Tumgik
#and then i want to do my comic. BUT ONLy after i do the pitch for it. to take that myself
workingwhileidream · 4 months
Text
Okay Burrow's End had me thinking some thoughts... So here are my favorite Dimension 20 moments that rotate like a rotisserie chicken in my brain (in no particular order other than the order I thought if them).
- Riz goes into the butthole of the Corn Ooze Monster (Fantasy High). The first absolutely insane shenanigans move anyone makes on D20, setting the tone the show will have forever.
- Raphaniel kills Queen Pamelia (Ravening War). I think I saw Brennan's soul leave his body briefly when he got that How Do You Want To Do This from Matt. Time was an absolute flat circle that day.
- Hank convinces Brennan to let him role savvy instead of sneak (Mentopolis). Hank is one of the most famous content creators, having him on the show was phenomenal to begin with. Then right out of the gate, he pulls this move in his first episode. And it just works. Hilarious, instantly iconic.
- Jet Dies (A Crown of Candy). When Lapin dies, it is shocking but I wasn't attached to him as a character. Lapin was a bit antagonistic and his death happens early in the season. On the other hand, Jet is instantly likeable. Emily and Siobhan are amazing as siblings, their performances this campaign are some of my favorites. I have siblings and I am very close to them, so this hit me like a ton of bricks.
- The entire epilogue of Burrow's End. "Are you pitching and Air Bud ending?" is one of the instant hall of fame quotes from this show. I started crying I was laughing so hard.
- Ylfa's bottleneck and the TPK (Neverafter). There are so many close calls for total party kills in Dimension 20 history, but this is where it finally happens and it's only 3 episodes in. I was on edge, expecting another TPK at any turn, for the rest of the campaign.
- 3 nat one initiative rolls for the battle that literally opens the season (A Starstruck Odyssey). The beginning of a new season is always full of excitement. This season was extra special, having everyone back in the dome after the pandemic and the season being based off Brennan's Mom's comics. The zoom energy is still in the air and I still think about this season opener a lot.
- Mother Timothy Goose breaks Snow White's concentration with a cantrip (Neverafter). Only Ally Beardsley could and we all damn well know it. Still didn't stop me from being so far in disbelief that all I could do is laugh.
- Hob's "You will never know another lonely day" speech to Rue (A Court of Fey and Flowers). I will still cry about this if I think about it for too long. Rue and Hob's romance is the heart of this season to me. I won't be over it ever.
- Gertrude convinces Nyruth to give the Questing Queens very powerful boons after the Queens tried to rob them only a few hours earlier (Dungeons and Drag Queens). The fact that this season exists drives a level of serotonin into my brain that is unimaginable. This is the definition of a big swing and when Bob rolls well, Brennan has no other choice than to honor it. This is one of the moments I have made a meme of. I cannot wait for season 2.
- Wuuvy shows up to the duel and she did not come to play (A Court of Fey and Flowers). Aabria has talked about how Wuuvy is one of her favorite NPCs and I feel the same. Wuuvy and Rue's relationship has such a great arc and this moment is so pivotal.
- Fabian's no good very bad day (Fantasy High Sophomore Year). An iconic moment in D20 history that was truly wild to watch live. For everything to go so fantastically bad for Fabian and Lou was unprecedented. There is a reason why people still talk about this moment to this day.
- Amathar survives being pushed off the castle (A Crown of Candy). Brennan tried to kill Lou so many times in this campaign. I really thought Brennan had gotten him with this one, my stomach sunk. But Lou pulls it out and Amathar lives once again.
- Pib plays "Smoke on the Water" (Neverafter). "I stepped out to play 'Smoke on the Water' " is also a hall of fame quote to me. This list could be all Pib moments if I'm being honest, he's my favorite Zac character. And the fact that Zac doesn't roll well makes this moment funnier to me.
- Buddy Bear gets planted with the All Blossom (Dungeons and Drag Queens). Jujubee and Brennan owe me a therapy session for this one. I sobbed. My cat is my baby and I will be ruined the day she leaves me, so I get it. I really do.
- "Eat your dice, Brennan" (Fantasy High Sophomore Year). A great bit made physically possible by Siobhan. I hope Siobhan gives him gummy dice or something like that so that Brennan can continue to eat his dice for Junior Year.
- Orange Top Hat Fairy (Neverafter). It's a horror season and the cast is doing bits about how hot a mini is the entire finale and the Adventuring Party that followed. I felt the stress and off the walls energy through the screen. The Smooth Criminal pin was the first piece of Dimension 20 merch I bought.
- Viola's epic takedown of Phoebe (Burrow's End). Watching Rashawn absolutely crush it her first time in the dome was amazing. I loved Viola from the jump, her arc was so satisfying and fun to watch. Also the idea of a tiny stoat kicking a gun just the right way to get it to fire is hilarious. No notes other than please have Rashawn come back on every season she possibly can.
- Evan Kelmp warns the Rosemont student not to duel him (Misfits and Magic). Brennan's deadpan warning matched with the reactions of the other players and Aabria really make this scene. An underrated Brennan moment for sure.
- Stacey Fakename turns out to be real (Mentopolis). This was such a good reoccurring bit, so to have Stacey be real at the end of the story was too funny. In a season of bits, tropes, and puns - this one has the most payoff to me and is definitely my favorite.
2K notes · View notes
waterhousse · 6 months
Text
Invisible String
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
pairing: college!ellie williams x reader
summary: a week in your life where someone leaves you an anonymous note and you also meet a cute girl in one of your classes.
author’s note: this is un(necessarily) LONG, so take your time to read it. i hope you still enjoy it !! <3
• • • •
monday
you were in front of your dorm, digging for your keys in the mess of your backpack when a high-pitched voice yelled your name. of course, it could only belong to you best friend, blair. you prepared yourself to receive one of her bone-crushing hugs.
“there you are! i sent you like a million messages!”
“everything okay?” you asked before pulling away.
“yeah, i just have a little proposal.”
you narrowed your eyes at her, “what are you scheming?”
“you see, my gorgeous boyfriend is throwing this massive party on friday—”
“immediately no.”
“oh, c’mon!” she grumbled. “it’s been like five months since the last time we went out together. i miss my drunk little partner,” she pouted, pinching your cheek.
you let out a laugh, softly pushing away her hand out of your face. “i’m not exactly in a party mood, blair. i’m sorry.”
you made a poor attempt to avoid eye contact, but the weight of her stare was a difficult one to ignore. you looked back at her, already defeated.
“it’s nothing serious, but i’ve just been feeling a little insecure. and i’m okay,” you were quick to clarify, “i just want to stay in my dorm and watch a movie or something. it’s only temporary, i’ll feel better soon. you know i always do,” you opened the door and waited for her to inside first.
“how many times do i have to tell you you’re gorgeous for you to believe me? look at you!”
“blair—”
“i’m serious.”
“i know you are. thank you,” you replied softly. “forget about it, let’s just go inside. i’m tired and i wanna sleep.”
your friend had a worried look on her face, but decided to drop the subject, “still no roommate?”
“nope,” you grinned, closing the door behind you. “i’d invite you to live with me but you’re too busy staying at your boyfriend’s,” you teased her.
“can you blame me? his apartment is the size of a million of these dorms combined,” she exaggerated. “besides, he’s the sweetest man to ever exist. he’s every girl’s dream.” she sighed dreamily as she threw herself on the unoccupied bed. you raised your eyebrows at her, to which she rolled her eyes. “if he were a girl you’d be after him, too.”
after your friend bragged about her boyfriend for a few more minutes, both of you ended up falling asleep, totally drained from your long, boring classes. you woke up two hours later thanks to blair’s boyfriend who called her wondering where she was.
“wanna go grab some coffee? he’s paying!” blair offered with a big smile, which you returned.
“maybe he is every girl’s dream after all.”
you and blair headed outside shortly after, gossiping about people you didn’t even know. suddenly, your sleepy eyes spotted something strange on the door, more specifically, on the whiteboard you had outside. someone had left an anonymous message on it.
the prettiest girl on campus (and of everywhere else too) i wish i could come up with the courage to talk to you. guess i’ll just admire you from afar
ps: not in a creepy way
ps2: seriously sorry if this is creepy
you stared blankly at the message, reading it over and over again.
“did you do this?”
“hold on, i’m looking for that one tweet i saw. i’m telling you, she’s cheating on him—”
“blair!”
she finally looked up from her phone, “what?”
“did you do this?” you pointed at the board.
her expression comically changed from confusion to extreme excitement, eyes widened and mouth hung open. an over exaggerated gasp left her lips before she grabbed you by the shoulders.
“oh my god! you have a secret admirer!”
“no, i don’t. that’s probably not for me. someone must’ve mistaken my dorm for somebody else’s.”
“your name is literally on that board. besides, you are the prettiest girl to ever exist, so, i’m pretty sure they’re not mistaken.” blair kept looking at the note, meticulously analyzing it. “let’s pray it’s not a man who wrote this. imagine if he confesses his feelings for you in person. he’d be in for a very awkward rejection.”
you tried to downplay the situation by telling blair it was probably just a joke, but on the inside you couldn’t stop wondering who did it. as you walked down the hallway, you discreetly checked the whiteboards from the other dorms. all they had were random doodles and people’s names, nothing else.
tuesday
you were currently sitting under a big tree, admiring the sunset. birds chirped softly at the distance, adding even more magic to the beautiful scenery in front of you, but even the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded you wasn’t enough to calm your racing mind.
the anonymous note was certainly the most interesting thing that had happened to you in a while, but you were a serial overthinker. besides making you feel extremely curious about the identity of the person who wrote it, it had also made you spiral about the way you acted towards strangers.
being content with your small circle, you never put any effort in starting conversations with someone you didn’t already know. you felt as if you didn’t need anyone else in your life, but was that a mistake? what if the mystery person tried talking to you but you acted uninterested? what if they attempted to make eye contact but you were too busy staring down?
the most important question spinning around your head was how many special bonds had you lost simply because of your behavior?
as your silent crisis continued, the sun began to disappear on the horizon until it was fully dark. your eyes quickly found the moon, with the sky being clear, you could see her perfectly.
you took out your phone to take some pictures of the satellite, as well as everything else around you. the trees, your coffee cup, an empty bench and an orange cat that was laying next to it.
just as you were taking photos of the cute animal, someone crouched down next to him to pet him. that was the moment you saw her. a girl you had never seen before, but who managed to catch your attention right away. she was simply beautiful. many people, places, art pieces and more had been described with that adjective, but in your mind, that unknown girl was the first being in history to be worthy of it. you were completely mesmerized.
you put down your phone and watched the sweet moment develop in front of you. you could tell she was speaking to the cat, who seemed to really enjoy her company. the girl got up after a few minutes, giving the cat one last scratch between his ears before leaving. a frown instantly appeared on her face the moment she looked away from the animal, making you chuckle. she looked absolutely intimidating, the total opposite of what you had just witnessed.
your eyes followed her until she disappeared from your sight, but her image stayed on your mind for the rest of the day.
wednesday
you were having one of those days when everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. you had slept through your alarm, didn’t have time to have breakfast, couldn’t find your books and forgot your jacket on your way out. one may think it couldn’t get worse, well, unfortunately, it could.
you felt your soul escape your body when the, feared by many, physics professor laid his demonic eyes on you. you were certain you looked insane; hair a total mess, completely out of breath and slightly shaking from your nervousness.
“class started ten minutes ago,” his strident voice echoed in the big classroom. you didn’t even need to look to know everyone’s eyes were on you.
“i know,” your voice pathetically quivered. “sorry.”
“for your information, if you have somewhere to be you wake early enough to make it on time. it’s not rocket science, all of your classmates did it.” when he got no reply from you, he sighed. “there’s only one more seat available at the back. lucky for you, you’ll be sitting next to one of my best students. maybe you could be friends, she could teach you how to get here on time.”
with your eyes glued to the floor, you walked straight to where the professor pointed to without making a sound. you tried your best to ignore your classmates’ stares, but they lacked discretion.
fortunately for you, a nice surprised awaited you. the student the professor mentioned was none other than the girl you had seen the day before. she was even more beautiful up-close, which wasn’t exactly a good thing. she had just witnessed your most embarrassing moment. still, her eyes radiated kindness.
“this guy’s an idiot. you were only a few minutes late and didn’t even miss much. he was just struggling to turn on the projector the whole time,” the girl whispered at you once you sat down.
you were ready to reply with just a ‘yeah’, but the crisis you had the day before stopped you.
“he’s the worst,” you replied instead. “i always feel on the verge of puking whenever he looks at me,” the regret you felt after saying that was immediate, fearing it was too much information.
you felt yourself relax at the sound of her laugh, and of course it had to be the most heavenly sound you had ever heard.
“i’m ellie williams,” she leaned in, reaching over for your hand. you introduced yourself as your brain started mindlessly picking up details about her, like the fact that she had many freckles scattered all over her face.
you held her gaze for a few seconds before looking back at the professor, who had begun talking about punctuality. he sent you multiple looks during his whole speech, you found it hilarious. he looked like as if his eyes were about to pop out of his sockets.
trying to act as normal as possible, you grabbed your water bottle and took a sip in an attempt to calm down. you realized that was a huge mistake once you glanced at ellie, who was trying her hardest to hold in her laugh. you almost spit out your water when she made eye contact with you, causing you to choke.
“shit, you alright?” she leaned in, now fully laughing, and patted your back.
“yes— yeah,” you managed to say in between your coughing and laughing. you looked around, noticing how quiet the classroom had gotten. yours’ and ellie’s voices were the only thing cutting through the deadly silence. “sorry, i choked on water— sorry,” you apologized to the professor, who was impatiently tapping his foot on the floor.
“may i continue, ladies? is that okay with you two or should i wait for you to be done?” neither of you answered, so he let out one of his classic sighs. “as i was saying…”
the moment he looked away, you covered your face with your hands, trying to muffle the giggles that were escaping your lips. ellie was in the same state as you, which only made things worse.
“if he didn’t hate me before, he sure does now,” you whispered, eyes sparkling with amusement. “why does he have to be such a dick? it’s not like a choked on purpose. i could’ve died,” you dramatized.
actually, it’d be very rare to die from choking on a liquid, ellie almost said, but she didn’t want you to think she was a smart-ass. instead, she just kept laughing.
silence grew between the two of you as you came back to your notes and tried to pay attention to the class. ellie’s eyes inevitably fell on you again, trying to come up with something to say to keep the conversation going.
“you know, i, personally, wouldn’t take advice from a person like him, but i think he’s right about us being friends.”
“yeah, i think he is,” you warmly smiled before looking down at your notes again, unable to hold her gaze.
having fun in physics class seemed impossible at the beginning of the semester, but it had actually happened. you and ellie talked the whole time, which made the minutes go by faster than expected and also annoyed everyone around you.
“see you next wednesday? try to be on time, though. i don’t want him to kill you in front of the whole class.”
you laughed at ellie’s words and nodded, “see you next week.”
i really hope it’s sooner than that, the thought appeared in your mind without warning. you watched ellie go, a shy smile appeared on your lips when she glanced back at you and caught you staring.
the rest of the morning felt boring and uneventful in comparison to physics class, so you were really excited to finally be back at your dorm. your tired eyes fell on the whiteboard, no message from the mystery person. you tried to ignore how weirdly disappointed you felt and went inside, telling yourself it had been, probably, a one time thing.
thursday
shyness had never been a problem for you but, still, socializing wasn’t really your thing. if there was a chance for you to avoid interaction with strangers, you took it, so it was certainly weird seeing ellie at the dining hall and feeling an intense need to say hi. good thing she wasn’t exactly a stranger, right?
she was sitting alone in one of the most secluded tables, eyes focused on her phone. without giving it much thought, you walked towards her, but you began second guessing your decision once you realized she probably wanted to be alone. your steps became more hesitant the closer you got to her and just as you were about to turn around and leave she looked up. her surprised expression quickly changed into a delighted one.
“hey,” she greeted as she took off her headphones.
“hi,” you smiled back as a feeling of panic started setting in. you had absolutely no idea of what to say to her.
“you can sit if you’d like,” she offered, gesturing to the seat in front of her.
“you’re not busy? i can leave if you alone if—”
“no way,” ellie shook her head and, with her foot, pushed the chair towards you before looking up at you. “c’mon, sit.”
the moment you sat down, she leaned forward. you, instinctively, leaned back, but kept your hands just a few inches away from hers. you bit the inside of your cheek, trying your hardest to hold her gaze.
“so, how you’ve been? had any nightmares about our beloved professor yelling at you?” ellie asked, amused. you internally thanked her for starting the conversation.
“i can see his spit flying at me in slow motion whenever i close my eyes,” you replied, making ellie laugh. “that was definitely the last time i’m late to class. i hate attention, if i have to go through something like that again i’ll just die on the spot.”
ellie’s smile hadn’t faded since the moment she saw you, “just try not to be late to any of his classes, he’s the only one who gives you shit for that,” she adviced. “i knew he was insane because i’ve heard about it, so i tried to get on his good side by always being early. i considered sitting at the front, too, but that was too much.”
“you always sit at the back?”
“yeah, i don’t like having people behind me. for some reason, it really freaks me out knowing someone is staring at the back of my head.”
you hummed in response, mind deep in thought. you never looked at the back when you entered the classroom, in fact, you kept your head down, but ellie had always been there.
how many special bonds had you lost simply because of your behavior?
“hey, my friend’s boyfriend is throwing a party this friday, i was wondering if you’d like to go.”
“cool, yeah, of course,” ellie quickly replied.
“yeah?” you beamed, biting down your bottom lip.
“yes,” she nodded, the corners of her mouth quirking up again, “can i bring a friend?”
“sure,” you smiled. you took out a pen and a post-it from your backpack and wrote the address before sticking it on her hand. your eyes wandered further and ended up on her watch. without a second thought, you grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to you, tilting your head to see the time. “shit, i gotta go to class, but i’ll see you friday?”
“see you then,” ellie said, but she didn’t want you to leave, and you didn’t want to go either. she hesitated before calling your name, making you turn around. “can i walk you to class?”
the question lingered in the air as you processed it. it had caught you completely off guard, which ellie could tell just by seeing your expression. fearing she messed up, time began moving slower and slower to her until you finally accepted her offer with a huge grin on your face.
ellie released the air stuck in her lungs before catching up with you. anyone with a pair of working eyes could see how nervous the two of you were, except yourselves. you were too busy focused on not to embarrass yourself by tripping and ellie was trying to regulate her breathing. neither of you dared to talk because it would make it too obvious, but ellie finally broke the silence once you stepped outside, asking you what class you had.
you had always hated small talk because you feared there’d be a point in which you wouldn’t know what else to say, but that moment never came with ellie. the conversation flowed smoothly between smiles and chuckles from the both of you.
“oh, look!” she suddenly said, casually grabbing you by your shoulder as if she had done it a thousand times before. you followed her line of sight and gasped when your eyes spotted a familiar orange cat. it was the same one you had seen ellie pet when you didn’t even know her yet. “wanna go say hi?”
“how is that even a question?”
ellie was the first one to approach him, crouching down in front of him. you copied her action a second later, already eager to pet him.
“his name is orange. original, right?” ellie sarcastically asked, gaining a laugh from you. “i didn’t name him, by the way. he has a tag with his name.”
“hi, little guy,” you pouted, scratching the back of his head.
“he must live nearby because he’s always here,” ellie told you. “he’s missing an eye, but he’s still cute, right?” she glanced over her shoulder.
you two were close. closer than a simple girl like ellie could handle. your perfume was all that she could smell, you were the only thing she could look at and her own heartbeat was the only sound she could hear.
“he’s the cutest,” you chuckled.
you stayed there for a couple more minutes. ellie told you about the first time she saw orange and you told her about the pets you had back home. it was such a sweet conversation, both of you using soft voices to not scare the cat away.
“alright, let’s go. i don’t want you being late to another class,” ellie told you as she stood up. “see you later, dude,” she waved at orange. surprisingly, the cat meowed back. “we’re best friends,” ellie jokingly bragged as both of you began to walk again.
“do you think he’ll accept me as a friend, too?”
“oh, absolutely. he loves you already.”
you ended up getting to class just in time, but you wouldn’t have cared if you were late. if it were for you, you would’ve skipped it just to keep hanging out with ellie.
“see you tomorrow, then?” you asked, hopeful.
“see you tomorrow,” ellie confirmed as she took a few steps back in your opposite direction, her eyes never leaving you until she fully turned around.
friday
it had been a while since you’d last chosen an outfit with someone in mind, wondering if they would like it. it took a while, but you finally settled on one. it was neatly laying on top of your bed.
“she’ll totally fall in love when she sees you in that,” blair’s voice cut through the silence, startling you.
“i’ve no idea who you’re talking about,” you obviously lied.
“maybe the girl you’ve been talking to me about since you met her?” blair guessed, “or is it the mysterious person who left you that note on monday?”
“it’s not weird that i still think about who could it be, is it?”
even if you had many other things to think about, the identity of the secret admirer, as blair had called them, was something that you were still curious about. it was difficult not to overthink every interaction you had with strangers, especially those who you’d catch staring or were friendlier than normal with you.
“are you kidding? if i were you, i would’ve asked every single person on campus if they knew anything about it,” she sat down on your bed, next to where your clothes were and handed them to you with a wink. “both ellie and the secret admirer will die when they see you tonight.”
a pathetic giggle escaped your lips on the way to the bathroom. you quickly changed into your chosen outfit, a rare feeling of exciment growing on inside you.
once you arrived at the party, you wasted no time and started looking for ellie. there were many familiar faces in the already drunken crowd, some of them even waved at you, but you didn’t even notice. between the lights and the loud music, you could barely pay attention to your own thoughts.
“what was she like again?” blair asked you, trying to help you find her.
“hot,” you replied, still scanning the room.
“right, thanks. that really helps.”
you laughed, “she’s—” your description was cut short when you suddenly locked eyes with her across the room. there was someone by her side, a girl who looked familiar but you couldn’t pinpoint where you knew her from. “she’s here.”
ellie leaned into her friend’s ear to say something, but her eyes never left yours. you tried to remain calm as you watched her walk towards you, looking annoyingly attractive.
“hey, there you are,” she greeted once she was close enough for you to hear her.
“hi! you came,” you beamed. “this is blair, my best friend. blair, this is ellie.”
“it’s really nice to meet you,” ellie shot a quick glance at your friend before glueing her eyes on you again.
knowing that that was her cue to leave, blair gave you a squeeze on your arm, “if you’ll excuse me, i have to go find my boyfriend. enjoy the party,” she wiggled her eyebrows at you before disappearing into the crowd.
“shouldn’t you call your friend over?” it was a genuine question, not wanting ellie to ditch the person she was with for you, but you also needed to know if she was really just a friend.
ellie looked over her shoulder and let out a chuckle, “i think she’s pretty busy.”
confused, you looked behind her. all of your doubts were cleared once you spotted her, she was making out with some girl.
she was definitely just a friend.
“oh,” you let out a short laugh. “good for her.”
ellie nodded at your words before looking back at you again. you were still distracted by the show ellie’s friend was giving and were completely oblivious to the spell you had put her under.
“you look really good,” she blurted out.
you broke into a sweet smile at the sudden compliment, “oh, thank you. you do too. really, really good.”
the fluttering of your heart made you want to burst into giggles, feeling extremely giddy. it was obvious how flustered you were, but seeing ellie in the same state as you made you feel slightly better. you would’ve never guess she’d be the type of person who blushes.
“wanna go for something to drink?”
you nodded at her question before reaching for her hand with the excuse of not losing each other on the way to the kitchen. ellie’s fingers quickly intertwined with yours as you started to lead the way. you offered many apologizes to the people who you accidentally bumped into, the place was absolutely packed and it was difficult to move. the kitchen was no different, you had barely any place to walk.
you grabbed two beer bottles and handed one to ellie, who looked a bit flushed from the previous interaction.
“next time someone doesn’t move after i say ‘excuse me’ i’ll just hit them on their ribs,” you furrowed your eyebrows. “where did they put the bottle opener?” you muttered to yourself, but ellie seemed to have heard you.
“here, let me help.”
you passed her the bottle and watched as she opened it against the table, taking the top off immediately.
“impressive,” you praised her before taking a sip. you grimaced at the taste.
ellie leaned back on the kitchen island, keeping her eyes on you. there was an amused smirk on her lips, “you don’t like it?”
“not really. i mean, it’s not like i hate it, but i only drink beer when there’s no other option,” you shrugged your shoulders. “i think there’s more to drink over there but there’s too many people and i don’t feel like getting trapped between sweaty drunk dudes.”
ellie swept her gaze over the kitchen before walking towards one of the many cabinets. “there’s gotta be something else in here,” she said as she opened every single door. “there it is!” ellie turned around and your eyes fell to her hands, she was holding a bottle of vodka. it was almost empty. “shots, anyone?” she offered.
a guy who was at the kitchen cheered, “hell yeah!”
ellie frowned, disgusted. “not you. go get your own bottle.”
a laugh escaped your lips at how disappointed the guy seemed to be, he immediately left after ellie’s words. “that was kind of mean,” you chuckled lightly.
ellie couldn’t tell you that she actually blew him off because of how shamelessly he checked you out the moment you entered the kitchen, so she just shrugged her shoulders. “he didn’t find it. open up,” she commanded you, placing a hand on your chin. you opened your mouth and felt how ellie poured the liquid down your throat.
“gross,” you wrinkled your nose. you grabbed the bottle from her hands and copied her action, softly grabbing her by her chin. she drank what was left of the vodka and you left the bottle on the counter behind her.
ellie smiled at you as she swiped her fingers across the corner of her lips. she gave you one last glance before walking past you. you watched her open more drawers and cabinets.
“psst, come here,” she called you over.
“what did you find?”
ellie looked around to check no one else was listening. you laughed at how secretive she was being. “look,” she whispered, she had found a box of chocolate covered strawberries. “shall we?” she offered, eyebrows up.
“absolutely,” you accepted, laughing. “but not here. let’s go to the balcony. it’s closed but i know where they keep the keys.”
ellie pushed herself off the table she was laying on and grabbed your hand, “i’ll lead this time, i know where it is.”
you stared down at your hands, blindly trusting her to guide you.
“how do you know where it is?”
“well, i kind of looked everywhere for you when i got here,” she admitted. “thought you stood me up.”
“sorry, i took forever to get ready,” you apologized, embarrassed.
“don’t worry, it was totally worth it,” ellie shot a quick glance at you as she said that, knowing it would mess you up. her personality changed from shy to flirty in a matter of seconds, so you didn’t really know what to expect of her.
you let out a sigh of relief once you were on the balcony, grateful for how muffled the people and music sounded from outside. “i remember why i haven’t gone out in months now,” you rolled your eyes.
“not a party girl, huh?” ellie let out a chuckle, leaning against the wall. she offered you a strawberry, which you gladly took.
“not lately,” you replied after taking a bite.
“so what made you go out tonight?”
you shrugged, “it was an impulse,” your answer was honest, but it was missing the rest of it.
because i wanted to see you again.
“it really helps you’re here, though,” you clarified. “actually, it doesn’t only help, you’re the only reason i’m enjoying this.”
“same here,” she smiled at you before looking up at the sky, she got lost in her thoughts for a moment before speaking up again. “it sucks that city lights don’t let us see the stars properly.”
you scoffed at her words, “i know, but hey, at least we have the moon,” you pointed at the satellite. “she never disappoints.”
there had been a few times were you felt as if the universe was on your side, somehow listening to you. that night was the moment you confirmed your theory because, coincidentally enough, the lights went off in what it seemed to be the entire city. a collective scream was heard from inside the apartment, along with multiple curses.
you took out your phone and turned on your flashlight, accidentally pointing it at ellie’s eyes.
“ow!” she let out, squinting her eyes. you couldn’t help but laugh, to which she complained.
“sorry, didn’t mean to blind you. especially now,” your excitement was enough to spark ellie’s curiosity.
“what do you mean?”
“come with me,” you grabbed her hand for the third time that day, knowing you’d miss doing that when the night came to an end. you still hadn’t gotten used to the weird, almost electric feeling that tingled in your palm whenever you touched her.
you guided her through the disappointed multitude, letting out apologies every now and then and also pushing those who didn’t move after you politely asked. you couldn’t blame them, though, they had used the darkness to their advantage and were shamelessly making out.
the air was ten times colder on the terrace than it was on the balcony, but neither of you cared because once you looked up you forgot about everything else. well, except maybe each other.
the view was completely breathtaking. without the light pollution, the sky looked straight out of a painting.
“it’s like looking straight at space,” you whispered, eyes sparkling with excitement. you had only seen the stars like that once in your life when you were a kid. it was as magical as you remembered, and the person you were sharing the moment with only made everything more special.
“i know,” ellie gazed at you before looking up again. “it blows my mind.”
as the night went on, you talked about many different things whilst laying on the floor; how your lives back home were, your friends, your families, favorite movies and songs and of course, with both of you being astronomy students, space-related stuff. you two were interested in each other’s point of view about everything, so you discussed many different subjects, enjoying the freedom to be incredibly nerdy about it.
“our lifespan is way too short. i mean, think about it. look at how many things have changed and advanced in only a hundred years. can you imagine how the world will change in, like, a thousand years?”
“maybe in fifty more years scientists will discover the key to immortality and we’ll be able to see everything,” ellie shrugged her shoulders. “or we could try to discover it ourselves once we graduate.”
you let out a laugh, “such an easy thing to do,” you sarcastically said. “i’m in, but maybe we could try with something easier, like, finding extraterrestrial forms of life, perhaps?”
“apparently, they are already here,” ellie pointed out.
you turned your head at her, “we’ll be the first to make friends with them, then. we’re pretty nice people, they’ll warm up to us.”
“deal,” she smiled at you, inevitably glancing at your lips for a second due to the proximity.
you kept enjoying each other’s company. there were moments in which neither of you spoke but, surprisingly enough, you didn’t care. even silence was fun with her.
neither of you had experienced a connection as strong as the one you had, especially in such a short amount of time. you didn’t question it, thought, it just made sense.
after a while, the power came back. the city was illuminated and the music from the party was back on. you two sat up, a little saddened that you couldn’t stargaze anymore.
“it was fun while it lasted,” you commented, ready to return to the apartment. you picked up the beer bottles from the floor, along with the empty box of chocolate strawberries.
“we can always go camping,” ellie suggested. “the sky will look even better than tonight.”
“i have zero survival skills, so you’d be in charge of everything. i can interest you with some random facts, though.”
“sounds good,” she laughed as she stood by the door and opened it, waiting for you to go inside first. the walk to the apartment was quiet, hating the fact the that night was coming to an end.
the loud music welcomed you again, people were even crazier after having to wait half an hour for the power to come back. it surprised you to see the same amount of people, apparently, none of them had left.
“i know it’s a friday night but, how the fuck has your friend managed to not get kicked out yet?” ellie leaned into your ear.
“this building is mostly occupied by other students, so they are probably at the party, too,” you explained, raising your voice a little so she could hear you.
everyone was euphorically dancing, making up for the lost time. you glanced at ellie before grabbing her hand and dragging her to the improvised dance floor. she instantly followed you, completely mesmerized.
“oh my god, there you are! i thought i was imagining things when i saw you earlier,” a familiar voice said from behind you. it was tara, you shared some classes and had been partners in a project once. “you look so good.”
“oh, hey, tara. this ell—”
“yeah, hi,” she interrupted you, only glancing at ellie for half a second. “could you walk me to the bathroom? i– i don’t know where it is and i feel pretty sick.”
your eyes flickered between the two girls. you obviously wanted to stay with ellie, but tara had put you in a really awkward position.
“uh…” you hesitated, “where are your friends?”
“they already left,” she frowned. “c’mon, babe, come with me? please.”
the nickname she used echoed in ellie’s mind.
“i can’t, i—”
“you should go. i should check on my friend, so…” ellie’s lips were in a straight line, but she forced a smile when you looked at her.
“why don’t you come with us?”
ellie would’ve agreed if she hadn’t seen the nasty look tara had given her. she wasn’t intimidated by her in the slightest, but the thought of being a burden and indirectly forcing you not to leave her alone was enough to let you go, even if she didn’t want to.
“no, really. i need to go see if she’s okay. i’ll find you later.”
you didn’t have time to respond, because you had already been dragged away from there. tara started chatting your ear off about stuff you didn’t care, you could only think about ellie.
“do you want me to call you an uber or something?” you asked her.
“why would i wanna leave?”
“you said you were sick and you’re pretty drunk, you should go home.”
“oh, no, silly. i live in this building, maybe you could walk me to my apartment?”
you refrained from rolling your eyes in front of her and realized that the sooner you got rid of her, the sooner you could go back to the girl you actually wanted to be with.
“c’mon, let’s go,” you said. on the way out you messaged blair to find ellie and tell her you’d be right back, to which she answered she was on it.
you took the elevator to her floor. you could tell tara wanted you to initiate a conversation by the way she was looking at you, but you couldn’t care less about her. she hadn’t noticed, apparently, because she started talking about god knows what as you walked behind her, completely zoned out.
“wanna come in?” she asked you once you were outside her apartment. her intentions were crystal clear but, as flattered as you were, you couldn’t help but feel completely uncomfortable.
“uh, no, thanks,” you awkwardly said.
“you sure? i’ve got—”
“yes, tara, i’m sure. i gotta go, i’m sorry. you’ll be okay, though, right? see you around,” you took a step back with each word you said, by the end of the sentence you were in front of the elevator. you heard tara let out a very confused ‘bye’ before the doors closed.
you impatiently tapped your foot against the floor, wondering why was the elevator taking so long. once you were back at the party you immediately searched for ellie, but she was nowhere to be found. instead, you saw blair, who had a worried look on her face.
“hey,” you approached her. “did you talk to ellie?”
“i couldn’t. i saw her leave with that girl she was with like a minute after you texted me,” she grimaced. “what happened? why were you with tara?”
you sighed, “i’m so stupid,” you groaned. “tara found me and she put me in this really difficult spot, so i had to walk her to her apartment because she was pretty fucking drunk and feeling very sick, or at least that’s what she told me, and i did it as fast as i could, but—”
“okay, okay. stop. why don’t you text ellie and—”
“i don’t have her number.”
“try instagram?”
“i tried finding her on instagram the same day i met her and i couldn’t,” you awkwardly confessed. “she probably thinks i blew her off for stupid tara.”
“hey, calm down. i’m sure you’ll see her soon.”
sadly, that soon never came. saturday, sunday, monday and tuesday went by painfully slow. there was no sight of ellie.
wednesday
you were a hopeless romantic, even if you didn’t admit it out loud. deep down, you knew that meeting ellie wasn’t a coincidence. it could’ve happened at any given moment due to being classmates, but it did when you needed it the most.
it was unexpected, but as said before, you felt as if sometimes the universe was on your side, listening to your deepest desires, the ones you didn’t know needed to be fulfilled.
you had never felt a connection as genuine as the one you had with her. everything seemed easy with her, making you feel you’d known her for longer than a week.
that doesn’t happen often, especially to you, so you would do anything in your power to fix things.
you were currently in physics class, counting down the minutes for it to end. you had to fight the urge to look at the back to see if ellie was there.
the thought of her being mad at you for practically abandoning at the party you invited her to made you sick. you also feared she didn’t care at all, which was a hundred times worse.
once the class ended you waited for her outside, trying to calm down your racing heart. the majority of students had already come out. you had just started to lose hope of seeing her when you finally heard her voice. she was saying goodbye to the professor.
“hi,” you nervously smiled when she was in front of you. her looking as good as always didn’t help you calm down at all. “i’ve been hoping to see you since friday. i wanted to apologize—”
“oh, you don’t have to do that. i get it. i saw you leave with that girl, tara, was it? it’s okay, you don’t have to explain anything—”
“no, no. i didn’t leave with her,” you clarified. “she wasn’t feeling good so she asked me to walk her to her apartment, which was in that same building, and i only did it to get rid of her. i know i sound like a major dick, but i wanted to go back to you as soon as possible,” you confessed, heart beating a hundred miles per minute.
“you did?” there was a smile hiding on her lips, you could tell by the tone she used. she was amused and obviously enjoyed seeing you flustered.
“yes, and i told blair to find you and tell you that i’d be right back, but when i did you had already left and i had no way of communicating with you, so…” ellie was quiet, so you continued. “i’m sorry.“
it felt like an eternity until she spoke again. “i’m sorry i left.”
“it’s not your fault,“ you mused. “it’s tara’s.”
“it so is,” ellie let out a chuckle. “i’ll fuck her up.”
you laughed, which made ellie’s stomach flip. both of you became numb to your surroundings as you stared into each other’s eyes, dumb smiles plastered on your faces.
“hey, about that paper that we have to do on electromagnetism. would you, maybe, uh, want to do it with me?”
“yes, i’d love to,” you grinned. “we could meet at the library tomorrow. do you have any classes in the morning?”
“just one, it ends at 10.”
“see you at 11?”
“yeah,” ellie nodded.
“oh, i almost forgot,” you said before taking out your phone. ellie curiously watched you type something before you handed it to her.
an adorable smile formed on her lips when she saw you were asking for her number. you had already typed in her name with the alien emoji next to it.
“thank you,” you mused when she gave your phone back to you. you instantly sent her a text so she could save your number on hers, too.
“see you tomorrow :)”
ellie looked up from her phone, mouth upturned. “see you then.”
tuesday
“the library’s closed,” ellie announced the moment she saw you.
the lights were turned off and there was a sign on the door that read ‘closed for reparations’.
“awh, man,” you complained. “why didn’t they tell us sooner—”
“actually, they did. i just checked and they sent us an email about a week ago, we just don’t check our inbox,” ellie interrupted you, grimacing.
“oh, our fault then,” you shrugged your shoulders. “um, maybe we could go to my dorm? i don’t have a roommate so nobody will bother us,” you offered.
“woah, i’d give everything to have my dorm all to myself,” she groaned, tilting her head back. “why don’t you have a roommate?”
you didn’t realize you had already started walking together, mindlessly leading the way to your dorm.
“i had one at the beginning of the semester, but then she dropped out or something. they told me i’ll probably get one next semester, so i’m enjoying it while it lasts,” you explained.
ellie huffed, “my roommate is a music producer. she’s pretty considerate but sometimes she has to listen to her songs without headphones,” she rolled her eyes. “i think i’m gonna find a job and move out to an apartment.”
“you totally should. i’d do it too if i were capable of balancing work and college,” you told her. “you’re welcome to stay at mine’s for as long as you want and whenever you want, by the way.”
“really?” she grinned. “you’re already asking me to live together? i haven’t even met your parents, yet.”
you rolled your eyes, a playful smile growing on your lips, “fine, my offer is off the table, then.”
“oh, no. now it’s too late. i’m moving in tomorrow morning.”
ellie spent the entire walk planning an itinerary for when she moved in with you, which basically consisted in eating breakfast together, go to class, come back and have lunch together, have more classes, come back and have dinner together then have a sleepover every night.
“sounds fun, huh?”
“super fun,” you chuckled as you opened the door for her. “guests first,” you stepped aside, inviting her in.
“hey, this is practically my dorm, too, now,” ellie joked, curiously looking around as she scratched the back of her neck. she was trying her hardest not to show how nervous she actually was, but the fluttering on her stomach made it really hard.
you were in the same state as her, trying not to freak out. your eyes discreetly checked every corner of the room, making sure everything was in order and there was nothing embarrassing laying around.
ellie chuckled to herself when she noticed the ceiling was decorated with a bunch of stickers that glowed in the dark. stars and planets were placed all over.
“i know they’re childish,” you wrinkled your nose, visibly cringing.
“are you kidding? i love them. these will be the first thing i’ll buy for my new place,” her gaze fell from the ceiling to your eyes, a genuine smile spreading across her lips.
ellie kept looking around your dorm, grabbing stuff that caught her attention. it was funny seeing her ask for permission each time, looking back at you and pointing at the object she wanted to check out.
you took out your laptop from your backpack and sat down on your bed. it immediately bummed you out when you remembered that you had to do an assignment and weren’t just hanging out for fun.
“i’m gonna create a google drive file so we can both edit it later in case we don’t finish it today,” you informed her.
“yeah, that’s a good idea,” ellie replied, focused on a bracelet she had found on your desk. then, she continued snooping around your things, sometimes mumbling cool and i’m going to borrow this.
you checked the questions you had to answer and immediately sighed, “i’m completely lost.”
“want me to explain it to you?” she offered and you obviously accepted. ellie looked at the big whiteboard behind her and grabbed a marker from your desk. “okay, so you know that the earth’s core is mainly composed of liquid in the outer core and solid iron in the inner core?”
you tried your hardest to keep your attention on what she was saying, but the task turned impossible. her voice sounded muffled and you could only focus on how good she looked. you let out a few yeahs and rights when you thought it was appropriate, but the truth was that you didn’t know what the hell she was talking about.
“and this field has existed for at least three billions years, which is nuts, right?” you ears managed to make out of all the things she was saying. you saw how she laughed, clearly enjoying talking about the subject. you probably would too if you could be capable of actually listen and process what she was saying.
you watched as she continued to write and draw stuff on the board at the same time she explained something to you, but you couldn’t keep your eyes off of her.
“that’s about it, got it?” she asked, turning around.
“uh…” you let out, not being capable of forming an actual sentence.
ellie chuckled, amused, “you alright?”
“yes, it’s just—”
“was there something you didn’t understand? i can go over it again,” ellie kindly offered, but you could hardly hear her over the loud beating of your heart.
you weren’t really planning to, but you stood up. it was as if you were on autopilot, there was something else controlling your body and you couldn’t do anything to stop it. you walked closer to ellie, who looked confused.
“if i’m being honest, i didn’t listen to a word you said,” you confessed, smiling guiltily. “i swear i tried to, but there was something else on my mind.”
“what’s that?” ellie asked in a whisper, eyes scanning your face. you were extremely close to her.
“i don’t think i can go another minute without kissing you,” you softly confessed, looking up into her eyes. her pupils were dilated and a light blush had started to color her cheeks.
“no one is stopping you,” she replied, wholly captivated by you.
not even a second later, you crashed your lips into hers. ellie joyfully giggled, but that didn’t stop her from hungrily kissing you back. her hands found their way up to the sides of your face while yours ended up tangled in her hair.
ellie broke the kiss first, but your lips were still touching. “i’m still deeply disappointed you didn’t listen to my physics lesson.”
“i’m sorry,” you chuckled. “i heard some parts, you were great. i learned a lot.”
ellie smiled before leaning in again, bringing you impossibly closer to her as she gave you a breathtaking kiss. you melted against her, already eager for the kiss to end just so you could do it over and over again.
“this would’ve happened sooner if it weren’t for tara,” ellie joked, reaching over to grab your hand.
“i’ll kill her next time i see her,” you were standing so close to each other that you replied with a whisper.
ellie frowned, “you’re not seeing her again.”
“oh? i would’ve never guessed you were the jealous type,” you teased her, placing your arms on her shoulders again and bringing her even closer to you. ellie looked even better than before. her lips were reddened, her hair was a mess and her eyes had become even more hypnotic.
you could’ve stayed admiring her for hours, but a glance over her shoulder was all it took for you to wake up from your trance. you walked past her to take a closer look at the whiteboard she had used. it wasn’t what she had written that caught your attention, but the handwriting itself. it looked incredibly familiar.
your mind quickly came up with a crazy theory, which ellie’s expression confirmed the moment you looked back at her.
“you were the one who left me that note on my door?”
ellie’s confident and teasing demeanor was long gone. she looked panicked. her heartbeat accelerated significantly and she felt as she was running out of air.
“oh my god,” your mouth fell agape, a smile creeping up on your lips. “you did!”
she covered her face with her hands, letting out a groan, “you weren’t supposed to know that.”
“why?”
“it’s embarrassing! we didn’t even know each other when i did it. it’s weird—”
“it’s sweet!”
“it’s weird,” she repeated, not being able to look at you.
you smiled fondly at her, reaching for her hand and giving her a squeeze, “it really helped me, you know? it was as if you knew i needed it.”
ellie grimaced, “well, i actually kind of did…”
“what do you mean?”
she sat down on your bed, making you sit next to her. you didn’t let go of her hand. instead, you played with her fingers in an attempt to calm her down.
“i visited my friend that day, her dorm is across the hall. i was just about to leave when i saw you coming. i panicked, so i hid and accidentally overheard what you were saying to your friend,” she admitted. “i meant what i wrote. i’ve thought that way about you ever since i first saw you. it seemed like the perfect moment to tell you, at least indirectly.”
“but why didn’t you tell me in person? or at least, talked to me sooner.”
“i’m not as brave as i look and you’re fucking intimidating.”
you let out a laugh in disbelief, “me, intimidating? look at you!”
“no, look at you. you’re way to beautiful for me to just come up to you and tell you that. who could have the guts?”
“oh my god, shut up,” you hid your face in your hands, feeling how your heart fluttered like crazy at her words.
“i couldn’t tell you after we began talking, either. we were just getting to know each other, it would’ve been weird,” ellie stared down at your intertwined hands. “it’s still kind of weird,” she mumbled more to herself than for you to hear.
not being able to take it anymore, you succumbed to the urge of throwing yourself at her, leaving many kisses all over her face. the sound of her laugh made the butterflies in your stomach to fly all over the place.
“you’re the sweetest girl i’ve ever met.”
“don’t say that about me. i have a reputation to maintain,” she jokingly rolled her eyes. “so, be honest, you don’t think it was weird?”
“of course not. i think it was fate.”
“fate?”
“wait here.”
you quickly walked over to your desk where you had left your phone. you immediately searched for the picture you had taken of her last tuesday and almost ran to show it to her.
“is that me?” ellie grabbed the phone from your hands and zoomed in the picture.
“yup,” you nodded. “this was the day before we first talked. i was taking pictures of orange and you appeared, out of nowhere. you looked as you’d beat the person who dared to speak to you,” a laugh escaped your lips. “i thought about for the rest of the day and hoped to see you again, and guess what? i did. see? it was fate.”
ellie warmly smiled, she caressed your cheek with her fingers before bringing you closer to give you the softest kiss ever given, “i guess it was.”
1K notes · View notes
halcyone-of-the-sea · 8 months
Note
Hiya!! I’m obsessed with your writing. You’re my favorite writer on here, I dream of your stories!
Would it be possible to request (either with Ghost or Price, I love them both equally) something like they were young love but he breaks up with reader cos he wants to keep her safe and thinks he knows what’s best for her. Then during a mission gone wrong, they need a safe house but somehow the enemy found out all the locations of their approved safe houses. He remembered her place is close by and tries his luck. Maybe she gets mad at him for making decisions for her or maybe he learns about her difficult past that happened without with. But with a happy ending? ☺️
Only if this inspires you! Thank you again for sharing your beautiful writings!
If You Bite My Hand Again
Tumblr media
PAIRING: Simon 'Ghost' Riley x F!Reader
SYNOPSIS: How dare he show his face to you after all of these years. How dare you still find it in yourself to love him.
WORDCOUNT: 6.6k
WARNINGS: Heavy angst, abandonment, arguments, mentions of death, blood, insinuations of torture & mental illness troubles, Simon's comic backstory, hurt/comfort, sort of suggestive?, anxiety attack, somewhat happy ending, etc.
A/N: This was really fun to write, lol, enjoy Anon!
*I do not give others permission to translate and/or re-publish my works on this or any other platform*
Tumblr media
You never should have met him. In fact, it seemed like the universe had been adamant to make you not run into each other on that chilly October morning almost…well…it has to be more than thirteen years ago, now. So long. 
As you head to your kitchen and glance at the clock, the hands point to a perfect three-fifteen—an hour of pitch-blackness and whispering winds that dash past the musty glass of the windows. The thump of your footsteps blocks out the heaving sigh that falls from your mouth; rubbing at your eyes like a cat as great bags sag from tired flesh. 
The dreams weren’t uncommon. 
Simon still reigned supreme in the conjuring of them, ingrained into the sinews and pulled thin by a hand constantly working them—knitting a sweater of memories addled with age. Moth-eaten. 
As you snap on the light of your tiny and run-down kitchen, the bulb fizzing and the dishwasher still emitting that squeal as it always does, you think about him before grabbing a glass. Water hits and fills the thing up as your eyes blankly stare, fatigued but yet never more awake. 
The tremors in your hands persist.
You never should have met him.
Your feet take you to Primary, laces a mess atop your little shoes caked in mud and grass—you’d chased after a butterfly through the front yards, getting caught in your neighbor's bushes and having to slip your way out before she could rampage outside with her broom. 
It was no surprise that your face was lit with a bright smile, eyes shining like fire that your teachers had given you a special name for—“Ember.”
The very thing that could start a blaze over and over again as long as it still was alight.
Laughing and peeing out leaves from your hair; flattening out your uniform, you stride with pride ingrained into your body. Well, you did before you heard the soft sniffling coming from down the alley. 
Halting, your ears perk at the sounds, smile freezing as you blink quickly. Looking to your left, you lock onto the hunched figure of a boy. 
Perhaps only a year or two older than you, you stare in curiosity as he consciously paws at his cheeks, walking out of the alley in broken and odd strides. His uniform is ruffled, wrinkled, but not in the way yours was.
He must have fallen and hurt himself, you reason with a child-like frown pulling on your lips. Blinking at his blond hair, you get a glimpse of red-rimmed brown eyes.
The boy halts, looking at you widely, fear and pain emanating from his expression. You’re the first to speak, brightness still in your eyes but a deep innocence that comes with youth. All you saw was a boy your age in pain—that was strange to you. You knew what getting hurt was like; you fell and scraped your knees often, or hit your elbows on corners. Sometimes you would cry from that…did the same happen to this boy?
“You’re crying, aren’t you?” Brown-Eyes stares, hurriedly pushing at his face to wipe tears but only succeeds in making his face red from the material of his uniform. “Did you fall down? I do that pretty often—it’s okay, my Mum says you’ll be better after a hug and a kiss!”
You smile and stand straighter. 
“I,” the boy begins, sniffling. “I didn’t fall. I’m not clumsy.”
You tilt your head, confused. “Well…then why are you crying?” 
“That’s none of your business!” He snaps, brows pulled in as he comes forward on the sidewalk. Your face twists as you huff in annoyance. 
“My Mum says to treat everyone nicely. That wasn’t very nice.” 
“I don’t bloody care, do I,” you’re sent a scathing glance as he passes. “I didn’t ask for you to speak to me. Leave me alone.” 
Naturally, you follow after, cheeks gaining heat.
“You’re being mean! Apologize!” 
“Would you run off already?!” The boy shouts, and perhaps something fires in that small brain of yours—a thought and a semblance of self-realization at the shame that emits from his tone. A tight squeeze of vocal cords. 
He was ashamed. Ashamed you’d caught him. Seen him. 
Your feet slow back to a stop, watching him hurriedly continue on and hearing the quiet gasps of breath. After a moment, you grit your teeth and run the distance; seizing him around the middle in a hug of stubby fingers and tightly closed eyes.
The boy startles, body hardening and a cry escaping his lungs. “Get off of me!” He shouts, hands snapping down to yours and digging under your hold. 
“No!” You call, stubbornly. “My Mum says that hugs make everything better—”
“Stop talking about your Mum!” The boy stomps his foot to the ground, chubby cheeks turning crimson as he tilts his head back to look at you, tears still dripping off his chin. 
A stiff silence falls but like a green branch on a tree, Brown-Eyes’ form twitchingly loosens, his prying hands softening as you hold tight—digging your nose into his spine. He minutely flinches, but you only hug him more. 
You’re both late to the building, and your teachers are going to give you scoldings. But right now, on a chilled October morning, you hug this strange, crying boy and blink your fiery eyes up at him. 
After he relaxes fully and the sniffling stops, you let go and smile brightly again, looking up into his open expression of innocent confusion. Whatever had happened, he must have fallen pretty hard, you thought, pulling out another leaf from your hair. You giggle and hand it over as a gift. 
The boy hesitantly picks it up and looks at it before turning back to you. 
“Call me Ember.” 
A pause. A hesitation. But your eyes shimmer and he relents with the memory of the hug in the front of his mind. Such a strange encounter. 
He speaks, looking away from you with flushed cheeks, muttering out as his tear streaks dry.
“...Simon.”
You walk together the rest of the way.
The reality was, if you had gotten caught by your neighbor, had snatched that butterfly—had even stayed in those bushes for three more seconds, you would have missed him. And if Simon hadn’t run out of his home crying, he never would have locked onto the burning reality that was with you. 
You put the glass to your chapped lips and take a long sip, throat bobbing as you take down the liquid with tears burning your eyes. Blinking rapidly, you swipe at the water at the sides of your mouth and shake your head, sighing. 
“Why can’t you leave me alone?” Your voice bounces off the walls, peeling paint and moving the dust stuck atop the fridge. “Damnit, Simon.” 
Today was worse than the others—everything building and stacking like some castle of misery and pain; windows too narrow to let in any light and your form stuck in shadows longer than an endless rope. There were just so many things that suffocated you now. 
And in the endless nights, the brain desperately looks for comfort. 
You hate that it only comes from the memories of him. 
“I have to go to work tomorrow.” Your subconscious reminds you as you blankly stare out the window above the sink, seeing the streetlights and the cone of warm light—it flickers every so often, a blinking taking place like the eye of a large, brutish, wolf. 
Work, then the grocery store, then back home to eat a tasteless dinner and fall back to sleep. An empty house with empty walls and empty memories. 
Your hands put the glass in the sink, coming back up to rub and dig into your eyes until the itch behind your flesh stops. A thump of a low pulse is felt in the thin skin, orbs of your optics moving before you pinch into the bridge of your nose and drop them with a slap of a hand to the counter. A harsh breath exits your mouth, but it’s quickly strangled away into a sound of ragged shock. 
Outside, under the light, the silhouette of a man leans heavily on the pole, feet shaking under him and face pressed into the shadows as his shoulders heave. You stare, wide-eyed, as your heart jumps to a rapid pace. 
“What the fuck?” Your mouth utters, watching the man push off the light and stagger with a heavy limp and a jerking body of immense stature. Whoever this guy was, he was out of his mind—and coming right for your front door. You startle to go and secure it, feet slapping the ground and face twisted. 
“What the fuck?!” Gasping, you re-check your locks and frantically look for something else—the stool where you place your keys meets your eyes. You grab it and place it as a barrier to the handle, tilting it on two legs and blinking quickly as whatever sleep-sheen that had been in your gaze leaves in one swoop of adrenaline.
Grunting wafts in from under the door, haggard inhales and a sudden slam of a body hitting the door. You stifle a scream and back up quick steps, slapping your hands to your mouth.
Sure, you might live in a shitty neighborhood, but no one had ever tried to just straight-up break in high or drunk off something. Your mind slashes to the knives in the kitchen drawer as the wall shakes again—something sliding down to the ground and a grunted whine. 
Just before you run off, you hear it. An utterance; a disruption of airwaves. A whisper, a plea. Your brain ceases to function with one foot back the way you came, hand on the frame with the knuckles tight. 
In one instance it all comes to a screeching halt. 
“Ember…” 
Who called you that anymore? The rare instance where you’d meet your classmates in the world they would mutter it; also be asked a few questions before they went on with their lives. You pause in your panic, slowly gazing back at the barrier and the stool like you’d just discovered you’re under the sights of a sniper. 
There’s a sliver of something that inserts itself into your brain. Fear or hope, you can’t tell. But that can’t be right. 
He left. 
“Ember!” You flinch, the deep Manchester accent grating your heart into shreds. No. “It’s me!” He says, followed by a horribly gritty cough. 
There’s a weak thump against the door, mumbled curses, and growls as if a wild animal mimicking human speech. You almost wished for that, considering you now knew the exact person behind the door down to his atoms. The brown of his eyes and the way his cheeks looked as they were stained with tears. 
His laugh. Simon’s voice. Everything.
Simon.
You’re rushing to rip the stool away with a clatter and a jerk as it hits the far wall, undoing the locks with shaking hands as you grasp the handle and wrench it sideways. 
His form slams to your feet with a loud grunt as the door hits the wall. 
“Fuckin’ hell! Mind your bloody—!” Whatever he said was lost to you as you stare at the bloodied form of the man you had thought you’d seen the last of. Tactical gear, terrifying skull mask, black on black with weapons galore. But that voice told you all you needed to know.
Simon Riley is alive and very much breathing. 
The same boy you still loved. 
The same boy who’d broken your heart.
After October the years with Simon seemed to strengthen. You always walked together in the mornings—or, at least, you always waited for him. The dawn of your friendship strengthened and hardened to an unbreakable amount of mid-day rays; vast and sunny. 
When he was sixteen he asked you to be his girlfriend, hand in his pockets and ache on his chin as he grunted out broken sentences. Stuttering and awkward. You’d smiled with your bright eyes and giggled before kissing his cheek—feeling his sigh and him melting into you with a grin of his own, unable to meet your eyes for a moment. 
Later, when he said he’d wanted to leave his apprenticeship at the grocery’s butcher shop and join the Special Air Service, you’d been along for the ride—anything to get him away from his father and brother. You knew what was going on, even if he was still so hesitant to allow you any glimpse of his home life.
When he’d shy away at the Halloween decorations of skeletons as if the skull would jump off the page and tense at loud cheering, you knew. You did what you could, but there was only so much for you to suggest or say without him shutting down. 
When you’d offered your flat as a safe space after graduation, desperate to help your Lover, he’d stared and blinked in shock; tilting his head at you before smiling softly and taking you into a hug. Wherever he went, he knew he’d always have a place by your side.
So, throughout his leaves of absence from the military, he’d come home to you—bruised and tired, but still the same Simon you fell in love with. You’d cook for him, tease at his shaved hair as he gave you those puppy-dog eyes, and talked him through your classes at University.
You would fall asleep on his chest, feeling the hard strength he was gaining and the way he held you tighter than he ever had; conscious of himself but not wanting to part with you. 
The love the both of you had was akin to a blaze of fire, and you often found Simon simply staring into your eyes in times like those—watching silently and rubbing his thumb along your spine until your face burned. 
He was always so gentle despite everything; you loved his perseverance, his drive to be good despite nearly every factor telling him he couldn’t be. Slowly but surely, he was forging his own life. 
In 2003 he managed to take a break from the military to get his family straightened out. His brother, Tommy, went to rehab—Simon stayed with his mother and a year later he kicked his father to the curb and out of his and his family's life entirely. Finally free. 
You managed to meet his lovely mum, still so bright, and even interacted with Tommy once he got out; went to the younger brother’s wedding in ‘06 and met Beth, his wife. When you saw Simon’s mother and the way she carried herself, you knew where your Love got his pride from. The two were so alike it was a sight to see. 
While it may not have been conventional by any standard, Simon proposed to you in the back garden of Tommy’s cheap wedding venue. Alone, so as not to cause a scene. Willow trees and a small stream of water. Fireflies. The words ring in your soul with every waking moment, and they will stay there until it all goes silent with the grip of death.
He didn’t want to use his mum’s ring—the one that holds so many bad memories for both parties. He’d used the gold from it though. Went to a man who bled him dry for money to have it re-cast. 
It was simple. A small, glinting, ruby pressed in the middle. 
“It was always goin’ to be you, Ember, yeah?” he’d muttered in his deeper voice, formal attire holding you both tight. “So…don’t make me beg too much, Sweetheart. You know the old lady’ll kill me if I get stains on my suit.” 
“Beg?” You responded, tears in your eyes but such a wide grin on your lips. The stars above you twinkle like the pupils of your eyes—the same burn still trapped. “Oh, Simon, come on, now.” He connects his forehead to yours, hand still in the middle of you and presenting the accumulation of all of his love. The other wraps your waist. 
He was shaking slightly. 
“I would never make you beg for my love, Brown-Eyes.”
You both share a breathless chuckle and lock lips, smiling like fools as he sighs into you. 
In a happy world, that would have been the beginning of a perfect life. A happy house. A happy wedding. Happy deaths. 
But something went wrong on one of his deployments. 
Missing for months, he came back…wrong. With a fiery temper and sharp snapping words—wounds on the outside as well as inside. His eyes were feral, like a dog held back by a broken chain carting around its feet. 
Simon never spoke about it—the missing days. The weeks. The months. 
You broke yourself over it, trying to help but not knowing what would make it better. Some days there were flickers of soft expressions, but it was as if he were dragging himself up from a pool so deep it was bottomless to show them to you. Simon rarely smiled. He rarely sent an affectionate glance. 
He didn’t let you touch him. 
And then he called the entire engagement off with a letter on your counter only holding four words. 
‘Don’t look for me.’ 
And then Simon’s mum, Tommy, Beth, and his nephew had all died. Been killed. And you were just supposed to move on? Live with that? There were times when you had breakdowns so bad you couldn't leave the house for days—the house that Simon and you had bought together. 
All of those years. 
All those vows and shared nights.
And he disappeared on you.
You have him sitting on the couch, watching silently from the chair across the room as he finishes wrapping his leg with the bandages from the first-aid kit you’d provided. 
More like chucked at his gut.
No one had said a word, and the air was as tense as a noose—choking any oxygen that traveled into your throat. Simon was getting blood all over your flat cushions, the crimson saturating the fabric as you sit rail-rod straight, hand clenched on your thighs. 
Simon’s avoiding your eyes.
“Take off the mask,” you hiss, pupils slits. If he wasn’t going to address it, then you were. Simon freezes, not breathing as his hands fall stationary around the bandages. 
“I’ll be fine in a while—”
“Take off your fucking mask, Simon.” You can’t help the way you snap, face burning with shame and hate. How dare he show up now, after all of these years of mourning him and the relationship you’d built as kids. Simon wasn’t just your boyfriend—your fiancé—he was your best friend. 
And all he’d done was left you a four-fucking-letter note before leaving you behind.
The geared man sighs silently, and you see his shoulders sag. His grip travels up as he straightens his spine in a fluid motion, pain medication working through him in waves of numbness. 
His brown eyes bore through you as if he were a ghost. Under the fabric, his mouth thins. “Ma’am.” 
Even his voice is older. More dead. How could this be your Simon?
Your heart bruises your ribcage as he grasps the top of his skeletal mask, gloved fingers peeling back the sown layers until you get the full image of a man more damaged than before. You have to stop yourself from sobbing right then and there; your throat going dry.
So many scars. Milky white and spread vastly—they weren’t pretty. Up his cheeks, down his brow line; even at the corner of his mouth and seeping down his neck. A crooked nose with damaged cartilage. Strangling a gasp, it comes out as a great expelling of horror, eyes going wide with shock. 
You hate how you want to rush to him, take his face in your hands, and try to brush them away as if marks on paper. But you don’t make any such movements beyond a hunch of your shoulders. 
“Not pretty, eh? Guess I should’ve warned you.” Simon rubs at his forehead, blond locks, hanging around his temple, and the black of face-paint stuck in his sockets. “Didn’t mean to fuckin’ drop in like this, Ember. Bloody bastard thing for me to do.” 
You flinch at the name, looking away as you’d been peeling back his skin with your eyes. “What are you doing here, Simon?” Anyone with a brain could hear the cracking hardness in your words. Face blank. 
He studies your features, taking in the changes and the bleakness of your expression. Brows furrow slightly before they go back to a state of nothingness. Simon glances around the room, finding the condition of things concerning but doesn’t show it. 
“Nothin’ you need to worry about comin’ back to you, Sweetheart. Just work.”
“It is when the bastard who abandoned me shows up years later, bloody on my doorstep. Stop acting so self-righteous,” you growl, snapping, “I should toss your arse outside and let them have you. And don’t fucking call me that.”
Silence descends, and your words echo. It’s like now that he was here everything hurt ten times more than when he wasn’t. 
“I never wanted us to end up like we did—”
“Bullshit!” You’re on your feet and stalking to him, pointing with your finger as he hurriedly stands up as well and looks down in shock as you press your digit into his bulky vest. “You shut your mouth, Simon Riley, and you let me explain something to you.” 
He keeps silent, mouth parted and scars shifting around his stubble. His hands slightly held out at his sides and hovering over your hips—not touching you but there just in case. Simon’s brown ords are carefully widened at your tight exclamation. The sound of his clearing throat enters the living room before you speak again. 
“I waited for you, hoped and prayed that you would show me at least a,” your throat bunches, but you push through. “A modicum of respect and show your stubborn self up at my door with apology flowers and a guilty smile on your lips. You know who took care of your family's burial plots, you fucking piece of shit,” his eyes flinch closed a bit, turning his head down as his breath hitches. “Me! You fucking disappeared!”
You know you shouldn’t be yelling, shouldn’t be pounding on his chest with a fist as if he was a door and you the knocker, but, dammit, it’s been years and he just shows up? Like this? Ten times the size he was—scarred and torn to shreds; laced with muscles and an expression of vacancy. Simon holds to your words, hanging off of them with a down-ward turned chin and eyes that lock with yours through pale lashes. 
“Maybe I-I did, o…or pushed some things that I shouldn’t have,” you hold back your tears, but your voice still wavers, tapering off like a line without a hook, “but I didn’t deserve that, Simon.” The first traitorous sob breaks through. “I didn’t deserve that.”
His eyes shatter into a myriad of kaleidoscope bits and pieces, brows flicking from one point on your face to another in quick slashes of guilt. But he still doesn’t touch you. Not until you tell him it’s what you want.
Simon opens his mouth but closes it just as quickly, unable to find any words that would even matter. You let your tears slip down your cheeks, dribbling off your chin. The man’s chest hurts, pulse thumping to mirror yours. 
“I waited for you and you broke me,” you whisper, mouth twisting with odium towards the man under your fist. “I wanted a life with you, Simon, no matter the trials.”
“I didn’t mean to…” The man trails off, clenching his jaw. You scoff, backing up a step and pressing your palms into your eyes. 
“But you did.”
“I had to keep you safe, Ember.” Simon’s fingers twitch outward, eyes frantically moving around as you sniffle and shakily walk away to the kitchen. He follows, desperately on your heels as your spine bows forward with resounding cries of anguish. “I...I wasn’t right in the head, I need you to understand I didn’t want this! I never wanted to fucking hurt you!” 
Your hand connects with the junk drawer, tearing it open and digging a hand inside as he pleads with you to listen. 
“If I didn’t leave I was worried I’d do something—!”
“Then you should have trusted me!” Your hands rip out the ring held on a small leather strap. The ruby glints where it always sits, held in tarnished gold. You chuck it at his chest and suck down breaths so you don’t pass out. “I would have listened! Gotten you help! We don’t abandon the ones we love, Simon! Not us!” 
Simon catches the object by slapping a hand to his chest, pinky finger latching through the leather cord before he jerks his limb back up. When he looks at the ring, he goes utterly still, gazing back up at you slowly. 
“We were supposed to be different,” you sob, trapping it behind your hands. He’s shaking, brows tight and lines along his face as he brings a free hand to run through his locks, gripping the strands for a moment and pulling. “Simon,” you say again, and he looks back at you with glossy eyes. “We were supposed to be better.”
“What did I do to you to deserve that,” he stares, his jaw is loose and he can’t stop clenching and unclenching it. You can see his heart working through his breast. Bloodied. Beaten by fists and slashed with knives. “What did I do to you?”
“Nothing,” he gasps, taking a step forward. “Fuck, Ember, you didn’t bloody do anything to me besides love me.” 
You sputter out, “Then why did you leave me here alone?” Your knees buckle and he darts forward, catching you under the arms as you wail out, shoving on his waist, “You never should have come back. Never should have come back.” 
He lets you push him off; lets you back up to the counter as Simon tilts his head higher to stave off the tears in the sides of his eyes. He’d known coming here was a bad idea, for lack of a better word, but after the Op went bad and all of his safe houses were compromised, he didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t to say he didn’t regret his actions in the past with you, or that he didn’t punish himself for them, yet at the time it was the only thing he could do to give him the sense that you would be better without him. Safe. 
After everything that had happened, he wasn’t in the right state of mind anymore. You deserved so much better. But hearing all of this…
Christ, could he have been wrong? Everything blurred; hurt. Hearing your sobs was like a knife to his heart every time, digging and cutting with serrated edges at the veins and pumping muscle, carving away flesh to shed the pounding redness to light. You held that heart in your hand and in his he held the ring—the ring he’d given to you as a promise of love and honor. 
A pact of loyalty. 
Simon doesn’t even realize he’s crying until the blurring edges of his vision make itself known. His eyes bore harshly, prodding into you as he makes known what he’s been broken since he first locked gazes with you again. The man’s voice shakes, accent deep and tight.
He asks the first thing that comes to his head.
“What happened to your eyes?”
“What?” You ask, incredulously, brows furrowed as your hand digs into the counter to keep you upright. Simon stares deeper, the sides of his eyelids wrinkling with a not-so-hidden sheen of great concern. Unbearable pain.
“What happened to your bloody eyes?” Where had the spark gone? That flare that grew and spread like fire that was the entire purpose behind your name. An unconquerable ache for life. 
You only watch him with a parted mouth and tear-stained lashes, sniffling. Simon tries again, taking a step forward on unsteady feet. 
“Please, Sweetheart, d…don’t, don’t…” He can’t finish, the leather cord intertwined into his fingers as he comes closer. “Don’t tell me I took it away. Not my Ember. Not my Girl’s fire.”
Your eyes are so overflowed you can’t even see him as he hovers over you, fingers coming up to brush your cheeks as his mouth is open in hard pants of breath. “No, no, no. Fuckin’ bastard, not me. Not over me, please.” It’s like Simon’s not even talking to you but rather himself. 
He mutters in fast sentences, eyes panicked. “You were supposed to be better off—‘posed to move on. Why didn’t you? Why didn’t you find someone else?” 
“You’re an idiot, Simon. An idiot,” you sag into his neck, nose digging into his pulse as he quivers, legs having to reset themselves. His heat melts into you as your body gives out with a final sob, “It was always going to be you.”
His arms snap around you like a vise, dragging you into him as he breaks and stifles his whimper on your scalp, breathing right by your ear; gasping for breath. 
“M’sorry,” he mutters, so silent below his sniveling stutters, “M’so sorry, Sweetheart. This is all my fucking fault.” 
You shake into his chest, face nuzzling and desperate to smell his scent again—tired from all the yelling and fighting. It was still late, you still needed to go to work tomorrow…but Simon. 
Oh, Simon. How could he be so…him?
Your sobs are quieter than his, tiny cries that make the man’s arms tighten around you every time. Hands coming up, you can’t stop the way you want to hold him; how you wish to keep him close to you and push him away all at once. How dare he? 
How dare he still make you love him after all he’d put you through? 
Simon sags to the floor with you in his hold, head bowed and trying to gasp down his vulnerability as tears stain your shoulder. It’s as if the realization that he’d made a mistake had broken him back down to when he was young, past hatred of messing up infesting his brain like maggots. A fear of it, even. 
The man presses quick, panicked kisses to your neck as his breath hitches every other second, rocking you back and forth. 
“Didn’t mean to do it,” Simon utters. “Didn’t mean for it to hurt you—” 
He breaks off and you realize that despite the years Simon’s mind was still very much fragile when it came to home life. You blink and take a deep breath, unable to get out of his unrelenting grip. 
Your hand travels up to find the back of his head, spreading through his hair and massaging his flesh. When things got bad you used to do this with him. Give the man something to focus on so he could pass through his hysteria quicker.
Simon’s ribcage bangs against yours, nearly hyperventilating with how he’s trying to hide his small grunts and whines.
“Simon,” you clear your throat, trying to calm yourself down as seriousness sets in your tone. “Simon, breathe.” 
Your ears twitch, noticing him listen to you as he takes down a long gasp of air and breathes out in puffs on your neck—hot and humid. 
“Ember…”
“Shh,” interrupting, you shush him in tiny whispers, still rubbing at his head. “Brown-Eyes, just sit here, okay?” You feel a jerky nod, his fingers squeezing your flesh off and on as he mimics your own lung pattern. 
It’s a few minutes before he goes completely still again, and you feel the burn of shame from his face in your clutch. The relationship was strained—or whatever you could call this—but you never wanted to see him in pain. Never.  
You knew he was better when he sighs deeply, completely going limp in your arms; great weight leaning into you as you lean back to the cabinets to help with the pure might of his physique. With a slow hand, you un-velcro his vest and his gear, letting it hit the floor with dull thumps and clatters. 
He doesn’t protest, doesn’t move to help or hinder. You would give anything to know what he was thinking. 
“M’sorry,” Simon whispers and you respond accordingly, softly.
“You’ve already said that, Love.” He grunts, taking in a long, deep breath. 
“Need you t’know it.” 
“...I do.”
“Okay.” You close your eyes and stave off your anger at everything happening right now. While it would feel better to yell at him until dawn, what would that even achieve? Everything had needed to be said, had been. And you’d never felt lighter than at this moment. 
You knock your head against him, the both of you panting for breath and hands vibrating with leaving adrenaline. Sweaty and twitchy. 
“You never should have done that, Simon.” Whispering, you sigh. “I needed you. I needed you here. With me.” He stays still, but you feel his lips press deeper into your pulse. You’re practically in his lap, back to the woodgrain. 
In a moment of weakness, or pure longing, you pull his head back and situate your hands at his cheeks, looking over his scars and his broken skin as he lets you move him how you wish. His half-lidded, red, eyes stare—grip around you not letting up. 
Simon doesn’t speak as, unprompted, you kiss the shattered bridge of his nose; you only feel the fluttering of his lashes as they tickle your cheeks. 
“I was scared of myself.” He mutters. “After they died…” His family. “I didn’t want to put you in danger, Ember. Not you.”
“We would have figured it out, Simon. You know that, deep down, you do.” Brown eyes find yours as you tilt his head. 
“You sure?” He asks, desperate for an answer even though he doesn’t know himself. 
Thumbs run up and down his stubble. Your face creases, “...I don’t know. But we could have tried.” 
Simon’s eyes close tightly, and his face tilts to press his lips to your palm, quivering breath exhaled with the strength of an open balloon. Your ring was still stuck in his digging grip, and it was never going to leave for the rest of the night. 
“Yeah,” he whispers, gravely voice lax. 
Studying him now, in this light, knowing he was so afraid of what he might do if he got into an episode, you were stabbed with agony in your heart. To be that afraid of yourself to that magnitude was nearly unimaginable to you.
Nearly. 
“What now?” You ask lowly, the last remnants of tears drying as Simon opens his eyes slowly, looking back at you. 
“Don’t know.” He admits. “I have to leave.”
“I have work tomorrow,” you relate. Your teeth find your lip, biting it. 
A small awkward chokehold captures the both of you. The reality was that both of you were akin to strangers again—such was the curse of lost years and trials you’d faced along the way. 
Brown-Eyes and Ember were dead, yet you still called their names like phantoms of sleek black fabric and chained recollections of a boy with red cheeks and a girl with muddy shoes. The walks to school were there, the dates, and the late nights spent in good company. Touches to skin and open-mouthed kisses. Fireflies that whizzed and the glinting of gold as wind ran through the willows.
Dark corruption stained the faint idea of happiness; of a good world. This was not reality. It was some joke of an existence. 
If life were fair, Simon Riley would have never grown up in that house—his father wouldn’t have latched onto his brother and done dark deeds to wrap the little brown-eyed boy in red tissue paper and barbed wire. A present and sheen of mild sociopathy; separation of any pain or torment. A fighting boy. A boy born with blood on his hands and stuck behind his eyes every time he swung a fist. 
It was a curse to love him. And it was a curse that burned your soul with his very name. 
“Are you going to go?” You ask, eyes blank but yearning for what little comfort you can grab. It had been so long.  Simon blinks, his head still in your hands; body not moving.
He knows he should. He isn’t sure if there’s anything left for him here or not. 
Simon connects his head to yours and you still. “Do you want me to?” 
“Do you love me?” You blurt, blinking at him and confused. Simon’s lips part. “Or if you walk out that door do I plan on never seeing you again?” 
You're about to open your mouth and continue before his own slots perfectly against it.
You gasp lightly, taken aback but in no way opposed. He still felt exactly the same, flesh still tasting metallic and tinged with violence down to his DNA; raised with survival instincts as his greatest ally. Until you. 
With you survival became secondary. 
Your hands go to card through his hair, latching and lightly pulling as Simon’s body shivers; growling against your lips in a dance of heated flesh and damp cheeks. Hearts hammer with the restraint of years. 
“I would never make you beg for my love,” he murmurs between lapsing passes of his mouth, open kisses and dark glances. “Tell me where you want me to be.”
You whimper against him and he goes back in, pressing the base of your skull to the cabinet as hands grip and slide, kneading your skin. 
“Tell me,” Simon whispers. Pleads through grunts. “Ember, tell me.”
“Here,” you admit brokenly, pulling him closer to you as you’re lifted and placed on the countertop. “I need you here, Simon. I need you with me.” 
Fingers capture your chin, keeping your head angled up as your eyes beg. Lips bush with every word, gazes wild as if two leopards locking jaws over a kill. 
“Fight to get me back.” Brown sparks with purpose, a small puff of air hitting your mouth as eyes darken over. In this moment, you do not know if you’re dying or living. “Make it right.”
“Affirmative.” Simon moves his head back, taking your ring and looping the cord around his neck, he keeps it there as you watch, breathless. Your face creases with question. The man’s lips flicker when he sees this, coming back and grasping your hips as you instinctually latch to his waist. 
“I’ll give it back when I’ve earned the right for you to be called mine again. Seems I have work to do, Sweetheart.” He kisses you once more, firm and true. “First, I’ll ‘ave to figure out if my Girl can get her spark back, yeah? I’ve proper gone and fucked it up.” 
That night you lay in the heap of limbs and sheets that couple the both of you together. In the morning the questions would start, and Simon knew you’d take nothing short of the truth. 
And he’d give you it. All of it. 
Because Simon Riley knows well enough that you don’t go and bite the hand that feeds twice. Certainly not when it was you. Certainly not when it offers a love he would never hope to find again, in this life or the next.
So you keep the other close and sag into a deep slumber, not to wake for a long, long time. 
And you’d both never slept better
Tumblr media
TAGS:
@luuvbuzz, @emerald-valkyrie, @anna-banana27, @blueoorchid, @cryingnotcrying, @writeforfandoms, @homicidal-slvt, @jade-jax, @frazie99, @elmoees, @littlemisstrouble, @alpineswinter, @phoenixhalliwell, @idocarealot, @lavalleon, @facelessmemories, @h-leigh, @20forty9, @glitter-anon-asks, @emily-who-killed-a-man, @neelehksttr, @aeneanc, @escapefromrealitysm, @i-d-1-0-t, @pparcxysm, @hawkscanendme, @caramlizedtomatos, @konigsleftkidney, @sanfransolomitatm, @maelstrom007, @jemandderkeinenusernamenfindet, @pheobees, @glitterypirateduck, @uselsshuman, @fan-of-encouragement, @halfmoth-halfman, @ghostlythunderbird, @I-inkage, @pukbadger, @kopatych11, @0nceinabluem00n, @cocrorapop, @knightofsexyness, @abnormalgeil, @smallseastone, @jacegons, @330bpm-whiplash, @simon-rileys-housewife, @4-atsu, @tiredmetalenthusiast
3K notes · View notes
adore-laur · 4 months
Text
GET OVER HERE
— i don’t know what the plot of this is 🫶
Tumblr media
——
Your phone's default ringtone goes off from its place on the coffee table. Your eyes shoot up from the book you're reading, and you see Harry's name appear, along with your lock screen, which is a candid picture of both of you. After bookmarking the page you were engrossed in, you reach forward and slide your thumb across the screen to answer.
"What's up?" you say, holding the phone to your ear.
"C'mere," Harry murmurs lowly on the other end.
You screw your face up and absentmindedly pick at a loose thread on your pants. "Why?"
"Because I need to discuss something with you."
A scoffed laugh escapes your mouth. He's literally in the room next to you, getting ready for the show, so you ask, "Can't you just text me or tell me right now?"
He's comically silent before uttering an innocent, high-pitched "No?"
You sigh loudly and rise from the comfy couch. As you hang up, you leave the lounge and traverse down the hall. It takes precisely seven steps to reach his private dressing room. The door is wide open, with aromatic cologne and quiet melodies wafting through.
Harry is the first thing you see. He's sitting comfortably in a canvas chair with only a towel around his waist and socks on his feet. The counter in front of him is a mess with hair products, cosmetic brushes, and face creams scattered on the surface. His phone lies on his lap, which means he's been talking to you on speaker.
You clear your throat, which causes him to turn his head and look at you. "What did you need to discuss with me?"
He meekly smiles. "Hi."
"What do you want?" you rephrase impatiently, wanting to return to your romance book. It was just getting steamy!
"Come closer," he says, glancing you up and down.
You notice that he hasn't moved his hands away from his face. They both unnaturally cup his cheeks, and you can't figure out why.
"Why are your hands like that?" you ask with suspicion.
His eyebrows scrunch together. "Like what?"
"You're being weird."
"You're being weird."
"We're not doing this," you say, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Tell me what you need, or else I'm walking away. I have a book to finish."
Harry keeps his hands on his face and curls his pinky finger to beckon you closer. "Get over here."
Your heart flutters when he says it in a way that implies you might be in trouble. You rack your brain for anything that could have led him to call you and have you come to his dressing room.
As you slowly tread to him, his eyes don't leave yours. When you stand in front of him, his legs spread in invitation, and he says, "On my lap, baby."
You do as he commands and sit on his left thigh. One of his hands moves from his face to rest on your waist while the other stays put. He hasn't put his rings on yet, so his fingers feel bizarrely bare on your skin.
"What?" you whisper, your gaze curiously dancing over his face.
Harry leans back in his chair. "Wanna know why I'm covering my cheek?"
"Yeah. I've asked that already."
"Don't get sassy with me."
You swallow nervously. "Did you cut yourself while shaving?" you guess, knowing it's happened a few times before.
"Nope," he replies, tapping his fingers against his cheekbone. "Try again."
You purse your lips and ponder. "Hmm… do you have a zit?"
Harry runs his tongue across his teeth, obviously not amused. "You're on a roll today, aren't you?"
"Just tell me," you breathe out as your shoulders slump.
"You," he says while jerking the leg that you sit on, "gave me a hickey the other day. Right on my jaw where everyone can see."
You roll your lips in to try and hide your smile. "I'm so sorry."
Harry removes his hand, revealing a brownish-red mark on his jawbone from when the both of you were in a hotel suite in Tacoma. It's a known rule not to leave marks, especially since it's common for him to be photographed in the cities he visits. You take all the blame. You couldn't help it, really — it's nice to be a little greedy sometimes.
"Now I have to tell my makeup artist to cover it up," he mutters, his hand squeezing your ankle. "I have to come up with a stupid excuse and tell them that I punched myself or something."
You laugh. "That's a terrible excuse."
He tilts his head to the side and gives you a blank stare. "Oh, is it? Then would the culprit be so kind as to help me out?"
"Just say, I don't know, that you got hit by something thrown on stage."
Harry blinks three times before saying, "That's… actually a really good idea. Okay, you can leave now. Your work here is done. Discussion over."
You lean closer and whisper, "Where's my reward?"
He gives your ass a salacious squeeze. "Meet me in our suite tonight after the show. Better be on your best behavior."
——
739 notes · View notes
commanderyes · 25 days
Text
The Commander Says Goodbye
I’m not going to lie, I’m extremely anxious as i’m writing this, out of what these news could mean to a lot of people, and my heart feels heavy enough it could drop down my ribcage any minute from now and squish all my other organs. But I’ve been dancing around this topic for a long time now, and I think i’ve finally reached a point where i can’t ignore it anymore, for my own sake.
I hereby announce Commander Yes has come to an end.
As I’ve mentioned plenty of times before, here and to many other people, when I began this comic all the way back in 2018 I was in a really bad, really low place in my life in every sense of the word, and it was a spur-of-the moment decision to cheer myself up, because Path of Fire had just released and my enjoyment of the game had reached fever pitch and I had been playing Guild Wars 2 alone since as far as launch, and none of my other friends had ever really gotten into it. I guess I just, dunno, cried out into the big maelstrom of the community, one voice amidst millions, because i wanted SOMEBODY to look at what i did and revel in the nerdery with me.
And somehow the snowball began to roll and people wanted more and more of what I could do, and I was being actively reached out to, and, well, some time after that I landed my first ever job, I discovered a lot of things about myself, and I found myself in communities that welcomed me with open arms, and many of the people in there have since become among the best friends I could’ve possibly encountered, kindred souls who i’ve shared joys and sorrows for many years and who I can’t imagine living without anymore.
And all the while I kept making the comics, and with every entry posted every week I’d keep having people stopping to comment on them, and whether they were dumb jokes or personal takes on the story, they’d all share how much what I do kept hitting them in the kokoro, and to this day whenever I play anywhere in the game I still get people who recognize me and thank me for doing what I do. It was wonderful, it IS wonderful, and seeing that response motivated me to keep going, because what did still mattered to people, out there.
But I did always say I planned to keep doing these comics until I ran out of energy for them, and I think i’ve finally reached that point.
Because ever since I actually landed that job I’m exhausted and sleep-deprived every other day, so much so that I only have time to work on the comic on saturdays and sundays, and it gets harder and harder to just sit and draw, and at that point it was just more work, and while I still enjoy and play Guild Wars 2 a lot, it no longer consumes my time and attention like I’ve used to and i’ve been having fun with more personal projects, and honestly the direction the story is taking these days does not sit right with me and it’s hard to find inspiration in that, and this might be borderline selfish but every year I find people care less and less about the comics and it really takes a hit to you motivation when hardly anybody responds after you’ve spent a whole weekend trying to squeeze a five-page comic out.
And, well, I have been doing these for six years straight, and I think that’s a good run. I’m tired, and ready to move on, at long last. Let it be someone else’s turn.
But that’s the beautiful thing about this community, isn’t it? Even if I’m hanging up the hat, there are a whole lot of fantastic artists out there, as we speak, still cranking out works of art, deserving of all the attention they can get. And think of all the artists yet to come! For every story that ends, another story is just about to begin!
The world keeps on spinning, one way or another.
I’ll be closing my patreon shortly after this, but the reddit archives and tumblr blog shall remain for people to browse whenever they feel like (or until they both go in flames, i guess, what social media isn’t about to these days)
I still don’t think I ever was that much of a big deal, but all the same, to everyone who’s ever supported me and helped me be the person I am right now, to everyone who’s been there from the beginning, to all the devs of this game that has captured us for nearly a decade now, to all my fellow players and artists out there
Thank you.
See you out there, fellow commanders. Still the stars find their way.
Tumblr media
363 notes · View notes
kalims · 7 months
Text
kiss your best friend | ignihyde
Tumblr media Tumblr media
kiss your best friend and see how they react!
parts. one , two , three , four , five , six , seven
characters. idia, ortho
content. gender neutral reader as usual, platonic for the bby, wingman ortho at it again, forgot about this ngl
note. sorry guys idia's part was messy but I mean, I'm just portraying his chaotic feelings ig. I SWEAR ORTHO'S PART MAKES UP FOR IT SINCE HES THE CALMER ONE
damn part six finally hear after almost a year (I'm so sorry help)
Tumblr media
idia
is having the fastest inner monolog you will ever hear in your life, if it was being read out loud that is. could be nominated as rapper of the year with how fast he's blurting out thoughts in his mind.
also probably vocals of the year too with how high pitched, and small in range it is. what a versatile king 🔥
'anywaysitooklike10yearstryingtofindthisitemcausetheysaidtheysawitbutohmygodwhatinthethreehellsishappeningOMGaretheykissingmechatamidreamingOMGimnot??WHAT WARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'
to make your life easier 'anyways it took like ten years trying to find this item cause they said they saw it but oh my god what in the three hells is happening OMG are they kissing me chat am I dreaming OMG I'm not??? WHAT *incoherent screeching.'
probably has never kissed anyone besides his body pillows which is just one sided making out so completely forgets his 'lessons on teaching himself how to kiss' and freezes up. comically gets goosebumps and remains frozen even after you pull away.
then starts turning red from feet to head??
he has so many questions that he in fact, does NOT want to ask cause even if it cost his life he can't question you if you guys are dating now cause YOU JUST KISSED HIM SO THAT MEANS YOU BOTH UPGRADE LEVELS.
wait he can't call it friendship level. clearly you're both past level 10 now right?? INTIMACY LEVEL???? HE DOESNT KNOW HES PANICKING.
is too awkward to ask and acts even more awkward as the time is more prolong during the time he's just left wondering what the hell you guys are now cause he's too pussy to do anything without confirmation that you're both duos for life now.
ortho
is the one idia rants to about his predicament right after you part ways.
like, idia doesn't even try to call or contact ortho through the means of technology even if it meant getting to talk faster. he's BOLTING to the dorm with his unathletic ass (with breaks in between.) because the tea he was going to spill was that good.
listens intently and goes :O when idia finally mentions the part where you randomly kiss him out of the blue, by the way only getting to the point after idia spills.. umm.. the wrong thing to be honest, literally retold the whole day until that point.
yeahhhh.. he has the energy atleast.
idia is probably telling ortho about how it meant nothing even though you literally outright kissed him, to the cheek, mouth, or something and he's still gonna say it didn't mean anything.
ortho gotta be the one telling idia to make the move cause no idiot would mistake that for nothing (except idia apparently but he'll have everyone know that his brother is a tech genius!!)
they both do one of those scenes in movies where P1 - idia, is talking to you in real life with an earpiece, and P2 - ortho is said person behind the earpiece. basically the one telling idia what he should do because that guy is too lost for his own good.
"brother move closer!"
"... isn't this too close already though--" <- embarrassed and regretting everything
in the end he did manage to get a label on the two of you, no thanks to HIM and all the thanks to ortho <3
Tumblr media
note. ortho's part just ended up as an extension of idia's part but I always love to include him in everything :') just some behind the scenes on how idia actually got a relationship (ITS ALL ORTHO)
not pr, who prs anyways cries
685 notes · View notes
konigs-left-pec · 7 days
Text
After like 6 months, I've FINALLY decided to let this heap see the light of day. Colonel!König is still ruining my life (specifically domColonel!König...I'm totally normal about him and 100% on my knees and chewing through my cage.)
mdni: smut, v fingering
Masterlist
Tumblr media
König had just returned from a month-long stint in the Middle East and was still fully geared up, shedding dust all over the living room rug when you decided to throw off your robe, revealing his favorite strappy black lingerie. His tired blue eyes widened almost comically in surprise, though that feeling was quickly overtaken by burning lust as he drank you in, fatigue pushed to the side just like he was about to do to the dainty translucent cups hugging your breasts like a second skin.
And then his phone rang.
"König..." Your sigh was a warning, a pleading whine to let it go to voicemail just this once.
"I'll be quick, liebling." He promised, kissing your forehead sweetly and pulling the still ringing phone from his pocket, "Go wait for me. I'll be along in a few minutes."
You complied, albeit not without a grumble or two beneath your breath as you stooped to snatch your robe off the floor before heading to the bedroom. You wanted - no - needed his hands, his lips, his cock. Anything that he would give, you would take. You wanted the darkest parts of him to consume you, the parts that offered only pain blighted pleasure. You would thank him for it.
Your claim to the Colonel's time was peripheral, of course, and those optimistically promised few minutes had evolved into a half hour of you squirming unsatisfied in your shared bed, palm crushing the delicate lace of the open gusset framing your pussy, fingers struggling to reach the spot you needed most. Physical touch not nearly enough, you turned to fantasy, trying to conjure the weight of his body above you and the punishing glide of his cock. You didn't even hear the door open nor the click of it closing behind him as he stepped into the room.
"What are you doing, schönes Mädchen?"
Gasping, you floundered, finding yourself unable to articulate under the intense scrutiny he fixed you with nor to stop the futile way your fingers kept moving in and out of your soft cunt, muted squelching noises filling the deafening silence between you. Foggy with pleasure you notice he'd removed his tactical gear, dressed only in his fatigue pants and a gray tee stretched over the broad barrel of his chest.
His left hand was skimming lightly up your leg and by the time he got to your mound, you were trembling like a leaf in the wind.
"You've been bad tonight, liebling..." his fingers gently pried yours free from your messy quim, taking their place in a lazy plunge in and out that had you gripping the sheets, "I told you to wait for me..." He popped two of his sticky fingers into his mouth and your brain fizzled, "How do you think I should handle this, hmm?"
You need to come. He's tapping gently against the intricate lace framing your needy cunt; you grit your teeth and open your eyes (when had you closed them? ), realizing he's expecting an answer. You knew what he wanted to hear.
"I need to be punished, sir."
It comes out breathier than you intended, you can't seem to get enough air with the way he's staring into your eyes; his own pupils dilated, pitch black engulfing his normally bright blue eyes until only a sliver of color remained. He only hums thoughtfully in response, removing himself completely from your person (you swear your cunt actually weeps at the injustice here) and stands beside the bed, arms folded across his chest as he waits for you to join him.
"On your knees then, meine frau."
Your breath skitters in your chest when you notice the way he's straining against the seam of his trousers and you stare pointedly, reaching to press your palm against the heat there. He inhales sharply through his nose, a hairline crack in his indomitable control before he bats your hand away, repositioning them on his hips, wordlessly encouraging you to sink to your knees.
He peers down at you over the swell of his chest, pulse leaping against the strong line of his throat despite the calm and steady breaths he's taking in. You want to be a brat, make him answer for keeping you waiting, but you also want him to rail you into the carpet until your knees bleed; an answering pulse throbs between your thighs and you clench around nothing.
Guess that settles that.
"Show me how obedient you can be for me."
156 notes · View notes
matsutoy · 3 months
Text
Translation of character introductions from anime comic "Eiga no Osomatsu san"
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Osomatsu
Eldest son of the Matsuno family
ver. ADULT
NEET, virgin. Miraculous idiot with the mentality of an elementary school student. Loves pachinko, horse racing and girls.
ver. age 18
Every day he runs after girls' butts and suddenly thinks to himself. What is a sextuplets? What is an eldest son? Graduation??
Karamatsu
Second son of the Matsuno family
ver. ADULT
NEET, virgin. Always immersed in his own world and trying to look cool....but no one takes him seriously.
ver. age 18
The tense atmosphere in the house frightens him. More concerned about his brothers than himself.
Choromatsu
Third son of the Matsuno family
ver. ADULT
NEET, virgin. He seems serious, but he's not. He has high self-consciousness and gets angry when someone points it out to him.
ver. age 18
The pitch of his voice, the way he walks and the way he turns is just crazy. He seems to be the only one who looks positively on those days.
Ichimatsu
Fourth son of the Matsuno family
ver. ADULT
NEET, virgin. A dangerous guy with half-closed eyes speaks in a muttering voice. He has a low opinion of himself. Loves cats.
ver. age 18
Age where he still tries to do his best in many things. He is consciously trying to get out of the circle of his brothers.
Jyushimatsu
Fifth son of the Matsuno family
ver. ADULT
NEET, virgin. He is in charge of the excitement levels and physicality. He is kind of impossible to understand.
ver. age 18
He's sharp as shit. But even he doesn't really know why. Once he lets his guard down for a second, he immediately becomes an ordinary Jyushimatsu.
Todomatsu
The youngest of the Matsuno family
ver. ADULT
NEET, virgin. He is calculating, mocking, heartless. Nickname Totty.
ver. age 18
He is very attached to his brothers and wants to remain that way after graduation. Hates change.
Totoko
ver. ADULT
A heroine with beautiful looks but an outspoken personality. She says what she thinks as it is. She is good at body blows.
ver. age 18
A heroine who has known sextuplets since childhood. She is almost crushed by the “title” that those around her have hung on her.
_________________________________________
Images taken from Bookwalker. Translated by DeepL translator and my corrections. The translation may seem a little strange, but the meaning is fine. Jyushimatsu's profile could be more incorrect (I had a little help from Chockie with it)(and I took a part of the translation from kaleidion (they translated Spoon.2Di profiles)(there was the same line)).
223 notes · View notes
kathaynesart · 4 months
Note
I remember when you first started Replica and I haven't been here in a hot minute!
May you please do a debrief of what it is, the characters and their relationships.
I want to be able to give my friend (who I finally dragged down into this TMNT rabbit hole) a good explanation of your wonderful comic!
(⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)
Aw thank you so much! Hm… I suppose a summary would be good to have on hand. For the uninitiated with no context, here is the basic elevator pitch:
The year is 2044 and the last remaining Resistance of Earth has just fallen to the alien invaders known as the Krang. In a last ditch effort to save the planet, Casey, a freedom fighter is sent back in time to undo the events that first led to the invasion. While he is ultimately successful in his mission, the state of his original fallen timeline remains unknown. The last of the freedom fighters, his family, perished to ensure his safe escape, leaving their world to the mercy of the Krang.
Which brings us to the ultimate question: when you already know the heroes are doomed to fail, what can be gained from being told their story?
Tumblr media
For the rest below, I’m going to write with the assumption that the reader has some basic knowledge of the series and the film because I feel that this story is best enjoyed with proper context.
SUMMARY
Replica is a story meant to answer many of the questions the first 4 minutes of the movie left us wondering. It’s to explain the basic history of the bad future timeline and how it came to be. The plot focuses particularly on the later half of the apocalypse, all with the intention of leading up to the opening scene where the Krang wins and Casey Junior is sent back in time to fix the mistakes that Leo and his family could not.
It’s to answer questions like:
How did Leo get injured?
Why is Mikey so old looking?
What were these characters like in the future?
What happened to Raph, Donnie, and April?
Where is big bad Krang Prime in all this?
How did the Resistance finally lose to the Krang?
Did they plan to send Casey back in time in advance?
What happened to this world/time-branch after Casey Jr was sent into the past?
MAIN CHARACTERS
For the most part, the cast is comprised entirely of characters from the series. My goal is to keep this as canon as possible, so no new OC's... save for one (kind of).
Tumblr media
Omega Bootyyyshaker 9000 is where this story starts and ultimately where it ends. He is a brain scan AI of Donatello, created to act as both a support system for the Resistance after the turtle’s untimely death and also a key component in a plan that will hopefully put a stop to the Krang should the Resistance fail. Omega is great because he adds some much needed levity to the story, acting a bit more like the aloof but silly teenage Donnie (a side affect of not having to experience the usual physical weariness that comes with being an organic, aging organism in an apocalypse). However, he also adds more weight by being the thing that is supposed to outlast all of them and act as the last line of defense for the remainder of the universe. He claims to merely be a "replica" of Donnie's mind, but whether he's just a digitized scan, his own AI person, or somehow connected to Donnie in a deeper way has yet to be seen.
Tumblr media
Leonardo Hamato: the man, the myth, the legend. Casey Junior spins tales of how great his sensei was in the movie, but in this story we really get to see Leo go from his lowest point as a pawn for the government, crushed by the shame of his past actions, to his greatest height as the leader of the Resistance. He is going to fail a lot in this story... but ultimately his greatest success is overcoming his own inner demons and coming to terms with being the father figure he had never asked to be. He cares deeply for his family and Casey... but he thinks he'd be a horrible dad.
Tumblr media
Michelangelo Hamato: the only other surviving turtle to see the end of the world. He is the emotional bedrock of the family and a stand in therapist when he's not being a silly little guy. His mystical powers are unparalleled, but in his attempts to regain his lost Ninpo he taps into something far deeper, leading them down a path that intertwines the destiny of their doomed future and a past that has yet to occur.
Tumblr media
Casey Jones Jr: a sweet boy taken in by the Hamato family. He strives to become a great warrior like his mother (Cassandra) and his Sensei (Leo). We are going to watch him grow from child to teenager as he slowly takes on the roll of being a fighter in the resistance. Through it all he must walk an unsteady line that allows him to find the strength to weather the storm but retain a certain spark of hope that helps keep his family going.
Tumblr media
April O'neil: Commander of the Resistance and another honorary Hamato family member. She is the voice of reason and most emotionally stable of the family. Even after dealing with so much loss, she keeps a stiff upper lip as well as cold and calculating mind that always puts the colony's wellbeing first and foremost.
Tumblr media
Donatello Hamato (deceased): The story begins shortly after Donnie’s passing during an infiltration mission against the Krang. He was dead set on planting a probe behind enemy lines that would allow them to spy on the Krang’s movements. However it seems that he had a secret agenda in planting something that would work as a final doomsday weapon against the Krang. What that is exactly, we do not yet know. The man self-destructed in a last ditch effort to avoid being interrogated by the Krang as well as a final attack to injure Krang Prime.
Tumblr media
Raphael Hamato (deceased): The eldest brother who sadly passed away many years ago in the fight against the Krang. A boisterous but considerate man whose death sapped a great deal of the fighting spirit out of his brothers. His absence is greatly felt, but he might not be as far gone as he seems.
Tumblr media
Krang Prime (One): Our big bad of the story. He is the leader of the Krang that has latched onto this planet like a cancer, using up its resources and assimilating its population. However, unlike the hundreds of planets that have come before this one is particularly personal. He doesn't want to merely assimilate but utterly destroy the descendants that caused his imprisonment thousands of years ago. His current state is unknown after being last seen with Donatello at the time of the man's self-destruction.
NEED TO KNOW DETAILS
All Resistance fighters have tiny self destruct bombs in their brains so that the Krang can not probe their minds to find out the Liberty Colony's location. They go off automatically after Krang infestation reaches a certain percentage, but can also be set off via voice command.
Donnie's brain bomb was far more potent because of the amount of information he knew. He did not want to risk the Krang getting any part of his mind.
The Krang have been searching for the resistance in a frustrating game of cat and mouse which has only become more difficult now that the Resistance easily knows their every move by using Donnie's probe.
Central Park Colony: now destroyed, but was once the last massive human colony in North America, housing both the EPF (Earth Protection Force) and US Government. Racism was a huge problem as most yokai and mutants were either quarantined, tested on, or used as living weapons in the fight against the Krang. It has since been destroyed.
Liberty Colony (aka the Resistance): grew from the ashes of the Central Park Colony. It is comprised of the survivors and lead by Leonardo, April, and several others. It is much smaller and more militaristic, but treats yokai, humans, and mutants equally.
Artificial Intelligence (like Omega and Shelldon) are able to fend off the Krang assimilation that people and tech would normally succumb to. It is for this reason Omega is used as both a protector of the Liberty Colony and operator for a majority of the vehicles so that the tech can no longer be easily taken over by the Krang during attacks.
Leonardo and Michelangelo (as well as Donatello's) Ninpo have all been stripped from them by this point in the story. While Leo can not tap into his family connection at all, Mikey at least has regained the ability to use some of his mystic powers.
Mikey's mystic abilities however come at a price. Since he can not tap into his Ninpo and the fountain of energy from his ancestors, he is instead using his own life force to cast his spells. It is slowly draining him.
TIMELINE Can be viewed HERE
SOURCE MATERIAL The video that inspired this all can be viewed HERE
Hope this helps! Sorry it's a bit long, tried to break it up with images. At least there might be a few interesting bits of information other readers may not have noticed. I snuck in a few things that haven't been mentioned yet, hehe.
312 notes · View notes
ninapi · 7 days
Text
°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。
Tumblr media
- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Better Half ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌
Premise: Nobara forced Yuuji to stop by a food stand every time they came back from a mission. The girl working there always entranced the youngster, causing his teammates to tease him more than usual. An odd encounter brings her a little too close to Sukuna who ends up just as smitten as his counterpart with the young beauty. Which half will get her heart? Only time will tell.
Word Count: 2381
══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══
Old sweet Nobara…
She might be a good friend, sweet, loving teammate, yeah all that and more…but Yuuji had reasons to hate her, as much as he had reasons to love her.
Nobara loved the colorful streets of Tokyo more than anything in her life, she lived for the very little time she had to indulge in the magic of the alleys, though, every time they came out of a particularly tough mission, she would beg her loving teammates to stop by her favorite crepe stand.
“Oh c’mon! Like you don’t like going there as much as I do…More even…”
“I beg to differ…” Megumi plopped on a near by bench hoping that would stop her from walking any further.
“Ok, maybe you don’t. Cuz you’re a grandpa. But Itadori is a different story, isn’t it mate…?” her suggestive smirk made Yuuji uncomfortable to say the least.
“I mean…their crepes are really nice…so fluffy…and…flavorful…” his voice was low, so much more than his usual boisterous one, it was comical.
“Oh yeah, fluffy…definitely…” this made his cheeks turn crimson, his fidgeting getting in Megumi’s nerves.
“Gotta pee or something?”
“NO!”
“He’s just eager to see his lovely crush.”
“So he does like her, huh? I guessed as much to be honest...” heaving a defeated sigh, he got up from the bench being the one leading the team now on their way to the delicious smelling food stand.
“W-where are you going Fushigoro?!” Yuuji trailed after his friends that were currently sharing a mischievous grin like a lost little baby duck.
“Kinda hungry, man…”
“You should try the chicken one, it blew my mind…”
“GUYS! Can you stop for a second?”
“Of course not.”
The sigh that left the pink haired male made them burst into a flush of evil laughter, his sad puppy eyes and frown making him look adorable which just made it all worse for him.
“Aw, baby Itadori needs a hug. Shall we communicate his needs to the cute lady crepe chef?”
“Her name is (Y/N).”
“What? How do you know that Fushigoro? Do you like her too?”
“Too, huh? She has a name tag you moron…”
“Oh….really? I mean…”
“You mean to say you haven’t even glanced at her boobies? Wow, this is worst than I thought, I think he’s in love~” Nobara skipped her way over to the stand, dramatically moving her hands as she was a maiden in distress.
“I hate her…” his puppy eyes turned watery as he shared a look with Megumi.
“Nah…you don’t. Let’s catch up before she really tells her to hug you-“ he hadn’t even finished his sentence when Yuuji was already behind Nobara, a desperate look on his face.
“Ugh, HI!” a high pitch little scream left him, making him even more flustered, your cute giggles making him feel ridiculously happy for some reason.
“Hi~ You want the usual?” He had a usual? He realized he’s never really ordered anything, he just stares at your face from the moment he arrives until he leaves.
“Sure! It’s the best flavor ever!”
Nobara looked up with a raised eyebrow as she adds his order on the screen, “Strawberry cheesecake?”
Is that what he always ate? It was certainly good, girly as hell, but good. “Yeah, I mean is so fluffy, you should try it too, Kugisaki.”
“If you say so, I’ll get one of those then. How about you, Fushigoro? Chicken?” he just nodded, staying silent in the background assessing the situation from afar. He noticed how you’d smile at Itadori a tiny bit brighter than you did to Kugisaki, your pretty eyes sparkled so much that it made him blush, and that, was weird.
Your hands brushed Yuuji’s when you handed him his crepe, then placed the other two in a carrier and gave it over to Nobara. It was very unnecessary, yet you seemed to know how he’s always so hungry and eager, like you knew he wouldn’t wait until he arrived at a place to eat it peacefully, as if he was dying to bite onto it as soon as possible.
And right you were, his first bite was something else… his nose ended up full of wiped cream and that dorky smile of his full of crumbles.
You didn’t have to do anything about it, but you did. You leaned over the counter window and got it off his face with a wet tissue, the adoring smile you had on your face not easily missed by both of his friends.
“Sorry to break the lovey-dovey moment, but Gojo-sensei is waiting for us. We must eat them before he finds out we’ve been eating sweets without him.” she grabbed onto Yuuji’s elbow, dragging him with her like a dog on a leash.
“Ugh…(Y/N)! Thanks! It’s as good as always and I’m so clean now! Feels great! You're the best, your boss should give you a rise or something!”
“Oh for fuck sakes…shut up Itadori…you're embarrassing...”
He was now being dragged away from you by both of his embarrassed friends. His smile though, never leaving his face, just like yours didn’t for the rest of the day.
══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══
“You went where??” Gojo was pacing back and forth in the classroom, lack of sugar being pretty evident in his current behavior making them feel even guiltier.
“We just made a little pit stop on the way, gotta eat too, you know?"
“You didn’t just make a ‘pit stop’…you went to my favorite crepe stand…and didn’t bring me anything….you’re such a soulless bunch of brats…it’s unbelievable…I’m so good with you all and you just…” his sulking increased even further, making Nobara giggle.
“You’re such a drama queen, sensei…”
“King, you mean. King of the world~”
“Ugh, I’m out of here…”
“So what’s wrong with Itadori?” stealing the last bit of his defenseless student’s crepe, Gojo sat on his chair, feet resting on his teacher desk.
“He’s in love…with an older woman…”
“She’s not an older woman!” the little snarl he gave Nobara was one that would rival a feisty tiny chihuahua, but it gave Gojo a pretty good idea of how serious this whole thing was.
“So, who’s this older woman?”
“The crepe stand girl.”
“Oh, ok Itadori’s right, she’s not an older woman…maybe a couple of years older than you at most. She’s a part-timer I believe.” the look in Yuuji’s eyes changed immediately, turning into a soft dreamy one.
“Though, you might want to keep yourself at bay, Itadori. Must I remind you the king of curses lives within you? Just thinking of sweet little (Y/N) being in danger makes me feel sick…” his words were harsh and made Yuuji recoil, he knows this, all too well, but there was no need to worry as much, is not like he was planning on confessing or something.
Without giving as much as a reply to his superior, Yuuji just left the classroom and hid himself in his own room for the rest of the day.
It was so frustrating to him how he couldn’t even have a crush, how much this curse has affected his life and how much he sometimes wished he would get to be a normal teenager once more.
To make things worse, Sukuna has been listening all this time…
Falling in love made Yuuji weak, his defenses were slowly disappearing and his mind was just somewhere else, the perfect timing to go for a little ride.
══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══
Another mission came along the next day, it was an easy reckoning one, over after an hour or so, there was no excuse to go for crepes and for that Yuuji was grateful.
However, Sukuna himself had other plans.
Yuuji’s depressed aura as they walked past the street you worked at was the final push necessary for him to take full control of his host’s body.
“Itadori, how about we get some ice crea- 
Itadori?
Fushigoro…Itadori’s gone-“ looking around desperately there was no sign at all of their teammate.
“What? What do you mean gone?” turning around just as desperate, all he could see was a dust cloud, proof he had been there not long ago, but not just of that, but also of the fact that he had left at an incredible speed.
The amount of cursed energy coming from down the road overwhelmed the young sorcerer, his face paling instantly. “Kugisaki….Sukuna…he’s…he’s here…”
“Tch, of course, he loves coming out when Gojo-sensei isn’t here…What do we do now?”
Megumi’s face was worrying her, he’s not someone to show fear easily, it also meant he had no clue of what to do next and she wasn’t great at this sort of impromptu life saving plans.
“What’s wrong, Fushigoro? Is he going too far this time?”
He just nodded, swallowing his anxiety down, “The crepe stand…”
Now that was playing dirty…he would for sure harm you if that meant getting full control of Itadori’s body, the perfect token for blackmail.
With a frown and unshared words, both ran towards the direction emanating the ridiculous amounts of cursed energy.
Though, what they found at the scene was beyond their expectations.
You were leaning on the window, like you usually do to get closer to Yuuji, like if nothing was out of the ordinary, like he didn’t have a completely different appearance and voice, making Megumi frown with distaste.
While he was fully concentrated on your safety, Nobara had her eyes on Sukuna. Saying his demeanor was odd, would be an understatement.
His smirk was wide, his eyes mischievous, his elbows were leaning on the same windowsill as you were, his face inches from yours. “My lovely angel, would you be willing to go to the depths of hell with me? I mean, hypothetically of course…” his words made you giggle and blush.
In all honesty, you did notice the change, though you didn’t question it much, is not like you had knowledge of curses, therefore the idea of your crush being possessed by an evil curse never crossed your mind.
“Is hell a nice place?”
“It isn’t. But I would make it comfortable for you if you do agree to come with me…”
Megumi’s blood ran cold and without thinking much he grabbed Sukuna by his elbow pulling him away from you, “Itadori…you’re scaring (Y/N)…”
Truth is, he wasn’t though. 
You had a delighted face while talking to him and the flirting has been mutual the entire time.
While Yuuji’s real and sweet persona made your heart skip a beat with his cute shyness, Sukuna’s assertive and even commanding self made your knees weak. 
You didn’t really understand his change in demeanor and you even considered him having double personality, but the truth was simple, you liked both sides equally, and didn’t mind one bit if he indeed had it, he at least seemed to remember you in both states.
But you went along with Megumi’s act, as he looked quite disturbed and worried, he did know him better than you after all.
Megumi’s words seemed to stir something inside Itadori, his eyes switching from a harsh scowl to a soft worrying misty look. He was struggling to gain control back since he really didn’t want to harm the woman he loved and he knew very well what Sukuna was capable of.
“What are you talking about, brat? You like this side of me much better, don’t you gorgeous?” his playful wink made you swoon, causing Itadori’s stomach to sink just a bit.
“I like every side of you. Though, why the face painting? Are you guys performing art students?”
“Something like that…now If you excuse us, we won’t be getting any crepes today, we need to take him home, he needs a bit of…ugh…rest.”
“Think about it babe, alright? If you so wish to, I’ll make you my queen.” 
After his last statement, Yuuji finally managed to wake up and gather his bearings, he felt like crap and had no energy left within his body. With an arm around each of his friends, he was able to get back to the academy in one piece, though, his heart had taken a harsh blow. 
You liked Sukuna…but you also liked him?
Tumblr media
°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。°。
Masterlist
81 notes · View notes
ronniehutch · 9 days
Text
Tumblr media
Mirror, Mirror
"Actually it's ‘magic mirror’ not ‘mirror, mirror’" WOMP WOMP I DON'T CAREEEEE!!!! 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
Masterlist
Okay this bad boy is a doozy... Just to clarify, it switches between flashbacks in Derek's perspective (which are written in italics), first person Reader's perspective, and third person limited Derek's perspective.
I looove giving Derek angsty backstories y'all 😭😭😭😭 this one is dramatic as hell but I had fun writing it and that's all that matters...!
Pairing: Derek Danforth and fem!Reader
Word count: 3.5k
Summary: Derek is still reeling from a traumatic experience that left him broken and insecure when his mother tells him that not only does he need to "put himself back out there," she's already set him up to be wed to a girl he's never even met.
Tags in order of appearance: cursing, verbal outbursts, insecurity about physical appearance, arranged marriage, Microsoft Solitaire, anger issues, affair, ‘I can fix him’ homies make some noise, nightmares, sleep-talking, cuddling
Tumblr media
"Did I tell you to write this in comic fucking sans? It looks fucking stupid! Are we a Fortune 500 company or a fucking daycare? You know I only approve of Helvetica, Times New Roman, and maybe Arial if I'm feeling generous!"
"I'm... I'm sorry, si-"
"I'm... I'm... I'm..." He says in a high-pitched voice, mocking the employee in front of him. "Get the fuck out of my office. Next time I see you, you better be holding that stack of papers printed out with the correct font, not some fucking Disney shit. And the cost of the ink you wasted is coming out of your next paycheck."
The employee swiftly exits, leaving Derek alone in his office. He looks out the window at the city; at the oblivious people walking on the sidewalk below. Everyone is so fucking incompetent. He wonders if he'll always have to be this angry. He can't help it; if people would stop being so fucking dense, he wouldn't have to lash out the way he does. His eyes focus on his reflection in the window. He immediately looks away. He doesn't have time to mull over his feelings. He has work to do. He closes the blinds so he doesn't have to see his face anymore.
-
I sit in my room, fixing my hair. My father comes into my room with a stern look on his face, which is custom for him. He holds a coffee in his hand, surveying me above the rim of his mug as he takes a sip. He clears his throat, demanding my immediate, undivided attention.
"A friend of mine has a son who is single. She wants him to get married to improve their public image. I told her you were available."
I laugh. "What?"
"Your wedding is in a few months."
I stare at him for a moment, waiting for him to tell me he's joking, but it never happens. I feel like I'm going to throw up. What? You can't just do that. It's 2024! People don't do that anymore—not in America, at least! Before he can explain further, I grab my bag and push him out of the way, running out of the house.
I don't end up having the time to grab my car keys before I rush out, and I'd be damned if I sulked back into the house to grab them. Luckily, Washington D.C. is a walkable city. I speed-walk to the coffee shop a few blocks from my house. It's my favorite place to think, and I can't imagine another place I'd rather process this bombshell that's also within walking-distance of my house.
The café is packed today. There's only one empty table, a two-seater that looks like it's only just now been abandoned based on the not-yet-cleaned residue on the surface.
I order a coffee and promptly sit down at the aforementioned table, cleaning up after the previous patron's mess. I simply enjoy the soft hustle and bustle of the coffee shop's atmosphere, grateful to be left alone for the time being.
-
Derek sits in his room, fixing his hair. He's admiring his brand-new frosted tips—making sure to keep his eyes on his hair and not on his face—doing his extensive curl routine. His mother comes into the room with a bitchy look on her face, which is custom for her. She holds a cup of tea in her hand, and she simply watches him for a while before finally clearing her throat, to which Derek reluctantly turns his head to make eye contact with her.
"What?" He says, pissed at being interrupted.
"I've been thinking a lot about you lately."
Uh, yeah, obviously she's been thinking about him a lot. He's fucking awesome.
"I've decided to take your... Eligible bachelor status into my own hands. It's not a good look for you to be single at 28."
He's a little less than ‘eligible’.
"And I have a friend who has a daughter who's just wonderful-"
"I'm not letting you set me up on another blind date, mom," he groans with an eye roll, turning back over to the mirror. Last time he went on a blind date, it went awfully. He had been ridiculed by his colleagues for, like, two weeks straight when they found out that he had puked on his date's shoes.
"Well, you have no choice. You two are getting married in a few months."
His neck probably almost snaps with the force used to whip his head around to face her.
"What? You're fucking with me."
"I'm not."
He abandons the scrunching of his curls to march up to his mother. "You can't fucking do that! I'm too busy with my business to focus on a marriage!"
"You're going to have to find some way to do both, Der-"
"You're such a fucking bitch, mom!"
He then storms out of the White House with nothing but his phone, keys, wallet, and trusty skateboard. As he skates down the sidewalk, just trying to clear his head, he comes across a small coffee shop, and something in him tells him to go in. He picks up his skateboard, walking into this coffee shop that he didn't even know existed prior to today. He orders a black coffee, giving the barista a thin-lipped smile and curt nod as he pays. He turns around and stops in his tracks when he realizes that there are no open tables, and he doesn't want to leave the building, because he figures that Secret Service could be hot on his trail by now. He'll have to lay low for a bit, which means that he'll have to camp out in this café.
He gives the shop another quick glance, spotting a woman sitting quietly at a table. He'll have to turn on the charm and pray she's not waiting for anyone.
-
"Hey, Derek, my fianceé and I are getting married in a few months. I was wondering if you'd like to come to the wedding?"
"I don't fucking have time for weddings, Bob. I'm busy doing extremely crucial work, here. Go ask one of your coworkers who actually gives a fuck," he drawls, turning back to his computer screen once Bob exits.
Derek makes one final move and clicks the auto-complete button, watching the cards sort themselves into their proper places. They start to dance across the screen, indicating yet another victory. Microsoft Solitaire is fucking awesome.
He clicks ‘new game’, and the screen goes black as it loads a new deck of cards. It's taking a lot longer to load than normal. His mind drifts off as he waits. He thinks about weddings. You know, because Bob is getting married.
Weddings.
Wedding.
The wedding.
He catches a glimpse of his tired eyes in the black computer screen, and he remembers how those same eyes looked when he saw his reflection in mirrors on that day years ago; happy, hopeful, in love.
Love.
What a fucking joke.
The game is loaded now, but he's not interested anymore. He slams his computer shut, burying his head in his hands.
-
She's snapped from her thoughts by the appearance of a man approaching her table.
"Hey there," Derek starts, giving her a strained smile. "You mind if I sit here? Not very many other options here," he says, gesturing at the packed building.
"Sure." She shrugs. He sits down in the chair across from her, crossing his arms and leaning forward. She opens her damn mouth. "How are you doi-"
"Leave me alone," he mutters.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't have any interest in talking to you about my business."
She sighs. "If you talk to someone about your problems, they won't feel as bad."
"Leave me alone."
"Come on-"
"Fuck off!" He shouts, catching the attention of all of the cafés patrons. He storms out of the building. He's angry. Again. He's never not fucking angry.
"Excuse me!"
He turns around, seeing the woman from the café holding his skateboard and coffee. "You left these behind."
He stands there, bewildered. She walks toward him, handing him his things. "I hope you have a good day," she mutters, returning to the building.
-
His best friend and best man enters the room, a look of utter worry on his face.
"Hey, man, can you sit down?"
Derek plops down in a chair, his tuxedo pants a little stiff as he changes positions.
"I'm sorry, but... Beatrice disappeared. We can't find her anywhere."
His smile immediately drops.
"What?"
"She's just... Up and vanished. No trace."
He stands up, rushing out of the room. He runs to the room where she was supposed to get getting ready. Her dress is still hung up on the rack. It's beautiful, he's sad that he ended up spoiling the experience of seeing the dress for the first time.
"Beatrice? Honeybea?" He says, searching the entire room. The bed, the closet, even the cabinets that he knows she wouldn't come close to being able to fit inside of. What if she just... Spontaneously decided to play a game of hide-and-seek?
He doesn't find her. He finds a note, though, underneath the wardrobe. Must've accidentally gotten kicked under there at some point. He begins to read it, choking when he sees those four words that have never once left his mind since: I found someone else.
-
Yesterday, my father told me the news. Today, he's taking me to meet my new future husband. I am much, much less than thrilled at the prospect, but I'm deciding that I'm just going to cooperate. Not like any part of this would get any better if I'm being a bitch about it.
When we pull up in front of the fucking White House, my bottom jaw nearly falls off of my face. You've got to be fucking kidding me. I'm getting married off to someone who works for the President?
As it turns out, I'm not getting married off to someone who works for the President. I'm getting married off to the President's son. The President is going to be my fucking mother-in-law.
"Dad, this is insane. How the hell did you get President Danforth to pick me as her daughter-in-law?"
"Jess and I go very far back."
Apparently far enough back that he's on nickname-basis with the damn President. I wish I put a little more effort into my appearance. I had no idea I would be going to the White House today, much less meeting the President's son who happens to be my fiancé.
I silently trail behind my father as he walks up the front steps to the White House. When he knocks on the door, President Danforth answers, and she does that thing that French people do where they kiss you on both cheeks. First to my father, and then to me. She beckons us in, claiming that she is ‘so pleased to finally meet me’ and I am ‘such a beautiful young woman’ who she is ‘so excited to introduce to Derek.’
We walk through, like, a mile of hallways before reaching some random lounge room. When we enter the room, I freeze in my tracks. It's that guy from yesterday. From the coffee shop. When we make eye contact, he seems just as surprised as I am.
"Well, honey, Jess and I are going to go chat outside. Why don't you two get yourselves acquainted?" My father says, patting me on the back and promptly exiting. I watch him leave, and then turn back to Derek, who's sitting on his chaise lounge, arms crossed tightly over his chest. I stride over to the couch adjacent to him, sitting with my arms and legs crossed.
"Hey."
He glares at me. "I'm not gonna be your fucking friend, okay? I don't know why you're so obsessed with trying to talk to me, but you need to cut the shit."
"Okay, well now I want to talk to you because we're getting married."
"So then what about yesterday? When you fucking provoked me for no reason?"
"I couldn't have possibly known that you would react that way."
"And then... And then you came outside to give me my shit after I screamed at you in the middle of a fucking restaurant. Why did you do that?"
"Because I wanted to be nice!"
"You wanted to be nice." He scoffs, rolling his eyes.
-
It gets him thinking. As corny as it is, he really can't remember the last time he was nice to someone just for the sake of being nice. Bea would've been disappointed in him. Not that he cares if Bea would be disappointed in him. Well, he would care if old Bea were disappointed him. Pre-affair. They used to sit together just like this on nights just like these, her hand playing with his hair...
-
At this point he's almost entirely supine, the only part of him that's upright being his upper back and head. It's a very unflattering angle, but I get the idea that he doesn't exactly care about flattering me. I have no idea how long I'm going to have to sit in this room and ‘acquaint’ myself with him, but I figure I'll just turn on some TV show and pass the time with that.
He shifts so that he's lying on his side, his head resting on the armrest. He seems to be teetering precariously on the edge of unconsciousness, his eyes beginning to glaze over as he idly watches me flip through the channels on the flat screen TV that's excessively huge.
I turn on some random sitcom I think my dad used to be a big fan of back in the day. Based on the episode premise it seems like it'll be good to stare at blankly.
Derek is dozing off. I happen to drop my hand on the armrest of his lounge, not thinking much of it, when I feel his hair up against my palm. He seems to be subconsciously seeking the touch of my hand, which I provide, playing with his frosted curls.
I don't exactly expect to fall in love with this dude, but he's definitely more husband-material when he's like this. Which is definitely a bad sign. ‘I only like my husband when he's sleeping’ sounds like a pretty terrible predicament. Probably because I am in a pretty terrible predicament.
"Mmm... Missed you, Bea," he mutters under his breath. He appears to be awake now? But his eyes are still closed, and seems to be under the impression that I'm someone else. He moves his hand up to remove it from his hair, bringing it down to the armrest and interlocking our fingers.
"Wait..." He opens his eyes, jolting back. "Who... Oh." He seems genuinely disappointed. He stares at me blankly for a moment before he sits up, crossing his arms and leaning against the back of the lounge. His eyes are glued to the television like he's hoping if he's quiet enough, I'll forget about what just happened.
"Who's Bea?"
"Beatrice," he says aggressively, before immediately lowering his voice. "Her name was Beatrice. She only let me call her Bea."
Was?
"I'm sorry for your loss," I say softly.
"She's not dead."
"Oh. Uh..."
"She's very much alive."
"I'm... Sorry?"
"Wish she wasn't," he says through gritted teeth, flashing me a look.
"Who exactly is this person?"
"My backstabbing bitch ex-fianceé who left me on our wedding day for another man," he says, making it sound like that's a sentence he's tired of repeating.
"Oh, shit."
"So I'm sure you can imagine that this whole wedding thing is reopening some pretty nasty fucking wounds," he says, storming off. He exits through the patio door, going out into the garden. I follow behind him.
"I know you're behind me," he mutters hostilely.
"I just want to talk. That's all I want."
"That's all you ever fucking want, it seems."
"I'm sorry I want to not have a turbulent relationship with my husband. I'm sorry I want to be able to speak to you without fighting."
He sits down at a bench, his elbows on his knees. I sit down next to him, resting a hand on his hunched-over back. He tenses for just a moment.
"You don't seem very emotionally stable," I mutter under my breath, not really expecting him to hear.
He glares at me. "My life isn't very stable to begin with. And of course you've gotta get yourself fucking involved in it."
"You have got to remember that this isn't my fault at all."
"I know, I know," he sighs. I begin rubbing circles into his back, trying to release some of the obvious tension in his shoulders.
"I know we don't know each other... Basically at all. But I'm here for you, okay? I'm... Gonna be your wife soon, so I have to be here for you."
"Yeah, whatever."
A grating voice emerges from behind us.
"There you two are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" His mom emerges from around the corner. "Well, looks like you two hit it off, huh?"
"Yup," he says with a forced smile and a thumbs up. Jessica sees through his facade, giving him a disapproving frown. "Now, Derek, you're going to be marrying a very nice young lady," she says, as if I'm not literally sitting right there, "and I expect you to get along with her. Why don't you show her to your room?"
"Joy," he mutters, firmly grasping my wrist and leading me away from the bench. He takes me through the ending halls of the White House, eventually leading me to his room which is... A choice. It's very flashy. I think every single kind of animal is represented in print. The worst part is undoubtedly his closet, which I spend probably far too long perusing. He has shirts with patterns I never even knew existed. When I finally decide to leave his wardrobe alone (if only to preserve my sanity), I find that he has up and vanished.
-
He feels like his reflection looks different tonight. He tries to hide his physical appearance with his stupid hair and his stupid clothes, but sometimes he can't avoid looking at himself. And tonight, as he stares at himself in the mirror yet again, scrutinizing his facial features, wondering why he wasn't enough for Beatrice... He looks different. His eyes look brighter. The bags under them look a little lighter. He seems more alive.
"There you are," she says softly, entering the bathroom and joining him in front of the mirror. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," he mutters, sighing. He doesn't want to talk to her. Why is she so insistent on talking to him?
"Your mom told me that she wants me to stay in your room tonight," she says, eliciting a sigh from him. He knows what that means—his mom wants his new fianceé to sleep in his bed. When was the last time he slept in the same bed as a woman? ...Luckily he has a California king, so he'll be able to stay far, far away from her.
She seems equally less than thrilled, which is good, he supposes. At least they're on the same page.
-
I didn't bring any pajamas to wear (because when I first came here earlier I had no idea I'd be staying the night) and he, of course, doesn't own any. He's probably the type to just lounge around half-naked when he doesn't feel like getting dressed in the morning. He awkwardly tells me that I can sleep in my underwear, and that he plans on sleeping as close to the edge of the bed as he possibly can either way so it doesn't really matter. Alright, sure.
I find myself tossing and turning through the night. I'm not entirely sure why, because even though I'm really stressed about this whole marriage thing, Derek's bed is comfortable as fuck and I'm also absolutely exhausted. My lack of sleep proves useful, however, when I hear a strange noise in the night; it sounds like Derek's having a nightmare.
I sit up, the light from his phone barely illuminating the room just enough for me to make out the outline of his curled up form in the blankets. I scoot over to observe him. He's twitching, babbling about how he's ‘so sorry’ and how he'll ‘do anything for you to stay’. Is this about that ex-fianceé? Poor guy.
This probably wouldn't have happened if I weren't so tired, but I end up wrapping my body around his, burying my face in his back. The twitching ceases and his breathing slows, being replaced by a steady snoring.
-
In the morning he'll wake up in her arms, and although he'll likely never heal from what happened to him, he'll consider that maybe there are people out there who might be willing to be patient with him. He'll wonder if he really is as ugly and unlovable as he thinks he is, or if Beatrice was just a piece of shit. He'll make amends with the window in his office and the Solitaire loading screen and his bathroom mirror. He might just learn to accept his reflection, because not everyone cares about looks as much as he thinks they do.
-
AN: @midnight-alliance I know you were excited for this one here you go 😍😍
I see a character who's genuinely just a bad person and I'm like grrr but they HAVE to have a tragic backstory that lead to their terrible attitude!! They're depressed!!!! They're actually an uwu little cinnamon roll four pack blorbo 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 (I'm extremely far gone btw)
66 notes · View notes
thankskenpenders · 1 year
Text
MORE behind the scenes Sonic info and other tidbits from the BumbleKast as I continue to get caught up. These range from September 2022 to early December. (This means there are spoilers for Frontiers in here.)
They're doing episodes even more often now, so I've got a lot to catch up on and I'm sure most of y'all do too!
1. The IDW comics are, in fact, canon to the games now. Ian was a little coy when first asked about it, saying he "would not argue against it" if people said the IDW comics were canon to the games now. "I have made it clear that the comics follow the lead of the games, so… as long as there's no contradictions anywhere, we're good." So, yeah, come on. The comics are canon.
2. Ian apparently pitched another idea for incorporating Sticks into the IDW series last year that was once again shot down, although he says this only makes him want to dig his heels in and try harder. (I'm assuming most of you are already aware of her shout out in Frontiers, confirming she's out there, somewhere...)
3. If Surge was a streamer, Ian thinks she would just grief people on Fortnite
4. On the October 7th, 2022 show, Ian says there is a behind-the-scenes answer for how the depiction of Silver's future in '06 can fit together with Rivals and Rush... but he can't talk about it right now.
It's hard to convey his tone through text, so just imagine he's saying all this with a big, defeated shrug:
"Here's the thing. Working on something else, I actually did get a straight answer, and it was... frustratingly simple. And, it's like, 'That works. [sigh] Okay!' No, I can't get into it - that's all private work stuff - but maybe it'll come to light eventually. But... there is an answer. And it works. And I kinda feel dumb for not thinking of it."
I honestly have no idea what this could be if it's something Ian hadn't considered, because he has talked about popular theories and readings before, such as the reading that Blaze was transported to the Sol Dimension at the end of '06. Maybe we'll hear about it in the comics, since Silver and Blaze are both back right now, or maybe they'll be the subject of a TailsTube episode.
5. Froggy is not sentient in any way he really is just a frog
6. Unrelated to Sonic, Ian was asked "who is best pony" and he said Fluttershy. My longest yeah boy ever dot jpeg
7. With Surge and Kit originally being pitched as purely synthetic beings before Sega suggested they be cyborgs instead, Ian says they would've struggled with whether or not they're even real, as opposed to the end product where they struggle with not knowing who they were before Starline modified them
8. When the female cast of Archie Sonic stopped getting drawn so busty all the time that was, in fact, a very specific editorial mandate from someone at Archie. Sega, on the other hand, has never cared.
9. Now that we're back to Classic and Modern being part of one nebulous timeline and the divide being more of a branding thing, Ian explicitly confirmed that the Classic-themed IDW Sonic comics are set in the past of the mainline IDW Sonic comics. They're set sometime after the events of Mania, and before all the Modern stuff. Just don't think too hard about it
But hey! If it's any consolation, this now means all the Classic characters like Mighty, Nack, and Honey are out there off-screen in the world of the regular comics, even if the casts are remaining separate for branding reasons for now. It also means Shadow is out there being held in a pod in a maximum security off-shore military prison during the events of all the lighthearted Classic comics lmao
10. Ian reiterates yet again that he's still pushing to try and get the Freedom Fighters back in some capacity where he can (as are others). He also says that he's pushing for them to return as a group rather than requesting individual members because he believes that's the best shot at getting any of them through Sega's approval process.
(I can't remember when the last time this came up was, but Ian has also implied that he thinks their best shot is to return as Classic characters since their one game appearance is Spinball.)
11. Ian outright confirms that the forward-looking character arcs in Frontiers are reflective of what he would like to see out of the main cast moving forward in the games. Not surprising since that's, like... the whole point of those arcs! But nice that he wants it to only be the beginning.
Ian does also say, however, that he's not guaranteed to return as the writer for future games since he's still a freelancer, but to editorialize here, I don't see why they wouldn't want him back for the next project.
12. On the subject of Amy's characterization in Frontiers, Ian personally pins her general seriousness mostly on the fact that she's the companion for the first island, where the mysterious and somber tone Sega wanted for the story is being established and Sonic is still trying to figure out what to do. He says that she'd probably have been more bubbly if she was interacting with Sonic on the second or third island, after he starts to get his bearings. I hoped this was the reason why she felt a little dry compared to Knuckles and Tails, so it's nice to hear this isn't the new direction for Amy or anything.
13. While "officially" Sage's name is just an anagram of Sega and a reference to her wisdom, Ian seems to be cheekily implying that it's also a nod to the annual Sonic Amateur Games Expo. Hell yeah.
14. When asked to clear up some Frontiers lore from the Egg Memos, Ian explicitly confirmed that some of the Ancients left the Starfall Islands and went on to devolve into the Chao as we know them today over the course of tens of thousands of years. He says, however, that this doesn't mean that Ancients and Chao are literally the same species, comparing it to the difference between humans and australopithecus. But yes, they're related.
419 notes · View notes
ghostykapi · 1 year
Note
i thought about something... twice girls finding the engagement ring you're going to give them and how they would react? if that's okay ❤️
twice reactions to accidentally finding the engagement ring you were gonna give to them
im nayeon
"i- i can explain!!"
nayeon found it while borrowing some of your coats for the day. she didn't have the color she wanted, but she knew you did and wanted to borrow one. you let her choose one over breakfast and didn't think much of it, sipping your morning drink while she rambles on what she would do for today. you would only start to get concerned when she would go silent while checking the pockets of the coat.
"what's-" she would pull out the black box, your eyes wide at it. shit she wasn't supposed to see that yet, you just got that a few weeks ago
you watch as she opens it, unmoving from your spot on the couch with your morning coffee. you watch as her eyes go comically wide as the tips of her ears go red when the realization sinks in
"you weren't supposed to see that yet" you mumble shyly as you put down your mug on the coffee table. you can feel her eyes staring at you just after staring at the ring for a solid 5 minutes
"you got the ring i described to you at our 7th date" she wonders out loud, sitting down right beside you. her head on your shoulder, both of you unconsciously curling up against each other, the box now sitting on the coffee table for you both to look at
"correct" you still refused to meet her eyes out of embarrassment, but she wasn't having any of it. she has her hand grasping your jaw to make you look into her eyes that makes your head feel so light and your heartbeat suddenly going faster
"ask me that again after a month, i need to get you that ring you wanted" she leans in for a kiss and you meet her halfway, sealing the deal
yoo jeongyeon
"are you serious? this-this isn't a joke?"
jeongyeon didn't mean to find the ring while cleaning around your apartment, she swears! still, she sits there on your bed, staring at the box with the ring you planned to give to her.
how long have you had this? how long did you think about marrying her? where will you both even get married? does her parents know anything about this?
she's swimming with so many questions in her head that she doesn't notice you freezing by the door when you see her with the ring. you walk in slowly and go down with your one knee, patiently waiting till she looks at you with a teary smile
"hi" you whispered, bringing up one of your hands to wipe away the tears "i have this whole thing planned but you've found it already"
"i didn't mean to find it now" she doesn't stop crying but she leans forward to give you a kiss "but my answer would always be yes"
hirai momo
",,,,can we also get kids?"
momo swears she's on a high right now after finding this ring. of course this was an accident, she didn't mean to find the ring hidden in the living room. it was a bad place to hide stuff anyway, why did you put it there in the first place? it doesn't matter anymore when you waltz in your shared home to find her and her dogs simply staring at the ring on the coffee table.
"this is certainly a sight to see" the tips of your ears are red and you can feel your face burning from embarrassment
she looks up at you, the blush finally appearing on her cheeks
“do you have an answer?” you shift from one foot the other, looking down and refusing to meet her eyes “but it’s ok if you don’t! i don’t want to pressure you but i just saw the ring one day and i thought about you and i thought about how it would be nice to called your wife and i thought how nice it would be to a nice ceremony for both of our families or just for us and-“
you don’t notice her standing up, with the ring box on her hands just so she can stand in front of you and kiss you to shut your mouth
“my answer is yes”
minatozaki sana
[lesbian high pitched squealing]
sana would be the physically most hyper out of all of them. she would be bouncing on walls, kicking her feet up on the bed, screaming into her pillow out of joy, rambling to momo on the phone the minute she find out about it. you know. the usual
it's just that you're currently overseas to do some work with a partner international company. so she puts back the ring where she found it, goes to shop for your ring the next day and simply waits for you to pop the question so she can big time uno reverse card on you.
it only takes a few weeks for you both to be on a vacation somewhere in switzerland. the cold morning air seeping in from the open window as you both ruin the sheets and make love in ways you can only describe in actions
so it happens in bed, with both of you popping the question at the same time, that earns laughs and kisses that bring you both into reality. a reality that yeah, the love of your life just said yes to forever
park jihyo
"look, we can be twinning baby-ⁿᵒᵒᵒ ᵈᵒⁿ'ᵗ ᶜʳʸ ᵇᵃᵇʸ"
jihyo had already got you a ring months back i’m your 4th anniversary, just tucked away neatly in her makeup area. she was already searching places to travel to so she can pop the question when she found out that you had bought her a ring. where did she find it? that’s the funny part
“thanks for coming to help me with this nayeon unnie and jeongyeon unnie” you were on your phone by the door, not noticing that jihyo’s shoes was also there, indicating that she got home early from her solo schedule “yes i’ll keep the ring hidden unnies, i’m just worried that i haven’t found the right place to propose y’know?”
you walk in the kitchen, your left hand holding your phone and your right hand holding both bags that contain the ring and her favorite snacks. you still don’t notice that she’s in the living room, watching you silently from the couch, the laptop already on the coffee table, with a widest smile she can have
her chest already feels so full, but it bursts when you mention all your little ideas to surprise her. maybe she would prefer it over a dinner with a stunning view, or maybe somewhere more private with just the two of you, in a little restaurant tucked away from prying eyes.
“baby” she calls you from the couch, her pout evident as you aren’t in her arms “come home”
you stutter out a goodbye to the two on the phone, before hurriedly turning of the phone and practically jumping in her arms.
“you saw the box didn’t you” she can’t help but laugh at the way you’re pouting “my surprise is ruined”
myoui mina
[shoving it back to where she saw it] "i'm blind"
in all honesty, mina wasn’t really thinking of marriage any time soon. she’s simply content with your relationship right now, with no need to rush things and loving the domestic routine you both has set up over the years.
still, she won’t lie that her mind went a bit into overdrive when she found out where the ring is. hidden on the shelf where you display your other consoles that you collect.
her heart would be hammering in her chest as she shakily puts it back where she found it. her head reeling in the fact that the idea of being married to her was so real that you bought her not only one, but two rings. for her to choose and wear when she likes.
you knew how much she prefers her hands not having that much accessories while gaming, so while you had got her a nice ring with a shiny diamond to show off (thank fuck you knew the ring maker personally so you got a nice discount), the other one is simple but elegant, with engraves of her favorite gaming quote.
so she takes this as a sign to finally seal the deal. she buys that ring, inspired by your favorite game to play with a bit of tweaks here and there.
you both propose to each other in hawaii
kim dahyun
"you beat me to it?!?!?! baby!!! no fair!!!"
dahyun isn’t upset she swears, but when she finds the ring in your jacket pockets while you both are on vacation, she’s just shocked and happy. just a little dramatic on how she shows it, especially that you both are having a vacation in paris
you can’t help but laugh as she grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you in over dramatic fashion. you can’t even be embarrassed to begin with, not with her acting so endearing to you
“i was going to propose too! i had my ring ready back in our air bnb ready for that nice dinner we were gonna have tomorrow” she whines as you pull her into a hug, your laugh finally dissolving into giggles
“you can still propose to me tomorrow” you tease her before dropping down on one knee, your smile leaving her breathless “but is my turn first. kim dahyun, will you make me the happiest girl and marry me?”
staying true to her word, she pops the ring by the time tomorrow’s dinner rolls around.
son chaeyoung
“a ring huh?”
chaeyoung wasn’t that observant with her surroundings sometimes, due to her focusing on certain aspects of her career. you didn’t mind however, you were just surprised that she didn’t notice it for so long with the amount of almost slip ups you made right in front of her. well, not until today it seems
there she stands, cornering you down on your couch with the ring box she found hiding in plain sight on your desk. her eyes filled with mystery and that makes you both scared and nervous at the same time
“did you really think you were gonna beat me by proposing first” her voice has the commanding authority that you only hear in the bedroom, that sends your brain into a a confusing state of anxiousness and arousal
“i-i was uh” your brain is short circuiting as she smirks “i was planning on it b-but before i-i can make any reservations you found it”
she coos at how meekly you answer, so she takes pity by softening her gaze and bringing her hand to cup your cheek, her thumb tracing the outline of your lips
“my sweet muse, you don’t need to do that. i’ve already have a reservation for us next week. all you need to do is bring your pretty self and that ring so you won’t be the only one walking out with a ring on their finger by then”
chou tzuyu
"let's get married. i can buy us plane tickets right now"
she's thrilled to see them! her love has gotten her a ring even before she had to start dropping hints that you both should get married, so you calling each other "my wife" feels more legalized. of course she doesn't know how to explain to you that she's found out where you hid the ring in your closet, but that doesn't matter anymore!
"so" tzuyu's eyes burn into your skull, as you're fixing tonight's dinner, while contemplating if you would like to wear a suit or a dress. maybe a mix of both? maybe you want to wear your traditional clothing?
"so" you reply back "i see you slipped the ring on even if i haven't asked yet"
oh. oh!
she looks down on her left hand, and there sits the ring in all it's glory.
"it fits." she simply states and when you turn around to look at her, you can see the joy shining so bright in her eyes "i just had to wear it"
"i didn't even get to ask the question" you pout and she can't help but giggle at how cute you are
"well i'm already wearing it without the question" stands up from the table to give you a kiss. she can feel the smile on your lips "i need you to pick a date for our plane tickets after dinner "
"wh- plane tickets????? already??? wh-“
535 notes · View notes
sleepymarimo · 4 months
Text
𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨!
Tumblr media
summary: unbeknownst to you and toji, your clients have ordered hits on one another. pairing: toji x fem!assassin!reader cw: none, mostly some comical fluff an: i think im just gonna expand on this small blurb... and make a mini series. also this is kind of a reupload, my stuff was temporarily hidden by tumblr, so… wc: 1.1k
Tumblr media
this assignment was a piece of cake.
sit pretty and let this guy yap, yap, yap... which he was very much happy to do so long as you grazed your fingers over his knuckles or indulged him with a giggle or two.
you had to admit that he had good taste.
the restaurant bloomed with hushed conversations, the popping of champagne bottles and the gentle rattling of cutlery. dim, yellow bulbs provided just the right glow, making for quite the evening.
the sly politician was eager to show off, which was fine. he'd already spilled the information that you needed to know, bragging about his secrets and then some. now all that was left was to, well, end it.
a dull, heavy creaking from the wooden door lets you know that someone else has entered the restaurant.
it's no big deal, or at least you think so until your date suddenly looks pissed off. his eyes narrow, focused on the spectacle behind you.
you take the opportunity to reach into your purse and sprinkle a deadly concoction into his champagne, your job nearly complete.
"sorry." his tone is hardened and irritated. "my ex-wife just walked in."
oh? that’s interesting, since she’d been the one to hire you.
the clacking of heels has you figuring that she’s making her way over, perhaps to bid her husband one last farewell.
she stops just short of the table and you raise your head, preparing a pretend greeting, but instead you find yourself utterly dumbstruck.
you don’t expect her to be hanging off the arm of toji fucking fushiguro.
it's been over a week since you'd seen him last, yet he was as supercilious as ever.
the raven haired assassin does a much better job of keeping his cool, his beryl green eyes desultorily sliding from you to your ‘date’.
your jaw tenses, an action only perceivable to him.
similarly, you’re quick to notice how his eyes, sharp as flints, spark to life as he looks toward the man sitting across from you.
something was up.
ever the sly, sly, dog, he grabs the ex-wife a chair and makes sure she’s settled in. his strong, calculating hands make sure she’s comfortable, running over her shoulders before he takes the seat next to you.
he’s absolutely thriving off of this whole situation.
the couple is quick to bicker, throwing passive aggressive comments and jabs between one another.
it works in your favor though, allowing you just enough time and privacy to acknowledge the man beside you.
opening a menu, you raise it just enough to hide your face.
“what the fuck are you doing here?” your tone is hushed, but the annoyance is more than apparent. there’s a sliver of embarrassment in your pitch too, barely masked by the defensive front you put up.
“job. the guy hired me to shut his ex-wife up.” toji has the brain to follow your lead and pick up his menu, idly looking between you and the overpriced food items. “was gonna take ‘er out after i fucked her, but she said she wanted ta bring me out to dinner, so…”
the audacity of this man…
though you knew very well that he respected no one, not even himself, you had a hard time grappling with his audaciousness.
and another thing… what are the fucking odds that your clients took hits out on each other?
luckily, the couple continues to be too preoccupied with one another to care about the conversation going on between the two of you.
“she hired me!” you quietly hiss, kicking his calf with your heel. there’s a pounding beginning to bloom in the back of your skull, your frustration growing. “i already poisoned his drink!”
your fellow assassin hums, tongue poking out to trace over his scarred lip before focusing his attention on you.
emerald eyes bore into yours, menu long forgotten as he laxly rested his chin in the palm of his hand. his gaze, as always, is intense and cocksure.
it makes your stomach churn uncomfortably, your brows furrowing. “what?”
“poisoned his drink?” he quietly echoes back, snorting lightly as he crosses his arms and settles into his chair. “y’mean the one she’s drinking?”
the air is knocked out of your lungs, what was supposed to be a smooth exhale instead coming out as a wheeze.
your client has nearly drank half of the champagne you’ve poisoned, perhaps in an act of defiance. her ex-husband, pissed off, snatches it out of her hand before gulping the rest for himself.
the dosage was enough to take down a damn elephant.
oh, for fucks sake…
“i'm gonna head to the bathroom.” you’re quick to stand, grabbing your purse and giving toji one last kick that screamed ‘let’s go’.
the sorcerer killer follows your lead, his voice rough like gravel as he comes up with the excuse of needing a quick smoke.
outside, the air is crisp and cold.
you’ve walked a block or two, ignoring the couple of ambulances that speed by you with their lights flashing and sirens blaring.
“i can’t believe you made me kill my client.” you deride, crossing your arms both in protest and as a way to keep warm.
he snickers, running his thumb over the tip of his nose before stuffing his hands in his pockets. “y’killed mine too, sweets.”
ugh, how was he always able to downplay the worst of situations?
the edges your lips tug downwards, your mind fumbling to grasp how this would play out. well, as long as you got paid…
he seems to sense your distaste, finding nothing but entertainment in it. “‘ey, the job is done, princess. calm the hell down.”
oozing with his confident and undeniably alluring charm, he swings an arm around your shoulders, drawing you into his side.
you’d never admit how warm he is. nope, never.
“anyway,” he continues, rubbing gentle circles on the flesh of your upper arm with his thumb. “now i ain’t got dinner or a place to stay. you gonna take care of me tonight, sweets?”
his arm over your shoulder is one thing, but the way his thumb traces over the exposed skin?
the goosebumps rising on your flesh have you swatting his hand away. you’d rather take your chances with the biting cold than with him.
“hey, just quit it!” you growl, ignoring the growing warmth in your cheeks. in an attempt to rid your skin of the lingering buzz of his touch, you rub at it with your free hand. “i’ve been playin’ nice all night. m’done!”
oh, you make it way too easy for him.
he gives you some leeway and keeps his hands to himself, knowing full well that you’d still get him takeout and let him crash on your couch.
“easy, partner.” he dismisses, expertly keeping that heedless demeanor of his as his ever hungry eyes inspected you out from head to toe. “don’t need ya playin’ nice f’me. i like ya better when you’re feisty.”
Tumblr media
104 notes · View notes
Text
A Dead Man & his Raven
Chapter 2
Note: happy spooky season! this fic is inspired by The Crow, Sihtric being based on Eric Draven. Follow up to Chapter 1. Several quotes from the movie and comic are used in the following chapters, they are marked bold, as they are not my own. I was often interrupted while proof reading this chapter, so ignore any errors :)
Warning for entire series: 18+! angst/fluff. this story deals with death, losing a loved one, depression, suicidal thoughts/attempts (no details), murder (described), violence. There is also a lot of fluff, but you have been warned.
Warnings for this chapter: angst/fluff. mention of death, murder, fright, drugs, blood.
pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)
summary: You were reminded of your first kiss with Sihtric.
wordcount: 4,3k
Masterlist
Tumblr media
'I promise you're safe with me.'
Tumblr media
The dead don't carry keys, Sihtric thought as he searched his pockets, but they fucking should.
He snickered at his own thoughts after he had finally stumbled his way home, where he realised he couldn't get in. He looked down at his hands, finding them completely healed again. No more blood, no more cuts. And he scoffed, then looked up at the sky.
You gave me the ability to heal from my wounds but you forgot to give me a key to my home? Nice one, Odin. Now what?
He looked around the empty street, the only movement being water that ran down into the sewer, and then he looked back at the front door.
I could ring the bell, Sihtric thought, and a grin appeared. Ding-dong! Hello, angel, your murdered fiancé is home again! Did you miss me? His grin fell off his face slowly, for hurt and despair to take over. Because I have missed you, my love. He closed his eyes, clenched his jaw and inhaled deeply as he recalled your face. I have missed you with every fibre of my entire being. If I wasn't already dead, I would have killed myself single-handedly over and over again, because living without you is unbearable. He angrily kicked at the door. Don't worry, love, I can't die twice I've been told. But I swear I will kill every single fucking bastard who did this to us. He kicked the door again. I will kill every last man who broke us up, before we could even vow to not let death do us part. They're dead, my love. They're all dead. They just don't know it yet. He kicked the door again, harder this time, as his tears fell down with the rain.
'They're all fucking dead!' Sihtric growled, and kicked the door open with force.
Tumblr media
The neverending nightmare.
More or less recovered from your breakdown after work, you managed to continue your drive home. You ran up to your front door, through the pouring rain, and when you wanted to stick your key in the door, you saw it had been breached open. You looked around you, but there was not a sight of anyone nearby. The street may be empty, you thought, but it was still Devil's Night. The night on which people commit petty crimes as well as serious crimes, such as murdering your fiancé last year, because the cops can't be everywhere at once. Therefore, you also knew that calling the police would not be of any help right now. A simple house robbery was not of importance on a night like this.
With trembling hands you pushed the door further open and you quietly stepped inside. You waited in the dark hallway for a minute, but didn't hear a single sound, apart from the violent rain outside. You walked down the hallway and, before reaching the door to the living room, you carefully took an umbrella from underneath the coat rack. Armed with your pathetic weapon of choice, you then kicked the second door completely open with force.
'If anyone is here I swear I will bash your fucking head in!' you shouted, holding the umbrella tightly in your shaky hands.
While breathing heavily, you once again waited for any kind of sound or movement as you looked around the pitch black room. And again, apart from the rain, it was quiet and there was no movement. Until a sudden voice scared you half to death.
'You would bash my fucking head in with that umbrella, my angel?' the voice said, and a soft chuckle followed, 'an angel of death you would truly be.'
Your heart skipped numerous beats at the familiar voice; your favourite voice, which sound you had missed so desperately. The umbrella fell out of your hands and you immediately turned to switch on the lights, only to stare into a cold, empty room.
'What the fuck!' you breathed, eyes wide.
You exhaled sharply after a few long secons and let out a laugh, which turned into a sob as you realised you had imagined Sihtric's voice. You already were afraid you would start imagining and hearing things around the first anniversary date of his death, but this had seemed so real. It truly scared you and made you even more upset than you already had been. You kicked at the umbrella in front of you and, when you turned back to the hallway, suddenly one cold hand grabbed your chin as the other covered your mouth to silence you.
And you stared up into Sihtric's mismatched eyes.
'Please do not be frightened of me, angel,' Sihtric said fast, but calm, hoping you weren't going to scream. Or punch him in the face.
Your eyes grew even wider, and Sihtric removed his hands after a moment, taking a step back.
'N-no,' you whispered, fear and near insanity laced your voice, and you stumbled backwards into the hallway, landing hard on your behind with a soft cry.
'No,' you then chuckled, 'this isn't real,' you said while crawling backwards. 
Your nails scratched at the wooden floor, and your wet shoes squeaked while desperately trying to get away from whatever your imagination was projecting right now.
'Darling,' Sihtric said, and he crouched down, reaching out with his pale, trembling hand.
'No!' you screamed and covered your face with your hands, crying as you shook your head, 'leave me alone! This isn't real! This isn't real!' you shouted, pulling your own hair as you kept your eyes closed, rocking back and forth in the corner of your hallway.
'Shh, shh,' Sihtric hushed you, and cupped your cold, trembling hands with his own, stopping you from trying to tear your hair out. 
'Listen to me-'
'No!' you cried out, terrified, backing yourself up further into the corner, but there was no escape from this nightmare blended dream.
'Listen to me!' Sihtric said again, compassionate but firm, 'it's real. I am real,' he slowly pulled your hands away from your face and cupped your cheeks. 'Look at me,' he whispered, 'look at me, please,' and at last, his voice broke under the pressure of his own emotions, 'I need you to look at me, angel,' he said with a sob.
Your body trembled as you slowly opened your eyes, teardrops stuck to your eyelashes, blurring your vision when you finally dared to look at Sihtric, who then sat back, giving you space as you rubbed your eyes free of tears as much as possible. 
Sihtric, who was not a figment of your imagination, was actually truly there. Your dead fiancé. He was there. Kneeled down right in front of you, staring at you with his big, teared up eyes as he took in every inch of your face.
'I… I… don't… unders-s-stand,' you nearly panicked.
'I will explain,' Sihtric said, 'but, please… just,' he inhaled sharply as tears started to roll down his cheeks, 'p-please just hold me, please,' his trembling hands reached out to you again, 'I'm so… so cold. I've been so cold without you. I need to- to feel you, please?'
And then, without thinking or having any doubt in your mind, you wrapped your arms around him. You tightly held the man who had your undying love. You breathed in the familiar scent of the man you thought you would never see again. And you both cried as you held each other, down on the floor, hiding in the corner of your hallway, while the wind outside howled and the rain came crashing down.
'Sihtric?' you said with a soft sob.
'Please,' Sihtric whispered, and his cold hands took your face again, 'please, kiss me,' he breathed.
And your lips found those of the man who had taken your heart with him to his grave, after his own heart had stopped beating, exactly one year ago, at the corner of the street you still lived on. And you suddenly remembered your first kiss.
Tumblr media
Love at first sight.
Many, many moons ago, you met Sihtric for the first time at your local concert venue. His band, Hangman's Joke, had finished their set about half an hour ago and they already packed up all their gear, which one of their members had loaded in a van before taking off. 
It was your first time hearing and seeing the band, but you enjoyed it, and you couldn't deny that the guy who was the lead guitarist as well as the lead singer, was as cute as he was hot. He was dressed in black leather boots, black leather jeans and a black shirt which had tears and holes in it. He was very muscular, and you had to stop yourself from staring the entire time. He was almost ghostly pale, truly nailing the whole gothic look, without even seeming to try. His dark, shoulder length hair was wild, but not in a neglected kind of way. He had a well kept goatee, which told you this guy clearly took care of himself, unlike most so-called underground rockstars you knew of. You definitely enjoyed the amount of eye contact you had with him during his performance, and to your pleasant surprise, you suddenly found him standing next to you. When you looked up, he was already gazing at you, leaning on the bar while he smiled.
'Hey,' he said, with a faint hint of shyness, 'may I buy you a drink?'
You tried to suppress your smile and rolled your eyes as you looked away for a second. Was this going to be a cheap pick up attempt? You weren't easy like that, but he was to die for, really. So you decided to test him.
'That depends. Do you always pick up girls after a show?' you asked, desperately trying to not be intimidated yet intrigued by his strong appearance.
'Oh, all the time,' Sihtric scoffed, clearly pretending to be offended, 'it's a hobby of mine to see how many I can get in my bed in one night.'
'I see,' you feigned being impressed, 'and how many are you expecting to land in your bed tonight?'
'Tonight? Just one,' Sihtric said with a cheeky half smile as he leaned in, 'just you,' he winked.
You couldn't help but laugh and blush at his words. He was obviously unserious about his "hobby", but there was truth in his last answer, you could tell.
'Very smooth,' you chuckled.
'Yeah?' he laughed, 'did I impress you by giving you merely a vague hint about my wild sex adventures after shows?'
'Almost,' you snorted, and couldn't get yourself to look away from his eyes as he smiled so sweetly at you.
There was something so sincere about him, so honest. There was again that hint of shyness in his smile, as the dimly lit venue couldn't quite hide his slightly flushed cheeks, which had reddened after you had smiled at him. He fidgeted with his rings, which told you he was a little nervous, or maybe high on drugs, you thought, but you noticed his pupils were rather normal. You also noticed his eyes were two different colours, and you felt you could easily get lost in those for hours. 
'I, eh, I'm Sihtric by the way,' he shyly smiled again and held his hand out to you.
'Hi,' you returned the shy smile as you took his hand and introduced yourself.
His tattooed fingers brushed over yours as he slowly let go, after holding on for just a second too long for it to be meaningless.
'So,' he smacked his lips, 'can I buy you that drink?'
'Perhaps,' you grinned, 'what's the catch?'
Sihtric furrowed his brow and puckered his lips.
'Hm,' he hummed softly as he went over his thoughts, 'the catch is that you'll have to tell me one thing you love about yourself, and one thing you hate about yourself.'
'Oh?' you chuckled, truly impressed this time that a guy for once didn't ask for a kiss or something like that, and you agreed to the deal.
Sihtric bought you a drink and followed you as you found an empty table in the busy venue bar.
'Well then,' Sihtric smiled and took a quick sip from his drink, 'tell me.'
'Okay,' you put your glass on the table and looked at Sihtric, 'I like-'
'No, no,' Sihtric interrupted you, 'I said love, not like. Tell me what you love about yourself.'
You chuckled and sighed softly as Sihtric rested his chin in the palm of his hand, leaning on the table while he sat across from you. The place was packed, but he looked at you as if you were the only person in the room.
'Fine,' you gave him a fake, mean glare, 'what I love about myself is… how loyal I am. Doesn't matter if it's friendships or relationships,' you said, 'I think it's a good trait.'
'It is a great trait,' Sihtric smiled while gazing at you again, 'hard to come by these days.'
'I guess,' you said shyly.
'But now the big question,' Sihtric said as he leaned back, raking his fingers through his hair, 'what do you hate about yourself?'
'Can I only mention one thing?' you grimaced, 'because I got quite the list-'
'Lady,' Sihtric hushed you and chuckled, 'one thing only.'
'Fine,' you huffed and crossed your arms, 'I hate my smile.'
'Your smile?' Sihtric nearly choked on his drink and punched his chest twice as he coughed, 'what are you talking about?'
'I just don't like my smile,' you shrugged, 'for no specific reason.'
'Well, look,' he held his hands up, 'I have to strongly disagree with you here, lady.'
'Okay,' you frowned, 'is this the moment you'll start the heavy flirting, praising me with compliments to lure me into your bed?'
'Actually,' Sihtric said with a grin, leaning in closer over the table, 'my place is a bit of a mess right now. So I kinda hoped I could lure myself into your bed.'
'And what's the catch if I were to agree to that?' you teased, leaning in too.
'The catch being,' Sihtric smiled softly, and he held your chin with his fingertips, 'that you have to promise me you will never believe those negative thoughts about yourself ever again. Because you notice how the thing you love about yourself has nothing to do with your appearance? And the one thing you hate…'
You stared at Sihtric, your cheeks flushed at his touch and his intense eyes locked on you. Then he sat back again, quickly finished his drink and jumped up.
'You want to get out of here?' he asked, smiling, and went to grab his skateboard.
Tumblr media
Sihtric held your hand as you walked out of the venue, back to your place. It was pleasantly quiet out, the streets being empty as it was a sunday night. You had the day off tomorrow and the day after, so you had no plans of finding sleep early. The silence between you and Sihtric was a comfortable one, but you were curious about him, and even more curious about the skateboard he held in his other hand.
'You skateboard everywhere?'
'Most of the time, yeah,' he smiled.
'Really?'
'Yes, lady,' Sihtric chuckled, 'why? Do you?'
'No,' you snorted, 'never done it.'
Sihtric stopped walking and stared at you with a puzzled look.
'You never tried it?'
'No,' you shrugged, 'my balance is shit anyway-'
'Wanna try?'
'What?'
'Come,' Sihtric smiled, holding his hand out as he put his board on the ground, 'try it.'
'Oh, absolutely not,' you laughed and looked at the street ahead of you, 'I'll break my neck.'
'No you won't,' Sihtric laughed, 'come,' he beckoned you over.
With heavy feet you stepped closer to the pale, dark clothed man, and you took his hand. Sihtric chuckled when he helped you on the board, holding it in place by setting his leather boot in front of the wheels.
'No, no,' you giggled as you squeezed his hand, already feeling off balance, 'I'm scared to go off this hill.'
'Hill? You can't call this a hill. Don't be scared,' Sihtric smiled and circled his arm around your waist.
Then, he placed one foot on the board and pulled you closer against his body.
'Wait, what are you-'
'Shh,' he smiled, 'I got you.'
'No. What-'
'I promise I got you,' he chuckled at your surprised face, 'trust me. I won't let anything happen to you.'
Before you could say another word, Sihtric placed his other foot next to yours, and the skateboard slowly started to roll forwards, down the really not that steep street, but steep enough to make you cling onto him. And when you realised you truly weren't going to break your neck, you started to laugh at the quite exhilarating feeling. And Sihtric smiled at you whenever he wasn't looking down the road, and he swore he had never seen a more beautiful smile than yours.
'See,' Sihtric said when the skateboard came to a halt at the end of the street, 'told you nothing would happen to you.'
He helped you step off the board, back onto the concrete ground, where he immediately circled his arms around you again and pulled you in.
'I guess you were right,' you chuckled and looked up at him.
'I promise you're safe with me,' Sihtric whispered, 'always.'
He briefly brushed his lips lightly over yours, before he captured you in a soft, sweet kiss.
Sihtric hummed softly before he pulled away, lightheaded while his heart was beating out of his chest. And when he saw you smiled at him, he brought his lips back to yours again.
Tumblr media
When you woke up in your own bed the next morning, a little sore, you felt yourself pout in silence when you noticed Sihtric was gone. It's not like you hadn't expected him to be anything more than a one night stand, so you weren't really surprised, but you had to admit you were a little disappointed. His flirting had been very effective, and he truly seemed different from any other guy you ever met, so you had some unfair expectation that he wouldn't just run off in the morning. But you also blamed yourself for it being a one night thing. You had not discussed your own intentions before you took him home. Or after you had moaned his name in the middle of the night, when he had his hand wrapped around your throat and his other cupping your cheek, while his forehead rested against yours and his low, heavy growl spilled down over your lips as your fingers were tangled in his messy hair. 
You sat up and searched for your underwear in your bed, when suddenly your bathroom door, which was across from your bed, flung open and Sihtric walked out, shirtless, only dressed in those tight, leather jeans while his damp hair was raked back with his fingers.
'Jesus fucking christ!' you yelled and pulled the blankets up to cover your breasts.
Not that he hadn't seen those before. He had actually done way more than just seeing those, you thought, and you felt your face heat up.
'Fuck!' Sihtric hissed and grabbed his chest, looking equally as startled as you.
'You scared me!' you half yelled.
'Shit. Sorry, angel,' he chuckled, 'I hope you didn't mind I took a shower,' he said a little shyly.
'What? No, no,' you shook your head, 'that's fine. I just… I didn't expect you were still here.'
'Oh,' Sihtric said, and his confidence left his body in an instant, 'I- I'm sorry,' you could see the sudden hurt in his eyes before he looked down at his feet, 'I didn't realise that... I-I should've known this was just a one night stand,' he mumbled and walked over to grab his shirt from the floor, which you had taken off of him the night before, and he put it back on, 'I'm really sorry if I overstayed my welcome. I- I should head home now anyway, I have a meeting soon. So-'
'No,' you interrupted him, 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant… I… I thought it was just a, you know, a quick and random fuck for you,' you said with flushed cheeks.
'Ah,' he clicked his tongue, and anxiously rubbed his hand over his chin, 'I'm sorry if I made it come off that way. That was truly never my intention,' he cleared his throat, 'but, eh, yeah, you know, I better get going anyway. Gotta change my clothes and get some quick food…'
'Let me make you breakfast,' you blurted out as Sihtric picked up his leather boots, and he stared at you.
'What?' he chuckled, then smirked, 'you want to make me breakfast?'
Tumblr media
'What's your favourite flower?' Sihtric asked, his mouth stuffed with cereal as he ate like a wild boar, not having much time.
'What? Oh, uh,' you chuckled, 'uh, roses. Cliché, I know,' you rolled your eyes.
'I like roses. Roses are pretty,' he said and swallowed his food, 'pretty like you,' he smiled before he hovered the rest of his cereal, then jumped up.
'You had enough to eat?' you asked, watching him grab his short, leather jacket.
'Not quite,' Sihtric chuckled, 'but I really gotta go, sweetheart. I can't be late,' he picked up his skateboard and hopped back over to you to kiss your cheek, 'thank you though.'
'You're welcome,' you smiled, and just when Sihtric turned away, you pulled him back in for a kiss on his lips.
Sihtric froze for a second and dropped his skateboard. He smiled against your lips and gently cupped your cheeks, kissing you back, soft and slow. After a moment, which was way too short, you broke the kiss, knowing he had to run. You smiled at him when he suddenly got all shy.
'So, eh,' Sihtric blushed, 'c-call me?' he asked, cautiously, 'will you call me later?'
'Y-yeah,' you felt yourself becoming shy too, 'what time suits you? After your meeting?'
'I should be back home after five,' he said and picked up his skateboard again.
You nodded with a smile and promised to call him as you walked him to your door. He gave you a sweet, slightly awkward peck to your lips and then you watched him skateboard smoothly down the road. And only when you closed the door, and Sihtric left your street in a hurry, you both realised you didn't have his number.
Tumblr media
You hoped that, since Sihtric knew where you lived now, he would come find you after his meeting. But you also couldn't help worrying that maybe he would have forgotten about you by the end of the day. The thoughts drove you mad, and it was only four in the afternoon when suddenly your doorbell rang and you jumped up. Half wanting it to be Sihtric, half trying to ignore that hope, so you wouldn't get your silly little heart broken over a guy you only just met.
You opened the door and, to your confusion, you were greeted by a large package.
'Will you please sign?' a young lady asked, holding a clipboard out to you.
'Ehh, but I didn't order anything?' you more or less asked.
'Is this your name?' she asked, and you took a closer look at the label.
'It is, but-'
'Then please sign.'
You raised an eyebrow in offence, but you were curious now and wanted to know what was in the box, so you signed. The box wasn't that heavy, but it was annoyingly shaped, so you could barely pick it up. After your struggle to get back into your living room, you quickly opened the package, and you smiled a little confused.
Roses. The box held a mixed bouquet of one dozen red roses, and one dozen black roses. Then, your eyes spotted a little note hidden in the bouquet, and you folded it open.
My angel, sorry I had to rush this morning. In my haste I forgot to give you my number.
Here's a small thanks for the breakfast… and the great sex last night.
Call me? x  
You couldn't fight your smile anymore and squealed when you found Sihtric's number on the back of the handwritten note. His flower delivery arrangement had caused him to be late to his meeting, but he couldn't let you slip out of his hands like that.
Tumblr media
'I'm sorry I slipped out of your hands like that,' Sihtric sniffled as he held you tight, after he had scared you out of your mind by coming back from the dead.
After the first shock, he had carried you to bed, where he cuddled up with you, just like he used to before he died.
'I'm so sorry I left you just like that,' he whispered.
'I just don't understand,' you cried, 'how am I supposed to understand any of this? How… how are you here? How do I know I haven't gone completely fucking mental?'
'You haven't,' he said as he took your face, 'you haven't gone insane, I promise.'
'I just don't understand,' you barely whispered.
'I am here because my soul hasn't been able to rest since I died. Odin sent me back to make things right, so I can find my peace.'
'So… are you like… are you an angel?' you sniffled.
'No, love,' Sihtric chuckled and kissed your lips, 'I am too angry to be an angel.'
'I've missed you so much,' you sobbed and fell in his arms.
'I've missed you too,' Sihtric sighed, 'it's been so lonely without you, my love. But at least I could always see you.'
'What?' you leaned back and looked up at him, 'w-what do you mean?'
'The raven… at the window,' he whispered, 'he's my eyes and ears. And I… I see you cry every night, baby,' his voice broke, 'here, in our bed.' 
He moved his hand slowly over the soft sheets you were both under.
'Please,' Sihtric whispered, leaning his forehead against yours, 'don't. Don't cry for me, angel. You have to stop that, please. It's tearing me apart to see you hurt like that, when I can't hold you in my arms or kiss your tears away.'
'But I don't know how to live without you,' you teared up again, 'I don't want to live without you.'
'Shh,' he hushed you and pecked your lips, while you both cried and trembled in each other's arms again, 'I'm here now, okay?'
'Please… you... you can't,' your breath hitched,' please, never leave me again, Siht.'
'You have to understand, my sweetest love,' Sihtric whispered and softly caressed your cheek, 'that all of this is temporary.'
Tumblr media
taglist: @clairacassidy @finanmoghra @uunotheangel @hb8301 @bathedinheat @neonhairspray @anaeve @bubblyabs @travelingmypassion @sylasthegrim @bubbles-for-all-of-us @andakth @bel-bottoms @willowbrookesblog @lady-targaryens-world @skyofficialxx @diosademuerte @elle4404 @alexagirlie @sweetxime @solango @gemini-mama @cheyennep3107 @little-diable @jennifer0305 @drwstarkeyy @mrsarnasdelicious @verenahx @urmomsgirlfriend1
77 notes · View notes
Text
Drop It!
Tumblr media
Warnings: Supernatural elements. Dead!Elvis. Reader’s father is dead. Reader denotes elvis to his face. Dilapidated Graceland.
Summary: It’s move-in day! Reader spends the day fixing up the house. By the end of the night, she just wants to relax but something, or someone, needs to talk to her.
A/N: I am fully aware that graceland is cared for and not at all in ruin but the story calls for it. I put a lot of thought into this series and i really want everyone to enjoy it! The story is inspired by my house and what it’s like living here. though i’ve never come face to face with my goulish friends, i do respect them. A small bit, while comical, is something i actually did experience. Granted, i never spoke to anyone, or at least, never got an audible response. Most of this series includes odd happenings that i’ve dealt with. Isn’t that fun? Non-beliver or not, i hope you enjoy it. Happy reading- Bee💕
Tumblr media
September 2023
The keys resting in your palms bring nothing but joy, even after dealing with a snippy mother and grumbling movers on an overcast Thursday afternoon. It should've been alarming, the way that realtor hightailed it off the property, but you were just glad to get your hands on what once was a beautiful home.
Graceland had nearly fallen to ruin; once the previous owner's legacy began to deteriorate, so did respect for the house. Squatters, Drug dealers, vandals, this house has seen it all. Yet, under all that muck and destruction, you saw a chance to restore its beauty.
Your mother was a bit...perturbed by the decision, wondering what she had done in your childhood that could've led to this point. When the idea was first pitched, she laughed it off, assuming it was another one of your odd bouts, like it was some fairytale. So imagine her surprise when you tossed the paperwork onto the breakfast table.
Your mother's concerns only doubled when she actually saw the house. Move-in day is supposed to be exciting, and for you, it is. Pushing past the doors into your new home is something magical. You don't know where to start. The kitchen? The front room? Upstairs? It's all so tempting.
"Mama, this place, it's so beautiful. Doesn't it jus' make you wanna cry?" You exclaim, unable to contain the excitement rushing through your body.
"...That's...well, that's one way to put it." your mother says, watching for possible loose beams as you traverse through the house.
You kiss your teeth at her tone and begin rattling on about your ideas for the space.
"I can fix her up in no time. We can start with the walls; they only need a few patches and a fresh coat a' paint. Oh! And then we can work on the floors. And I'm sure we can find some replicas or have 'em made. I think-"
"Y/n!" your mother interrupts, "Rome wasn't built in a day, baby. Don't get too ahead of yourself. You already broke the bank buyin' this...place and-"
You shake your head "Mama, don't you know who used to live here? Daddy woulda-"
The older woman before you holds up her hand, face dropping into an unamused expression. "Don't compare me to your daddy; we never did have the same tastes. And of course, I know; Elvis was my crush before you were even thought of."
You tilt your head, shifting to move a box. "But you just said you n' daddy didn’t have the same-"
She cuts you off before you can finish your thought. "Hush up and listen to your mama." A chuckle leaves your mouth as she scolds you.
"After all this time, daddy still can't catch a break?"
Your mother lets out a saddened sigh, "Well, he may not be here physically, but pokin' fun at him is the only way I know he's still around."
Your shoulders drop, and you set the box down. Your father passed away six years ago; he didn't want his family knowing he was sick. You thought it was a cruel joke, some twisted prank set to traumatize you forever. The wails your mother let out that night on the kitchen floor told you otherwise. She tries to pretend but hasn't been the same since—the idea of remarrying tossed to the wind like a dandelion's pappi.
"Mama, don't you think daddy would've wanted you to let him go?" you lament, hoping your mother would consider it this time. But, alas, the notion is shot down once again.
"You may not believe in ghosts or the afterlife, y/n, but I do. Your daddy is always with me. It wouldn't be right to get hitched in his face."
You shrug and continue unpacking, "If you say so mama, I jus couldn't imagine stickin' it out till the very end." That statement seems to tickle your mama pink. "You ain't never been in love, sugar pie. When you meet your mister right, you'll know what I mean."
You purse your lips. Even while talking about her dead husband, she hints at your sad love life. To you, love is just a feeling, and the dead are just that, dead. So your mother's musings about 'ghosts' and 'true loves' are nothing short of fantasy in your world.
"O...kay. Well, we've got a lot to do, and we've been talkin' bout nothin' for ten whole minutes. Let's hop to it!"
Your mother rolls her eyes, "This ain't my dream house, honey. I ain't GOT to do nothin' but stay black and die."
"Oh, here you go with that mess. You agreed to help your only baby move in so that I wouldn't 'die in my sleep cause some spider decided to munch on me,' so don't give me none of that." You mock.
Your mother pops your arm and grabs a broom. "You yo' daddy's daughter, alright. Couldn't have got that mouth from me." She mutters.
For the next four hours, the two of you dispose of odd findings, scrub, wash, disinfect, and grumble through the house. By the time you finish, the home is as clean as clean gets. The sun has set, and all you want to do is eat and sleep. The last thing to set up is the bedroom.
You feel a little strange sleeping in a room that once belonged to such a legend, but he isn't here, and the house belongs to you. The wall of TVs would be dealt with later. For now, a flatscreen was simply placed in front of them; aside from that, you pre-ordered replicas of the bedroom furniture, not wanting to personalize too much.
After kissing your mother goodbye, you trudge up the stairs, stopping halfway to crack your back. Once you return to the master suite, flopping on the bed only seems fitting. A groan escapes you as you realize you still need to shower. Rolling over, you grab a towel from your suitcase, lay out some pajamas on the center of the bed, and head for the bathroom.
While waiting for the water to warm, perched on the porcelain throne, the lights flicker. You'll need to replace the bulbs later; simple fix.
When the water reaches hell, you waste no time jumping in. It soothes your aching body, and all of the tension from today washes down the drain. You hum a nonsensical tune to keep you entertained while you clean away the dirt and grime. In the middle of the improvised song, a crash steals your attention.
You finish rinsing and shut off the water, quickly making your way to the bedroom door. You aren't going to investigate; too bright (or too experienced in the horror genre) to even give that a thought. No, you lock the door and mind your business; that is a morning problem.
When you turn back to retrieve your nightwear, you find them on a chair in the corner of the room. Odd. You could've sworn you left them in the middle of the bed. Whatever, you think as you throw them on.
Plopping down on the edge of the bed, you grab the remote and turn the TV on—finally, a moment of peace. You flick through Netflix, desperate to find good background noise. Landing on your favorite show, 'The Good Place,' is enough for you. It's ironic, don't believe in anything after death, or love, and here you are, watching two dead people fall in love.
Halfway through Episode six, the source of entertainment shuts off. You huff; it was getting good too. The remote is behind you, out of reach, so you aren't exactly sure what could've caused this.
"Probably just a glitch," you mumble, turning the TV back on and resuming your minor addiction. This time, you place the remote on the dresser, ensuring no interruptions.
Despite your effort, it happens again; A guttural noise leaves your body. You're broke in a house that's falling apart with no man, pets, and no energy. TV is the one pleasure you have left, and even that is beginning to frustrate you.
Repeating the process, you hold the remote in your hands, eyebrows raised, daring your peace to try and leave again. After a few moments, you sigh in relief as the halfway point passes and set the remote down. As soon as it comes in contact with the plush, black comforter, the TV again fails you.
"Oh, for fuck's sake." You exclaim.
"Ladies shouldn't swear; ain't attractive." A voice bellows from behind you. A shrill shriek is all that is heard as you scramble off the bed. Your eyes search for the source but find nothing. Slowly, you creep toward the bed and snatch up the remote. "Can't go downstairs till morning, and I'm losin' it in here. What a night." You whisper.
A shiver rolls through your body, and you decide it's better to sit on the floor. Again you try with your tv (which you will be returning in the morning), and of course, that doesn't last long.
"Sugarpie, I don't wanna see that junk. If you're gon' watch somethin' in my bed, I suggest it be somethin' good. Not some trash show that don't know the first thing bout bein' dead." The strange voice booms again.
This time when you jump out of your skin and turn to face the intruder, you see what you can only assume to be the world's most accurate Elvis impersonator.
"What the hell are you doin' in my house?!" You screech, "Get out! Get the hell out."
The man before you is nowhere near ready for the projectiles flying his way. Clothes, shoes, books, and a stuffed bear. You name it; it's flying at his head.
"Hey! I—I said—, goddamn! You got an arm on ya! Put the—,"
Elvis can't even finish his sentence as you continue to fling whatever you can at him.
"Get. Out. Of. My. House!" You grunt, each word punctuated with the throw of an object. The tall, blue-eyed stranger ducks and dodges with precision, but when he sees you getting ready to toss a picture frame, one you no doubt failed to realize the importance of in your defensive state, the fun and games stop.
"Drop it! Drop that damn picture right now! Your mama would tan your hide for days if she saw that you broke that frame." Elvis booms.
Your chest is heaving, and you blink, glancing over at the photo.
"S'your daddy, right? Y'all were talkin' in the kitchen bout how it's the last thing he gave ya. You promised ta take care of it. So drop it."
You nod and gently place the photo on the bed, reaching for a good substitute.
"Jus—Just how long have you been here?" you question, ready to launch the lamp in your hand. Elvis ponders for a moment. "What year is it?" He asks, seeming genuine. You quirk an eyebrow, unamused with the game he's playing. "You can't be serious."
He looks at you expectantly, waiting for an actual answer. Your phone is across the room, and the chances of getting past this psycho-wannabe Elvis are slim to none. So, you entertain him. "It's twenty-twenty-three, you should know that." You say, face stoic.
Elvis's eyes widen, "Twenty- Good lord!" He chuckles in disbelief.
"Well, to answer your question lil' mama, if that's true, I've been here for sixty-six years if you're countin' when I bought the house."
You shake your head; there's no way the idiot in front of you is this dedicated. "Yeah, sure, I reckon you want me to believe you're Elvis Presley himself. Is that what this is? Some attempt to scare me?"
Elvis chuckles and shakes his head, "No, ma'am. Ain't no pretendin' round here. I'm the real deal."
You can't help the cackle that slips past your lips.
"My ass!"
Elvis's smirk fades, "I told ya that shit isn't cute. And if ya don't believe me, try to shake my hand." He says, extending the appendage forward.
You scrunch your nose, "Now, why would I do that?"
He shrugs, hand still held out.
"Well, I ain't goin' nowhere for a long time n' you're the first person to see or hear me in ages. Whether ya do or don't, it really ain't too concernin' for me."
You sigh, knowing this is how dumb girls in movies usually meet their end. Can't believe m'doin' this. Shakily, you extend your hand, and when it meets his, it goes right through. You gasp as the limb turns to smoke before materializing again.
"Sweet jesus," you sputter.
"I wouldn't know if he was sweet, I ain't met him yet." Elvis jokes. You back away, very spooked.
"T-This, this isn't possible. Ghosts they—they aren't-"
"Real?" Elvis cuts you off, "Yeah, I heard that part too, jus didn't wanna scare your mama, so I waited till it was jus you n' me."
You scoff, offended, "My mama gets a pass, and I don't?"
He chuckles and sits on the bed, "She believed, you didn't. For someone with a gift this great, ya sure do love ta act like ya don't know what she's talkin' about."
You fold your arms, looking down, "I don't have-"
"Oh, yes ya do. Don't give me none of that. I spent the whole afternoon chit-chattin' with your old man. "
Your head snaps up, eyes meeting his. "You spoke to my daddy? How is he? Did he ask bout mama? Because she'd be thrilled. I gave up. I knew I shouldn't have. I'd been tryin' to reach him since he died, but he never-" The smug look on Elvis's face shuts you up.
"Well, first off. Why would ya need to call a man who's in the same house as ya? Second, you'd been tryin' so hard to find happiness for a woman who don't need it, that ya pushed your daddy away anytime he tried. A ghost can only do so much without scarin' someone half to death, baby."
This is all too much; Ghosts exist, Elvis Presley is in front of you, and your daddy hasn't moved on. Mama was right. You lift the covers and shimmy under them.
"I need to sleep on this. Jus—I...I don't know where you go, but scram for the night please."
Elvis chuckles, nodding. In a flash, he evaporates, fumes left behind as he finds another room to settle in.
You breathe through your nose as you think. What a night indeed, miss y/n.
Tumblr media
Taglist: @prayerstopresley @powerofelvis @re3kin
188 notes · View notes