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#fic: carnival of terror
theharrowing · 9 months
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Carnival of Terror 🎪 1: Right place at the right time
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The carnival is in town, and it is unlike anything you have ever experienced. Will you make it out alive?
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🎪 Yoongi x Female Reader
🎪 word count: 6.1k
🎪 choose your own adventure, lovers and friends to ???, carnival and circus au, dead dove, horror, possible minor & major character injury & death, supernatural elements & magic realism, nsfw, 21+
🎪 warnings: dramarama within the friend group; general sense of the vibes being off; description of clowns, jesters & acrobats; hypnosis without consent.
🎪 note: all of the above details and warnings are subject to change as the story progresses & the readers vote. check the master post for an updated version of the details.
🎪 beta read by @neoneunnajimin & @sailoryooons. additional shout out to @sweetestofchaos & @echotoyou & @here4kpopfics for being brainstorm pals!
🎪 posted sept. 2023 | read on ao3
INDEX | NEXT
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As you peer out across the massive gravel lot and take in just how isolated this place is, you feel deeply unsettled down to your bones. So when two large hands crash onto your shoulders and squeeze, you jump, unable to hold in a squeal. Dulcet, amused laughter dances in the air, and you turn to watch your friends Jimin, Taehyung, and Jeongguk step off the shuttle to the gravel and dirt road. 
“Not funny,” you grumble, doing your best to look back and glare at Yoongi, whose palms continue to linger on your shoulders, gently rubbing small circles over your back. 
“Come on,” Yoongi mutters playfully. “It was a little funny.”
Off in the distance, in the dead center of the enormous, otherwise empty lot, are large red and white circus tents surrounded by what appear to be various carnival rides and attractions, fenced in by a sprawling, winding metal gate. A plume of fire shoots out of what appears to be the center of the tents, followed by distant screams and cheers, and you instinctively pull your shoulders to your ears. 
“This place creeps me the fuck out,” you grumble under your breath. 
“Well, if you hate it, you can blame Jeongguk,” Yoongi unhelpfully supplies, to which Jeongguk quickly snaps, “Oh, fuck off, hyung.”
Since the moment you got onto the shuttle this morning, Yoongi and Jeongguk have been at odds. And although it seems playful on Yoongi's end, there appears to be a genuine animosity coming from Jeongguk that you do not have the context for. You are also not attempting to mediate between bickering friends on a day like today, and you hope that once you are within the carnival grounds and distracted by fun, games, fried food, and beer, everyone will get along. 
As your group congregates on the gravel path, you feel a little silly for deciding to come dressed similarly, all wearing various shades of blue. It seemed like a fun idea this morning, but as you glance at all your friends, you realize that the five of you look like a pack of blueberries left to sit out in the sun. At least it is a stunning color on all of you. 
Both Yoongi and Jeongguk have shorter dark brown hair with their bangs parted delicately on their foreheads, and they are outfitted in deeper shades of blue, both long-sleeve button-ups. Yoongi's shirt has pale blue horizontal stripes on the front with solid sleeves, tucked into skinny black jeans. He wears long silver earrings that make his already soft, pretty face – his pouty doll lips and button nose – seem more delicate. 
Jeongguk's shirt is solid greenish-blue and loose-fitting, untucked over skinny black jeans, and he wears a black, emerald, and white striped satin scarf loosely tied beneath his lapels. Despite his sour attitude toward Yoongi, he still has a youthful glow behind his round, curious eyes, and his sharp, but pouty lips are almost always upturned into a hint of a smile. 
Jimin and Taehyung – the two who are so close everyone refers to them as the soulmates of the group – are in brighter tones. Jimin wears a loose, long-sleeve, flowy blue button-up tucked into tight black slacks. His hair is short and dark brown, unstyled over his forehead, and his features are an astounding blend of pillow soft and razor-sharp, with dark eyes that alternate between piercing your soul and warming your heart. 
Taehyung – always a bit of an oddball – wears an unbuttoned, long-sleeve baby blue jacket over a white long-sleeve button-up shirt with a blue windowpane pattern and matching loose-fitting slacks. He is equally stunning with deep brown eyes and rectangular lips that always seem to frown ever so slightly. His dark brown hair is beginning to grow into a soft mullet that hangs just above his eyes in the front, and below his ears in the back. 
Your deep blue satin long-sleeve button-up is tucked into tight, stretchy black slacks. Unlike all the men, who wear a variation of black leather boots – aside from Taehyung, whose boots are white – you have on a pair of solid black sneakers. The only jewelry you wear is a tiny silver chain with a silver sunflower pendant – a gift Yoongi gave you for your recent birthday – and your makeup is minimal, just a little to bring out your eyes. The top two buttons of your shirt are undone with a mesh bra underneath that gives absolutely no support but makes your tits look amazing. 
Yoongi's hand brushes over the small of your back, and you take a fortifying breath. With the shuttle pulling away and everyone who rode out to the carnival grounds meandering toward the entrance, you concede that your group may as well head in that direction, as well. 
"What time does the shuttle return?" you ask, pulling your phone from your pocket to glance at the time. Your gaze flits to the to top of the screen, where it is clear you will likely have no service out here, causing you to sigh. It is currently 12:13 PM.
"Midnight," Taehyung responds softly, walking a few paces ahead. 
Midnight. Just great. You knew, going into this, that it was going to be a long day, but now you are unsure whether there will be enough for the five of you to do during the next nearly-twelve-hours. 
"No service, no way home, in the middle of nowhere," you grumble, shoving your phone back into your pocket. "Lovely."
To your right, past Yoongi and a few paces ahead, you notice Jeongguk frowning. He opens his mouth to respond, but must decide not to, because he has nothing to say. This whole thing was his idea, and at the time it seemed fun, and you know that you should probably lay off a little before you hurt the poor guy's feelings. 
"Ah, cheer up!" Yoongi says, squeezing your hip. "We'll find some alcohol in there and loosen up. You'll have a good time, I promise. Besides, the more you complain, the more it will make our little Ggukie sad."
Jeongguk scoffs and rolls his eyes. 
"But he's so cute when he pouts," Jimin teases over his right shoulder, voice deep and playful.
"Shut up," Jeongguk mutters, though there is a hint of a smile.
Taehyung looks over his right shoulder, past Jimin, and grins, voice even deeper and cotton-soft as he says, "It's true."
Your laughter is quiet and fleeting, but it works its way through your chest, making you feel lighter. Perhaps it is the nature of carnivals and circuses that always fill you with anxious trepidation, and that is why you feel unshakably unsettled – as if something foreboding looms thick and oppressive around you. After all, there is a theme of illusion and trickery in these types of events, and the possibility leaves you more nervous than excited.
Gravel crunches underfoot, and the closer you get to the carnival grounds, the more it seems to grow into something gargantuan. Along the outside of the metal gate are large posters of two men – the brothers who run the show. You have seen their handsome faces plastered all over the advertisements, but seeing them in larger-than-life-sized posters is somewhat intimidating. 
They both wear deep red ringleader suits with white undershirts and matching red slacks, and across the tops of each poster are the words The Kim Brothers' Carnival Bizarre. One man – the leader of the show, Kim Namjoon – stands with his arms crossed over his chest, while the other – Kim Seokjin – has open arms and a wide, welcoming smile on his handsome face. 
"Do you really think those two run this show?" Jimin asks. He has stopped in front of Namjoon and stares up at his poster with his hands on his hips. "How is someone this sexy in charge of a traveling circus? Aren't these things, like…I don't know…dirty?"
"They probably stay in hotels," Taehyung mutters under his breath. "But the rest of the workers might sleep in tents or something. I don't know."
"It's one night only," Jeongguk adds. "So it's possible that they all pack up and go somewhere with clean water to sleep for the night."
You begin to grumble, "Isn't that expensive," under your breath, but trail off as you take in the sights all around you. 
Sure, there seems to be a lot to maintain for something like this, and there must be a great number of employees to feed, but events like this always cost an exorbitant amount to attend. The ticket alone was expensive enough that you had to budget for a couple weeks leading up to today. Factor in the large crowds of people and all the concessions, games, and rides, and you can understand how these two brothers could be walking away with a nice stack of money. 
"You'd be surprised," Yoongi responds, but does not explain himself; probably he knows that he has no need to – that you are likely to sort out the details as you stare past the metal gates and into the sprawling space. 
There is a tall man dressed in all black who stands beside the entrance, and Jeongguk approaches with a pep in his step, taking out his cell phone. You wonder whether Jeongguk has service or if he had the foresight to screencap the barcode that gains the five of you entrance. Either way, the man uses a device to scan his screen, and a loud beep is followed by a buzzing sound, as a hip-high metal gate swings open, and the five of you walk inside. 
Jeongguk leads, followed by Jimin, Taehyung, you, and Yoongi. Once the metal gate creaks shut behind you, Yoongi's arms drape over your shoulders. He mutters, "We are trapped inside," then groans a deep, "oooohhhhhh," right behind your ear that gives you chills, both because the atmosphere of this place – even in the hot, afternoon sun – is fucking creepy, and because Yoongi's deep voice and warm breath on your neck always spark something carnal and needy inside you. 
"What should we do first?" Jeongguk asks, turning to you with wide eager eyes before his gaze falls to Yoongi's arms dangling over your shoulders, causing him to turn to the others. 
"Beer," Yoongi grumbles at the same time Jimin shouts, "Food!" and Taehyung offers, "Find a ticket booth?"
You chuckle and wiggle away from Yoongi's hold – a task which he does not make easy. "Food and drinks?" you recommend, while glancing around. "Maybe we'll spot a ticket booth along the way?"
Now that you are inside the carnival grounds, the layout of the place is clearer, but also much more intimidating. Three massive circus tents are in the center, and surrounding them are various game booths and rides. There seem to be funhouse attractions and larger game booths under tent awnings along the edge of the grounds, near the tall metal fences, and smaller concession stands in the center of the wide gravel path. One building nearby says Tunnel of Love, and another says Hall of Mirrors, and you cannot help but roll your eyes over how trite it all feels. 
There also seems to be a sort of fog clouding your mind, making it difficult for you to focus on any one thing for too long before wanting to turn your attention elsewhere, and you blame it on nerves.
"I think I see a food truck this way," Taehyung offers, pointing off to the left, near the hall of mirrors. 
As soon as food is mentioned, you swear the smell of deep-fried batter hits your nose, and you find yourself instinctively turning in that direction. It has been hours since you have eaten, and suddenly, you feel ravenous.
Taehyung and Jimin take the lead, and you begin to walk forward, out of the carnival entrance and into the space that this event occupies. Music plays – horns blaring and keys chiming at a quick, exciting tempo. You pause as you step forward, body and mind suddenly confused. Was there music playing before? Had you not noticed it? 
This particular event is marketed as not being safe for children, and as you look around, all you see are adults. But the concessions, games, and rides are all those that you would expect to find at a circus or county fair swarming with kids, and you are surprised to walk past booths and find adults excitedly pointing to which large stuffed animals they would like to cash in their winnings for. 
"Checking out the prizes?" Yoongi asks close enough to your ear to make you flinch. 
"No," you mutter, turning your gaze away. 
You had been looking at the rows of plushies, but playing fair games is not your style, and you do not want to be burdened with carrying something around for the duration of the day. A laugh follows a hand rubbing over your lower back, and you let your eyes flutter closed for just a moment as you take a fortifying breath. 
"Why are you so jumpy?" Yoongi asks. 
"I don't know," you respond, allowing your gaze to dance over shooting games and feats of strength. Each individual booth has its own raucous sounds and music, with someone dressed as an old-timey hobo shouting to their customers. "I just feel overwhelmed."
"You seemed keen on the idea of a carnival all week."
Yoongi is best when he is like this: soft-spoken and concerned. No quips meant to jab at his friends, nor undertones to make the little hairs on your neck stand tall. You lean toward his body heat and allow him to squeeze you in a side hug before you continue to walk forward with the group. 
"I was," you say as your gaze falls to the gravel and dirt path under your feet. The smell of food is much stronger, and you take a deep inhale through your nose, letting the heavy, semi-sweet aroma fill your lungs. "There's just something so foreboding about going to the absolute middle of nowhere, with no way home. I understand not wanting to deal with having a lot full of cars, but it just seems strange to force everyone here by shuttle. What if something happens, and we're all trapped here?"
You know that you sound paranoid, and you are actually a bit shocked when Yoongi does not tease you for it. 
"I'm sure nothing will happen," he responds calmly. "I'm sure these traveling shows are prepared for the worst. There were medical tents advertised on a map near the entrance, so if we need any kind of first aid, they have us covered."
You do not recall seeing a map by the entrance, but you are also not at your most observant. Thankfully, there is always someone in your group who is on top of things, and that someone is usually Yoongi, and often Taehyung.
As you look up, you see a large food truck smack dab in the center of the wide gravel path, surrounded by people standing in line and waiting for their orders. You feel an instant sense of disappointment and impatience, which you blame partially on your need to eat something. 
Jimin is first to begin skipping over to the end of the line, and you follow behind, lacking his enthusiasm. The truck is massive compared to ones you are used to, and you hope that with all the extra space, there are plenty of employees inside to make orders come out quickly. 
Your antsiness must show, because Jeongguk – who had also skipped excitedly to the line – leans toward you to say, "We can grab you guys something if you would rather walk around. We don't all have to wait in this line."
"It's fine," you respond, but the tone of your voice suggests that it is anything but fine. 
"Come on," Yoongi says, yanking you away from the line, toward a booth several feet away. "We can play this little rubber ducky game in the shade while they wait for food in the hot sun.”
A smile creeps over your face, and you nod, allowing Yoongi to drag you off to the shade, under a large tent awning with a small game booth inside. As soon as you are out of the sun, your shoulders relax, and you feel a lot better. 
"It doesn't take five of us to order, anyway," Yoongi says softly. "And I finally get a chance to have you all to myself."
Again, with the inviting tone, which you struggle to ignore now that the others are no longer within earshot. You turn your head but keep your eyes on the kiddie pool of multicolored rubber duckies floating in a slow circle as you say, "You had me all to yourself last night," in a low, teasing tone.
"And this morning," Yoongi responds, leaning close, causing your heart to flutter and your thighs to briefly clench.
Your cheeks warm, and you nibble on your lip, watching as the rubber ducks move round and round, determined not to look at Yoongi and allow him to see the effect he is having on you. There is a pastel pink one that catches your eye, and you reach for it as soon as Yoongi hands over some notes of money. 
Written on the bottom of the duck is the number seven, and you turn it to face the person standing behind the counter, who takes it from your hand to inspect. The attendee is a tall, thin man dressed head to toe in black, with a piercing on the bridge of his nose. He wears smudged black eyeliner, and when he smiles at you, his long, sharp features turn soft and pretty. 
"Seven, hmm…" the attendee says as he tilts his head and widens his eyes. "Not many know to reach for a seven. Those prizes are special, so you have to choose wisely."
"Special, huh?" you ask, feeling excitement build, unable to fathom what could possibly be special about a cheap carnival trinket. 
The man turns to his left and walks over to a shelf to your right that you walk around to see into. As soon as you round the corner, you feel the urge to laugh; the trinkets are the same as those in the front shelf, and there hardly seems to be anything special about them. 
"These are different from those?" you ask, pointing between the shelves with a playful tone. 
The attendee hums, "Mmhmm," watching you with a curious, excited expression. 
Sitting in little plastic bins are paper finger traps, plastic kazoos, large jawbreaker candies, little metal whistles, mirrors with paintings of tigers and dragons on them, and little yellow bird keychain plushies. Nothing particularly grabs your attention, yet you find yourself struggling to make a choice. 
Jawbreakers were a favorite of yours growing up, but they get sticky too fast. And although you like the novelty of the painted mirrors, you do not want to carry one around all day. So, you point to the keychain plushies from above, and say, "I'll take one of these."
The man slides open a glass door and reaches into the case. He retrieves the exact plushie below where you point, and places it gently in front of you. 
"I hope this trinket brings you luck," he says with a grin, and you find your gaze flitting nervously between the man and the toy before grabbing it and giving it a gentle squeeze. The yellow fur of the bird is soft in your hold, and it reminds you of a tiny duckling. 
"Sick!" Yoongi exclaims from your left, making you chuckle. He reaches for the toy, and you hand it over, turning to watch him inspect the small yellow bird between his long fingers. "You should wear it on your belt loop," he says, and before you have a chance to agree or not, he opens the little metal fastener that it dangles from and clips it onto your left hip.
"Perfect," you say with a smile as you inspect your new toy. Warmth spreads, and you feel a little more relaxed about this whole thing; maybe the carnival is not so bad, and happiness can be collected and appreciated, one adorable plushie at a time. 
"Thank you for playing," the man behind the counter says, and you glance up as he winks and walks off, leaving a different attendant to watch over the game. 
"Thank you," you mutter under your breath because it feels like the polite thing to do, then you turn to exit the stall and return to your friends, who are much further in line. 
Yoongi slings an arm over your shoulder, causing you to blaze hot in the afternoon sun, but you enjoy his warmth as he steers you near the front of the line. 
"We're thinking about getting a pizza to share and some corn dogs," Jimin says without greeting you, and you nod, approving of their choices. 
"They have beer, wine, and fruity seltzers," Taehyung adds. "Personally, I think we should get two pitchers of beer."
Yoongi squeezes your shoulder and slides his hand away to reach for his wallet. "Sounds good to me," he says, pulling out some cash.
Jeongguk stands behind the soulmates with his eyes on your bird plushie. Then his gaze snaps to yours, and he roves his eyes around as if feeling awkward about being caught staring. "It's cute," he mutters, eyes falling to your trinket once more. 
"Apparently, it will bring her good luck," Yoongi teases, giving your arm a nudge with his elbow, which annoys you enough to shove him away with an elbow of your own. 
Past the food truck line, there is a large open space with picnic tables, and you nod to it with your chin, leaning to Yoongi as you ask, "Should we go find a spot to sit?"
"Preferably with shade!" Jimin chimes in, and you nod; shade is a must.
"We'll be right over here," you say as you point, and the others mutter their approval and approach the counter to give their order. 
To get to the open area, you have to pass through the food line, which is rather crowded, and you mutter, "Excuse me," and "Sorry," as you squeeze past people. And although most tables in the shade are taken, there is one at the far end, below a large tree, and you move a little faster in its direction to secure it before anyone else has a chance to. 
As you approach the table, you find your attention stolen by the tree. Up close, it is massive, looming high with twisted branches that appear sharp, like talons upon which large green leaves dangle. 
"Creepy," Yoongi grumbles, and you nod, uttering a quiet, "Uh-huh."
"I'm impressed there's a tree like this out here," he continues as he rounds the table to sit with his back to it. You opt to take the seat across from him. "This place is pretty barren."
As you look past the metal gate to your left, you see what Yoongi means. There are grassy areas here and there, and in the far distance, there are shrubs and eventually trees. But, as far as you can tell, this giant one stands on its own. A chill runs down your spine; creepy, indeed. 
The rest of the group joins, with Jeongguk gripping the handles of two pitchers of beer in one hand and carrying a stack of clear plastic cups in the other, followed by Taehyung holding a pizza box, and Jimin holding a cardboard tray of corn dogs. Taehyung and Jimin sit on Yoongi's side of the table, and Jeongguk sits to your right. 
"What's up with the tree?" Jeongguk asks as he begins to pour beer into each plastic cup. 
Taehyung looks over his shoulder, then grumbles, "It's kind of scary," sporting a disapproving frown.
With a sigh, Jimin looks over his shoulder, then he straightens out, rolling his eyes. "It's just a tree. Thanks for finding us a spot in the shade!"
Although the food is definitely not peak quality, it hits the spot. That, plus the beer, has you feeling full and a bit dizzy, and you anchor your palm to the wooden seat and lean slightly to your right, toward Jeongguk. The wind carries hints of his floral, musky scent, which you have always found to be pleasant. 
"What should we do first?" Yoongi asks, and you turn to your right to look around, catching Jeongguk's eye, instead. 
"I like the hall of mirrors," Jeongguk says, looking down at your hand that rests inches from him, then up at the others. 
"Tunnel of love," Jimin sing-songs playfully. 
Taehyung looks at his phone, then says, "There's an illusion show at 1:30 that we should see."
"That sounds cool," Yoongi says as he tilts his head, looking at you, then at Jeongguk, and back. "What about you?"
You shrug, unsure what you would like to do. 
"I suppose we should try to see the scheduled shows," you reason. "Then we can decide what to do in between."
It is close enough to 1:30 that the five of you down the rest of the beer and stand from the table with tandem groans. Stretching feels good, and you lift your arms over your head and yawn. Taehyung gathers the trash on top of the pizza box, and Jeongguk picks up the pitchers, following Taehyung toward a large waste receptacle, on top of which is a space for the pitchers. 
"I think the show is under the largest tent," Taehyung says as your group exits the space and walks toward the red and white striped tents. 
"This place is huge," Yoongi says as his fingers find yours, tickling enough to make you jerk your hand away before allowing him to grab and hold it. 
"Good thing we coordinated," Jimin chirps happily, looking down at his blue shirt, then at Taehyung's light blue jacket. "Don't need any of us getting lost."
The carnival space truly is massive, and as you approach the large tents, you feel somewhat overwhelmed. The two smaller ones are about as tall as a small house, and the large one is at least twice its size. Just walking in a circle around the carnival grounds must take quite a while, and you begin to wonder if you will even get to see everything there is to see before midnight. 
Beside the entrance of the tent is the man who ran the rubber duck game, only this time, he is head to toe in white. His long-sleeved shirt crosses over his torso and tucks into loose-fitting pants, and he wears chunky white boots and a hat with long white ears that hang to his hips. Although he does not appear to recognize you, you smile widely anyway. 
"Here for the illusions show?" the man asks, and you nod, saying, "There's five of us."
The man lifts his hands and holds out a stack of black cards adorned with a gold leaf design of a skull pierced through with a dagger. "You must pick a card," he says, eyes drifting over your group. 
You swallow thickly and reach for one of the center cards, taking it by the corner between your thumb and index finger and gently tugging, then you flip it over to reveal the image of a skeleton dressed in a black robe. It holds a sword in one hand and a gold cup in the other, and around it are various symbols, including a glowing infinity sign above its head. The Magician is written along the bottom in gold, and you rub your thumb over the slightly raised text. 
One by one, your friends all pick cards. Yoongi laughs as he reads, "The Fool," aloud, and you lean in to see a similar robed skeleton figure on his, depicted carrying a basket. 
Taehyung frowns as he reads, "Death," showing the same cloaked skeleton with its hands crossed over its chest, and Jimin's eyes light up as he says, "The Hanged Person," revealing the familiar skeleton hanging by its ankles from a rope. The only card that differs in theme is Jeongguk's, which depicts a crumbling tower being struck by lightning. 
The man in white reaches out, taking Jeongguk's card first. "The Tower," he says, "upheaval, sudden change, and chaos. Very good – embrace that. And yours," he takes Jimin's card. "Ah, The Hanged Person. Surrender, letting go, and new perspectives. A fine card; full of promise. Let's see, here," he says, reaching for Taehyung's card, glancing up at your frowning friend with a sympathetic smile. "Don't let Death scare you. They symbolize endings, transition, and transformation, which can seem intimidating, but these things are vital for the human experience."
Taehyung hums under his breath and shoves his hands into his pockets as the man in white steps closer, reaching for Yoongi's card. "The Fool," he says, glancing up with a grin. "Innocence, new beginnings, and spontaneity. Is this true?"
Yoongi blinks, then shrugs, and says, "I suppose so."
The man hums and says, "Jumping into new things may be fun, but try not to dive head-first too often. You never know what could be lurking in the depths."
With an amused scoff, Yoongi responds, "Alright."
"And you, my dear, what have we here?" the man asks, reaching toward your hands. 
"The magician," you mutter, handing the card over.
"The magician," the man responds with a wide smile, studying your face. His eyes fall to your hands, then past them to the bird plushie on your side. "Cute," he says, cocking his head to the side, and you watch him, feeling puzzled; how could he have already forgotten about you winning the trinket less than an hour ago? Have so many people played the rubber duck game?
"Power, manipulation, and action," the man says, lifting his wide, coal-smudged eyes to yours. "How does it make you feel?"
"Uh, w-well, I suppose—" you stammer, attempting to find the words. Then you mutter, "I don't know. I guess I don't feel anything."
The man hums, says, "You will," and winks before turning toward the entrance to the tent. 
As the man lifts the tent flap, he looks over your shoulder and shouts, "Last call for the illusions show! Line starts here!"
"Jack!" a voice calls from within the tent, and the man in white turns to look over his shoulder, into the darkness. He converses with whoever caught his attention, but you cannot see who that person is. 
When the man in white – presumably named Jack – turns back, he catches your eye and says, "We have five remaining VIP spots. Come this way and follow Seokjin hyung."
You hesitate to step forward when a man in a blood-red suit comes stepping into view, who you recognize instantly as Kim Seokjin, one of the two brothers who run the event. Seokjin is somehow more stunning in person, with his dark hair swept off his forehead, revealing a piercing gaze and welcoming smile. And when he stands tall and gestures with his hand, saying, "Come this way!" his presence is commanding.
You follow, stepping into the dimly lit tent as Seokjin leads you around to the right, past tall wooden bleachers atop which people are chattering and finding their seats. "Just a little further," he says over his shoulder, leading you deeper into the space.
Coming out from between bleachers ahead is a glowing gold light, and Seokjin leads you toward it, then takes a left, into it. You squint as soon as you turn, hit by bright spotlights that are bursting from the center of the ring, and then Seokjin stops and holds his hand out to the right, to the first wooden row, which is empty. 
"Here you are!" Seokjin calls. "Enjoy the show!"
"Why were we given VIP?" Yoongi calls over your shoulder, to which Seokjin grins. 
"Right place at the right time…" He responds, drawing out the last word while studying your group. "And a good combination of cards."
"Oh," you respond as Taehyung and Jimin pass you to take their seats. Jeongguk is next, and you step forward to sit beside him, assuming he may not want to be stuck next to Yoongi. 
"Thank you!" you call just as Seokjin turns away, waving his hand in the air behind himself. 
From somewhere inside the ring, there is a large burst of music – horns and keys – that makes you startle, and you laugh to yourself, feeling silly for being so jumpy. Clowns and acrobats come flipping and twirling through the gap in between bleachers beside you as the loud music builds, becoming a quick, chaotic symphony. 
The performers line the ring, dancing and twisting, jumping and cartwheeling, cheering and singing. It is so loud and so frenzied, you have a hard time trying to find a spot to focus on, watching them move in small individual circles while traversing around the ring in greater circles, making you dizzy and somewhat disoriented.
"Come one, come all!" a loud, deep, welcoming voice booms over the noise. "Welcome to Carnival Bizarre! The greatest show in the world!"
When the other Kim brother you recognize from the posters – Namjoon – suddenly appears in the center of the ring in a burst of smoke, you feel surprised and a bit confused. The performers circle around him, and he holds his arms high, blood-red suit bright under the shine of the many spotlights.
Although you cannot perfectly see him from this distance, you imagine that he is not only smiling, but that he is staring directly at you. A chill shimmies down your spine, and you want to look away, but you find that you cannot; your eyes are fixed on the magnanimous man in the swelling center of the encircling chaos. 
Held in Namjoon's hand is a cane, the top end of which is glowing bright like fire, and you watch as he twirls and points with it, following its path at the music crescendos, feeling a heavy weight in your chest that threatens to overwhelm, if only you could tear your eyes away and allow yourself to think clearly. 
And then the music stops, and the lights shift off, save for a bright white spotlight that glows on Namjoon. He opens his empty hand, and something that looks like a burst of orange, glittering fire rises from his palms, shimmering in the air as it lifts up, up, up, to the top of the tent, so high above that you lose sight of it. 
Vaguely, it feels as if tears are running from your eyes, staining your cheeks in warm streaks, but you cannot lift your hands to check, nor can you blink. You sit stunned and stiff as a board, staring up into the dark tent, waiting to be told where to look next. 
Jack, the man in white, appears before you. His fingertips touching your chin shakes you from your reverie, and you gasp as you meet his eyes. Something is happening on the floor of the ring – slow, sultry music you don't remember hearing a moment ago seems to be accompanying several performers, but it is hard to make out much past Jack standing in the way. 
"Heads or tails," Jack says with a smile, and before you can respond, he flips a coin, sending it high into the air. "Heads, you see all; tails, you only remember what feels good."
You tilt your head back to watch the coin, barely aware of the fact that nobody else seems to be seeing it. It is almost as if Yoongi and Jeongguk are sitting with their heads slumped forward, but you cannot tear your eyes away from the ascending coin to check.
"Heads or tails?" Jack asks, and you open your mouth to respond, barely registering the word that comes from between your quivering lips. 
With a quick snap of his arm, Jack reaches high and snatches the coin from the air, then he crouches low before you, taps his fingers to your chin, and says, "Very good, ducky; you may sink, now. See you soon."
You mutter a soft, "Very good," as your head slumps forward, the music quietly swells to a stop, and everything fades to black. 
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Tell me what you've come for What is it you adore Won't you tell me? What would you cry for Swallow your pride for? What would you, oh, go wild for?
🎵 visit the playlist!
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heyyyyyy, how are we feeling??? i am so excited to have chapter 1 out, and i have many things in store for you (including the conclusion of the illusions show and what the crew does next.) there are two polls going up some time in 8-12 hours from posting, so be sure to keep an eye out for those!
reblogs and comments make all the difference on this site, and likes are appreciated so much, as well! thank you for reading! 💜 see you next time!!!
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Carnival of Terror is a Goosebumps-inspired fic, copyright theharrowing 2023. no translations or reposting allowed!
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I just think these historical dead men as interpreted by a fictional, limited series television show adapted from a novel would understand Ao3 in a way I will never ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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ghostbeam · 2 years
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can you feel my heart beating like a hammer? | Dabi/Touya Todoroki
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You watch from your spot, shoulders tense as you anticipate the arrival of yet another creepy clown or zombie when you see him.
He’s not like the other actors. He’s not quick with his movements and doesn’t yell or jump at anyone. His terror lies in the fact that he does none of those things, that he stands across from you and stares.
And then he grins.
Your stomach turns but not in fear.
Notes: hiiiiii so this is my scare actor!dabi fic. It’s my halloween/October fic for the month!! I’ve been working on this for a while and I’ve finally finished only five days before halloween lmao. Wanna thank mari for calling me after class that day where we had the same exact thought of this at the same time and I had to pull over to put it in my notes (and also for thinking of this title cause I was struggling) anyways I hope you enjoy!!! thanks for reading!! (Title from help I'm alive by metric) listen to the playlist here!
Warnings: 18+, minors DNI, f!reader, explicit content, scare actor!dabi, Dabi is touya (quite literally he is not called Dabi in this at all ajhssjsjjss), sex in public, fearplay (kind of), multiple orgasms, overstimulation (very brief), oral f!receiving, fingering, multiple instances where Dabi rests his hand on ur neck but never chokes u, biting (shoulder, neck), ‘baby’ and ‘angel’ as pet names, use of ‘good girl’, frightening (debatable im not that good) depictions of scare actors and haunts, one description of gory makeup, fake weapons
Words: 5k
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You’re scared, terrified actually, and your friends are nowhere in sight.
You’re cold. You’re hungry. A clown with a chainsaw won’t stop following you around, and you just want to go home. 
When you were invited to the local haunted house, your first instinct was to say no. You’d always been afraid of these things, anything with jumpscares, anything not contained in the screen of your television, you decided wasn’t for you. But your friends insisted and explained that the local haunt wouldn’t be anything like any of those expensive theme parks with big productions and highly trained actors. 
But if you were being honest with yourself, it all felt the same to you. It was maybe a little creepier, out in a field in the middle of nowhere, the closest business a couple of miles away, and no background checks for the actors. Uneasiness washed over you the moment you stepped through the wooden gates.
And now you’re alone.
Scare actors are coming at you left and right, all dressed in dark makeup or clown outfits or fake blood, each with their very own faux weapon used for getting just close enough to you without touching. They’re targeting you because you’re scared, you realize because you scream and clutch your head and run in all different directions when they come at you. 
It’s quite the production for a local haunt. It’s eerie, smoke machines pour fog throughout, and music that ranges from creepy carnival tunes to popular horror movie scores blare through worn-out speakers, which add to the effect. The actors are painted with precision or covered in liquid latex and black blood that oozes from fake wounds. You feel like you’re in a horror movie. You might be in one, for all you know, which is what scares you the most
You finally find a moment to calm yourself down, seeking a single moment of peace against a makeshift wall on the outside of a haunted house. 
You take a moment to look around you, out over the sea of people and costumes. You observe the way the actors jump at the attendees, throwing themselves forward or making loud noises, dragging and tapping their fake weapons against the ground. It’s complete chaos, and you thought that seeing it from the sidelines would make it less terrifying for you, but it doesn’t. You don’t want to be here. 
You watch from your spot, shoulders tense as you anticipate the arrival of yet another creepy clown or zombie when you see him. 
He’s not like the other actors. He’s not quick with his movements and doesn’t yell or jump at anyone. His terror lies in the fact that he does none of those things, that he stands across from you and stares.
And then he grins.
Your stomach turns but not in fear. 
He’s not scary, just strange, and oddly handsome too, you think. You don’t smile back, but you keep your eyes on him. You aren’t sure if his smile is part of his act or if he means it. Somehow, both make you uneasy. 
He’s slow as he moves towards you, calculated. His eyes rake up and down your body as he approaches. As he comes closer, you can finally get a good look at his face, smudged with paint over scars that fall underneath both eyes and line his jaw. What looks to be like staples sit in the seam between the marked and unmarked skin, and you can’t tell if they’re part of the costume or if he wears the piercings when he’s not working. You kind of hope he does.
He looms over you, close enough that you can smell a mixture of sweat and cologne on his skin, but not enough to touch you. You think you want him to, though. His eyes are a brilliant blue, almost glowing against the night. 
He’s beautiful. You can tell even hidden under the face paint. His costume is stitched together with yarn at the seams of his shoulders, silver staples that imitate the piercings on his face scatter the stitches. His coat is long and reaches the middle of his calves, and a loose white shirt drapes over his chest. His dark jeans wear the same stitches as his coat, and his dark boots are big, the sound of the soles against the pavement is loud as he steps even closer to you. 
Touya’s never had any particular interest in any of the attendees of the haunt before. Sure, he’s taken girls home who’d bravely slipped their numbers into his pocket or caught him when his shift was over, but no one had ever caught his eye quite like you. 
He’d seen you cowering before his coworkers, running away and screaming, not unlike many of the people around you. But he had noticed you.
And now you’re standing not even an inch away from him, staring up at him with wide eyes and trembling so hard he can almost feel you. You’re adorable. He wants to see you like this underneath him with your back arched, pretty lips parted for him, just for him. 
Your moment is interrupted by the revving of a chainsaw and the dragging of metal against pavement as yet another clown laughs loudly in your ear. You jump, unconsciously moving forward, finding yourself in the arms of the patchwork man you’d been so captivated by. You squeak out a small sorry, but he says nothing, smirking down at you.
Dabi’s heart leaps in his chest. He wants to steal you away, pull you into one of the haunts, and fuck you behind one of the walls. No one would suspect a thing if he covered you in enough fake blood to pass as one of them, making you scream in pleasure against the screams of fear. 
His eyes flicker to your lips before he lowers his hands to your waist, squeezing tightly before backing away from you and leaving you alone without a word. 
After another half an hour of running from scare actors and looking for your friends, you finally find them near a food stand, unassuming and completely unaware you’d disappeared.
You sprint towards them, getting good at dodging anyone jumping at you after all of that time alone. Your best friend spots you first, her eyes widening as she walks towards you.
“Where the fuck did you go?” She questions with a drink in one hand that flashes different colors from the plastic light-up ice in the liquid. 
“You guys left me!” You exclaim, “I’ve been dodging those fuckers for an hour alone!”
“We thought you were with us. I promise! We went in that one haunt with the possession scene and when we came out you were gone!” She explains, but you can’t help but feel a little annoyed. You didn’t even want to come out tonight. You’d only said yes because she begged. 
“Did you look for me?” You ask, crossing your arms over your chest.
“Look,” She begins, “Everything is so chaotic here. Everyone was moving on to the next house! I figured you’d catch up!”
“You suck.” You pout.
“I know I do. I’m sorry!” She pleads. “I’ll buy you something to eat. C’mon.”
She buys your meal and leads you to some of the wooden picnic tables in the small area, the rest of your friends already occupying some of the space. You’re treated warmly as they all throw questions at you about where you went. You resist the urge to act upset or make a scene, explaining that you’d been running around and looking for them while trying to avoid fake chainsaws and machetes. You’re in the middle of telling a story about getting caught in a corner with one of the zombies when your friends start to erupt in a fit of giggles. You pause your story, confused at their sudden reaction when you feel someone blow at your neck.
It only surprises you, all the fear expelled from your body in your hour of terror. You turn to look at the source and there he is again, the patchwork man from earlier. You’re not scared of him, this time, only intrigued. 
He hovers over you, moving and contorting his neck in a way that you assume is meant to be creepy, but it does nothing but amuse you. 
You smile and let out a small laugh, looking up at him through your lashes. Dabi feels his jeans tighten at the way you look up at him, eyebrows pulled up in a pout, leaning closer as he grins. 
“Are you ever gonna tell me your name?” You ask him, eyes flickering to his lips for a moment. He shakes his head slowly, maintaining eye contact while holding a finger to his mismatched lips. You give him yours, but he only stares. You’re once again pulled in by the blue in his eyes, finding yourself wondering if they’re a different shade than the last time you saw him. “Not even if I beg?”
He’ll punish you for that later, Dabi thinks. 
You watch him reach behind his back, still bent over towards your face, readying yourself for what you think might be the fake machete he carried before.
He pulls a single yellow daisy from behind him, clutching it between two fingers as he holds it out to you. You know he must have picked it from one of the patches of green that scatter the field. Your friends giggle some more, whispering things you're unable to focus on at the moment. You look between his painted face and the flower, reaching out to take it from him.
Suddenly feeling bashful, you lean away from him, smelling the flower and twirling it between your fingers. The smile he gives you is genuine.
He leans closer to you, bringing a finger up to his cheek and tapping twice to signal something. He wants a kiss, you realize. It’s against the rules, and he knows this. Scare actors are not meant to touch the guests, and doing so could get them into a lot of trouble. But Touya wants to touch you. He remembers the feeling of you pressed against him when you’d jumped in fear of the clown from earlier. He’d broken the rule then, and he had no problem with breaking it again.
If not for your friends' excited squeals around you, you’re sure you would have frozen. You push yourself forward, placing a kiss to his cheek before you can talk yourself out of it. He smiles wide as you pull away, that creepy grin still on his face as he stares down at you. 
When he stands up, he begins to back away slowly without a word. You watch him walk, clutching a fist over his heart and giving you a giddy smile as he leaves. 
You feel disheartened knowing you might not see him again tonight. You place the flower behind your ear and take your eyes off where he disappeared. 
You and your friends stay until closing. As the night goes on, you find yourself getting used to the fear. You think you like it now, adrenaline running through your body as you're chased with chainsaws or reached for through windows inside of the haunts. It’s exhilarating. You understand why people like these so much.
Scare actors are practically chasing people out, running at them with their weapons until they make it through the gates. It’s complete mayhem, especially with the number of people now pushed to the front of the area. 
Amidst the chaos, you find yourself alone again. You search the crowd, avoiding the actors jumping toward you as you make your way through the sea of people. You push through different groups of people until you make it to a small open spot amidst the crowd. It’s there that you see the man from before, jumping at different people who walk by him. He drags his fake machete against the floor and it scrapes with a metallic grinding sound. He’s terrifying, you think. Not to you, but to anyone around him, he must be terrifying. 
He’s tall and imposing, completely silent as he pushes his weapon toward anyone he can reach. He’s fast, too, running up on different people, the sound of his big black boots is loud against the pavement.
You can’t move. You can only stare at him, completely in his element. He’s good at what he does, better and far more intimidating than any of the other actors you’ve encountered tonight. But somehow, you aren’t scared at all, not of him and not in any real way. Maybe you should be, though. 
He turns around, looking around as he walks from his last set of victims before his eyes find you. A smile crosses his face and he lifts a hand, wagging his fingers to wave at you. You avert your eyes in embarrassment that he caught you, even in the crowd of people. 
He stalks towards you, dragging his weapon behind him. He’s menacing, and you can’t help but feel a little afraid of him, wondering if he’ll jump towards you or do something to scare you all over again. When he approaches, you watch him smirk from under his makeup, close enough to see the texture of his skin and the blue of his eyes. He runs a finger down your arm until he reaches your hand, intertwining your fingers and pulling you along with him. 
You know you shouldn’t follow him. This is how people go missing, how people are found in a ditch with their friends crying on the news about how they were just with them. 
But you can’t bring yourself to care. You find him endlessly fascinating, from the way he moves to his dark demeanor. He’s strange and unsettling, but you like it. You want strange and unsettling, contrary to your feelings earlier in the night. 
Dabi can feel your hand trembling in his. He rubs soothing circles with his thumb over the top of your hand. He doesn’t want you to be too afraid of him. He wants you to like him. He’s almost embarrassed by it, seeking the approval of a random girl who visited the haunt. When he looks back at you, your eyes are wide, mouth agape as you let him pull you through the crowd of people. You look at him with curiosity and intrigue more than fear. Dabi feels his heart beat faster in his chest.
He pulls you to one of the haunts, one you went through earlier with a zombie rock band, a ridiculous theme that you remember scaring you the least. Guitar blares through the speakers as you enter, moving the curtains back that cover each entrance. You realize that the place is empty, with no scare actors ready to jump out, no one on the sets or acting out any of the scenes you remember. It’s just the two of you now. 
You feel his arm curl around your waist as he pulls you behind one of the openings in the walls. It’s one of the spaces that the scare actors use to hide in before jumping out at the guests. It’s surprisingly spacious, and there’s a door that must lead outside of the structure or into another room. You don’t have time to ponder it before you’re pushed up against one of the walls, his hands squeezing your hips as he looks down at you with hungry eyes. 
“I’ve wanted to touch you like this all night long. You were so fucking scared.” He speaks, lowering his head to the crook of your neck, and you almost gasp at the sound of his voice. It’s rough, gravelly. It vibrates against your body where he brushes his lips against you. “It was so cute.”
You let out a shaky breath, feeling him grin against your skin before licking over your pulse point. You moan, the sound almost swallowed up by the loud eerie rock music reverberating in the makeshift building. Dabi wants to make you louder. He wants you to scream.
“Are you—hah—gonna tell me your name?” You ask him as he continues to kiss your neck. His hands are all over you, squeezing the flesh of your hips, running his hands over your thighs and your arms, hands underneath your sweater, up your skirt. You can’t focus on anything but his hands and his mouth and his hard body pressed up against yours. You almost want him closer, if that’s even possible, tangling your fingers into his hair and arching your body into his. 
You’re sure your neck must be covered in smudgy face paint. His mouth is probably a muddy mess, or maybe all of the paint is gone, but you don’t care. His lips feel good on your skin. He feels good. 
It barely registers that he ignores your question. “What? You’re back to not speaking?”
He’s silent, once again, pulling away from your neck to smile down at you. You were right, the paint is almost completely gone from the bottom half of his face, leaving behind the sight of scars in contrast to the unmarked skin on his cheeks. You’re panting, looking into his eyes as he reveals nothing. He leans forward to kiss you, catching you by surprise even though he was sucking on your neck just moments ago. The kiss is short, with barely enough time to feel his tongue against yours before he pulls away. 
“So mysterious.” You quip, trying to save yourself from the embarrassment of being affected by one kiss. He pulls his long coat from his shoulders to reveal surprisingly muscular arms covered in the same scars and piercings that litter his face. He continues with his vow of silence as he starts to lower himself before you, placing kisses against your chest and your stomach as he falls to his knees. His hands sneak up your skirt. “Oh, fuck.”
He raises the front of your skirt, moving one of your hands to hold it against your stomach. He runs his hands up the front of your thighs, looking up at you through thick lashes, spreading your legs even further apart. He brings a hand forward, pressing the pad of his thumb against your clothed cunt. He gives you a look, and he doesn’t need to speak for you to know what he’s thinking, for you to be embarrassed by how wet you are from just a little groping. 
He moves his hand and leans forward, pulling you by your hips and burying his face in between your legs. You feel his tongue through your underwear, gasping at the feeling, simultaneously too much and not enough. You bury your free hand in his hair as he licks you through the layer of fabric. Your panties are thoroughly ruined, your inner thighs sticky with your slick. He groans against you, tasting what little of you he can through the barrier. He pulls away and rips them from your thighs, wasting no time before he’s in between your legs once more. 
“God!” It’s not his name, but it’ll do. “Fuck, right there!”
He laps at your entrance, completely lost in making you feel good. Every moan he pulls from you only spurs him on, tonguing your cunt like it’s the sweetest thing he’s ever tasted. He thinks that maybe it is. 
You buck your hips against his face, fingers curling into the fabric of your skirt and pulling at his hair as you feel yourself growing closer and closer to your orgasm. He runs one hand up your thigh, pulling away for a moment to slip a finger inside of you. He groans at how much of a mess you’ve become, how much of a mess he’s made you. He adds another finger, watching how easily they slide in and out of you. He looks up at you, silently asking if it’s something you like, and the moan you let out tells him that it is. You nod at him, moving your hips while he moves his fingers in and out of you. 
“Please!” You whine, missing the feeling of his tongue on you. “Need more!”
He slows the movements of his fingers down, pulling another unsatisfied groan from your throat. It’s cute how impatient you are, how he’s reduced you to such a hungry little thing, all for him.
He moves one hand behind your knee, hiking your leg over one of his shoulders and earning a surprised gasp from your lips. His tongue finds your clit again, running tight circles around you as his fingers speed up. 
You grind against his face, closer to the edge than before, moaning at the sensation of his mouth against your entrance. He curls his fingers inside of you and licks over your clit, his motions repetitive and focused as he feels you clench around his fingers. You’re close, and he can feel it, and it’s taking everything in him not to beg you to come for him.
“I’m gonna—” a strangled cry escapes your throat as he brings you to the edge. He slows his movements down as you ride out your orgasm, thrusting his fingers slowly and licking languid strokes over your clit. Hips spamming against him, you have to push his head away from your sex, breathing heavily and running your fingers through the hair falling in his eyes. He’s gorgeous when he looks up at you through a glistening grin. He rises from the ground, bringing the two fingers, now covered in your slick, towards his mouth. You whimper as you watch him wrap his own lips around the two digits, his eyes never leaving yours. He releases them with a sticky pop, surging forwards to capture your lips with his. 
It’s better than the one before, longer, slower. You can taste yourself on his tongue. He slots his body against yours as he deepens the kiss, and you can feel him hard against your thigh. His hands run up your sides, over your breasts up to your sternum. He rests one hand against the front of your neck, gently and not squeezing, just to keep you there against him. He slips his tongue into your mouth while his other hand sneaks up the back of your sweater. He has your bra off before you have any time to think, and then he runs his fingers over your nipples. 
He’s much gentler than you thought he’d be, especially under the circumstances. He has you pressed up against a wall in public. You’re someone he’s only just met, and you know you must not be the first person he’s done this with. 
But he kisses you like he loves you. 
And maybe it’s the adrenaline or the raucous music preventing you from thinking clearly, but you think that maybe he could. Maybe you want him too. 
God, you’re crazy. 
He sucks your tongue into his mouth again and you tug at the strands of hair at the back of his head. Your movements become more frantic as you push your bodies closer together. Twitching hands find the front of his jeans, thumbing the button open and stroking your hand over him. He groans into your mouth, a faint curse as he pushes his hips forward. He bites your lip hard before pulling away from you, pulling a shiny square package from his pocket and releasing himself from the constraint of his underwear. He tears it open with his teeth and rolls the condom on, reaching down to hike your leg back up like it had been before. With one strong hand holding you up from behind your knee, he drags the head of his cock through your folds, pulling another moan from you that you try to suppress in the crook of his neck. 
His lips find yours once more, swallowing the sounds you make as he sinks into you. You arch your back, pushing yourself closer as he stretches you. The stretch is almost too much, even with the mess he’s made of you, but you feel good, full, complete.
He starts slow, long drawn-out thrusts of his hips that drive you crazy. He touches you everywhere, squeezing anywhere he can get his hands on, sucking on your neck, your chest. He kisses over your face, sweet pecks of his lips to your jaw and cheeks. It’s overwhelming, the attention he gives you, the need to put your pleasure before his, to make you feel wanted. You are wanted. 
He’s getting desperate now, speeding up as he moves against you. He reaches so deep, keeping your leg hiked up with your back against the wall. You aren’t gonna last much longer, not with his tongue in your mouth, not with the sound of his own whines meeting your ears as he quickens his thrusts. 
“Please—” You beg, digging your fingers into his hips. You’re so close, clenching around him so tightly he can barely think. His eyes find yours as you feel yourself growing closer and closer to your release, neon blue clouding your vision before you throw your head back against the wall behind you. Pleasure wracks through your body as he pulls you even closer. You fall limp in his arms, feeling him release your leg and pull out of you. You rest your forehead against his as you calm your breathing.
“Think you can give me one more?” The rare sound of his voice startles you. His hand finds the back of your head, pulling away to look into your eyes. Dazed, you nod at him, watching him smile down at you. “Good girl.”
He kisses your cheek, and you let him spin you around to face the wall. You brace yourself against it, two hands flat on the surface as you feel him behind you. He places sloppy kisses against your neck, slowly entering you once more. You gasp, still sensitive from before, but he shushes you, nibbling on your earlobe as he moves in and out of you. 
“Your—hah—your name.” You whine, barely getting the words out as he quickens his pace. He groans behind you, leaning forward to bite your shoulder, thrusting in quick short motions against you. “Please! Fuck! Wanna—”
“You wanna what, baby?” He breathes against your ear. He places a kiss beneath it, peppering more down your neck as he slows down. 
“Don’t! Please don’t slow down.” You beg, pushing yourself against him. 
He leans his large frame against your back, bringing an arm around the front of your chest, resting his hand at the base of your neck. He pulls your back against him, lips brushing against your ear. “Tell me what you want.”
“Wanna—ngh—scream it.” You pant, feeling his thrusts speed up at your admission. “Wanna scream your name.”
“‘Course you do, angel.” He coos, running a hand down the front of your body until it slips up your skirt. You feel his fingers against your clit and gasp, twitching from the sensitivity. It’s too much. You want more. “Call me Touya.”
“Touya!” You cry, letting your head fall back against his shoulder. Touya, Touya, Touya. It sounds perfect falling from your lips. You were meant to say it, meant to scream it just like this. “Wanna come. Make me come, Touya.”
He buries his face into your neck, biting down hard as he speeds up the movements of his hips and his fingers on your clit. You scream, just how he’s wanted you to all night, the feeling of pain and pleasure leaving you dizzy. 
“Gonna—” You choke, moaning his name once again. He groans against your skin.
“I know, baby, me too.” His thrusts become sloppier, feeling himself approach the edge, but not before you. You scream his name one last time, reaching your high just moments before him. He cries out after, pulling your face towards his to kiss you deeply once more. 
Realizing where you are, music still playing loudly through the speakers, your body up against a rough wooden wall, and Touya’s tongue in your mouth, you force yourself to pull away. He moves away from you, taking a moment to discard the condom and pick up your ruined underwear from the ground. You lay your head against the wall, throwing your arm over your eyes and laughing at the absurdity of the situation. 
You think about the feeling of dread from the beginning of the night, how quickly you ran from the men in masks and makeup, the fake chainsaws and knives. And now you’d been fucked by one, one you’d learned the name of just seconds ago. 
When Touya returns, you’ve fixed yourself, putting your bra back on and pulling your skirt down, though you’re still without underwear. He walks towards you, cupping your face with one large hand and looking down at you.
“You okay?” He questions, genuine concern in his cyan gaze. You give him a shy smile and nod. He narrows his eyes before giving you a sly smile. “I need verbal confirmation.”
“I’m okay, Touya.” You tell him, wrapping your hand around his wrist and resting it there. 
“Fuck,” he speaks, “say it again.”
“You should’ve told me sooner.” You say, ignoring the command. He rolls his eyes, kissing your forehead before pulling away. He takes your hand in his and opens the door beside you.
“C’mon let’s get you cleaned up, then I’ll take you home.” He leads you through the door, down a labyrinth of alleys all connected by the various haunts. He looks back at you and shrugs sheepishly. “Sorry. Your friends are probably gone.”
“Probably.” You don’t care, but you should. And you shouldn’t let him take you home. You shouldn’t let him touch your face gently or take you to one of the twenty-four-hour diners nearby after you leave. You shouldn’t give him your number. You shouldn’t let him take you out once, twice, three times. You shouldn’t let him sneak you into a different haunt the next time you visit him at work.
You do anyway. 
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1K notes · View notes
jjungkookislife · 2 months
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Quarterly Fic Recs 2024: #1
Hello! I'm back again with the first fic rec list of 2024! I enjoyed reading these fics, and I hope y'all do as well! Please be mindful of the warnings on each fic and I encourage you to reblog fics you enjoy as well :)
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Seokjin
king of tides @sailoryooons
summary: Seokjin meets a ghost of his past when he and his crew stop to celebrate for the evening.
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Yoongi
desecrate @hamsterclaw
summary: A fall from grace causes you to stumble into the hands of a demon prince. Inspired by Lilith.
stress relief @dreamescapeswriting
soft Yoongi having a bad day
morals on sundays @/gimmethatagustd
summary: You’re still in love with your ex-boyfriend. Yoongi offers some help to get over him.
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Hoseok
spider web @/sailoryooons
summary: Playing games with vampires is a bad idea. Playing with Spiders is worse.
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Namjoon
gang shit @gimmethatagustd
summary: Your daughter’s classmate has a really hot dad. Apparently, you’re his arch-nemesis.
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Jimin
technicolor @/gimmethatagustd
summary: Love is one hell of a drug. Bottled and sold on the black market, it isn’t for the faint-hearted. You’re not really interested in trying it until you meet Jimin.
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Taehyung
the one with taehyung's indecent proposal @eoieopda
summary: your fuck buddy’s class reunion is coming up. that’s not something you expected to learn about. it’s definitely not something you expected to be implicated in.
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Jungkook
none :(
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OT7/Multiple Members
carnival of terror @theharrowing
summary: The carnival is in town, and it is unlike anything you have ever experienced. Will you make it out alive?
immortals @bang-tan-bitches
summary: Sometimes, you find your destiny. And sometimes, your destiny does whatever it takes to keep you.
petrichor @purpleyoonn
summary: You had been working at Bangtan Corporation for almost two years now, and not once have you ever laid eyes on your bosses. That was, until you met them when out with some of your coworkers. Now, you almost wish you hadn’t. Almost.
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Seokjin
memories of you @shuadotcom
summary: Your memories with Seokjin are some of your favorite.
serve me @chateautae
summary: kim seokjin has been your annoyingly stoic butler ever since you started university, and were gifted your own penthouse. for years, your relationship had remained on the outs, subjecting seokjin to hearing your desperate moans for other men each time they climbed into your sheets; and each time you rubbed it in his face. little did you know that you were only riling him up, and it would be your moans for him bouncing off the walls when your taunting finally unravels his ironclad self-control.
sweet dreams @/gimmethatagustd
summary: Seokjin loves when you paint your nails pink.
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Yoongi
broken pt. 2 @kithtaehyung
summary: the championship game lights up… and everything goes down.
maybe so @diorh0seokie
(cheating/angst)
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Hoseok
gone wild @johobi
summary: Hoseok consumes porn like he does Cheetos: in unhealthily large amounts. He’s seen, and jacked off to, most things imaginable. But there are those photos that always draw him back…
hot rod @kinktae
summary: a 1950′s inspired fic where greaser Hoseok can’t keep his eyes, or hands, off the new waitress at his and his boys’ favorite diner.
keeping a secret @/kpopfanfictrash
summary: You and Hoseok have been hooking up for a few weeks now. No one in your friend group knows. What happens then, when he shows up at movie night looking better than anticipated?
flower @readyplayerhobi
summary: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?
who's your daddy? @ppersonna
summary: in order to get over your hopeless crush, you sign up for DADDI, a daddy-dom dating site. you can’t tell your friends, especially your best friend hoseok. but as weeks go on, you’re desperate to meet the man behind the screen.
groupie love @kimnjss
summary: he’s ½ of the famous rap duo, the 94′s. when stumbling upon a pretty youtuber, he’s quick to decide he wants to have her. but one night with her just doesn’t seem like enough.
heartbreaker ^
summary: you’re just his type. so it’s no surprise when all of his time and effort goes into making you his. though, they’ve always said… you only want it because you can’t have it.
swallow your pride @/ugh-yoongi
established relationship
ho ho horrible ^
summary: the one where your neighbor is a relentless christmas caroler and refuses to take a hint, but at least he’s really hot.
hate that i love it @yoongiphoria
summary: hate-fucking hoseok is your favorite and least favorite thing to do.
take care of me @/gimmethatagustd
summary: You’d never trade quiet, sleepless nights with your boyfriend for anything in the world, even when sometimes it feels like the world is falling apart around you.
not today, satan ^
summary: If you had known the demon tasked with reaping your soul would be a total #daddy you would have gone to Hell sooner!
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Namjoon
the gang summons a demon @ugh-yoongi
the prompt: you, a powerful demoness, have just been summoned to earth. this man, this human, wants you to pretend to be his girlfriend for a few days so his parents will get off his back about it.
in the closet ^
office au
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Jimin
none :(
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Taehyung
rotten angelcake ch. 11 @inkedtae
summary: she’s as sweet as angelcake; he likes her honeyed rotten. this is a series following the complicated relationship between a sugar baby, sugar daddy and his corruption kink.
loverboy @kookslastbutton
summary: After a startling conversation with your coworkers, you start feeling insecure about your sexual prowess. You don’t initiate as much, you haven’t worn lingerie yet, and you’re still timid about doing much seducing with your body–are you giving your boyfriend boring sex? Taehyung reassures you that you are perfect and have nothing to worry about.
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Jungkook
be mine @minisugakoobies
summary: Won’t you be his Valentine?
to give a helping hand @oddinary4bts
summary: when Jungkook comes home from the gym, he goes feral thinking about you.
oxygen @/gimmethatagustd
summary: If you get caught, you’ll both die. Jungkook wants to be yours anyway.
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OT7/Mulpitple Members
lavender lover @/gimmethatagustd
summary: Taehyung broke all his rules for Jimin, even when it hurt.
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Seokjin
chivalry @out-of-jams
summary: And they say chivalry is dead.
burn after reading @raplinesmoon
summary: The agency made the biggest mistake they ever could by trusting Kim Seokjin one more time. You weren’t going to do the same.
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Yoongi
exitus acta probat @/bang-tan-bitches
summary:  “All you need to know is that my name is Yoongi and you’re mine now.”
beloved ^
summary: Court was just a game of politics after all. And you intended to win
the mark of yun-ki @/ladyartemesia
summary: For a thousand years the tiger god Yun-Ki has marked the heirs of the Min Empire and thus only a marked heir can inherit the throne. When the beautiful daughter of the Min Emperor’s loyal warlord rescues a mysterious tiger hybrid from the imperial prison, she unleashes a secret that the throne would kill to protect. The young emperor claims to be the chosen heir… but who really bears the Mark of Yun-Ki?
romancing the tome @/kpopfanfictrash
summary: Min Yoongi is many things: renowned archaeologist, versatile hat-wearer, on a bit of an unlucky streak with his work and kind of an ass. What he isn’t is fluent in Latin. Meaning, Yoongi can’t quite determine if he’s being led astray on his most recent archaeological expedition. Enter you, cultural linguist and all-around badass. The goal? Treasure. The means? Your teensy, tiny car. The problem? Min Yoongi is so damn annoying, you might just kill him first.
be my baby [SMAU] @/kimnjss
summary: when the love of his life suddenly vanishes, he drives himself mad looking for her. seemingly erased from the world, he’s forced to pick up the pieces of his life and move on… fast forward three years and someone who looks a lot like the woman he lost is being spotted, holding a kid with an oddly familiar gummy smile…
too easy @sweetestofchaos
summary: Yoongi’s sugar baby really wants that new Zimmermann dress
blackthorn ^
summary: Prince Yoongi and Princess Keena have been friends for as long as they can remember. But finding out they’re promised to one another in marriage isn’t the only obstacle they must overcome as war threatens their home.
stop thinking about me @/yoongiphoria
summary: there's only one person he thinks about with that song.
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Hoseok
hot and bothered @sahmfanficbts
summary: You’re hot and bothered and your lawn needs some TLC. Enter: Hoseok with his big lawn-mower.
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Namjoon
promise @joheunsaram
summary: Namjoon has always been in the periphery of your friend group, but when you meet the cute boy he doesn’t make the best first impression, or second, or third…
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Jimin
renegade @/yoongiphoria
summary: is it insensitive for me to say get your shit together, so i can love you?
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Taehyung
new flame @/gimmethatagustd
summary: Flame is a dating app designed for omegas and alphas to find heat and rut partners. You’re skeptical of using the app, not anticipating that you might find someone who is more than just a new flame.
enfer @/out-of-jams
summary: Enfer, the ironically named club, was well known for helping to bring together those of the living with the dead, well, undead. And your best friend had convinced you to try it out, to potentially find a partner amongst the sophisticated group of the otherworldly elite. You’d been open to it. But never would you have imagined meeting him.
stranger danger ^
stress relief @joonsmagicshop
summary: Taehyung gives you an offer you can’t refuse
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Jungkook
none :(
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OT7/Multiple Members
cosmic collision @/gimmethatagustd
summary: A responsible weedman, Yoongi always tests out new marijuana strains before selling them to his customers. When his supplier offers him a new strain, Cosmic Collision, Yoongi is eager to try it. What he doesn’t expect is the alien that comes with it.
accidental texts (hyung line) @ppersonna
accidental love confessions @kookiesjoonies
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42 notes · View notes
thepiratefish · 5 months
Text
List of popcross fics we have!
YIPEE!!!!!!!
ALSO Appluase to Bluejadedragon for making 20+ Fics JUST for the Mvt fandom
Please remember if I missed some let me know!
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ThePirateFish/Me;
What happens when you fall into a portal
Thought you hated kids?
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What's your favourite Dinosaur? A Trex
@bluejadedragon
It's Storming Out Maybe You Should Come Inside
Lost to the Stars
To Return to our usual Broadcast
Fire and Fear
Singing Monsters And Internal Beasts
Here We Go Again
*Gasp*A Wild Karen!
Mint Choc Chip
Just One More Minute
Barns and Beasts
First Nights
A Love Made In The Belly Of The Beast
A Little Sick Never Hurt
Gwen of the Angelics
And They Were Roommates
Therapy Made Me Fall For You (Perhaps I Was Already Slipping)
A Light in the Dark
Date Night (3,2,1)
I Found a Family
O Sister, I Shrunk the Adults.
Welcome Home
Even Less Beta Read (Oneshots To Fight Writers Block)
Bio-Spore Benny Sharp Escapes the Infinite Ikea Market
Pride For Us All
Losing Ourselves Together
Carnivals and Chaos
50 (4) Shades of Love
Everything I love, For It's You That I Adore
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@figitorynonsense
Mutation Mayhem
Violet, Cerise, and Ash
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@moonpizzalol
Bloodred Tulips
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@therummonster
the guy the voices want to maim.
Revamped Old Stuff I've Written.
Fuzzy Memory
Odd set of Circumstances
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@the-true-boomer
The Withering Oak
The Withering Oak (REMASTERED)
Monster Made of Memories
The Monster Made of Memories (REMASTERED)
Ulitus and Tayrun Get Drunk Off Their Ass
O5-14 – The Overseer (REMASTERED)
Council Meeting #2942
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@ammonitetheseaserpent
Maras weird dream
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@orangesideirrational
arms are hard, man
---
The Night Terror: Daemon
by DarthAsh18,
19 notes · View notes
headcanonthings · 2 months
Text
As someone still fairly new to the Terror AMC fandom this idea I’m about to outline might have already been written and if so please send it to me
But if not hear me out……….A Black Butler-esque AU
As someone who has fallen in love with Jopson I’ve seen a couple fics that point out or emphasize how good of a steward he is
And the source material already establishes that there are some kind of supernatural entities out there so this doesn’t feel like a big stretch to kind of connect the two
So here’s what I’m seeing:
Crozier runs into some trouble during the Antarctic trip with Ross
like SEVERE LIFE THREATENING kind of trouble
To save his men (especially his best friend and maybe crush Ross) Crozier makes a demon deal
Maybe he doesn’t really understand at first, maybe he thinks the conversation is some kind of dream/hallucination or maybe he believes right away and just weighs the lives of everyone else as worth more than his soul
But he does it and now he’s got a faithful and hellishly good steward in the form of demon!Jopson
Using his demon powers Jopson gets them out of trouble, saves everyone he can, and the expedition is completed and considered a major success
Crozier doesn’t regret the deal but he’s wary of asking demon!Jopson for more things + his own stubborn pride keeps him from asking for more personal things
He wants to earn promotions and higher social standing on his own merits, he wants Sophia Cracroft to love him on her own not because demon!Jopson has done something
So in the 10 years between the Antarctic Expedition and the Arctic Expedition demon!Jopson continues to fill in the steward/servant role (or maybe he just fucks off for a bit, hangs out in hell, makes other deals and just checks on with crozier like yearly idk how close you want to stick with the source materials)
But then we get to the Franklin Expedition
Things play out as expected and even through Crozier is frustrated with Sir John he won’t ask demon!Jopson to intervene
Then the Tunbac appears
We lose Lt. Gore and the others including Sir John
Maybe demon!Jopson knows what’s going on maybe he doesn’t - depends how much you want to play around with the theologies
But I’m imagining we still stick pretty close to the events of the show, lots of misunderstandings and denial of what’s going on
Then we get to the confrontation between Crozier and Fitzjames over the rum
I’m imagining Crozier has rationalized his drinking a lot here because he’s already sold his soul so what does it matter
But after the confrontation he realizes he needs to sober up
Demon!Jopson offers to cure him or at least ease the way but Crozier declines just like he did earlier because it matters to him that he does this the hard way
I think once we hit Carnival is when we can really start diverging from the main plot
Stanley still lights it up but since Crozier will always do his best for the men he finally ask demon!Jopson for help so more men make it out including Macdonald because Goodsir deserves the support for all the medical things
Maybe Hickey still stabs him in his one good deed but demon!Jopson is able to save him and seeing the doctor walking around fine alerts Hickey that there’s something else going on than just the Tunbac
They start the long walk but Crozier asks demon!Jopson for help to save everyone so demon!Jopson ensure that they are rescued (either by Ross or by the Inuits)
That’s the basics at least but here are a couple extra thoughts that may or may not fit together
During their time interrogating Silna about the Tunbac or maybe during an additional scene, Silna reveals she knows Jopson is a demon and in turn this reveals it to some of the other command crew members
Crozier still field promotes Jopson and the demon has no idea why or what to do because he’s not actually a part of the Navy but it still means so much to him
Jopson was originally human and saw his mother through her own addiction, she nearly died when she tried to get sober and Jopson sold his soul to ensure her survival (this happened a century or more ago so he’s had time to work his way up to being a moderately powerful demon in his own right); he still tells this story to Crozier
Demon!Jopson immediately knows something is up with Hickey because he can sense how dark his soul is, he keeps an eye out from afar but doesn’t interfere because he figures it’s not really his business unless Crozier says something or if Hickey comes at Crozier
Maybe he senses Hickeys intentions or gets some kind of spiritual heads up, but Jopson follows the hunting party and keeps Hickey from killing Lt Irving (imagine Irving having to come to terms with the fact that a demon saved his life)
For big things like a rescue Jopson can’t make them happen instantly so he uses up a lot of his own power to keep the men healthy enough to keep going so he looks just as affected by scurvy and starvation as the rest of them (is he taking on the symptoms, does his deterioration just coincidently look similar, or do the men just assume he’s suffering the same illnesses as them because they don’t know differently)
And that’s really all it got for this idea!
Again if it already exists send me the link please
If you are inspired in anyway by this please feel free to write or draw or do whatever with it and then send me the links
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daincrediblegg · 1 year
Text
30 notes · View notes
borealopelta · 1 month
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fic writer interview
tagged by @regseekings thank you sooo much <3
How many works do you have on AO3? 38
What’s your total AO3 word count? 129,960
What are your top 5 fics by kudos? i was something made for god to label fragile (now i'm stuck) (1,133) - Our Flag Means Death, stede/izzy/ed out of time, eternal heatstroke (631) - Our Flag Means Death, stede/izzy/ed sure as the sun come up from the south (371) - Our Flag Means Death, stede/izzy/ed steppin' around in a desert of joy (301) - Ted Lasso, isaac/colin I'm a stitch away from making it (and a scar away from falling apart) (279) - IT movies, richie/eddie
Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? yes !! it takes some time usually but i want people to know i appreciate them taking the time to say nice things :)
What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? i'd sayyy uh a carnival bear set free, which is a sumner/drax dead dove fic and leads directly into the endgame of the book which is angsty as hell in itself
What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? most of them have a happy ending!! i'm nice!! but my most recent one, eyes on the horizon (chuck/roger) has a cute ending that i really like :)
Do you write crossovers? nope, i don't like to read them, write even less. i have attempted a fusion/AU of existing media or two before but none of those have been published
Have you ever received hate on a fic? crabsolutely, some people will leave death threats in guest comments and that's just how it goes
Do you write smut? If so, what kind? yeah!! less so lately because i'm just not vibing with it atm, but i looove writing smut. i think i cover the whole spectrum of vanilla to kinky
Have you ever had a fic stolen? no thank god. i love tiny fandom
Have you ever had a fic translated? nope!
Have you ever co-written a fic before? no, and i don't want to either
What’s your all-time favourite ship? sighhhh i don't know, they come and go. i'm perpetually fond of tom hartnell/ john irving of the terror fame and doc thorne/eddie carr from the lost world (the novel) but it comes and goes
What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? my lost world longfic........girliepop you are NOT getting done 😭
What are your writing strengths? i think i'm okay at vivid descriptions and getting characters' personalities mostly right :)
What are your writing weaknesses? long plots, group scenes, dialogue/description balance if i'm not 100% clear on what i want to accomplish in the scene (either too much dialogue or too little. good lord)
What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? with good reason it's okay. i've read very very bad things where the foreign dialogue was just jarringly out of place and it put me off it p much for good
What was the first fandom you wrote for? sigh. hollywood undead rpf 👍
What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to? i reallllly want to write hunt for red october fic.........stupid as hell but it's in my brain so much !! ramius/borodin intrigues me greatly (i think sean connery and sam neill should have kissed)
What’s your favourite fic you’ve written? hmmm.... i think it's let me under your skin, my small eastern european village armitozer au. i really really really love the vibe of it, it means a lot to me, and i'm still very happy with it almost 3 years after posting (jesus christ) which is very rare for me. read it :) or not. but i do like it so so much
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seanfalco · 2 years
Text
welcome to hell | part three.
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[ masterlist ]
When you win VIP passes to Scream Fest, a traveling horror  carnival, you convince your fellow ASBO-mates to join you for a night of  fun and harmless scares, but the horrors turn all too real when a  masked serial killer begins to target you and your friends.   Luckily at least one of you is immortal.
Word Count: 3.2k   Tags/Warnings: slight nathan x reader, violence, stalking, blood/gore, eye horror, character death (mostly nathan lol) a/n: Part of @sheehalloween​​!  Posting this chapter today, for Day Three: Scary Movie, as the entire fic is based off the movie Hell Fest.
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Paralyzed, all you could do was watch in horror as the masked stranger moved closer, his slow tread only drawing out your terror until he was right at the edge of your car.  Even with Kelly’s strength combined, the bar in your lap wouldn’t budge and yet you struggled anyway, even as the man climbed atop the front of your car.  Shrinking back from him, you threw your arms around Kelly as she did the same, trembling next to you as suddenly the ride started up again.
Your own terrified screams echoed in your ears as you squeezed your eyes shut, waiting for him to strike, your entire body pumping with adrenaline.
“y/n!  Kelly!”
The sound of your friends’ voices made you pause and cracked your eye open.  Your car had come through the other side and though the masked man was still perched right ahead of you, you were unharmed.
“Are you guys okay?  You were screaming like crazy!” Alisha cried and to your surprise the car came to a stop, the lap bar lifting.
Turning to gape at Kelly, you found her wide eyed gaze staring back at you, just as confused.  Before you could answer, another man in the same mask stepped out of the shadows behind Curtis and then another and another, until nearly ten actors in identical masks surrounded your friends.
“It was just part of the ride,” Simon observed shakily and you reluctantly took the man’s hand as he climbed down from your car and stepped aside to help you out.  It was then that you realized the dark jacket he wore was different from earlier.  Simon was right, this was a completely different person.
“You fuckers!  You scared th’shit out of us!” Kelly exclaimed, anger in her voice, but you merely let out a sigh of relief.
“Oh my God, they got you good!” Curtis laughed, holding his sides.  
“Shut up!” you cried, punching his arm as you passed, trying to shake off your fear.
“You gotta admit, that was pretty funny,” Alisha agreed, giggling along with Curtis until out of nowhere a costumed actor ran by and picked her up, hoisting her over his shoulder and taking off.
“Curtissss!”
“ALISHA!” Curtis bellowed, taking off after her.
“I get bein’ able t’touch you, but grabbin’ someone and takin’ ‘em away from their group is kinda fucked up!” Kelly exclaimed as the rest of you followed after, trying to keep up.
“Oh my God, that guy smelled so disgusting!” Alisha cried disgustedly as you rounded the corner, finding her running back toward you, having escaped from her would be “kidnapper”.
“Oh thank goodness,” Curtis breathed, pulling her into his arms, careful not to touch any exposed skin.
“I think he was trying to lead us somewhere,” Simon guessed, giving a start as he noticed several small figures emerging from the fog behind them.
“What th’fuck?” Curtis muttered, flinching back as the children dressed as faceless dolls reached out to you.
“I guess we follow them?” you murmured, the first to take one of their hands, letting them pull you toward the wide plank bridge they’d come from.
You were almost glad for the guide; seeing more than a few kilometers in front of you was nearly impossible in the thick fog.  When the faceless children finally let go of your hands, you were through the fog and standing in front of the entrance to another maze, the sound of screams and laughter once more surrounding you.
“Thank you–” you turned to say, but the children were already retreating back into the fog. 
“Well that was creepy,” Alisha huffed, finally letting go of Curtis’s shirt and stepping away from his side.
“Have y’heard anythin’ from Nathan?” Kelly asked and you frowned, pulling your phone from your pocket.
“Before we got on th’ride he said he was on his way.”
Opening the message thread, you fired off another text to let him know which maze you were at.  “There, hopefully by th’time we get back out, he’ll be here.”
“Right.  It looks like there are three entrances,” Alisha pointed out and you read the signs overhead—scary, very scary, and your worst nightmare. 
“There’s no way I’m goin’ into that one,” Alisha exclaimed, pointing to the your worst nightmare door.
“Me either,” Kelly agreed and you had to admit you were more than a little shaken still, not wanting to go on your own.
“Let’s do th’least scary one then,” you suggested, but Curtis scoffed.
“That one we did earlier was so lame though!  I’m goin’ into this one,” he exclaimed, heading for the middle door.
“Simon?” Alisha asked and the three of you looked to him expectantly.
“I-I think I’ll go with Curtis,” he said, awkwardly following him.
“Whatever!  Girls versus guys, I guess,” Kelly shrugged, leading the way.  
Inside, a fine mist illuminated by a thin sheen of green light swirled over your head, the only light in the otherwise pitch black room.
“Check it out,” you gasped, reaching up over your head to let your fingers trail through the mist.
“That’s so cool,” Alisha whispered, following suit along with Kelly who laughed delightedly.  
“Wonder how they get it t’do that…”
Before you could field a guess you felt something grab your hand and you shrieked in surprise, quickly yanking your hand back down.
“Oh, no way!  Do not touch me!” Alisha squealed and you hurried to the next room, ducking your heads as you half ran for the door.
The next room was a long hall, flanked with what looked like prison doors and every few meters an arm reached between the bars.
“Are they all real?” Alisha hissed, pulling Curtis’s jacket tighter around herself and covering her hands in the overlong sleeves.  
“I don’t think so,” you murmured, shrewdly examining each hand as you neared them.  “Look, you can tell the real from the fake pretty easily,” you pointed out, noticing the trembling of fingers up ahead.
Alisha quickly shuffled behind Kelly as you passed, squeezing closer to the opposite side to avoid the actor’s hand as it suddenly snatched at you.  Even though you knew it was coming, it still made you jump.
“Is it just me, or is this hallway growing more narrow?” you mumbled, grimacing at how many hands up ahead looked quite real.
“Let’s just make a run for it,” Kelly suggested and Alisha nodded in agreement, practically pushing her forward while you ended up behind them. 
As soon as you began to run, the arms came alive and you felt hands grab at you, catching your sleeves and snaring you in place as Kelly and Alisha ran off without you, screaming and laughing, not even noticing you weren’t there.
“Guys!  Guys wait!” you cried, desperately struggling in the grasp of your faceless captors.  “Guys!”  With one final sharp tug, you managed to tear yourself from the hands’ clutches and stumble forward, trying to catch up.  
However, when you rounded the next corner, Kelly and Alisha were nowhere to be seen.  “Shit,” you swore under your breath.  No way to go but forward.
The next room was fashioned into some sort of makeshift horror clinic, the tables littered with rusty looking medical equipment while a skeleton slumped over a dingy cot in the corner.  Hurrying to the door on the opposite wall, you yanked at the doorknob, only to find it locked.  A recorded message looped over a hidden speaker and you listened to the clue, realizing you needed to find the key in order to escape the room.
“To illuminate the way out, leave no bone unturned.  To illuminate—”
Tuning the message out, you scrabbled to the nearby table, searching through a stack of fake bones for the hidden key.  A faint blinking light in your periphery caught your attention and you turned as it grew stronger, illuminating a hidden room behind a large panel of plexiglass.  A dark figure stood still in the window and your heart filled with fear as you recognized the mask that stared back at you.  Frozen in place, you knew this was the same one, the same man that had been following you since the very first maze.
The sound of muted humming hung in the air as the masked stranger continued to stare at you.  When he raised his hands to pound against the glass you gave a frightened jerk, instinctively stepping back and your back hit the still locked door as he began to pound harder, intent to break the barrier separating you.
On the verge of panic, fear clouded your thoughts for a moment, distracting you, and you frantically turned to tug at the door once more in vain, crying out before remembering what you needed to do.
Running back to the table, several plastic bones scattered to the floor in your haste and your stomach gave a hopeful lurch as your fingers wrapped round the large metal skeleton key hidden beneath them.  Fumbling to get it in the keyhole, you felt tears gather in your lashes until the latch clicked and the door sprung open. 
Sprinting toward the exit, your lungs burning, you didn’t feel safe until you saw the others, practically bowling into Curtis.
“Whoa, whoa!  What’s th’matter?” he exclaimed, grabbing your arms to steady you as you gasped for breath.
“The masked guy was in there!  He was following me!” 
“What?  Where?!” Alisha exclaimed, peering past you worriedly.
“After we got separated, he was trying to get me!” you cried, wishing Nathan was there.
“Okay, okay, it’s gunna be okay,” Curtis assured, trying to calm you.  “Once Simon gets out, we’ll find Nathan and go somewhere else.
Until Curtis had said that, you hadn’t even realized Simon was missing and you chewed your lip, silently urging him to hurry up as you watched the exit with bated breath.
——
Nathan awoke in the dark, sprawled atop something hard.  Blinking blearily, he groaned, trying to remember what had happened through the pounding in his skull.  As he shifted, he realized he was laying in a pool of something warm and sticky.
“Ugh, what th’fuck?” he moaned, instantly regretting it as he sat up and held his head.
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he looked around, trying to regain his bearings.  When his gaze fell on the shape next to him, the stuffed skeleton he’d been after, soaked in what looked like blood, it all came back to him.
“y/n!” he yelped, scrambling to his feet.  Patting down his pockets, he searched for his phone, finding it missing.  “Shit shit shit!” he muttered, nearly slipping on his own blood in his haste to find you before the killer did. 
Knowing you were headed to the Badlands, he hurried that way, glad that the blood matting his curls and staining his t-shirt would draw no extra attention in the crowd while his stomach churned and his pulse pounded in his ears.
Every second of the stupid ride to the VIP section of the park dragged like an hour and Nathan was nearly vibrating in his seat as his car arrived at the exit.  Taking off sprinting through the swirling fog, he skidded to a halt in front of the next maze he came across.
Swearing under his breath as he read the signs above the three entrances, he decided to chance the second one, thinking it the most likely you’d choose.  Barely noticing the jumpscares, he hurried through the maze desperately searching for you, his heart in his throat.
If that freak had his phone, then he not only had a head start, but he probably knew exactly where to find you, if you sent him your location. 
Suddenly, a faint voice ahead caught his attention, halting him in his tracks as he stopped to listen.
“Curtis?  Curtis, where are you?”
“Barry?” Nathan called, hope surging through him.
“...Nathan?”
Turning the corner ahead, Nathan was momentarily blinded by a torch beam pointing directly at his face.
“Yes, it’s me!  Now can y’stop shinin’ that bloody torch in my eyes or are yeh tryin’ t’blind me?” he hissed and the beam suddenly jerked downward.
“Sorry,” Simon muttered sheepishly.  “Where’ve you been?  And why are you covered in blood?”
“Newsflash, I’ve been dead!” Nathan cried, throwing his hands up.  “That psycho stalker killed me!  Bashed my head in!” he exclaimed, pointing to the dried blood at his temple, his voice raising as he tried not to panic.  “Where’s everyone else?  We gotta warn ‘em before he finds ‘em!”
“They went in through a different entrance and I got separated from Curtis,” Simon explained and both men gave a jump at the abrupt blast of what sounded like a train horn.  
Turning toward the sound, Simon and Nathan’s eyes widened in alarm as a pair of giant headlights flooded the room, revealing a set of fake train tracks beneath their feet and an incredibly realistic looking front of a train coming toward them slowly, but picking up speed, forcing them to run in the opposite direction.
“What th’fuck!” Nathan yelped, grabbing Simon by the arm and yanking him with him.  “If I weren’t so freaked out, what with bein’ stalked by some deranged killer, I’d be seriously impressed by th’production value of this shit!” he panted, running to the far wall to desperately search for the door while the train whistled deafeningly again.
Finding no exit, the two pressed their backs to the wall, screaming madly as they blindly reached for each other, squeezing their eyes shut in dread.  When several seconds elapsed and nothing happened, Nathan cracked an eye open.  The front of the train had come to a harmless stop in front of them, leaving only a few meters space between them and it.
Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, Nathan suddenly realized he was still holding onto Simon and quickly sprang away from him.
“You tryin’ t’get fresh with me?” he cried, disgust warping his expression.
“You’re the one who grabbed me,” Simon pointed out, looking nearly as uncomfortable.
Nathan’s mouth pressed into a line as he pointed at Simon, his thick brows furrowing.  “If you ever breathe a word of this, I’ll—I’ll—!”
“Kill me?” Simon asked wryly, a tiny grin playing at his lips.
Disarmed by the joke, Nathan gaped at him a moment longer, jabbing his finger in Simon’s face pointedly, though still at a loss for words.
“I’m th’funny one!” he finally muttered, brushing past Simon as the hidden door swung open.  “What’re yeh waitin’ for?  Let’s get th’fuck outta here and find th’others!” he called over his shoulder.
Not looking where he was going, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he ran into something hard, knocking him on his arse.
“Ow, what th—?”
“Nathan, watch out!”
At Simon’s words, he looked up at what had sent him sprawling and his snarky comeback died on his tongue, fear once more flooding him as his killer loomed over him, knife in hand.
For a moment the man in the mask tilted his head, as if studying Nathan in confusion, certain their last run in should have killed him.  His hesitance only lasted a few seconds however, before he was kneeling over Nathan, knife raised.
Grabbing the man’s wrist, Nathan tried to push the knife away from his face, the killer clearly aiming to bury the blade in his eye socket.
“Save me, Barry!” he cried, his muscles trembling with the effort and failing, the tip of the blade inching closer.
“BARRY!”
But Simon was nowhere to be seen.
As the knife plunged through his eye with a disgusting squelch, Nathan’s body went limp, his scream turning to a gurgled death rattle and Simon held his breath, clapping a hand over his mouth to keep from gagging, his blue eyes nearly popping out of his head.  Though he was invisible, he still pressed his back to the wall, sinking deeper into the shadows as the killer pulled his knife free with a soft grunt and stood, his masked and hooded head swiveling, searching for him.
As soon as his heavy footsteps disappeared down the corridor, Simon crouched at Nathan’s side, hoping he’d come back to life soon.
——
“Ugh, what’s takin’ ‘im so long?” Kelly groaned, tapping her foot in impatience.
“You don’t think anything happened to Simon in there, do you?” Alisha asked, an unusual amount of concern in her voice.
Before you could answer, a large crustacean-like alien waddled up to you, shooting a glob of green slime at you, covering the front of your shirt before taking off again and running away to assault someone else.
“Are you bloody serious?!” you cried, gaping down at the sticky mess covering your shirt in disgust, frustrated tears in your eyes.
“Oh shit,” Curtis winced and you let out a tremulous breath, trying not to lose it.
“OI!  FUCK YOU!” Kelly yelled after him, but it made no difference.
“C’mon, we can wash it off in th’bathroom,” Alisha offered, taking your arm to lead you to the brightly lit restrooms nearby, Kelly flanking your other side and leaving Curtis to wait for Simon.
“Great, just great,” you muttered, grabbing a fistful of paper towels and furiously scrubbing at your shirt under the faucet.
“y/n… you alright?” Kelly asked as you sniffled, quickly wiping at your watering eyes with the back of your arm.
“Yeah,” you answered quickly, furiously pumping some hand soap on the paper towels in your hand.  “Tonight’s just… not exactly goin’ the way I’d hoped,” you admitted softly.
“It’s not your fault,” Alisha said, trying to comfort you.
“Maybe when we find the others we should just call it quits and head home,” you suggested with a defeated shrug.  
“What?  No way!” Kelly exclaimed, taking you by surprise.  You expected them to jump on the offer to get out of there.  “You won those tickets and y’still haven’t been through th’scariest maze yet, we can’t leave till y’get t’do that,” she insisted.
“Okay, alright,” you chuckled.  “Just let me dry my shirt off and I’ll be right out, okay?”
“Okay, don’t take too long,” Alisha called as they pushed open the door.
Finding a hand dryer around the corner, you awkwardly leaned in closer to stretch your damp shirt under the warm air.  When it was finally dry, you slipped into one of the stalls, the bathroom completely empty.  As you emptied your bladder, you pulled your phone out to text Nathan again.
Where r u?  Hope ur ok.
As you hit send, you pulled your pants up and froze as moments later a text notification echoed loudly through the empty bathroom.  
You’d thought you’d been alone, but maybe someone had come in while you were texting and you didn’t hear.
Your phone chimed with a response—I’m close.
Hesitating a moment, you decided to respond.  It could have been merely a coincidence that another person’s phone went off just as your message to Nathan had sent.
How close?
Once again, seconds later, the same ringtone sounded, this time from the stall next to you and for some reason your blood went cold as if you’d been doused in a bucket of ice water.
“Hello?  Nathan?  Is that you?” you called, getting no answer.  As much as you hoped it was just Nathan trying to mess with you, you couldn’t help but feel it was... someone else.    “Nathan, if you’re tryin’ t’scare me… it’s working–”
Your words cut off as a pair of worn boots stopped in front of your stall, the toes just visible beneath the door and you flinched back, afraid of what you might see if you peered through the crack.  Those were definitely not Nathan’s shoes.
Before you could say anything else, the door began to shake as if whoever was out there, wanted to get in.
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Taglist: @santacarlahorrorshow​ @super-unpredictable98​ @salvador-daley​ @firstpersonnarrator​
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cannibalsandplaid · 11 months
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My lame attempt but whatevs, art is art. Hornigold and Izzy from my fic Ashes to Ashes. First art attempt in years. Mind the tags. 1980 carnival owner Benjamin Hornigold terrorizes Izzy. Izzy/Ed/Jack are carnies and Stede is a college student that is looking for action . https://archiveofourown.org/works/44004405/chapters/110642193
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cherryblossomventi · 5 months
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Freakshow AU belongs to @hootbon
C!Venti belongs to me
I saw an ask that said Kinger does audience participation acts that typically don’t go well and decided to write a little fic about my Freak/Audience sona being called upon to participate.
As soon as Kinger came on stage, Audienti groaned, or they would’ve if they could make any noise as they were at the moment, their abstracted eyes rolled in a circle and the smile plastered on their face fell ever so slightly. It wouldn't do to look bored at the moment, the rest of the audience would take notice and they really didn’t want to get torn asunder at the moment, so they didn’t immediately get up and leave.
Honestly, a magician in a place like this, a digital realm where almost anything is possible, it was almost laughably unfair to the freak, how could his silly little sleight of hand tricks compare to the likes of what Caine, as vile and sickening as he was, could do?
Truly his performances were only a little entertaining when Ragatha was in on it, and judging from the apprehension on Kinger’s face, Ragatha would likely not star in today's show, a true pity.
Half listening, the hare held no surprise when Kinger asked for an audience member to participate, he always seemed to be somewhat more aware and fearful when he had to do that. Audienti hadn’t the slightest clue as to why Caine allowed or asked for these kinds of events, they always ended the same, ragdoll and chess pieces thrown across the stage after the chosen participant failed to follow through with the ‘partition’.
They understood why, the desire to rip those digital avatars apart was a strong one indeed, and it was very rare such an opportunity arose when it came to the magician and his assistant, but for ONCE couldn't they at least play along and complete the magic trick before going feral? Was that truly too much to ask for?
At least if that happened then there would be something new in seeing the two freaks look relieved that things finally worked out before being brutalized.
Suddenly, a blinding spotlight shone on Audienti, they flinched from it and mentally snarled, of course they had to sit right beside the one chosen to participate-
“You! With the long ears! You look bored so why not see the magic close up?” Caine called out.
Audienti froze, eyes widening as they realized that it was them who was chosen to participate. They glanced around at the rest of the audience, all of them staring right at them… waiting, eager…
One part of them wanted to refuse, to shake their head and sit back down, to ‘graciously’ give one of their seat mates the spotlight. Another part of them wanted to run down to the stage on all fours and tear Ragatha and Kinger apart and decorate the stage with their entrails.
Yet another part of them was trembling in fear as they moved against their own will, casually making their way to the stage, spotlight following, terror threatened to choke them, tears dared to well in their eyes, a whimper would’ve escaped them if possible… they glanced at Caine but quickly looked away before they could really see his expression.
Their other self, the beast, the broken bird, Frenti, pushed against their skin from the inside, threatening to rip them apart and break free, one heart turned to two and the twin beating would’ve drowned everything out if not for the fact that Audienti had better hearing than most of the carnival.
They stood in front of Kinger, struggling to breathe with four lungs as Ragatha instructed them to step into a box.
They almost, just almost, shook their head, but it was like one of the twins' ribbons caught their neck, and so they nodded instead and stepped inside. The door closed behind them and suddenly the voices outside were gone.
Disgust and revulsion crawled over Audienti’s body as they sat in the box, their multiplied organs threatened to burst from their body, Frenti’s mind pushed against theirs, normally if they were here while a show was on their other self couldn’t take control, but it seemed that now that they were part of the act… that was no longer the case.
The hare suddenly pressed a paw to their chest when their ribs shattered under the relentless pressure of their frantic double hearts and four lungs, a strangled cry escaping them as bone tore out of skin and every nerve times two screamed in agony as their entire body shifted around and spat them out, replacing the mimic with the beast.
For a few brief moments, Audienti and Frenti’s minds were one in the same.
The world unraveled as memories returned, this was all a game, digital VR, a wonderful circus for all ages, beta testing, a virus the likes of which did not seem natural, talk of ghosts and curses, bodies lined in beds, patches and patches, troubleshooting, there was supposed to be another game loaded the headset wasn’t supposed to run The Amazing Digital Circus, they weren’t supposed to be here, oh GOD this looked so much more tame on the screen, get the headset off get it off-
The door to the box was opened, Ragatha and Kinger stared in horror at the grizzly sight within.
Two skeletons, fused together, sat in a pile of gore and viscera, as if the audience member inside had exploded, and when the door opened the ‘explosion’ rocketed out and went as far as splattering members of the audience, who began to laugh, boo, and even scream.
Caine narrowed his eyes, but graciously floated over and jabbed the sharp end of his cane through the right skull of the unfortunate victim, finally granting them the temporary release of death. He supposed this torture was punishment enough for Frenti’s failure to play their part, after all, he had techincally called upon Audenti, not Frenti.
GAME OVER
Player [ERROR] Death #12
AI [ERROR] Death #4
Tip: Don’t go to see shows or acts if you don’t even like them!
>RESTART
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theharrowing · 9 months
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Carnival of Terror
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The carnival is in town, and it is unlike anything you have ever experienced. Will you make it out alive?
🎪 Namjoon x Female Reader x Seokjin, Jimin x Taehyung, Yoongi x Female Reader, Yoongi x Jungkook
🎪 word count: in progress (currently 23.3k)
🎪 choose your own adventure, friends & strangers to lovers, carnival and circus au, dead dove, horror, possible minor & major character injury & death, supernatural elements & magic realism, nsfw, 21+
🎪 warnings: general sense of the vibes being off; description of clowns, jesters & acrobats; hypnosis without consent; smut (semi-public oral & vaginal sex)
🎪 note: all of the above details including relationships, tropes, and warnings are subject to change as the story progresses & the readers vote. 
🎪 check out the playlist!
🎪 character asks are open!
in this choose your own adventure fic, polls are run between each chapter for the reader to decide what happens next!
🤹‍♀️ current polls:
none, currently! check back soon!
🤹‍♀️ past polls:
ringleaders | friends | tarot cards 1 | ducky keychain | heads or tails? | tunnel of love | as above, so below | the tower crumbles | the lone rabbit | the lone ducky | ducky & rabbit 1 | ducky & rabbit 2
note on polls: i will add new polls within 8-24 hours of a chapter being posted, to give folks a head start on reading. polls that are set to 7 days may be shut down (set temporarily to private) a day or 4 early, depending on my writing schedule. i will always be transparent and reblog several times in advance to give warning in the hope that people see it. see below for information on being tagged in the polls.
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INDEX:
1: Right place at the right time | 6.1k words
2: Get lost! | 9.2k words
3: Sink for me | 7.9k words
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🎪 join the show! by requesting to be on the tag list for the fic & polls, you are agreeing to be tagged in dead dove horror content. characters will be maimed and possibly even die. in fact, you may not make it out alive.
🤹‍♀️ tag list: @agustdsciggy @andreargu @bangtan-tee-86 @dearmyfavoritepeople-bts @eoieopda @fantastin @idkjustlovingbts @itsshaydeekaydee @jjungkookislife @kiki-zb @mamidescarada @manuosorioh @melancholy-of-nadia @mgthecat @moonleeai @secfir @sweetestofchaos @unsureofwhathappens @valhallawhispers @violetsiren90
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Carnival of Terror is a Goosebumps-inspired fic, copyright theharrowing 2023 - 2024. no translations or reposting allowed!
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rahabs · 2 months
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What are some of your favourite lines you’ve written? Which story of yours do you love the absolute most and want to tell people about? Any WIP(s) you’d like to talk about? 🩷🩷🩷
So sorry for the delay!
Oooh that one is always so hard! I really am very fond of my Terror fics overall, especially Vainglory, Scrimshaw, and A Beggar's Knowledge of Want.
I'd say of those, though, Scrimshaw is still my favourite. So much research and love went into that one and I regard it with so much fondness.
I only have one real WIP at the moment, which is my radioapple dance fic I Will Dance Divine, which grew a plot! I am really enjoying it so far. An injury put my behind schedule (repetitive stress injury; playing too many instruments too often, holding too many heavy things, increased typing, etc) but I am finally back to work on it!
I also have another radioapple "raising Charlie" fic planned for the near future 🖤 That said, I want to get a couple chapters done before I start posting it.
Favourite Lines
Some favourite lines in general from my more recent fics are:
Good.  It echoed in his mind now.  How can a thing like me be good?  How could Thomas Jopson ever have amounted to anything?  Everything he had in life was a thing he had fought for, and then fought equally hard to keep.  Every good thing was the result of years of terrible ones, and he was loathe, always, to give those good things up as a result.  Greedy thing, the wraith often cooed to him in the place where ships came to sink and men came to die.  Arrogant.  Prideful.  But always greedy.  Oh so greedy… Just another bite, love.  Sink those teeth deeper and you will never have to let go, o-oh…
From my joplittle fic, Scrimshaw.
He’d known, realistically, that Lilith was gone, and that she’d no intention of coming back. The knowledge didn’t make Lucifer anymore prepared to find her mark engraved on the Radio Demon’s soul.
From my radioapple fic, This Horror Which Bleeds (the line I used for the summary).
Slowly, he reached up to where the tea canisters were stored, his mind alight.  He imagined making tea in that home that was his, that was theirs, and drinking it by the fire; of Little, reading quietly in an armchair while Thomas mended his shirts, the both of them safe and warm and comfortable; the sailor and his wife.
From my joplittle fic, A Beggar's Knowledge of Want.
She deserves the company, he thought quietly, stepping back. They both did. Terror and Erebus had only ever served the men aboard them lovingly, providing shelter, becoming home for so many of them for those long years. How must it have felt, Thomas wondered, to be so full of life one day and then abandoned the next? To go from serving happily and ably, only to be abandoned by those you have only ever strove to protect and provide for?
From my joplittle fic, Scrimshaw.
Then came Carnival, and Edward did not think so hopefully anymore.  Instead, he stood quietly amidst the first sunrise of the year, conscious of MacDonald’s stricken presence behind him, and wondered what it meant that all the sun had to illuminate was death.
From my joplittle fic, Vainglory.
Beyond that, though, it was fun. Every move Alastor made Lucifer could match, his body alight with the music, the smile on his face morphing into one of genuine enjoyment as he continued to laugh in enjoyment every so often, following Alastor’s every lead with an ease that surprised even Lucifer himself. Even Alastor’s hands on him weren’t disturbing as they usually were, not when every touch had its purpose. How long had it been since he danced like this? Performed like this? Laughed like this? Simply trusted himself into the hands of a partner and let go? He didn’t know. All he knew was Alastor’s smiling face, his hand holding Lucifer’s tight, not letting go even when they swung apart, seeming for all the world like he was enjoying this just as much, the sharp edges melting from Alastor’s smile to become something more closed-mouthed and genuine. Lucifer could see it even as their positions changed, his left arm extending, left hand still held in Alastor’s, their legs kicking forward together, both of them facing the same direction. One song blended into two, and other couples were joining the dance floor now, those familiar with the style, but always, at the centre of it, were Lucifer and Alastor. It was exhilarating. (It was what it felt to be alive, Lucifer thought; for that black cloud to lift even for a moment. It was addicting in a way he’d thought long lost, passionate even, an emotion other than depression, and engagement in a way he’d given up on until he’d forgotten his own awkwardness to verbally spar with a sinner Overlord he’d only just met and oh, oh, oh—)
From my radioapple fic, I Will Dance Divine.
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scarecrow-brainrot · 1 year
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People I need input:
Jfkghdkglbl I’m now realizing how niche these are lol
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wolfboy88 · 2 years
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Hey everyone, first time actually posting something!?!
Seeing as Halloween is just around the corner, I’ve decided to create my own prompts list for the spooky season and challenge myself to a writing challenge. And of course all the fics will be based around Thiam!
I’ve created a 31-day prompt list however instead of the traditional a story a day I’ve decided to combine some of the prompts to hopefully make 13 Days of Halloween. All works will be posted over on ao3 under my username WolfBoy88.
Also, for anyone feeling inspired or would like to use any of these prompts, please feel free to do so!
Prompts List 2022
1. Pack Party
2. Carnival
3. Thunderstorm
4. Doppelgangers
5. Jack-o-Lanterns (or Pumpkins)
6. Nightmares or Night Terror
7. Candy
8. Horror/Scary Movies
9. Gargoyle
10. Soul Bond
11. Fortune Teller
12. Ghosts & Ghouls
13. Frat House
14. Black Cat
15. Taboo
16. Woodsman
17. Spiked Punch
18. Angels & Devils
19. UFO
20. Creepy Forest
21. Blood
22. Sexy Costume Party
23. Incubus/Succubus
24. Haunted House
25. Vampire
26. Ritual/Summoning
27. Grave
28. Urban Legend
29. Dagger
30. Cabin in the Woods
31. Trick or Treat
Alternate Prompts
1. Cave
2. Pollen
3. Skulls & Bones
4. Spiders
5. Hallucinations
6. Gnome
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mxpseudonym · 2 years
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Indignation
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Pairing: Dark Finn Shelby x OC (Evelyn)
Reader Gender Expression: she/her pronouns, femme
Summary: After 18 months of Finn’s torment, Evelyn attempts to seek help only to find Finn’s influence runs much deeper than she realized.
Length: 2431
Warnings: Psychological torment, verbally and mentally abusive relationship, nose bleed, Finn is OOC (though you could argue he doesn’t get enough screen time to know for sure)
A/N: So, I wanted to try my hand at a dark fic. Tbh, this didn’t go how I expected, but I do like it. I wanted Finn to have this relationship that’s essentially an abusive power flex that’s driven by spite and hate, but not in a “because I actually love you” way. In the way love and hate are two sides of the same coin, meaning you can hate someone so much they’ll always be part of your life in this toxic version of commitment.
There’s definitely a part II coming by the way that I’m super excited for.
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Indignation ĭn″dĭg-nā′shən
noun. Anger, especially anger excited by that which is unjust, ungrateful, or base; anger mingled with contempt or abhorrence; scornful displeasure.
---
The truth - it was so hard to decipher these days when she couldn't quite decipher what had even transpired. Evelyn simply had to work backward and think sideways. It was nonsense but the only way to maneuver the way her life seemed to work now.
She had to think differently, and that's how she concluded the Shelby family was made up of fools. That was why she was here. Thomas Shelby, Arthur Shelby, Polly Gray, all of them had to be completely ignorant. Or else, they were infinitely more insidious than she could have imagined, in which she would face defeat and lay down and die. Because they presented their youngest, untouched by war, proudly as their weakest link. He didn't have to do anything in the business. He could go ahead and be respectable, if not rightfully entitled to reap the benefits of the Shelbys' efforts.
But they were wrong, that's why she was here.
The Shelby family was made of fools because their youngest was a terror, the worst of them likely. He'd built an invisible cage like those mimes she'd seen once when she was eight at the carnival with her sister...
An invisible cage made of blue violets sent to her desk at work each week and rent paid on her behalf and free groceries when she went to the market, letting her know that there were eyes everywhere. There were custom-made dresses of the best fabric and expensive jewelry on the inside, but a cage was a cage was a cage. It was tall and vast, and someone knew where it began and ended, but it wasn't her. She didn't even know when she'd stepped inside or if she was always there. No, Finn wasn't the mime. She was the mime. Finn was the ring leader and the magician. Finn. Finn Shelby. Shelby.
The Shelby family was made up completely of fools, and that was why she was here. To tell everyone how capable he was. Because if she didn't, she may as well lay down and,
"Miss?"
The man before her came into focus. Her fingertips delicately held her forehead, and she had a cup of water now in her shaky hand resting in her lap. He must have gotten for her at some point. How long had she,
"Help me understand." He brought her back again, back to the noisy bustling of the Small Health police station. Phones rang, papers shuffled, and eyes, no doubt, watched. "The whole city knows you're sweethearts."
Bile rose in her throat. She raised the small cup to her parted lips, chapped from licking and biting, and reached for her handkerchief. His handkerchief. She couldn't feel the coolness of the water, but she swallowed anyway then put the cloth there. If she didn't cover her mouth, anything could come out.
Sweethearts? The label was a life sentence. She closed her eyes again and rubbed her forehead.
"I told you, didn't I? I told you," she whimpered. "I'm here because, the Shelbys."
"'I need to get away from Finn Shelby. He's everywhere,' is what you said. Those are some dangerous words. Are you saying that you aren't sweethearts?"
Evelyn looked at him, then looked away, out the glass of the office window and into the bullpen. He already knew she was there; she could feel it. A sharp headache came on strong, and she winced when she looked back at him. Her eyelids fluttered, but the pain was familiar enough to sober her up.
"You're so stupid you can't even save yourself," she whispered. Tears welled in her eyes her head as she let out a watery laugh. She tapped her temple with a perfectly manicured nail. "That's what he said, just now. I can hear his voice like he's speaking directly in my head with a megaphone. There's an echo."
"I don't, um, help me understand?"
"He's just driving me insane, that's all, sir."
She took in a shaky breath and looked up at him. Evelyn felt like it had been ages since she'd sat down and tried to develop what she wanted to say and what she wanted to happen. It hadn't been even ten minutes, yet the young officer was already giving her a look of pity but also annoyance. She probably deserved that.
"That's all?"
"I'm just muddled, I think. Sorry to barge in," Evelyn mumbled, making her way out of the police station that she'd entered on a whim just a few moments before.
What could she say exactly? Finn hadn't said a decent word to her the whole time she'd known him, and he often bullied her to tears. But he never hit her and made sure everyone knew she wanted for nothing. In a place like Birmingham, where nothing good ever came, she'd be reduced to a spoiled brat for crying about her problems in the middle of her well-decorated apartment. And it was all on purpose.
The Shelby family was made up of fools. Completely ignorant or more insidious than she could ever imagine. Or.
Or.
Or they, too, could not find the words to string together properly. Evelyn wondered if they also were reduced to being overlooked, even when pointing out the devil in broad daylight. That's why she was there.
Days where she was so overwhelmed her mind simply went blank weren't uncommon for her. She went through the routine of the day, and she couldn't tell you what she'd typed in a memo at work or which route she took to get home. She thought the body was kind of amazing for being able to pull that off as she smoothed on lipstick in her mirror. But today was a little different. She had a sobering headache.
Her front door opened, and the sound of fancy shoes against the floor floated through the apartment. Finn didn't come into her bedroom; he never did. Evelyn wondered about it, but not too much in case God thought she was asking for it to happen.
Evelyn stood and smoothed her dress down before padding across the floor in stockinged feet. She was putting in her second earring when she managed to stand across from him. Finn sat against the back of her sofa, legs spread and hands folded in front of him.
He was as boyish and handsome as the night she was first fooled by the face he put on. He looked tired today, she noted. His usual fresh face was tainted by under-eye bags. The harder he was on her, the better he seemed to do at work, so she assumed he was successfully doing important things at the company. That was her purpose after all, a place to focus his insidious tendencies away from his family so he could work better. An outlet, he called her. But there were more important things to worry about.
For instance, one of Finn's hands contained a bouquet of lilies, the other a revolver. His eyes trailed from her stockinged feet upward, taking in her outfit until he met her eyes. He brought the barrel up to his temple, scratching the area nonchalantly before pointing it at her to motion to her legs.
"Take off your stockings."
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"You know, Evie, it was more intuitive when I called you an idiot before. That mug of yours, those eyes, they scream dumb cow, you know? But going to the police?"
Evelyn couldn't remember if she'd ever seen a genuine emotion from Finn in the 18 months they'd known each other. It made her sick knowing his belly laugh and a natural smile came from her thwarted attempts at seeking help. He wiped his eyes and looked down at her. "Up."
She straightened her back and took a sharp breath in. On the floor of her apartment, she worked through her act of penance that was fit for a child. All of his punishments for her usually were reminiscent of the disciplines that scarred most catholic children for life. Kneeling over rice was no exception. Christ, her head hurt. There was a whirring that was making her nauseous.
"You're so goddamn stupid. You know Inspector Moss, one of our men at the station, pulled me to the side on my way here? Said, your girl came in this morning saying she needs to get away from you and that you're everywhere."
"You are. Can't get you out of my head."
"Careful, you sound smitten."
"Smitten? Who taught you that word?" She snipped, but he ignored it.
"Pol says it about me when she mentions you. Maybe she's right. You should be dead, but here you are. You disrupted our dinner, but it's for the best. You look a wreck anyway."
Evelyn's cheeks went hot as she looked down at her dress. It was one of the ones she bought when she first got her job. She was only supposed to wear what he bought her, after all. She wanted to ask who cared about such a rule when she'd broken a bigger, unspeakable one, but Finn walked around her and dug her fingers in her hair. His grip forced her off balance, forcing her whole body to move wherever he dragged her by her scalp.
"You know I hate these curls."
"I don't look a wreck."
"You tryin' to fight with me today or what?" Finn asked. His glare was cold, but his eyes were fiery as he looked down at her from his full height. Finn didn't put on much of a show; he never did. She'd know he was weaker than he let on if he had. But he was always right, and he'd always win, so she never saw him anything less than certain. It made her shiver.
"No, I just... no."
"Full sentences next time, can you manage?"
"Yes," she said quietly.
Finn released her head and let her gasp for a moment before gripping her face, squishing her cheeks until her lips were like a fish. She glanced to the side and saw the flowers in her peripheral. He'd put the gun away. She could say she was relieved, but she knew Finn pretty well at this point despite herself. No part of her feared he'd actually kill her. She was best alive, after all. Or maybe she was naive, and he really did just change his mind on a whim.
"You know what I told Moss? I said, don't you know I can't fucking stand that woman? I'll marry her just to shut her up."
Evie dry heaved as her blood ran cold. She was searching for the edges of the cage and began wondering if it was a bottomless pit instead.
"What?" she asked, though incomprehensible in his grip.
"I hate her so much. It's shut up in my bones like she's a part of me, so I can't get rid of her. I'll have to keep her next to me. And then Moss laughed, Evie. He laughed at you."
Finn shook his head and finally released her. The stinging of her knees competed with her jaw for which would be the sorest. Neither would overcome her blinding headache as she watched Finn dig into his box, though. He tossed a velvet blue box at her, and she grunted when she had to shuffle to catch it in time.
"I should punish you more, I really should, but I think you're just somehow not aware of your situation."
She understood her situation clearly, actually. So clearly, she could feel her head splitting half. Finn wouldn't stop her if she left him. But where the fuck would she go? No person in their right mind would date her now. Her sister was her only family, and she lived far away now, but Evelyn could only imagine that Finn would trouble her.
Evelyn did have friends, though. Friends she could never involve in this because she loved them dearly. It wouldn't surprise her to lose her apartment, and no one would serve her at the shops anymore. Her job would vanish, and rumors would spread about her cheating on him with a Blinder- no, Finn would choose something to give himself sympathy. She was pregnant, but she got an abortion even though Finn would marry her. That was it. That was a good story with a ring to prove it.
She opened the box to reveal a ring that, under any other circumstances, would make her heart flutter beautifully. It was stunning and surprisingly her taste. She always wondered if he knew her taste or if they just had the same. It wasn't a diamond, but a gold band with emeralds and pearls and an intricate band encrusted with gems. The whirring in her head got obscenely loud. She would have covered her ears if Finn hadn't grabbed her hand to shove it on her finger. It was all too much, but she stopped just short of crying out once the ring was on and Finn let her go.
For a moment, Evelyn couldn't tell if she was numb or feeling everything at once. She could hear her breath, the dripping of her sink, the crunch of her grains under her. A drop of red appeared on the back of her hand between her knuckles. Another drop fell onto the ring. She brought her fist closer to her face to get a better look. Blood.
"Oh," Evelyn gasped, then blinked up at Finn with a steady line of blood coming from her nose like a faucet. The only time she caught Finn off guard was right after they met. She'd stalked into the betting shop before it opened one morning, demanding to know why he ended the group gathering by singling her out and saying to her, only her, that she was a "stuck up, bitch." It had eaten at her for weeks, and she needed closure.
Finn was surprised she even had the guts to talk to him the way she did. He did have to punish her, though. And that punishment turned into a purgatory that took her 18 months to wrap her head around it. She didn't cover her mouth this time, letting whatever in her that wanted to come out, come out.
"Oh, I see. It's not a cage, and it's not a pit. You just brought me to hell with you. That's all," she said with a soft huff and a laugh.
Finn's eyebrows raised in surprise the way they'd done all the way back then. Evelyn sat back on her heels and looked down at her hand. There was a sigh, and she heard shuffling until her chin was tilted up. Finn's eyes were level with her, and she was almost pleased to see the surprise wore off, and he looked at her with the usual disdain.
"Remember what I told you the last time you asked why it's you I bother with?"
"Yes," she said, though there was no way she'd recall the words at a time like this. Finn ran his thumb over her face, smearing red onto her cheek and chin.
"I'm pretty sure you chose me. Now sit up. Ten more minutes."
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