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operatorsdiner · 5 months

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It Does in Fact Bite: Entry 3.

The radio chatter hummed along inside the Subaru being driven, cool rain pelting against the windshield as Baylen drove toward the outskirts of the city. His nametag felt glaringly obvious as the seatbelt pressed the uncomfortable plastic into his chest, one would’ve thought that after 5 years of working at the restaurant, he would just keep the badge in the managerial office. That would be an obvious solution though, and little irritations like this reminded Baylen that he was human and not some soulless being from all the time he’d spent in liminal spaces.

The night sky was darkening overhead, almost already at its deepest depths. It was autumn after all which meant the night air was brisk and night fell quickly over the hushed city. Baylen’s mind wandered elsewhere as he drove, allowing for muscle memory to take control as he drove through the winding suburban streets, eventually houses and gas stations became more and more sparse - before eventually it was just a wheat field and trees that surrounded the road on the edge of the city line. The distance between his store and the nearest gas station was a well-known annoyance, especially after the time he forgot to get gas before work when he was a novice employee and ended up stranded in the parking lot of their work at the end of the shift. Luckily for Baylen, it was nine in the morning, so they didn’t have to walk through the dark fields or forested areas to a gas station in complete darkness. Four hours and one comically large jerry-can later, Baylen was able to finally go home.

His mind flashed through the time spent at the restaurant he currently managed; the crews that had come and gone, the amount of customers Baylen had actually brawled, and the multiple times people had attempted to rob the store at gunpoint. Good times. Baylen’s mind finally came to a focus as they tuned into the radio station playing, National Public Radio was a staple inside his vehicle, he loved hearing the local historians and scientists who spoke impassioned about their respective careers. Tonight's broadcast was different however, tonight's broadcast spoke of crimes and unheard-of horrors ravaging through their small city. The city was composed of around 17,000 people according to the last census - not that Baylen really believed that considering he only ever saw the same people whenever he went out. The young manager was not oblivious to the events occurring around him, of course, he’d taken note of the murders and kidnappings that became more and more prominent at the same time as… odd customers becoming regulars. The host of the news station urged caution and staying close to trusted others in this worrisome time in between bouts of news articles.

Family of 6 found murdered in their beds, all of their faces disfigured.

Young woman finds photos of herself through her windows plastered to her front door.

Convenience store overnight workers found killed in a frenzy.

The list of atrocities continued further, but Baylen turned away from them as his car finally pulled into the lot of the 24-hour diner he’d grown so accustomed to. The parking lot lights flickered at different frequencies, some flickered rapidly whilst others went in slow methodical blinks. Baylen spent many hours seeking out a pattern in the poorly maintained lights. They sighed as they looked inside the large glass windows and only briefly thought, ‘Damn this place really is like a fishbowl.’ As he watched the group of employees inside laugh and gossip at a booth as they rolled silverware. It was only three of them; the host, the head cook, and a server. Baylen was covering for the other parts of the floor since both Dante and Enzo had caught some freak flu. Those two never got sick, so Baylen didn’t think twice about coming in for them.

Baylen sighed as he unbuckled himself, grabbed the backpack that sat slumped in the passenger seat, and headed inside the building. Baylen never really cared about parking away from the front door, he’s learned over time that being able to see your car is important in this kind of establishment. It was only a slight bonus that he didn’t have to be out in the chilled air for long. The small bell above the door chimed as he walked through the front entrance, and he prepared himself with a small smile and a wave as the three present gave their own variations of greetings.

Adrian Jones, the host of the establishment, was ever polite with their wave to their manager. They barely lifted their fingers as they folded the napkins around the utensils, and it was then that Baylen noticed Adrian was the only one rolling the silverware. It wasn’t surprising. Adrian’s deep black hair hung in waves that covered a portion of their face, obscuring it from the world. Whatever had been said most recently left a small mischievous smirk across their lips - Baylen did not need, nor want to know what led to that expression.

Alex Johnson, the head cook, only gave a brief nod of acknowledgment as they kept their head down, quietly filling out what seemed to be the food order forms. Their other fingers tapped musical patterns into the cheap tabletop. Their long hair blocked all view of their face and obscured most of the paper they worked on. Baylen didn’t look long, he knew that prolonged ‘eye contact’ was something that unnerved them.

Then finally, Wren Blight, one of two servers on the overnight staff sat lounging in the booth, crumpled in a way that most certainly wouldn’t be comfortable to Baylen - with one arm hanging across the back, the other holding up their phone as they doom scrolled through social media apps, with their legs kicked up on the table, ankles crossed. Their deep purple hair was cropped into a stylized mullet, framing the scars that went across their eyes. They gave a charismatic grin and waved to the manager as he entered, saying a quick, “Sup, boss?”

Baylen didn’t pay the crew much mind as he walked over to the clock-in station next to his office, tossing his backpack haphazardly toward the desks inside. Instead of turning around back towards his coworkers and the dining room, they pivoted on their feet to follow the hall down to the dish pit and walk-in cooler. Enzo had texted the manager a heads up that something had gotten into the freezers, and that it sounded large. Baylen knew that nothing could have gotten in without wanting to be there, but he didn’t think whatever got in there knew that the door locked from the outside upon shutting.

It was only when he came to a stop in front of the tall freezer doors that he realized his heartbeat was pounding heavily in his chest, so intensely to the point that he could feel it in his fingertips. Though none of the anxiety he felt was shown across her face. She could not allow that fear to disturb anyone. Thus, they would deal with this overwhelming dread and whatever lurked inside the freezer alone. Baylen could hear it still - Enzo was right when they said the creature sounded almost akin to nails upon a chalkboard as it dug the tips of its appendages into the metal barrier. That metal was intended to keep in the cold and protect the food from within; Baylen supposed protecting the ‘food’ outside of the walk-in was its more pertinent duty now. The rotting fluorescent light cascaded shades of flickering yellows and blues across the room, one flickering panel stood out like a spotlight over the cold metallic door.

Baylen’s hand reached behind himself, wrapping his hand around the grip of the gun that had remained neatly tucked into the back of their dress pants. A glock 42 would not necessarily have been their first choice in going at a cryptid, but it was the only gun the manager owned. Her slender fingers gently traced down to the magazine, triple-checking that it was secure, before finally bracing himself for the inevitable. He drew his pistol, turned off the safety, and held it firmly in one hand at first - in an ideal situation he’d have someone else open the door, but his staff did not get paid nearly enough for this.

They composed themselves with one final deep breath, before reaching out with his free hand and tugging open the cooler door abruptly. Nothing. Nothing could have prepared Baylen for the carnage inside; the deep gauges taken out of the metal walls, the industrial shelves deep rooted from their bolts that once attached them to the floor, the food in shreds littering the floor… The pale white creature that scuttled across the floor before launching itself up the back wall, holding itself the conjunction of the wall and ceiling. Its face was sunken in, devoid of most features - other than its eyes, or what could only be compared to eyeballs. The pitch black holes where the sockets sat on a regular face were accentuated by white irises, dilated, crazed. Ready. Like a knife slicing through butter, its long jagged fingers launched into the ceiling - digging all the way down to the knuckles as it reared back. The fiendish creature began to hunch on its legs, like a track runner about to do a long jump.

Baylen could barely prepare himself as it reared back, stumbling back on his heels - one, two, maybe three steps, he wasn’t sure at this point. He raised the gun, shaking in his hands, but he did not hesitate in pulling the trigger.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The creature screamed, screeching an ear-piercing roar as it launched forwards, feet and hands pummeling the floor as it ran towards them. Baylen didn’t stop. He had five more bullets, and he counted on each of them.

BANG. BANG.

The sound of the gunshots echoed off the metal pots and pans that littered the pit, Baylen’s arms were already aching as he stumbled back, the edge of his spine slamming into the corner of the wall that protruded out at the end of the hallway.

The creature stumbled, black ooze splattering with every shot that landed. Baylen has never been more grateful for the fact that he grew up on the streets with a pistol in hand.

BANG.

Another shot and the thing crawling the floor only five feet away turned towards the back exit, charging in any direction but towards the thing that hurt it. Baylen didn’t care, as he continued to fire the last two shots.

BANG. BANG.

The creature’s body reverberated as those landed, guttural growls gurgling out of its mouth. Feet over hands stumbling across the floor, before gaining speed and barreling out the back door. The sounds of its cries and footfall grew quieter and quieter, as the back door swung on its hinges. Baylen’s hand that held the gun lowered to his side, the magazine now empty the floor and walls covered in black ink-like splatters, bullet casings surrounded his once pristine oxford shoes.

As silence encased the room for just a moment before the others ran to the back, Baylen turned to the empty dish sink and vomited.

#creepypasta #horror #marble hornets #indy horror story #slenderverse wafflehouse #slenderverse #original characters #original character #the operator #liminal spaces #mod faun

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cocrante · 1 month

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I Start Over With You

[SOLANGELO FANFIC]

summary: After the great battle against the forces of Gaea, Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter had formed a long-lasting alliance. Everything had gone well, and everyone was ready to start anew. This included Nico, who, after confessing his feelings to Percy, was prepared to open a new chapter in his life—perhaps the happiest one the Fates had ever written.

note: the chapters will be updated every Wednesday. If you want to read upcoming chapters of the fanfiction in advance, I invite you to follow me on Patreon. Subscribing is not necessary, these chapters will be added for free on the platform on Mondays and Fridays. Following me there is just a kind and free gesture to support my work c:

Reblogs are highly appreciated c:

[CHAPTER 14]

THE CAMP JUPITER WAS JUST AS HE HAD LEFT IT, with the only difference being the new temples being erected, following the architectural patterns indicated by Annabeth. The Roman camp couldn't look better. It still bustled with nature spirits, lares, and fauns trotting through the camp's streets, occasionally hindering a hero in training. Some demigods strolled through the paths, discussing the upcoming war games. Others stopped and pointed at Nico, wondering why he had returned. With all eyes on him, he headed towards where Reyna was waiting.

The hall was bright, the tiles reflecting the sunlight, and the marble columns giving the building a regal appearance. Sitting there, waiting for his arrival, was Bellona's daughter, his adventure companion and trusted friend. She stood up, walking towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome back to camp, Nico" Reyna greeted, leading him outside. "I found a decent place in the city, and you can come to camp whenever you want" she said, heading towards the Roman city that mimicked the style of the Italian Rome, with its warm and round colors, making it almost feel like being on the same European peninsula.

Bellona's daughter told him - during the journey - that things at the camp had improved since the new agreement with the Greeks. She had received messages from Camp Half-Blood that summer, announcing that in the fall they would receive visits, so combat techniques could merge along with culture and lifestyles. "It wasn't easy" the girl explained. "Many are tied to the Mos Maiorum, the senate itself started by saying it was sheer madness" she sighed. "But even they cannot go against the will of our gods" Nico nodded, understanding the difficulty of accepting something different. He had been through it himself, and only the gods knew how long it would take for others to accept him as a camp member.

"But enough about the camp" Reyna said, noticing a certain silence from her friend. "It's been a while since we talked, besides that conversation the other day"

"I've been busy" he briefly recounted the past few weeks at Camp Half-Blood, mentioning something about Apollo's son, avoiding telling her about the Capture the Flag game and especially the kiss on the hill. The girl didn't make a sound, just let him tell, noting a slight and thinly veiled smile every time he mentioned Apollo's son. "He's a good friend" he concluded, letting out an imperceptible sigh.

"Just a good friend?" she dared to ask, as she had seen well beyond the tough exterior that protected him.

The boy took some time before responding. "Well, yes" he confirmed, though not entirely convinced. Reyna simply pursed her lips, not asking him more about that boy. If he wanted to tell her, he would, she thought. "Okay" she said, stopping in front of a building. "First floor. Your school is just a block away, you can't miss it. I've also taken the liberty of getting your books"

Nico was truly speechless; he hadn't imagined she had done him such a big favor. "Thank you, Reyna" he looked at her with deep gratitude.

"Don't mention it! For anything, you know where to find me" she handed him the keys, giving him a final pat before returning to the Roman camp.

Nico twirled the keys between his fingers, anxious and terrified to go in. He opened the door, dragging his suitcases behind him, climbing up to the first floor. There, he entered the comfortable apartment Reyna had found for him. It was a bright and warm room, the walls painted in a matte yellow and divided in half by charming Roman motifs. It seemed completely the opposite of his gloomy cabin.

Having found the bedroom, he unpacked his belongings there, hiding the box he had taken from camp in a drawer. He put away all his clothes, the few that he had, in the wardrobe, and having emptied the suitcase, he flopped onto the bed with a sigh. He didn't stay there for long because as soon as he touched the mattress, someone rang the doorbell, forcing him to go and answer. It was a real joy when he realized it was his sister, who had just knew about his arrival at camp. The two greeted each other warmly; Hazel had been missed more than anyone. Along with her was her boyfriend, the son of Mars, who seemed to have grown a couple of inches during those weeks.

Frank gave him a pat on the shoulder, quite happy to see him again. They had never really talked, but he was still part of Hazel's family, and that was enough for Frank to like him.

The son of Hades invited them both into the still-empty apartment, making them comfortable in the living room. He had a lot to tell his sister about those weeks at Camp Half-Blood, avoiding dwelling too much on Will and what had happened before arriving in New Rome. He also told her about Jason, who seemed to have completely rebuilt his life. "I'm really happy about that" exclaimed Hazel.

"Piper is such a good girl, those two make a beautiful couple" she told him, with Frank nodding in agreement.

"How's Percy?" asked Frank. The son of Hades just shrugged.

"Well, at least he hasn't gotten into any new trouble" he then told them about the absurd climbing wall challenge, of Jason being determined to win and not faint every two seconds.

The three spent the afternoon together, inviting Nico to join them for a bite to eat. The son of Hades agreed willingly, following them outside the building.

There were still many things Nico wanted to tell his sister, all carrying the same name. However, it was difficult to talk about them with Frank around.

They mostly talked about the Roman camp and how it had evolved in such a short time, telling him the same things Reyna had hinted at earlier: some problems that had arisen at the beginning, the decision to build more temples dedicated to minor and almost forgotten deities. "You should have attended the council" sighed Hazel, squeezing Frank's hand. "The Senate didn't want to hear any reason. According to them, we had to continue with our traditions" she briefly recounted what had happened after their return to camp.

"Some demigods thought the same, obviously" explained Frank. "Centuries of tradition thrown out the window" he grimaced.

"But even they had to bow to the will of the gods" Nico guessed. The son of Mars nodded.

"Thanks to the gods, they opened their eyes, our societies cannot survive if we don't collaborate. This was evident even this summer" added the boy, getting a nod of approval from Nico.

Frank began to speak freely, monopolizing the conversation a bit. He cared deeply about New Rome now that he had become praetor, telling them about the boring Roman bureaucracy that Jason had mentioned that morning, the holes to fill, the people to meet, all the supervision needed during the construction of the temples. "We could rely on Annabeth, she's a real architect!" exclaimed the boy.

The conversation gradually dwindled with the setting sun, coloring the green hills and the tips of the tallest buildings. Under that light, the city of New Rome seemed like a replica of the authentic Rome. "See you around" said Frank, bidding farewell with a nod.

"Of course" replied Nico, finally managing to spend five minutes alone with his sister, who had not missed the agitation and urgency to talk only with her. She was really good at reading body language. "Let's talk about what you forgot to tell me tomorrow, okay?" the girl smiled kindly, speaking near Nico's ear, who simply nodded and thanked her.

She walked away, the smile on her face leaving him in the driveway, which was slowly darkening.

The son of Hades returned to his apartment, finally lying down on the bed he had longed for all day. His mind was strangely empty, yet so full of thoughts that he didn't exactly know which ones to grasp.

He ran a hand over his face, forcing himself to get up, put on pajamas, and set the alarm for the next day. It was while turning the red hand that the air seemed to fold on itself, gathering the light like many small tiles, then opening into a window of light. On the other side, there was a brightly lit bedroom, although it was clearly night outside. The walls were covered with band posters, along with some photos and concert tickets now weathered with time. At the center of that window made of light was the boy who had been at the center of his thoughts all day.

"Hey!" Will was radiant as usual, but his smile faded when he noticed that Nico might be getting ready for bed. "Did I disturb you?" he hurried to say, regretful for not being able to call him earlier. Nico shook his head, placing the alarm clock on the nightstand.

"No, it's fine" he replied, unable to hide a certain embarrassment.

"Okay—" he tried to smile, but it was clear that something was wrong. All day, Will had berated himself for giving him that cheek kiss; he shouldn't have done it. Who knows what Nico thought now. "So, school starts tomorrow, huh?" he said the first thing that came to mind, even if it was rather mundane and predictable. Nico sighed, still not believing that he would really be picking up paper and pen again. "Yeah" he replied. "I'm kind of nervous" he hinted at a smile, sitting on the bed.

"It's normal" Will tried to cheer him up. "At least you won't have the fear of being expelled eight times" he joked, tilting his lips sideways. Nico stared at him, realizing that for the entire time, that was the first time he had looked him in the eyes.

"Then I guess they'll be more prepared for hyperactivity and dyslexia issues there" the boy continued. Nico struggled to imagine Will with such problems—at camp, he seemed like such a normal guy that Nico often forgot that, like most demigods, he suffered from hyperactivity and dyslexia. Life in mortal schools was often challenging.

"Do you start tomorrow too?" Nico asked then, breaking his silence.

"Yeah" Will sighed. "If it weren't for my friends, it would be a torture" It wasn't the first time he had said that, even during the days spent together at camp, Will always talked about his school and how heavy the schedules were, thankfully lightened by his two friends he had made during the past year. "Did you already get the list of extracurricular activities?" he asked, just to liven up the conversation. "It arrived yesterday, mom already signed me up for that music course. May she be blessed, I wouldn't know what to do without her" he said, unable to hold back a clear laugh. Nico thought about how it must be to have a mother; the only memory he had of his was of a faded smile, and maybe it wasn't even real. At that thought, he became saddened.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Will asked, concerned to see that dark expression.

Nico simply shook his head, coming out of his thoughts. "Nothing" he lied, trying to look at something other than Will's blue eyes. "Just tired, I guess" he said, trying to convince him with that excuse. Apollo's son tried to believe it, without delving too much into the details. "When does the course start?" he asked the next moment.

"Next week, while auditions for the choir are this Friday" he replied, and at that thought, he immediately became enthusiastic.

"A smile will be enough to get you in" Nico weakly smiled, imagining him auditioning for the school choir.

"Do you think so?" Will laughed.

"I think so" Nico answered so seriously that Will didn't know if he was really joking or being serious. He decided to take it as a joke.

The two continued to talk for a while, avoiding touching on the "hill kiss" topic. It seemed that both were fine with it, yet they couldn't deny to themselves that after that morning, a kind of strange tension had arisen. Will would have liked to explain, give him a reason for what he had done, yet something prevented him, perhaps the current situation. He thought that maybe it would be more appropriate to talk to him about it in person. Yes, he would do that when he returned to camp. However, he had not taken one thing into consideration:—"Remember during the game in the woods?" Nico suddenly reminded him, wanting to get that thought out of his mind that had been buzzing around all day. Will swallowed, hoping he hadn't heard it. "Yes" he replied, torturing his lips.

"You were about to tell me something" Nico continued, hoping he could talk to him about it now. Apollo's son nodded; he didn't want to tell him like this, via a message, but actually, at that moment, there was no one who could interrupt them. Will parted his lips, ready to tell him the truth. "Well, the thing is that..." he stammered, trying to find the right words, and as he struggled, the message was slowly dissolving.

"You'll tell me tomorrow" Nico hurried to say.

"Goodnight, Nico," he said just as quickly, before the window of light disappeared, leaving the son of darkness in the shadows.

"Goodnight, Will"

[CONTENTS]

1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16

#🖇️ : fanfiction #i start over with you ☀️☠️#solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #riordanverse #percy jackson #pjo #pjo fanfiction #camp halfblood

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