#but it’s either this or talking about the blood(?) on elliot’s sleeve

[avocado-frog]

Forget-me-not. 26 (lmao I didn't outline this one)

Chapter rating: M Chapter warnings: Past kidnapping, isolation, child abuse, neglect, gore, eye trauma, death threats, past death. (all of this to a kid who is like nine years old by the way I DEEPLY apologize) This is what happens when I don't have a plan Chapter title: 7/30/2017--3/14/2019 Word count: 2000 Summary: Ryan has a knife, what will he do. The chapter in which Ryan takes out Elliot's eye and adds a new tick to the trauma bingo

(July 30, 2017, two years before)

The clock above the door ticked steadily. Ryan glanced up, fingers dug deep into the white quilt on his bed, knuckles turning yellow. An hour. Sam had been gone for an hour.

He tried not to worry. Sam was always okay in the end. Ryan didn't know what to do if he wasn't. He stood up, it'd been too long since Sam left, and left for the bathroom attached to the main room.

Ryan refused to look in the mirror. He wasn't identical to his brothers, but he was too close to Elliot in face shape, eye color, and stature to look at himself without seeing Elliot and wanting to cry. Sam looked like him too, sometimes. Ryan couldn't look at him either. Ryan looked more like his mother, too. He didn't want to think about her, or his brother.

There was a hand towel by the sink, spotted with little red dots, that Ryan used for Sam whenever he came back, and that Sam would use for Ryan. Sam would be back any second now- had to be- and so it was best to be prepared. He took the towel off the rack, folded it, and left.

Setting it down on Sam's bed, he couldn't do anything but wait, knee bouncing, as he watched the clock above the door. His dread grew with each tick, every second Sam was gone.

The door buzzed, and Ryan flinched, hands twitching to cover his ears. Panic spiked, heart dropping, when it wasn't Sam, but a taller woman in a white coat and latex gloves, a blue surgical mask hiding her face. She was waiting for him. Emma- maybe Emily- he thought her name was. He never bothered to keep track of their names, neither did Sam.

He stood up, hands shaking, trying to stay calm, as he followed her. The latex glove covered his, she led him down a white hallway, through tiled floors, florescent lights buzzed above them. It was all too sterile, too clean, he remembered what it was like outside, unlike Sam. Sam couldn't remember. Ryan wanted to go outside again. He always promised his brother that they could go together someday. Maybe they'd be able to.

He liked to imagine his mother taking him down the hallways whenever he was taken out of his room, instead of the stranger with him. Maybe Elliot, too. He missed them.

He let Emily lead him up the stairs, a place he'd never been before. Ryan looked up instead of down until they got to the top. 

If he looked down, Sam would be clinging to his sleeve as they ran down the staircase, away from the man with the chainsaw, and Ryan would trip over his brother's lifeless body, as the man grew closer, and the door would open, and helicopters and vans and lights would be swarming around them. He didn't look down.

They walked down the hall, the second floor this time, and Ryan was getting tired, unused to walking for so long. Emily stopped in front of a door, removing the keycard from her neck, one hand planted firmly on his shoulder. He paid careful attention to her hands, as she opened the lab coat, removing something small- a blade?- from the pocket inside.

Emily was talking to him, but the mask, and the sounds of muffled screams made it hard to hear her. She handed him the scalpel. It was cold.

The door unlocked, and Ryan kept his eyes on Emily's hands, flinching when they moved. Her hand remained on his shoulder as she pushed him inside. She stayed behind him when the door locked again.

The scalpel felt heavy in his hands, he stared at the floor now. Black and white, checkered, tiles met his gaze. Blood was smeared on them, more visible on the white tiles. He swallowed thickly, a muffled cry for help echoed through the small room.

Ryan recognized the voice as Sam's, and willed himself to look up. He met gazes with Sam, held against the wall from behind with a knife to his throat, one gloved hand over his mouth. Sam's gaze flickered over to something else, something Ryan hadn't noticed.

A second person, a small, boy in a white uniform that hung loosely on his thin frame. He paced around the room, hands shaking, as he mumbled something to himself, unaware that Sam was there, and unaware that Ryan was there. His hair was bleached white, flopping over his face. He threw his head back, laughing at something.

He knew who it was without really knowing. He looked back at Sam, who gave a stiff, subtle nod, trying not to move with the knife to his throat.

Sam blamed himself for Elliot's death, and on bad days, so did Ryan. He'd seen everything, he knew everything. He remembered tripping over Elliot's body. He knew Elliot was dead. And yet, here he was, talking and laughing, shaking and pacing.

Emily told him to do something, and Ryan barely heard over his own thoughts. Elliot had been alive the whole time. He wanted to cry again.

Ryan understood Emily's words, despite having hardly heard. Sam had a knife to his throat, Ryan had a scalpel in his hands, and Elliot was there, too.

The scalpel grew heavier, as he tightened his grip on it, walking towards his youngest brother, in the way of the small circle he was pacing in. Gently, he put his hand on his shoulder, breath hitching, as Elliot didn't seem to recognize him.

Kill him.

Kill him, or they'll kill Sam.

He could try to reach out to Elliot again, he thought, hand still on his shoulder, now pushing him against the wall. Elliot didn't struggle. He simply stared at Ryan, gaze empty, like he didn't even see him. He didn't even try to fight back.

So, Ryan let go of his shoulder. Elliot didn't move. He only stared. He was getting desperate now, for any sort of reaction. He couldn't do it.

There was still a knife to Sam's throat.

"Elliot?" Ryan tried, and Elliot's eyes still held the same amount of recognition, nothing. "Elliot, please." Say something. Scream, cry, just do something. What did they do to you?

"Elliot." Ryan shook his shoulder, and Elliot didn't respond. Ryan sighed softly, expression twisting. He couldn't do it. He couldn't do it. "I'm sorry."

Elliot's hand twitched, and moved, grabbing onto Ryan's free hand weakly. Ryan gripped his hand tighter, raising the scalpel.

It plunged into his brother's eye- the gold one- and blood spewed out, splattered across both their faces. Ryan staggered back. And yet, Elliot still didn't scream. He just fell, to his knees, blade still in his eye, and then, fell to his side. The hand that had been holding his fell away.

Blood pooled around his head, and Ryan took another step back, mouth open in a silent scream, startling when Sam barreled into him, almost knocking him over. Sam trembled, and Ryan kept his eyes locked on Elliot.

Now, Elliot did seem to recognize him, as he hugged Sam and left Elliot bleeding on the cold tiles, now Elliot looked betrayed. Ryan didn't blame him. He remained frozen, gaze remaining on the youngest, as adults swarmed around him, and he was guided back out the room.

Back down the stairs, Sam refused to look down, too. Back down the sterile, white halls, back to the safety of his room. The door locked again.

Sam nudged his shoulder. "Ryan? ...You okay?"

Ryan didn't bother responding. Blood trickled down his forehead. It wasn't his.

Sam, now, had the back of his shoulder, and it was more comforting than Emily's, as he sat him down on the thin mattress. The towel Ryan set out for Sam in preparation now laid in Sam's hand. He barely heard the sink running, before Sam returned, and sat next to him.

"That was Elliot, wasn't it?" Sam asked, voice small. Ryan nodded. He wished he could forget like Sam, and clearly like Elliot. Sam pressed the cold towel to the blood on his forehead. "Thought so."

Sam finished quickly, the white towel soon soaked with blood. "There! Is that better?"

Ryan didn't respond. It still felt like there was blood on his hands. His vision blurred.

"Hey, hey, hey, woah, don't cry!" Sam was hugging him now. "It's okay, I'm okay. It's over now."

It didn't feel over. It replayed. Again, and again, the lack of recognition in his brother's gaze, the way the handle of the blade felt when it dug into his eye, the warm blood on his face. He grasped at the back of Sam's shirt, Sam hugged him tighter.

"You're safe. Promise. Elliot's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."

---

(March 14, 2019)

Ryan wondered if Leo was right. She said that since he regretted it, of course he regretted it, then he was justified in stabbing Elliot's eye out. He regretted it, he'd tried to make it up to him, he hadn't been given a choice. Sam gave him the same reaction, the validation in taking Elliot's eye. Nothing he did could make it up to him.

He thought Leo was wrong, because even though, when he told the others, half-hiding behind his sister, no one hated him. No one wanted to kick him out, no one thought he was insane. And yet, Leo was wrong, because when he told Elliot, he screamed, and ran, and attacked him and Sam and Leo.

So Leo was wrong.

He sat next to his brother's bed, sitting on Elliot's desk chair. Elliot was asleep for once, after four separate tries, each ending with him jerking upright, screaming, breaking down into hysterical mutterings of apologies. Ryan stayed with him, because Sam was mad at him, and he needed to make sure Elliot would be okay.

It was midnight now. Ryan didn't like not getting sleep, but he'd done it plenty of times before. Tomorrow, he would talk to Sam, because he hated being mad at him. Ryan wasn't even mad at him. It was the other way around. He could only hope that Sam would forgive him. Otherwise, he was left with only one brother.

Elliot wore an eye patch still, while he slept, even if he technically didn't think he was supposed to. Elliot had a collection of them, a plastic one that had come with a pirate sword, to a real fabric one. Ryan had read about prosthetic ones, but they didn't have a hospital that could give him one. Elliot said he didn't want one, anyways.

His heart always plummeted whenever he saw it. He wondered what the purpose of that had even been. Just to hurt all three of them?

Elliot's hand twitched like he was going to wake up again, and Ryan slid his hand into his brother's.

"You'll be okay. Promise."

#its because of this chapter the trilogy dubbed baby triplet backstory has occurred and I will not apologize for the emotional pain of 28 #writing #original work #whump #? #warnings for gross eye stuff #tw minor whump

[red-radish14]

How To Get Away With Murder

Authors Note:

No real-life acts were committed to persuading me to write this story, it is all fictional and written off the top of my head, no mental or physical attributes were caused to have premeditated planning on this, this felt like a very interesting story to write, there is graphic detail in this story if sensitive please do not read.

If you or someone you know is/are thinking about committing an act of violence upon you or others please call 911 and get help immediately!! They will be able to find the right resources and betterments for you!!

Thanks and reviews are always appreciated!! :)

Word Count: 2.2k

--

Average Life for an average girl:

December 31st, 1979

7:01pm

Hi, I'm Blaire, Blaire Helms, thinking that no one is going to read any of this I have made a resolution to start journaling my life. Even if no one ever saw this, it would be nice to look back and read what I had in mind for the years to come. Let me start out with who I am. I'm a 17-year-old girl from Topeka Kansas, I live with my mother and twin brothers in an apartment downtown. My brothers, Jack and Elliot, are star players on the high school football team. And well, my mother, she is a waiter at the cafe on the main street. We don't have much here at home, and having to scrounge for money to buy a $15 journal had been a struggle for the past few weeks. Me on the other hand, I'm 5'6" with long brown hair and big green eyes. School before winter break was tough, I get bullied a lot, and making friends is a bit of a challenge for me. My brothers don't make it any easier for me either, they sometimes even send random classmates to come to bully me in the smoking pit. Yeah yeah, I know, before you get all Nabby about me smoking I know that it's bad for you, but, I'm 17 how bad could it get. Being a junior in high school isn't all that rough though. I'm an average C student with average teen life. To end on a good note, I finally had enough money saved for the dance on the 13th. Well, it is a welcome back dance for all the kids who passed 1st semester. I just hope no trouble endured like last year, having my head dumped into the punch bowl was not pleasant. Expect more from me in the future. Until then.

-Blaire Helm

7:56pm

--

Smoking Pit Disaster:

January 7th, 1980

5:23pm

Today was hell, when I woke up my brother Elliot had clogged the toilet and flooded the whole bathroom, and just left it there, I was always the last one to leave the house and there was no time to clean it up. I had to get ready at school, about 15 minutes later and once I had left the restroom it was straight to the smoking pit to skip 1st period. There were always a few girls down there and they weren't very talkative, they always just sat and smoked for the whole hour, no breaks in between. As I was smoking you literally won't believe who came down to bother me, Mason Palmer. Mason was the hottest guy in school, he was also the biggest jerk of the school. He was famously popular among anyone in the city and always had a few remarks in his sleeve. after a few minutes of smoking and getting paper balls profusely thrown at me, Mason had jumped down into the pit and proceeded to taunt me. After the taunting, he had kicked my side causing me to drop my cigarette onto my leg. He then left laughing at his buddies. About 30 minutes after the beating I had left to go to 2nd period. Walking through the hallway trying to cover the burn hole in my jeans, I ran into Mason. He had grabbed my backpack and threw it at one of his buddies that had taken off with the bag. He then pushed me down and walked away, leaving me with no supplies, and I had returned to the smoking pit for the remainder of the day. Hopefully, this week would get better before the dance on the 13th. If it doesn't, I'll just have to stay home. But, until next time.

6:17pm

- Blaire Helm

--

Sam's Club Shopping Spree:

January 11th, 1980

9:12pm

Today I had to go shopping for bulk food supplies at Sam's Club. It was the cheapest place where we could go to buy a lot of items for less money. It was only the 2nd time I had to go shopping there and I was bored out of my mind. As I was shopping today I picked up the usual items we needed. Macaroni, ramen, chips and lots more. In the back of my mind somewhere I needed to get some cleaning supplies, I don't know why but I bought some anyway. a 4 pack of bleach bottles, 16-pack sponges, 2 3-gallon mop buckets, 8 pack of paper towels, and some sterile gloves. I felt like I needed to clean the whole house. After I was done shopping I decided to stop by Walgreens to pick up some pain killers for my back, it's been so horrible lately, they'll knock me out in a second if I'm not careful. Once I got home, I left the cleaning supplies in my car until I needed them and brought the other groceries inside. Being usual teenage boys my brothers decided to help none and pretend to be each other for a day, I guess it's a normal thing identical twins decide to do. Oh, and about Mason, he hasn't shown up to school for the past 2 days because he's been too busy suit shopping for the dance. This isn't prom, I guess he's wanting to fuck some chick in the back while everyone else is sipping on watered-down punch. Well, I'll let you guys know how the dance goes, all I'm wearing is a hand-me-down loose tee with some black jeans. Wish me luck.

10:02pm

- Blaire Helm

--

Till Death Do Us Part:

January 13th, 1980

5:43 am

Guys, I'm in the middle of fucking nowhere right now. Why is this happening, this can't be happening? It started with the stupid fucking dance. I walked into the gym, grabbed my punch, and boom Mason was right there, he had poured his punch all over me and pushed me causing me to slip and fall hitting my head. I had gotten up asking him what he wanted from me. Suddenly he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the side of the bleachers. He had pinned me against the wall and told me I had to do whatever he wanted me to do. I had agreed and asked him if I could run out to my car to get dried, he agreed and after some time I was back into the gym. Mason had gotten a new cup of punch and came over to dance. I had played around and danced along with him. Mason left to go pee after some dancing and asked me to hold his cup. While Mason was gone, I had grabbed some of those painkillers from the car and slipped some into his drink. Mason had returned and started drinking his punch, fast, like he was dying of dehydration. He started falling asleep so, I asked him if he wanted to go to the storage closet to have some fun. He had followed me in there, pinned me down, and I stabbed him. I had must've stabbed him 100 times, blood was everywhere. I panicked, I had shut off the lights and locked the door. It must've been hours but no one looked for us, once the last person left the school I knew what I needed to do with Mason. I had dragged his body out to my car and laid him in the backseat on top of my wet clothes, all of his blood had drained out onto the floor of the gym. I had grabbed the cleaning supplies I bought from Costco earlier and cleaned. it must've taken me an hour. I had grabbed all the trash and stuffed it into the back of my car. The closet was as clean as it was before the murder. And now I'm out here in the middle of fucking Kansas, 125 miles from where I live. Now, what do I fucking do?

7:24 am

- Blaire Helm

--

Pitched Out:

January 14th, 1980

3:36 pm

I had decided I needed to do something with this body or it was going to rot in my car minute by minute. I had stopped at a gas station to pick up 30 lbs of raw meat and some new clothes without being questioned and afterward, I had gone a bit off-roading miles away from the road and found a place to park and deal with it. My mother loved to Garden and so happens the day before she had left most of her gardening stuff in the car, so I got to digging. I had created dirt stairs and dug 12ft down. I had stripped Mason down to his skin and set his clothes aside. I had placed him into the hole. I covered him up with about 6 ft of dirt, and placed the raw rotting meat above, covering it with the remaining dirt, patted it out, and made it look natural. I had found some school papers from my car and tumbleweeds laying around to create a fire.  I stripped down to my skin and proceeded to throw everything I had used to kill Mason into the fire, letting it burn. After the fire was done burning I picked up the ashes and brought them with me back to a small pond a few miles down the road. I had thrown the ashes into the pond, watching them disintegrate, and jumped in the pond myself to wash up all the blood. While I was in the pond I had realized what I've done. While drying off I burst into tears and begged God for forgiveness. Afterward, I had set myself on home, sitting here now at a gas station, only 25 miles away from my house.

4:17 pm

- Blaire Helm

--

The Party:

January 17th, 1980

8:57 pm

A watch party had started for Mason and I had joined along with them in search for him. I knew what I did, and I knew nobody was going to ever find him. I know that because it's a fact. The rotting meat will attract the dogs, the police dig it up and realize it's just some animal remains, and continue searching. There are no fingerprints or clothes to find because they are burnt. The ashes are dissolved into nothingness. And it's in the middle of Kansas in a desert, anyone could've done it. The school gym is cleaned like brand new, it's all planned. After the search party, I had stopped by Mason's house to see how his parents were doing. His mother and father could not stop crying. Soon I was "crying" and told them I needed to leave to get home to do some homework. I had gotten home and lost my mind, I was upset that I did such a thing. I had started laughing when realizing that I had gotten away, a murder undetected, a master plan successfully accomplished. But for how long.

9:10 pm

- Blaire Helm

--

Dumped Down:

April 18th, 1980

1:02 pm

It's been 3 months since I've killed Mason, the parties are over, and everyone is moving on like he was still out there missing. I knew what had happened, I've visited where I had buried him a few times since that night, It upsets me. A lot is going through my head lately. One of these days or years they are going to find him and I will be fucked, I can't live knowing I had killed a man. So sitting here in my bedroom I've come up with a plan, We are going to paint the walls, to have a fresh new start. I will load up the paintbrush and get to painting. The room is going to have small specks of red, it suits me best. But I've got to admit that I lived my life up to its fullest. Lighting up a cigarette and placed the paintbrush in the palm of my hand. I'm gonna set it down and I'll let you know how the room turns out tomorrow. I had left a note on the counter for my mother and my brothers, it's basically telling them to not come in until the paint dries, well I'll write later, Goodbye.

3:46 pm

- Blaire Helm

--

Roses:

Blaire Helm

Sex: F

DOB: 08/23/1963 (17)

Hgt: 5'6"

Eyes: Green

Cause of death: Suicide

DOD: 04/18/1980

We had responded to a report of a teenage suicide yesterday night, a distraught mother had dialed 911 crying about her daughter being dead. When police arrived at the scene it was in fact Blaire Helms in her small apartment bedroom. She was lying on her left side with a gunshot wound to her right side of her face, the shotgun laying behind her back and the walls dusted in blood. No one knows why Blaire had committed suicide, people usually called her sweet and caring. No suicide note was found and police are still investigating the scene of the crime.

Drug reports:

Cotinine: 45mg

Alcohol: 1.4oz

Adderall: 75mg

Tylenol: 1200mg

Subject transferred to autopsy room for opening, nothing found within the patient, the mother will soon arrive to finish the paperwork.

- M.D Green

--

Another Author's Note:

I really hope you guys enjoyed this story, I spent only a few hours on it so it's not professionally done, again pls call 911 if you or someone you think might consider suicide or committing a crime. Thanks again, take care

- L.L

#tw suicice #depressing post #murder #story time #like wtf

[midhavencryptids]

Rebecca Chapter 1 Test And Results

Based on Dr. Jekyll's Work becomes a very different Hyde, with an unexpected transgendered results.

The very start of Mr Edward Fletcher’s unwittingly transformative journey, where some bloods had been requested of him....

Note to readers all stories connecting with Midhaven (Mid-haven) are set in 1994. All the characters are purely fictional, and no way portray any real people or institutes of any kind.

MIDHAVEN:

Rebecca

By Maddie Jane Rann

1 Tests and Results

31st March 1994

Edward Fletcher sat anxiously in the empty waiting room of his local surgery for his appointment which was supposedly meant for 10:30am. He himself, was a gaunt and lanky looking 35 year old dressed in a slightly crumpled grey office suit. He had four inch long auburn hair which was styled into a centre parted undercut and also wore thin framed rectangular glasses. Restless with nerves knowing a blood test had been required of him by his new GP, Dr Elliot. He had only met the doctor once before, for some completely unrelated matter since he transferred from Bournemouth and taken over his previous doctor’s practice. Nevertheless, it was something that Edward really could of done without, plus the blood nurse was running late which only put him more on edge. Looking for some form of distraction he glanced to the low coffee table of magazines about three feet ahead of him. He rose slightly out of his chair, the red coloured tie dangled out of his jacket as he leaned forward. Shakily he rummaged through the assortment of ‘Glenda’ fashion magazines until clumsily knocking a couple of issues to the floor. In a panic he picked them up and placed them neatly in a tidy pile on the table before collapsing back into his chair with a sigh of embarrassment.

“You tit.” He uttered

He gave up the clock that was hanging on the far end wall an impatient glance, it was now 10:43.

“It's cutting it a bit fine.” He muttered to himself, he had an important meeting at 11:15 which he must attend the weekly briefing of the Lindenbay shopping district on the Harbour which he was appointed as a senior architect, then he was expected on site thereafter. As this was a fasting test he was just hoping there might have been chance of breakfast before his work begun.

Moments later he caught from the corner of his left eye, an elderly couple being led carefully out of the phlebotomy room and then the nurse as she watched them creep past the reception and out the main entrance. Then she turned and looked down towards him with her hands on hips.

“Edward Fletcher!” She called sternly yet with a playful tone. To him the calling was like the tolling of the iron bell, but the aged female voice was familiar and somewhat soothing to his recollection. He turned nervously to meet his calling only to smile with some relief that it was his Mother’s friend June who was on duty today.

“Oh....um, June, hello.” He greeted standing to his full height of 6ft1.

“April Fools by chance? No? Not today?”

“Hello Eddy, come this way.” The 60-year-old Nurse beckoned him with a smirk and led him into the poky room that housed a singular black leather treatment chair which was bolted to the floor. There was a tall fan blowing in the corner that made June’s blue disposable apron flitter dramatically in its breeze.

“If you could remove your jacket and roll up both sleeves before taking a seat, I do like to have my pick of veins.”

“Oh yes OK.” Edward did as he was bided.

“You seem a little tense Eddie? Anything the matter?” She asked whilst checking over his notes.

“Ah well you know…. It’s a blood test and…..” He began as he sat in the treatment chair gazing around at the four blind walls and quickly objecting.

"There are no windows in here?”

“Yes, you would think us phlebotomists were all vampires or something, you should know by now I don’t bite, just prick a little.” She smiled.

“Ah ha yes, that’s what I’m actually afraid of…...” He added with a nervous laugh.

“Oh, I see….. You fall under Dr. Elliot, lucky you, with your infamously well-known fear of needles and all. I don’t know. He’s always requesting bloods for one thing or another, usually something mundane coupled with genomic testing. Usually, I thought it was something reserved as a premium treatment, never known a doctor to request this as much. Seems to be his style, I guess, prefers the full ins and outs of his patients’ right down to their DNA. Anyhow he keeps me busy.”

“Terrific, lucky me indeed.” Edward squirmed as he tried to get comfortable on the leather seat.

“Liver function…. right.” She started to look for the colour coded phials through the equipment draws.

“I think Dr Elliot had been concerned with my history of drinking.” Edward mentioned shamefully

“Uh huh.” June sighed knowing all too well.

“And how’s that been going?”

“Very well, though I have had a few dips late. But only on occasions.”

June pouted with disbelief.

“Really?”

“Ahh, look, to be honest, it’s this shopping centre development it’s been really getting to me of late.”

“Oh really? You’re doing that now? It looks very exciting what they’ve been planning for the harbour.” Said June.

“Uh huh yeah, well you know when they had to halt construction during the discovery of the 14th century burial pit, it was all over the Midhaven Messenger for weeks on end. Well by the time the archaeologists had finished the architectural firm that had been employed for the project had gone bust leaving our firm to immediately take over. They left so many flaws it was unbelievable, never mind the parts that were left unfinished. A complete and utter mess, to be fair, that shouldn’t have gone as far as planning yet alone construction! You know they left 18 shop spaces, completely blocked off with no access!”

In meantime of Edwards complaining she had found the correct phial and took another look at his notes….

“Ah…. I thought so, bang on style, genomics too, right where did I leave those tubes. OK just sit back Eddy I won’t take long at all. Talk about drinking have you diluted yourself with plenty of water?”

“Oh yes Aunty June……. and have been fasting since 10 past last night.” As he saw it was on the tip of her tongue.

“Very good….. Just for security reasons could you confirm your address and date of birth please? Just so I know it’s you.”

“But you already know….” He stopped with June’s glaring, over the top of her glasses.

“Ohhh…. 15th of the 4th 1958 and 13 A Mitchell Avenue, Midhaven, MD1 JH3.” He sighed.

“Very good Eddy.” She confirmed then gave her hands a singular clap before scooting away from her desk in her wheeled desk chair to Edwards left side.

“Now just relax and I promise I won’t take too much.”

He gulped as the needle of doom was now inevitable, yet knew he was in safe hands. His eyes wondered from his Mum’s old friend preparing his arm for the surgical procedure to staring at the collection of photos stuck to the wall ahead of him. These pictures were an odd assortment of carnival masks and cocker spaniels, he figured it was probably something that either June or another blood nurse had put together for the patients to focus on rather than the blood being taken.

7thof April 1994

A few days later as Dr Elliot came to work he was handed several letters from the front desk that had arrived the day before. His brow rose with intrigue noticing that they all came from the Phlebotomy labs in the city. He thanked the receptionist with a smile of gratitude before taking the envelopes and his briefcase to his office. Without another moment he sat at his desk and was readily opening the envelopes with great enthusiasm. Dr Elliot who was an average looking man in his late middle years with silver hair that swept across his head. He also bore thick black eyebrows that were currently furrowed behind large paned glasses. These letters were indeed the latest round of test blood results that he requested, though he was more interested in his patient’s genomics, seemingly at first to disregard the other. He speedily went through two lots scouring them closely only to not finding what he was looking for. It wasn’t until his third envelope and opening it with a sigh to only expecting the same humdrum when something caught his eye that instantly gave him a chills, something exciting as he ran through the latest sets of numbers. A look of long lost cheer came to his grey middle aged face as he quickly drew a red pen from the desk tidy and roughly circled the odd allele scores that brought him to such frenzy. Once finished he slapped his left hand down on the edge of the desk then opened a draw just underneath, lifting the corners of a couple of folders that concealed a small flat key. He took hold of it before springing out of his chair, and almost skipped to the grey metallic filing cabinet that stood beside the window only 6ft to his left. Pushing the key into the lock of the bottom draw then turned it and pulled the handle. In seconds he was leafing through the murky green coloured folders until he found the one he was searching. Taking away the whole folder he returned to his desk and sat down before spreading out a few pages of his interest, one was another set of genetics like the one he marked. He ran his finger through the results.

“Ha!” He barked and scribbled circles around similar results in the same red pen. He beamed with joy as he held them studying them side by side, his mind now racing with possibilities. This was the opportunity that he and his associate had been waiting for, for quite some time with now just the thought that they might finally reach their goal in the next couple of days, if they planned it right. After a moment of pause for consideration he put down the paper and picked up the handset on the cream coloured desk telephone. He held it to his left ear and keyed in the number. While he waited for his recipient to pick up the phone he took time to find the name of the patient whom the results belonged to.

“Mr Edward Fletcher? What a lucky man you are.”

He smiled heartily when the other end of the line was picked up and proceeded to speak in bright and theatrical manner.

“Ah, good morning my dear May! It’s Elliot here….. Yes!…. Yes!….. I’m quite aware how early it is for you, but if you must be up all night skulking around until the early hours…. My point?” He was taken back by his recipient’s seeming impertinence.

“Now if you give me a little time and patience, I can inform you of some very good news that came by post this morning.” He picked up the results.

“Yes…. it’s some genomes if you care, from one of my patients, they came back from…. Yes, he has all the right faults that I have been looking for, in all the right places for the formula to work. This is it, my dearest May, this is it.” He listened to the receivers reply though by the sinking look on his face it was probably a reply of a dreary lack of enthusiasm.

“All right…. I shall tell you what…. “He breathed rubbing his temple in frustration.

“We shall reconvene this matter when I come off duty…. About half 6…. you say you’ll meet me. Of course, the usual place, the old sail factory, we can set up the equipment at once. Then we can decide how to safely capture our specimen. Until then I’ll let you have your sleep… oh.” May hung up cutting the call abruptly.

“You may even wake up a little less insolent too.” He said to himself glumly and still holding the phone to his ear, in a delayed moment later returned it to the base.

“But that of course would be asking too much of you my dear.” He sighed

Dr Elliot looked at his clock it was 8:30, then hurriedly gathered the test results and associated papers in the folder just before the receptionist knocked on the door.

“Coffee Dr Elliot?” She called.

“That would be lovely Miss Tibbs, please come in.” He replied with a big arm gesture, the young lady entered with a mug of filtered coffee in one hand and a printed A4 sheet of booked appointments in the other which placed on top of his desk next to the folder.

“There you go Doctor, milk and no sugar and your appointments for today.”

“Ahhh….Thank you so kindly.” He said and then began studying the list as she backed out the office. He nodded when he understood the workload ahead and took a sip of his coffee, then picked up his folder and placed it in his desk draw before dutifully calling for his first patient by pressing the button of the intercom device that was sat next to his telephone.

“Mr Utterson to see Dr Elliot, come to room 2 please, I am quite ready to see you now.”

next chapter

https://midhavencryptids.tumblr.com/post/629310030007713792/rebecca-chapter-2-edwards-day

#dr jekyll and mr hyde #jekyll & hide #the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde #transformation #monster #monster transformation #gendertransformation #gender transformation #male to female transformation #m2f transgender #tgs hyde #tg tf #tg #hyde #m2f transformation #m2f #gothic #gothic horror #modern gothic #urban gothic #body horror #mutation

[kronk-is-launchpad]

Here in the Garden (Chap. 1)

Summary:  Della Duck didn't think of the possible consequences of leaving her unhatched eggs. Nor did she think of the pain she'd cause to her 3 yr old daughter. Donald takes the triplets in a fit of emotions, but doesn't think to take his only niece. After being forced to give up searching for Della, Scrooge now devotes all his time & affection to his youngest niece. Elliot has grown up unaware that she has brothers, and now that very fact is holding her up by the thread.

MASTERLIST

[DuckTales 2017]

[DuckTales OC insert]

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

Elliot was at a meeting with Scrooge & the 'penny pinchers', bored out of her mind. Though surprisingly, she'd rather be no where else. Scrooge is the only person she could trust, and she didn't plan on that changing anytime soon.

   On the limo ride back Scrooge was telling Elliot about how annoying Glomgold was, and she responded with the usual "hm" And "huh". As the gate pulled into view, she could see a station wagon. LaunchPad lurched to a stop, sending Scrooge & Elliot out their seats. Scrooge got up, mad as ever.

"Why aren't we movin?!" He shouted.

Scrooge immediately moves over LaunchPad to honk the horn and get out the limo.

"Ay!!" He yelled angrily, "Jettison that jallopy from my driveway this instance you deadbeat!!"

A familiar duck exits the station wagon and walks towards Scrooge. They meet halfway, glaring at each other with sheathed anger.

"Donald Duck." Scrooge seethed.

"Uncle Scrooge." Donald responded.

Elliot's eyes widen, and she slowly gets out the limo.

"Dona?" Elliot called out quietly, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"Ellie?" Donald whispered, taking a step towards her.

Scrooge cuts Donald off, glaring at him with the fierceness of a beast.

"JETTISON THAT JALOPY FROM MY DRIVEWAY THIS INSTANT YA DEADBEAT!!" Scrooge growled loudly, annunciating each word with a poke of his cane.

The two duck spiraled off into a pointless argument as Elliot shifts her attention to the 3 kids in the car who were filled with excitements. They were clearly triplets, with different color-coded outfits to distinguish one from the other. The one duckling wore a red polo shirt with a baseball cap to match. The duckling to the right wore a green hoodie, and to the left was a duckling in a light blue long-sleeve with a darker blue t-shirt over it.

'Dona had kids?' she wondered, 'did he really forget about me?'

She gets shaken out her thoughts by Scrooge's yelling.

"YOU'RRREEEE WELCOME!!" he taunted loudly, but then realizing what had happened, "wait what?"

Donald huddles the triplets out of the station wagon, and over to Scrooge.

"Huey, Dewy, Louie," he introduced, "meet Scrooge McDuck."

The ducklings looked like they were about to burst from the intensity.

"Remember," Donald warned, "no tricks, no lies, no trouble."

"Yes Uncle Donald," the ducklings responded in-sync.

"I wasn't talking to you," Donald corrected, his eyes narrowing at Scrooge, who returned the favor.

After Donald drove away the 4 ducks start heading back to the car, sending Elliot into panic.

'What do I do?!' She thought nervously, 'I don't know these kids?!'

Then the limo door opened.

"EEEEEEEEEEEE!" Huey squealed, "it's you!"

"It's me?" Elliot questioned nervously.

"THE Elliot McDuck is my Aunt!" He screamed, "this is the greatest day of my life!"

 Huey jumped up & down outside the limo,  giddy with glee. The other 2 looked at the teen with curiosity & amazement. Scrooge ushers the triplets into the limo, and Huey immediately start bombarding the young duck with questions.

"How do you create such innovative designs for your prosthetics? What 3D printer do you use for the models? Do you build them here or at the McDuck bin? How much work do you get done in a day?"

Before Elliot could answer, Scrooge was already blocking the red clad duckling.

"Leave the lass alone," Scrooge grumbled.

"No Coo, it's quite alright," Elliot interrupted, "curiosity brings discoveries.

I think of what people need in a prosthetic, and strive to make it happen. I don't 3D print as of now, but I do have a small lab in McDuck Manor for making models though the prototypes & final products are made in the McDuck laboratory. I can get a sketch & model in a 9-5 work day, but I do take days off to cool down. I hope I've answered all your questions."

Huey looked at the teen in awe, writing down everything she said. The limo lurched to a stop, causing the triplets to fall out of their seats. The partition rolled down to reveal LaunchPad.

"You're all home now Mr.McDee," he announced, "have a great day Elli!"

"Much appreciated LaunchPad," Elliot thanked as she exited the vehicle.

 She bolts to the door, Mrs. Beakly opening it automatically as she disappeared inside. Scrooge followed, walking normally. Once Scrooge made it through, the door is slammed shut on the triplets for a few seconds, before quickly being opened by Mrs. Beakly.

- - - - - -

'I didn't know Donald had kids,' Elliot thought as she made her way through the house, 'Did he really forget about me so easily?'

 She reached the garage, a wave of emotions fell over her. Seeing the souvenirs brought an old feeling of naivety, but it also brought tears to her eyes. Seeing all that happened while she was stuck to a garden with no social interactions outside of a butler. While lost in thought, she didn't notice 4 ducklings sneak in. As she ponders an old painting she hears a loud gong. She whips her head to see Webby being chased by a headless horse.

"*gasp* Ms. McDuck?" Webby blurted, "what are you doin in here?"

Before Elliot could counter there was another gong. The girls turn to see a ghost pirate chasing the triplets. Elliot runs past them, grabbing the kids and hiding.

"What are you 4 doing here?!" She shouted, "this isn't a playground!"

"We were bored!" Dewey responds frantically, "how was I supposed to know there were ghost pirates!?"

"And if we hear one more gong, an unspeakable evil will be set loose!" She screams.

"Not if I can help it!" Elliot growled, getting up.

She runs out, grabbing a sword and jumping on top of boxes.

"Hey Dorky Jones!" She shouted, catching the pirate's attention, "Where'd you get that hat? Party City?"

 The ghost let out a screech as it flew toward the teen at lightning speed. Elliot quickly dodges, flipping over the undead attacker and landing gracefully behind him. The pirate grabbed a glowing sword, ready to fight. Before either could charge a heavily accented voice rang out.

"What in Dismal Downs is going on here?!"

The 4 young ducks sheepishly turn to the elder one, as Elliot smiled nervously.

"Why good noon Coo!" Elliot greeted hurriedly, "What brings you here to garage?"

"Garage!?"

Before Scrooge could tear into the 5 ducks, another screech ripped itself free from the beak of Elli's opponent. Elliot quickly parries the glowing sword that was speeding towards her. She deflected it up, but the sword quickly turned itself around and was back to speeding at her face full-force.

"Aw phooey," she muttered tirelessly as she parried the endless attacks from the sword, getting pushed away from the group more and more.

"Could *pant* really use-woah! SOME HELP!" The teen shouted as the swipes got faster.

"The sword won't stop till it hits its target!" Webby shouted from the side lines as Scrooge is facing the ghost pirate and its new partner, the headless man horse.

'What do I do? What do I do?' Elliot thought frantically as she was growing tired from the persistent saber.

She could feel a lightbulb go off in her head.

'Ah-hA, That's it!'

After a final deflect she drops her sword, her stare calculated and confident as the sword was speeding back at her.

"Ms. McDuck what are you doing?!" Huey screeched out in terror as he covers his younger brothers eyes.

"Trust me!" The teen called out, her gaze still on the sword.

Just as the blade was about to impale her she quickly side stepped, ripping her sleeve and drawing a small amount of blood. The sword stopped glowing, dropping immediately. Elliot returns to the others to find the headless horse and ghost pirate gone.

"Now what are you all doing in the ga-rage?!" The Scotsman shouted, slamming his cane to the ground.

"So it IS a garage!" Huey exclaimed.

"B-but what about all this treasure?" Webby asked desperately, "The garden hose of destiny, Montezuma's stack of old magazines?"

It takes the energetic duck a moment to realize her words, and she slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"Unbelievable..." Scrooge growled, "I invite you into my home-"

"You locked us in a room!" Louie countered angrily.

"You did whAt?" Elliot cried out in disbelief.

" I gave them marbles!" Scrooge shouted back."

"All we wanted to do was spend time with you." Huey explained.

"Well now you have," Scrooge grumbled, "and look at the mess it's got me."

"I guess family's nothing but trouble," Dewey muttered aloud, "right Scrooge?"

Elliot watched as Scrooge's face contorted into an anger she never saw often. She took a step towards her angered parental.

"Everybody out." He growled.

"Coo let's just calm down for a min-"

"OUT!" He screeched, hitting the gong with his cane.

Everyone gawked at the action, some covering their beaks in shock.

"Oh what are you gaping at?"Scrooge asked, "the curse is only activated if you ring the gong three times, and-and you already hit it two times didn't you?"

Then the statue started to crack.

The stone crumbled away to reveal a slithery golden dragon. It broke through the roof, letting out a mighty roar.

"Pixiu, the Gold-Hunting Dragon," Webby muttered out.

"Gold hunting? Sounds great!" Louie commented.

"Not when you're Duckburg's single largest owner of gold!" Huey exclaimed.

"Aah! Me money bin!" Scrooge screeched in horror as he grabbed the dragon's tail, "Elliot! Take them inside!"

Elliot watched in awe as her legal guardian gets yanked into the sky. After minutes of shock pass, Webby starts to walk out of the garage with a mission.

"Where are you going?" Dewey called out.

"I'm gonna go eat a hamburger." Webby stated confidently.

"We're in!" Shouted the triplet

"Anything for Coo." Elliot said, joining the quartet.

"Cool!" Webby squealed, "and to be clear, I'm gonna go catch the dragon. The hamburger was a metaphor from before."

"Yeah, yeah, no, we get it. We get it." Dewy responded, "But how are we gonna get up there?"

Launchpad pops in out of nowhere, scaring the living daylights out the teen.

"I'm a pilot," He informed, an excited smile on his face.

"Well what are we wait for? To the Sunchaser!" Elliot shouted as they all ran to the large plane.

They quickly board the aircraft, Elliot buckling up the kids. She barely sits down when launchpad lurched the Sunchaser into the sky. Elliot struggles to look over her shoulder.

"You guys doing alright?" She calls out.

She here's a shaky chorus of "yeah!"s, along with one "We're gonna die!".

"Yeah they're fine," Elliot muttered reassuringly to herself.

Once the plane steadied enough Elliot hopped out of her seat and over to the kids, unbuckling them.

"Ok listen up team," Elliot commanded, "we need to form a chain to grab Scrooge. I'll be second in line while three of you support me. Who's grabbing him?"

"Step aside comrades," Dewey instructed, stepping out from the group, "I was born for this."

They all get in a line, linking arms with each other. The plane is becoming more unstable as they approach the flailing Scotsman.

"Launchpad now!" Elliot ordered, tightening her grip on Dewey's hand.

Launchpad opens the hatch, the air almost vacuuming Dewey out if not the duck-made chain. Dewey reaches out just as Scrooge looses grip on the golden dragon, grabbing the old duck's arm.

"Now heave!" the teen shouted over the thrashing winds.

The 5 ducks pull with all their might, dragging the Scotsman into the plane.

"I thought I told you to go to your-" Scrooge was cut off by Dewey.

"No time. We gotta work fast." He turns to the pink duck, "Webby, how do we stop it?

"It's mystical, so we need a mystical device," Webby stated, "like an oblivion mirror, or a medusa gauntlet, or-"

"Like this?" Louie suggested, pulling the gauntlet out of his pocket.

Everyone stares at the youngest duck, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"What? I was gonna give it back," He assured horribly, "Now, how do we get him down there?"

"Garden hose of destiny!" Huey chanted, pulling the makeshift rope out of thin air, "Launchpad, we need to swing him out. Nosedive towards the bin and get ready to pull up!"

"Yes, sir, random kid I just met!" Launchpad responded enthusiastically as the kids tied Scrooge to the makeshift rope.

"Any questions?" Dewey asked.

"Since when is Launchpad a pilot?" Scrooge questions as the hatch opens up again.

Elliot puts her hand on the Scotsman's should.

"Have a nice trip Coo," she said jokingly before pushing him out of the plane, "see you next fall!"

Launchpad nosedives towards the money bin, pulling up at the last moment and swinging Scrooge towards the mythical beast. Scrooge grips onto the tail with his gauntlet clad hand, reveling in his victory.

"You guys, our family is awesome!" Dewey cheered as they all held on to the garden hose of destiny.

The golden dragon upon realizing its predicament, started to thrash about, catapulting Scrooge high into the air. The ducks (minus Elliot) watched in horror as the Scotsman was free falling in the air.

"Ah for old times sake," Elliot mumbled before leaping out of the plane in a swan dive.

She caught up with Scrooge, who she gave a mischievous smirk to.

"See you in the gold," she shouted smugly, "old man!"

She accelerates past an offended Scrooge and dives gracefully into the money bin, the latter following suit. She comes up up for air, laying back onto the cold hard cash as faint cheering can be heard in the background. The cheering doesn't last for long as she then hears a loud crash. She lurches out of the bin along with Scrooge to help the kids.

—————————

"In the short time I've known you," Scrooge stared angrily, "you've wrecked my home and my money bin, unleashed several ancient evils, and almost got me killed, twice!"

"Four times if you count...each..monster...as an...individual..time," Huey corrects nervously.

Scrooge stomps in front of the 4 kids, Elliot gasping lightly as he does. Then in a turn of events he let's out a boisterous laugh.

"That was incredible! When you pulled me into the airplane and said 'No time!' And who would have thought of a Medusa Gauntlet?! Brilliant! Oh, and then you swung me out and pulled up just in time and..." Scrooge gets up, "You kids are nothing but trouble! Curse me kilts, have I missed trouble! I suppose I'll have to keep an eye on you to teach you how to get into trouble properly."

Scrooge pulls out his golden flip phone as the kids look excitedly at him.

"You mean?" Dewey questioned hopefully.

"Beakley! Clear my schedule!" Scrooge commanded into the flip phone, "I'm taking the wee ones on a field trip."

He hangs up the phone, turning to the other ducks.

"Now," He says devilishly, "let's go find the lost city of Atlantis!"

The Ducks cheered out a great big yeah.

"And no one tell your uncle Donald!" Scrooge adds.

The Ducks cheer even louder.

"Wait who is that?" Launchpad asks.

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 fanfic #ducktales 2017 #dt fanfic #DT #dt17 fanfic #dt17 oc #dt oc #ducktales fanfic #Here in the Garden Fic

[roseamongroses]

W.A.L: “Hold My Hand” (25)

s u m m a r y

Eden was the lowest of the low, a monster, hardly human, and was set to be executed. Roman was on trial, perpetually stuck in time until it was time to atone for his families sins.Neither cared much for staying trapped.So when a Stranger offered freedom, offered peace, offered power, it was hard to say no.Even if it put them on the wrong side of history.

v i b e s

time is irrelevent, homophobia who?, magic and beasts, demigods

w a r n i n g s

Imprisonment, Mentions of execution, Blood/ injuries,  Mentions of past Death, repression, cursing, some  dissociation

c h a r a c t e r s

Deceit(Eden) Sanders, Remy Sanders, Logan Sanders, Virgil Sanders, Patton Sanders, Roman Sanders, Emile Picani, Elliot, Kai, Lauren, Dot

Ship: Roceit

1) (2)   (3)  (4) (5)

(6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11)

(12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17)

---

Deceit entered with the sunrise, the bed creaking as they eased in beside Roman.

Roman sighed, turning and curling into their lap, “You smell funny,” he mumbled, voice still heavy with sleep.

Deceit arm wrapped around Roman’s shoulders, careful to avoid his exposed wings, “Good morning to you too,”

“Did you get much sleep?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Deceit sighed, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Roman opened his eyes, folding his arms to support his head, “Is there something I should be worried about?” he asked, coy.

Deceit’s lips twitched, “Don’t be nosy,” he said, not missing how Roman’s eyes narrowed, “I’m fine, just get some rest,” he added on quickly.

“I dun’wanna,” Roman pouted, all puppy dog eyes, but Deceit could hear their anxiety edging into the tone.

“Stop that,” Deceit scolded, prodding their face, “I’m fine—” another poke, “Sleep.”

Romans face twisted away from another poke, sitting up abruptly, “Okay so you’re fine,” he said, “You’re used to fine and obviously fine isn’t doing shit for you,”

Deceit met their state head-on, jaw ticking, “I’m working on it,”

“Are you?” Roman challenged, somehow managing to look smug with his disheveled clothes and adorable half-dazed look—

“Yes, I am,” Deceit gritted swallowing that mess of emotions. He was half annoyed at Roman’s persistence but he was more annoyed with the fact that he knew it didn’t make him magically be able to hate Roman. Ugh. “Even if I wasn’t, that doesn’t mean you’d be able to fix me,”

At that, something flickered in Roman’s eyes and for a brief, terrifying moment Deceit had to seriously contemplate the extent of Romans persuasion. Roman couldn’t really—

“I can’t,” Roman agreed as he tucked his legs, “I won’t.

“But…” Roman sighed, “Janus, that isn’t the first time you’ve been like… that. And I understand that you can’t just make yourself stop but, “ he paused, wringing his hands, “That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make it better. If you’re hurting I don’t want to add onto it just because I make I stupid mistake or can’t read you right. I’m trying to talk about it now because a lot of the times when you do shut down you can’t talk to me. - you can’t say ‘don’t do this you’re hurting me’ and it’s just… scary not knowing what to do.”

“I…” Deceits chest clenched, “What if I don’t know what to tell you,” he said, face darkening, “Sometimes I want to be touched sometimes I… need to be alone. And other times… I feel like if you do stay near me you’ll only get hurt,”

“Well it’s a start,” Roman said, “So what do you need right now?”

“Need?” Deceit scoffed, “I don’t need anything,”

Roman rolled his eyes, “Okay tough guy, “ he said, “What do you want,”

Deceit opened his mouth then he froze, promptly closing his mouth, eyebrows knitted as he thought. After a few seconds he patted the space beside him, not looking at Roman, “I’m tired,” he said, cautiously, “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Okay,” Roman eyed curiously, “Are you fine with cuddling or no?”

“Yes,” Deceit said, a bit too quick.

“Yes to what?” Roman teased.

“Don’t be a dick.”

Roman smiled, crawling beside Deceit and slipping back under the covers. He wrapped his arms around Deceit’s waist, face nestling in the crook of their neck as Deceit relaxed.

The bed wasn’t as luxurious as the one in at The Offerings, but it wasn’t as cramped as the one they had prior--it was just right. Everything was new, but Deceit felt it all clicking together just right, as if maybe he stumbled onto being something of substances after all. Something that was his to choose and share, as if he had something of worth and for once the world was finally letting him be.

The sun rose steadily outside, it’s patches of light warming Deceits skin as he slowly fell asleep.

---

You don’t really comprehend being in the same house with four kids until you experience it. Sure, Deceit’s dealt with the brats, but they were all teenagers and he didn’t feel the same degree of anxiety when they were being dumbasses. Hell, he didn’t even feel comfortable saying the Sanders kids were being dumbasses because they were actual children.

After Lauren, there were the triplets; Sofia, Vivian, and Marie. All adorable and strikingly resembling their mom with thicker, kinker hair and soft, dark eyes. They apparently had chaotic tendencies, with them invading Roman’s bed and dragging him out of bed a, seemingly unbothered by Deceit’s presence if not a little curious. Deceit told them apart by how many baby teeth they were missing and how clingy they were to Roman.

Roman stood at the counter fixing some food, while Marie remained attached to his waist, “Aren’t you going to wake them up?” he asked, head gesturing back to the hallway towards the brats rooms.

Deceit dumped more sugar into his coffee, “Mm, not today,” he said, idly watching as Vivian and Sofia arranged their dolls at the smaller table-- aka Sofia bossing around Vivian who looked increasingly agitated, “Apparently dickhead is taking us on a field trip later today, so I thought it’d be best to let them get some sleep,”

“Who’s dickhead?” Marie frowned.

Roman inhaled, giving Deceit a dry look, “He’s a bad man that you won’t ever have to meet,” he explained matter of fact, setting aside a plate a food, “Make sure you eat your vitamins,”

Marie’s face scrunched up for a moment before she nodded, detaching herself and grabbing the plate. After the other two girls grabbed their plates, taking them to their table, Roman turned to Deceit with a raised eyebrow, “Really?”

Deceit lifted the cup to his lips, “Am I not allowed to curse?” he mused, leaning against the counter next to Roman.

“Try to keep it to a minimum,” Roman sighed, “Especially around Tami, she’s like a sponge,” he mumbled, picking at his own bowl of fruit.

“I thought she was still nonverbal?”

“She is,” Roman popped a blueberry in his mouth, “But she learns quick. So if she does have her first words I’d never hear the end of it from Ma if it’s something vulgar,”

Deceit snorted, “Your mouth is filthier than mine,” he said.

“You like my filthy mouth,” Roman muttered.

The two looked up at the sound of footsteps softly padding into the kitchen. Mrs. Sanders looked visibly disheveled, Tami holding her hand--eyes trained on the ground. She yawned, “Mornin,” she said to no one in particular, her eyes flicking between the two, something akin to exasperation settling on her face, “Roman, dear, I thought you outgrew sneaking boys into the house,”

“I didn’t, I just got better at it,” Roman shrugged, “There’s coffee still in the pot--” he offered, his gaze flickering down to Tami, “Do you want me to make her something?”

Mrs. Sanders rubbed her eyes, before pulling out her glasses, “That be lovely, just make sure it isn’t sweet she hates it--,” she sighed, “Also I’m not your father, and you’re not the heir anymore so you don’t have to hide your boyfriend. But,” she pursed her lips, “If he stays here, you’re going to have to use protection.”

Deceit choked on his coffee and Roman cleared his throat, face straight, but Deceit could spot the vines peeking from their sleeves, “There are seven kids in this house, hon,” Mrs. Sanders continued, gravely serious as she poured a cup, “I’m not taking care of anymore,”

“Yes ma’am,” Roman said. It was only when Mrs. Sanders left the kitchen for the porch did he side-eye Deceit, “Stop that,”

“Stop what?” Deceit set his cup down in the sink, watching them curiously.

“You’re staring,” Roman said, walking to the pantry and pulling out the lone box of oatmeal, “Stop.”

At that, Deceit grinned, moving himself in Roman’s way, “I thought you liked having my attention,” he mused.

“I do,” Roman said, easily sliding past them, “Which is why you need to stop,”

“Uh-huh,” Deceit said, following close, “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,”

“Fuck off--I’m not embarrassed,” Roman huffed, setting aside the box.

“Mhm,” Deceit said, winding his arms around Roman’s waist, pulling them close just as they turned around, “Kiss me?”

Roman’s glare faltered before slipping off altogether. He couldn’t mask his laugh, ducking his head to close the distance.

“You do realize we still have to talk about that?” Deceit murmured against their lips, “I know we’re not in any rush, but seeing as we don’t exactly have the same biology...”

Roman’s face twisted, hands resting on Deceit’s chest, “I’m fine with talking about sex it’s just… I don’t like talking about my body.”

“I know. I don’t either.” Deceit admitted.

“I…” Roman paused at that before nodding, “Later,” was all he promised.

---

Upon seeing Kai, Lauren, and Elliot successfully break into some magical zoo in less than an hour, Deceit began to consider that maybe, just maybe, he was surrounded by criminals.

All the faceless guards were taken care of, some in soundless pain, others passed out completely, so they slipped inside without issue. Once everything was secured, the Stranger strode inside leading the way with no further comment.

The moon hung in the sky. It was almost full.

All around them silver bars glinted, the cages themselves shadowed with the peering violet eyes hidden among the foliage.

Something about this place just wasn’t right, but the brats seemed to be having fun

Lauren was talking about some rare plant she spotted and Kai seemed placated by the rippling furs of creatures just out of reach. Of course, Elliot seemed uncomfortable, but they generally were whenever they went out with the Stranger.

The Stranger stopped abruptly, head craning to address the brats, “Y’all scram,” he shooed them, “This lesson is for Deceit,” he said with a smile.

That is when Deceit knew he was fucked.. But to the rest of them, it was normal and they all took the orders without comment or question, leaving Deceit with the Stranger once again.

Once they were out of sight, The Stranger’s smile slid off. He resumed his path forward, knowing that Deceit would follow.

The further Deceit walked the more the pit in his stomachs grew. Something was just wrong. He knew it and his mind scrambled trying to figure out if he did something wrong—which wasn’t helpful since he always did something wrong, but—

The Stranger stopped in front of a dark, cavern-like entrance. It was further away from all the cages, but it still held a commercial presence with cheery signs in odd languages and bright arrows pointing inside.

The Stranger propped himself against one of these signs, popping a lollipop on his mouth, “It’ll be a full moon soon,” he said to no one in particular, “You know…” he crunched the lollipop hard, spitting out the stick, “You’ve lasted longer then I expected.”

Deceit stared blandly and The Stranger sighed, “Still, you aren’t good enough,”

Only then did Deceits eyes narrowed, “I’ve been doing everything you asked,”

“Yes-Yes I know, you’re a good little dog aren’t you huh?”The Stranger said, “Still,”

“Still?” Deceit gritted. He could feel his anger sharp through the haze of worry.

“You’re getting a bit too—“The Stranger clicked his tongue, “Distracted—now don’t look like tha--t I won’t touch your little boy toy, that would be counterproductive to our cause,”

“So what do you want me to do?” Deceit managed, forcing his eyes to unslit, and ignoring the scales searing up his sides.

“Ah,” The Stranger laughed, “Now you’re asking the right questions and as a reward for not being entirely useless—” He flicked his sunglasses down and Deceit stiffened, “I’ll ask you a different question; what is our cause?”

“None of my business,” Deceit shrugged, “I am simply a tool who will benefit.”

“Very good,very simple right?” The Stranger hummed, “It’s easy for people to get scared of the bigger picture, but aren’t you just a little bit curious?”

“No,” Deceit lied.

“Good,”The Stranger flipped his glasses back up, covering his relentless gaze, “You’ll learn soon enough. Until then you need to push yourself further and I won’t tolerate any failure,” he gestured towards the cavern, “But just in case, here’s a little reminder about what you’ll be worth to the world if you do decide to fuck up,”

The Stranger didn’t follow him into the cavern, but Deceit could feel their mocking, cold gaze the entire time. Inside were fluorescent-lit exhibits, brightly colored informational posters and those arrows and—and—it was all terribly wrong.

Because behind each glass panel, were skeletons of all sizes; some with painted on whiskers others, with ancient feathers sticking from their arms, or scales carved deep into bone.

An exhibit of dead shifters, propped and polished for the public’s consumption.

As if they were nothing but monsters.

#ts sides #roceit #ts roman #ts deceit #sanders sides #sanders sides fanfiction #fanfiction #writing #Winners Among the Losing

[ps-i-dont-even-know]

Dead by daylight Oc

(Backstory, tw: This has schizophrenia, cutting, swear words, and blood. I want to let you all know that I looked up schizophrenia along with treatment and symptoms I may have gotten this all wrong and might offend people for this, and I am sorry if I did, also working on a backstory is a little different from a story and I had difficulty, and there is so much more I wanted to add but couldn’t fit it, but otherwise please enjoy)

 James Wilson is the youngest of his family, having two identical older sisters with interest in sports and putting themselves into every club at their school, seems to keep all his parent's attention from him. But it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t get love at all from them, it just means they don’t show much interest in what he likes, unlike his sisters who got more praises than him. To add to that he didn’t have friends while living in an upper-class neighborhood, which is strange for a kid his age. And sure, he does hang out with some kids at the park, but he can see through their acting and knowing their faking their niceness since he lives in a rich family and trying to use him for popularity. On his ninth birthday his family decided to celebrate it at a nearby playground, all the kids in his neighborhood were there and having fun, but he didn’t have as much fun as he was hoping he would. A kid three years older than him, who went by the name Marcus, was trying to make him cry, tripping, shoving, kicking, name calling, anything just to see James crumble. James had no clue why this kid was messing with him, sure he a little bit of a cry baby, but he has never met this kid until now and his parents weren’t paying attention to him while the kid was messing, even if he tried to get their attention it wouldn’t work. James just then tries to ignore the kid, but Marcus doesn’t like this and decided to follow James up the jungle gym, and towards the fire man pole where James was stationed at. A smirk slowly crept up his face when an idea came to his head, as he slowly got behind James and had his arms to his chest, and then pushes them out. All James knew was at one point was standing over the pole and the next he was on the ground looking up at the sky as pain started to rise up his spine. He was about to get up until he heard laughter, only to sees the kid who pushed him is now on the ground, standing in front of him. Other kids around looked at James and started to join in, all he could think is why, tears started to well up his eyes as he lays on the ground shaking in fear.

Before any tears fall a rock came flying and hitting the kid in the side of his face, “Hey dipshit, leave him alone” looking towards the voice James saw an older looking kid, he was wearing all black that had a red ombre to it. His eyes were black like his clothing and lifeless, but at the same time it holds anger to it, and this is how he met his first friend Elliot. “James! Why would you do that!?” his mother shouted, well an imaginary friend that is, but James doesn’t know this. His mother jumped out of her seat and rushed over to both of them while James was trying to stand up, “It wasn’t me, it's that tall kid dressed in black, plus he deserves it for hurting” He shouted out, but his mother gave him a face of anger and disappointment. His mother went and helped out the Marcus, asking if he was okay and what happened, supposedly the boy was trying to ask James if he wanted to play with him and his friends, but kept ignoring them. So, they decided to play without him and when they got on the jungle gym one of his friends accidentally pushed him into James knocking him off. He went down the pole and asked James if he was okay only for him to grab a rock and chuck it at him. James birthday was canceled, all the parents took their kids home, saying how dangerous he was. His family decided to clean up before going home, they gave him a few glares as they were working, which led him to go climb to the top of the spider web jungle gym. “Hey kid, you alright?” the boy who threw the rock said from the bottom of the spider web, while sighing James just shook his head no as tears slowly travel down his face. “Shit,” the guy said, before climbing up and sitting next to him, there was awkward silence between them when the guy sat down, it was almost suffocating James. The guy took a deep breath and turned to face James, “This is awkward, alright, let’s start over since we didn’t get a proper introduction. Hi my names Elliot, what’s your name and I would like to be your friend” Elliot said as he holds his hand out for a handshake, James stares at the hand before snorting a laugh and grabbing the hand with his and shaking it, “Hi Elliot, and your right it is awkward, but it’s alright, My name James Wilson and I would love to be your friend” He said with a smile. And just like that from shaking Elliot’s hand, James had fallen into a trap that he can never escape.  

It started out simple just the two of them as friends, they played, talked, and hanged out, James even asked his sisters if they knew Elliot, but both shaking their head no saying they have not heard of him. It was until later into the friendship that Elliot started to feed James lies, about his family or kids at school, which was around sixth grade. “Your sisters are only trying to steal your parents away from you, and you wouldn’t want that”, “Your parents hate you, probably never want to see you, but don’t worry you got me”, “Did you see the way that girl looked at you, she probably has your name written on a kill list, but I won’t let them hurt you”, “I bet the reason the teacher keeps giving you f’s is because they think your dumb, but we’ll show them.”, “The way that animal looked at you, I think we should get rid of them because of it.” It started to get out hand, James mood took a one eighty from what it used to be. From being happy and calm, to anger, anxiety, apathy, and hostility, he would cause fights with people who were messing with him, or as he so believed. As well as he would have nightmares and when his parents woke him up from them. He would say he doesn’t remember them, only to draw pictures of them next day and say, I don’t know who or what they are nor do I remember making this. The drawings would be him and these creatures with special powers or weapons of some sort; bear traps, teleportation, electrocution, cages, invisibility, the list could go on and on, but one thing that was consistent was him either being hooked or in pain. To add to this his grades started to slip from B’s and A’s to D’s and F’s, to the point his parents started to notice, but instead of asking what’s wrong, they yell at him saying his sisters were better than he was at school, which started to lead him to stop socializing with his family, and only leaving his room to get dinner when no one was around. His relationship with his family was slowly falling apart, his sisters stopped talking to him and started ignoring him, and if he kept trying to talk with them, they would talk down to him and make him feel worse, and then the voices would come back saying how much his sisters deserves pain and suffering, and always giving him plans on how to end their life without anyone knowing. His father sadly couldn’t lay his hands on his son, since he knew the kid would tell, so instead he breaks his self-stem bit by bit and calls him names, knowing that people won’t believe him, and the voices sometimes pick at the stuff his dad says and explain in a horrible way, and making James paranoid that his dad is out to get him, But Elliot won’t let that happen. His mom, she didn’t do nothing, said nothing, and went on life like it was a normal day, but every time she locked eyes with James, her eyes showed disappointment and anger.

But really none of that is true, no, James would pick fights with random students who did nothing wrong. James would also start arguing with his parents, telling them it’s not his fault and the other kid started it. Cutting off his relationship with his family, and started being cold to them. Yelling at his dad when he did something wrong, throwing things at his sisters when they ask how he’s doing, and glares at his mother when locking eyes. He would also talk to himself, saying it’s his friend “Elliot” and that he’s a better family member than any of his have been, but no one can see this Elliot, since he is just an “Imaginary Friend” that has always been with James since nine. His parents start to worry about him and his behavior as he grew up, but they didn’t want to do anything that would might set him off, so they waiting hoping that it was just a phase and it would die down. But it didn’t. It got worse and worse, around sophomore year for James would wear long sleeves shirts and jackets. It was the end of his junior year did it get to the point of his dad forced him tell them why he was wearing them in the summer, only for James to talk quickly beyond understanding and trying to make ideas up. It was until his dad got tired and grabbed James arm tightly making him scream out in pain, and lifted up the sleeves. Only to find red lines going up his arm, his mom and sisters gasped at the sight, and tears started to show up in his mom eyes. James yanks his arm free from his dad, and slapped his in the cheek, stunning both his mom, dad, sisters, and himself, he then runs upstairs to his room. After that his parents decided to take him to the doctor, and his sisters moved out since they didn’t want to deal with their brother anymore, but who would want to deal with him, he’s not “normal” anymore, and it was after his eighteenth birthday did they take him to the doctor.

After physical exams, testing and screening, and Psychiatric evaluation, the doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia, leaving his parents in shock and fear. Sadly, they waited too long to get help for him, because as soon as they got home, he suddenly snapped. “Hey we should go to the garage, I left something in there” Elliot said, James nods his head in agreement and gets up from his bed and goes downstairs to the garage. Upon opening the door James was greeted with his dad under the car that was lifted with up by a car jacks and had no tires. James scowls at him as Elliot started to move around the car, “What the hell are you doing in here?!” his dad asked from under the car, James crosses his arm, “None of your damn business, now why don’t you just choke on oil under there, yeah?” He responded quickly, not wanting to deal with his dad’s stupid antics, then he heard a sigh coming from under the car, “Look, Son, I’m sorry if I had treated you wrong, I know your mad at me for not helping you sooner with your, um, metal issue, and I promise I’ll make it up to you and start trying to help you.” James then whips his head around to look at his dad, “What did you say?” James asked quickly trying to see under the car, “I said that I am sorry-” before he can get the whole entire sentence out, the car slammed onto his father, as a loud bang and cracking noise came, and soon followed red from under the car. James stares in fear as he looks at the car and then upwards to see Elliot holding the car Jack, “W-Why would you do that?!” James screamed out, only for Elliot to roll his eyes, “Didn’t you see it he was trying to manipulate you, so I decided to end it once and for all, I want to keep you safe remember” and then the voices came back and James said yes and nodded. “Honey, are you okay in there?” His mother cried out from the other side of the door, the door knob twisted and opened, revealing his mom, and as soon as her eyes land on the blood coming from the car and James. Her eyes open in shock and fear as a scream comes from her open mouth, “James! Why would you do that! James are you listening to me! James... put down that pipe down honey, please. James!” was all she could say before Elliot came towards her with the pipe and started to beat her senseless with it, while laughing at her screams, and James only stood there and watched in fear.  

By the time Elliot was done beating James's mom with the pipe, she was unrecognizable and not moving, Elliot then turns to James with the same smirk he had on before, “She was also trying to do the same, James, you know I’m the only person you need right, no one else can love you like I do, were family” Elliot said, James slowly nods not taking his eyes off his mom, and sirens started to wail in the background getting closer. Elliot turning his head towards the sound with a scowl on his face, “Looks like we got to scram, come on kid no time like the present” he said and grabbed, a gasoline tank, James arm, and tugged him towards the garage door that entered the house. “What are you doing?” James has asked as he watches Elliot pour gas all over the living room, kitchen, and upstairs “Well getting rid of evidence, since the cops are coming might as well fake your death in a fire right, also you might want to go to the backyard things are going to start cooking” He responded, and then threw the gas tank into the corner. James runs out of the house to the backyards as soon Elliot took out the matches from his pocket and swiped it across a hard surface, and then dropping it and turning his home into a blaze. James wasn’t sure what to feel as he watched his home burn or how he watched his mom and dad die right before his eyes. Should he trust Elliot and follow his life on the run as a criminal or turn himself in and get help. None of the questioned mattered as Elliot came out of the back door and grabbed James arm and run off somewhere, “First stop, getting revenge on all the kids who treated you badly, and you might want to have this” Elliot said handing James a gun and mask as they run down the street, “But I don’t know how to use this, and why are we doing this” James tried to reason his way out of this, but he couldn’t. Elliot led James on a killing spree, killing every kid who treated him wrong, and killing their family, but there were times James couldn’t do it. Part of him was telling him this isn’t the way and he needs to turn himself in, but the other half is saying they will kill him if they get him. He was on the run after killing all the families, he changed his hair, clothing, and name trying to start a new life, but Elliot wouldn’t him have one, not yet at least. Elliot suggested they should go to the mall and get rid of some anger, James thought they would go there to just look around, he was wrong. As soon as both Elliot and him step into the food court, Elliot pulls out a gun and fires it. Screams started to ring through the air as people started running or ducking under the tables, James goes to look at Elliot when he freezes to see blue eyes like his that holds fear in them. Those eyes belonged to his sister, “James, why’s you stop, we need to be out of here in a few minutes” Elliot looks in the direction of where James eyes was locked on, and seeing who it was he glares. He yanked the gun out of James hand as he walks towards his sister, “Really?! Your sister is going to make you stop,” he cocked the gun and stopped right in front of his sister, and holds the gun to her forehead. “Please.... don’t.... do.... this” She says softly as she hiccups in between her words, and Elliot smirks and looks back at James, “You see James, this is what happens when your weak, you let someone take over you, and you try to reason with them and hoping they would change, but in the end your nothing but a puppet” He explained and pulled the trigger.

A deafening ringing came, people started to scream as Elliot shot his sister and started to do to the rest, and James only could watch in fear. Another shot came, but it was behind James and he felt a searing pain in his shoulder, he looked over to see he was shot, and looked back to see cops. “Shit, looks like the party's over, come on kid we got to go” Elliot said and grabbed James arm and pulling him through the mall to another exit, only for James to break out of his frozen state and yank his hand away. “No, I’m tired of running, and I’m tired of killing” He said, Elliot tried to reach for James arm who steps back out of his reach, “Right, okay honey the time for fun and games are over and if you want to get killed by the cops you can, but I rather you don’t get killed.” Elliot stepped forward only for James to take another step back, “I don’t care what you want, since it seemed you never cared about me, making me go insane and killing people, do you think I want this, no I wanted a friend not some psychotic bitch!” James shouted, and Elliot's face fall. “Fine be that way, but turn around and look at the glass see what you become because of me, I helped you” he seethed out, and James slowly turned around and looked through the glass. All he could see was his reflection and that his face and hands were covered in blood, that it was him who killed his sister, not Elliot. “Stop right there, your under arrest, put your hands in the air” an officer said as they caught up to them, “You see, I was in your head too from the minute I threw the rock and your deal was sealed when we shook hands, yeah I did make you believe in all that shit I said and showed, I was really hoping you would actually succeed the test, but it seems your tiny brain got fucked up somewhere” Elliot said, then turned around and so did wJames, slowly he brought up the gun and pointed it at their head, “Sorry officer, but it’s my time to go and you’re not stopping me” James spoke out, before he could pull the trigger the cop fired, and James falls to the ground and darkness starts to fade into his vision.

“You know, you could have been a good killer if you let me help you. But it seemed fate had other plans and it is such a waste for you to be a survivor instead, maybe you’ll learn your lesson or at least you wish you were killed instead”

Difficulty: Intermediate

A naive schizophrenic, they may be hearing things, seeing things and being manipulated easily, doesn’t mean they won’t try to decipher from good and bad things, at least they learn from their mistakes and move on

His personal perks, SchizoFreak, Snapping Nature, and On the Nail, help him progress faster with objectives, escape mistakes easily made, and help others and self when put in sticky situation

                       ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Perks ( I would like to thank a friend on discord to help come up with the names and ideas for these perks, their tumblr is @edgierthanmost​ please do check them out)

SchizoFreak

Why did nobody believe you? That the voices in your head made you do these heinous acts?

Call upon your instincts to progress, repairing generators 3/7/10% faster, however, you gain skill checks faster and the success zone decreased.

“Mom, I didn’t do it, he did”- James Wilson

Snapping Nature

Your nature to snap out at things have proven useful in this situation

When fast vaulting a pallet, if the killer is on the same side you are vaulting to, the killer will be stunned for 2/3/5 seconds.

“No one knows why he did it, but they are sure it won’t be the last time he snapped like he did tonight”- News Reporter

On the Nail

When the survivor is in a chase for so long; 3/2/1 minute(s), they gain the ability to throw a stone at the killer, confusing them for a short 2/3/4 seconds. This can only be used every 4/3/2 minutes

“Hey dipshit, leave him alone”- Elliot

#dbd oc #dbd #my oc art #survivor oc #dead by daylight #my art #dbd survivor oc #it took me a while to finish this and I'm sorry for that #I haven't slept yet #very tired #backstory #long post #orignal character #my drawings

[taakeadeepbreathh]

Begin Again

Forlini’s was quiet on Monday night, with only a couple people scattered throughout the restaurant; some were couples recouping after the work day, others were individual people minding their own business. Olivia knew that Stone could be easily found at the bar; she picked up on the fact that he seemed to come here after he was presented with a new case. He could almost always be found with a couple files laid neatly on the counter around him and a beer nearby. She looked through the window from the busy New York sidewalk and spotted him with a pen in his hand and in his usual spot; she had almost gotten used to the sight of him sitting there instead of Barba. Seriously, out of all the seats at the bar, he just happened to pick the seat that unofficially belonged to the former beloved ADA? He looked relaxed, his tie having been loosened and his blazer placed lazily atop the chair he was sitting in. Olivia didn’t have a specific reason in mind for wanting to find him, other than that she simply felt the need to talk to him one on one. She wanted to make amends; to try and make nice with the man who was responsible for making sure the victims she worked with got justice for the crimes committed against them.

 The bell silently charmed as Olivia opened the door, but the souls inside seemed preoccupied with their own conversations to notice her. She took a deep breath before approaching Stone, whose attention now was on the baseball game on the TV in perfect sight from where he was sitting; now she understood why he had chosen that seat.

 “You can take the man out of baseball, but you can’t take baseball out of the man” Olivia said coyly as she placed her hands on the chair next to Stone’s. His attention turned to her, causing him to sit up straighter and motion towards the seat next to him. He shuffled some of the papers away from her and into a pile.

 “Lieutenant Benson, what a pleasant surprise” Olivia smiled at the comment before taking his unspoken offer and plopping herself atop the bar chair; they did seem to have a habit of meeting in bars. She allowed Stone to buy her a glass of wine, which she gladly accepted; she remembered a couple weeks ago when he had offered and she declined. As she grew used to the fact the Rafael Barba was gone and there was nothing more she could do about it, she felt more ease in allowing herself to grow accepting of Stone.

 He seemed to pick up that she was preoccupied with her thoughts, so he began reviewing his case notes once again; the two sat in somewhat comfortable silence. It wasn’t awkward; just two colleagues winding down from a day at the office. The wine soothed her throat as she contemplated what to say.

 She studied his profile as he read over his notes; he looked strong. His sleeves were rolled up at the elbows, showcasing his muscular arms that allowed him to play the sport that obviously meant so much to him for years. The crease between his brows signified a person who thought deeply about so many things; signified a hard worker. His eyes were a soft shade of blue that told the story of a man who had been through his fair share of trials and tribulations.  

 Her instinct was to refer to him by his last name, as she did with many of her colleagues in the work environment, but she thought otherwise. If she wanted to come across as apologetic and sincere, she owed him the decency of referring to him by his first name.

 “Peter,” she stalled before taking a deep breath. He looked up from his notes at her expectantly, as if he had been waiting for her to gather her thoughts and he was ready to hear what she had conjured up “I think I owe you an apology.”

 His brows furrowed as he popped the cap back on the highlighter he had been using. He settled back into his seat in a more comfortable position; his shoulders now facing the woman in front of him.

 “For what?”

 Olivia swirled the wine in her glass and felt her eyes roll as if she was inwardly scolding herself. “I haven’t been fair to you since you got here.” Stone’s lack of response gave Olivia the hint to continue on.

 “I am fiercely protective of my squad. I have been with Special Victims Unit for almost 20 years and they have become my family; I would fight to the end for them. In my time with SVU, I have seen my fair share of detectives and ADA’s come and go, and each time it seems as if I’m more and more angry at said person’s replacement.”

 She caught his stare for a split second and found comfort in the fact that he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. He had been trying to open up to her for weeks, about his father and sister, and she could sense his satisfaction that she was returning the favor.

 “My first partner at SVU, we were paired together for 12 years. We were unstoppable; we knew each other backwards and forwards. I knew which step he was going to take a second before he actually took it. If Benson and Stabler were on it, it was only a matter of time before the perp was caught. Man, were we a good team.” Olivia smiled at the memory.

 “…and then one day, without so much as a goodbye, he was gone. He quit. We fought for each other through thick and thin; I would’ve run through fire for that man, and when things got really hard, he bailed. Twelve years meant nothing to him. When I met his replacement, Nick, I couldn’t look him in the eye. How dare he sit where my partner once did? Had he no respect? Every time he spoke to a victim, every time he led an interrogation, I felt my blood boil. I treated him like dirt. And then, over time, things got better. Of course, my time with my original partner, Elliot, is something that no one can replicate; however, Nick made me a better detective. He pushed me. He made me want to be better. He cheered me on and we figured out how the other operated; and we were a killer team. When Carisi first showed up, I thought the poor guy was going to get himself killed, he was so overeager. Then slowly, over time, he eased his way into things and he began to find his footing. Rollins was actually the first newcomer that I met after Elliot left, and man did she have baggage. She has tested my limits and pushed my buttons more times than I can count, but that woman is a fighter; and a damn good cop. After me, Fin is the longest standing member of the Special Victims Unit. He joined about 3 years after I did, and even after all these years, I know that he has my back no matter what. He has been with me through so many phases of my life, if I ever lost him, I’m done for.”

 Stone chuckled at Olivia’s comment and took a swig from his beer; everything she was saying about the squad provided a great deal of clarity; her comment about Amanda’s baggage made clear the comment the blonde had made to him about losing money on a game she had watched him play in. Her comment on Carisi’s overeager attitude made clear the hovering and constant questioning he received from the tall detective during his niece’s trial. Her comment about Fin provided an explanation for the sergeant’s speech to the new ADA about trusting Olivia and letting her do her thing during the trial involving Brian Cassidy. He felt like he knew more about the squad in these short couple minutes than he had in his months-long tenure in New York City.

 Olivia closed her eyes and prepared for the next person she was going to talk about. “Rafael Barba came into my life an egotistical, arrogant assistant district attorney with bark that matched his bite and a will to win. I didn’t like him.”

 “So, Mr. Barba and I are more alike than I thought?” Stone joked as he made eye contact with the women sitting across from him. Olivia jokingly rolled her eyes and shook her head.

 “Barba is a good man and a badass ADA. He fought for every case like it was his last. He helped me get my son. He helped me through a time in my life when I felt like I couldn’t move forward. He encouraged me. He was my friend. When he pulled the plug on that baby, I was furious with him. That was something I never could have imagined him doing. That was not the Rafa I knew. This job changed him. But then when the DA’s office wanted to put him on trial, my defenses went up. Yes, Rafael Barba made a really bad decision; but to call him a murderer? For the DA’s office to put one of their best prosecutors on trial? I was mad. I felt that my family was being attacked; and I defend my family. Unfortunately, you were stuck in the crossfire. You were the person who was in charge of taking down our Barba. I’m glad the jury saw him for who he really is and understood the circumstances surrounding his decision. I am glad that you didn’t win.”

 Olivia sheepishly smiled at the man in front of her. She felt inwardly relieved when he didn’t take offense to her comment. He simply smiled and looked down at his hands.

 “I am sorry for the way that I treated you. You were only doing your job and I couldn’t give you the benefit of the doubt. I couldn’t put my feelings aside and act professionally. To be honest, if I had known he was going to leave and you, of all people, were going to be his replacement, I would have possibly acted differently; I said possibly.”

 The conversation was easy; easier than she had predicted. She felt comfortable slipping humor in here and there. Olivia crossed one leg over the other and when she felt her leg brush against his, she felt a spark run through her veins. He didn’t move and she didn’t either; the human contact providing comfort for the two of them.

 “What I’m saying is: I don’t think I handle change very well. But I have a habit of treating people really terribly at first and then growing accepting of them. You’re a good lawyer, Peter. We’re lucky to have you on board with us at SVU. Stick around long enough, and I think you’ll become a part of this family too.”

 He seemed touched by her words. His smile spoke what words couldn’t. He was being accepted. He knew it would take time and effort, but anything was better than the position they had been in when they first met; hostile, cold, spiteful. After a comfortable silence, Stone spoke up.

 “Well, Lieutenant Benson, I think we make a good team. Now the only person who I need to charm into liking me is Rollins.” Olivia chuckled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. They sat in comfortable silence once again before Olivia spoke up.

 “Call me Liv.” She smiled sideways at him and caught his glance; he really did have beautiful eyes. He didn’t respond, but rather nodded acceptingly. For the first time in weeks, she felt at peace with Barba’s departure. Maybe it was for the best. She felt like the only person who didn’t feel the need to take a break from the dark world of the Special Victims Unit, as so many of her colleagues did, but she was grateful to be surrounded by people who were dedicated to the job. If Barba’s heart wasn’t in it any more, maybe it was best that he take some time for himself. If she knew anything about Rafael Barba, it’s that he couldn’t stay away for long. He’d be back in no time telling rapists to tie their belt around his neck in the middle of a courtroom.

 “So,” Olivia shifted in her chair to face towards the television Stone had been watching when she entered the bar, “you want to tell me how this game works?” Olivia eyed Stone over her wine glass and fluttered her eyelashes flirtatiously.

 Stone crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair; for the first time in months, he felt comfortable having a casual conversation with Olivia Benson. He finally felt like he found his footing among his colleagues in the SVU, and damn was it a good feeling. Maybe it was a good idea to take this job after all.

#law & order svu #law & order: special victims unit #olivia benson #peter stone #olivia benson/peter stone #benstone #fanfic #oneshot

[aairieal-blog]

CHAPTER TWO Part II of Psychopathic Soulmates

I don't know when I woke up; it was either late at night or early in the morning. I couldn't tell. All I knew was it was dark. I sit up in my bed, looking around the room, flinching at the shadow next to me.     "Good morning Astrik." A deep voice greeted from the chair next to my bed.     "Who are you?" I wonder aloud, slumping back onto my bed.     "Tyler. Get dressed, training starts in thirty minutes."     "What? The sun isn't even out yet, why should I be?" I complain.     "Because I said so."     "But I have plans today."     "Cancel them."   I shake my head. "I can't. It's important." He sighs, the hollow sound of a fingernail tapping against the glass surface of his watch.     "Don't you know about punctuality?" He says in an agitated tone.     "Don't you know the value of sleep and how to respect people's time?"     "Astrik, hurry up and get dressed before I drag you outside in your underwear." He grunts, clapping the lights on.     "Give me five more minutes." I groan, clapping the lights off.     "Goddamnit, kid. Go change!" He grunts, grabbing my arm and throwing me out of bed.     "Where's Elliot?" I ask, blindly grabbing clothes.     "He's in the shower."     "Why won't you let me take a shower?" I whine.     "Because you're wasting my time. Get up."     "You're not my dad."     "I am today."     "No you're not."   He sighs a puff of air, seizing my arm and pulling me out the door. At least I could see my outfit in the lights; I was wearing a pair of black leggings with another one of Elliot's black hoodies.     "Hey hey hey, Tyler. What're you doing?" Elliot says from the doorway, dripping with water.     "I told you; training starts today."     "Not anymore. Astrik has brunch, lunch, tests, and a date today. You can catch up tomorrow."     "I can't have this kid dragging me down, Elliot."     "She has her own special defense. In fact, everything she's doing today is adding more abilities to it."   Tyler raises a quizzical eyebrow at me.   I nod, swiping my watch over my ring, sleepily pushing buttons on it.     "That's impressive." He nods. "But she's gonna need a lot more than metal to have defense."   I yawn, twisting the square rock on my finger, just like Jake taught me how.     "Wow. Those are some pretty powerful guns." He says, nodding towards the three guns on my arm and the rifle on my back.     "And, the suit controls her precision. She'll never miss a single shot." Elliot adds, beaming as if it were his creation.     "Yeah. So if anything, I'd be the one protecting you." I spit.   He sighs, checking his watch again. "Okay, fine. I'll let you off for today."   I smile, turning to fall back asleep on my bed. I woke up with a start. For the second time today.     "What time is it?" I wonder aloud, frantically checking my watch.     "It's 9:30." Elliot calls from the couch. Great. I had a solid 3 1/2 hours of sleep since Tyler oh-so-rudely woke me up this morning.     "Oh crap. I only have 30 minutes to get ready." I say, scrambling out of bed.   I didn't have know the time I was supposed to be there, but I just guessed 10:00, since it was after breakfast and before lunch.   Hopping in the shower, I quickly wash my hair, braiding my hair down my back and placing a heat protectant spray on my hair before running a flat iron over it. Wanting to preserve the look, I lay a layer of hair spray into my hair. I'd need waves for dinner.   Jumping into black jeggings and a red cold shoulder top, I run out the door barefoot. I turn to casually walk down the hallway, tapping at Jake's name.     "Hey Princess." I hear Jake say. I couldn't see him. I disabled the viewfinder option when I made the call.     "Hey." I greet, stomping down the stairs. "Where are you?"     "I'm on the front porch."     "Okay. I'll see you outside."     "Adieu."   I laugh. Two people, one a beautiful white haired french prodigy, the other a girl that came fresh out of the woods. Such different people.     "Hey, Princess." The beautiful pancake faced boy greets, extending his hand. I lay it onto his palm, internally cringing as he kissed it.   I would've said "he doesn't know where my hand has been. Heck, even I don't know where my hand has been, and he's kissing it like I just washed it" like I did with Elliot yesterday, but fortunately, I just got out the shower.   Bringing my hand away from his mouth, he flips it over and stares at my palm.     "What're you doing?" I ask, relieved that he was staring at my hand, not me.     "I'm reading you." He says, taking a glance at my face.     "You'd be surprised what memories lie in your hands. I see you used to cut, too."     "That was years ago. How did you know that?"   He pushes up my sleeve, revealing my arm that was well over healed by now.     "There's a break and a circle on your heart line. That means that you've been through emotional trauma and depression. Plus, there's scars that are almost invisible running up your arm. From the looks of it, you cut vertically on top of your veins. Have you ever attempted suicide?" Well this took a wonderful turn.     "Three times."I nod.   He smiles, lowering my hand to my side, still holding onto it.     "I can see that you've run out of your phase?"     "I guess. But that cliff over there looks pretty tempting to me."   He inhales, letting go of my hand.     "Jake? You okay?" I wonder, wrinkling my eyebrows in confusion.     "I'm sorry Princess. I just like reading people." He replies, opening his eyes and holding the door of the house open.     "Where'd you learn to read people?" I ask, walking through the door.     "Online." Of course. He walks across the giant entrance room. Past the huge chandelier and the marble reception desk. Past the beautiful marble tables set up along the walls, and into a room on the other side.   I never noticed how beautiful this place is.     "I thought we were having coffee?"     "I'm a scientist. I have a much better place to eat than here." He smiles, reaching hesitantly for the doorknob.     "What's wrong?"   He shakes his head. "Tell your friend to stop watching me. I know how to handle a girl."   I turn around, searching for the person he was talking about. Sure enough, I saw Elliot crouching behind a potted bush.     "Hold on." I sigh, stomping across the room on my bare feet.     "You're caught Elliot. Come on out."   I watch Elliot appear from behind the wall.     "Hey, Astrik. Fancy meeting you here." He bluffs, a guilty smile on his face.     "Did you really stalk me around this whole place? Can't I do something on my own without you hovering over me trying to be my dad?"     "The kid is weird, Astrik. Do you not feel weird when he stares at you with that creepy smile?"   I reach into my pocket, pulling out a knife and swinging the tip of it across his cheek.     "If I catch you watching me one more time, I will carve your name onto your forehead. Got that?"   He nods, swiping the blood off his cheek as if it were a speck of dust.     "Now go upstairs and screw yourself until I get back." I hiss, glancing back at Jake, who was waiting patiently across the room.   Elliot flicks me off, retreating back up the stairs.     "You shouldn't yell at your friend like that." Jake's British voice calls from behind me.   I flinch. "I thought you were standing over there?"     "Teleportation." He smiles, grabbing onto my hand. In the blink of an eye, I was in a sleek new coffee shop.     "What in hell is this?"   He smiles another mischievous grin. "It's what the future would've been."     "If this is what the future would have been, then I wanna see what the future will be."   He ignores me, sweeping an arm out at the dozens of button controlled tables.     "Pick a table, Astrik."   Scanning the tables, I find a nice booth in the back corner of the room that was almost completely sealed off from the rest of the store.     "That is the first time you said my actual name since I've met you." I state, making my way over to the booth   He sits in the seat across from me and says, "Those who are special get special names. Those who aren't get no name at all." Bet he searched deep into the internet for that quote.   I squint across the table at him, wrinkling my eyebrows.     "I want to know more about you, Tee." He says, breaking the five seconds of intense staring.     "Well, uh, my name is Astrik Marianne Gillian, I'm 17, I think. I have black hair, black eyes, and I'm part British, Irish, and Native American. I live in-" He waves a hand at me, leaning into the table to clutch my own in his hand. "I already know all that. I want to know about you you, not just you." God bless the English language. "How do you already know about me?" He leans back in the seat, a lopsided grin on his face. "You don't need to worry about that." No, I really don't. All it is is that you know all about me, that's all. "You keep asking about me, but you never said a word about yourself." I retort, crossing my arms across my chest and leaning back in my chair. "Crossed arms indicate defense. Leaning is a sign of uncomfortableness. You don't need to suspect anything suspicious from me. I assure you." "Could we just go back to the lab?" "And the vibrations in your voice is a sign of irritation." "Look, I don't know why you like me so much, or why you brought me here, but can I go back to the house? Please?" He squints at me, his face soft yet stern. "But you haven't had your coffee." Astrik has to be around here somewhere, Elliot thought, speeding through the many halls of the Sara Hilton house. "Her watch is on, but there's no way to track it." Julia explains, racing along beside him. Elliot sighs. "I told her that going out with this Jake kid was bad. He had to have been kicked out of the Grounds for a reason." Elliot couldn't lose another person. He may have just known each other for two days, but he couldn't lose a person that resembles his sister so much. "Fuck." Elliot swears, clenching his fists open and closed. "I need something to hit." Julia looks around, pointing towards a door. "Maybe you should go outside?" She suggests. She knew what it was like when Elliot lost his temper. It wasn't pretty. In fact, the last time he had a meltdown like this, the entire Jefferson House broke apart in ash and fist punctured pieces of wall. She still had the scar on her stomach from the time he threw a knife at her. He nods, breathing as if he just ran a marathon, and runs outside. Tyler would know what to do. Tyler was the big guy here. He was in charge under Cassie and Sarah. "I'm gonna find Tyler." Julia says, already backing away. "You stay here." Julia didn't want to be anywhere near Elliot during his meltdowns; she doesn't want to almost die again. Elliot rams a fist into the nearest tree. Pain shot up his arms, but he didn't care. He wouldn't even feel any pain until hours after he finished. He had to find Astrik. She's the only thing that reminds him of the past. The past where he went to Starbucks every Sunday, always looking for a new girl to replace his last one. Those were the good days; the days where heartbreak and fears of the dark were the worst to worry about. Now it's not heartbreak, but trying to gather trillions of pieces and put them back together. There was no repent anymore, you have to make your mistakes and live with them haunting you for the rest of your life. A string of curse words erupted from his mouth as something warm bursted from his skin, trickling down his bruised knuckles as he continued to hit at the tree. "Elliot." Tyler calls from behind him, calmly striding up to him. Elliot ignores him, hitting a deeper dent in the tree. "Elliot what's up with you?" Elliot grunts, the muscles under his skin bulging as if they might just jump out. Taking a break from the tree, he turns around to face the stony expression of his brown haired friend. "Astrik has been gone for two hours and we can't find her, even after tracking her down." Tyler remains speechless. Elliot burns a flaring hot red. The last time someone was gone for two hours without a trace, they ended up dead. "She's over there. Now is that all?" Tyler sighs in an agitated voice. Elliot turns around, finding the jet black hair of Astrik's attached to the face of a white haired boy. Yin and yang. Calming down, Elliot watches the two kids make out in a dark corner. Smiling, he walks over to the pair, ready to be the dad busting his kids after they sneak into the house well past midnight. Catching eyes with me, she pulls away, muttering a few words to her friend before stumbling across the grass towards him. Elliot stops. There was something different about her; her eyes were glassy and wide, like a deer in headlights. Her hair was matted and tangled like she didn't spent ten minutes brushing it this morning, and her legs were shaking as if she were an elephant walking on toothpicks. Oh lord, Elliot thought to himself, watching Astrik stumble her way over. Please let her still be clean. The last thing she needs taken away from her is her innocence. "Hey Elliot. I just came back from my first date! Although it wasn't the official one, but we still, you know. What time is it? Do you know what time it is? Oh, it's 12:30. Say, what's for lunch? I'm kind of tired, should I take a nap right now or.." Elliot jumps at the white haired boy, who silently stood beside her, holding onto her hip. Nuh uh. That's way too low, kid. "What did you do to my baby Astrik?" He snaps, grabbing onto Astrik's arm, pulling her away from the smirking boy. "We just had coffee." LIES! Elliot stared at the boy, knocking his dust across the kids jawline. The kid falls to the ground with a crack. "Elli.." Astrik begins to say, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. "I think I- nap." She finishes, staggering towards the house. Elliot grabs her arm, holding her on his hip like a giant baby. "When we get home, you tell me what's going on or I'll fuck you in your tiny ass." He mutters, setting off towards the house. Astrik wraps her arms around his neck, licking a circle onto his neck. "You're so Elliot, sweet. I wanna syrup pour over you." She mumbles, sucking at his neck. "Stop it, Astrik." Elliot demands, picking up his pace to the house. Damn it, Elliot. You're the man. Don't let her mess with you. He says to himself, resisting the urge to slam her into the first wall he sees, screwing her until her precious liquids make a giant puddle on the ground. That's not you anymore. You're a different man, Elliot. He sighs, moving her away from his neck, carrying her dead man style. Astrik mumbles inaudible words, tilting her head up to stare at the ceiling as Elliot jumped up the stairs and into their room. Shutting the door behind him, Elliot lays Astrik on her bed, pulling the covers over her shoulders. Elliot turns to the door. He was pretty sure that her pajamas were still down in the pit. "Elli." She groans, clutching her pounding head, calling him back over to her bed. "What?" Elliot asks her, pressing his ear closer to her face so he could hear. "Don't leave me here." She pleas, wrapping her arms around his neck again, throwing lousy kisses to his lips. Elliot clenches his jaw. "Don't worry, baby, I'll be back." He says, pecking her lips once before setting towards the door again. "Elli." She calls again. Elliot turns around, twisting the doorknob. "I love you." Elliot nods. "Get some sleep." he said, shutting the door behind him. Whatever kind of acid Astrik was tripping on, he'd blame the boy for it. What kind of stuff could the boy have put in her coffee to get hr to act like this? And for all he knew, Astrik could be sleeping right now or dying right now. The kid. Strangle the kid. But, Elliot did applaud himself for being in a situation where a girl was in him and not doing anything. No more being arrested for this guy. "Hey, kid!" Elliot shouts at the white haired boy. The kid departed from his nerd conversation, raising an eyebrow at Elliot. Elliot wraps his hand around the boy's neck, bending down to look the kid in the eye. The boy was taller than Astrik, but still shorter than him. "What did you do to my sister?" He seethes, tightening the grip around the boy's neck. Sister? No. Astrik isn't your sister. You only had one sister, and she's gone. "All I did was take her for coffee, then I ran some tests on her. Your sister has a high tolerance to a lot of powers." "Bullshit. What did you make my sister take?" Again with the S word? SHES NOT YOUR SISTER, DAMN IT! Something clicks behind the kid's eyes. "Oh. You're talking about the cuptophomeia. That'll wear off eventually. Just keep your sister away from people. I accidentally gave her too much of the cuptophomeia." "What in hell is a kudoclonemia?" The kid shakes his head. "It's pronounced koop-toe-foe-mia, not koo-doe-clone-mia." This time it was Elliot's turn to shake his head. "If anything happens to Astrik-" "An overdosage of the cuptophomeia might turn your sister a little, well, kinky, but it should be gone in a few hours. It doesn't effect her health in any way." "What about her eyes and her legs?" "Her eyes are like that because I tested her on night vision and x-ray vision. It'll wear off after a nap. I tested her on her speed, too. The pain will be gone soon, but I advise you to keep her off her legs for a couple days. Anything else?" Elliot releases the kid's neck, walking down to the pit. Maybe, he thinks, stopping in his tracks. Maybe I shouldn't go down to the pit. He was right. Only the washers were allowed to go down there. And, whatever thing the nerds had powering this place was down there; he'd need a special mask if he didn't want his body burnt to a crisp.   Turning on his heel, Elliot heads out the nearest door. Yeah. Run. Be a coward bitch and run away from your problems. Run away and never turn back. And, that's exactly what Elliot did. He ran from the house as fast as he could, leaving only a strong wind behind.   By the time I woke up, the windows no longer shimmering in the afternoon sun.   I scan the room, quickly noticing that the room was empty and the door was shut, locked, and bolted.     "Your brother was easy to get rid of." A voice called from behind me. I turn around, the hairs on my body standing at attention as a beautiful white haired boy sat on my bed, casually checking his nails as if he was here the whole time. Brother? I've never had a sibling in my life, besides the sorry excuses of foster and adoptive siblings.     "Why are you here Jake? I said I was done with you."   He glares at me, his brown eyes hardened into a deep black.   Appearing behind me, Jake slams me into the next wall, his hands against the wall and his face inches from mine.     "So you apparently don't remember our little chat? You're mine now. I can even refresh your memory if you want me-"     "No." I grunt, attempting to push the small yet masculine man away. "What'd you do to Elliot."   He smiles his sickening grin. "He just went on a little walk. I didn't put my hands on him; he was the one choking me." Oh. He's just taking a hike.   Jake walks over to the window, scanning his watch before propping it open.     "I wouldn't go looking for him just yet. A storm's brewing."   I grab a sleek jacket off the floor, placing it atop the black hoodie I was still wearing.     "Not like I've never seen some water before." A black pulse runs through his eyes, and the window closes without a single move of his muscle.     "I told you not to leave, so you listen to me." He says in a sterner tone, his knuckles turning a deep black.   Grabbing the ring on my finger, I push buttons on the jewel, activating the suit that came with it.     "Astrik. I don't think you should use my own creation against me." I ignore him, shooting a translucent black beam of the deathly light that came out of my hands.   The beam flies over him, keeping him safe within an invisible orb.     "I told you that was a bad idea." He smiles, extending his hand.   The ring on my finger flies off my hand, leaving me defenseless.     "Do me a favor, Astrik." Jake says, throwing a palm in my direction. I tumble off my feet, flying into the wall behind me.     "Take a nap."   And with that, Jake left me in my room, blood tricking down my hair as I passed out for the second time today. The wind slashed Elliot in the face as he raced through the woods. He was still pondering wether or not he should return to the Sarah Hilton House.   Would you forget about your past and just turn back? There's no more abusive fathers, no more getting pepper sprayed for ganging up of girls at bars, there's no more lonely nights with only alcohol to comfort you. There's no more getting arrested every Friday night. All of that's gone, damn it! Your sister is gone, so you have nothing left to lose. He cursed himself for adding that last part. If Ava was here, she'd tell him to turn back around, not run away like the cowardly man he is.   Elliot suddenly thought of Astrik. In his frantic to escape his past, he completely forgot the girl existed. He couldn't leave Astrik behind. He didn't want her to end up the same way he did.   One thing was for sure: Elliot had to leave the alliance, and he couldn't have Astrik go with him. Coward. You're scared of the past and you dread the future. All you ever wanted in life was to dance around everything that ever scared you.   Elliot heaves a heavy sigh, turning back towards the house.     "You're mine now, Astrik." The boy smiles, making her way back over to her.   I struggle against the invisible hand holding me. "What do I have to do to make you go away?" I plea.     "You can't do a thing. I give you powers, you sell yourself to me. You do whatever I want you to do in exchange for your connection with your brother."     "So what am I, your sex toy or something?" I grunt, still struggling against the invisible force.   He grins at me. "You're whatever I want you to be."     "What was that part about connection with Elliot?" I wonder, just hearing that part.     "Your brother is leaving, Astrik. He'll be here in less than a minute to say goodbye. After that, you'll only be able to communicate through your psychic powers for weeks."   No. Elliot can't leave me. Not now. I got drugged and sold my soul to a psychotic eighteen year old boy, and Elliot is planning to leave me behind with no one else to protect me.     "Although, if you tell him about this, or you leave with him, I'll be sure to make you slowly die from the inside out." Heh. Funny thing there, kid. I'm already dead inside, so all you have to do is burn my skin.     "I'll leave you two alone." He sighs, blinking away just as the door opened.     "Where have you been?" I scold, my defensive side coming out.     "I was just out for a jog." He bluffs, kicking his toes against the carpet.   I make my way over to him, looking Elliot in the eye as best as I could.     "You're lying." I state, pulling him in the door and locking it behind me.     "Astrik, I-"     "How could you deliberately lie to my face when we both know that you weren't just on a walk!"     "I'm sorry, but-"     "How could you just leave me behind like this? I'm a young girl. How could you leave me with you last words being 'get some sleep'?"     "You don't underst-"     "You're a coward. You're a coward just like your father was, like my father was. You can't run away from your fears like they did." I manage to choke out. Tears pricked at my throat and threatened to spill out my eyes. "You don't undsta-" "What happened to the guy that wanted to have a big happy family. What happened to the guy that wanted the best for me?" His eyes narrowed into slits. "Is this what it's all about? You?" Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes. "You know perfectly well that that's not what I'm talking about. I'm just saying that what if something happened to me? What would you do with yourself if you add another person to the list of people you lost?" "I'm right. You've only cared about yourself the whole time." "No! You don't know what I'm going through, what I have to do. How am I-" "You're just paranoid. You're in the alliance now, you don't have to worry about anything anymore." "So you did your best to keep me out of it, and you run right into what you kept me away from?" Elliot takes furious stomps towards me, grabbing my shoulders and slamming me into the wall. "You don't know anything about me, Astrik." He releases me, sending me staggering into the next wall. "You know what? Remember when I said that you didn't kill your sister? I take it back. It's your fault that your sister is dead, Elliot. You killed the sister you cry about every single night, and I'm not the person to replace her." "I don't know how I ever called you my sister!" He yells louder, rushing towards the door. "I hope you die out there." I shout. "I hope you live in this hell." He hisses, walking out the door and letting it slam behind him. "Don't worry, baby. I'll be back." Yeah. I hope the next time we see each other is in hell. Jake smiles at the brawl that appeared in front of him. You're a coward. You're a coward just like your father was, like my father was. Heh. The girl was talking as if she and Elliot were old lovers, not like she just met him yesterday. Astrik didn't know anything about him. Is this what it's all about? You? Of course it was always about her. You do what it takes to survive out here, no matter who you step on in the process. You don't know what I'm going through, what I have to do. Jake slams his hand on the table in front of him. Astrik couldn't tell him about what he was planning. Then he'd have to kill the girl and everything he dreamed of would be ruined. You're just paranoid. You're in the alliance now. Oh, Elliot. It amused Jake to see how clueless he was. Astrik was trying to protect herself because he was enslaving her. It's your fault that your sister is dead. Okay, now this was getting too personal. It's time to end this conversation. Jake smiles, looking down at a furious Elliot making his exit. Astrik stood their in her room, going over the number of lies Elliot had said during her stay, then sank to the floor and wept. Jake smiled, closing his eyes to concentrate on the room he was bouncing to. Bouncing. At least that's what he called it. He gave himself the power to teleport to any place in the world he could see, wether an image or a distant memory. Opening his eyes, Jake found himself in the room that, just seconds ago, he could only see through a camera. Waltzing over to the crying girl, he held her in his arms as she wept into his shoulder. Isn't she so malleable? Jake thought to himself as he ran a delicate hand through her hair. As long as she has a wall to hide behind and a shoulder to cry on, she'll always be the same wimpy girl. "He's gone." Astrik puffs into his shirt. "I know, baby. He wasn't worth your time anyway." Astrik pulls away from Jake, a look of hatred frozen on her face. "This is all your fault. I know that you could've stopped this from happening, and you still just watched my life fall apart." Yes. Use that anger to channel your inner warrior. "It's not my fault. He was the one who left you." The girl sniffs, her body shaking as the next wave of anger ran into her. "People always leave me. Even my own mother and father left me. What's wrong with me? I try my best to be a good person, but I only just push people away." Jake nods, rubbing circles onto her back as she wept the rest of her tears away. Jake would have to change his plan, now. Astrik was too soft for him to hammer her into a stone. Taking her hand in his, Jake slid the updated ring on her finger, meeting her softening eyes. "Use your powers carefully." He said, still not breaking eye contact. Then Jake did what he never thought he'd do: cared about the well being of a girl, for the first time in his life. It's been hours since his argument with Astrik, and Elliot was just realizing that he overreacted. Looking up at the star covered sky, Elliot leaves his seat on a log to return to the Sarah Hilton House. "Hold on, Ava." He called to the grave that sat beneath his feet as he left the clearing. "I might be back." The house wasn't far from where he was. In fact, he never left the grounds of the alliance to begin with. Elliot wasn't as fierce as Astrik was. He couldn't just walk away from everything he knew so easily.   Astrik didn't mean what she said, did she? She was just in an angry mood. It was true, though. He was responsible for the death of his sister, but he was such a coward. Astrik was right about him; he was a cowardly man that was too scared to face his fears, yet too willing to run away from them. He has a compelling urge to walk through the front door, despite the much quieter alternative: going in through the electric back door. "I've been waiting for your stupid ass to show up." An old, yet adolescent male voice called from the doorway. It wasn't a voice Elliot knew. Elliot squints into the darkness. "Who are you?" The person smiles, the white of his teeth barely visible in the almost complete darkness. "I'm a friend. That's all you have to know." "Okay.. is Astrik okay? Where is she?" "She's still pissed, but she's okay. She's sleeping right now. If you haven't noticed, it's late." Elliot heaves a sigh of relief, creeping up the stairs. He would need a good dose of sleep if he wanted to leave in the morning. "I'm sorry." The voice called. Elliot stops in his tracks. "For what?" "You'll find out soon enough." The voice replies. "Now get some sleep. You'll need it." Elliot nods, although he knew the boy couldn't see, and finished his trek up the stairs. "Elliot?" The voice called as he reached the top of the stairs. "What?" "Don't leave in the morning. You'll die out there alone." Elliot nods, stomping a tired shuffle down the hallway. Elliot wondered how the kid knew his thoughts. Surely he didn't tell the kid his intentions for the morning, did he? Elliot grasps the doorknob in his hand, twisting it open to a pitch black room. He could see Astrik curled in his bed, clutching something to her chest. He grabs the TV remote, turning on at least one light to help him sleep. Yawning, Elliot treads to Astrik's perfectly made bed, with only a piece of paper atop the clean sheets. He picks it up, inspecting the paper through the faint light of the silent television. Dear Cassie (or whoever sees this first) I love living here. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely an upgrade from sleeping in trees and eating city pigeons, but it's not for me. I should've done this years ago, but I'm leaving now. I want you to find my body, which will be either in the lake or somewhere off the cliff. When you find it, I want you to bury me by the lake. Make sure you bury my journals with me, so that maybe, if the world gets back on track, people would find it and see what I've been through. If you find this while I'm asleep, don't wake me up. I want my last slumber to be the best, most comfortable thing I've ever done. That's it. -Astrik No. This couldn't possibly be a suicide note, or a will. Astrik isn't gonna die today. Tears sting at Elliot's eyes, replacing his rage. He should've thought about Astrik when he left. She may seem fine, but him leaving must've added more weight to the bar, and now she's collapsed under the weight. Elliot sat in the chair across the room. He may have been tired before, but the fear that Astrik might not be there when he wakes up just erased any thought of sleep from his mind. I woke up to the pleasant scent of Elliot's sheets. Yep, this would be a good day. A good day indeed. I rise out of the bed, a smile wide on my face. The sun wasn't up yet, but I could get a good view of the sunrise from the edge of the cliff. That's where I decided to end this. It's better to die on impact than to drown in water. Tossing Elliot's black sweatshirt aside, I skip over to the closet. I'd need to look my best, since you don't really see many good looking dead bodies, I'd love to be the first. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" A deep, raspy voice calls from somewhere behind me. I grin, thinking it's Jake with his voice impressions again. "I'm so excited. Today's gonna be the best day of my life." I beam, grabbing a tight black dress from the closet. "Too bad it won't be your last." I roll my eyes. "What're you gonna do, Jake? Drug me again?" I put the dress on the bed, searching through the rest of the clothes as footsteps came behind me. "Hey, should I go with that black dress or this blue dress?" I ask him, turning around to show Jake the dark blue cold-shoulder dress. "Neither. You're not leaving my sight today." The voice says, the face finally in my line of sight. I jump at the tall frame behind me. I wouldn't have recognized him since he had giant dark circles under his eyes, tousled hair, and a tired, shaky stance. "What're you doing here?" I wonder, backing into the closet. Elliot narrows his eyes, already narrowed by sleep. "'What are you doing here?' What the fuck is this?!" He yells, shoving a piece of paper in my face. I furrow my brows, reading the words I wrote the night before. Aaaaaaand... vibe killed. This might be a world record. Elliot sucks in a heavy gasp, rubbing his temples. "Sit down, Astrik." "But-" "I said sit down." He demands, pointing towards the bed behind me. He's like the father I never had. I sigh, turning around to sit down on the bed. "So what? Are you going to lecture me, daddy?" He squints at me again, making me acknowledge that I was only wearing lacy lingerie. "Why would you ever think about doing this to yourself, Astrik?" He yells, ignoring the fact that I was only in my underclothes. I lay back, crossing my legs like a pretzel as I prop myself on my arms. "You don't even know me. You have no idea what I've been through." "No, I didn't, so I read your little journals and now I know everything about you." How could he do that?! That's over ten years worth of private information in that bag, and he just read it like it was a bookstore. "I have private information written in that journal. That's the worst kind of invasion of privacy you could ever do to a girl." He blinks, gesturing to my clothes, or lack thereof, and says, "You and I both know that there's worse ways." I shift in my spot on the bed, moving around so the front half of my body was pressed against the covers under me. "What I'm trying to say is what if I snooped in your stupid scrapbook in your drawer there. How would you feel about that?" He remains silent. "Exactly." He furrows his eyebrows, a softer look masking his harder one. "I'm sorry." I tilt my head in confusion. One minute he's yelling at me, the next he's on the verge of tears. That's the worst case of PMS I've seen, and I'm a girl. "I'm sorry for slicing old wounds." Hah, don't worry about it. I've only recently resumed cutting. Pun intended. I turn my arms around, hiding the fresh scabs along my arms. "That still doesn't make up for what you've done to me." He sighs. "You should be thanking me for what I haven't done to you. A young girl is sitting in front of me in only her underwear, and I haven't done a thing." I shift uncomfortably, laughing a fake laugh to break the absolute zero degree ice in the air. I smirk, sitting up and resting my elbows in my knees. "So I turn you on?" I say, leaning forward so he could see my chest, which was magnified by the lacy push up bra. Slut. He turns to look at me, intensely studying my body. "Astrik. Don't do this. I don't have time to deal with this right now." Slut! "Just answer my question." He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fuck it. Sure. Are you happy now?" I smile, falling onto my back. "Yes." SLUT!!! "Jesus, Astrik, just give me some credit, would you? I'm not a dad, I've never talked to a kid this seriously before, and here you are trying to seduce me." "Then don't. It's not like you care anyway." I mumble, pulling a pair of sweatpants over my legs. "Where are you going?" "I'm going for a walk. Is that illegal now?" "Yes. You're not leaving this house unless you're with an adult I trust." I groan. "So you're grounding me now?" He nods. "I guess I am." "This is so unfair! You're grounding me for no reason!" "Until you get out of your suicidal phase, there is a reason." "It's not a phase, Elli, I just hate my life." "Hush, Astrik. I'm putting restrictions on your watch. It'll only be able to tell time after that, and no more two hour dates with David. In fact, no dates at all." "His name is Jake!" "Whatever. The point is, I'm not letting you out of my sight until you're my age." "You're only five years older than me! The only wisdom you have that I don't is how to drink ten shots and not throw up." He walks up to me, grabbing my arm. "At least I don't slash my veins open." I groan, pulling the covers of the bed over my head as Elliot sinks into my bed. This kid seriously did not just ground me, did he? Well, if he wants to be my daddy, let him be my daddy. I smirk at the thought, rising out of the bed and stalking across to room to where Elliot laid, somehow asleep ten seconds after he hit the pillow. "Please, Elliot? I'll be a good girl, just don't restrict me from the world." I plea, kneeling next to him on the bed. He groans, rolling onto his back. "I swear to god, Astrik, if you bug me again, I'll lock you in here and you won't be able to see the sun until I'm dead." I smile, rolling on top of him, straddling his waist slowly. "Please, daddy? I'll be your good little girl, just let me go out with Jake tonight." Elliot sighs, rolling out from under me. "Over my dead body." I smile. "I guess I'll have to kill you, then." Elliot shakes his head, stumbling out the room in the faint light of the raising sun. "Yeah, leave!" I shout. "You shouldn't be up this early." An Australian accent says from behind me. I turn around to see Jake, once again messing with accents. "I have my reasons, mate." I tease, mimicking his accent. His eyes turn stern. "I told ya to stay in ya room. You're lucky I got Elliot here before sunrise." He says, switching to a New Yorkern accent. I smile. "Whatever. How do you talk like that with such a straight face?" "Practice, darling. It takes lots of practice." He says, a Scottish accent this time. The smirk vanishes from his face, replaced by a stern frown. "I still told you to stay. Why in hell would you try to kill yourself after I told you how important you are to some people?" "I've been fed lies before. You only want me alive so you can use me." He shakes his head. "You and I have differing opinions on what your purpose in life is. You were born to be a goddess. All I am is just a prophet." "Oh. So now you're throwing godly shit towards me? Are you even religious or do you fake religions too?" He shakes his head. "Your middle name is Marianne, shortened to Mary, the mother of Jesus and the daughter of God. Do you think that all the things that happened in your live were accidents? You were born with a childhood of grief so that one day, you become the mother of a god." I shake my head. "I'm atheist, Jake. I don't know what you're talking about, gods don't exist." "I'll leave you to your beliefs." "No. If magical horses that poop rainbows are fake, how am I supposed to believe that a bearded man in the sky controls every living thing on this planet?" "I'm not saying that it's true, just that I can see the future, and yours is brighter than anyone else's." Hah. Yeah right. Jake taps his watch impatiently. "I don't care what you believe, but all I'm here to say is that your life does matter. I'm running out of time to tell you that." "Okay. So what am I supposed to do until my life starts mattering? Slowly die inside?" "In a couple hours, the Sara Hilton will encounter a small battle. If you want your friends to survive, then you have to fight with them. No more hiding, Astrik. I wish I could tell you more, but your friend will be coming back in the next twenty seconds. I have to go now." I sigh, clutching the shimmering rock in my hand. When I looked up, Jake was gone. • "Sorry, Tyler. Astrik is grounded and the doctor told me to keep her off her feet." Elliot says from the door. I groan, sliding deeper into the sheets of the bed as my eyes got stung by blinding sunlight. "Elliot, I swear to Jesus that Astrik is fine. Just let her do some training for a couple hours and I'll leave her alone." Elliot shakes his head. "There could be all kinds of dangerous things while she's training. She could stab herself with a knife, shoot herself with a gun, cut herself on an arrow, swallow a poison pill-" "Dude, you do realize where you are, right? It'll only get worse if she can't work anything right when the time comes to use it." Cmon. The worst I'll do is shoot myself in the stomach. Stomach wounds take a number of time before they kill you, and I'd be stitched up and pain killed before that time is even over. "No." Elliot says, his voice deep and stern. Tyler sighs heavily, the sound of fingernails tapping a glass surface erupting through the room. "Fine. I'll give you two weeks. If she can't run ten miles, shoot accurately, and throw a knife, I'll stab your foot and watch it turn black." So are you racist now? "Okay. I'll see you at lunch." The door closed, and I was shaken even more awake than I already was. "Get up Astrik. It's time for breakfast." "Why'd you tell him that I need to be off my feet?" I wonder aloud, sitting up. "Because you're not supposed to be on your feet." He sighs, pulling a shirt over my head and pulling me out the door. "If I'm not supposed to be walking, then you should carry me all the way downstairs." He sighs, bending his arm into a seat beside him and lifting me onto it with his other arm. "How are you carrying me with only one arm?" He sighs again, pulling me in front of him and resting two arms under my thighs. "Happy?" I smile, kicking my dangling feet as I sat on his arms like a swing. "Yeah. I'm happy." The smile stayed on my face the whole way to the kitchen. "How can you carry me so easily?" I repeat, slightly uncomfortable being carried in front of a line of strangers. "If you drink your milk, one day you'll grow up big and strong like I did." I laugh. "Yeah right. Have you seen my noodle arms? All you have to do is boil me, put some sauce on top, and you could eat my noodle arms as spaghetti for dinner." "Well, too bad its breakfast time right now." He smiles, grabbing a plate. I laughed, watching him in silence as he piled one plate full of vegetables, the other filled with assortments of breakfast pizzas and burritos. He finished at the end of the like with a glass of milk and two double shot espressos. I shake my head. "Why do you need two double shot espressos when you could've gotten one quadruple shot espresso?" I joke, grabbing onto my plate full of vegetables and my glass of milk. "Shut up." He groans. "I'm so tired." I smile, lowering down to my spot on the couch. "Why are you carrying Astrik?" Julia wonders, glancing over towards my annoyingly happy self. I frown. Julia's coffee colored skin didn't hold any bags or dark circles under her eyes, unlike me and Elliot. "It's a long story." Elliot yawns, crashing into the spot next to me. Julia turns to look towards me. "Why are you so jittery?" Oh, I just low key high key overdosed on mood lifters last night. On top of that, I was still on my high from being five minutes away from killing myself. "I had a lot of coffee last night before bed and early this morning." I lie, spooning a mouthful of corn into my mouth. I glance over at Elliot, who had successfully downed two double shot espressos, and was now attempting to shove half a breakfast burrito down his throat. How unhealthy. I guess you needed another side to everything. He was the boy to my girl, the yin to my yang, the breakfast burrito to my corn, the rainbow to my storm. He was the light to my dark, the calm to my rage. I guess in the end, science never really does change. I laugh at my unintentional poem. That would've made a good tweet, or Instagram caption, or something. Julia furrows her eyebrows at me. "Are you sure you're not high? Did you guys smoke a blunt without me?" I laugh harder, pieces of corn falling out of my mouth. "No, but I sniffed some cocaine this morning." She laughs, biting into her sausage biscuit. Maybe I should take these mood lifting pills more often. I'm so happy and optimistic, I bet I'd dream about rabbits screwing each other tonight. I stop laughing, sleep finally overtaking me. I lean back on the couch, stretching my burning stomach muscles from my laugh attack. "So." Elliot starts, ignoring me. "What's your plans for the day, Julie?" Julia tilts her head in contemplation. "I'm definitely gonna go out for a run today. Maybe I'll go hunting in the woods with Damien and the guys, then we're playing Battlefield." Battlefield? Is that a video game? Elliot turns to me. "Battlefield is like paintball, except you use real weapons and bullets. Everything that happens to you during the game, you can feel it. Like if someone shoots you and you bleed to death, you feel it until you die and you're out of the game. Last man standing wins." That didn't sound anything like the battery charged controller controlled games that I was used to playing. "It sounds scary, but once you get in the zone, you'll love it." "Are you kidding? That sounds amazing!" I squeal. Now I don't have to actually kill myself, I can just do it in the game. Elliot nods. "No more hiding for Astrik." "In a couple hours, the Sara Hilton will encounter a small battle. If you want your friends to survive, then you have to fight with them. No more hiding, Astrik." Damn you annoying vision of Jake that I know is only my inner conscience telling me that something bad is about to happen. That's when it hit me; the crash of the pills I was on. Each of them all flicked off at once, as if someone was flicking a switch. All the pills flicked off, and now I'm a slave once again to the crippling anxiety and depression. "Oh fuck." I groan, clutching my head. Elliot and Julia stop their conversation to stare at me wide eyed. Now only was I off the pills, but something was nagging at my brain, sending me into shivering seizures. "Are you okay?" Elliot asks me, feeling my forehead. "Are you sick? You you need me to-" I couldn't hear the rest, blacking out as another wave of shivers and shakes rode over me. I could hear Jake's voice clearly in my head. I'm sorry, he said, the frown clear in his voice. I open my eyes, awakening in a strange room I've never seen before. The walls were a pale white, and people wearing the same color rushed around under the burning light. "Oh God, are you okay?" Elliot asks me, his flawless face aged ten years and twenty wrinkles. "For what?" I say aloud, squirming to excape the sound of Jake's voice. I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to end this way. "End what way? Where are you?" I say, my vision flooding with black dots and my ears straining to hear what was once a loud and busy shuffle. There has been an error in my tests. I gave you too much power, and now it's corrupting you. I turn my head, seeing nothing but a black void. "Where are you? What's happening to me?" I shudder, the pain of a thousand burning knives breaking through my skin curls me into a screaming ball, clawing at my skin to retrieve the thousands of ants crawling just out of my reach under my skin. The bugs ignore me, crawling up my skin and into my head, sprouting from my skin only to retreat down my mouth, nose, or ears. Soon my screams were muffled by the tiny bugs clogging my throat as they crawled down different tubes of my body. Soon enough, I ran out of air to breathe and I sprouted from my hospital bed. In order to save your friends, you have to fight. I now knew what he meant. The battle wasn't against other people, it was against myself. I rise from the bed, levitating everything else in the room with me. "Astrik, what the fuck is going on?" Elliot yells to me, still rooted to the ground. I turn my head, focusing on his face. He was the one that did this to me. If Elliot didn't put Jake in such a thin time clock, he wouldn't have rushed and miss important things. Now I'm hovering in the air, shaking as if I'm wearing shorts in Canada, the burning pain of fire on my skin. Elliot puts his hands up in surrender, backing away from me. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it." I laugh. Liar. How could he deliberately lie to me with an innocent tone and a straight face? He was the one that left me. He was the one who kept me sane. He was the one who held me back. He is the reason why I'm happy, and look how that ended. I was supposed to be the lonely, psychotic girl with no happiness and no limits. Well, then again, isn't happiness only a thing you can pursuit and never actually have? Ben Franklin said it himself. "You're lying, Elliot. You're the reason why I'm like this." I growl, sending a train of needles, wood, and metal towards his helpless body. "Astrik!" Jake yells from behind me, shifting my focus, and a flood of thorn-like needles towards him. He raises a hand, making everything in the room disappear, walking calmly towards the side of my hospital bed. "You okay?" He asks me nonchalantly, despite the fact that I was squirming around in midair like a worm on a hook. Oh I'm peachy. "It burns!" I screech, clawing and slapping at my skin. "Just hold on, Astrik. It'll be okay." He comforts, sliding a hand up and down my body as I fall to the ground. "Just take two of these pills every day with at least a small meal and thirty-two ounces of water." He says, handing me two shiny pills with his free hand. I wait for the burns to die down. "You can stop touching me now. I'm fine." He lets go of me with a smile, planting a light kiss on my forehead and wrapping me in his arms. "Take care of yourself." He demands, pulling me to my feet. "Or else I'll have to take care of you myself." I frown. "Too late. I'm already under lock and key with Elliot. He won't let me see you tonight unless he's there himself." He shrugs. "Bring him along, then." "A very tempting offer, Jay, but I'm getting a feeling that you don't want to be on a date with Elliot." I smile. He sighs. "You're probably right. I guess I'd just have to sneak you out." "I don't think you'll have to do that. I might just be able to get him to let me go, but if all else fails, I'll call you." He smiles, grabbing me by my waist and kissing me full on my lips. "What was that for? You've never kissed my lips longer than a second." He shrugs. "Now that I know your problems, I have to confess my love for you before I can't anymore." I blink slowly. Love? I just met you yesterday and he's talking about love? He frowns. "You know, the worst part about having my power is that I can hear every thought that goes through your head." Well. This is awkward. "Astrik." Elliot calls from the door. "Coming!" I shout over my shoulder, turning back to Jake. "I'll see you later." I smile, standing on the tips of my toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. He smiles back at me. "Not if I see you first." He says, pecking my lips before letting me go. I walk over to Elliot, resting an arm on his shoulder as he led me out of the room. "You guys make me sick." He finally says, sticking a finger in his mouth and pretending to gag on it. "Shut up. We're not even dating." I hope we never do. I don't want to get intimate, I want to get physical, if you know what I mean. "Well it sure looks like it to me." I nod, staring at the ground. I'm such a slut. All I want is lust, not love. I just want to fuck a guy for one night, and when I wake up in the morning he'd be gone. "Elliot?" I ask, turning my attention towards his stony face. "Hmm?" He hums absentmindedly. "What would you do if I were some girl you liked at a bar?" I could basically hear Jake's answer: I would tell her to go home and drink some water. Alcohol isn't healthy for such cute girls. "I'd buy you a drink and slip a mickey in it. Why do you care?" I smile. Of course he'd drug her and take advantage of her in some dark room. "And what would you do to me after that?" He furrows his eyebrows. "I would pin you up to the nearest wall and screw your brains out." Well that escalated quickly. "Why are you asking me this?" He wonders, sapping his attention back to me. I shrug. "I just wanted to know what kind of person you were." "So what kind of person am I to you?" I smile. "I'll tell you one thing: you're exactly my type." "So you like it rough, then?" He smirks, a mischievous glint in his eye. "That's all I'm used to, so yeah. You?" "Pain is pleasure to me." He agrees. "So, like, say I'm blowing you, and my teeth get caught on your skin. Would you like that?" "It'll hurt at first, but yeah. I guess so." I nod again. "So, like, when you say you like it rough, do you like nipple clamps and spankings and stuff?" He asks me. "Yeah. I love that." He nods. "You play with toys, right?" I shake my head. "They've been used on me, but I've never used anything on myself." "You should try. There's nobody who knows yourself more than you do." "I don't know. Touching myself seems kind of gross." He shakes his head. "It's actually kind of fun. Maybe I could show you sometime." He offers, opening the door to our room. "You know, never in my entire life have I ever thought that I would be talking about sex with a mediocre guy like you." I laugh, shaking my head. "Are you saying I'm not cute?" He pouts in a faux disappointed tone. "I can be cute if I wanna be." I laugh, jumping onto my bed. "Can I go on my date with Jay tonight?" I beg, poking out my lip in a pitiful whine. He shakes his head. "Please?" I beg, widening my eyes to a more adorable size. "No, Astrik. Puppy eyes aren't going to change my mind." I groan, turning onto my back, staring at the ceiling. "Is it because I yelled at you earlier?" "No." "Is it because Jake drugged me yesterday?" "No." "Is it because you're jealous of my powers and don't want me to get more?" "No." "Is it because I kissed you last night and now you think I'm a slut?" "No." I roll onto my stomach, turning my gaze back towards Elliot. "Then what's stopping you from letting me go?" He sighs. "I'm stopping you because I love you and I'm keeping you from doing things you'll regret." "You're lying." "I'm not." I sigh, sliding off my bed to sit on the arm of the couch. "Can I ask you a question that you have to be totally honest with?" "No, Astrik." He stands up, looking down at me. "What would you have done if I didn't throw up my food last night?" He turns to me with cold eyes. "You don't want to know, and I'm not going to tell you." "I said it had to be an honest answer, Elliot." "It was an honest answer, just not the kind of answer you were looking for." "What can I do to make you let me go?" "Nothing. My mind had been made." "Please? I'll do whatever you want. I'll even blow you tonight so you don't have to." I beg, falling onto my knees. "No, Astrik." "C'mon." I smile. "It's not like you won't enjoy it." "I'm not letting you go, no matter what you do or say." "Then what," I ask, wrapping my leg around his waist. "do you want from me?" He shakes his head. "Nothing." "You like bondage, right?" I say rhetorically, pulling a sealed box out from under his bed, flicking off the top and pulling out four pairs of handcuffs. "Astrik. This is-" "Sh!" I shush, cuffing his arm to the couch behind him. "Anything you want." I coo, grabbing his hand and placing it on my chest. "Anything you want, I'll do for you." "Can you go to McDonald's and get me a Big Mac?" I sigh. "That's what you wanted? Food?" He nods. "Fine." I agree. "If you let me go out with Jake tonight." He nods in agreement. "Fine." I smile, cuffing his other hand to the couch. "Fuck you." "I could, but I know that you want to more than I do." I smile, watching him writhe around under me. "Can I go out with Jake tonight?" I ask again, waiting to find his answer. "Sure." My smile widens, and I back away towards the door. "Wait." He gasps. "You're just gonna leave me here?" I rest a hand on the doorframe, the key to the handcuffs still in my hand. "Why not?" I smile, turning the corner and heading down the hallway. "I swear, Astrik. I'll get you back for this!" He shouts, pulling against the metal. "I wanna see you try." I retort, turning the corner down the hallway. "I'm not proud of you, Astrik." A higher pitched voice says from behind me. I yelp, turning around to look at the adorable brown haired boy behind me. His eyes were hard and cold. The last time I saw him this serious was this morning when I almost killed myself. "I wanted to be with you tonight, yes, but if the only way was to sell yourself to Elliot then I can wait." I shrug. "Wanted to-" "I don't want to be only one of the people to see your body. I want to be the only one. If you can't wrap that around your head, then I'm sorry, but we'll have to be just friends." "That makes sense, Jake, but it's Elliot that gives me what I want. You don't even do that and you still come with the extra baggage of commitment." "You're lying, Astrik. If all you wanted from me was what's in my pants, then I never would've chosen you of all people at this place." "I'm not lying. All I want is to mess around with guys and not have to worry about dating them." Jake shakes his head. "Well, you've picked the wrong guy to like, then. The only way you're ever going to 'mess around' with me is after at least two months." "I'm not waiting two months to get what I want, when what I want is right at my fingertips." "I'm not the guy I was yesterday. You changed me. Now all I'm asking you to do is to do the same." He leans in to kiss me, his eyes still flaming with fury. "I don't like girls that flaunt their body off to people." He says, raising a finger. "I don't want anyone touching you here," he says, pointing at my chest. "here," he points towards my crotch. "here or here." He says, running a hand along my lower back and butt, the other hand stroking the inside of my thighs. "Off limits." He repeats, turning to walk back down the hallway. I remain speechless, watching him walk down the hallway. "I have no idea what he changed, but if I really do-" "Um, do you mind?" A girl says from behind me. "People are trying to walk in this hallway, you know." I turn around, staring at the blonde pigtails on the head of a much older looking girl. "Sorry." I say, moving to the side. I watch her, wide eyed, as she continued down the hallway and vanished down the stairs. That girl gives off a weird vibe. I shake it off, continuing down the hallway to see Tana. She probably has clothes I could wear on my date tonight, since she finds a way to turn anything into something slutty. I waltz into her door, leaning on the wall next to it. "Hey Tana, Tannie, Tan-man, Tan-" "Hi, Astrik." She sighs, not even looking up from the papers she were writing on. "What do you want?" "Well," I begin, sliding over to where she was sitting. "I just thought, since you're such a hot chick with impeccable fashion sense, that you could put together an outfit for my date tonight?" She shakes her head. "Thanks for the flattery, but you could've just said 'hey Tana, ouch my outfit out for my date tonight' instead." "So you can do it, right?" I ask, batting my eyelashes. "Sure." "Thanks. I owe you." I smile, wrapping my arms around her. "Bleach my roots and we're even." She offers. "Okay." She gets out of her chair. "So what's he look like?" "He's tall, like Elliot, brown hair with no gel in it, brown eyes, and he has the cutest little butt chin I've ever seen. Oh, and he can alter his voice to any pitch and nationally in the world." "He sounds cute. So when do we get to see him?" I roll my eyes. "You were there when I first saw him, so you should know what he looks like." She turns to look at me from her closet. "All we could see of him was his backside. I wanna see his face." I look around the room. "Well, maybe I could call him. He's never busy." "Or maybe I could come to you." A voice said from across the room. "Damn. What the fuck was that?" Tana gasps, running to hide behind her chair. I walk over to the dark corner of the room, reaching for Jake's hand. "That's just Jake." I laugh, pulling him out of the shadows. "He just does that a lot." "Well tell him to stop." She orders, fixing her ponytail in the mirror. "He made me mess up my hair!" "Yeah. I'll make a note to walk through the door when you're around her." Jake says, nudging me. "Fuck yeah you should." Tana agrees, brushing down the last bit of flyaways before turning around. "Damn girl. You got some good looking meat to eat tonight." She says, gesturing towards Jake. "Ya boy is fine." Jake shifts uncomfortably. "Uh, thanks?" Tana walks up to him, cupping his face in her hands. "Damn kid. You look like that dude form The Hunger Games. Can you throw 400 pounds of flower?" "I could lift you with one finger." "And that says a lot." I laugh. Tana cuts eyes at me. "You calling me fat?" "Of course I am. What else am I calling you, skinny?" To be honest, Tana wasn't fat at all. She had all the looks to be a supermodel. "Um, can I interject?" Jake says. "Sure." Tana and I both say in unison. "My favorite color is purple." He smiles. "Could you wear a purple dress?" "Purple? Isn't that a girly color?" I wonder aloud. He shrugs. "You can play gender roles all you want, but I like purple." "Purple doesn't look good on me. Could I wear black or something?" "Red. I like red. Red is the color of blood." He adds. "Okay." Tana pipes. "Can you not talk about blood? I've killed too many people in my lifetime." "'In my lifetime'? You're only nineteen. It's not like you're old or anything." Tana rolls her eyes at me. "You guys wouldn't understand. You're a tot and he's a nerd. You all don't know a thing about killing." "Hey I just wanna say that I'm not a nerd, I'm just smart. Also, I used to be on the grounds, and I did kill several people years before I was required to." Jake retorts, sticking a finger in Tana's face. I turn to look at him. Now I know what he meant by 'I'm not the guy I was yesterday. You changed me. Now all I'm asking you to do is to do the same.' "You used to be on the grounds? Maybe that's why you weren't what I expected." Tana smirks. "What did you expect from me?" He asks her. "You know, pasty, thick glasses, scrawny. You're tan, perfect eyes, and muscular." He smiles. "Thanks for the flattery, but my eyes aren't naturally perfect, though I've altered my eyes to be so." "Whatever. At least your eyes look perfect." She says, returning his smile. She did not just flirt with my boy, did she? Jake sighs, glancing down at his watch. "I might not look busy, Baby, but I make time just for you." He says, kissing me lightly. "Now that time is up." "Okay." I say, wrapping my arms around him. "Bye." He hugs me with an arm before kissing my forehead and vanishing into the wall. "You guys are so cute." Tana states, a smirk on her face. I cut my eyes at her. "You flirted with my boyfriend." She shrugs. "I flirt with everybody. And even if I liked him, I wouldn't make a move on him anyway." "Whatever. He said his favorite color was purple. Do you have a way to make me look remotely good in purple?" "I thought you said you didn't look good in purple." I shrug. "He told me he wanted me to change for him, so I'm changing for him. Purple is my new favorite color now." Tana shakes her head at me. "Guys don't want such a bendable girl. Wear your favorite color, not his." I shrug. "I'll wear whatever you give me." Tana turns back to her closet, pulling out a puffy black dress, lined with hold lace. "Really, Tana? A teacup dress? We're not in medieval times anymore. Where'd you even get that from, anyway?" "I went to the senior prom in tenth grade." I shake my head. "It's cute, Tana, but could you give me a dress with, you know, less layers?" She nods, pulling out a sleek, tight, black dress with a v-neck so low, I'm pretty sure it would surely stoop all the way down to my belly button. I shake my head again. "He doesn't like the showy dresses. Plus, how do people move in dresses that hug you so tight?" She nods, pulling out a black turtlenecked pantsuit with a rectangle at the chest to show a bit of cleavage. "That's better." I nod. The dress was showy, but not hey-I'm-such-a-slut-fuck-me-in-the-ass kind of showy. "How much time do we have?" Tana asks me, laying the pantsuit on her bed. I check my watch. "It's about 12:00, so maybe eight hours or so." I shrug. "He never gave me a time." She smiles. "Great. You need to get washed up, I have to do your makeup, and finding the right hairstyle will take forever. Eight hours probably won't be enough time, especially with lunch and dinner in the way, but I'll manage. I work well under pressure." "And don't forget the shoes." I add. "It takes hours to find the right shoe, especially in your closet." Tana groans. "Fine. You take a shower, I'll eat lunch, and when you get out, I'll let you eat while I work on you." I nod, walking into her bathroom. "The soaps and hair stuff are all on the rack on the back wall." She shouts through the door. "I only have electric razors, though, so stay away from the water when you shave." I nod, stepping into the spacious shower. It had to be at least twenty or thirty square feet. Once again, I don't know my measurements. "Just turn the handle to turn the water on. If you want a bath, the tub is across the room." "I'll pass on the bath. The thought of soaking in a days worth of dirt makes me cringe." I wait for the door to the room to close before I step in the shower. "What's for breakfast?" A voice says from behind me. "Who's that?" I wonder, not turning around for the fear that someone was actually in the shower with me. "Waffles. With strawberries and whipped cream, just the way you like it." A strangely familiar voice replies. I grab a loofah and a strawberry scented body wash, turning around to turn the water on. I was met with a screen on the wall, showing an older version of myself in only a bra and shaggy pajama pants, and the back of a shirtless guy standing in a pearly kitchen, which looked fresh out of a magazine with the shiny appliances on the grey marble countertop. The dude smiles. "Fifteen years dating and five years married, you still make the same thing for breakfast every day." I furrow my eyebrows, turning the knob to turn on the water. So this is at least twenty years in the future. I could tell. Along with twenty years, I must've gained twenty pounds as well. Although I think the thick look kind of suits me more than the bony one does. I laugh. "That's because I can't cook, Jay. That and you never hired a chef when you bought the maids." The dude turns around, his brown hair in a sleepy tangle, a thin beard grown on his face. "I would cook breakfast for you, but I'm not a morning person. Plus, I don't want a fancy chef cooking fancy foods." He yawns, grabbing his plate full of waffles and vanishing into another room. I smile, picking up my cup of yogurt before leaving out the opposite door. "I'm not a morning person either, but you don't see me laying around on the couch asking my wife to cook me breakfast." I retort, laying down on the couch. The dude wraps his arm around me, nestling his face in my hair. "That's because you live off of four hours of sleep as perfectly as I live off of ten. And, if you had a wife, you'd be a lesbian." I fling a spoonful of yogurt at his face. "Hey!" The guy yells, throwing a strawberry at me. I turn around, licking the yogurt off his nose before planting a kiss on his mouth. "Stop it." He demands, pushing me away. "I hate yogurt." I laugh, rolling onto the floor. "How I fell in love with a man who hates yogurt, I don't know." I laugh. He smiles, placing his plate of 90% whipped cream, 10% waffle on the table. "You said it yourself: opposites attract." I smile, grabbing a handful of whipped cream. "Lets play a game." I smirk. "It's called 'Eat the Whipped Cream.'" I say, licking a bit of the cream, sticking my tongue out. His eyes light up like a child's. " I love this game!" He squeals, kissing me. I grab two fingers of whipped cream, placing it on both sides of my neck, erupting in a fit of giggles when Jake licked it off. "Ooh, one more." I say, dropping a bit of whipped cream into my bralette. Jake reaches to lick the cream on my chest, and I smack his face with the rest of the whipped cream in my hand. "Oops." I laugh, seeing the shocked expression on his face. "I got it already." He laughs, rubbing the whipped cream in my hair. I shriek, jumping away. "Dance with me." He smiles, offering me his hand. I cock my head to the side. "Don't pull that stupid shit with me. I only danced without music in Fiji." He laughs softly, grabbing my hand and twirling me. "Who says you can't relive our honeymoon?" He whispers in my ear, pulling me towards him, wrapping his arms around me. I smile, turning around to latch my hand onto his, switching to an elegant waltz. "It was nice, wasn't it?" I say, straining a smile onto my face. Jake turns, a frown on his face. "You still haven't told me what happened between you and Elliot while we were in Fiji." I sigh, breaking away from him. "The twins." I sigh, glancing down the hallway that I could only believe led to the twins' room. "They're not-" "Astrik!" Tana calls from the door. "I'm back!" I sigh, turning off the water, stepping out of the shower and slipping into my clothes. What I saw in the shower wasn't a TV show. I was actually looking through a window to my future, which shouldn't be possible. "Sit down." Tana says, gesturing towards the chair behind her, adjusting bottles of nail polishes and hair sprays. I sit in the chair, running my fingers through my wet, stringy hair. Tana grabs a hair dryer, turning around to face me. "What's wrong with you?" She wonders aloud, flicking on the hair dryer. "Nothing." Yeah, nothing. All I did was just beak the laws of science while taking a shower. Well, I didn't break the laws of science in the shower any more than a magical four inch ring that sprouts a metal armor suit that comes with supernatural powers. Tana flicks the hair dryer on, running a comb through my hair. "Okay. Eat this." She says, dropping a fatty cheeseburger into my lap. I cringe, tossing the burger patty in the trash, taking a bite of the cheese un-burger. "What are you, vegetarian or something?" She asks me, now teasing my dried hair. "Something like that." I nod, pickle juice and flakes of lettuce flying out of my mouth. "I've eaten only meat for two years, so I'm kind of tried of it." She laughs. "When Jake sees you tonight, you'll be eating meat every night for the the rest of your life." I shake my head, ignoring her joke. "Jake isn't the one that goes for looks. He's more of a personality guy." But then again, I did end up with twins twenty years later. But then again, Elliot might've helped in the making of them. "Well, not you know I'm not going to steal your man, since my personality and that trash can are twins." She laughs. I laugh, looking in the mirror in front of me. "Oh yeah, go ahead and take your makeup off. Your foundation is cakey." She says, pointing towards the makeup wipes in front of me. I grab one, pulling off my eyelashes. "Gee, thanks." I say sarcastically, wiping away the mascara smudge under my eyes. What? I couldn't find any waterproof mascara in time. Don't judge me. By the time I wiped off all of my makeup, it was 1:30. "It's 1:30." I say, checking my watch. Tana rests her hands on my shoulders, bending down so that I could see her head in the mirror beside me. "How does that look?" She asks me. I look up from my watch to see my hair. It was combed, straightened, and parted in the middle. "I look like a wet dog with this middle part." I groan. "Try curling it." Tana nods, grabbing a lumpy curling iron. "For small, tight curls." She explains, sectioning off pieces of my hair. "You know, I had a curling iron like that. I showed it to one of my friends once. He thought it was a dildo." I laugh, watching her release my hair. She laughs, holding the small curl in her hand. "Does that look good?" "That makes my hair look half the size it actually is." I say, shaking my head. "Try bigger curls." She sighs, straightening the curl out, replacing the tight spiral with a bigger, looser curl. "How's that?" She asks me. I check my watch. It was 2:00 now, which means there was six hours to finish my hair, do my makeup, and pick out shoes and accessories. "That's good." I nod. Tana smiles. "Good. I have two hours for hair, two hours for makeup, and two hours for shoes." So, I sat patiently in my chair for two hours. "There." Tana sighs, looking at my head full of curls. "I'm done." I look up from the book she gave me, touching the curls lightly. "Don't touch it, I didn't spray it yet." She snaps, grabbing a bottle of hair spray. "It's beautiful." I say, moving my hand away from my hair as Tana sprayed it. "You made my hair look better than I do!" "Well, it wasn't that hard." She shrugs, laughing at the offended expression on my face. "Are you calling me ugly?" "Of course not." She says in a sickeningly sweet tone. "You're wearing my clothes, so it's kind of hard to top that." I scoff. "Just shut up and do my makeup." She smiles, grabbing a box full of what I could only guess was makeup. "You won't believe me, but I used to be a beauty guru on YouTube." She says, full of herself. "No, I believe you." She laughs. "Just kidding. I did story time videos mostly, but I did do a couple makeup tutorials. So, what do you want today? Cut-crease? Smokey eye? Basic, boring, and normal makeup?" "I have no idea what any of those terms mean, except for basic, boring, and normal." She groans. "Fine. I'll smoke you out, so we can be twins." She says, pulling out palettes of eyeshadow. "But you're, like, five shades lighter than me. Do you have anything that matches my skin tone?" I ask, searching through her other box full of foundations and concealers. "Hun-tee, your girl has all kinds of shades for all kinds of skin tones." She says, shaking a giant brush in my face. "How did you even get this much stuff?" I wonder. Tana pulls out a bottle of foundation, putting a dot on my hand and rubbing it in. "We may be required to do things when we're out in runs, but we can still take whatever we want when we're out there."she explains, pulling out a tube of concealer. "I've cleared out every building that has makeup in it. I even found a Sephora out there. My bag wasn't big enough, so I made everyone stuff their bags full of makeup until we could fit no more." She continues, grabbing a bottle of what looked like lotion. "What's that?" I ask, gesturing towards the lotion like stuff in her hand. "Its primer, stupid." She smiles, rubbing it on my face. "It moisturizes your face and does a bunch of shit to make your face the perfect canvas to paint on." "And what's that?" I ask again, this time gesturing towards the green lotion like stuff in her hand. "Green counters red, so it gets rid of the redness on your face." She said, rubbing it onto my face. "And what's that?" I ask, gesturing towards the bottle in her hand. "That's foundation, idiot." She laughs, squirting the liquid onto my face, beating it in with a beauty blender. "Before you ask, this is concealer." She smirks, dotting what looked like a wand for liquid lipstick onto my face. "What're you doing?" I ask her. She grabs another bottle of concealer. "Highlights." She says, applying a triangle of concealer under my eyes, and streaks along my forehead and cheekbones. "But, I thought that you're supposed to apply highlights as a powder." I said, closing my eyes as Tana blended the concealer in. "Okay." Tana sighs, putting down the beauty blender, switching it for a baking brush. "So I kinda want to do a purple smokey eye, since if I did natural tones that'd be too much black, and because Jake said it was his favorite color." She says, baking my face in powder. "Okay." I agree, watching her apply the contours to my face. "Just make it a dark purple. I don't like dark colors." "Oops," she said, grabbing the beauty blender, drowning it in powder. "I almost forgot to bake your under eyes. Wouldn't want to show up to your date with a perfect face and creasing eyes." I laugh at the thought, closing my eyes to keep the powder out. "You know what?" She says after a long moment of silence. "I'm almost done, but I'm turning you around so you can't see." "Why can't I see? Did you mess it up?" I ask, my brain zooming through all the terrible things she could've done. She laughs. "Hold your anxiety Astrik, I'm putting on your lipstick." I stay quiet, the cool feeling of liquid lipstick being spread over my lips. She stops, grabbing me by my shoulders. "Look at me with your pretty face and tell me that I can do your makeup for all your dates, your engagement party, and your wedding." She demands. "But I-" "Promise me." How could I keep that promise when I have no idea what she did to my face? "I promise that you can do my makeup for any future dates, parties, and ceremonies." I sigh, rolling my eyes. She beams, turning my chair back towards the mirror. My jaw drops at the girl in the mirror. That wasn't me. My hair was flat, not big and curly. My lips were Kylie Jenner before lip injections, not after. My face was bony, not filled with life. Now I'm a bright faced, curly haired Kylie Jenner with a smokey eye full of various shades of dark purple. "Do you like it?" She asks me, anticipating my answer. I blink, turning my head to look at Tana. "Are you sure you didn't give me lip injections?" I ask. She laughs. "No, silly. It's just a lighter lipstick in the middle. It's an illusion." "And you didn't give me a wig?" "I didn't give you a wig, Astrik, but it was heavily teased and has tons of clips in it." "And you didn't rip off my face entirely and replace it with a better one?" She shakes her head. "All I did was cover your imperfections and accentuate your natural beauty." I turn back to the mirror. "I feel so pretty, I think I'll cry." "No!" She snaps, shaking my shoulders again. "You may have waterproof mascara, but I don't want tear streaks on your face." I smile, shaking my head. "The only thing that could make this better is if you had some good shoes and killer earrings." She smiles, pulling open a door that was probably a shoe closet. "How do you have so many closets? Don't you have a roommate?" She nods. "I kicked him out for the day so I could help you with your date. As for the closets, I made them make me tons of them." I get out of the chair, inspecting the ten pairs of shoes she laid out in front of me. "So, who's your roommate?" I ask, looking at the classic black heels. She frowns. "His name is Drake. He's sick, you don't ever want to meet him." I nod, moving to the classic black heel with a flat toe. "What's wrong with him?" I ask again, moving to the classic black heel with the pointy toe. "With who?" She asks me, watching me look at the classic shiny black heel. "Drake. You said he's sick." I reply, looking at the shiny classic black heel with the flat toe. Tana shakes her head. "I don't know. He's just weird." I nod, moving to the shiny classic black heel with the pointy toe. "Why so many of these?" I wonder. "They all look the same to me." "There's matte black heels, shiny black heels, and heels with curved, pointy, and flat toes. There's a difference." I shrug, moving towards a black, leathery ankle boot with gold buttons ant a four inch wedge. "Really? Flats?" I laugh, pointing at the classic black pair of flats. Tana smiles. "I didn't know if you were a flat person." I sigh, moving towards a pair of black Nikes with a white check. "And sandals." I say, gesturing to the plain black sandals. "I just put out a variety of heels, flats, shoes, boots, and sandals. I don't know what you like more." I nod, grabbing the heeled boots. Tana smiles. "I thought you'd pick those." "See?" I say, pulling the boot over my ankle. "You already know me so well." Tana gas her watch. "It's 7:30. You have thirty minutes." "Don't you know about punctuality?" I snap, shaking my head. "I have to be exactly fifteen minutes early. It's a peeve." Tana puts her hands up in surrender. "Okay, ten minutes. Now put these earrings on and go." She sighs, dropping two diamond circles into my hand and pulling me out the door. "Wait." I gasp, pushing an earring through my ear. "I want to check on Elliot." Tana groans. "I thought you wanted to be early?" She complains, following me down the hallway. I peek through the doorway. Elliot was watching TV on the couch, unchained. "Hey, Elli." I shout, walking up to the couch behind him. He turns, his hard eyes softening at the sight of me. "Good heavens, Astrik. You look-" "Beautiful. Yeah, I know, now could you hurry up?" Tana says from the doorway. Elliot rolls his eyes, cupping my fave in his hand. "You do look beautiful, but I like your natural look better." He says, caressing my cheek with his thumb. I smile. "That makes one of us." "She has a boyfriend, back up!" Tana shouts from the door. "She would've been deep throating his dick right now if you weren't taking so god fucking long." I sigh, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the door. "What the fuck are you doing?" Tana asks me. "I want my best man and my maid of honor to come with me to my first date with my future husband." I smile, trotting down the stairs. That is, if I even have a remote thought about getting married. "You're not thinking about actually marrying this guy, are you?" Elliot asks me. "It's my future. I saw it. We'll live in a big house together and raise twins." Yeah. Raise twins that are probably not even mine. "Whatever. You do you, girl." Tana snaps, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "If you need us, we'll be at a table close by, but only call us if you need to get out." "Wait, we? You better be speaking French, Tana. I thought we were just taking her to the door." Tana shakes her head at Elliot. "Welcome to Girl World, Elliot. We're going on a date tonight." Elliot backs away. "No way. I'm not going on a date with you." Tana groans. "C'mon. Just pretend that you love me. If Astrik gets stuck in there, we need to get her out. Plus, I need to look at this guy closely before Astrik goes running off with him." I frown. "I don't really think I want to." "Hun-tee." Tana claps. "I did your makeup, so go take your shiny cheekbones out there and blind everyone you see." I shake my head, moving my gaze to Elliot. "And you don't have anything to say?" "I say you should let the girl do what she wants. Plus, I don't trust this guy." Tana smiles. "So you're gonna ditch him? That'd be totally badass." I shake my head. Someone pokes my shoulder, and I turn around to see Jake, hair slightly gelled into a messy quiff, a dark purple tux on his back and a bowtie around his neck. "Our table awaits, madame." Jake says, extending a hand. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, slapping the hand. He laughs, grabbing my hand and leading me away. "Yes! My bitch gon' suck some dick tonight! My bitch gon' suck some dick tonight!" Tana chants as we walk away. "Be back before midnight or I'll come get you myself!" Elliot adds. Correction; My maid of honor plus the dad that walks me to the altar. "You look good, Astrik." Jake says, ignoring Tana's embarrassing chant. "Thanks." I say, awkwardly, walking ahead of him but not leading. "So do you. Your outfit is very.. purple." He gestures to his purple Tuxedo with a smile. "I told you it was my favorite color." I nod, kicking at the rocks that were now under me feet. "You know," I say, gesturing to the outdoor restaurant around me. "this is the closest thing to the world I used to live in." He smiles, his free hand in his pocket as he stared up at the stars. "I thought you'd like it here." I nod, watching Tana and Elliot cross the restaurant out of the corner of my eye. Surely he'd notice them, so I should probably do something to distract him. I stop walking, grabbing Jake's other hand and turning his back towards Tana, who had ditched Elliot at the door and picked a table herself. "I don't know what it is, but I feel something good about you." I bluff, avoiding Tana's gaze and looking Jake in the eye. He smiles. Cupping my face in his hands. I look past him, where Elliot storms across the restaurant in fury, saying something that offended Tana. I flinch, latching my lips onto his, shoving my tongue down his throat. He hesitates in shock, then kisses my back passionately. I pull back for air, flashing my eyes over to where Tana and Elliot were studying the awkward combination of slut and gentle. I press my lips back against his and wave a gesture towards my two friends. They get the message, continuing their conversation before sitting at a table nearby. I pull away, smoothing down the wrinkles on his shirt. "I'm sorry. I'm such a slut." I sigh, shaking my head. He shakes his head, wiping spit off his chin. "You're fine." Well, I've started this date out well. "So, are we getting a table, or..?" "Oh, yeah." He gasps, pulling out the nearest chair. "Here's your, um, seat." I sit in my seat, awkwardly checking the menu. "Did I, like, trigger something?" I say, breaking the silence. "You look like you're dying." He shakes his head, the color draining back to his suddenly pale face. "No," he says. "I'm fine. You just, uh, stunned me for a bit, um. How was your day?" Oh Jesus, please erase my memory of this night. "It was good." I shrug, closing my menu after discovering chicken alfreado in it. "Nothing really happened today." Nothing except the fact that I a weird, laws-of-science breaking screen appear in the shower. He nods. "Has Elliot been bothering you?" I furrow my eyebrows. "Why do people keep asking me that?" "Elliot hasn't had such a shimmering clean background his entire life." He shrugs. "Like all of us, he's been through some rough patches, but none of us got kicked out of the Alliance for it except him. I'm just making sure you're safe." When did Elliot get kicked out of the Alliance? I nod. "Of course I'm safe. How would I not be safe with Elliot constantly breathing down my neck?" Jake shakes his head, mumbling something under his breath. "What?" "I said that that is the problem." He repeats. "Problem with what?" He sighs, leaning back in his chair. "With Elliot." He answers. "Elliot is a pervert, a rapist. I don't want you involved with him." My eyes widen in shock, although I could've guessed he was a perv once upon a time, it was a whole lot worse to hear someone confirm that assumption. "But I don't want to spend all of our time talking about Elliot." Jake says, suggesting a topic change. I nod. "I saw something in the shower today." He furrows his brows in confusion, then sighs a heavy sigh once he found the answer. "Ah, yes. You've opened a portal today. I've forgotten about that." Now it was my turn to wear his confused look. "How did you know?" He smiles, tapping at his forehead. "I have powers just like yours, you know." "Like mine? I don't have any powers." He shakes his head again. "I've put powers in your ring. Lots of them." I wave a hand in the air, dismissing the topic. "Whatever. Anyway, what exactly did I see in that 'portal'?" "You saw a piece of your future." "Yeah, yeah, I know that already. What happened at the end? I didn't see the entire thing." Jake sighs, pausing to drum a beat on the table as Dan came back with our food. "Where's your food, Sir." Dan says, a fake grin plastered on his face as he set the plate on the table. "And we're going to need to see an ID, ma'am." The waiter says, his gaze flicking over to me. Jake watches me as I pull out a fake ID one of my foster brothers made when I was 15, handing it to Dan. Dan looks at the card, then back up at me, smirks, and hands the ID back to me, handing me my food and drink. "You're not 21." Jake states. "Where did you get that?" I shrug, shoving the ID into my pocket. "One of my old foster brothers sent me this when I turned 15. He'd be in jail now, though." He frowns. "His name wasn't Defaro, was it?" I nod my head. "His middle name, but his first name is Brian. I called him fry." I laugh, remembering how I gave him that name. Jake stared at his food in silence. "You told me that my kids weren't fully mine." He says at last. "And?" I push, taking the biggest sip out of my unknown beverage. It was sour and tasted like cherries at it burned it's way down my throat, tears springing to my eyes. "And, I get mad, we get divorced, you keep the kids and marry Elliot, and I murder him in a dark alley years later." He finishes, propping his elbows on the table as he inspected his lasagna. "But how are your kids my kids but not completely yours?" I ask, confusing myself with that sentence. It sounded a lot better in my head. Jake sighs, grabbing a fork and twirling it in his fingers. "During our honeymoon in Fiji, you and I had sex the same night you and Elliot did." Ha. At least 33 year old me had game. "So do you usually drink, or are you just trying it?" Jake asks me, breaking the silence. I shrug, setting down my drink on the table. I've only been sipping on it for barely a minute, but I still managed to down half the cup. "Jake, the only other time I've been around alcohol was two years ago, and I was too busy burning myself to learn to drink." I sigh, lifting the glass back to my lips. "I just need something to take my mind away from reality." "What about those mood lifter pills I gave you?" Jake asks me, twisting random knobs on his watch. "You should've taken some at lunch." I shake my head, removing the glass from my mouth only to say, "I don't need those. They're shit." "They're not 'shit,' as you say. They're there to help and control your powers, so you don't throw a table and needles at me again." He says, pulling out a silvery pill and placing it on the table in front of me. "You have to eat it with food, though." I look down at my alfredo that was getting cold, then at the pill behind it. I close my eyes slowly, my brain starting to buzz in my head. I open my eyes, pushing a finger in his face. "You poisoned me! Why should I trust you?" The smirk vanishes from Jake's face, replaced by a mellow frown. "First of all, I didn't poison you, I drugged you, there's a difference." He sighs, leaning back in his chair. "Second, you have no reason to not trust me." I shake my head, trying to find a corner of this restaurant that wasn't spinning. "No." I say, standing up. "No, no, no. I have every reason to hate you." "Name one." I walk around the table, grabbing Jake's shirt, pulling him to his feet. "You never kiss me. All this time we've been here, but you don't kiss me." I complain. "Astrik, I think you drank too much." He says, his voice echoing in my head. I shake my head. "I'm fine, Jake." Jake wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me out the door. I turn my head to see Tana's table one last time. Elliot banged his fist on the table, standing up to chase after me. Tana grabs his arm, saying something that caused Elliot to sit down. I soon got the message when Tana shouted, "my bitch gon' suck some dick tonight!" Jake picks me up bridal style, carrying me into a room that could only be his, setting me down on the bed. "Could you not? It's 2:00 in the morning!" A girl says from the other bed. I could barely hear her over the high pitched ring in my ears. Jake sighs. "Sorry Lexi. This is my, uh, girlfriend, uh, Astrik." Lexi looks up from the book in her hands, swiping a strand of golden hair out of her face as she looked at me with her piercing blue eyes. "Should I go? She looks kind of, you know, completely drunk." Elliot nods. "That'd be helpful, yes." The girl gets out of her bed, the book still in her hand as she headed towards the bed I was laying in. "She's cute." She says, grabbing my chin to look me in the eye. "Wish I found her before you did." "She's straight, Lex, now get outta here and get to Elliot." Jake sighs, rolling his eyes. Elliot? Did I miss part of the conversation or something? Lexi shakes her head, planting her lips atop mine harshly. I kiss her back. "Hey, hey!" Jake shouts, pulling Lexi away from me. "You can go now." "If you don't fuck her, I will." Lexi says, walking towards the door with a smile. Jake pushes her out the doorway, closing and locking the door behind her. "I'm sorry about Lexi." He apologizes, sitting on the bed next to me. "She's a lesbian, and a bold one, too." I smile, crawling into his lap, pulling off his black bowtie. "Look, Astrik, it's late." Jake states. "You're staying with me tonight." I nod, tossing the ribbon to the side, sliding off his purple jacket and massaging his shoulders. Jake flicks on the TV, turning it to reruns of supernatural episodes as he pulled my boots off. "I love this show!" I exclaim at the sound of Dean's voice. "I know." He smiles, rubbing my blistering feet. "That's why I picked it." We both stay quiet for awhile, listening to the sound of the TV, me occasionally gasping when Jake jams a finger into a knot in my foot. "Oh, fuck me." I groan, curling my toes. Jake sighs. "There's no escaping this conversation, Princess. I've already tried." "What conversation?" "I want to know why you always choose Elliot over me." And there goes my moment of relaxation. I sigh. "I really don't wanna talk about this right now." "I know , but I just want to know, Astrik." I shrug my shoulders. "When I feel the urge to fuck with Elliot, I'll tell you then." Jake sighs, tears forming in his eyes. "Do you know how hard it is to see someone you love betray you?" He says, his voice breaking. "I've tried to do everything I can to change what happens, but it only hurts me more to know that no matter how much I try, I'll always be the one hurting in the end." I frown, never prepared for heart-to-heart conversations. "I'm sorry for hurting you," I say."but you can't just expect me to change my personality just for you." "Why not?" He shouts, face red with rage. "I changed for you!" I sit on the bed, watching Jake pace across the floor in red-faced thought. "You know what?" He sighs. "Go ahead and be a slut. Go and frolic around with the murderer-rapist-exploding-abuser perv. I don't care. I just don't. Fucking. Care." Exploding? That'd be pretty interesting to see Elliot fill up and pop like a balloon, but I don't think that he's capable of that. Jake walks to the door, squeezing the doorknob until his knuckles were pale, and walks out, uttering curse words and profanities as he walked down the hallway. And I sat on the bed, waiting for him to return. _____________________________ A/N Heey peoples! That's it for chapter 2 part 2! Coming next in chapter 3: A new character coming. I'm so excited to put him in, even though he's not really there much. Do you guys like Astrik? I'm trying to make her the sluttiest piece of trash I've ever put into a character. Plus, I kind of wanted to reverse the faithful girl-slutty boy thing so that the guys out there could get a taste of heartbreak. Oh and I'm sorry for posting these chapters in fragments, but I didn't want one extra long chapter with no aggravating cliff hangers, so, yeah. Like, comment, share!

#wattpad #book #story #series #chapter 2 #part2

[fairylights-101]

Tagged

@frenchibi tagged me for some things so those are under a cut - thanks dude o(○｀ω´○)9 

Top 10 songs about love:

"Koko no Iru Yo” - SoulJa ft. Aoyama Thelma

“The Day We Fall In Love” - Park Shin Hye (Heartstrings OST)

“You’ve Fallen For Me” - Jung Yong Hwa (Heartstrings OST)

“Angel With A Shotgun” - The Cab

“Sinners” - Lauren Aquillna

“Thinking Out Loud” - Ed Sheeran

“Little Do You Know” - Alex & Sierra

“Slip” - Elliot Moss

“Who Do You Love” - Marianas Trench

“Formidable” - Stromae

92 Truths - I think I did it already but *finger guns*

Last: 1. drink: water I think? It’s been a few hours 2. phone call: mother unfortunately 3. text message: my friend Jordan 4. song you listened to: “Formidable” by Stromae 5. time you cried: good question

Have you ever: 6. dated someone twice: nah 7. been cheated on: nope 8. kissed someone and regretted it: never been kissed so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 9. lost someone special: yeah (and it was my fault) 10. been depressed: more like when have I not 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: nah, I don’t drink

List 3 favorite colors: 12. Turquoise 13. Teal 14. Black

In the last year have you: 15. made new friends: yes (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و 16. fallen out of love: nah 17. laughed until you cried: yes 18. found out someone was talking about you: several times. Go ex-friends! 19. met someone who changed you: probably? 20. found out who your true friends are: gods, I hope so 21. kissed someone on your facebook list: no one

General: 22. how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: most now I suppose 23. do you have any pets: four cats and apparently allergic as hell 24. do you want to change your name: y e s but that’s not gonna happen for a while 25. what did you do for your last birthday: ... I don’t remember shocker 26. what time did you wake up: 9:00 I think? It was before my 9:30 alarm, that’s all I remember 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: writing probably, or maybe wallowing in lethargy and shit. Those hours kinda blur tbh 28. name something you cannot wait for: probably the next convention I’ll be going to 29. when was the last time you saw your mother: Sunday, unfortunately 30. what is one thing you wish you could change about your life: ah yes the laundry list probably my body because dysphoria 31. what are you listening to right now: my microwave. literally 32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: Thomas is close enough so yes 33. something that is getting on your nerves: myself 34. most visited website: AO3 35. elementary: a decent-sized one 36. high school: 1,500 kids, 90% of which were idiots and I could have easily strangled given half the chance 37. college: a religious institute (hah, great choice as an atheist) for an English major and Creative Writing minor, but it’s chill here 38. hair color: brown 39. long or short hair: short, but needs to be shorter 40. do you have a crush on someone: lol I hope so considering 41. what do you like about yourself: ... my sense of humor I guess my writing? 42. piercings: two in each ear and I wanna get some more 43. blood type: I don’t know (which is hilarious, because I’ve donated blood and like??? They’re supposed to tell you or give you a card???) 44. nickname: Sky, asshole, nerd, “little prince” according to one friend 45. relationship status: takennnnn * 2 46. zodiac sign: virgo the eternal virgin 47. pronouns: crying they/them usually 48. fav tv show: ... haikyuu!!, but I also enjoy BNHA, Supernatural, and Breaking Bad 49. tattoos: none, but when I have the money I’ll be getting a sleeve hopefully 50. right or left handed: right, but when I played sports I would bat left-handed

First: 51. surgery: top canines removed and chains attached to the adult canines so I could get braces 52. piercings: ears 53. best friend: It doesn’t matter anymore 54. sport: t-ball maybe? or soccer? basketball? 55. vacation: the beach 56. pair of trainers: idfk

Right now: 57. eating: nothing, but about to eat some ramen at 10 PM (first meal of the day, eeeey) 58. drinking: nothing (I don’t think I’ve had anything for... seven hours?) 59. I’m about to: eat, then do school work 60. listening to: my annoying neighbors talking loudly and my roommate going through pills 61. waiting for: my mental health to return from the war 62. want: hormonesssss 63. married: I don’t give two shits either way really 64. career: ... I take notes for disability services at my university?

Which is better: 65. hugs or kisses: yes 66. lips or eyes: eyes 67. shorter or taller: yes 68. older or younger: whatever really 69 apparently doesn’t exist 70. nice arms or nice stomach: arms I guess? 71. sensitive or loud: it depends I guess, but I like my quiet 72: hook up or relationship: relationship 73. troublemaker or hesitant: hesitant

Have you ever: 74. kissed a stranger: nah man 75. drank hard liquor: nope 76. lost glasses/contact lenses: all. the. time 77. turned someone down: yes. It was amusing 78. sex on the first date: lmao as if 79. broken someone’s heart: probably because I’m an asshole 80: had your own heart broken: c’est la vie 81. been arrested: nah 82. cried when someone died: when no one was around 83: fallen for a friend: yep yep

Do you believe in: 84. yourself: nah man that’s no fun 85. miracles: not really 86: love at first sight: it’s a nice thought 87: santa claus: ofc (not at all) 88. kiss on the first date: I’m really impartial because I don’t care about kissing so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 89. angels: yes, and its name is Goshiki Tsutomu no

Other: 90: current best friend’s name: my cat, Storm 91: eye color: blue 92: favorite movie: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (but Monty Python and the Holy Grail will always have my heart)

#tagged #personal #long post #frenchibi #i don't feel like tagging anyone so *finger guns away*