a painting of flames.
“Good for both of us.” You could almost hear the smile in his voice, though you were only growing more confused.
“Pick up your card. Don’t touch the other ones.” He ordered.
With a small huff you listened to him, grabbing the card with the rings on it.
“In both hands.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.” he seemed to growl in an almost inhuman way.
Your fear now made your blood run cold, you didn’t want to anger him so you did as he said instantly.
As soon as you did, you felt a rush of wind hit you from behind. It was so strong the other two cards flew off the table. The man stood there with his arms crossed and started laughing a maniacal laugh.
The whole table then seemed to start to spin, you wanted to grip onto something but your hands seemed to be glued to the card you held.
Everything got faster and more blurry, everything except him. Before you could comprehend how, it seemed that the whole place you’d been in was starting to fade away into a bright white light.
As the spinning movements quickened you squeezed your eyes shut tightly and let out a small scream.
It only lasted a few more seconds before you felt everything still.
“Open your eyes.” His voice spoke to you much softer.
Slowly you did, opening up to a sight you were not expecting to see.
You were now in a large room with wooden floors and a wooden ceiling. Lots of art and architecture that seemed to be at least a thousand years before your own. It was very decorative and ornate, it seemed almost like a palace.
“Welcome to your home my wife.”
#yoongi x reader#yoongi fanfic#ot7 x reader#yoongi angst#yoongi smut#yoongi fluff#ot7 smut#bts x reader#bts fanfic#bts angst#bts smut#bts fluff#bts fantasy#jungkook x reader#taehyung x reader#jimin x reader#namjoon x reader#hoseok x reader#seokjin x reader#bts imagines#bts series#yoongi x you#bts x you#bts x y/n#yoongi x y/n
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ghouls just wanna have fun (A Creature Feature Story)
A Taeil fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!
Summary: After your date ends up being a dud, you stumbled upon an unusual movie theater and its most appealing visitor, Moon Taeil.
Pairing: Ghost! Taeil x female reader
Genre: romance, angst, pinch of smut, drama, fantasy, horror
Word Count: 7k
Warnings: gore mention, death mention, smut: masturbation mention
(A/N: Hi! Special shoutout to the Creature Feature readers. I love you...It’s almost one year to the day that I posted Part 1 (I know: where the hell is the rest of it?). Rest assured, the series will continue in November. This Halloween series has gotten me out of my funk. I hope you enjoy this story. And to newcomers, welcome! This story can be read alone, if you'd like, but I think you’d enjoy this more if you read my Creature Feature updates! Anyways: SHOUTOUT TO MY BEST FRIEND AND PARTNER IN CRIME/WRITING KRYS. SHE CREATED ANOTHER SPECTACULAR MOODBOARD FOR ME. SHE’S MADE SEVERAL FOR ME. AND I AM SO SPOILED. HER BRILLIANT BRAIN AND VISION DESERVE ALL OF THE LOVE. SEND IT HER WAY. We hope you enjoy this installment and our upcoming posts! Thank you for all of the love in our stories so far!
___
“Jaebum, I’m not going. Let me off here,” you demanded.
Well, tonight was just fantastic. Fan-freaking-tastic.
Your date that your friends set you up with ended up being a bust. He wanted to take you to a house party so he can get high and you could be his side piece for the night. Your friends were all in committed relationships and they thought you were bummed because you felt single and bitter.
No, you were just bummed at the fact that your friends had blown you off too many times for their significant others. That was the actual problem.
But they were doing better with you, you had to admit. They spent more time with you as their honeymoon stages with their significant others had finally dwindled. The set-up was supposed to be for fun.
They even thought that this date could open doors for you.
Doors to what? Well, it ended up being to the stench of weed in the back of Jaebum’s old Sonata.
Jaebum’s car, which included his two stoner friends Jinyoung and Yugyeom, came to a halt at a red light near a plaza.
“You want to leave, y/n? Then here’s your stop,” Jaebum said.
You raised your eyebrows. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Jaebum shrugged. “Take it or leave it. I got places to go.” His friends muttered over how uncool you were. The least this jerk could’ve done was take you back home.
You rolled your eyes. “Fine. Go to hell.”
The car sped off as you stood near the plaza entrance. It was getting colder as midnight approached. So you decided to wait outside of an abandoned Spirit Halloween store so your Uber could pick you up from there. You walked towards the plaza and suddenly…
Bright lights appeared before you that you quickly shut your eyes. You blinked them open, wondering what just transpired when you realized...
There was an active movie theater there, with a giant sign surrounded by bright light bulbs. It read “Sinema”.
What the hell, you thought.
You walked closer and closer and saw people coming in and out of the theater. And then...oh, wow, you really had lost your mind. Little human-like creatures of different colors were flying around the entrance...They were fairies! Their pixie fairy dust landed on your shoulders. You picked off the dust that had fallen on the shoulder of your dress. The texture reminded you of Cheeto dust. It was hard to get off. You were certain your black dress was permanently stained.
Then, a man walked past you and transformed into a large purple dragon before your very eyes. He blew out fire within a few feet from you, you yelped. He set off for the sky and vanished. After, another group of men walked past you, flashing their vampire teeth as they laughed about something. They were all stunning but the one with wavy electric blue hair was the real showstopper. You couldn’t think that too long as people that looked bright and transparent walked towards you.
You thought they were going to bump into you so you said. “Hello? Watch where you’re going!”
But they walked right through you and kept going. Seemed like they got that kind of comment a lot.
You blinked a few times. Did that just happen? Were those...ghosts?
A young woman in her red and navy blue uniform appeared before you. She smiled. “Welcome to Sinema, the premier theater for the supernatural! My name is Haseul. You look like you have a lot of questions. Is this your first time here?”
“I...I…” You started. “Is this really happening?”
She laughed. “Yes...All supernatural creatures and their approved companions are welcome here!”
You frowned. “There must be some mistake. I’m not a supernatural creature.”
Haseul pulled out her phone. “Your name?”
“Uh...y/n y/l/n…” You said. “Wait, why did I say that?” You answered her without even thinking. It was like she compelled you to do what she asked.
She winked. “It’s a special little skill of mine. It’s a part of the job.” She scrolled through an app on her phone. “Well, you’re not a part of the approved human companions list so...You have to be supernatural!”
You gaped. “That’s funny…This is a joke, right? Some kind of Halloween event? Well, you’re a few months too late…”
Haseul shook her head. “Oh, no, this is no reenactment. This is the real deal. Allow me to escort you inside.”
You weren’t sure if that was a good idea but you were curious. You followed her inside.
The movie theater was elegant and modern. The latest video games were available at the arcade. The concession stand was huge. It had to be with the number of creatures that were lined up for snacks. The theater was three stories high. Posters for the latest movies were up. The music that played overhead consisted of songs from the 70s, 80s, and more. Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” was playing. Sinema seemed like any regular theater.
Well, except for the supernatural creatures, of course.
“What is this place?” You asked Haseul. “This can’t be real...I’ve been drugged. Jaebum got something in my system and I’m hallucinating. That has to be it.”
Haseul gave you a confused look. “This place is very real, y/n. I know it might be a hard pill to swallow but you belong here. To the supernatural world. A part of you is connected to this world. I’m not sure why it took you so long to discover that but...you’re here now.”
Haseul’s phone rang and she answered. “Yeah, boss?...Okay, I’ll stop calling you that...Oh? I see. Well, have fun with your boyfriend…” She teased. She hung up and she continued, “Well, y/n, I must be going but if you need anything, you can reach out to anyone who is wearing this uniform.” She showed off her uniform. She looked like a very casual flight attendant. The navy blue skirt was very flattering on her. Her white blouse had a red tie over it. Her name tag had her name written in her own elegant cursive.
“W-wait…” You started.
Haseul gave you a reassuring smile. “You can stay or leave, y/n. No one is keeping you here. But know that you’re always welcome here at Sinema. We hope to see you again.” She walked off to resume working, you thought.
You stood there, confused over what to do. Going to the movies hadn’t been in the cards for you tonight. Much less finding out that the supernatural existed in the same world you did.
Unless this was a parallel world, which just made your head spin even more.
Deciding to stay, you went back out to the main entrance to buy tickets. You heard growls among the chatter of people that stood in line before you. All kinds of creatures stood in front of you: werewolves, selkies, fairies, kitsunes, and more. You felt like the only outsider. For everyone else seemed to know their place…
According to Haseul, the only reason you could access this place was because you were a supernatural creature. And that...that just couldn’t be true. Sure you were adopted but you never displayed any kind of power or ability that would indicate you were a creature.
It was impossible, you thought. A striking young man with long silver hair stood behind you and you could feel his eyes on the back of your head. He was tall and muscular. You wondered what kind of creature he was or if he was actually a companion like Haseul described. You turned to him and his stare never wavered.
“Can I help you?” You asked.
He blinked a few times to snap out of it. “I’m sorry...I zoned out…” He tipped an imaginary hat. “It’s your turn.”
“Miss?” The employee at the ticket stand asked. Like the young man behind you, she seemed human. However, the red tint in her eyes told you otherwise. You wondered what she could be.
“Oh, uh... A ticket to ‘Spider-Man: The New Kid’, please,” you said.
“That’ll be 12.50,” the employee replied.
Even if this was a movie theater for the supernatural, they certainly charged like a regular theater did. You paid the employee and got your ticket. The ticket stub was actually very beautiful. It was holographic so you could collect these stubs like trading cards, if you wanted.
You hung around too long so the silver-haired boy approached you.
He smiled at you. “Hello.”
You smiled, a little uneasy. “Hi…”
“First time at Sinema?” He asked. The man was stunning with his high cheekbones and dangerous dark eyes. A devil-may-care smile that must have won over a few women.
You nodded. “Is it that obvious?”
“The look of horror on your face hasn’t faded,” he said, chuckling.
You sighed. “Yeah...Well, I’m still pretty stunned.”
He said, “Well, you’ll get used to it eventually. Something about you makes you belong to this world, right? Do you know what it is?” His eyes widened.
It was almost as if he knew the answer. But if you didn’t know, how could he?
You sighed. “I couldn’t tell you. Maybe I’m just a fluke.”
“Oh, I have to disagree…” He started.
A ghost materialized right beside you. He stood closer to you and stared down the silver-haired man. Even if he was a ghost, he was the most alluring man you’d ever seen. Although translucent, his features were striking and not to be ignored. His undercut that accentuated his face so well was bright red, like rubies. His ears were decorated with crescent moon studs. He wore a navy button down and black slacks, like he was dressed for a hot date. His tan skin cast an ethereal glow. “Yuta, give the girl some air. She just discovered she’s not human.”
The silver-haired man named Yuta sighed. “Do you ever stay out of people’s business?”
The ghost rolled his eyes. “Do you?”
You averted your eyes from them and looked at the concessions menu. Hmmm, the Sour Patch Bats looked promising, you thought. You started, “I’m gonna go.”
Yuta was about to call your name again but the ghost boy raised his hand to stop him. “You’re already messing around here too much. Leave her alone.”
Yuta rolled his eyes. “I don’t have to listen to you. I’m the alpha.”
The ghost boy made faces as he imitated Yuta’s voice. “I’m the alpha. I eat the hearts of my enemies for breakfast. I’m Yuta.”
Yuta growled and it was so animalistic that you wondered if he was going to transform into the creature he most likely was. Your money was on him being a werewolf.
Yuta stormed off and returned to his posse of gorgeous and muscular people. They all watched you and you wondered what was so fascinating about you.
The ghost boy followed you as you got in line for concessions. “What’s your name?”
“Y/n...Yours?” You looked into his soulful eyes.
He smiled. “I’m Taeil. The eyes and ears of Sinema. And you’re new.”
“Yup...And I have no idea who I am or what the world is anymore…Well, it’s time for a snack.”
Taeil chuckled. “The Sour Patch bats are really popular but they sell out fast.”
An employee at the concession stand announced over the intercom. “Sorry, folks. The Sour Patch Bats are sold out.”
Everyone groaned and moaned and growled and wailed. Even you couldn’t help the tiny huff of disappointment that escaped your lips.
Taeil sighed. “Well, lucky for you y/n. I’m friends with the manager of this joint.”
You raised your eyebrows. “Oh, are you?”
He smirked. “I know where she keeps her secret stash of Sour Patch Bats. Now she normally hides those away for her boyfriend but I’m sure she won’t miss one bag…”
Taeil led you upstairs to the manager’s office.
You frowned. “Are you sure we can be here?”
Taeil winked. “Nope. But she owes me.”
Taeil moved himself through the front door and unlocked the door from the inside. You entered the office and found a bouquet of flowers on the manager’s desk.
“How did you touch…”
He cleared his throat like he’d debated what he was going to say. “With most of my strength, y/n...Anything to impress the prettiest girl to set foot in Sinema.”
Although your concept of ghosts was completely debunked (ghosts could indeed touch inanimate objects), your face warmed up at that comment. You tried changing the subject. “Taeil, maybe this is a bad idea…”
He shook his head as he stuck his hand through the manager’s desk drawer and rummaged around before he grabbed a bag of the popular candy. He threw it over to you. You caught it.
You opened the bag and ate the bat-shaped sour gummies of lime, orange, lemon, and cherry. They were the best candy you’d ever tasted and until tonight, you’d been deprived of their existence.
Your eyes grew. “These are...Oh my God.”
Taeil smiled knowingly. “I knew you’d like them. See, the supernatural world isn’t so bad, is it?”
You were touched. He was being so kind and attentive. So quickly, too. “No, I guess not…”
His beautiful lips curved upwards as he watched you enjoy the candy.
“What movie are you going to see?” He asked.
“Well, Taeil, I thought you were the eyes and ears of this place. You should know,” you teased.
He laughed. “Well, I don’t. Is it an oldie? Sinema plays throwback movies every week to appease the masses.”
You shook your head. “I’m watching the new Spider-Man. The new actor they picked is supposed to be above all of his predecessors so I’m excited.”
Taeil asked. “Can I join you?”
You pretended to deliberate. “Well, you have supplied me with sustenance so how could I say no?”
Taeil usually kept to himself, occasionally confiding in his best friend. He really was the eyes and ears of the theater. He knew of all the romantic entanglements that transpired. The current feuds between species. And more.
Typically, he was stuck facing his demons and never quite got past the last thing he needed to overcome in order to ascend to heaven.
He’d sought justice so what was holding him back?
And at the sight of you, he felt an ease in his heart that he hadn’t felt since he was alive.
___
Your first night at Sinema was the first of many where you and Taeil bonded and enjoyed each other’s company. You went to the theater every weekend and met up with him. You’d see a movie together and talk about it for hours on end. He’d even sometimes accompany you back to your dorm. And even if you could see him...no one else in the human realm could. So you would have to pretend you were on the phone when you talked to Taeil. Even as he sat closely beside you. Longing to hold your hand.
You wondered just how many creatures hid from you in plain sight. Some of them could masquerade as humans and you’d never know it. That terrified and excited you.
You loved Taeil’s sense of humor, how he showered you with free movie tickets and concessions (courtesy of his best friend’s connections), his wit, his smile, the goofy, fascinated look he gave you when you spoke.
You always wanted to push back his hair and slap his arm when he teased you. And you wondered what those soft red lips would feel like on yours.
But you couldn’t.
The most wonderful person you’d ever met.
And he was an apparition.
As for Taeil, well, he loved everything about you. Your mind. Your curiosity of the world. Your inability to shut away the unknown completely. The way you adapted to Sinema so quickly. The way you looked at him.
He was convinced that you also wanted to kiss him.
It killed you both, honestly.
You told him you were in your senior year of college. You were getting a degree as a nutritionist but you felt unsure about what you would pursue after college. You felt like nothing got your heart racing. You were just going through the motions, making your parents proud. They’d given so much to you so you didn’t want to disappoint them. So you figured getting a steady paying job was a step in the right direction and maybe one day you’d figure out your passion...and how to capitalize off of it.
Taeil could tell you were frustrated and lost and he wished you didn’t feel so down. He saw the light in your eyes. You had a whole future ahead of you. You would find your dream job someday, meet a man, settle down, have his children, and grow old together.
And him? Well, maybe at that point, he would finally have moved on.
Before meeting you, he was fixated on getting even with the man who murdered him and the woman who betrayed him and got the ball rolling.
He told you all about it...Originally, he didn’t want to because the details were too gruesome. But you’d been honest with him so it was the least he could do for you. He told you about his life in the west coast town of Luna, where he aspired to be a producer and songwriter. And he told you about how his life came to an abrupt end.
Taeil’s killer had been none other than Jung Jaehyun, the man whom his girlfriend had cheated on him with. Jaehyun was a member of one of Luna’s most notorious gangs and he detested Taeil. Taeil’s girlfriend, Lexa, didn’t know how to break up with Taeil so she could be with Jaehyun. She was frustrated because Taeil was so sweet and giving. He was so good to her that Lexa chickened out and never broke up with him. She was getting frustrated and Jaehyun was getting even angrier.
One of the nights that Lexa spent with Jaehyun, she let it slip that she wished there was a way she could get rid of Taeil. And Jaehyun was more than happy to oblige.
Jaehyun and his men cornered Taeil one night. He thought he was meeting Lexa for their 300 day anniversary. He got a text from her phone saying to meet her on the rooftop of the Nectarine Hotel because she had a surprise for him.
However, she was nowhere to be seen. Jaehyun took Taeil by surprise and pushed him off of the twenty story luxury hotel.
Jaehyun’s men lingered downstairs and made sure there were no witnesses on the scene. All evidence of Taeil’s death had been covered up. Taeil’s family and friends reported Taeil as a missing person. Lexa had also disappeared off of the face of the Earth. And many wondered if she and Taeil had disappeared to start anew.
That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Jaehyun, Lexa, and his men disposed of Taeil’s body off underneath an overpass. They’d buried his body and washed their cleans of him.
Taeil always thought about whether or not an afterlife existed. When he hit the ground from his fall, everything went black. The roaring pain all over his body that hit him for one moment...Quickly vanished at the next.
Taeil opened his eyes again and instead of seeing Downtown Luna...Only white surrounded him. Surrounded by golden specks.
An angel appeared before him with stunning peach-colored wings. The angel shined so brightly that Taeil couldn’t make out their face. They spoke softly… “Moon Taeil...Born June 14, 1994...Died October 22, 2018.”
Taeil sobbed then. “Please, is there any way you can save me?”
The angel sighed. “My poor child...You’ve been wronged. I want to give you the opportunity to seek justice...And once you have seeked justice and found peace, you can ascend into Heaven and join us. Our Heavenly Father awaits you.”
Before Taeil could respond, he became a ghost. He manifested into another town he couldn’t recognize. It was the city of Mystic. Jaehyun lived a life of luxury and terrorized the new city with his gang. And who reigned right beside him in a God-awful bubblegum pink wig?
The woman he’d loved and planned to propose to: Lexa.
Lexa played around with the buttons on Jaehyun’s designed shirt as she quietly thanked him for killing Taeil. And Jaehyun murmured back a thank you for giving him the idea and for suggesting a good hiding place for his remains.
Taeil felt sick to his stomach. The love he felt for Lexa had quickly shifted into hatred. And Taeil wanted revenge. He wanted to take them both down. But how, he wondered.
It took him a few more months to figure out how exactly he could enact revenge on them. Haunting them for a few weeks was a thrill but he wanted Jaehyun behind bars. And Lexa? Well, Taeil just wanted her to drown in guilt.
And then, Taeil found Sinema, a supernatural hub in the seemingly typical town of Mystic. Taeil struck a deal with the vampires to help them dig up his body. They in turn compelled the police to find his remains and track down Jaehyun.
Taeil owed the vampires a few months of haunting humans who had deceived them when they were once humans. So both parties were happy.
Taeil decided to spare Lexa from prison. Instead, her family, her friends, and everyone from Luna shunned her for having a hand in Taeil’s murder. Although she was never charged, she was as good as guilty as Jaehyun and his men.
Lexa remained in Mystic in a run-down apartment, barely making ends meet. The luxuries she was able to afford before, because of Taeil and then because of Jaehyun, were no longer accessible to her so she lived a life full of resentment.
But Taeil visited her many nights to remind her that more than anything, she should’ve felt guilt and remorse for what she’d done to him.
How she convinced him that he’d found happiness in her. How she made him out to be a fool. And how she discarded him like a piece of trash.
Lexa’s mind slowly unraveled over time and the guilt slowly consumed her each time.
Taeil ate it all up. This felt like justice and he didn’t want to ascend just yet. He wanted Lexa to get on her knees and pray to God for forgiveness for what she’d done to Taeil.
But that day hadn’t come. So Taeil frequented her apartment at night...Having Lexa think she dreamed of him as she slept.
One late Saturday night...going into Sunday morning, Taeil waited with you at the bench for your Uber to arrive to take you back to your dorm. Sometimes he accompanied you to the dorm and talked to you. You’d have to pretend you were on the phone so your Uber driver didn’t think you were talking to an imaginary friend.
Tonight, though, he wouldn’t be taking you home.
You asked, “Are you going to see her now?”
Taeil froze. “What?”
You wondered aloud, “Lexa...Do you haunt her on the weekends too?”
“Not recently, actually...I’ve been seeing her less.”
You smiled. “Taeil, that’s great. It means you’re getting over her.”
Taeil glared. “I don’t need to get over her. I despise her.”
Your smile vanished. “I know that. It’s just-”
He shot back, “Just what?”
You looked down at your hands and played with your fingers. “It’s just...You’ve sought justice...Jaehyun is rotting in a jail cell...Lexa is guilty over what she’s done...And...I hate to say this...But I think if you stop going to see her...There’s a chance you can finally ascend.”
He looked taken aback at your words. “I can ascend whenever I want.”
You lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”
Taeil looked even more annoyed as he sneered. “Absolutely. Excuse me for wanting to spend a little more time with you before I leave forever.”
His words infuriated you. “Taeil, you...I’m not the reason you want to stay...You’re hung up on your ex. Even if it’s not in the romantic sense...You’re fixated on terrorizing her until what? She begs for forgiveness?”
“And what the hell is wrong with that?”
“Taeil, you’re meant to find peace. You have to let her go.”
“Well, y/n, thank you for your opinion. I never asked for it but it’s certainly never stopped you...Have a safe trip back to your dorm.”
“Fine! Manifest yourself back to me when you get a grip.” You crossed your arms around your chest in anger. He was unbelievable. You were right. He just wouldn’t let go. He wouldn’t give up on seeing that...that wretched bitch.
Why did you let this piss you off so much and why were you overstepping...You had no right…
Perhaps it was because you’d fallen for Taeil and seeing him jeopardize his fate over this woman infuriated you like nothing else had.
The full moon was out that night and you couldn’t help but yell in fury at the sky.
Someone crept up behind you and with his claws, he scratched deeply into your collarbone. “Hey, what the fuck?!”
You turned around to find a werewolf before you. It was a literal wolf on two legs. His muscles protruded like that of a man’s but they were so large...You knew he could easily snap your neck with a quick movement of his hands. His tawny coat shined in the moonlight. His brown eyes watched you, expectantly.
You were about to get on your knees and beg for mercy.
You saw a group of people lingering beside the werewolf. You remembered them. They were a part of Yuta’s pack.
“Yuta?” You finally connected the dots and realized the wolf who scratched you was Yuta. You hadn’t seen him since that first time.
He had been a werewolf, after all. But why had he transformed? Why was he here? Why had he done this to you?
You winced slightly at the scrapes and monitored them as they quickly vanished. You couldn’t believe your eyes.
Yuta’s fur vanished as he transformed back into his human self. He was shirtless but his pair of jeans remained on. “Y/n, I wanted to confirm something…”
You frowned. “What?”
“The scratch of the alpha is borderline lethal to any outsider of the pack...So any pack member or...descendant of that pack member can heal from his bite…”
You laughed nervously, confused. You wanted to get the hell out of here. Where the bloody hell was your Uber? “Uh...That’s interesting, I guess.”
“Can’t you see, y/n? I’m the alpha of the Nakamoto clan. You’ve healed from my scratches...Which means…”
You demanded, “What does it mean?”
“It means you are a descendant of this clan, y/n…”
You shook your head. “No...That’s...Impossible. I’m not a werewolf…”
“You were adopted at five months, y/n...Your parents perished in a war against the vampires...Your parents led normal lives as humans for as long as they could...Much to the disappointment of my father.”
“Yuta, you don’t know what you’re saying…”
“I do, y/n. The pack and I have uncovered everything about you and your family history. You’re a werewolf. An unawakened one.”
“No…”
“Explain how your bite healed. The only way you could enter Sinema of your own accord is if you possessed supernatural blood. And werewolf blood is as supernatural as it gets.”
“Yuta, please, you’ve got the wrong person...I don’t know why you bit me and why it healed. Maybe it’s some magic trick you pulled off to please your pack...I’ve had a shitty night so if you don’t mind, I’d like to go home,” you said, checking your phone for the arrival of your Uber. It was arriving.
“Y/n!”
The Uber pulled up and you turned to him. “Just leave me alone.”
___
You visited your parents the next day. You asked them about where they’d adopted you from. They’d always been very mum about the details.
“Someone told me something crazy the other day,” you said to them as the three of you shared dinner with your adopted younger siblings.
Your parents both looked at each other, concerned.
“He said my biological parents were werewolves!” You laughed in disbelief. “How crazy is that?”
Your parents eyed each other again.
Your mom started, “Who is this man?”
“Mom, I believe the proper response is ‘That man is crazy. Where did he get that kind of story?’”
You knew your parents were hiding something and you wanted to hear the truth from them.
Your father scratched his neck as he took off his glasses. Your younger siblings all eyed each other uncomfortably.
“Why aren’t you guys saying anything?” You asked.
Your dad said, “Y/n...We hoped for you to never find out.”
You shook your head in disbelief. “Dad, you’re scaring me...Find out what?”
Your parents went on to tell you about the incidents you had when you turned eleven. After you’d had your first period, you began to experience terrible mood swings and throw tantrums left and right around the time the full moon occurred. And when you turned thirteen and the first full moon following your birthday occurred…
You’d attacked a neighbor who was walking their dog.
You’d grown teeth and hair all over your body that night. You’d become a wolf, according to your parents.
Once the night had ended, you’d transformed into a human again and fallen asleep.
Your neighbors never knew that it had been you. Your parents helped your attacked neighbor get to a hospital and they reported an animal attack in the neighborhood. Your neighbor couldn’t remember anything.
But her dog never forgot and hated you.
Your parents got a hold of the adoption agency and they had no information on your birth parents besides their names. Your parents then got in touch with a psychic, who referred them to a witch. They took you to the witch and she told them you were an unawakened werewolf. You were a fledgling. Unless you received the bite of an alpha werewolf and acquired your position in the pack, you were susceptible to these monthly full moon transformations and since you hadn’t been awakened, it would be even worse and dangerous for those around you. So the witch concocted a potion that would suppress your fledgling urges but it was critical that you consumed it each month.
Which explained why your parents were always so adamant for you to come home every month for dinner. They put the potion in your dinner. So you were able to suppress your urges up until this point.
Could this be the reason why you felt so unfulfilled? Because you never explored your true nature? Your parents never gave you the choice to control it.
Your parents had good intentions but you had the option to meet the pack all of these years...And you never knew.
You’d always felt like a part of you had been missing and your trip to Sinema had done the trick to lead you to the truth.
___
Back in your dorm and without having ingested the potion your parents had given, you’d only had a few days until the full moon. You were resolved to speak to Yuta.
You’d gotten out of the shower, letting out a shaky breath from all of the bundled up nerves you carried. You were shocked to find Taeil standing in your common room that you shared with your roommates. They were all away for the day.
“Taeil!” You started as you covered your towel more tightly around you.
“I heard,” Taeil started, worry etched all over his face, “If I could kill Yuta, I would…”
“Taeil, I’m going to him,” you started.
“What?” He asked.
“I’m going to be awakened by him.”
He looked at you in disbelief. “Y/n, what are you-”
“I’m an unawakened werewolf, Taeil. My biological parents were werewolves and if I don’t receive the official bite of the alpha, I’m going to suffer by the influence of the full moon.”
“Y/n, the full moon is in two weeks!”
“I know…” You said.
Taeil sighed. “Y/n, you have a chance to be away from the supernatural world. To avoid the dangers of these creatures. I know humans are terrible, deceitful, and cruel...But the supernatural doesn’t fare better. You didn’t grow up in this world. It could consume you and spit you right back out…”
You were resolved, though. You longed to explore more of the world and to embrace the part of you that had always been neglected. “Taeil, I’ve made my decision. My family has respected it. And I hope you will, too.”
A tear escaped Taeil’s eye. “Y/n, I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t left you alone…”
You shook your head as you wished to embrace him. “Taeil, this isn’t on you. This opened my eyes. My path is more defined now...Who knows what awaits me once I awaken? That’s for me to find out.”
Taeil extended his hand out and pretended to caress your face. “There’s nothing I can say to make you change your mind, is there?”
“No,” you said, as you leaned closer to his transparent hand.
He smiled weakly. “Y/n, I’ve thought a lot about it and you were right...I’ve given up on visiting Lexa.”
You opened your mouth wide. “Really?”
Taeil avoided your stare as he stared at the potted plant by the window. “I...wanted to stay longer but...we’re both meant to part ways...And I’m not happy...Terrorizing Lexa hasn’t given me any sense of fulfillment. Temporary pleasure? Yes...But I long to find that peace.”
You cried. “Taeil, I’m so happy to hear that. And you will find that peace, I promise you.”
“In the meantime, I’ll be by your side as you head into your next chapter.”
You smiled at him and didn’t realize your towel slipped to the floor.
“Y/n…” Taeil coughed as he quickly turned red and turned around.
“What?” You frowned.
Without looking at you, he pointed to the towel on the floor.
“Shit!” You exclaimed. But then, you watched Taeil...He was blushing…
“Did it hurt that much to look at my body, Taeil?” You asked, quietly.
“What?” He asked, confused.
“It’s okay...You can look…”
Taeil turned and was shocked to see you still unclothed.
You gave him a flirty smile. “I know we can’t touch...But it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, right?”
You got onto your bed and slowly began to tease your clit and Taeil’s jaw nearly fell to the floor. He adored every inch of you as he scanned your body and worked his hardest to commit it all to memory.
You could see his member grow in his pants. He immediately gripped his gorgeous length and pleasured himself alongside you.
“I wish I could feel your heavenly cock on my clit…” You told him.
He grunted. “Heaven can wait...This is real paradise...Here with you.”
You muttered sweet nothings to each other and imagined that you made love to each other that day.
___
You and Taeil were more inseparable than before. Because you knew your days together were numbered.
The full moon arrived and Yuta had agreed that this was the ideal time for your initiation into his pack. You would be able to absorb the moon’s power as you transformed from Yuta’s bite.
Yuta invited you to his mansion in the woods not too far outside of town. His pack members were present and they’d arranged a massive bonfire at the center in honor of your awakening.
Taeil was right beside you, much to the chagrin of the rest of the pack members. But what could they do? Drag him out? When they couldn’t even lay a finger on him?
Yuta was dressed in his best tuxedo as he recited the pack’s code of conduct to you and welcomed you into their pack. He transformed into his wolf form and at the brightest the full moon had been, you’d taken on your fledgling form. You howled at the moon and became rabid. Yuta knew what he had to do.
Taeil watched you in concern but Yuta had sworn to protect you. For you would be one of his family soon enough. So Taeil had no choice but to trust him.
Yuta bit into your collarbone and your eyes shifted from their usual color and into a bright amber. You felt yourself regain consciousness and became aware of where you were.
“Y/n, do you know who I am?” Yuta asked.
You nodded.
Yuta continued, “Good. You are now a fully awakened werewolf. Harness your abilities with honor and know that you have a family in the Nakamoto clan forever.”
“Hear hear!” The pack members yelled out.
You’d reverted back into your human form through your own accord. You were shocked at how quickly you could turn back.
You ran over to Taeil and he beamed at you. “How do you feel?”
“I feel...whole...Fulfilled...I have no idea what will happen next but it’s a new kind of uncertainty...And I like it.”
Taeil said, “I’m glad, y/n…”
He started to pixelate before you and his voice began to fade.
Your smile faded. “Taeil?”
“I think God wanted me to stick around for this momentous occasion...Before he summoned me…”
You couldn’t help the tears that escaped you. “Taeil, I love you.”
He cried with you. “I love you, too. I will see you up there...Soon. I’d better be the first person you look up when you ascend, you hear me?”
You wrapped your arms around him and to your shock. To everyone’s shock at the party...You could feel Taeil. He was muscular and the warmth of his body was like the fuzziest blanket wrapped around you after the worst day. He felt wonderful. And you never wanted to let him go.
Taeil longed for the day he could feel your body around his...And it was only at this time when you two had to bid farewell when he could feel you against him. You were strong but at that moment, he held you tenderly. Like you would break at any second. Because this moment was the most fragile. It was fleeting. So you both soaked in the feeling of each other’s bodies as you held each other.
Taeil kissed you and you reciprocated. His lips felt just like you’d imagined them. Soft. Perfect against yours. His kiss was the euphoria you would treasure for the rest of your life.
You released each other.
“Goodbye, Moon,” you teased. You made a play at his last name. Since you were a werewolf now, you’d be highly influenced by the activity of the moon.
He joked back. “Goodbye, Wolfie. Don’t forget to howl at me once in a while. It’s kinda hot...” The cliche of werewolves howling at the moon was actually a common practice for them.
You shook your head and laughed as he faded away. You cried hard that night, missing him already.
Yuta and his pack comforted you as you cried. They celebrated you and they mourned with you. This pack had become your family.
___
Taeil finally ascended to Heaven. It was a lot like Earth but idealistic. Paradise had everything at his disposal. He could go to the movies and have an unlimited supply of Sour Patch Bats. He finally knew what they tasted like. He could get a foot massage whenever he felt like it. He could play his music and sing to his heart’s content. God was a big fan of Moon Taeil.
But the thing he loved most was being able to look after the loved ones he left behind.
Now that Taeil had become an angel, he would accumulate power overtime in order to send blessings to the people he loved most.
Especially to you.
____
You’d gotten a better grip on your powers but you were still a long way from being Yuta’s right hand. You’d moved into one of Yuta’s apartment complexes that he owned. You were finishing up your last year of school, as well. Since you’d stabilized your powers, you could carry on with your day-to-day activities. It’s just nighttime that would be unaccounted for.
One day, Yuta visited you.
You greeted him as you welcomed him inside your spacious apartment. He sat down on your L-shaped couch in your living room as you gave him a glass of water. “To what do I owe the pleasure, boss?”
Yuta never visited his pack member’s homes unless it was important business. Usually, he summoned them to a common area, like one of his mansions in the city.
Yuta smiled. “I see you like your new place.”
You nodded. “It beats hearing my roommates screw their boyfriends every other night, I must admit.”
He laughed. “Well, I’m glad to hear that.”
“What’s up? You’re not usually one for small talk...Unless you want to sleep with them...And that girl isn’t here at the moment.” You knew about Yuta’s tumultuous relationship with Sinema’s manager.
Yuta blushed then. “You...Knock it off.”
You laughed heartily, then. You two had developed an older brother little sister relationship. Yuta was able to uncover more information about your parents and your extended family. He’d been extremely helpful during this time, providing financial support not only to you but your entire family.
When Yuta said the pack was a family, he really meant it.
Yuta was mulling over his next words and he gave you a solemn look. The light, breezy mood had quickly vanished.
The power the alpha held to control the room.
He said, “Y/n, prepare your things. The war is about to begin.”
[Fin...Or is it?]
Stay tuned for the next spooky story...
#taeil#nct taeil#nct 127 taeil#taeil imagine#taeil boyfriend#nct boyfriend#nct 127 boyfriend#taeil scenario#taeil romance#taeil fantasy#nct romance#nct scifi#nct sci fi#taeil x reader#taeil x you#moon taeiil#taeil blurb#taeil oneshot#taeil raection#nct imagine#nct 127 imagine#nct scenario#nct 127 scenario#nct x you#nct 127 x you#nct 127 romance#nct 127 fantasy#nct 127 scifi#nct 127 sci fi#nct halloween
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Cheers from Newton Haven ( Mirror’s Edge)
Hey everyone E here with a surprising amount original works. haha so you can blame my good friend @hains-mae for this because she enabled me. So long story short I love writing. I love creating ideas, story plots, characters all that jazz. Often there's a lot of leftovers that i put away in word document just so I have stuff to work with or ideas i can use later. Most of the time I might write something just to get it out of my system but it usually just ends up gathering dust in my computer.
I've been getting more into modern urban fantasy stories and watching the unsleeping city which is a modern dnd show (highly recommend it. first season's free on youtube over at the dimension 20 channel) and naturally I wanted to write some so here we go.
I don't know how often I'll be writing this because this accidentally became my side project whenever I need a break from the underground but who knows might turn into another big layered project.
so basic summary is there are a group of friends, associates, reluctant allies, organizations and frenemies who work together to keep the peace of the supernatural world in check and to ensure it remains secret to everyone else while living their lives as best as they can. Today's chapter includes Finnrick Drift a private investigator wizard and his best friend Casey Remington, cleric of the hearth
that's it for me. have a great week! stay safe, take care of each other. wear your mask, wash your hands, get the vaccine if you can and I'll see you soon!
and if you wanna an easier place to read and leave me some good old comments or reviews you find the chapter right here https://archiveofourown.org/works/30599756/chapters/75486005
Not gonna lie i promised I’d try to promote myself more and it’s weird. it feels so weird. haha
It was a busy Friday afternoon in Midtown. People in designer named suits and dresses bustled across the sidewalks in all directions, too caught up in last minute phone calls or sudden late night work orders to notice anything else. The buildings that scraped the bottom of the sky were clean with a fresh coat of paint and maintenance, a testimony to the wealth and power that was found here.
So naturally Casey felt as out of place as fish out of water in his purple baseball jersey and black shorts just standing outside some fancy restaurants doors with his friend.
“Finny” Casey started awkwardly, his sea green eyes darting back and forth awkwardly “Any reason we’re out here being creepy? I got a Neighborhood Watch meeting at like 6.”
Finnrick or Finny as Casey referred to him, was no better dress than he was for the environment. A long black trench coat that was more stitching than fabric, a matching frayed faded fedora sitting comfortably on his head. He wore a nice collared dark red shirt tucked in a black vest but even that felt cheap and tacky compared to the thousands of dollars worth of clothing that passed them on the street every second. At least his black dress pants were dark enough to hide the patch up jobs and naturally the only kept squeaky clean were his loafers.
Finnrick sucked on the thin white stick for a moment before speaking up “I’m debating if it’s worth the trouble. I didn’t realize you had a meeting tonight.”
“Well we always meet up on the fifth. You know talking about treaties, clean up jobs, if any undead hordes have been spotted. My birthday cake.”
“Ah shit” Finnrick rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his dark brown eyes apologetic “It’s your birthday? Did you want to go? I think I can handle it alone.”
Casey lifted the hat off Finnrick’s head and playfully ruffled his already messy black hair “You getting old Finny. My birthday is the tenth.”
Finnrick waved off his assault “I’m six months younger than you.”
“But” Casey gestured to the smattering of sliver streaks in Finn’s hair “You look older.”
“At least I don’t look like I’m 15. Dude you need a haircut. Everyone here thinks you’re a hippie.”
“A good looking hippie.” Casey gave a dramatic shake, his wavy dark brown hair flowing in the breeze.
The pair burst out laughing, doubling over trying to catch their breath as the business suits eyed them distastefully.
“Alright, let’s get this over with.” Finnrick made his way over, smiles and charm as they approached the doorman.
“Your cigarette sir.” The doorman spoke dully.
Finnrick pulled out the now finished lollipop “Don’t smoke but done anyway.”
The doorman gestured to the nearby trashcan but Finnrick opt to tuck it away in coat pocket. Disgusted but professional, the doorman gave strained smile as he allowed them entry into the building.
Casey nudged Finnrick curiously “Wizards? Warlocks? God not druids.”
“Probably. This is guy doesn’t have an ounce of magic in him but I wouldn’t doubt he’s got some casters on the payroll. Try not to leave anything behind.”
“I’m a freaking walking carpet here!”
“That” Finnrick grinned playfully “Is why you need haircut.”
Casey gave a fake snarl “Shut up and call the elevator.”
Finnrick whistled, amused by the near silence of the opening doors “Such fance. Barely a sound.”
“So what’s the plan?”
Finnrick scratched the little bush of hair he had on his chin thoughtfully “Ask some questions. Probably get no answers. Be threatened more than likely.
Casey cracked the tension in his neck “Think it’s gonna get ugly?”
“Depends on how many witnesses.”
The two made their way to the seventh floor, the elevator smoothly slowing to a stop before the doors opened with a ding. Two burly men in suits were waiting, flanked on either side as they gestured to an empty restaurant dining room.
“The boss will like to speak to you.”
Finnrick and Casey shared a look.
“Sure!” Finnrick beamed cheerfully, patting both the brutes arms as he passed “I was hoping to talk to him anyway.”
The men growled in annoyance but did nothing as Casey and Finnrick made their way to the center talk, unsurprised to find two glasses of wine waiting for them.
“After you” Finnrick joked, pulling out Casey’s chair for him.
Casey gave a mocking smile “Such a gentleman.”
“Only one I bet” Finnrick whispered before taking his seat.
Casey could hear the low hissing of whatever spells were on their chairs being dispelled.
Yep there was going to be trouble.
Casey eyed the room carefully in search for options: The room itself was pretty dark, dark reddish walls with dim lights to set the mood. Most of the tables had been left alone for whatever event this room was scheduled for later with the chairs stacked in the corner. A few feet to their left was the bar, unmanned but well stocked and a window to the outside nearby.
“Well, well, well!” A voice called out from some shadowy part of the room “Who do I have the pleasure of meeting this fine Friday afternoon?”
Finnrick rose to his feet, politely motioning to himself and Casey “My name is Fredrick and this is my friend Charles.”
The man’s hazel eyes shone with suspicion “No last names?”
“Of course” Finnrick grin “But there’s no need for friends, right? We are friends Robert?”
Robert paused, a barely contained rage shimmering just under the surface. His slicked back graying hair and tailored perfect dark blue suit were signs of a precise, irrational control. This was a man that was never told what to do and considered himself above everyone and anyone.
“Of course.” He answered a moment too late. He was not happy. “Of course. What are polite manners among friends?”
“Thanks Bobby!” Finnrick gave a friendly wink before retaking his seat.
Robert fumed but followed Finnrick’s example as a trio of secret service wannabes took their spots across the room: Inhumanly beautiful men with dark suits and shades. Something was off about them but Casey couldn’t put his finger on it.
“What do I owe the pleasure Freddy?” Robert sneered, hoping to see how Finnrick a taste of his own medicine.
“Well Bobby.” Finnrick went on, purposely ignoring the older man’s jab “As you know you have been stealing countless money from your employees.”
Robert chuckled darkly “I am afraid wherever you have been getting this claim is very misinformed. I am a simple, honest businessman.”
Finnrick nodded in agreement “Of course. Of course. That’s how you can say that with a straight face. Honest businessman of mundane practices.”
Casey felt his hair on his arm stand on end as the atmosphere in the room tensed. The brutes growled unhappily, the trio of bodyguards shifted uneasily and Robert’s eyes shone with understanding.
“I see.” He spoke simply “You’re from the other side.”
“Naturally.” Finnrick confirmed “No need to peer around the bush, is there?”
“No need at all. It is refreshing for such transparency. You don’t get that often in the world of business.”
“I doubt you give much either Mister Walker.”
“Enough games. What are you doing here? Some kind of union rep for magical freaks? Blackmailing me?”
Finnrick sat up with pride “Private investigator. Building a case against you actually.”
Robert carefully studied both men before him, trying to piece together their plan, their angle.
“Either.” He spoke after a few moments “You have all you need or more than likely you have nothing and you are simply here to smoke me out, hoping I will give you something to use against me.”
Casey felt Finnrick’s hand move underneath the table and a rush of chilly air brushed his leg.
Casey gave a quick nod to let Finn know he understood.
Finnrick cleared his throat “You’re aware of the works of Tolkien Mister Walker?”
Robert was caught off guard “What?”
“Elves.” Finnrick answered with a calming voice “Elves are the most famous of his characters that aren’t humans of course but there’s more: Elves, dwarves...”
“Hob…” Robert began but Finnrick cut him off.
“That’s a legal matter but yes. Wonderfully fantastic creatures.”
Robert narrowed his eyes “And?”
Finnrick leaned in close, smile mocking and cold “I hate when people take advantage of them.”
Robert was a cold, calculating heartless man who was used to being the smartest one in the room. The one who rigged the playing field in his favor, held every ace in his hand and led his prey exactly where he wanted them to be. He played with people before he destroyed their hope. He was the apex predator in the world of business.
It was satisfying to see that swagger and pride drain out of his face.
The businessman went for the button hidden underneath his side of the table, no doubt the switch to trigger the holding spells on Casey and Finnrick’s chairs. Of course Finnrick had dispelled them first chance he got and since the only other caster in the room was Casey, no one else noticed.
Robert’s face was the second most beautiful thing Casey had ever seen (first being Jaime but there was no need to tell her that). The panic, the fear, the utter confusion. Just poetic justice at its finest.
Finnrick shot to his feet with a surprising speed given his unremarkable build. He muttered the words of power, a magical incantation as his hand made the proper gestures to complete the spell.
The shades squad went for their weapons but Finnrick had gotten the drop on all of them. He pulled his hand back, a burning flame sitting peacefully in his palm. He pitched the flame forward, lobbing directly at the closet goon. The inhumanly beautiful man rose his arms to defend himself in time. The flame, mostly pressurized air, splashed over him harmlessly as the force of the attack shoved him back into the wall.
Casey followed Finn’s example. He stood as well (not as quick as his friend), a soft gentle light glowing from his hands. He glanced at the two remaining shades and aimed directly for them. A bolt of pure light burst forth from his palms. One goon got a chest full of holy energy and skidded backwards but the other was ready. He leapt to the side and narrowly avoided the attack as he slid out of sight.
The brutes charged towards the pair, murder in their eyes. Finnrick barely spared them a look as he snapped his finger. The two flames sigils he had imprinted om them when he grabbed their arms ignited, twin fires eating at their sleeves and sending them into a panic.
“What’s the plan?” Casey shouted, sending more holy bolts towards the shades.
“Up and over the counter.” Finnrick answered, tossing another fireball.
Casey quickly made his way closer, prepping to leap over the bar when Finnrick crashed into him, a strange whistling sound piercing his ears one moment then silent the next.
“Over buddy over!” Finnrick repeated, grabbing Casey by the collar and heaving him ontop of the counter. Casey flailed for a moment before glancing backwards. Finnrick was right behind him, hand outstretched as a blue translucent field of protective magic hung before the two while the shades opened fire with crossbows, the jet black bolts barely visible in the dimness of the room. They bounced harmlessly off the barrier but Casey could see the cracks starting to form.
Casey hopped over the bar gracelessly, struggling for a moment before clearing the jump. Finnrick tucked himself backwards, allowing himself to roll over the counter top and land on the other side with a thud.
“Remember when elves were honorable?” Casey huffed, quickly scanning the various bottles.
Finnrick scoffed “They were never honorable. They just acted better than everyone.”
“Remember when we were kids?”
“Vaguely. Pass the absinthe. I want to really make this hurt.”
“Blue bottle? These are all in German and Russian.”
“Green liquid. Come on Case I taught you better.”
“Right. I miss when the cartoons used to tell us the mafia was honorable.”
“Criminals these days.” Finnrick shook his head disappointingly “Just don’t make them like they used to. It’s all corporate shit.”
Casey began picking other bottles at random, wrapping them tightly with the tape he brought “It’s disillusioning I tell you. How right is he?”
Finnrick smashed a pane of glass. He took the jagged edge and slowly inched it over the counter, catching sight of the trio of shades for a moment before a crossbow bolt shattered the glass.
He flexed his hand, trying to relax his muscles. They were elves alright. They might be dressed in suits and ears hidden by some sort of glamour illusion magic but old habits died hard. Elves habits never died given their long lives. The trio had fallen into a close knit triangle formation: one fires, one reloads with the last taking aim.
“He had this whole operation locked tight. No one was talking. Either bribed them or made an example of them. Broken bones or horns. I had enough evidence to implicate him but bringing him to trial in the mundy court was going to be pointless.”
Casey moved the bottles back and forth to ensure they wouldn’t come loose midair “So what are we doing here?”
“Given his limited knowledge and the numerous magical violations I counted in this building alone, I figured he’s not registered with the Council.”
Casey’s eyes lit up in understanding “Gotcha. How long we got?”
Finnrick shook his hand back and forth “I’d say 10 minutes knowing the Council. Magic in an unregistered area requires a subtler approach for them. “
Casey snorted “Fake beards and stilts for the gnomes you mean? Robert will be gone by then.”
Finnrick’s face scrunched in concentration “He’s still here. Cowering under the table. He’s not used to dangerous wizards up in his face. Let’s scare him put huh?”
Casey spared his friend a glance “Big shot?”
Finnrick nodded in agreement “Aim high Case.”
And with a synchronicity only achieved through years of friendship, the two stood up at once. Casey threw the makeshift bomb high into the air as Finnrick formed the magical shield once more. Arrow after arrow bounced harmlessly off its surface as the bottles sailed through the air. Finnrick focused directly in the center of the payload. The shield dropped but the elves had broken formation and were all reloading at once. Finnrick pinched his thumb and finger together, murmuring under his breath. A small spark of flame fluttered wildly on his finger. He flicked it as quickly as he could towards the bottles. The spark spun and twisted as it floated towards the payload. The spark expanded, growing in size, and intensity, rapidly without warning. The air warmed as the spark exploded, smashing the bottles and engulfing the alcohol within. Flaming liquid, glass and hot air shot out in every direction. The elves were blasted off their feet and crashed against the far wall with sickening series of crunches. The floor above now had a massive hole in it and the brutes sprawled across the floor. Robert himself was thrown onto the ground, ash and soot covering his face as he struggled to breath.
He tried to call for someone but his ears were ringing and everyone was down for the count. He tried to search for the trouble makers but the smoke that filled the room was too thick.
The elevator dinged open once more and three pale suits came scuttling out. They clung to the walls on all fours, unnatural and repulsive. Their blood red eyes shone in the dimly light room, their fangs barred and ready for blood.
“Vampires!” Casey rubbed his eyes tiredly “This fucker has vampires. Loose by the way.”
“Right?” Finnrick shook his head “There are just so many regulations being violated right now.”
The vampires did not care. They dropped to the floor, gliding effortlessly midst the smoke and flame.
Casey took a step closer to the encroaching undead. He outstretched one hand towards them while the other clasped his necklace tightly. The vampires tilted their head quizzically at the symbol that adored the chain: It was a house of all things, a simple shape of rectangles and triangles no different than what a child would draw.
The vampires chuckled, their eyes bright with hunger.
Of course in their bloodlust they had forgotten something important: It was not the symbol but the faith behind it that was their bane.
Casey held the symbol as high as he could. The vampire shrunk away from him as his eyes blazed with holy energy, the symbol of home glowing with a harsh light. The vampires barred their fangs as a symphony of noises overwhelmed their senses: the soft hum of an air conditioner, footsteps thundering about, the chill of winter, the heat of summer, the overlapping sounds of cars and buses as the roar of crowds boomed in their ears. The city, the hearth of so many people, filled this room for a moment.
The vampires drew back, white smoking curling off their charring flaky skins. They ducked back into the elevator, hiding in whatever corner they could manage until the doors shut with a satisfying ding.
“Come on” Finnrick gestured to the window “I don’t want to be written up for unauthorized magic in an unregistered area.”
Casey and Finnrick scampered to the window. Casey’s face turned a sickly green when he realized how high up they were.
“Ugh I don’t feel good.” his stomach churned queasily.
Finnrick broke the window with his elbow, the fresh smoggy air of the city bringing some color back into Casey’s cheeks “I know buddy but it’s only eight floors up.”
“I hate you so much right now.”
“Okay cool jump now!”
Robert regained enough sense to see the troublemakers leap out the window without hesitation. He struggled to his feet when flickers of something began to form. Before he knew what was going on, the previously empty room was now filled with various creatures: Elves, dwarves, a gnome on silts had appeared out of thin air. They weren’t dress in any ancient medieval garb but rather dark blue jackets, jeans and combat boots with the initials M.R.R.D stitched on their clothing. They were no different than any one on the street aside their more unique physical features.
“M.R.R.D!” the gnome cried out, brandishing a strange clockwork pistol “Everyone freeze! We sensed a magical disturbance and a violation of the Arcane Veil!”
Robert rose to his full height “I am Robert Walker and I…”
The gnome opened fire and Robert could feel exhaustion overtake him. Sleepiness began to ebb at his resolve and before he could mutter another word, he closed his eyes. A dreamless sleep until he woke up in a council prison cell a few hours later.
-----
Casey didn’t scream as he fell through the air. He was too busy trying to keep his lunch in his stomach.
Finnrick waited a moment to make sure everything was in place and with a wave of his hand, the two began to fall much slower. They landed on their feet as if they had taken a step off the sidewalk instead of several stories up.
Casey began hyperventilating, trying his best to get his stomach settled. Finnrick began fanning his face when a man walked up to him.
Casey and Finnrick said nothing, waiting for the Arcana Veil to fill in any blanks they were missing. They could’ve told this man anything but they found from experience that it was just easier to roll with whatever the magical blanket that separated the mundane world from the magical decided.
The man peered at them, his gaze unsure and confused.
“Hey, you guys okay?” he asked helpfully.
Casey and Finnrick remained silent.
His eyes glazed over for a moment, a strange shimmering sheen within his pupils telling the duo that the veil was in effect.
“You guys are oddly dressed for window washers.” the man chuckled.
Finnrick glanced back to find a ghostly image of an electrically operated scaffold behind them, water buckets and squeegees included.
They shared a look.
“Would you believe it’s national window washer day?” Casey filled in.
Finnrick added “Yeah, they let us wear whatever want today. It’s only one day out of the year anyway and most of the time we work by ourselves so no harm done.”
the man nodded like that was the most reasonable thing he had ever heard “Right sorry. I’ll just be on my way.”
Finnick and Casey ducked out of the alleyway behind him, heads low and nonchalant as the human M.R.R.D members began to shut down the restaurant from the outside.
“Well that sucked.”
“Just a little. Here let’s go some dinner on me.”
“Damn straight on you Finny. Brutes, elves, vampires?”
“Oh my.”
“Now I’m ordering extra bread for that.”
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Chapter 58 - The deal, the name and the prince (Part Two)
In the previous chapter: Angie has a weird nightmare about her future, where she becomes the author of fantasy-themed chick-flick novels, and she’s awakened by a phone call by Eddie. He reminds her it’s finally Friday, that is the day they’ll finally tell their friends about their relationship. Ater disappearing for some time, to think about what Grace had told him, Stone shows up at her workplace to and they talk things out. Angie and Eddie kiss in he streets outside her condo and they believe Jeff, Mike and Dave, who were in the van waiting for them to go to the Ok Hotel for their show, saw them and now are surely talking about them. Once they get to the van though, they find out they’re discussing the latest episode of Twin Peaks.
***
Pink. They're turning pink. My purple highlights are slowly but inevitably waning into sad off-brand bubble-gum pink, whereas the blue dye is fading out completely to my old boring dark brown. I'm here, squatting over the toilet, examining the locks of hair falling in front of my face, lightedy by the buzzing light of the Ok Hotel's restroom. I flush the toilet and pull up my pants and then I can hear the sound of the club's music going up and down straight away, followed by chattering and laughing sounds of female voices. Somebody else got in so I'll just stay here some more. I don't know why but I don't like meeting other people when I get out of the bathroom, it makes me nervous. I have nothing against going to the bathroom in three, five, ten girls all together, but if I have to pee, I'm the one who always goes last and tells the others to go first and that she'll meet them later outside. I can't use this system with strangers, especially in public toilet rooms in clubs with never ending queues outside the door. What do I do then? Either I hold my pee or I give up, trying to avoid eye contact with the girl getting in after me, who surely doesn't give a damn about me and just wants to fuckin' pee. This time though, it's early, the show has yet to start and the restroom was empty, at least until these people got in. Who knows how many are they? From the voices they seem three, I won't have to wait for that long. I just hope none of them will start wondering why the door of my stall is locked.
“Have you already heard these Pearl Jam guys play?” my ears don't miss the question asked by one of them since I'm focusing on their conversation, until now only to understand when they'd leave, but now even more interested.
“Not yet, but Emma did, right?” another voice, a little higher-pitched than the previous one, replies.
“Yeah, and the singer is so fuckin' hot!” the third voice has a vague Boston accent, I can't decide if it's a real accent the girl's trying to hide or a fake one she's putting up on purpose, I don't know why. And the accent is the first thing that catches my attention, more than what she actually says.
“Well, you don't need to hear him sing to say that, you just need eyes to look” the first voice chuckles.
“Yeah, he looks fine if you just see him around but on a stage? He's much sexier. You'll see and you'll agree with me”
“He's not bad but I'm more oriented towards the bass player” voice number two chimes in again but her friends immediately drown it out.
“We know, we know!”
“You've been oriented like that since Green River, maybe it's time to change your orientation since you've been getting no chance in hell, what do you think?”
“He'll be single once again sooner or later, won't he? He won't marry Miss Perfection, I mean...” the harmless, and after all kind of flattering, nickname these chicks just gave my friend bothers me a little, unlike their appreciation of Eddie. Actually I'm almost... pleased? By what they say? Yes, pleased. Am I normal or what?
“Aim for the accessible single ones in the band, trust me” Emma-maybe-Boston tries to discourage her friend from her crush on Jeff.
“That is the guitar player only”
“Who? Stone? Hasn't he recovered from his fucked up relationship with Psycho Valerie yet? Or you mean the other one?”
“The other one. Stone has a girlfriend, he must have found a new trust in women”
“Or he's just keeping this girl at a safe distance from his guitars hehehe”
Ok who's Valerie? I must remember to ask Meg.
“So the only ones left are the lead guitar and the singer. You're taking the guitar player”
“The singer isn't single”
“Isn't he?” “Really?” the other two ask at the same time.
“No, he has a girlfriend back home waiting for him or who's about to come and move out here with him, it depends on how it goes with the band”
“Where is he from?”
“California, don't know where exactly”
“Los Angeles”
“Shut up. Do you believe someone who wants to make music for a living would leave LA, which is like the center of the world where everything happens, and come to fuckin' Seattle? I've heard he's from near San Francisco”
“NO, SAN DIEGO” in the heat of the moment I almost can't understand who the fourth voice belongs to, then here comes the realization: it's me, coming out of the stall, basically screaming.
“And you... how do you know? Who are you?” now that I look at the trio I see they're nothing like I imagined. Voice number one, who's sort of the gang leader to me, is as tall as me, skinny and all eyes, big beautiful green eyes, dark hair pulled up in a tight high ponytail, giant loop earrings. Boston girl looks like she just came out from an episode of Baywatch, blonde, blue eyes, body of a model squeezed in a black mini-dress. Jeff's fan with the high pitched voice is the tallest one, a swimmer's body with broad shoulders highlighted by a strapless tube top, dark eyes, hook nose that gives and exotic and charming air.
“I know because I know him” I shrug as I bend over the sink to wash my hands, focusing my whole attention on the fuckin' pink strands in my hair in the mirror.
“Wait... yeah, I think I saw you with Stone and Jeff's friend, the blond chick who works at Roxy's... how is she called?”
“Meg, she's my roommate” I answer to the boss looking at her through the mirror.
“Do you know Jeff? Does he still have a girlfriend?”
“Hehe yes, I'm sorry”
“See, I told you!”
“I'll fall back on the singer then, his girlfriend is in San Diego, it's an out-of-sight-out-of-mind situation, she'll never know”
“He's not with that girl anymore, they broke up when he moved here” I stop here before adding any more intimate and unrequested details, although I have a senseless and sudden will to give them all out to these girls.
“SEE? HE'S SINGLE THEN!”
“I knew that”
“Actually... he's dating another girl, a girl here in Seattle” and that would be me and it's like I'm desperate to tell them, but why? What's happening to me? Am I becoming jealous? I told Eddie his jealousy towards Jerry made no sense but at least that had some factual basis. After all Jerry's my ex, he came over looking for me and we spent some time alone in a small enclosed space. These are just some random girls who've only said Eddie's cute. Thanks a lot. He is. It's only natural they like him. Why am I talking then?
“And who's she?”
“Well, dating someone is not like putting a ring on their finger”
“What's his name anyway?”
“Yeah, right, what's his name?”
“Eddie”
“And what's Eddie like? I mean, as a guy, is he nice?”
“He's...” he's sweet, sexy, funny, shy, crazy, romantic, goofy, protective, quiet, clumsy, smart, passionate, practical, loyal, honest, reliable and other 800 adjectives more, which come to my mind and I keep to myself”... he's ok, he doesn't talk much, but he's cool”
“A hot guy who doesn't speak much: the perfect man” the blond girl states and all three of them laugh.
In the meantime I keep on washing my hands and if I go on like this I'll get webbed fingers soon. I turn off the tap and shake the water off my hands in the sink before heading up to the dryer hanging on the wall next to the door, feeling three pairs of eyes on me.
“Can you introduce us to him?” the beanpole asks me when I already have one hand on the door handle and I'm about to leave.
“Sure!” I smile at them and I'm still trying to decipher my behaviour when I get out of the bathroom, followed by the gang of three, and who do I find standing right there, one hand in his pocket and the other one holding a full glass?
“Hey, there you are finally! I was getting worried. Was there a queue?” he asks, noticing I'm not the only one coming out of the restroom. I walk up to him, my hands are still kind of wet so I rub them on the legs of my jeans, I'm conscious I have the trio's eyes still on me and then I do something honestly uncomprehensible: I throw my arms around Eddie's neck and kiss him like I had last kissed him last month and not twenty minutes ago, backstage, trying to get some kind of reaction out of Stone and Dave, who right at that moment were not looking at us though. What's wrong with me? Have I become a showoff?
“I was chatting with the girls” I back up from his lips, steal the beer from his hands and take a sip, then I turn around to face the trio of dropped jaws behind my back.
“He doesn't talk much but makes himself clear” the leader is the one who breaks the ice and makes her friends, and me I must admit, giggle.
“Very clear, I see” the tall girl adds.
“Haha come on, let's go. Bye Eddie, good luck with the show!” Boston vamp takes the other two by the hands and they all say bye and leave.
“Bye Eddie!”
“God, we made fuckin' fools of ourselves”
“Why? We said nothing bad after all”
“It was embarrassing though...”
I follow their conversation as long as I can and when the girls are out of my radar, I turn back around and find Eddie's perplexed eyes staring at me.
“Do you know them?”
“More or less. Come on, let's go, you're up next soon”
Eddie and I part ways after a kiss right in front of the stage, after we noticed Meg coming our way. Anyway when we end the kiss we see she's more focused on cursing against a guy, who's guilty of bumping into her and almost spilling his drink on her new t-shirt, rather than looking at us and noticing our public display of affection. Eddie shrugs, nods at Meg and goes backstage to get ready for the concert.
“You can stop pretending you know nothing about Eddie and I now”
“Really? Ok but that jerk really wasn't even looking where he was going!” she searches for the stranger in the crowd but he's already gone and disappeared.
“Yeah, we decided to tell everybody. I mean, to let people know. Stop hiding, you know”
“Uh! So is that why you're randomly making out all around the club?”
“Shut up!”
“Right, maybe you didn't stick your tongue into his throat right under the mixer station. And not even in front of the restrooms”
“Hahaha stop it! Anyway, ehm, it actually happened in front of the restrooms, also”
“HA!”
“Talking about that... I need counselling... with Dr Meg”
“Uhm”
“You know I don't like to take advantage of your psychology studies”
“Very poor studies”
“And of your great and not academic only enthusiasm for the subject but... I'm weird and I need you to tell me why I'm weird”
“Ok so, first of all thank you for your surely mistaken trust in me, because it must be huge if you think what I know is enough to solve the Angelina Pacifico's enigma”
“I'm being serious”
“And I'm also flattered, 'cause usually it's me intruding your private life trying to analyze you and make you reason BUT this time it's you asking me spontaneously. I feel tears coming out of my eyes”
“I acted strange earlier and I can't say why”
“Ok, shoot”
I ignore her sarcasm, even though I appreciate it, and tell her everything about the three girls I met at the bathroom, while she listens to me in unnatural silence. Unnatural both for her, 'cause honestly I don't think I've ever heard her keeping her mouth shut for so long, and for the place, a crowded bar full of people, voices and sounds, I mean, pure chaos.
“So? What's wrong with me? Am I jealous like Eddie? Is jealousy contagious? Or have I just become a bitch?”
“Is Eddie jealous?”
“Yep. Well, yeah, a little” I don't wanna talk about this right now, maybe next time.
“Healthy amount of jealousy”
“Healthy... I mean, what's healthy? Jealousy is not healthy, it's stupid. And it looks I'm getting stupid too”
“I don't completely agree with you about that. Anyway your scene has got nothing to do with jealousy, my dear”
“No?”
“OH no, that's not jealousy, I'll tell you what it is. It's three things”
“Three?”
“Number one: you're pedantic”
“Romantic?” I can't hear shit in the noisy crowd with the loud music on.
“I said PEDANTIC! You're pedantic, you can't help it. If someone says a wrong thing you gotta correct them, nothing can hold you back, not even your pathological shyness. Had it been a matter of jealousy, you'd have jumped out immediately, insulting them and telling those three to keep their hands off your man. Instead you just stayed there, locked inside that stinky stall listening to those girls drooling after your boyfriend until they've started churning out incorrect facts. That's when you lost it, you had to speak up and give them the truth”
“So I put myself at the center of the attention only to lecture them?”
“Not just that but also for that. In this you and Stone are the fuckin' same, let me tell you. You're scarily the same”
“Shut up, you give me the creeps!”
“Number two: you're seeking approval”
“Approval?”
“Everybody wants to be liked, but someone wants it more than others, especially those with a wobbly self-esteem”
“What's self-esteem?”
“If you were jealous, you'd describe those three like sluts or ugly monsters of both, but you didn't. It almost seems like you liked them”
“Because I did, I liked them”
“Exactly. Three nice funny girls who shared a common interest with you, without knowing. You told them you knew Eddie because deep inside you wanted them to accept you and approve you”
“Oh”
“Number three... well, number three is my favourite”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. Because, Angie, my friend, I'm glad to tell you that at the venerable age of 18”
“And a half”
“Eighteen and a half...” she corrects herself rolling her eyes “... after all this time, you finally learned one of the main concept of life, as well as one of the most pleasurable feelings”
“That is?”
“Hahahaha showing off, of course”
“Showing off? I've never shown off anything in my whole life!” maybe just a couple of seconds, that infamous unlucky night, with the waitress of Canlis restaurant, waiting for Jerry. And see what happened next.
“That's why I said it took you a few years to get cocky...”
“Getting cocky for what then?”
“Because Eddie's your boyfriend!”
“And what's with me? It's not like I did anything, it's not a merit, it's not something one merits and shows off like a medal!”
“That's what yo say but your subconscious thinks differently. Think about it, you found approval from your new friends and when you saw Eddie you could have just introduce them to him briefly and just leave with him, but you didn't. You aimed right at Vedder and kissed him right in front of them, knowing exactly you'd have made their jaw drop. And don't even try to tell me it just came out like that and you didn't think for a second about their reaction because I won't fuckin' believe you”
“Well, actually, ok, yeah, I thought of it, a little...”
“You're with the guy they all liked, that's the ultimate approval, almost a consacration”
“I show off for no valid reason, what have I become”
“Don't overreact now, please!”
“I'm a horrible person!”
“Angie-drama starting in 3, 2, 1...” Meg counts down with her fingers inches from ny nose.
“Can't you understand? It means I treated Eddie like an object, like a bargaining chip”
“You're with a cute guy and you rubbed it in those girls' faces a little, it's not like anyone died or something!”
“A trophy to nurture my self-confidence”
“You're making it worse and bigger than it actually is. That is, as you always do”
“A decent guy gives a fuck about me and my head gets big all of a sudden?”
“A decent guy gives a fuck about you, you're a couple and you don't have to hide for any reason. When was the last time it happened to you?”
“Err... quite some time?” a normal relationship? I'd say it's been years. Anyway, have I ever had a normal relationship at all?
“You're with the singer of a fucking cool band everybody's talking about in town, I'd scream it at the face of everyone I meet. Listen to me: aren't you proud of Eddie and what he's doing with the band?”
“Yeah”
“So you're proud and your showing, like you showed those three”
“Sucking face with Eddie right in front of them?”
“Exactly. By the way, considering you're sucking face with him in every corner of this place, they'd have seen you anyway sooner or later”
“Not necessarily, especially if they're as watchful as our friends, who haven't noticed yet”
“Or maybe they noticed but just want to be discreet”
“Discretion? Stone?”
“Well, thinking about it...”
“Talking about Stone; who's Valerie?”
“OH MY GOD, VALERIE?? WHERE IS SHE?!”
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
“It's so weird to me that everybody hates the Kingdome. I mean, that's your stadium!” since I came here in Seattle I've never met a single sports fan who hasn't complained about the stadium or easily dismissed it as a simple location that's not so much loved by the citizens. Jerry is no exception, as we talk at the bar waiting for our drinks.
“It's not like we hate it, it's just it could be better, you know? Surely it doesn't suck as much for footbal as for baseball. Or maybe it's just a matter of different point of views: if the Mariners didn't play like shit, it would be the place of the heart, like Wrigley Field for Chicago hehe”
“Sacrilege! I've never been there yet, I gotta go and see” I playfully push him away and grab the glass the barman has just given to me. Cantrell does the same and says thanks with a nod since I buyed him the drink and keeps on talking.
“I walked into the field, actually I ran on it! Six years ago, no, seven, when the Seahawks beat Raiders 13 to 7 at the Wild Card Game and the supporters stormed the field at the end. The following week we'd fuck it all up and Miami would destroy us but in that moment we believed we could make it! Anyway the people is what makes the Kingdome good”
“The twelfth man, right?” I nod and as I look around I casually make eye contact with Angie, who's not so far.
“Yep, other than that and the adrenaline, the field itelf sucks, it seemed to walk on concrete covered with green carpet”
“Wrigley though, I'd sleep on that field...” I look the same direction as before but I can't see my girlfriend anymore “On the bleachers too”
“At the Kingdome you can sleep well too, the roof protects you when it rains. Some parts of it might break and fall onto your head but how bad can it be?” Jerry chuckles and sips his whiskey but he almost chokes on it, and I do too, when someone casually appears between us from out of nowhere and basically yells into our ears.
“HI GUYS! ARE YOU HAVING FUN??”
“Jesus! Hey Angie, uhm yeah, sure” Jerry gives her a perplexed look whereas I instinctively put my arm around her shoulders.
“WHY?”
“What do you mean why?”
“I mean, uhm, you know, what for? What are you talking about?”
“Baseball” I answer probably with star-shaped eyes, just like every time I think about my favourite sport.
“And football” Cantrell adds then drinks up his whiskey with one last sip.
“Sports uh? A typical conversation between male friends...”
“Not necessarily betwe-” I'm about to argue with the idea sport is an exclusively male interest when my colleague interrupts me.
“Now I think I gotta go and find Sean. I saw Layne with Demri before so I think they made up and he'll go to her place so I probably have to go home with my drummer. See ya!”
“See you!” I say bye as he leaves with his hands in his pockets and Angie does the same but in a louder voice.
“BYE! Ok, what's going on? What's wrong?” she addresses me right away with an extremely serious expression on her face.
“What's going on? Nothing's wrong”
“What were you talking about for real?”
“What do you mean? Sports, we told you”
“Sure. And I'm Doris Sams” she folds her arms and gives me a side look.
“Are you a secret baseball player as well by any chance?” I let go of her, I fold my arms too and look at her suspiciously.
“No”
“I can't believe it! We gotta go out and throw a ball sometimes”
“I can't play! But I know the game and I know a couple of history facts, I remind you my dad is a fan of basically all the sports”
“I don't know... you're very good at pretending not to be able to do things, aren't you?”
“And you and your friend are very good at pretending nothing's happening and changing the topic of the conversation at the right time, aren't you?”
“My friend?”
“Jerry... well, friend, sort of...”
“We were really talking about the Kingdome”
“Sure. And the debate was so animated you even shoved him”
“Haha I gave him a little nudge, as a joke”
“Oh you were just kidding, of course”
“Angie, I don't know what's going on in your head and I don't know what you saw but really, we were just making small talk”
“Small talk?”
“Yes”
“You and Jerry talk?”
“Yeah. As you know, human beings are social animals, they interact with each other and-”
“Cut the crap! You know what I mean...”
“It's not like we're best friends or something but we know each other so we happen to have a chat from time to time” I shrug and on one hand I find it funny that Angie came here running, fearing for an upcoming duel between me and her ex, on the other hand I think he'd actually deserve a couple of punches after all.
“And you didn't talk about anything else?”
“No, what would we talk about?”
“I don't know, maybe you told him something about the other night...”
“Why would I?” I thought Angie would tell me to fuck off after that fuckin' scene I made but we made up the next day instead, problem solved. Why would I rock the boat?
“Well, I don't know, maybe because you threw a fit at me!” she retorts and suddenly she almost looks disappointed.
“That's different, I'm with you, not with him...”
“Ok but you almost ate me alive on the phone. And with him? Nothing? He just gets away with it like that? A chat at the bar like two old friends?”
“Sorry Angie, I don't understand. One second ago you were all alarmed because you thought I had told him something and now you're offended because I didn't. Is it that I'm limited and I just don't get it or does it make like no fuckin' sense at all?”
She opens her mouth as if she's about to answer, then she shuts up and looks around like she's looking for the right words through the crowd. In the end she admits, almost mortified: “It doesn't make fuckin' sense at all, I don't even know what I mean honestly”
“Hey, it's alright, ok? Jerry and I are on normal decent terms as two colleagues. And who gives a fuck about Jerry anyway” I take her face between my hands so she's forced to look at me as I smile to reassure her and let her know she's getting worried for nothing.
“Ok. But how do you do it? I mean, like, when you talk about me”
“Easy: we don't talk about you. Do you want something to drink?” I answer straight, turn back towards the bar to get the bartender's attention and order another round for me only, since Angie shakes her head no.
“Ok, right, but what if it happens?”
“It doesn't happen. Not even coke? Or juice?”
“No, thanks. But how can you be sure? What if my names comes up during a conversation, what do you do?”
“We don't do anything because that can't be, Angie... Windbreaker?”
“Wrong answer. Anyway the fact it hasn't happened so far doesn't mean it can't happen in the future” Angie smiles at my casual attempt at guessing her second name but doesn't let go on the topi.
“I'm 100% sure it can't happen. Jerry and I don't talk about you, we just don't”
“Never?”
“Never. We have a deal” the last bit slips out of my mouth and I regret it one second later, as soon as I see Angie's face as she registers this piece of information.
“You have... WHAT??”
“We made a non-aggression agreement that satisfies both parties” ok, I'm not 100% satisfied, and Jerry neither for sure, but it's working now.
“You made a deal with Cantrell? About me? And when?” after every questions she takes a small break that lasts a couple of seconds, in which I shake my head yes. But the third question requires a more articulated answer.
“In San Diego” kind of articulated.
“SAN DIEGO? You told Jerry about us when I left?”
“Actually, before that...”
“BEFORE??”
“And it wasn't me telling him anyway, it was the other way round” Angie doesn't look convinced or maybe she's just confused. So I tell her about the little quarrel Jerry and I had at the Yates Club, about how Jerry had figured it all out and got mad at me for not telling him.
“Wait, correct me if I'm wrong: you mean he did everything he wanted when he was with me but he had the nerve to get angry because you hadn't let him know on advance that you were interested in his ex girlfriend? The ex girlfriend he treated like shit? Why would you show him this courtesy? And how did he understand we liked each other anyway?”
“Maybe he's a good observer.” or maybe I just suck at hiding what I feel but I don't say that because she sucks as much at understanding other people's feelings and I don't wanna hurt her “Anyway he was right to some extent, we were on tour together and from time to time he asked me about you and confided in me and I could have told him or just talk about something else. Instead I just stayed there listening to him. So I was kind of an asshole too”
“He confided with you?”
“Yes”
“And what did he say about me?”
“Why do you care? Is it important? And then, well, can't you imagine?” if I got so jealous the other night is also because I know he's still into her.
“No, but I'm curious to know: 1) how he's still alive, 2) how you held back throughout the tour”
“I don't know, maybe it's just because of a certain promise I made to a certain special person about not kicking the ass of a certain ex and keeping a certain secret and not starting any trouble in general”
“Wow, you're a man of his word then”
“I'm someone you can trust”
“Will you make a deal with me too then?”
“Sure, anything you want princess”
“The deal is... we won't talk about Jerry anymore”
“Uh”
“Like never, ok?”
“Well, I mean...”
“I won't mention him to you and you won't mention him to me. It's not like we can erase him from our lives, we simply won't actively have any more conversations about him, what do you think?”
“It's not that simple...”
“Well, if you can make an agreement with him, I can't see why you can't make the same kind of deal with me, since I'm also your girlfriend” she folds her arms once again and from the look she's giving me I know I won't get out of this alive if I don't accept this fuckin' agreement. The only thing I can do is trying to get the most out of it.
“In fact I can do it. I'm in...” I hold out my hand for her to shake it “on one condition”
“What is it?” she lets go of my hand and looks suspicious, I think she really don't know where I'm getting at.
“That you finally tell me your second name” she rolls her eyes and barely hides her smile, maybe she was expecting something worse.
“Ok, agreed” she shakes my hand again and I'm all ears.
“So?”
“You know I'm giving you the most powerful weapon, right? You'll make fun of me as long as I live for this”
“I bet it's a beautiful name, I can't wait to know, I'm super psyched”
“Just like my parents when they chose my second name, like I'm pretty sure they were literally under the influence of psychedelics when they decided to call me like that”
“Call you what?”
“Angelina... Something Wind Pacifico”
“But if you're a W. it can't be-”
“The other half of the word starts with a W too”
“Whirlwind!” I say straight off and for an immediate word association the lyrics of Like a hurricane by Neil Young start running in my head and I can already picture her as the perfect main character of that masterpiece of a song.
“No, it's all together but actually it would be a separated word”
“Oh” are you sure? Because that name was pretty perfect.
“It's an adjective” she points out while, in my daydream, I leave the hazy bar and close the door behind my back.
“Windy Wind?”
“Hahaha fuck you, Eddie!”
“Ok, I'm serious now. Warm wind?” I think about the warmth of her hugs and her presence in general but she shakes her head no.
“My mother was... is a fan of Nina Simone. So?”
“Uhm...”
“Maybe I can help you a little more if I tell you Station to station by David Bowie”
I mentally run through the album's tracklist until I get to maybe one of Bowie's best vocal performances ever, right at the end of the record.
Wild is the wind
“Angelina Wildwind Pacifico”
“Guilty as charged”
“It's fucking cool!”
“Ok but... wild wind? Me? Can you picture me with a name like that?” she blushes and shakes her head and hides her face behind her hands.
“Actually it suits you perfectly”
“Sure, it suits to the most boring and average person on the planet”
“No, it suits to the strongest and most unpredictable and most breathtakingly beautiful person in the world. At least, in the part of world that I know, which by the way is the only part I care about because you're there” Angie removes her hands from her face and looks straight into my eyes without opening her mouth and for a minute there I get the illusion I managed to leave her speechless or, at least, in the condition of being forced to take a fucking compliment for once.
“Hahaha well, it really is a shitty world!” she cracks up all of a sudden and hugs me, so tight.
“How fuckin' stupid are you from 0 to 10?” I hold tighter.
“I don't know but I'd say we have a deal now, right?” she looks up and gets free from my embrace just to stretch her hand towards me and seal this agreement for good.
“Right, deal done” I shake her hand, then pull her back to me to kiss her and seal this pact my way.
***************************************************************************************************************************
Time to take a ride, time to take it in a midnight eye
And if you want to go, get on below
“Ok, where the hell are those two now? Dave and I have to unwrap our presents!” we all more or less managed to bunch up around a couple of tables at the Ok Hotel. I tap Krusen on the shoulder and he suddenly awakes. He zoned out completely when the Sonic Youth's song started. Or maybe when the whole evening started.
“I kind of saw them earlier at the bar” it's the drummer's wild guess and considering he basically spent the whole time at the bar, before and after the show, he could have seen Angie and Eddie any time. They could as well be in Mexico by now.
“They're not at the bar anymore, that's where we're coming from” McCready and Staley join us with two fresh beers in their hands, talking of people who should tone it down a little.
“Huh they must be tongue-kissing around here somewhere” Stone is sitting right in front of me, keeping one hand on Grace's shoulder and waving the other hand in the air while he speaks, as to brush it off like an unimportant thought.
“Who? Eddie and Smurfette?” Cornell Gazette from the other end of the table couldn't miss the breaking news and both Stone and Grace nod.
“They've been doing nothing else all night, they're on the edge of public indecency” Mike enriches the gossip story some more, followed by Ben and Kim, who put up a show and got us all bent in laughter.
“I've never seen anything like that”
“At some point we timed them”
“We were bored”
“Twelve minutes and a half of tongue”
“Contjnuous, uninterrupted tongue. I mean, with no breaks whatsoever”
“They looked like two fuckin' 14-year-olds”
“Well, Angie's still a teenager after all, it makes sense”
“Ok but what about Eddie? And how... just on a practical level, I mean, I don't get how they could fuckin' breathe through all that”
“They must have gills, fuck if I know”
“Hahahaha you're such assholes!” my girlfriend scolds us all but only slaps me on the nape.
“Well they're just making up for lost time and you're just jealous” Meg joins her in defending the two lovebirds.
“I get it but TWELVE MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS” Kim repeats punctuating every single word about the record timing.
“Jealous and peeping Toms!” Graces chimes in too.
“They were on top of the stairs, it was impossible not to see them” the guitarist shrugs and his bass player nods.
“From every view point and corner”
“Twelve minutes and a half on the stairs?” I playfully add fuel to the fire, the two musicians look at me and their arms flap out.
“Yes!”
“Then the record is that Angie didn't fall down the stairs on anybody, given her history” Chris snickers under his moustache.
“God you love that story so much!” Layne almost chokes on his beer then laughs at Cornell's face.
“Ok ok, anyway, you're shit guys, this all mess for some P.D.A.s? Just because they loosened up a bit, it doesn't mean they're living 24/7 connected at the mouth li- Oh wait, yeah, there they are, they're kissing next to the door” Meg abruptly interrupts her speech and it's kind of comic because we all turn around together at the exact same moment and among those in the back there's someone standing up, getting closer or stretching their neck to give a better look at the not-so-new couple. Even strangers passing by turn the same direction to see what the fuck we're looking at.
We don't know if it's been more than twelve minutes and a half since the beginning of their laters make out session, but those two break away from their kiss and Eddie looks right towards us. We turn the other way around and in a second we're back at talking, well, pretending to talk as if nothing happened, as if he hadn't caught us red handed. Out of the corner of my eye I see them coming over and I casually lift up my voice.
“Alright, I love Goo too, it's a hell of a record, it goes without saying. What I meant is that putting it on in a club and just playing it front to back for two or three times, letting it go, it just gives me a sense of... sloppiness? That's how you call it, right? I'm not saying you have to pay a dj or some fucking guy just to put records on and select music, but they could at least take some time to make a fuckin' mix tape or something and put that on, even on repeat, it doesn't seem so difficult to me. Oh hey guys, where have you been?” I address Stone and Dave first, who look at me weirdly, then to Andie and Eddie walking up to the table.
“Round here. Have you already opened your presents? There's mine left!” Angie rummages into her bag looking for something, then picks out a not so small package.
“Cool, a new brush set, thank you!” I cheer as I unwrap it.
“A little bird told me you needed new ones...” Angie looks up playing dumb, exactly like the bird I know very well who's standing beside her. These two fuckers belong together.
“Oh and this is mine” the little bird sticks his hands into his girl's bag and takes out another package, which turns out to be Subway art, a photobook about graffiti art I've been wanting to buy for ever.
I can say this was a lucky birthday for me, with strings, cords, tool kits, acryic paint set, a couple of gift cards for Easy Street Records, which I loved quite as much as the supermarket voucher Meg gave to me. All useful presents but I loved the (apparently) less useful ones too, like the Marshall jack rack key holder with four plug key chains: thanks to the Alice guys!
During the whole presents and wishes exchange, Eddie and Angie are sitting in a corner and basically being the special observed ones, since everybody watches them like you watch a documentary about animals during the mating season. The couple takes part to the conversation and just ignore the rest, yet they whisper something to each other from time to time.
“By the way, Angie's got something to tell you” Eddie comes out of nowhere with this, in a moment we were all silent, catching our breath after a joke by Stone, who suggested Touch me, I'm Dick as the title of the stand out song of our fake band in Cameron Crowe's movie. By the way, who knows if Chris has already wrote something for the songs of Cliff's solo demo? I gotta remember to ask him.
“What?” Meg asks first, since nobody's speaking, not even Angie, who first gave Eddie a nasty look, then turned pale as she looked at us one by one.
“Is it about the movie?” Layne asks.
“No, it's not about the movie”
“Are you quitting college?” Dave tries.
“No! Why should I?” Angie denies it firmly.
“Is it personal?” if I didn't know him, I'd say Stone is trying to put Angie at ease and help her spit it all out. But since I know him too well, I can say without a shadow of doubt he's just enjoying himself playing with the poor girl.
“Well, yeah, but... mmm... it's not just about me, you know”
“Who else then?” I inquire.
“Eddie” “Me” the two lovebirds reply at the same time.
“Oh fuck, are you pregnant?” McCready stands out as usual for his caution and sensitiveness.
“OH MY GOD, NO! WHAT THE HELL, MIKE?” Angie stands up in shock while Eddie simply laughs.
“So? What's the news?” Cornell is all ears and right now I'm picturing him armed with a pen and notepad as an old-time reporter.
“What Angie's trying to say is that-” Eddie wipes his eyes with he sleeve of his shirt and tries to give an answer but the girl is faster.
“We're together”
“...”
“Eddie and I, we're together”
“...”
“We've been for a while”
“Almost a month” he suggests to her in a low voice.
“Almost a month” she repeats and she looks into our eyes searching for something she can't find and apparently she's just concluded the best thing to do is to keep adding details or to repeat the same concept with different words until she'll find it. Or until any of us opens their mouth.
“...”
“Something more than three weeks”
“...”
“We're basically a couple”
“...”
“I mean, he's my boyfriend and I-”
“And she's my girlfriend” Eddie ended the sentence for her.
“Wow, what a coincidence!” Stone can't hold back and I hide my face between my hands not to show I'm laughing.
“What do you mean?”
“Ok. You're together... and?” Mike tries to investigate some more and if he asks her if she's pregnant once again I swear I'm gonna laugh so hard that I'll fall out of my fuckin' chair.
“And nothing, that's it” Angie replies and sits back down.
“And that'd be great news?” Kim asks keeping a straight face.
“Why? What's wrong with it? Is it because you think I'm too young for him? Look, I know, we know. We talked about it actually, I understand tha-” Angie's about to launch herself into a hornet's nest with no way out but her roommate stops her and we all finally crack up.
“Totally unmotivated Angie-drama in 3, 2, 1...”
We all, but Angie of course.
“Why are you laughing? Is ther something I don't know?”
“What you don't know is that now everybody knows that what you believed none of us knew was actually well known by everyone” Stone answers in his style and Mike's face tells me he didn't understand shit.
“Huh?” exactly.
“He means we're laughing because we already knew what the news were about” I explain and the lightbulb in his head lights up.
“Uh!”
“You saw us then, I mean, tonight? Because, well, you didn't say anything...”
“Who do you think we are? We're discreet people!” Cornell states and it almost looks like he believes it.
“We knew before tonight anyway” Ben adds without thinking.
“You knew before? How? MEG?? You told them, right??” Angie stands back up and roars against her friend.
“How could she tell if she didn't know?” Eddie asks puzzled his now official girlfriend.
“No! Right! She didn't know! But... I don't know, maybe she figured it out. DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT?”
“I figured it out” Meg confesses.
“THAT'S IT!”
“But I didn't tell anyone, I swear” she holds up her hands, Angie believes her and looks at us one by one, before aiming straight at her boyfriend.
“YOU TOLD THEM!”
“No, I can assure you I kept my mouth shut, as you asked me”
“How did you know then?”
“Stone told me” McCready's voice of innocence out of nowhere.
“Stone told me too, because I was there as well that night. And Dave too” I confess and the drummer nods.
“Stone told us too, but it was some other time, at least I think so” Chris looks at Kim and Ben who shake their heads yes.
“For obvious reasons, he told me too” Grace raises her hand and shyly admits.
“Jeff told me because Stone told him” Laura chimes in.
“Is there someone Stone didn't tell anything to?” Angie blurts out.
“Me! I figured it all out by myself! I'm a genius!” Layne raises his hand and waves it around, as happy as the winner of a tv quiz.
“And you, how did you know, genius?” Angie turns to Gossard snarling at him but he answers calmly.
“I believe I knew even before you that you'd end up together, Smurfette”
“What do you mean?”
“That you both suck at playing the oblivious lovers. You're made for each other” I translate it all in Jeff-language and everybody nods in agreement, Eddie included.
“Were we so obvious?”
“Noooo”
“Not that much”
“It's not that”
“It's just Stone's a very good observer”
“It's just Stone doesn't mind his own fuckin' business”
These are just some of the answers we give in no particular order just not to make her feel little Angie like shit.
“Come on, it was clear from the beginning they had a connection. Since the first time they met at the Off Ramp, I realized it at my own expense since I had bet on it, do you remember Mikey?” I like the fact that Stone, just like me, remembers old memories based on bets we placed.
“Right! I lost ten bucks too because I thought you wouldn't talk to each other, yet you got along immediately, it looked like you already knew each other”
“I'm gonna ignore the umpteenth bet you made over your friend's head but... actually we already knew each other somehow” Angie reveals and the alarm goes off in my head.
“WHAT? REALLY? HOW?”
“Jeff?” Stone calls me immediately as I keep on trying to disguise the truth clumsily.
“HOW DID YOU KNOW EACH OTHER? THAT'S SOME NEWS!”
“I had met him at Roxy's the previous night, he came over to eat”
“NEWS AS IN IT'S A NEW THING, A NEW FACT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE”
“So you didn't know about it Jeff?” Stone doesn't let go and by now it's obvious I got caught, I'm fucked.
My shit show at least has one merit: the following little bickering between Stone, Mike and I about the twenty dollars, which they think I owe them back, moves the attention away from Angie. Now she's finally free from the awkwardness and can sit back and enjoy the show of our friends kicking my ass, holding hands with her new boyfriend.
#fanfiction#grunge fanfiction#grungefic#grunge#eddie vedder fanfiction#pearl jam fanfiction#eddie edder#jerry cantrell#jeff ament#stone gossard#dave krusen#mike mccready#layne staley#chris cornell#ben shepherd#kim thayil#soundgarden#alice in chains#chapters
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RusAme Secret Santa 2020
My secret santa this year is @grapeautumn !!! I hope you like it, Merry Belated Christmas!
Gift requested: Human AU Alfred accidentally summons a demon while making Christmas cookies. The problem comes when Alfred just vehemently doesn't believe in demons and just figures some random guy showed up at his house. The demon, Ivan, starts out fairly miffed but warms up to Alfred (Comedy/fluff, any rating)
Shit, shit , shit, shit!
Alfred simply cannot believe he forgot to make the Christmas cookies for the office potluck. Well, he could believe it. It was common knowledge that he was known to have one or two things slip from his mind. There was no way he could go out now at this point in the night. The roads were icy, and it was too snowy for anyone to see in this weather even with their brights on. All he had to make cookies was lingering ingredients in the cabinets. There wasn’t even a recipe he could follow, everything online looked like either too much work or too basic.
He couldn’t exactly serve up ‘banging your head against the wall’ at the party, so what could he do? A sense of clarity washed over him. He would call his friend Francis! After all, his pastries always seemed to kick ass at any event, formal or just your average potluck. Pulling out his phone he dials his number.
No answer.
Things seemed bleak. There was no hope. Nothing he could do. He didn’t have an inkling on the seemingly complicated mysteries to baking cookies. Another thought came to him in his time of need. There is no other choice. He was going to have to call Arthur.
Alfred shuddered at the thought of having to call his cousin for baking advice. The first reason being is that he would never hear the end of it from Arthur. He would have that smug smirk on his face as he brings it up every other Christmas with the family in that condescending tone Alfred hates so much.
The second reason being that any recipe he would get from him would probably end up as piles of ash. Arthur isn’t exactly known for his baking. Alfred hoped his improvisation skills would save him as long he had the building blocks for a cookie.
Swallowing his pride didn’t seem so hard when he was this desperate. As the phone range he immediately regretted his decision. Too late to hang up now, Arthur would know he called.
“Hm, hello?” the line stopped ringing as Arthur’s sleepy voice answered.
“…”
Alfred hoped if he didn’t say anything maybe it will just be just be ignored and Alfred can go back to panicking in peace.
“Hello? Alfred? This better not be another prank call; I won’t fall for it twice! I’m hangin---”
“No! Wait…I’m sorry. This isn’t a prank, I swear.”
“What time is it there? Did something happen? Do I need come over there earlier than expected?”
“What? No! I need your help with something, and it doesn’t require you to come over.”
Arthur was silent for a moment out of curiosity.
“What do you want?” with cautious hesitation.
------
Alfred had explained everything. Arthur was as smug as expected. Luckily for Alfred, he didn’t need to write anything down. Arthur stored some of the books he likes to read at his place for when he comes over for the holidays. An unpublished cookbook that Arthur had written himself was among the box of books.
Alfred went to the hallways closet and quickly located the box. Rifling through the book he was intrigued with a mix of disgust at how many cheesy romance novels were in the box. They all looked the same. His eyes widen as he spotted a book that looked different from all. The book was black and faded. It didn’t seem like Arthur’s style, but it was the only one that was different. Well, maybe if he looked more…
Nah!
There was no time for that. Alfred flipped through the book and was positive there had to be something in there. If it turned out to be Arthur’s diary, that was even better! Maybe he could find some dirt on him.
Speaking of dirt, it seems like that was the first ingredient for the cookies. Weird? But Alfred wasn’t going to question it.
He grabbed his coat and tried to get as much dirt as he could from the frozen ground. He collected all the dirt required in a bowl. Next step was flesh? Okay…this was going a bit off the track of cookies, but if this is what the recipe asked for who was he to question it?
He grabbed chicken nuggets from the freeze and heated them up in the microwave. Once heated up he put them in the dirt and began to mix the ingredients.
Alright, what did he need to do next? His eyes scanned the very old pages and his eyes widen at what the recipe asked for next.
“What the hell, cut a lock of my own hair?!” he exclaimed.
That had to be some kind of health code violation. Alfred is certain that the recipe will call for him to take it out later. The recipe required a few more ingredients that he was able to find nearby. After it was all mixed together, he rolled the nasty concoction out and began using Christmas cookie cutters to make them into holiday themed shapes. He sprinkled them with peppermint for a pop of color.
The final step was to leave them under the light of the full moon. Alfred looked out the window to see the entire moon above him. What luck! With a yawn he set them down with the window open for the full effect of the full moon’s rays. Baking took a lot of work and he deserved to rest. After taking a quick shower, he got into some comfy pajamas, and went to sleep.
The next morning, Alfred woke up to the sound of his alarm blaring in his ear. Letting out a groan he put his phone on snooze and shut his eyes hoping for a few more minutes of sleep. His eyes snapped open as he heard a loud crash coming from downstairs. He jumped out bed and immediately dug through his closet and pulled out a wooden baseball bat.
With caution he tipped toed out of his bedroom and around the corner where the banging and clashing was coming from. Swallowing hard, he gripped the bat tightly, ready to swing at whatever was in his kitchen. What made him think that leaving the window open at night was a good idea?!
Maybe it was a hungry raccoon. Maybe a party girl who went into the wrong house. Or maybe---
A tall man dressed in all black EATING HIS COOKIES!
“What the hell are you doing? Do you know how long it took me to make those!” Alfred shouted as he lowered the bat, his mouth dropping open in disbelief. His eyes held a pang of defeat. He was going to get scolded by his boss for not bringing anything to potluck again. His boss already didn’t like him. God, he was the fucking worst. At least bringing these cookies would have gotten him off his back today. Well, that is if this stranger hadn’t eaten them!
“Watch your tongue mortal.” A sweet yet threatening voice came from the intruder.
“What? Shut up! You’re the one who broke into my house and ate my Christmas cookies!” Alfred was so frustrated with this entire situation. The day started out so poorly he doesn’t know how it could possibly get any worse.
“You made me an offering. I was supposed to eat the offering.” The man had calmly explained. His previous demeanor shaken when the human who summoned him spoke to him in that way. No mortal has spoken to him like that, but he was unable to harm the entity who summoned him so there was nothing he could do about it.
“What offering? Dude, you literally broke into my house and ate the cookies that took me all night to make!”
“I am a demon from the 5th realm of Hell. I would not be in the house of someone like you if I was not called upon.” For the most part, people who summoned knew what they were doing. This man seemed clueless.
“A demon, huh? Where are your wings? Got any horns? You look like someone dug you out of the clearance section at Hot Topic.”
This references completely flew over Ivan’s head. This is taking into account that he could speak any mortal language, but he could not understand what it is the other man was going on about.
“I am in my most simple form to survive in this realm. You added unnecessary things to the offering, I could not come in my true form.”
“So ya can’t even prove it then?” Alfred crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow.
There was a moment of silence. Ivan was trapped in this realm with no powers, and no one to call upon. He hung his head in defeat.
“No. I cannot.”
Alfred sighed. Well, there was nothing he could do at this point.
“Alright, you’re gonna come to the grocery store with me and replace the ones you ate. Wait there, I’m gonna get dressed.” Alfred held a calm tone as he noticed things becoming less hectic. He nodded before leaving the kitchen.
Quickly getting dressed and packing his work stuff into his side bag, Alfred comes back to see the man standing in the exact same spot. This man has not moved an inch.
“Are…you alright?” he asks hesitantly, looking at him up and down. His eyes landed on the strange man’s face. Their eyes locked. He had purple eyes. How strange.
Alfred’s face flushes red as he realizes he was staring at him.
“Yes, I am fine. I was told to wait. You on the other hand look feverish? You are quite red.” His tone did not waver.
“Y-Yeah! I’m fine. Let’s just get going, don’t think I forgot about you eating my cookies.”
“I have already explained myself, that was an offering!” The demon becoming increasingly frustrated with the other man. Ivan was at a complete loss as to how this man did not know he had summoned him.
Alfred rolled his eyes and exited his apartment with the other man in tow. They got to his car and Alfred proceeded to get in. The demon looked confused.
“What are you standing around for, get in!”
The man had a look of embarrassment.
“I do not know how.”
Alfred was inclined to believe him, although it was something so unbelievable. However, his tone seemed too meek to say otherwise. He gets out of the car and makes his way over to the other man as snow crunches under his boots.
“See this? It’s a handle you just pull.” His voice laced with patience as he explained the tricky technology that was a car door. He was a faster learner, on the second try he managed to open the door.
Both were seated in the car and Alfred began to drive away.
“By the way you never told me your name. I’m Alfred. Alfred F. Jones!” A bright smile adorned his face as the other had a tint of red on his cheeks. Probably from the cold.
“My name is I̶͖̠͋̿̐́v̸͈̥̗͇̂a̸̺̿́̆̈́͑n̸̞̐͑̑.”
Alfred could not understand the sounds the other man had just made. He blinks in confusion and clears his throat to hide his nerves.
“What?” asking for clarification.
“Ah, I am sorry. My accent is very thick. My name, to translate it into something you would understand, is Ivan.”
Alfred rolled the name around on his tongue. He offers him a kind smile.
“Cool!”
They arrive at the grocery store. The doors had just opened and it was full of elderly people and tired moms. Alfred hopes the lines aren’t too long, he really doesn’t want to be late, who knows what his boss will say.
“C’mon. We’re here for one thing.” Alfred motions Ivan to follow and he does. The grocery store was just like any other.
Full of food, noises, smells, bright lights. Ivan hates this place. The demon follows Alfred a little too closely. The shorter man can practically feel his body pressed against his own. Damn, he was so touch starved.
“Hey buddy, you think you can take a step back or two?” Stopping in his tracks to confront Ivan about the problem.
“I am here to serve you. I cannot do that if I am far.”
“Yeah, I’m not asking for 6 feet, just a few inches.” Alfred massaged his temples, so this was how the day was going to go, huh?
Ivan thought it over and took a step back.
“Very well then.”
“Thank you.”
The grocery store wasn’t as packed as he thought. Although, because it was only a few days before Christmas he wasn’t sure how likely it was that there were going to be any cute cookies left.
Rushing over to the baked goods sections his eyes zeroed in on the last box of Christmas cookies. A smile curled on his lips that fell just as quickly when he spotted an old woman reaching and then grabbing the box of cookies he so desired.
A look of sadness washed over Alfred; a defeated smile replaced his disappointed frown. Ivan watched as his bright energy seemed to vanish. Something inside of him told him that he needed to do something. They haven’t known each other for very long but the way Alfred has been treating him has been different than the other humans who have summoned him in the past.
The demon has some magic left on reserve for emergencies. Seeing the smile wiped off Alfred’s face was considered an emergency.
A dark aura enveloped Ivan and in an instant he appears in front of the now frightened older woman.
“You are not worthy of those cookies. Your mortal hands are unfit to hold possession of the power and responsibility they yield. Put them down and you shall not be harmed.” Ivan’s pitch was lower than Alfred has ever heard. The man just stared in shocked with his jaw dropped as the older woman practically threw them back on the table and went off speeding as fast as she could with her cart.
Ivan immediately went back to his human form. He picked up the mostly intact cookies and brought them to Alfred.
“For you.” He says, moving his hand up to Alfred’s face to shut his open mouth.
Alfred’s eyes were still wide.
“W-Why did you scare her like that? It was important but not that important she probably shit herself!”
“You are very crass. I did it for you.”
Alfred was upset but the action was very endearing. The way the black aura shrouded Ivan was pretty hot. Wait, why was thinking that? He needed to stop.
“Thank you. That was really nice of you. But you can’t scare old ladies like that! Maybe next time, ask her if she’s willing to give them up. You’ve probably traumatized her for life.”
“It does not seem like she had much time left.” Ivan said with complete seriousness. Alfred elbowed Ivan trying not to laugh.
“Alright! Let’s go pay for this bad boy.”
“Why must we pay? We fought for this, we won. We deserve to keep the spoils.”
“That’s not how it works, big guy.” Alfred claps the taller man on the shoulder as he leads them to the cash register.
“By the way. You gotta show me that magic trick you did earlier with the old lady.”
“Magic?”
“Yeah! Like did you have some smoke bombs? A voice changer?” Alfred’s eyes sparkle never taking his eyes off Ivan as he pays.
“I am a demon.”
“I see. A magician never reveals his secrets.” Alfred nods in understanding. “Artie’s the same way! He never thought we could see him practicing. But he wore this goofy cape everywhere.”
They talk as they make their way back to the car. Ivan opens the passenger door like a pro. The cookies seated safely on Ivan’s lap as they continue to talk.
“Artie?” he asks, the name tumbling clumsily on his lips.
“Yeah! My cousin Arthur. Yeah! He’s the one I got the book from that had the recipe of the cookies you ate.”
Ivan felt like he was talking to a brick wall. Alfred seemed nice enough, but he simply cannot believe that he is a demon and that Alfred summoned him. He needed to save his strength and peace of mind and just played along.
“Come with me to the office Christmas party? We get a plus one and since you’re already with me, and since we’re already on our way.”
“Yes.” There were too many things in Alfred’s sentence that flew over his head and it was just easier to accept them. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.
They park by a plain building with grey brick, the parking lot covered in the fresh snow that was falling. Getting out of the car, Ivan vowed to protect these Christmas cookies with his life. He would ensure their safety until they arrived at their destination: The Break Room.
Alfred pressed a button, and they entered the elevator. He saw Ivan flinch and took his hand to calm him. Ivan’s shoulders dropped as he took a breath; he was grateful for the hand. The hand was soft and warm against his. The elevator bell dinged, and Alfred let go much to Ivan’s disappointment. Both of them stepped out and into Alfred’s workplace.
The shorter man greeted a few of his co-workers as he wore a friendly smile making his way over to the break room. His boss was there already, telling a story clearly no one wanted to hear.
“Look who made it on time for once, huh?” As he laughed. Ivan saw Alfred twitch and the demon narrowed his eyes at the small man. The party had plenty of treats and goodies. With more than enough cookies.
“Oh, I thought you asked me to get the cookies?” Alfred asked through gritted teeth.
“Huh? Oh yeah, I figured you wouldn’t so I asked Martina to bake some instead. Sorry, completely slipped my mind.” Alfred wanted to kill him. He has never wanted to murder someone so badly.
“I mean you’re not exactly the brightest, which is fine, we all have our strengths.”
Ivan has no clue what is happening, but he knows Alfred is not as stupid or forgetful as this man is making him seem. From what he has seen Alfred is kind, generous, and patient. Qualities he does not see from most mortals.
“Just let this be a lesson for ya, okay?” walking over to Alfred and putting a hand on his shoulder. Alfred was visibly uncomfortable. Ivan snapped. It didn’t matter if it used up the last of his power in getting home. The black aura returned along with blue flames. Horns protruded from his head as dark wings ripped through the back of his shirt. Wings that expanded the entire length of the break room.
“How dare you say such things when you are nothing but a miserable pile of waste. You are a pitiful excuse for a mortal. You are a worm beneath my feet and the feet of the one who summoned me.”
Ivan stomps over to the shaking manager and effortlessly picks the man up by the throat. The manager struggles in his grip. The employees gasp and watch with shocked expressions.
“You will show some respect and reverence to those who deserve it since you are only the dirt under my foot.” Ivan drops the man with a thud and the manager wriggles away and hides behind the other employees. Alfred stands tall as Ivan turns to him and reverts to his human form. Ivan lets out a heavy sigh as Alfred wraps his arms around the other man and kisses him. Ivan doesn’t know what this means but his human form seems to know instinctively to kiss back.
They break it and Ivan sweeps Alfred off his feet and picks him up bridal style. Alfred laughs and wraps his arms around his neck. Ivan goes to leave but Alfred stops him for a moment.
“Also. I quit. Merry Christmas, bitch!”
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A Shifting of the Sands: I
The sun might have set over the barren, rocky desert of Thanalan, but the heat had yet to fully abate. Perhaps a bell, maybe two, had passed since the radiant disc that burned so bright, and hot, over the arid landscape had set, and blessed darkness had descended to give its slowly-cooling relief to the denizens of the scorched desert. As the sun had sank beneath the glittering domes and spires of Ul’dah, the sky had come to life with a myriad of blazing, brilliant colors - painting both the sky, and the imagination, in rich hues of orange and red, fading up to purples and deep blues, eventually merging all together into the blackness of the abyss at the crown of the world. As the moments ticked past the colors played out their panoramic show for all the world to see, living art dancing gleefully in the skies above them; at dusk slowly ilmed its way toward full night a sprinkling of stars began to twinkle into existence in the darkness that replaced the vivid sunset; only the brightest appeared at first, their brilliant radiance defiant against the dying of the day’s light. But as the world descended further into darkness, their brethren began to shine fully into view until the sky was once again alight with color. This time, instead of broad swaths across the entirety of the horizon it was a dazzling show of faintly shimmering lights across the heavens, like little camp fires on some far and distant shore.
Y'naalie Vhenna had sat on a moss covered rock, the gentle mist from the slow running stream-turned-waterfall wafting over her sweat-coated, exhaustion-laced limbs. Beneath that slowly fading sky, magenta eyes watching the colors bleed from the day as the twinkling lights of the stars slowly showed their radiant faces. The day had been long for her - most days, truth be told, were - and these quiet moments in which the world transitioned slowly from the glaring, bright heat of desert day to the calm, strangely serene night were some of the scant few in which she could find a measure of peace. From well before the rising of the sun at dawn Naalie was hard at work within the halls of the gladiator's guild, honing her craft to be the fiercest underdog that stepped foot onto the blood sands. Being as short as she was, as slender as she was, Naalie was no stranger to not being taken seriously in the world of combat; larger foes oft looked down their noses at the diminutive gladiatrix, scoffing away the woman against whom they had been pitted due to her stature. These disdainful, dismissive looks from gladiators and fans alike only drove her to train harder, fight harder... so that she could show them just how ferocious she can be.
And that is why Naalie rose several bells before the dawn began to lighten the horizon, shuffling her way to the hall so that she could be the first in to practice her maneuvers... and why she was oft the last one to leave, leaden limbs carrying her out into Ul'dah by instinct alone. Not wishing to return to the cramped, crowded apartment that she shared with the remnants of her tribe, Naalie often found herself wandering beyond the city walls and into the desert proper; if she got here at just the right time of night, like tonight, it was a sight to behold and worked some sort of magical wonder at easing some of the tension that perpetually plagued her body.
As the world fully gave way to night, the little nocturnal creatures began to stir themselves to life; night time insects began to chirp their songs to one another, creating an almost organic melody that carried across the barren wastes while keen-eyed birds made their shrill calls and gentle coos in search of dinner and companionship. And all the while, the splashing of the small waterfall behind her added a soothing soundtrack that Naalie could sit and enjoy for bells on end.
A gentle breeze picked up the mist from the falling water, carrying it across the rock upon which Naalie sat and out toward the arid landscape beyond; what little moisture in it wouldn't last long, this verdant oasis seeming to cling jealously to the precious water and plant life it had carved out for itself. A backward glance from Naalie was all that it took for the idea of slipping into the water to form in her mind; despite the retreat of the sun, it was still quite hot in the desert... and coupled with the weary exhaustion, the thin film of dried sweat, and the need to do anything relaxing, well... it was too much for the blonde Miqo'te to resist.
Never shy about nudity, even when around others, Naalie surmised that she was alone enough to justify shedding her training clothes without undue attention; making short work of the wardrobe, and glad to be out of the clothes that clung limply to her skin, she was soon slipping into the knee-deep water with a newfound energy. Slender legs splashed through the dirty, sand-laced water without a care, seeming to take a certain glee in making noise and kicking up the water; by the time she'd shuffled underneath the crisp, falling water there resided a small, content smile on her thin lips. With her head back, Naalie allowed the cool water to soak her hair and flow over her face; rivers of the sweet, refreshing liquid ran down her body to join once again at the pool in which she stood. She was the proverbial stone in their path, the obstacle around which they must flow to continue their journey eternal. But what a delightful stone to be, if for that moment alone.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Three staccato bursts of sound, so innocuous and innocent, snapped Naalie out of the quiet reverie of her moment of oneness with nature. The Miqo'te turned, hand reaching quickly for the blade that always rested at her hip. The blade that was, specifically, not at her hip at she stood beneath the cold, flowing water. Fingers clenching futilely at empty air, the gladiatrix grimaced as she realized her potentially dangerous predicament.
Standing just shy of the lapping edge of the sandy pool were three figures, two tall and imposing uniformed men flanking a short, swarthy, gaudily dressed Lalafell man. His hands held still before him, motionless after the dramatic announcement of the trio's arrival; gloves of black silk padded the percussion of his palms, muffling the sound somewhat against the song of the desert night. The gloves, like the rest of the flowing and colorful silks he wore and seemingly limitless number of gemstone encrusted jewelry bedazzling his figure, spoke of an ostentatious amount of wealth. The smirk on his lips, the gleam in his eye, all suggested this was a man who seldom, if ever, didn't get what he wanted. Money. Power. Influence. Danger. All writ large on the smug expression of that little Dunesfolk.
"Who-" Naalie began, only to be cut off by the little man. His arms retracted, folding lackadaisically over his partially bared chest; Naalie could see the glistening of oiled and perfumed chest hairs peaking out from the edges of his robe, catching the reflection of the wan moonlight. For some reason, that was what caught her eye beyond all else.
"Who I am isn't necessarily what you should be concerned about," His voice, gods, his voice. Grating and nasal, it was every bit unpleasant as one would assume from looking at him. "It's who you are that is why we're here." He went on, leaving no room for interruption, "The Crimson Jaguar, Ul'dah's scappiest little gladiator! Not undefeated, but quite impressive in the arena. A darling favorite of the Jewel and her people, not to mention the bookies who rake in the gil hand over fist with every hard-fought victory you claw for yourself. I'm a fan, I'm quite impressed. Smitten, even. To think, I'm in the presence of the Crimson Jaguar. Boys, can you believe it?"
The little Lalafell asked, glancing up to the two men on either side of him; a dull chorus of laughter echoed following his prompting, though from the sound of it neither men truly understood what they were laughing at.
"Can't believe it, boss."
"Nope, I don't believe it."
With the snap of his fingers the two goons fell into immediate, practiced silence so that the only sounds were, once again, the singing of the crickets and the splashing of falling water. There was something uncomfortable in that man's stare, something intense and foreboding. The slowly spreading, more-than-slightly sinister smile did nothing to allay that notion.
"Now, if I remember correctly..." the nameless man went on, "... you have an important fight coming up, don't you? Against, oh... what was his name...? Boys, do you remember?"
"Sure don't, boss."
"Nope, boss, can't remember."
Snap.
"Bjornulf. Bjornulf the Hellsbeast."
"Oh, boss, it was Bjornulf."
"Bjornulf, boss, I think is the guy's name."
The chorus chimed in.
"Bjornulf the Hellsbeast," the man echoed once again, clucking his tongue as if, for some reason, this provoked some sort of thought in the devious little cogs of his mind. "You know, my sweet Crimson Jaguar, the odds they have in the betting houses? You to defeat that monster of a Hrothgar by over 50:1! Ul'dah's rising star." He paused his speech, only to begin a slow, idle pace around the water's edge without ever coming so close as to sully the shoes he wore.
"A lot of people stand to make a lot of gil when you win that fight. They'd be crazy to bet against somebody who has shown as much skill and determination and drive as you have. I mean, could you even imagine the payout if somebody were to go all in on Bjornulf and he won?" The Lalafell asked; at first, the question seemed innocuous enough, but the tone with which it was delivered... the narrowing of the eyes, the arching of the brow, the curling of the lips.
It wasn't a question, it was a suggestion.
An offer?
A threat.
As the realization dawned on Naalie, the Lalafell's smile grew all the broader... and feigned innocence. Little shoulders lifted in a shrug, prompting the jingle-jangle of excessive jewelry to call out in the still night.
"I'm not going to thro-" Naalie began, before once again being cut off.
"Nobody is asking you to throw anything," The Lalafell cut in once again, his tone harsh. "But, if it happened... the payout." His demeanor shifted, his smile returned, and his shoulders shrugged their nonchalant little shrug. "And I'm certain your patrons would reward you for your valiant effort, win or lose. There's no shame in it, after all... right, boys?"
"No shame, right boys?" Left goon echoed.
"Left boys, no shame." Right goon said.
The Lalafell paused at that, merely shaking his head a few seconds later. "You don't know who I am, Crimson Jaguar, but I know who you are. And I know who pulls your strings. Work with me and we can go far. Don't, and..." his golden eyes shifted to the side, brow arching with an unspoken implication. "... well, you're a smart girl."
An awkward moment of silence followed before the man turned, giving a wave by the wiggling of his fingers, and walked away into the desert with his cohorts.
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Chosen Stories From The War #43: A Secret Place to Pray
The ice on the ground created a blanket of glass that broke and splintered as they stepped over it. Parysatis led the way, sure-footed after years of hiking these treacherous trails. Gur-Rai followed, almost as confident but with the dexterity of a child taking their first steps. He watched the girl in front of him with silent curiosity as she raised her arm and let Tyche land.
“How much hunting do you get done with her?” Gur-Rai finally broke the silence. “Tyche’s a sweet old girl, but it seems like a bow or a rifle would be faster.”
“I catch as much as Aisha can in a day.” Parysatis said without looking back at him. “And that is what got me my seat at the left hand of the Khatun. She saw that I have many skills, not just good aim.”
“What exactly is your job for her?” Gur-Rai’s arms shot out as he slid backward on icy ground, and he barely managed to steady himself.
“I am her eyes across the steppe.” Parysatis said softly. “The Khatun cannot be in all places at once. But with Tyche’s wings, I can see the edges of our kingdom and the crevices under rocks.”
“She’s got good eyes.” Gur-Rai noted.
“As she should. I see through those eyes” Parysatis stopped and turned to him. “We shall start simply. You need to learn how to call your eagle.”
“Can I text instead?” Gur-Rai chuckled at his own joke.
Parysatis did not laugh with him. “Your eagle is not a machine, you can’t just plug a code into it and make it obey. You need to learn to speak to it in ways it understands the way it respects.” She pointed down into the ravine beside them. “Go down there about 200 yards, and face me.”
Gur-Rai silently complied, looking back at Parysatis only once. She was watching him closely, and he saw the purple glow of her eyes in the low morning light. She was beautiful, but in a reserved kind of way. The type of girl to admire from afar, to wonder about briefly, and then to never to see again.
He finally stopped where she told him and turned to face her. She held out her other arm, and he mimicked her with his. From far away, he saw her stroke her eagle’s head softly, and then the glow of her eyes disappeared as she closed them.
Tyche leapt off Parysatis’ arm and came swooping down the ravine, her caw echoing in the high hills only once. Gur-Rai flinched a bit as she came close, but forced his arm to stay steady enough for her to land.
And land she did, digging her claws into his sleeve, and he was happy he’d worn his armor for this. She ruffled her feathers and adjusted herself, and he saw the eagle’s eyes were glowing purple, like Parysatis’ had been.
Gur-Rai blinked, then reached out and gently patted the eagle on the head. “Good girl.” He said softly.
The glow faded from Tyche’s eyes, and he looked back up the hill to where Parysatis stood, her white hair blowing in the brisk wind. She held out her arm and made a noise like the coo of a pigeon and the screech of a fox all at once, and Tyche leapt from Gur-Rai’s arm and soared back up to her mistress.
He lowered his arm slightly, and saw that she had not closed her eyes this time. Tyche’s dark eyes remained so as Parysatis looked out towards where Gur-Rai stood, as though she were waiting for him.
He took a deep breath, thankful his siblings weren’t watching this, and pursed his lips, replicating the coo-screech he heard Parysatis make. For a moment, the eagle did nothing, so he tried again, and again, and again.
Tyche leapt from Parysatis’ arm again, and this time Gur-Rai knew to brace himself. He caught Tyche, letting her stabilize herself in his grasp, and when she finally did, he patted her head.
“There’s a good girl.” He said as he looked back up to Parysatis. She nodded to him slowly, gesturing for him to come back up the hill.
.
.
Senuna shifted her weight onto her left foot and crossed her arms, looking up at Drakaina as the Khatun stared into her glass of vodka.
“Have you been pleased with what you see?” Drakaina asked. “My ancestor built this city, and his son, Ögedei Khan, fortified its walls. It has stood against all odds, even those from off-world
Senuna bobbed her head. “It’s impressive what you’ve done here, I’ll admit that.”
That made Drakaina look up, curiosity in her eyes. “Impressive…is that all?”
“I haven’t seen more than the city.” Senuna said. “And you told me you have much more territory than that.”
“The rest of it lies in villages and Elerium mines.” Drakaina added quickly. “They are relatively scattered, due to their natural geographic location.”
“Fair enough.” Senuna still refused to sit, instead shifting back onto her right foot and putting a hand on her hip. “But I assume this means they get your protection, such as it were?”
“Of course.” Drakaina stood up, tipping her glass back and draining the remainder of it. “Until their children can be trained to fight for us, we send our own to protect them. They repay us by sending their warriors when they are grown, who then fight to defend us.”
Senuna bit her lip. “Do those kids get a choice?”
“They all choose to serve us.” Drakaina said curtly. “I give them food, shelter and protection. In return, they give me their sword arms.”
“And I thought I was a shitty boss~” Senuna chuckled.
Drakaina glared at Senuna. “I care for each of my warriors as a mother cares for her children. Do not accuse me of being callous.”
“I’m a mother too…” Senuna hesitated before she uttered the last word. “...Well in any case, far be it from me to tell you how to do your job. But all my soldiers go onto the field having chosen to carry a gun.”
“Is that why you sought help?” Drakaina retorted.
“You called me here, remember?” Senuna giggled. “I sought their help because, the Reapers, Skirmishers, Templars, and us? We have a common goal.”
Drakaina moved back up to where her throne stood, but didn’t lower herself, instead opting to just stand in front of it. “I am not here to debate ideologies with you. The last raid was very successful, but the rewards were minuscule compared to what we require.”
“Okay.” Senuna raised a brow. “And that is what, exactly?”
“There is a small outpost just south of Bürd, where we believe ADVENT is looking to build yet another city center. The people there have set up a small village and are receiving supplies. They are guarded by hybrids in armor.”
“Oh how scary!” Senuna chuckled. “This almost sounds like one of our havens, and ADVENT attacks those all the time. This should be easy.”
“Should be.” Drakaina said. “It never is. I would like to borrow two of your Chosen this time.”
“I knew you’d take a liking to them.” Senuna giggled. “Konnie, again?”
“Her and her brother, the sniper. He can set up with my archers and offer range support.” Drakaina hesitated. “Commander, how much do you know about her?”
“Who? Kon-Mai?” She sighed. “I didn’t have access to her files when I was plugged in, if that’s what you’re asking. ADVENT had me thinking I was still back home, fighting aliens and taking numbers.”
Drakaina sat down and leaned against the armrest of her throne. One of the skulls shifted under the pressure. “I thought you were used to manage all of ADVENT’s network.”
“I was.” Senuna bobbed her head. “But it’s…like a dream. Someone could call a file up from my brain, and in my sleep I could interpret that information as something completely different.”
“So you knew nothing about the Chosen?”
“I didn’t say that.” Senuna stopped, then looked away. “I heard her speak to me a couple times, but I interpreted her voice as something else. Someone else. They were always connected to someone I knew once. Dhar-Mon…well. His voice is pretty distinct. But Konnie, not entirely sure what I saw for her.” Senuna admitted. “The first time I really saw her was when she carried away Mox to one of ADVENT’s torture facilities.”
“So they do still participate in abductions.” Drakaina nodded. “That is valuable information.”
“Have you lost many to that method?” Senuna asked.
“No.” Drakaina picked up her empty glass and held it up, the light refracting through broken crystals. “…Only one.”
.
.
“Mai!”
At first, Kon-Mai didn’t even realize someone was calling her, until she heard footsteps directly behind her. She turned, and then slowed her brisk trek, allowing Aisha to catch up to her.
“Mai?” She raised a hairless brow.
“Yes, sorry. It…slipped out.” Aisha bowed. “Kon-Mai. I wanted to check on you; are you doing alright after that lesson?”
“I am fine.” Kon-Mai said curtly, turning away.
“You seemed really distracted after that first demonstration.” Aisha continued.
“Perhaps I was. But it should not concern you.” Kon-Mai scoffed. “I simply need a place to rest. Clear my head.”
“Oh. Why didn’t you say so?” Aisha chuckled. “I know a place actually. Come on.”
Kon-Mai watched Aisha take up a long stride in front of her, leading her westward toward where the sun was setting. She hesitated, but then the woman turned back and waved her to follow. In the low light, the gentle embroidery along her hijab glowed a soft blue.
Kon-Mai followed her silently, the smaller woman keeping up a fast pace that Kon-Mai kept time with easily. Once outside of the city, she looked back once toward the blue glow, and the barren land around it.
“Do you not farm here?” Kon-Mai asked. “The only vegetation I see is the animal feed…”
Aisha shook her head. “As much as I would like to--I much prefer vegetables to meat, if I’m honest with you--it seems edible plants don’t take well to this soil anymore.”
“Anymore?”
“I heard they used to.” Aisha elaborated. “When my parents were fleeing ADVENT they briefly settled down around here, near Khorgo, and there was some arable land there.” She hummed a bit. “Sometimes I think about going back there and seeing if anything is left but…I have my new family here. As much as I want to look back.”
Kon-Mai remained silent, musing on this for a moment. “If you did go back…” She finally said. “What would you hope to find?”
Aisha didn’t answer her, and Kon-Mai abandoned the question when she looked around at the line of trees they suddenly stepped into. Larch trees with thick, needled branches reached out, covering the pale sky in a curtain of green.
“What is this place?”
“I come here to pray.” Aisha said. “The other warriors, they don’t mean to be rude, but they don’t really understand why I still practice. I come here so they won’t hound me for answers when all I want is a spiritual connection.”
“I can appreciate that.” Kon-Mai chuckled. “I often find my brothers in particular like to bother me when I am trying to meditate.”
Aisha chuckled. “I’m curious, your eldest brother seemed like he was at least interested in religion, but what exactly does ADVENT practice?”
“Practice…is a strong word. I suppose the religion of ADVENT centered around the Elders, and thus any customs were woven into their government.”
“But what else?” Aisha kept prying. “What do they teach you about how the universe works? Where do you think people go when they die?”
Kon-Mai thought for a moment, trying to recall old teachings from almost a decade ago. “They never told us.”
“Never told you?”
“No. They never taught us of an afterlife. They only said there was the void, and if we failed them, they would throw us into nonexistence.”
Aisha stopped walking briefly at that, faltering in her steps as she looked up in surprise. “Oh…like Buddhism? Was there rebirth?”
Kon-Mai shook her head. “If there was, it was not attainable for us.”
“So you…would just die?” Aisha blinked. “That’s…terrifying. I’m sorry.”
“The idea of nonexistence never troubled me until I was staring it in the face.” Kon-Mai retorted. “And even then I would have chosen that over what my parents would do to me for failure.”
“And what would they do?” Aisha kept prying.
Kon-Mai’s silence served as an answer, and the two came to a silent stop in a small clearing, where the trees formed a small circle.
Aisha settled down on her knees, facing Southwest, and Kon-Mai settled into her meditation pose beside her. Instead of closing her eyes, though, she watched Aisha instead, observing as she bowed, touching her head to the ground. Something tugged at the strings of her heart as she witnessed it, and soon she too closed her eyes.
They held that silent vigil until the sunlight fully faded, and the dim glow of orange clouds was the only light remaining. Surprisingly, it was Kon-Mai who broke the silence. As she heard Aisha get back to her feet, she asked “How does the Khatun feel about you practicing still?”
“The Khatun doesn’t mind.” Aisha shrugged. “Generally all her warriors are allowed to practice any religion they want. Many adopt Shamanic beliefs because, well, that’s the majority and it’s just easier.”
Kon-Mai followed her demonstration and stood. “And you did not adopt them as well?”
“That’s a long story, but no, I kept my own faith.” Aisha chuckled. “When I first came to Karakorum, I had a really rough time assimilating. It may sound counterintuitive but keeping to the traditions I was raised with helped me during that time.”
“This was after your parents…” Kon-Mai trailed off.
“Yes. I don’t remember the event really well. My clearest memory is after it was all over, and I was on a black horse, and Monkh…” Aisha broke off again, her voice shaking as she said “M-Monkh was carrying me.”
“Monkh?” Kon-Mai asked, suddenly blinking as though something was in her eye. Her temple stung for just a moment, and a shiver went up her back, all in such quick succession she herself hardly noticed it. “Who is Monkh?”
Aisha took a few steps, and then leaned back against one of the trees so she faced Kon-Mai. “She was the Jinong before me.” She said. “I might have mentioned we were close but…it was more than that.”
“More in what way?”
“She was almost grown up when they found me, and I was really young, extremely young. I had such a hard time adjusting to Karakorum, new people and language and food and it was all so overwhelming, I threw fits, I lashed out, and nobody would take me in, not even those who knew me.” She crossed her arms over herself. “Nobody but Monkh.”
“She adopted you?”
“She was more like a big sister than a mom.” Aisha admitted. “But…yes. She took care of me. She encouraged me to keep praying because praying helped calm me. She never forced me to, she wasn’t Muslim herself but…she always said it was important to remember the roots, especially those that gave me nourishment. She arranged for my meals to be caught, she sewed all my clothes and beaded my jewelry with her own two hands, and she taught me riding and archery and sword fighting. Nobody else believed in me. Monkh…Monkh believed in me.”
Kon-Mai swallowed, and realized she was holding back tears. “Her loss must have been very hard.”
Aisha nodded. “I regret so much from my childhood, but I most regret how much I took her for granted. I didn’t realize how precious life was until…” Aisha bit her lip, and when she spoke again, her voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”
Kon-Mai took a step toward the young woman, holding out a hand but hesitating to touch her. “I…I know how it feels to lose someone you loved, without ever being able to tell them goodbye, or how much they meant to you. It is a pain that sent me spiraling, I cannot imagine experiencing it as a child.”
Aisha stepped forward and grasped Kon-Mai’s hand, squeezing it. “Thank you…” Tears were streaming down her face now. “I just wish I could have thanked her.”
“Perhaps you still can.” Kon-Mai said. “If I have earned another chance, perhaps you will too.”
Aisha shook her head. “It’s a silly thing to hope for. And yet, I still do.”
.
.
The inside of the mine was not dark, but lit up in a rainbow of soft, glowing light. Dhar-Mon closed his eyes and felt the familiar hum of Elerium crystal radiating off his skin. Like a babe being swaddled, he felt comfort in this early memory.
Then he opened his eyes and composed himself, looking around at the miners around him. Most only payed him a few glances before squaring up their shoulders and returning to their work, running wheelbarrows full of sediment out and in and dumping them onto an assembly line, where more workers, smudged in dirt, sifted through the sediment and broke open geodes to get at the crystals inside.
He approached one of the miners, and they turned and gasped, startling backward and scrambling away, yelling something in Mongolian or…maybe Kazakh? He could not tell. Dhar-Mon only raised his hands in response, trying to demonstrate he was not there to hurt them.
Luckily, one of the others, an old man who looked as though he had seen years in the mine, seemed to understand, and stepped forward. Dhar-Mon slowly lowered his hands, and bowed low to the person who was by all means his elder.
The old man smiled a toothless grin. “Sain uu, khüü mini!” The man chuckled, and upon realizing that Dhar-Mon didn’t understand him, broke into a sympathetic laugh. Dhar-Mon smiled awkwardly, looking around at the other miners that were still watching his hesitantly.
The old man beckoned Dhar-Mon over to the assembly line, where the others continued to sift through the silt and dirt, removing the Elerium from its earthen shell. He watched in curiosity as it was then sent down the line to be washed and sprayed, the dirt splashing over a young woman’s face as she cleaned the glass-like rock.
“This is difficult work.” Dhar-Mon said. “I sincerely hope the Khatun rewards you well.”
The man either didn’t hear him or didn’t understand him as he led Dhar-Mon farther along down the line, where the clean Elerium was taken into mortars and pestles and ground into shining, powdery dust. Each time the pestle struck the glowing rock, sparks would bounce away, and Dhar-Mon would flinch.
The glowing dust, pulsating with irradiated energy, traveled along the conveyor line to the end, where two others began re-mixing it with a soft, white powder, almost resembling dry clay. Their careful hands mixed the sparkling Elerium with this clay, before it was shoved off the table into a vat of liquid that began to boil. Dhar-Mon was at first nervous about this unknown reaction, until he saw the fire burning under the vat.
“They are stabilizing the Elerium. To keep it from degrading.” He rubbed his chin. “Fascinating. It seems to dampen the raw energy available but…” It made sense, if they were using it in things like jewelry, they didn’t really need the Elerium to pack that much of a punch.
The old man patted Dhar-Mon on the arm, chuckling as he returned to his post, leaving Dhar-Mon to either stay or go. The Hieromonk wandered around the vat for a few moments, watching as the water boiled away, leaving a paste of glowing blue rock that settled heavily in the bottom of the cauldron. The mix was not perfect, but he figured it would be further distilled and refined and sure enough, a thin looking lad came over, dragging a wheelbarrow and stopping only to reach in and scoop the rock-paste into the wheelbarrow.
Dhar-Mon raised a brow as he saw that the boy, who looked no older than a teenager, was not wearing cloves around this hot metal. And with that exhausted look in his eyes, that was absolutely asking for trouble. Dhar-Mon reached out, and the boy startled a bit, but looked up at Dhar-Mon almost like he was in a trance. Dhar-Mon did not have to pull hard to get the spade away from him, and he rolled up his sleeves and began doing the boy’s assigned work for him.
“I have many more scars than you.” Dhar-Mon said. “And I would like that to remain the truth.”
He wasn’t sure that the boy understood him, but he did begin tearing up. Once the wheelbarrow was full, Dhar-Mon took hold of it himself and pushed it along, the boy leading him to where it needed to go.
They approached the yawning mouth of the mine, and inside he heard pickaxes ringing against stone, and felt the pulsing radiation from the barely exposed rock. He stopped for a moment, gazing down into the black mouth that continued on seemingly forever…
A scream echoed from down the tunnel, and for a moment all the miners stopped, but when Dhar-Mon dropped the wheelbarrow and began to run toward the noise, the boy stopped him, crying out in Mongolian and shaking his head quickly.
“Someone could be hurt!” Dhar-Mon insisted. “I must help them!”
“No!” Was all the boy said, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “No. No. No.”
.
.
Pratal Mox stared out at the sun setting over the icy mountains and yellow grass, where the horses stood and picked out what little bits of vegetation they could pull from the ground, and he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“You aren’t going to be able to sleep until you face this.” His wife said, moving her hand from his shoulder down around his waist.
“I am naively hoping it will not need facing.” He said. “Vox Prima…I mean. Kon-Mai has not shown much interest in her past, and I am hoping we can leave this place before it shows interest in her.”
“Even so. She has a right to know. And you have the power to tell her.” Elena moved to stand beside him. “Look at how much good it’s done Gur-Rai to have old friends and new friends again.”
“Gur-Rai is…” Mox twiddled his thumbs. “He is different. His memories were not completely overwritten by Camazotz, he remembers things the others don’t.”
“And maybe Kon-Mai remembers too.” Elena crossed her arms. “Or at the very least, I think someone in this camp does.”
Mox sighed. “That is what I fear. What if they tell her?”
“Tell her yourself.” She took his hand. “You’ve taken hold of your own fate time and time again, my love.”
“I know, and I’m tired.” Mox sighed. “It is not just my fate anymore. How do I tell Kon-Mai that I was the ferryman who led her to hell?”
.
.
.
.
.
Summary: The chapter begins with Gur-Rai and Parysatis going out to open field so Gur-Rai can train to become an eagle hunter. As it’s his first lesson, Parysatis starts him off by just teaching him how to land the eagle on his arm, which he does with some difficulty. Back at Karakorum, Drakaina is meeting with Senuna to talk about the next mission, and Senuna briefly chastises Drakaina on her leadership methods.
After the training, Aisha catches up with Kon-Mai and invites her to a secluded spot, where she likes to pray. She tells Kon-Mai that her devotion stems from her parental figure, Monkh, encouraging her to maintain that which connected her to her happiness. Aisha also clarifies that Monkh was the previous Jinong before her, and that one of her earliest memories is waking up in her arms.
Down in the Elerium mines, Dhar-Mon meets several of the miners, who are all diligently working on mining Elerium to be used recreationally and in warfare. One old man shows Dhar-Mon around, and he sees the process by which Elerium is stabilized. While helping a young boy bring the processed sludge in for refining, Dhar-Mon hears a scream from deeper in the mine.
In Karakorum, Pratal Mox reflects on how much he knows about Kon-Mai’s past. Elena encourages him to tell her, but he hesitates.
(Hello everyone, I know it’s been over a month and I’m so sorry I kept you all waiting. February just completely kicked my ass, starting with my cat passing away and ending with a slew of health problems that have left me pretty much out of commission until now. I’m not 100% better yet, but I am recovering and recovered enough to get this to you. I have NOT given up on the shark babies, and I’m still in this for the long haul!
Thanks to my buddies in the discord for helping me get my motivation!)
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Unpredictable (Overhaul x Reader) pt. 2
a/n: I AM GARBAGE FOR THIS MAN. HE IS VILE AND MERCILESS BUT IF HE ISNT CRAZY... HES A CLASSY AND WELL-SPOKEN BIRD BOY. ehem on with the second part ehem
warnings: cursing
Links: part 1, part 3
Masterlist to my other fics: here :)
The night was now settled and you were locked in your room. Papers and folders all spread out on your desk and bed. If you were to venture into this case, you would have to know the details you had missed out on.
By now, your butt was aching and so did your back. Glancing at the other piles of folders, you counted how many cases you were working on at the same time. If there was one thing the chief loved to give you, it was more work than you could finish.
As of the moment, you were in charge of 9 other cases. Some related to large scale companies and others identity frauds. Though the cases were now generic for the 6 years you’d been working with the force, it was and will always be draining.
This mission with Overhaul felt like a breath of fresh air. The risks presented here were much higher compared to normal but you were more than prepared, at least you hoped you were. Truth be told, this wouldn’t be the first time you teamed up with a villain. That was your secret as to why you moved up so fast. Every now and then, you would propose a compromisation and in turn they would help you catch your target. You did, however, avoid this as much as possible.
Ruffling your hair, you gathered the mess and prepared for Gei’s arrival.
When he did arrive, the solemnity of your apartment faded. And you did not mind one bit.
“BABY GIRL!” He twirled his neon pink purse in the air as he entered himself into your apartment. His other hand carried the necessities for the night. “Okay. I got the food and the booze. I also bought my silk pajamas we use for occasions like this.”
“Mine are ready. Don’t worry.” You giggled at the sight of a toned man unloading the contents of the bag with a pinky up. “I also prepared the movies we could watch for tonight. AND, I already informed Nao to not call me for the rest of the night.”
“Okay, alright, mhmm. Imma go change into my silkies and you do you.” He said as he trotted towards the guest room. When the door closed, you began to prepare the dinner you had planned for the both of you.
Gei was never a picky eater but it was always a challenge to make sure he was well fed. Compared to you, his eating habits were much more constant. Healthier even since he usually counted his calories because he wanted to keep his waist ‘snatched’. He had told you beforehand that he was in the mood for some chicken. Luckily, you had the ingredients for grilled bruschetta chicken.
Prepping everything, you began to heat your tiny grill and sliced the tomatoes and garlic. The sound of the chopping eventually replaced with the speakers blasting Todrick Hall. Shaking your head with amusement, you went about with the preparations while your friend arranged the sofa.
Not long after, dinner was now ready and both of you were now seated at the dining table. Chatting about whatever came to your heads. A few gossips of heroes here and there but mostly about your work and his. Sip by sip, the wine bottle slowly emptied. Gei always knew the best wines out there. You would always praise him and he would merely pout his lips and wiggle his brows.
Stomachs full, Gei demanded he do the dishes while you wait for him at the sofa. It had been quite some time since you took the time off. Stretching your joints, you gathered your hair into a messy bun and dusted off imaginary dust on your silk pajamas. Taking some bowls from underneath the coffee table, you filled them up with chips and placed the wine inside the chiller. When everything seemed ready, you flopped back onto the sofa and turned the TV on.
A knock on your door caused you to jump a bit. Looking at the clock, it was now 9pm. Grabbing your phone, there were no messages or missed calls. You also didn’t recall ordering anything this week. Walking towards the door, you took a look at Gei who was finishing up the last of the plates.
Looking through the peephole, you let out a rather loud gasp.
“Oh fuck no.” You took a step backward and ran towards the kitchen. Grabbing Gei by his wrist, you pulled him out of his trance and dragged him to the living room. Practically throwing him to the sofa, he stared at you with wide eyes.
“Boo, I know your as virgin as the spinster next door but I am a gay man and I do not intend on taking you tonight.” He commented.
“He’s here.”
Another knock filled the room. It was still soft but a bit louder than before.
“Girl?! Did you call in Magic Mike?!” He began to bounce up and down while fanning himself.
“More like Germaphobe Gus.” You motioned for him to stay on the couch and remain quiet. Walking towards the door once more, you slowly opened it only to be met with the bird mask again. The green jacket and purple fur did not compliment his eyes. “What can I do, Overhaul? You could’ve dropped me a message you know.”
“I have something to discuss with you.” His eyes travelled behind you and back at you. “May I come in? Or do I have to usher myself?”
Stuttering a response, you grunted and moved to the side. The towering man slowly made his way in. Taking in the rather luxurious decorating your small hallway had to offer. Waiting for you to take the lead, you led him to the living room. When your eyes met with Gei, you signalled him to head on to the guest room.
Understanding what you meant, Gei took his wine glass and cat walked to his room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the tall man behind you. Making a gesture with his hand, he threw his imaginary wig and winked at you. He was no idiot, though. He knew who it was. For precautions, he left his door 3 inches open.
“That’s why you should’ve told me, Overhaul.” You gestured for him to sit down. When you saw his eye twitching at the spot you pointed to, you let out a sigh and reached for the fur patch behind you. Putting it on the spot, you watched as he stared at the tan material. “That has been newly laundered so I guarantee it’s clean. Now either you develop varicose veins or sit down. I could care less.”
He finally took a seat. This was a rare sight, you had to admit. Overhaul, a class-B villain, sitting on a fur rug while staring at a bottle of wine.
“So what do you have?”
“The boss of the Fukuo Kai will be attending a gala in 3 days time.”
“And you got that how?” You raised a brow and tilted your head.
“None of your business.” He leaned on the sofa and his eyes began to wander every inch your place had to offer. “I’ll have Mimic send the invitation when we get a hold of it. You will be informing your partner about this, right?”
“Yeah. I have to.” You nodded and eyed his bird mask again. “Do you always wear that thing?”
“It’s to block the horrid air the world has to offer.” He said in a deadpan voice. You wanted to laugh at his remark but it would probably lead to nothing good. Stifling a giggle, his eyes darted to yours. “Laugh if it pleases you. The world we live in is vile and sick. People have this so-called hero-syndrome to them that makes me want to puke. Tch. To think that quirks come from rats.”
“You do know that’s only a theory, right?” You did not mean to challenge him but he was interesting to talk to, admittedly.
“It’s a theory that disgusts me to the core.” He was about to say something but changed his mind. Instead, he decided to shift the focus to you. “You talk so casually with me. Aren’t you scared? I could send you to oblivion with a single flick of my finger.”
“I guess I’m immune to it?” You answered with a question. “I’ve been with the police force for 6 years now and I’ve had my fair share of villains. You know Kuraim? That dude who thought he could take over Nagoya with his little group?”
“He was annoying. He came into contact with the previous boss and asked for assistance. When he was declined he took out a few of our men.”
“Oh shit, that was your group! I totally forgot about that. But, yeah. He was a nutjob but my team managed to capture him a week after that.”
“Your name wasn’t featured in the news. It was another inspector’s. Why?” His fingers were not linked with each other and his back leaning on the plush throw pillow.
“I’m linked with the Abegawa Tenchu Kai. If my name gets released to the public, those nosy reporters would definitely put two and two together. I prefer to keep it low key though. Less media, the better.”
“I see.” He stood up and bowed. “I must get going. I have disturbed your evening.”
“IT’S FINE BABY BOY!” Gei shouted from the room. Face palming at his remark, you took Overhaul by the end of his jacket. Your index and thumb delicately tugging him towards your door.
His eyes widened when he saw you holding his clothes. But with how clean your apartment was, he brushed it off and let you do things your way. Though, he would have to burn this jacket or dispose of it one way or another. Not noticing you had turned around, his face still had that perplexed yet pissed off look to it.
Realizing that you were invading his personal space, you apologized and let go of the inch of fabric you had held on to.
“You’re surely going to throw that, aren’t you?” You teased. A small smirk forming in the corners of your mouth.
“I just might.” He retorted as he stared with disgust. A thought came to his mind. “Or not.”
Taking his jacket off, you stared at how his broad shoulders moved as he removed the article of clothing. The black dress shirt hugged his toned arms rather well. The pale gray tie around his neck matched his overall appearance pretty well. He had taste, save for the jacket. Unless that jacket had sentimental value so it would make sense why.
Your sight turned black for a second before you were face to face with him. The rather heavy jacket resting on your forearms.
‘Holy hell, his cologne smells divine.’ You cursed yourself for breathing in at the perfect time. Either the wine was hitting you but his scent reminded you of mayoram and geranium. Exotic and expensive.
“Keep it.” You swore he was smirking underneath that mask. “Either that or I overhaul it.”
“For an antisocial person, you sure know how to charm people…” You thought out loud.
“Not really. I’m just putting it to where it belongs.” He opened the door for himself. “The garbage.”
Your jaw dropped and before you could retaliate, he had closed the door. Locking your doors harshly, you went back towards the living room and were met with Gei. One leg resting on the other. The same glass of wine on his hand accompanied with a rather mischievous glint in his gray eyes. Taking a sip, he exaggerated ‘ahh’ after swallowing the beverage.
“You into villains now, booboo?” He teased as he pointed to the same spot Overhaul had sat down on. The way you flopped on the sofa and tossed the jacket on to the arm rest only made him even more curious. “You’re working with Overhaul?”
His tone was serious but you knew he was in full gossip mode. You didn’t mind telling Gei these things though. He knew how to protect himself and your dad also kept tabs on him to make sure he was safe.
“That’s what I wanted to talk about. The mission I’m currently partaking involves that guy you just saw.” You explained. Absentmindedly, you reached for the jacket and began feeling for any sort of recording chips or video cameras. Deeming it safe, you placed it beside you and began to twirl the purple fur. “I get why they're doing this but it just sucks that I have to meddle with the yakuza. It’s none of my business and it puts my job at risk.”
“What does Nao-nao say about all this?”
“He says I’m the only one fit for the job. I’ve caught up on the details they gathered and he makes a point, sadly. My only problem now is the person I have to work with. It’s a miracle in itself I keep my grounds with him.”
“What personality does he have?” He took a sip of his wine and leaned in closer.
“The records I have from a year ago state he’s an antisocial sociopath. I’ve never dealt with a lot of villains who had those. Most of them were just lost or goal driven to a bizarre or lost cause.”
“He was rather smooth when talking to you. He looks clean as well.” He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head. “He’ll surely see you as a challenge, boo.”
“What do you mean?” You reached for your glass and poured it half full.
“If I recall, during your conversation, he asked you if you were intimidated. Scared. The answer you gave him surely bothered him. It would go against his personality if he were the least intrigued by you.” He pointed out.
Gei had a point. If you saw him as an enigma, he probably saw you as a pawn in his game. One way or another, he would surely make a move and try to manipulate you. Though you were aware of the signs of subtle manipulations, Overhaul had a different way of handling things. This meeting with Gei proved right. You needed to move with greater caution.
“BUT!” He snapped. “He looks like a full course meal, am I right? A five Michelin star meal served in only the finest china the world has to offer.”
Speechless at how he had described Overhaul, you shook your head and took a long sip.
“Don’t sip away from me, missy.” He stretched out his leg and poked you with his curled toes. “Don’t think I didn’t see you checkin’ him out. And I bet my plump ass that wasn’t the first time you eyed him…”
“You’re delusional.” You rolled your eyes.
“What does his jacket smell like? He probably wears some expensive ass shit that lasts 24 hours. Those that only have limited stocks to them or costs the rent of this whole unit.” He pushed you a bit with a little more force with his leg. “Don’t lie to me, dollface.”
Hissing at his remark, you slumped your shoulders and folded your legs. Grabbing the throw pillow and using it as a small table.
“Fine. He smells expensive. You’re right.” You broke down and the smug look on his face only told you to expand your answer. “And yes, I may have checked him out when I went to their headquarters to finalize the plan.”
“And what are you going to do with that jacket of his?” He stretched out his hand and you gave it to him. His mouth formed a small ‘o’ at the weight of it. Sniffing it, he let out a humming sound and placed it on his arm rest. Petting the fur as if it were some small animal. “He does smell like a hefty price tag.”
“I’ll probably just store it somewhere. I might need it in the future.”
“True. You will be extra careful now, won’t you?” He was now staring straight into you. Concern showing in his features. Extending a hand to you, you held on to it and he squeezed it. “Let’s say a silent prayer to our savior, Queen Todrick, to keep your virgin ass safe from the man whom we know as Overhaul. Amen~”
Giggling at his antics, you repeated his last words. The rest of the night was spent watching movies and munching on chips. When the time came where it was close to 4am, the lights were now off and both of you were in your respective rooms. The curtains to your window open. Faint hues of yellows, oranges, and reds, filled your room.
Your eyes landed on the top shelf of your closet, his jacket resting peacefully. The strong intoxicating scent still clung to you. Every breath you took, you could smell him on clothes and your shirt. Brushing the incoming fantasies away, you buried your face in your pillow and somehow managed to force yourself to sleep.
Waking up to the scent of bacon and eggs were heavenly. The small headache would surely disappear after a hearty and greasy breakfast early in the morning. Arranging your sheets, you fixed your hair and went to the kitchen.
“Good morning to you.” Gei greeted. His back facing you as he flipped the bacon. “Sleep well?”
“Yeah.” You yawned. “Better than most nights. Thanks for crashing, Gei.”
“Always a pleasure, booboo. I also prepped some egg sandwiches for Nao-nao. You are heading to the precinct right?” He glanced at you over his shoulder. A small smile forming on his lips when he saw your half awake half asleep state. The sun’s rays emphasizing the messy strands on your bed hair.
Another knock echoed through your unit. Groaning as to who it could be, you lazily stood up and walked towards the door. Gei peaking in the corner with a suspicion as to who it was. When you opened the door, you frowned and looked at both sides. There was no one.
A small voice cleared their throat. Looking down, you saw a tiny black creature wearing a bird mask. In his hands was an envelope. He kept his word and really did send an invite.
“The boss sent me out to hand this to you.” He tossed the invitation directly at your face. “Better count yourself lucky he’s following your terms.”
“Send him my thanks.”
“Whatever.” He answered as his small feet took him farther away from your door.
Back in your kitchen, Gei had now set the table and laid out the food. He was scrolling on his phone when you sat across from him. Your fingers busy with the square fancy envelope given to you.
“What’s that?” He asked as he put his phone down and began to place food on each of your plates.
“It’s the invitation to that gala he mentioned last night. He sent out one of his workers to hand over this thing.” Your eyes busy scanning over the program details. Taking a look at the envelope, there was a small card. Dropping it on your palm, you saw how it was an RSVP. Flipping it, a small message with neat penmanship told you to call when you would receive it.
Taking your phone from your pocket, you hit dial on the unknown number that had called you yesterday. Gei was all ears as he chewed on his food.
“I take it you received the invitation?” Overhaul immediately asked when he picked up. “I will let you decide as to who your plus one will be. Feel free to call when you’ve chosen.”
“You’re being awfully cooperative, Overhaul.” You commented.
“I lost at the game and I gave you my word. I trust that you will do your end of the bargain as well. If I recall, you stated that this benefits me more than it does to you. Opportunities like this are rare. Might as well take advantage of it while it’s for the taking.” He answered. “Dress appropriately, (Y/N).”
With that he ended the call. Tossing your phone to your couch, you returned the invitation inside the envelope and began eating.
“So…” Gei nudged your leg from under the table. “Who will be your plus one?”
“I’ll have to talk about this with Tsukauchi first. I don’t fully trust him so we’ll be doing some check ups on the people invited to this gala. But, if it soothes you, I plan on using Overhaul. At least his quirk is useful in case something arises.”
“Yeah. Sure~”
----
if you want to be tagged in part 3 :) feel free to leave a comment :)
#overhaul x reader#chisaki kai x reader#overhaul#chisaki kai#bnha overhaul#mha overhaul#bnha chisaki kai#mha chisaki kai#he is garbage but i love him so much#im simpiing hard yall
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A Small Comfort
Summary: Set after Noctis’ and Ignis’ argument in Episode 4 of Brotherhood, Noctis learns to lean on his closest friend in his time of need.
Pairing: Prompto/Noctis, pre-relationship
Word Count: ~2800
So...I’m finally posting a fic I wrote. Last time I watched Brotherhood, I had wished Noct’s mental health was addressed more, so I made it happen! Trigger warning: a panic attack is described. I hope you enjoy!
>>i kno its late, but do u wanna come over?
Noctis stares hard at the cursor blinking at his screen, thumb hovering over the “send” button. Ignis has just left, and Noctis himself has screamed so hard he doesn’t think he can scream anymore, but there’s still a persistent ache in his chest, a need to not be alone. He can’t call Ignis, obviously, and he can’t call Gladio, so that leaves…
Noctis has been careful to leave Prompto out of this part of his life. It means so much to him that when he is with Prompto, he doesn’t have to worry about any of this. He doesn’t have to think about sustaining the wall, or complicated political reports, he can just be a normal teenager. But right now, he finds himself craving comfort in a way that he hasn’t since he was younger, when he was first injured. That doesn’t make the reaching out any easier.
He hits send before he can think any better of it and throws his phone across the couch. Immediately, it buzzes, and Noctis scrambles to look at the message.
>sure thing dude. Need me to bring anything?
In spite of everything, Noctis feels his heart lift slightly.
>>uh, junk food maybe?
>>but if you don’t have any uh
>>just bring you.
Oh shit, he really sent that. He triple texted. But Prompto’s reply is just as quick.
>omw, the metro should get me there in 20. you feelin okay?
Well that’s...a question. The obvious answer would be “no” but Noctis falters before replying with that. He doesn’t want Prompto to think of him any differently, to see him as the prince. But he also, somehow, really wants to talk about this with someone he knows will just listen. Then, he thinks, that’s not fair to push onto Prompto. He can’t burden Prompto with all of this. Prompto has a life free of these kinds of worries, and Noctis cares about him too much not to keep it that way. Still...they have been getting closer lately. Noctis has never had a best friend before, but he suspects that best friends talk about these things. Are Ignis and Gladio best friends? Do they talk?
Just then, Noctis hears a knock at his door, startling him out of his thoughts. He looks down to see 5 more texts from Prompto that he missed while he was spacing out, and he rushes over to open the door. There stands his friend, with the promised junk food, and an overnight bag slung over his shoulder.
“Did ya fall asleep on me?” he tries to joke as he steps inside, but then he glances at Noctis again. It’s a look Noctis has never seen before, one that Noct doesn’t quite know how to parse. He then realizes what a slob he must look like--still in his school uniform at this late hour, unwashed hair sticking out every which way, clothing rumpled in weird places--and makes to say something about it, but Prompto very gently places a hand on his shoulder. Firm. Grounding. He sets the junk food down and looks at Noct dead-on.
“Hey...are you okay?” he asks, and Noct’s reflexes tell him to say that he’s fine, to downplay everything he is feeling, and to ignore it and make a joke to avoid having this conversation. But he looks at Prompto, at his soft features, his loose hair, the freckles that dot his face, and his swirling purple eyes, and it suddenly feels like he can’t breathe. The look in his eyes is so gentle, and he just wants to help Noctis, and all of it is a bit too much and--
Wait.
He actually can’t breathe.
All he can think about is that conversation with Ignis, replaying in his head, and his fear of telling Prompto what’s really going on, what he will really have to face someday, because if he does he will lose him and he can’t lose Prompto, this precious boy who is so kind, and he can’t lose his father, and--
When did the floor get so close?
Somehow, he is kneeling on the ground, and Prompto is right there with him. He’s saying something but the words sound fuzzy, like there’s a high-pitched whine blocking everything out. Both of Prompto’s hands are on his shoulders--the only sensation he can really register--and he focuses all of his energy into understanding what Prompto is saying. It’s really hard because all he feels is the blood rushing through him, like he just ran a marathon, and breathing is even harder and takes up so much of his effort right now. He feels dizzy, like he hasn’t eaten in days.
“...--ear me?” Noct manages to make out. Prompto’s probably asking if Noctis can hear him. He nods, slightly.
“Good, that’s really good, buddy,” Prompto soothes him, his voice getting clearer with each word, but Noctis still feels as though he...can’t move from this strange position he’s found himself in. He thinks, vaguely, that if it weren’t for Prompto’s hands on his shoulders, he might actually die. He wants to tell him this, to say thank you, to do anything, but it all catches in his throat. Why can’t he move?
“Just breathe with me, okay? Can you do that?” Prompto is asking him. Was Noctis not breathing? He nods again. Prompto begins counting out the breaths, and Noctis does his best to follow along, each deep breath easing his muscles, and slowing his heart down. He hadn’t realized how fast it was beating. He doesn’t know how long they stay there, breathing slowly, in and out, until Noct’s body releases him from the grip he was in.
“Better?” Prompto asks, simply, and Noctis finally has it in him to look at him.
“S’good,” Noct replies. “Thanks.”
He tries to get himself off the ground, but of course his bad leg is acting up. Yet another thing he hasn’t told Prompto.
“Whoa there, let me help,” Prompto is saying, hoisting himself up and reaching a hand down to Noct. Noct takes it, gratefully, and leans into the touch more than he’d like to admit to get himself standing again.
“I’m sorry. I have no idea what just happened,” is what flies out of Noct’s mouth before he has the chance to stop it.
“Has it happened before?” Prompto asks earnestly, and Noct shakes his head no. At least...not that he could remember. Maybe now and then, but he usually just slept it off, now that he thinks about it.
“I...think that was a panic attack, dude,” Prompto says slowly, carefully, guiding Noct to sit back on the couch with him. “Have you been worrying about something?”
Was that what that was? All of the worry he’s tried to lock away...consuming him? Noctis shrugs noncommittally.
“If you have...I’m here if you need,” Prompto says, softly. “But I won’t make you talk if you don’t wanna.”
Noctis realizes his friend is giving him a way out. And if nothing else, he knows that Prompto will be true to his word. If he says he doesn’t want to talk, Prompto will not push him, and will at least pretend to forget about the incident.
But…
Noctis can’t shake the feeling that not talking is exactly what got him here. He’s only 16, and he’s pretty sure most people his age don’t just break down like that. Yes, Prompto is offering him a way out...but he is also offering him comfort and help. On his own terms. Not because Noctis is a prince in need of protecting, but because he’s his friend. Maybe, if he’s careful…
“...it’s a lot of things, to be honest,” Noctis finally breathes out, when he remembers how to make his mouth say words again. “...prince stuff. I don’t wanna…” he mumbles, turning away.
But Prompto has reached out to place a hand on his shoulder again.
“Doesn’t matter to me if it’s prince stuff. It’s definitely bothering you,” he begins, softly, slowly, giving Noct time to process every word. Now that Noctis thinks about it, Prompto has always spoken to him like this: gently, slowly, even when he is angry. But this voice? It’s soft, and low, almost as if to remind Noctis he is safe here.
“Right but I….you….you’re separate from all that. I like it that way,” Noctis tries to explain. “You remind me I’m someone beyond that…I…” he continues, but it fades away. Prompto’s arm has slid around his shoulders, tugging Noctis in to lean against him, and Noctis doesn’t have it in him to fight it. Hell, he doesn’t want to.
Prompto laughs just a little bit when he sees how Noctis has curled into his side on the couch, and slides his hand up to card through his hair. It feels...nice, comforting, but something else too. Almost...electric, like little sparks are dancing across his nerves when Prompto’s fingers brush across his scalp, gently pulling the knots in his hair free. Noctis has been feeling this more and more recently, and he doesn’t really know what to call it. Maybe it’s just that he’s so starved of physical contact aside from getting his ass kicked in training. He sighs into the contact, and he can hear Prompto’s voice vibrating under his ear.
“Yeah, you’re my best dude, you know that. I definitely think of you as Noct first,” he turns, slightly, attempting to make eye contact with Noct, who keeps his face turned away, “but you also happen to be Prince Noctis. It’s a part of you, and you don’t have to shut me out of it. I want to help you with whatever I can, whether it’s a really difficult boss fight on a video game….or prince stuff,” he finishes, smiling to himself.
At this, Noctis does bring his head up from Prompto’s shoulder so he can look him in the eye. Prompto smiles at him softly, his indigo-purple eyes drawing Noctis closer in a way he can’t quite describe. He wants to say something, anything, to tell Prompto how amazing and wonderful and patient he is. Instead...he slumps forward, on instinct, burying his face in the crook of Prompto’s neck, wrapping his arms around him in an embrace. One that Prompto eagerly returns, after a moment of shock. Noctis can’t even remember the last time he was hugged, let alone the last time he initiated a hug, but it feels...natural and good. Prompto traces the fingers of one hand up Noctis’ neck and tangles them in his hair once more, his other hand softly rubbing his back.
Noctis feels so comforted that he doesn’t ever want to leave, doesn’t want to think about saying anything to spoil the moment. But he trusts Prompto more than anything and, the longer they are here, pressed close together, the more he feels the urge to talk about it. Prompto’s a good friend, he’ll listen. Noctis breathes in his familiar and warm scent one more time...and takes the plunge.
“My dad is dying, Prompto,” he mumbles quietly, giving sound to the thought that has most been plaguing his mind ever since his father started needing to use his cane. “It’s the Wall. It keeps us safe, and it’s killing him,” he manages, before he falters. Putting it into words almost has Noctis panicking again, but he hears Prompto gasp a little bit before wrapping his arms around him tighter, pulling him even closer.
“I’m so sorry,” he says. “No wonder you’ve been so sad.”
And that’s all. Nothing about how Noctis will need to be stronger to fill his father’s shoes, nothing about how he isn’t fit to be a king, nothing about how he can’t be upset, just acknowledging that it sucks. Something breaks within Noctis, but he really, really doesn’t want to cry in front of Prompto. It’s a strange mix of emotions. He pushes away slightly, so Prompto doesn’t have to deal with it, and finds himself locking eyes with Prompto again, Prompto’s strong arms preventing him from getting too far. And if he’s a good friend, he deserves to know the last bit of truth that Noctis has been keeping from him. Maybe he can get out of all of this now, while he has a chance.
“I feel like I should tell you one more thing,” Noctis says, almost a whisper.
“Sure, Noct,” Prompto replies immediately. “Lay it on me.”
“I don’t think you’ll like this one,” Noctis smiles slightly, in spite of it. What a ridiculous mess of emotions he is right now. “When...when Dad dies. Probably soon,” he tries, waving his hands around erratically against the tide of emotion he feels--just one of many behaviors his father and the Citadel have tried to train out of him. He takes a deep breath and continues, “someone will have to keep the Wall up. That someone will have to be me--” he tries to explain, but his voice breaks on the last word, and he presses the palms of his hands to his eyes, as if that will stop the tears, but to no avail. He did not want this to happen, Prompto is going to think he’s so weak, and a mess, and--
“It’s okay to be upset about it,” Prompto says, gently grabbing Noctis’ wrists to pull them away from his face. Noctis peeks at his dear friend--his kind, wonderful, patient friend--and is met with the gentlest look he thinks he’s ever seen from anyone. He thinks maybe Prompto is crying too, but then he’s completely overwhelmed because Prompto is gently brushing his tears away with his thumb.
“It’s a lot to take in, but I’m glad you told me,” he soothes. Noctis feels his face heating up, but he doesn’t push Prompto away at all. He leans closer, craving more of that contact. “It helps me to know everything,” he says with a soft smile.
“I’m sorry,” Noctis apologizes on instinct, before he gets too caught up, before he’s unable to pull away. “Don’t mean to be a bummer,” he tries to joke, but Prompto isn’t having it.
“Hey, this is serious. Your feelings are important to me,” he reminds, his tone only slightly harsh to show his seriousness. His tone then softens, “and you’re being very brave.”
“I don’t feel brave,” Noctis replies, before he can stop himself. “I’m afraid.”
“Oh, Noct,” Prompto sighs, pulling him back into their earlier embrace, rubbing his back with one hand. “Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not afraid. It means you’re afraid and you do it anyway. My mom told me that a long time ago…” he trails off somewhat wistfully.
His mom? Noctis thinks to himself. He almost wants to ask more, but he knows Prompto’s parents are a very sore subject, and he leaves it for another day. For now, he soaks in the comfort, trying not to feel embarrassed at the tears that flow now and then.
Noctis isn’t sure how long it is before he stops crying, but he feels his back and legs start to ache from the strange, huddled position he’s found himself in, and he pushes back sheepishly.
“Sorry about all that,” he apologizes. “Probably not what you signed up for…”
“What I “signed up for” was to be your friend,” Prompto responds, stern, but not unkind, as he stretches out his own arms. “That means good stuff and bad, you know.”
Does it? Noctis has always felt that he has had to live up to the image of the ideal prince, even with Ignis and Gladio. But Prompto...well, Prompto just saw him at his lowest, and the look in his eyes tells Noctis there’s no place he’d rather be. That look makes his heart jump in his throat, slightly, yet another thing he’s been trying to ignore.
“I...thank you,” Noct mumbles, waving his hands around again, this time because he’s overwhelmed that Prompto still wants to be his friend. Prompto, for his part, smiles knowingly at the motion. That’s another conversation they’ll have to have, Noct supposes, but he’s all drained right now.
Sensing this, Prompto hoists himself off the couch.
“Well, I brought over this junk food for a reason. Why don’t we get more comfortable and order a pizza?” he asks, gesturing to the fact that Noct is still in his school uniform. “We don’t have to think about any of this for a little while, if you don’t want to. Play video games, just vibe...”
Noct smiles. How does Prompto know exactly what he needs?
“That sounds awesome, dude.”
#promptis#prompto argentum#noctis lucis caelum#ffxv fanfic#final fantasy xv#i'm real excited about this one y'all#i think it came out real well#i hope y'all enjoy!!!#haley writes ffxv#haley.exe#listen i just wanted noct to get to talk#there's a lot of talking in this one but i like it
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