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#i heard someone say that they aren’t really a danger to humans
daechwitatamic · 20 days
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Of Ruin: Chapter 14 | KTH
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(banner by @itaeewon)
Of Ruin (Masterpost)
Rating: NSFW - minors dni Genre: vampire!au magic!au royalty!au, s2l, slow burn, eventual smut, angst and fluff
Summary: Taehyung of House Rune, Prince of Infracticus has been cursed. You’re the human world’s leading curse-breaker. It should be simple. But unraveling the curse becomes the least of your problems in the face of a world on the brink of civil war… and the love you start to feel for the prince.
A/N: Thank you endlessly to @sailoryooons for betaing!!! 💕 Also thank you to @casuallyimagining for looking over these fight scenes for me!
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Section Warnings: language, angst, uhhh fighting and explicit violence, blood and injury, tense situations with dangerous vampires, uhhhhh multiple murders wc: 6.3k
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“You are not supposed to be here.”
“I left,” you admit, sagging into one of the worn chairs and letting your head fall into your hands. It’s late now, nearing dinner time, and you know Dr. Kim would normally be leaving. “I can go home. I meant to go home. But I left there and started walking and… ended up here.”
He regards you for a long minute. Then, as if he’s made a decision, he sits across from you. You’ve been just like this many times - he behind his desk, you across from it, working out a curse or a class-schedule - but it feels different this time.
You’re so ashamed you can barely stomach it.
You’ve never run away from anything in your life, not like this.
You explain it all, you leave nothing out. The dangers you faced, the mistakes and missteps. The way you learned what you really are, and began learning how to do something with it. How you’d slowly worked the curse to a tipping point. How you’d slowly fallen in love with Prince Taehyung, how you’d thought he felt the same.
But Taehyung throwing around words like Queen… it feels like too much. It feels like something you shouldn’t have, don’t deserve, haven’t earned. It feels like a trick or a trap, and you ran scared like a little bunny.
You tell him all of it.
When you’re done, you watch his ancient face for signs of what he’s going to say, if he’s going to chastise you for letting a job get so out of control.
You take in his expression and your heart sinks.
“You’re going to tell me I have to go back, aren’t you?” you lament, shoulders slumping.
“No, my dear,” Dr. Kim says kindly. “I’m going to tell you to go home.”
“Home?” you echo. “What, you mean, like… go home and sleep on it?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “Go home. To your family.”
Dr. Kim had never really understood the way things were with you and your family. You forgave him for it long ago - he clearly had a very different situation. You’ve learned that even more in the past few months spent with his grandson. But even though you know how pointless his advice is… you follow it anyway.
It’s a long train ride to your hometown, and you spend it pressed to the window, watching the backsides of buildings flash by until they give way to the greens and browns of the countryside.
You think about what you might say. You think about what your parents might say back.
You try to remember the last time you’d even spoken, before your assignment to Infracticus, and you can’t recall.
You spent last night alone in your apartment. It had felt all wrong, somehow - like it belonged to someone else. It occurred to you, as you’d walked through your living room, a hand trailing absently over the knickknacks and clutter, that you hadn’t missed any of these things while you’d been gone.
You’d slept fitfully, with the lights on, bolting upright every time you heard footsteps in the hall.
You walk from the train station; the season has turned in the time you’ve been gone, and the air is biting and cold, stinging your face and the inside of your nose. You slip your hands inside your sleeves, wishing you’d grabbed a heavier coat on your way out the door.
You stop a few houses down, leaning against an old, wooden fence. You watch your childhood home silently, rubbing absently at your chill-bitten nose.
You imagine going up and knocking on the door - because it’s been nearly a decade since the days you were comfortable just breezing in and out of their home. You imagine sitting down at the kitchen table, a steaming mug of tea between your frozen fingers, heating up by degrees. Imagine telling your parents, yes, I’ve been on assignment, actually. In Infracticus.
You imagine your father joking, I’m surprised you didn’t find a way to stay.
That’s exactly what you’d done, without even meaning to.
Is this visit supposed to be goodbye? Is it an attempt to ask for their blessing? How can you expect that - of any parent? How can you walk into their house, uninvited, and ask them to tell you goodbye?
Even if it isn’t forever - even if you can promise visits, regular communication - how can you expect anything like the permission you seek? It isn’t fair of you to even ask.
You stand in the cold and think to yourself that maybe you’re best off just leaving things how they are. Maybe keeping them from the truth is better for them.
Because this is what you’ve figured out, the knowledge you’re grappling with: regardless of Taehyung’s feelings for you… you’re going to ask him to turn you.
Even if he doesn’t love you, even if he doesn’t want you to rule with him, you’re going to walk away from your mortality.
The curse calls for the end of a life, and so your mortal life will end.
What happens after - with Taehyung - remains to be seen, it’s true. But you’d been wrestling with this question for days: would you be willing to give up your mortal life to save his immortal one?
Dr. Kim had heard the indecision threaded through your story, and had sent you here, knowing you needed clarity.
And it worked - everything is very clear as you stand alone on the street you grew up on, knowing there’s no place for you here.
You’d never built anything here. You hardly had anything to say goodbye to. No friends were blowing up your phone wondering where you’d been. Your parents didn’t even know you had gone in the first place. Even the university, your job, had simply slipped another professor into your place.
But Infracticus… Taehyung… those things fit.
You’d felt it in the way your magic slipped into the cracks of his, how they fused together easily, perfect counterparts.
You’d felt it in the way you could exist together quietly with the waves of the sea crashing just ahead of you.
You’d felt it in the way his hand wrapped around yours, the way he tried to stay a step ahead of you, moving obstacles out of your way.
You’d felt it in his heavy, hooded gaze, in his mouth against your skin, in his useless heartbeat against yours.
You fit next to him. Maybe - with time, with him - you could build something. In fact, you could build a lot of things. If his vision of the future really came to be, you could do a lot, could play a real part in creating something good, something lasting.
All you’d ever done here was daydream about a world you had no place in.
You’ll have a place there now - either leading at Taehyung’s side, or existing under his rule. Neither seems like a bad option.
It doesn’t feel real. But neither did any of it, at first. If things go how you plan, you’ll have plenty of time to adjust.
You pull your phone out of your pocket and check the train schedule, turning on your heel and heading back the way you came.
Unlike when you left Taehyung, you don’t look back. There’s no reason to.
You get back to the city in the early afternoon, and you go directly to the university. Dr. Kim looks up calmly when you enter his office, and simply says, “That was faster than I expected.”
You snort, the tension breaking, and he shuffles some papers as you take your usual chair.
“Well?” he asks, not looking up.
“I think you already know,” you say flatly, but he doesn’t hear you, because the sound of your voice is drowned by heavy footsteps and frantic knocking on the already-open door.
Dr. Kim’s eyes twinkle when he spots whoever is behind you, and you whirl in your chair, jaw dropping.
It’s, of course, Prince Taehyung, but he’s flanked by Satuel and Namjoon. All three of them are in jeans, and the sight of the prince dressed like one of the students here would make you laugh out loud if you weren’t so shocked by their presence.
He steps through the doorway, frowning deeply, eyes on you, and says, darkly, “I didn’t fake anything.”
As if this sentence has been itching to burst from him since you laid the accusation at his feet two nights ago, as if he couldn’t take his next breath until he refuted the very idea.
“What are you doing here?” you ask, standing.
“Come in, come in,” Dr. Kim says urgently, “and close that door before someone sees you.”
Maybe someone closes the door. Maybe they leave it open. Maybe a tornado rips through the room and carries everyone else away. You don’t know, because all you can see is Taehyung’s dark eyes, shining with emotion as he chokes out, “How could you just leave?”
“I had some things I needed to figure out,” you murmur.
He steps closer to you, filling the space, and reaches for your hands. “I never faked a thing,” he repeats, like this is the line he rehearsed. “I tried to explain, but you left so fast. My father may have told me he wanted me to pursue you, but all of it was real. I didn’t care about your magic or what you could bring to the family - I just wanted you.”
And, well, you’ve known that all along. But it’s nice to hear him say it.
Your eyes find the floor, head full of all the other things you two need to talk about. “Okay,” you say quietly.
“Okay?” he parrots, an edge to it. “Okay what? Okay, you’ll come back?”
You look up, but not at Taehyung. You look at Namjoon, and then over your shoulder at Dr. Kim. “I have to go back,” you say. “I figured out what we have to do to break the curse for real.”
You hate the feeling of everyone’s eyes on you in the crowded room, but now that everyone is settled in and ready to listen, you have no choice but to speak.
“Namjoon is the death magic expert,” you say, shooting him a little sideways glance. “So, chime in if something seems off. But I was looking at what we have… and reading similar cases… and I think we tried to get around the life for a life counter too quickly.”
“No,” Taehyung says immediately. “We’re not ending a life -”
You hold up a hand, silencing him. “It’s not your decision to make,” you say evenly.
His face contorts. “What are you talking about? Of course it is.”
You shake your head. “It’s mine. We’ll end my life - my mortal life.”
You have to clarify it twice to be heard over the outroar. Taehyung damn near stomps his foot with his cry of protest, and Dr. Kim has risen to his feet. Even Satuel looks struck, her eyes uncharacteristically wide.
“You mean,” Namjoon says slowly, the first one to piece together what you’re saying, “you’ll turn?”
You watch his face carefully for any hints at what he’s thinking, how he feels about this news. “It would work, right?” you ask, even though you’re about ninety-two percent sure on your own. “It’ll count as a life ending? Technically?”
He shoots a nervous look at Prince Taehyung, and then at his grandfather, like he’s not sure which one of them will be more infuriated by his answer. “I… I think it should, yes.”
To your right, Taehyung says your name, voice strangled. “That’s the plan?” he asks, as if begging for someone to tell him he’s got it wrong. “I have to turn you during the counter-curse to satisfy the end of life thread?”
You hold his gaze, your stomach knotting, your throat tightening until you can barely breathe. “Will you?” you ask, the words paper-thin.
He shakes his head, but it doesn’t seem like he’s saying no. “And then what?” he demands. “Have you thought about what this would mean?”
“Extensively,” you say flatly.
He looks around the room for help, his expression stricken. None comes.
“You can’t,” he says, imploring. “There are so many things that could go wrong - what if there’s some kind of attack, and I die? What if my father refuses to pass over the crown, and throws us in jail for trying? What if it does go as I’ve planned, but I go to trial and I’m found guilty for what happened the first night of the curse?”
You hear exactly what he’s really asking - What if you give up your entire life here and it turns out to be for nothing?
You frown. “Taehyung, you can’t live your life based on the worst-case scenario. Maybe none of those things will happen. But even if they do… don’t think that my turning has a… a price that you have to fulfill. I’m not turning just so I can be with you.”
His face goes blank. Before you can process what you’ve done wrong, Namjoon beans you in the forehead with an eraser off his grandfather’s desk.
“Say that better,” he instructs.
“Ow!” you protest, but the distraction helps you catch up to the moment. You meet Taehyung’s eyes even as you bend down to pick the eraser up off the floor. “What I mean is,” you say emphatically, “it doesn’t have to be any kind of commitment. I’ll turn because I want to, and because it will save you, and then… we’ll have time - all the time in the world - to see what comes next. Right?”
Taehyung’s jaw clenches and unclenches as he thinks. He looks around again. “Someone else weigh in here,” he begs, finally. “I can’t agree to this, can I? It’s too much.”
“Maybe we should let you talk alone?” Namjoon suggests, and you look at him, full of gratitude. But, of course, he’s been there all alone, has seen what was happening between you and Taehyung long before you were willing to admit it yourself.
“I’ll take you to the staff room for coffee,” Dr. Kim tells his grandson. “You can catch me up on the situation. But Prince Taehyung’s guard really ought to stay close to him.”
Satuel nods smartly. “I can stand in the hall,” she says, and you fight back a smile, knowing she’s choosing to give you a little privacy.
When they’re gone, Taehyung sags, letting himself sink into the misery of the situation.
“This is not a sacrifice I can allow you to make,” he tells you, eyes round, mouth pulling down unhappily at each corner.
You lean back against Dr. Kim’s desk, considering your words. “It’s not so much of a sacrifice,” you try to explain. “You’d be giving me something, not taking anything away.”
He watches you carefully as he says, “But you couldn’t come back. I mean - for a long time, as you adjust. And then, after, only at certain times, with permission… you’d give up this whole world?”
“Those permitted visits over an immortal life will probably add up to be more time here than I would have had normally,” you point out. “Just not all at once. And maybe, when I come visit… you could come with me?”
He doesn’t speak, just holds your gaze and nods tightly.
You shrug, toying at your bottom lip. “Then that’s already better than what I have now.”
He crosses to you, then, taking you in his arms, and you let him. You allow yourself just one second to be scared and unsure, and then you lean back to look up at him. “I want to do this,” you promise. “No matter what happens after. Even if you decide I’m boring and you fall in love with someone else and -”
He scowls. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m just saying,” you tease, smiling a little. “Even if the worst happens - whatever version of the worst you want - I still choose this.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know if I can do it,” he admits. “I don’t know if I can hurt you like that.”
“I’ll be okay,” you promise, though this is the part that’s scary - the turning process. “I’ll be okay, because I know you’ll be there. I know you’ll take care of me.”
“Yes,” he pouts, “but who will take care of me while I’m panicking over you?”
“Namjoon,” you say sagely, pleased when a laugh rips through him, rumbling in his chest.
He sighs. “We’ll be okay?” he asks.
You don’t think he means individually. But you include it in your answer when you squeeze your arms around and say, confidently, “We will. I know we will.”
He leans down to kiss you, softly at first, his lips light against yours. Then, more firmly. You melt against him, happy to be held, happy to be loved, happy to see a solution shimmering in the distance.
“You know,” he says softly, when he pulls away, “I don’t want to add any weight to this… we can see what happens after, like you said. But… I consider you my intended. That’s just… that’s how I feel.”
A shiver runs through you, thrilling and terrifying both at once. “There’s time for that after,” you say, accidentally repeating what Namjoon had told you once. “I promise.”
Taehyung and Satuel leave first, though she practically has to drag him.
“Promise you’re following us,” he demands on his way out.
You laugh. “As soon as we nail down this countercurse, we’ll head straight to the Ostium.”
“Don’t even stop for food,” he warns, but you know it’s a joke. Or, partly a joke.
“Not even fries?”
He considers this, then turns to Satuel. “Actually, can we stop for fries?”
She rolls her eyes. “Come on. You need to be back before midnight.”
This sobers everyone.
“Perhaps for the last time,” you say hopefully.
“Don’t say that if you aren’t sure,” Taehyung says darkly, and then kisses you goodbye, right in front of everyone, like he doesn’t even care.
“I love you,” he says, low, and you feel it down to your toes. “Don’t do anything foolish until you’re back with me.”
“Roger that,” you try to smile.
Satuel and Taehyung disappear down the hallway, so lightning quick that you can’t even watch them walk away.
Dr. Kim goes to start a pot of coffee.
Namjoon gives you a wry, knowing smile, and begins to organize paper and pens.
The three of you work all night, and it’s after four in the morning when you finally sit back, set down your pen, and declare it ready.
It’s still before sunrise when you pass through the Ostium, pausing to bandage up your hands after crossing - you were prepared, this time.
It’s clear right away that something is very wrong; not only is Satuel not there to pick you up, as agreed upon before she left, but the Ostium isn’t even manned. The whole building is empty, your footsteps echoing as you cross to the door leading out into Infracticus.
Your heart racing, you turn to look at Namjoon. It’s clear he’s thinking the same thing.
“What the -?” you start, as you step out of the Ostium into the pre-dawn purple. A coach is parked there, a team of amarisca hitched and ready to go.
Beside you, Namjoon shouts, already starting to run. Too late, you see the prone body on the ground, on the other side of the carriage.
“Satuel,” you manage, covering your mouth in horror, as you round the corner and spot her. Namjoon crouches, holding her up. Thick, viscous sangru - what Infracti have instead of blood pumping through their bodies - pools around her, as black as her eyes. It looks like an oil spill around her. You spy a gash on her neck, but there must be more.
“The palace,” she gasps, her wild eyes finding yours. “The prince.”
“Go,” Namjoon instructs. “I’ll stay here, I’ll help her -”
You don’t wait for the rest. You tear around the side of the carriage and start fumbling with the clasps of the first amarisca until it’s free from the rest of the team.
You turn back to where Namjoon is still cradling Satuel’s unmoving body. “The prince has a private stable at the beach,” you call to him frantically. “Get her there - I’ll send help as soon as I can.”
Namjoon nods in understanding, his face drawn and desperate, and you dig your hands deep in the amarisca’s mane and throw a leg over, urging it to move, clinging tightly as it begins its rocking gait over the road leading to the palace doors.
The palace looms in the distance, and you urge the amarisca to go faster, squeezing your calves and whispering pleas, though the latter does nothing for you. It seems like it’s not even getting closer, though the trees stream by you on either side.
Please let him be okay, you think as you frantically ride. It’s almost dawn - he would just be coming out of the curse, any second now. If the palace is under attack, would it be a hindrance or a help for him to be only beast?
Finally, the palace seems to grow in size, looming over you as the road curves around an approach.
You’re knocked from the amarisca’s back so quickly that you don’t have time to register what happened, hitting the ground with an unattractive grunt as all the breath is knocked from your lungs.
“Fuck!” you scream, as soon as you can inhale, pounding a fist against the dirt, because you failed, didn’t even make it to the palace, and now you’re going to die at the hands of some random Infracti, at the side of the road -
“Shut up,” the Infracti hisses, tugging at your arm, and you go limp because you think you might recognize his voice.
“S-Seokjin?” you whimper, turning to see if you’re right. You are, but he doesn’t answer you as he pulls you swiftly away from the road. Now you’re less sure you’re about to die, but it’s unclear.
“Listen,” he says, quietly, tugging you behind some brush and crouching. You follow his lead, eyes wide. “We’ve got about thirty of us infiltrating the castle. Probably a few teams are already in. They’re going after the royal family - that’s their only goal.”
“You’re - what?” you stammer.
“Focus,” he snaps. “I’ll help how I can, but I’m not going to out myself, and neither will Jungkook. Get in there, find Taehyung, and get him out. I don’t care where you go with him - just out of the palace. Don’t worry about the King and Queen, protect Taehyung. Can you do that, witch?”
You nod, unable to speak, mind already flying through your memories of the palace corridors, trying to think of the fastest way to the rooms where Taehyung spends his cursed nights.
“Go,” he urges you, releasing your arm. “I’ll cover your back as best I can until you’re inside.”
“Thanks,” you let out hollowly, taking a steadying breath. And then you run.
The first set of doors you come across is locked from inside, but you press your hands to the metal mechanism and call for all the magic you can reach until you hear gears turning, and - finally - a telling click.
You let yourself inside and quickly scan the corridor. It’s deserted - which is honestly a bad sign. The guards are somewhere else, which means there’s already trouble somewhere else.
You jog, making sure to peer around every corner, knowing that if any of the Score soldiers hear your heartbeat or smell your blood it’ll be over before you can even fight it. But there’s not much you can do, and you’ll be safer once you find Taehyung, so you hurry on until you reach the wing where he spends his nights.
You hear voices before you see them, but you round a corner to find a crowd of guards - Taehyung’s guards. He’s standing at the far side of the group, dictating orders. Over their heads, he spots you, does a double take. You watch him close his eyes for the barest second, relief clear on his face, and then he’s waving you over even as he continues speaking to the Infracti closest to him.
“Change of plans,” he’s saying as you approach, breathless. “The ten of you, join that group, get my parents to the safe room.”
“But, Maiesti, that leaves you without -”
“I don’t need you,” he says, sure, looking at you. “Not now that she’s here. My parents are sitting ducks. My venefici can fight with me.”
A few Infracti call out orders, and they separate into three groups, filtering out of the hallway in waves, leaving you and the prince quite alone.
“Did you just send away all of your guards?” you ask, horrified.
“My parents need them more,” he says, tone steely. “I’m not going to run - I’m going to take out as many of them as I can. Will you stay and fight with me? ”
“Taehyung,” you say frantically, trying to break through his resolve and get him to hear you. “They got Satuel - I had Namjoon take her to Potato’s stable, but it looked really bad.”
He stands there, frozen, caught between fighting for his family or saving his trusted guard. You know what choice you’d make, but you wait silently, anxiously shifting from foot to foot, and let him get there by himself.
“Alright,” he says finally, clearly displeased. “Fastest way to the stables is through here.”
Taehyung gets what he wants anyway. You hardly get anywhere before stumbling across a pack of the Scores.
They’re ready for you - five of them, all crouched defensively - likely heard your traitorous human heartbeat. But they don’t know who you are; they don’t know what you can do.
You send a blast towards their feet, which knocks three of them onto their backs. Beside you, Taehyung moves like liquid, in a way you’ve never seen before, a dark blur vanishing from your side and reappearing down the corridor, locked hand-in-hand with one of them, snarling viciously as they clash.
You can’t just stand and watch; the second Infracti you’d left standing is zipping towards you, a flash of motion, and you throw a wall up around yourself. He hits it with a sickening crunch before falling to the ground. Down the corridor, Taehyung seems to have finished off the one he was wrestling with, and is now rolling over a second man, fangs bared and black with sangru, growls and snarls rippling out of both of them.
You can’t watch, can’t keep an eye on him, because the two remaining Scores are up and they are pissed. You don’t have a single second to think, you can only react. You throw a hand towards the ceiling, shouting the spell you’ve favored since the beginning, and a large chunk of stone falls with a boom that rattles your bones, nearly knocking you off your feet. Dust flies into the air, and you shield your eyes, coughing a little.
You take stock of the situation as soon as you can see again. You only got one of them with the chunk of ceiling, and you can hear Taehyung still fighting on the other side of the unsettled dust. Which means there’s still one -
He’s on you. You don’t even know which direction he came from, but you’re on the ground and he’s snarling over top of you, fingers digging into your upper arms, black eyes narrowed in effort, fangs bared.
You kick and buck, trying to get free enough that you can use your hands and try to throw a spell, but nothing works.
“Taehyung!” you scream, and then the weight is off of you - as if the Infracti was never there. You sit up, frantically, and then you find him - rolling in battle just feet away, snarling and snapping at a sandy-haired body that growls loudly back.
Jimin.
You run for Taehyung, but he meets you halfway, hands reaching for yours desperately. There’s a smear of sangru down his face, but he seems okay.
“Jimin,” you pant, pointing behind you, and Taehyung vanishes into a flash of color again, rushing to help his friend.
By the time you reach them, it’s over. The Infracti that had pinned you lies still on the ground, his head at an angle that makes your stomach lurch.
“You have to get out,” Jimin blurts. “They’re here for you, they only want you.”
“We’re going,” you say, trying to give Taehyung a tug. He doesn’t budge. A growl rumbles from his chest, but it’s subdued. He’s not fighting, just frustrated.
“I know you want to fight,” you say, still tugging, “but Satuel -”
“Shhh,” Jimin says suddenly, holding up a hand.
You freeze, listening.
They’re already here.
They come in that formless blur of color, surrounding the three of you and stilling, their bodies filtering back into view.
Everyone is moving at once. It’s impossible to keep track of anyone, friend or foe. All you can do is try not to become anyone’s prey.
You choose a direction and slam a burst of magic at them. It knocks two of them back, but there are more coming for you.
Your fear gets the better of you; you forego defensive walls and arc your hand over your head, shouting a spell that’s meant to cut, one of the few offensive moves you’d practiced what feels like ages ago.
Time slows as you watch black sungru spurts from an Infracti’s chest, her eyes rolling back as she staggers to her knees before dropping.
Another Infracti flies towards you, lightning fast, face contorted, fangs ready. Somebody tugs you out of the way, and you stumble after them, getting it together enough to throw up a wall between you and the attack.
You glance backwards enough to see that it’s Jungkook who saved you, but you can’t dwell on it. Just ahead of you, Jimin’s raking his teeth across someone’s neck, sangru bubbling down their throat in the wake of his fangs. He drops the body unceremoniously and launches himself at another.
You look around frantically, trying to find Taehyung. You don’t find him before you’re grabbed from behind. You scream, feeling fingertips digging painfully into your upper arms. You throw your head back as hard as you can and hear the crunch as you make contact.
You spin around wildly, throwing a blast that sends your assailant flying across the corridor. He crumples to the ground, and you turn away, going back to your search for Taehyung.
You spot him just as one of the Scores leaps onto his back, the same way they’d done to you moments ago. Taehyung twists in the other man’s grasp and gives a brutal kick; the Score staggers away and Taehyung launches himself at his attacker, knocking them both to the ground. When Taehyung bares his fangs and lowers his head, you look away. But you still hear the scream cut short into a feeble gurgle.
To your left, Jimin is grappling with one of them, their hands locked. You throw a protective wall around yourself and inch closer, trying to determine if you can help without hurting Jimin, too.
Jimin spots you, his eyes widening.
“Back up!” you yell, trying to make your way closer.
His face goes taut and he gives you a nod, understanding what you mean to do. He gives the Infracti he’s fighting a mighty shove, successfully putting a few feet between them.
You attack instantly, before the gap can be filled, sending a blast so strong that it knocks Jimin backwards, too. He lands gracefully, having only been grazed, and gets up quickly, looking between you and the Score you’d just flattened against the stone wall.
“Nice shot,” he breathes.
“Help Taehyung,” you answer, panting.
You both take off down the hall to where you’d last seen the prince. He and Jungkook stand alone, two more bodies motionless on the ground between them. They’re both breathing hard.
“We have to go,” Taehyung manages, as soon as he spots you.
Jimin steps towards Jungkook and for a second you panic, thinking he doesn’t know that Jungkook is on your side, but instead of fighting they seem to hug - clasping the back of each other’s necks and pressing their foreheads together for one breathless second before breaking apart again.
“Stay safe,” Jungkook says. It comes out like a warning.
“You, too,” Taehyung says, and steps past you, grabbing for your hand as he goes. “We’re almost out - let’s move.”
Day is breaking in full when you finally breach the palace’s walls.
“Hurry,” you say needlessly, rushing to the stone stairs that lead down to Taehyung’s private stable. You hope Namjoon made it there, you hope Satuel is still hanging on.
You’re shaking so bad that you miss a step, adrenaline wreaking havoc on your systems. You catch yourself on the banister and continue on, Taehyung and Jimin right behind you.
There are no guards at the stable, and you burst through the door in a rush. Namjoon jumps to his feet, a rake in his hands like a weapon.
“It’s us, it’s us,” you blurt out, trying to look past him. “Is she - are we in time?”
“I really don’t know,” Namjoon admits, lowering the rake and letting you all inside. Jimin closes the door carefully, locking it from the inside.
You make your way into the empty space beside Potato’s stall, where Satuel’s body lies. She’s unmoving; it doesn’t seem like she knows you’re there.
“Okay, Healer,” you say, looking at Taehyung.
He kneels by his guard’s side, examining the places where she was ripped open. He shakes his head. “This requires more than I’m capable of.”
You step closer, kneeling beside him. “What if I help?” you suggest.
He looks at you, something unreadable flashing across his face. “You think you could?”
You nod. “If we merge magical signatures, the way we did for the ritual? You should be able to pull from my power - borrowing from me. I’ll be like… a battery?”
He smiles despite the desperate situation.
“Alright,” he says. “Let’s try - we’ve no time to spare.”
You settle onto your bottom on the dirty, wooden floor. Taehyung takes your hand, and you close your eyes and focus on your breathing, inhaling and exhaling as slowly as you can with fear still running rampant through your system.
After a few minutes - admittedly longer than normal - you feel your magic rise up inside you, warm and soothing and ready. You feel the familiar sensation of it reaching for Taehyung’s magic, little tentative tendrils poking around until they find the empty spaces between his.
The feeling when the two magical signatures meet and accept each other is euphoric, and you fight not to lose yourself in it, to stay focused.
Beside you, Taehyung starts running his hands over the visible gashes, the places where it seems like chunks are missing. The skin stitches itself back together easily under his touch, but you can tell it isn’t enough. Satuel doesn’t stir, her unfocused eyes staring blankly at the ceiling above you.
You can feel it, the exact moment when what he’s trying to do becomes too much for Taehyung’s magic. It pulls on yours sharply, an alarming sensation behind your ribcage.
You inhale. You exhale. You don’t fight it. You let him tug magic from you, you tell your systems that you trust him with all of it.
Taehyung doesn’t give up, keeping his hands above Satuel’s undead heart, letting your magics both flow into her, fixing what’s been broken, restarting what’s shut itself down.
She blinks - that’s the first sign. Her eyes blink once and then focus on Taehyung, and then slide shut. They stay shut, which alarms you, but then you see her fingers twitch.
“Your Majesty,” she breathes, eyes still closed. You sag with relief, and you feel your magical connection to Taehyung untangle, your magic curling back up inside you, tendrils coiling back up and retreating.
Taehyung closes his own eyes, but he doesn’t release your hand. Behind you, you hear Namjoon press closer.
“Rest,” Taehyung says. “All of you. We should be safe here. Rest.”
You settle in on the floor, backs against the wooden walls of the stable, eyes on the door. You listen to the ocean pound the shore outside, listen for the cries of gulls to warn of danger. Namjoon sits to your right, his tight gaze on the door. Prince Taehyung crouches to your left, ready to spring to his feet.
It’s over an hour before Taehyung’s guards find you, inform him that the palace is clear.
“My parents?” Taehyung asks, standing and brushing hay and dirt from his pants.
“The King and Queen are perfectly alright,” the guard tells him with a quick bow.
Taehyung straightens beside you, and you recognize him in royal mode, even before his voice comes out cold and controlled. “Very well. I need Satuel to be taken to the Elders for proper healing. And tomorrow morning I’ll be having an audience with my father and the curse-breakers. Please inform him.”
The guard bows again and backs out of the doorway, probably to go get backup to help move Satuel’s weakened body. You look at Taehyung quizzically, but you don’t feel afraid, not with his hand still in yours.
He meets your gaze evenly. “A year ago,” he says, still cold, which means he’s scared, “my father made me some promises, and broke them. Tomorrow, he’s going to make me a few more - and you’re going to help me make sure he can’t break them again.”
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!!!!! I can't believe there's only two more after this!!!! It's all coming to a close!!
thank you so much for reading!!! chapter 15 will go up next week as planned!
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gothic-thoughts · 2 months
Text
Who Is She?
(a/n): now as a black person... I wouldn't let this slip nor slide 🤣😂
Geto Suguru x Black GN Reader Fluff
Bimbo!Reader, Meetcute(ugly), Drabble
CW: Geto saying monkey (cuz 🙄), Suguru slowly falling for your empty headedness
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While in the plaza, I feel someone bump into my back, I turn around in disgust to see a short person sitting on their butt from the force of the fall. They were wearing leather knee-high boots and a short skirt that no doubt came down mid-thigh. A black low-cut crop top hugged their chest as well as revealed a chubby stomach.
“Of course, it's a monkey.” I scoff, “Choose your next words wisely, non-sorcerer.”
They struggle to stand back up on their platform boots and then wobble before steading when they stand. I continue to coldly look down on them.
“Ohmygod, I'm so sorry.”
“Be more careful with your movements and know your place. You may only address me respectfully since I have allowed you that much.”
“You're right, cute guy.” They giggle, “Ion even know why I was running so fast in these fuckin’ heels.”
My eyebrow raises as I register their words. “What the hell did you just call me?”
“Uh, yah. Ion your name so I just went by your face. I mean I guess I coulda said ‘tall guy’ but I'm 5'2" so...”
I try to calm myself down. “You are calling me 'cute' simply because you don't know my name? That's the most foolish excuse I have ever heard.”
“Fine then, ‘cute guy’. What's your name so I can call you that instead.”
“I am Geto Suguru, the special grade sorcerer and the leader of the Curse User Organization, monkey. And you will address me as 'Lord Geto' from now on.”
“Ooou, that sounds important. Suguru is a cute name, by the way.”
Nobody's ever found my surname cute, or even said so, so their words instantly throw me for a loop.
“What?”
“I love your name, it's fun to say. Suguru rolls off the tongue.”
“Are you flirting with me?”
“I mean, I could start. I did say you were cute. I'm Amber by the way~”
It was strange, they're annoying, but I don't even think it's on purpose. It's almost cute, the way that every time those glossed lips opened it was to let out a sweet voice saying something idiotic.
“A human like you has the guts to flirt with THE Suguru?”
Why?” They tilt their head dumbly, “You famous or something?”
“Famous? Me? Oh ho, yes.” I smirk at the naive human before me, “Not only am I world-renowned, but I am also feared by many and have quite the reputation for doing some heinous things. I don’t think you comprehend how dangerous I am.”
“Ohhhh.” They lean in and whisper under the noise of the plaza, “Are you a yakuza boss? I won't tell.”
Oh, they're adorable. I’m gonna have fun with them. A smirk spread across my face, making the decision to play along with the idiotic thing. 
“Why, yes I am. My empire is the most powerful in the entire world. And if you tell anyone about this, you will never see the light of day again.”
“I won't, I swear. I am so good at keeping secrets.”
“I bet. Something tells me your skull doesn’t quite have the capacity.” I touch the tip of their nose with his index finger, “You are quite the interesting thing, aren’t you?”
“So you like me too?”
They’re so dumb, I can’t even tell if they know I’m flirting. Or does that make them clever? This enigma alone makes me want them even more mysterious and I love it. I don’t even think they know how mysterious they are
“In fact, I think I do. And since you know about my um... secret business, I might have to make you mine.”
They gasp. “Really? That was fast.”
“I just know when I see potential in someone, and you? You have that potential.”
“A mafia boss likes me? It’s like a fanfiction.”
“Yeah, exactly; just like fanfiction. I don’t know what else it is about you but,” I grab their chin and pull them so our gazes meet, “You just keep entertaining me with that smooth brain of yours, and I think I want to own you.”
“Ooh, kinky~”
I chuckle and roll my eyes at their oblivious yet flirty reply despite it enticing me further. I lean in closer, lips just an inch away from theirs.
“Kinky, indeed.”
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labgrowndemon · 11 months
Text
Up The Mountain, Down The Rabbithole
18+, minors dni
This is a 5k dark smut fanfic for @rotworld's incredible meanwolves story/universe! Enjoy some very horny werewolf kidnapping.
Continuation: Part II
This is my imagining of how this piece might have continued - what if Max's one night stand wanted something more substantial with him? Turns out, nothing good. Unless you're a deranged fictional sub of course. I'm so sorry. Not
Content notices: Female reader, manipulation tw, seriously max is a monster of emotional damage, noncon tw, kidnapping tw, non-serious injury tw, lance can't keep his teeth to himself.
Hope you enjoy! <3
You leave the club with Max, giggling, engulfed in his warmth and rainy, musky scent. It’s only when you’re walking with him, asking a million questions and liking him more and more, that you realize you made a terrible mistake because you can’t fuck him once and never see him again.
„Look, Max…“ you start and break off. Your voice sounds choked. „I think… would you like to see me again? I know that’s not what we, uh… were gonna do… but I just. I really like you. I don’t want this to be a one time thing.“
His surprise gives way to a cautious happiness. „You want something more serious?“
„Yes,“ you breathe, relieved he gets it.
„That’s good. I like that,“ he says. „I want this to be more long-term, too.“
When you see Max again, you walk and talk for hours, only this time in the daylight. You still get nervous just existing around him — his sheer size is terrifying. He’s closer to seven feet than six and the broadest guy you’ve ever seen. Still, he’s patient and gentle with you and maybe the things you’ve heard about wild wolves aren’t all true.
Max is smart, but he doesn’t make it obvious. He understands how people work. He laments how many are lonely, without a community, disenfranchised and drifting, and it’s like he’s talking about you. The fondness with which he talks about humans and their many unmet needs warms your heart, although you wonder why he’s so obsessed with the topic.
It’s embarrassing, but you can’t help but spill your heart to him. You’re shaky, thinking he’s going to reject you.
„I just feel like there’s something missing in my life,“ you admit. „I don’t know what. No place has ever felt like home.“
Max nods and walks along silently. You can’t read the look in his eyes. His gaze is focused on where his boots crunch over the sidewalk.
You hug yourself tightly to hide your trembling hands. „So, anyway. Do you wanna come over on the weekend? We could watch that documentary I told you about.“
„At your place?“
„Yeah.“
He smiles. „I’d love that.“
Then it’s time to say goodbye, and you don’t know what to do. You smile, too shy to meet his gaze for long. „Alright, so… I’ll see you, I guess?“
„Of course.“
 You giggle nervously when he steps into your space. He embraces you in his big arms, nuzzling his head into the side of your neck. He sniffs you.
Time seems to stand still. His breath is warm against your neck. He separates from you with a reluctant groan.
„Just a way we show affection. It’s a wolf thing.“
„Okay…“ You squeak.
„So, I’ll be back Sunday.“
„Yeah,“ you manage weakly. „See you then.“
Max is unlike anyone you’ve met. He’s calm, patient with your ignorance — in fact, he seems happy to educate you. You’re on the couch with him, gazing out the window, when the conversation turns to what it always turns to.
„What are arguments like in the pack? Do they escalate a lot?“
„Not really. There’s a pretty strict hierarchy that determines who needs to step down when they can’t win. If they really upset someone higher than them, they’re expected to make a show of submission. It can get dangerous if they refuse to do this, but most of our wolves know their place. It doesn’t mean you’re not as cherished, if you’re lower in rank. Not at all. You have less responsibility, too. It’s not all bad.“
„Huh.“ You lean back against the sofa just as Max stands up.
„Actually, let me show you what that looks like. It’s something you should know.“
„Okay,“ you say tentatively, and get up too, peering up at Max from wide, unsure eyes. „Show me what?“
„It’s alright. I just want you to know pack dynamics so you know what’s going on if you ever see it,“ he explains and you nod frantically. You hope he knows you’re glad he’s willing to teach you. „What you do when you notice a wolf is upset with you is you bare your throat, like this.“
He lifts his chin, baring his throat to you, and you mimic him.
„A little higher, bring your chin to the side so I can really see your throat,“ he murmurs. Then he smiles approvingly and your insides warm. „Just like that.“
„C-Cool,“ you stutter. „This is good to know.“
„It’s important to know when you need to do it. Wolves communicate through body language a lot more than humans do. You’d bare your throat in reaction to something like this,“ he says. „Here, see this?“
„What?“
„The change in my stance. From this,“ he says and you try to pay attention, but you just can’t see the difference. „To this.“
„I’m sorry, I don’t…“
„That’s alright. Let me walk you through it.“
He takes his time with you. Eventually, though the change in his stance is subtle, you can see it. You fight the impulse to bear your throat, and the strange throb between your legs.
„Okay,“ you squeak. „Do I really need to do this, too? Even though I’m not a wolf?“
„Some wolves who are wild, they don’t know that humans just don’t work like us. If you don’t show submission they might take it as a signal you want a fight.“
„Oh,“ you say, feeling the blood drain from your face. „Oh, that wouldn’t be good.“
„Don’t worry. I’ll teach you all you need to know,“ Max says, smiling.
It becomes a ritual. He visits every week. You don’t know why he’s so willing to spend so much time away from his pack for you, but you can tell it’s special.
It’s easy to let him lead. The way your instincts tell you to surrender to him is new to you, and it’s frightening. You’ve never felt like this before. All you want is for him to take the lead, so your only responsibility is to follow his commands. You don’t have to watch your step, because he’s doing it for you. It’s shameful how you rely on him.
One thing you learn quickly is that werewolves are tactile. You knew this before, but never quite understood the extent to which it’s true. Max hovers closer to you than anyone ever has before. At first you think he’s about to make a pass at you, but he never does. You ask him about it, and he tells you it’s normal for werewolves. They’re just like this when they care about someone. They get close.
„One more thing you need to know about is shows of dominance,“ Max explains one night. „Technically these could come from anyone of higher standing towards anyone of lower standing, but it’s most common with someone new. If you ever meet my Alpha, for example, he might do things that seem like he’s angry at you, but he’s not. He’s just making sure you’re not going to challenge his authority.“
„What does that look like?“ You ask, suddenly nervous.
„Come on,“ Max says and stands. You follow his lead.
„He might do this,“ he says and grabs your arm, crowding you. You step backward instinctively, glancing at him nervously, then let your eyes fall to the floor. It feels right, feels natural. You’re cowering without meaning to, and neither this nor the pulse of arousal surprise you. 
You’ve stopped wondering if he can smell it. You trust him. Some part of you, deep down, even hopes he knows exactly what he’s doing to you, knows how you enjoy this — perhaps even enjoys it too.
„That’s good,“ he murmurs into your ear. „That’s how you wanna react. You submit. You never, ever, fight it. You don’t challenge. Not Lance, not any other wolf, because they could kill you faster than you can breathe. In the dominance hierarchy, your place is always beneath them. Understood?“
„Yes, Max,“ you whisper, then scold yourself for saying his name like it’s a title. You don’t want him to think you don’t take this seriously, that you’re just getting off on it.
„You’re doing so well,“ he says and strokes your head. Resisting the urge to lean into his hand, you let out a shuddering breath.
He lets go of you. „Let’s try that again.“
You rub where he grabbed you. It doesn’t hurt, but the force used left a phantom imprint on your skin.
He gives you space, then steps closer again. You flinch in alarm. There’s something in his stance that’s different than usual when he gets too close. There is a threat to his posture, a coiled danger looming just under the surface. Your instincts guide you into backing away, baring your throat, until you hit the wall and he’s on you, closing you in.
He doesn’t speak. The moment drags on. You bare your throat, pressed against the wall as tightly as you can manage. Your breath is coming hard and fast. „Please,“ you whimper without thinking. Then, unsure of what to ask for, you give a wordless, breathy whine.
His stance changes and it’s like a physical weight dropping off your chest, even though he never touched you. You can tell exactly the moment he releases you, decides you’ve done enough to show your surrender. A large hand comes up to caress your head, then down your neck and back to press you into him in a comforting hug.
„Good girl. Well done,“ he says quietly, petting you like an animal. It feels so good you almost cry. The tension and release is too much, your arousal is too much, it’s all embarrassing and you know it’s wrong because humans don’t work like this and maybe there’s something wrong with you for enjoying it, but Max is happy with you and that’s all that matters.
Finally, he separates from you. You need to breathe, so you walk into the kitchen under the pretense of getting a glass of water. Max follows you, but he lets you have space. You meet his eyes and there’s approving satisfaction in them. You feel like you passed some kind of test and something small and anxious in your chest relaxes, unspools its knotted coils.
The next time you see him, Max invites you up the mountain with him.
„Really? You’d let me visit?“
„Sure. I’ve known you long enough now. Just don’t forget what I’ve taught you.“
You answer his grin with one of your own. It’s Friday and you don’t have plans for the weekend. You thought it was going to be boring and lonely, but now you’re ecstatic.
„So you really want me to spend the weekend? Like, this one?“
„I was going to suggest we leave tonight. It’d be good if we’d get going soon though, the roads aren’t great. Rather not drive them in the dark.“
„Alright,“ you say and nearly skip into your bedroom. Max follows you, sits on the bed. You get out a weekender and stuff in handfuls of underwear and socks, followed by a few outfits.
„Probably pack more than you think you’ll need, just in case. With the weather being so bad, the community’s kind of treacherous right now. You might slip and get all muddy, so bring replacement clothes.“
„Okay,“ you say, and with hands trembling from excitement, you chuck in a few more pants, shirts and hoodies. It’s been raining and thundering hard, and you need layers to account for the temperature differences outside and inside.
By the end, you have enough clothing to last you a month. You chuck your toiletries in a plastic bag and put them on top.
„Don’t bother taking your phone,“ Max says, and if it was anyone else you’d be suspicious but it’s him, so you chuck your phone back on the bed where you took it. „No cell service up on the mountain. We have landlines in case you need to call anyone.“
You’re so excited and nervous that you can’t follow a single train of thought. The last thing that goes in your bag, almost as an afterthought, is your sketchbook. Max watches silently.
„Let’s go,“ he says, quietly, sounding final somehow. Satisfied, like the last brick of a wall he spent a year building just fell into place.
You put on your shoes and raincoat and follow him outside.
His truck is as dirty as his work boots, but it doesn’t bother you. There is something freeing about not having to be the perfect image of civilization. You’re almost scared sometimes of how much you like it. You have to remind yourself you’re not a wolf and that this is not your life. It’s only a temporary escape.
When you’re with Max, all stresses and responsibilities you struggle under disappear. They’re lifted off your shoulders by his large, callused hands, his voice telling you what to do, praising you for doing a good job. It’s heaven. You find yourself guiltily wishing your time with him, when you can relax and let him lead, never had to stop.
Everything about him is rugged, from his suntanned, muscled forearms visible under his grass-stained flannel to his dirty steel-cap work boots. He puts on the heat and the truck warms quickly. You relax into the seat with a blissful smile. This moment could go on forever and you’d never complain.
You doze off, lulled to sleep by the warmth and the rain hitting the roof of the car. Max is silent.
When you wake, it’s getting dark. The car is going over a bumpy gravel path. You’re in the middle of the woods, god knows how far from the nearest town.
You sit up and stretch, groggily rubbing the sleep from your eyes. The rain has seized.
„How long did I sleep?“
„About an hour. You can go back to sleep. We’ve still got a while to go.“
„Damn, you live in the middle of nowhere,“ you mumble, lids already falling closed. „You really came all this way every time you visited me?“
„No big deal,“ he says. He lets out a breath through his nose. „It’s all been worth it.“
Next time you wake, the car has stopped. Max is at the passenger side door, waking you with a gentle shake of your shoulder. You blink, bleary-eyed, and get out. He already has your bag slung over his shoulder and walks ahead, whistling a tune you don’t recognize.
There’s other cars here, but not many. Max leads you into a large clearing with several cabins. You enter the largest one and walk through a hallway, past an open door.
It’s warm and bright and loud inside. In the room, a common area of some kind, about a dozen people are congregated. There are sectionals lining the room and huge dog-beds strewn about, with people cozying up on them. Big, rugged, wild people. Werewolves.
When you walk past, all eyes are drawn to you. Max ignores the whispers and leads you into an empty dining hall.
„Max. Welcome back,“ the lone man standing inside says.
„Lance.“
When you stand before Lance, you know what Max meant when he told you that his Alpha could be intimidating. You didn’t understand what he meant then. You couldn’t imagine anyone scarier than Max.
The man before you is not as big as him, but that’s not saying much. He still towers over you. With striking, cool eyes, he watches you, arms crossed in front of his broad chest. As you approach, he exchanges a glance with Max, heavy with unspoken meaning.
Then his gaze turns to you. „Welcome to shelter mountain. I take it you’re our new human. Visitor,“ he adds, almost reluctantly.
„Yeah,“ you reply shakily. „I’m honored to be here. I mean, I know it’s not like, standard that you let people visit. I’m really happy to meet Max’s pack, though. He’s told me so much about you guys.“
Lance steps closer and reaches toward you. You stay frozen in primal anticipation.
Modern civilization is supposed to mean you’re not prey anymore, that they’re not your predator, but something deep inside you recognizes this for the flimsy facade it really is and reacts to the reality of the situation — you, a small, soft, frightened thing, being touched by something much more powerful, much more cruel. You stand rigidly, holding your breath.
Lance takes your hand. He’s gentle. His thumb rubs across the back of your hand, then he brings it to his face and noses it. Scenting, you remember. It’s a thing they do to mark anything belonging to them. Perhaps he’s doing it so every wolf in the area knows you’ve been invited — a part of you shudders in horror, another in delight, at the thought of what one might do to you if they thought you were an intruder.
Then he growls and you flinch. It’s not a startled growl of attack, but a low, threatening one. His grip on your hand tightens and he pulls you closer so his chest is nearly touching your face. You don’t know what to do. In the end, you tilt your head to show your throat, hyperventilating in terror. You stare at the ceiling, wondering if you’re about to die.
For a moment, all is still. A flash of helpless anger at Max lights up your gut. Why did he bring you here? Why did you agree to come?
Then, Lance lets go of your hand. He steps back while you catch your breath. He nods toward Max.
„Go show her to your room and then come back here. Blake made dinner.“
Max’s room is under the roof of the cabin. The ceiling is slanted and closes in over the bed — king size, you note with a flush of embarrassment. Unexpectedly, he has a bookshelf, filled with very old, flayed textbooks on behavioral psychology. Human psychology, you note with a funny twist of your stomach.
„I didn’t know you were into psychology,“ you remark, trying not to stare at his bed. The covers, bedsheet and pillows don’t match each other, all in different earth tones. It looks cozy.
„…I step in for conflict management sometimes. It helps. Go ahead and put your clothes over there, there’s room in the closet.“
You look where Max is pointing. The wardrobe is huge, half-open, and indeed only partially filled with his work shirts and jeans, all stained and torn. Its large doors are carved ornately, flowers and leaves rimming their border.
You empty your bag and stack your clothes inside, save for the underwear.
„This is beautiful,“ you say quietly. „Also Lance’s work?“
„Yes,“ a new voice says. You whirl around. A man is leaning against the doorway, hands in his pockets. He’s slighter than Lance, softer-looking, and older. Maybe mid-forties. He regards you with a gentle smile that creases the skin around his eyes and you can’t help but like him immediately. Behind him stands another guy, scrawny for a wolf, with a mean edge to his face that tells you not to underestimate him. You immediately don’t like him.
„We haven’t met before. I’m Blake,“ the kind-eyed man says and steps into the room. He extends his hand to you. You shake it. „I’m the beta of the pack.“
He won’t let go immediately. The fingertips of his other hand graze over the back of yours while he gives you a long stare that’s very focused somehow, like he’s studying you.
„Hello, Blake,“ you manage shyly. „It’s nice to meet you.“
He finally lets go of you with a reassuring smile. The other man rudely pushes past him to get into the room and grabs your hand without waiting for permission. He rips it up to his face and takes a long sniff. Then his tongue comes out to give you a barely-there lick. Forgetting all Max taught you about never challenging a wolf, you gasp in shock and try to tear your hand out of his grasp. It’s no use, he’s too strong. You can’t move an inch.
„Sully, mind your fucking manners,“ Max hisses and grabs his wrist. With a sour, sharp-toothed grin, Sully lets go.
„Get the fuck out,“ Max says, sounding colder than you’ve ever heard him.
To your surprise, Sully doesn’t argue. At the door, he casts a single glance back in your direction, a mean, hard stare, filled with something vicious you fear to name. Then he’s gone.
„I’m so sorry about him. He’s a little feral,“ Blake says, and sounds genuinely apologetic.
„It’s fine,“ you whisper.
„Are you guys hungry yet? I made stew,“ he says, with an artificially bright tone, like he’s trying to lift the mood.
„We’ll be down in a moment,“ Max says, and with a last smile, Blake leaves.
„Give me your hand,“ Max says, and you don’t have to ask to know which one he means.
Wolves are intense about smells. The idea that he might be feeling possessive over you turns you on, badly — again you hope feverishly they can’t smell the terrible, animal desire their antics loose in you, desire for something so dark you fear to name it.
You reach out your hand. He sniffs it, holding your eye contact in a hard stare, and licks a broad stripe covering where Sully’s tongue touched you. Then he lets go, puts a hand on your shoulder and gently pushes you toward the door.
„Can’t have him getting ideas about who you belong to,“ he mutters, almost as if he’s talking to himself.
You want to ask him who you do belong to, but you don’t.
The dining hall is now filled with around twenty people. The room buzzes with quiet conversation, the clink of cutlery, and laughter. It’s almost stiflingly warm, so you take your sweater off. You follow Max to an empty spot and sit. Someone hands you a bowl of stew and you accept it with a wordless smile, but the look in his eyes makes you sit up in alarm. Slowly, trying not to be obvious about it, you turn to find other people in the room giving you the same heated stare. Everyone here is male, they’re all wolves, and they keep looking at you when they think you won’t notice. What’s worse, when they walk by, they lean in close and sniff you. The first time it happens, you think you’ve misunderstood. By the third time, real fear is growing in your stomach.
„M-Max?“ You whimper.
He’s chewing idly, the image of comfortable relaxation. „It’s fine,“ he says quietly. „They’re just excited to see you. We’ve never had a human.“
Visitor, you add in your mind, but you’re starting to wonder about that. You want to ask him to clarify, but shame sews your mouth shut.
„Eat. You need your strength.“
At a loss for what else to do, you obey him. You’re rewarded by his hand rubbing your back. When you’re finished, you cling to Max’s side, eyes glued to your empty bowl.
„Alright. Get up,“ he says when he’s finished. You do as he says and he’s behind you, clasping a hand on your shoulder. He leads you into the common room. One by one, the others follow behind.
Lance is there, too. As he approaches you, the room goes silent. „Are you enjoying your stay here?“
You open and close your mouth, wide-eyed and nervous. You can’t come up with an answer, so you just nod. Lance registers this with a small smirk. He addresses Max. „Had any issues?“
„None.“
„To be honest, I didn’t really expect you to. I’m glad to see my trust in your judgment wasn’t misplaced. You picked well.“ His eyes flit over to Sully for just a moment, but you see it. „Right. Time for business.“
You realize you’re surrounded. The entire pack has filed into the room, some of them on the couches, some lounging on the dog beds. It looks like they’re getting comfortable to watch a show, except they’re watching you.
Max takes his place among the others, watches with crossed arms. Lance steps in front of you. Uncanny silence descends.
He clears his throat, seems to consider something, then looks at you sharply. „I’m not sure what Max told you about what your stay here is going to be, but it was a lie.“
You stumble back, as if he hit you. Fear you’ve never known invades your body. Despite how long your concerns have been budding, hearing them confirmed so blatantly is a shock, and suddenly you realize how dumb you’ve been to follow a quasi-stranger into a remote commune in his car, without your phone, without telling anyone where you are — stupid, stupid, stupid.
You don’t know what to do. 
„Consider yourself honored. You’re our first pack human.“ 
He says it like you should know what a pack human is. He sounds light-hearted, like you should be happy to hear this. For a moment, hope buds in your chest, hope that maybe you misunderstood and this isn’t so bad after all. Then your gaze wanders over to the other wolves and you see tents, see several openly palming themselves with sensual, slow movements, hear their stifled noises of pleasure, and your breath freezes in your chest.
Max is doing it, too. It’s worse than you thought. You take a trembling, wobbly step back and Lance follows. His eyes flash with irritation. 
„Obviously there’s no discussion about it, so don’t try to leave. You’re not gonna get hurt. Stay put.“
„What do you mean?“ You whisper.
Lance shakes his head, huffing indignantly. Then he peers at you for a long moment and you don’t know what he sees but the question in his eyes is replaced by finality.
You want to run, but before you can persuade your shaking legs to take a single step, he lunges. In a heartbeat, you’re on the ground, maneuvered on one of the dog-beds. Lance’s lips are on yours. 
He kisses you feverishly. Dimly, you think that most people would be biting him. It doesn’t occur to you to do that. You make a symbolic attempt to push him off, but he’s too heavy, and then he’s got your wrists in one hand and slams them to the floor and he’s so strong you can’t move so you stop trying. Your mouth opens involuntarily and his tongue invades, pushes on yours. Massages it.
He sighs quietly and you pulse with inappropriate arousal because he sounds like he’s enjoying it and you like that. His other hand slides under your shirt and roughly pushes your bra above your breasts to pinch and knead them aggressively. There’s a hardness growing against your thigh and you don’t have to wonder what it is.
His breath in your ear comes hard and fast and then it’s gone and so is the hand around your wrists because he’s sitting up, pulling your shirt over your head and you don’t help him but you don’t fight him, either, so your shirt goes and your bra goes and then he’s rudely pushing your torso back down, unzipping your pants and pulling them down. He doesn’t bother undressing you all the way, rips your panties and plunges inside you.
You cry out in shock. With a pang, you realize you’ve been wet so long that it doesn’t really hurt when he starts fucking into you with abandon.
He snarls, rips at your throat, and you go still with fear. His teeth sink into the side of your neck, tear it open. Before you can wonder if he’s going to kill you, his mouth is on yours again, and you’re hurt but you’re not dying.
You twist to see Max. He’s panting, looking at you. His eyes are squinted in pleasure.
Whispers from the crowd praise your looks, your smell, that you’re not fighting. That you’re submitting to Lance. You’re confused by that, but then you realize your back is arching into his thrusts involuntarily, and although your wrists are free they’re lying limply over your head where he tossed them. You couldn’t fight him if you tried, yet it’s still significant that you’re not trying.
When you realize you’re truly powerless to stop what’s happening, a strange calm descends over you. The will to fight leaves your body. Lance gouges scratches into your sides, rutting into you like he’s losing himself in the feeling of your body, and you simply lie there. It’s almost pleasant, how you have to do nothing at all.
Gaze roaming over the assembled crowd, you feel ashamed of your arousal, how light and empty your body and mind feel. You meet someone’s gaze and see how he looks at you like you’re a piece of meat and the humiliation that pierces you only fuels the fire in your belly, makes you reflexively arch your back more. You breathe a barely-audible sigh at the jolt of pleasure.
Lance finishes inside you with a loud moan. You lie there, rag-dolled and silent.
Lance comes down from his high on top of you. When his breath has calmed, he pulls out with a wince and a loud exhale. He sits up so he’s straddling you, wiping a hand over his face. Without checking, you know exactly whom he beckons forward with a single glance.
Max crouches next to you just as Lance gets off. You can’t look him in the eye. Your betrayal and humiliation weighs too heavily.
„Hey there, little one,“ he coos, caressing your cheek with rough knuckles. You squeeze your eyes shut. „I know, it’s a lot to take in at once. But you’ll get used to it. You like this, don’t you? I can tell. We can all smell it. That’s alright, really. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. This is so natural,“ he says and the way his voice turns into a near-moan at the end makes his words truer than you like.
His belt clinks and falls to the floor, along with his pants. He straddles you and a fresh wave of arousal wets your insides. A breathy, nearly inaudible whine escapes your lips.
Max shushes you. He pries your folds apart roughly, exposing you to everyone.
„Pretty wet, aren’t you?“ He mumbles quietly. Approving, assenting whispers follow. 
You pant with shame and arousal. Tears, half motivated by desperation, half by pleasure, fall from your eyes. Your body’s begging for something you’re not supposed to want.
„Perfectly normal. It’s so normal of you to want this. What you’ve been taught, about how you should feel about this, it’s all a lie,“ he says quietly. „This is where you belong.“
Max gets on top of you. He envelops you in his massive body and his scent. He blocks the light and the prying eyes of strangers. It’s comforting, despite how he’s betrayed you.
A calloused, large finger gathers up the slick in your channel and spreads it over your clit. You flinch, whine helplessly because it’s electric, and you’re too sensitive. His touches are feather-light and they turn you on so much it terrifies you. You want to cry, because this is all wrong, so wrong.
He takes his time manipulating your body not just for his pleasure but your own, gently fucking you through an orgasm that has you keening pathetically despite how you fight to stay silent.
The feeling that follows is like sunlight in every cell of your body. It’s fucking with your head because this shouldn’t feel good but it does, and you’re so confused on how you should feel about Max right now, and part of you is blindingly betrayed, sad and angry, and part of you is screeching with pleasure.
After Max, more follow. They’re not as nice as him, but not as cruel as Lance. Max stands in the crowd, arms crossed in front of his chest, watching you steadily, and it feels safe, as if he’s guarding you.
By the end of it, you’re delirious with fatigue. Max gathers you in his arms and carries your limp body up the stairs. You’re nearly falling asleep while he gives you a bath and tends to your wounds. You end the night in his bed, held in his arms, dead to the world.
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envy-of-the-apple · 2 years
Note
Idk maybe a yandere Connor "retires" by becoming a security/guard? Or maybe you're his new neighbor and he gets super attached
I see your security guard connor and i raise you bodyguard connor????? i don’t like the way this ended but im gonna kick this out before i spent like three years on a 500 word piece 
non deviant connor but he’s slowly becoming deviant
(Yandere, obsession, manipulation, creepy connor, implied non con) 
You wouldn’t really count yourself important. You were just lucky. Not everyone could say they were a child to some big head of Cyberlife. It gave you a lot of perks, as well as a lot of headaches, especially when your parent decided you were too unguarded. 
At least, you think that’s how the RK800 prototype found his way into your home. 
Connor, if you wanted to use his human name. He was a nice guy. Harmless. Mainly, he milled about your house, occasionally accompanying you on shopping trips whenever you obliged. 
He was nice, as nice as an emotionless android could be. 
You just wished he’d stop being so diligent. 
“You’re 49 minutes tardy from your approximated arrival time.” 
You resist the urge to sigh, knowing he’ll probably use whatever sensors he had to analyze it. 
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” You say, as you take off your shoes, still not looking at him. 
Footsteps approach you, and you huff when Connor leans down, effortlessly taking your heels and neatly placing them next to the rest of your footwear. 
“You don’t have to do that,” You remind him, moving towards the kitchen. 
“You aren’t a household android.” 
“Your shoes are slightly damaged,” You can hear him say behind you, “They weren’t like that before.” 
“Oh,” You purposely tried to make yourself looking busy with a cabinet, “I went off the road for a bit.” 
He’s in front of you, and this time, you can’t avoid his eyes, scanning you. 
Fuck. 
“Elevated heartbeat, enlarged pupils.” He grabs your forearm. “Lingering signs of oxytocin.” 
His eyes narrow. 
“You had sex with someone.” 
The bluntness of his words make you advert your eyes. You wring your hand out of his grasp. 
“Could-Could you not say it like that?” You sigh, annoyance creeping into your voice, “Also, you don’t have to point it out like that. It’s social etiquette to not mention one night stands.” 
Still, your face feels hot, and you hope he doesn’t notice your flustered appearance. He does anyway. What kind of prototype would he be if he hadn’t. 
“Who?” He suddenly demands. 
 “Excuse me?” Your whirl around to face him. 
The android, of course, not understanding your words as a dare, repeats himself. 
“Who was it?” 
“I-okay.” You took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I’m not answering that.” 
“You have to,” He insists, “I need to know who you’ve mingled with.” 
“Why?” You scowl, “It was no one important. Fucking drop it already.” 
“It’s very important,” Connor’s saying, “You could have been put in danger.” 
“Connor,” You sigh, tired, “I’m fine. I’m not some fucking teenager, I’m a grown adult. I can handle myself.” 
He’s shaking his head, “You can’t.” He’s saying, “You’re human. Weak. That’s why I’m here. To protect you.” 
You gap at him, not expected the blunt answer. There was no secret that androids and humans were a ways different, but this was the first time you’d heard a machine acknowledge it. They weren’t supposed to. And they sure as hell weren’t supposed to speak like that. 
“I’m tired,” You quickly ended the conversation, “I’m heading to bed.” 
He calls after you, but you don’t respond. You’re not running, not scurrying away, but your footsteps towards your room are with urgency. The door shuts behind you.
You’d call your parent tomorrow, tell them there’s no way in fuck you were keeping that thing in your house. Not when Connor was fucking malfunctioning like that. 
~
There’s a polite knock on your door. 
“May I come in?” Connor asks. 
“Are you going to apologize?” You respond. 
There’s a pause. 
“Yes, among other things.” 
You wait for a moment, but in the end, you relent. Connor is quick to slide inside, shutting the door behind him. 
You’re sitting on your bed, crossing your arms. 
“Well?” 
“I’m sorry,” Conner finally says. He’s, for once, not eager to look at you. Instead, his brown eyes are pacing around the bedroom, your walls, the ceiling. If he didn’t have the LED, a pulsing yellow, you would have thought he was human. 
“I realize, some things I stated were out of line. I apologize for that.” 
You nod, running fingers through your hair. Truthfully, you weren’t mad at him, you couldn’t be. Annoyed at most. Connor was probably malfunctioning. Some water must have gotten stuck between his wires. 
There was no other possibility of him of saying some of those things. 
“Yeah, I figured,” You say, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll probably have to take you to the shop someday.” 
He hasn’t left yet. Still standing. Still gawking. You’re about to asking him if he needed to ask something, when he’s cutting in for you. 
“I should have worded it better. It’s clear that you take offense to your fragileness.” 
You stare at him, shocked. 
Then anger-true anger-starts to boil. 
“Connor you-” 
“And I also realized that you have needs that you think I can’t satisfy.” 
You take a minute, trying to process what he just said. 
“What?” You say, void of anger. Your voice is quiet now. Muted. 
He’s smiling, looking at you. It isn’t the kind of smile you’re used to seeing on him. It’s not awkward, a mere replication he’s trying to mimic. No this time it’s real. Feral and filled with intent. 
He’s nodding, once again not realizing your question is rhetorical. Or maybe this time he does. And he’s mocking you with it. 
“Yes, I can.” 
He isn’t taking his eyes off you as he reaches behind him. 
The door clicks behind him. 
“You’re right. I’m not a household android,” Connor says, taking his first aggressive step towards you. 
“I’m better.” 
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yourfatherlucifer · 8 months
Text
New Paradigm (San)
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Vampire!Choi San x afab!reader
>>Walking home sick from a friends house was a dumb idea, especially late at night. A creature of the night, a vampire, had been stalking you. His vulnerable, his weak and yummy prey. Oh, the perfect meal. It was too easy. Yet..someone else was watching, was it your savior? Or your doom?<<
Warnings: violence in the beginning
-
Yeah, this was such a stupid idea. I should’ve gone with her advice and taken a cab home. But you know, my dumbass had to be stubborn and say, ‘oh no it’s alright, I can manage the pain, it’s short walk home anyway.’
It’s freezing, it’s creepy, there’s no one on the streets it seems like. I could call a cab, if it wasn’t so late now. If only I called one 10 minutes ago while services were still running!
God, my stomach hurts so bad.
Slouching over on the sidewalk, holding my stomach in pain, “Fuck, what did I do to deserve this.” I groaned.
An empty can of soda was rolled in front of my feet. It’s bright orange color reflected from the dim streetlights
What a weird can.
A cats shriek from the alley across from me could be heard all around myself. Creepy. Whatever, I’ll just igno-
“Hello~”
A shriek of my own left my cold lips, cold from the frosty air.
“Oh my fuck!” A hand was held in front my heart, it wouldn’t do anything to stop it from leaping out of my chest, but that’s alright.
“Don’t do that!” I stared at the sudden individual. Where did he come from?
His hair was a dark brown, his eyes were a creepy dull red, must’ve been wearing contacts to scare people. What a freak.
“You’re a pretty little thing, aren’t ya? What are you doing out here all alone? Haven’t you been watching the news?” He trailed a very sharp fingernail down my jawline, to the middle of my throat.
I stepped back.
“Please stop. I just wanna go home!”
He pulled me closer to him, burying his face in my neck, “That’s too bad, my dear. You smell divine, a perfect, vulnerable meal just for me~!”
He cackled like a hyena in my ear.
I tried to pull away, I could feel his mouth slacking open.
Tears poured down my face, “Please! Stop! Somebody help me!”
His teeth pressed against my throat, but before he could do anything, he was pulled away from me. A growl left his throat, but before he could fight back, an arm broke through his chest, heart in hand.
I screamed in fear, but couldn’t bring myself to move.
The arm retracted, “You dare, on my turf, hunt humans? You dare defy the higher ones?”
A beautiful man, his shining black hair reflected in the light from the lamppost.
He bore teeth sharper than a K9’s.
His red eyes. He had red eyes too. Fangs..he’s a vampire. And so is the, well, now lifeless body.
I guarantee my fear could be smelled from a mile away or less. I was terrified. I mean it’s a vampire for fucks sake!
Finally able to move myself, I turned on my left foot to run, but then, couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Footsteps approached me from behind, “What? I don’t get a thank you, human?”
The voice wasn’t deep but wasn’t soft either. It was a sort husky-like voice. I felt no danger, but I just couldn’t move.
“I-I..” my voice betrayed me by trembling in shock.
“That’s okay. I was gonna kill him anyway. You don’t disrespect a higher one. What a pathetic excuse he was for a vampire.” He chuckled.
He moved in front of me, I could see his cat-like eyes, shaped like an almond.
“My name is Choi San, call me San. Obviously I am a vampire.” The man now known as San smiled, I could see the tips of his fangs.
“I’m Y/N..thank you for helping me.” I stared at the ground, too nervous to look at him. He was ethereal in my eyes. A man of beauty.
He nodded before stepping back from me, “Well, I must be going now, as good as you smell, I refuse to eat humans on my territory,” shoving his hands in his pockets, “Don’t come down this road so late anymore.”
“Okay, I won’t, thank you.”
“I’ll see you around, Y/N.”
As he walked into the night, I wondered if I really would ever see him again.
——————
NO PART TWO
Tag list: @starillusion13 @thishastwentyletters @babesindestroyland @san-realblkwife
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sergeantsporks · 1 year
Note
writing request: camila gets hunter and amity to go shopping together. chaos ensues. (post king's tide!)
“I never said thank you.”
Hunter grabbed a shopping cart, tugging it out of the line and wheeling it towards the door. “For what?”
Amity jogged after him. “For coming to help when my parents locked me up.”
“Oh.”
The door hissed open of its own accord, and Hunter jumped backwards, nearly landing on Amity’s feet. “Magic door!”
Amity snorted, though the door sparked a deep pit of unease in her stomach. “I doubt that very much. Come on.”
She pushed forward into the grocery store, and Hunter came behind. “You didn’t need to thank me,” he said after a moment.
“What?”
“For coming after you. I was… mostly just running away from Belos, and running towards you seemed like the least cowardly way to do it.”
“How chivalrous.”
“Hey, you’ve got Luz to be your knight in shining armor, you don’t need me. What’s first on the list?”
“Uhhh… apple ju—HEY!” Amity glared at the list. “Hunter, has the apple blood in the human realm tasted weird to you?”
“I don’t know, I never HAD apple blood.”
“Wait, really?” Amity shook her head. “Okay, I’ll get you some real apple blood once we get back home.”
“We don’t… what’s wrong with the apple blood here?”
Amity shook the list at him. “It’s apple JUICE here!”
“That’s probably the same thing, right? I mean, juice, blood, what’s the difference?”
“I’m not sure, but I think apples are different creatures in the human realm. Come on, let’s find some.” Amity tugged on the arm of the first store employee she could find. “Excuse me, do you have apples?”
She heard a quiet snort from Hunter. “What, does it LOOK like they sell livestock here?”
“Sure. Produce section, they should be right near the bananas.” The employee pointed. “Big sign. Can’t miss it.”
“Thank you!” Amity grabbed the front of the cart, directing it towards the sign that read produce. “Let’s go see for ourselves.”
“What?! Amity, apples are dangerous, do you even have Ghost with you if—
Amity tugged the cart harder. “If I’m right…” She jabbed a finger at the red spheres gracing the shelves, labeled Red Delicious. “Look!”
Hunter approached them cautiously. “Eugh, are they just selling apple corpses? Without proper refrigeration? Or are they alive? They’re not chained up or anything.” He gingerly poked an apple, then leapt back.
The apple shifted slightly at his touch, but in a normal “object just got poked” way. Hunter reached out and picked it up, turning it over in his hands.
“… Amity, I think it’s a plant. Of the non-carnivorous variety.”
“That’s what I thought. Camila asked us to pick up apple juice and red food dye. She hasn’t had any apple blood at all! I thought she looked confused when we asked her about it, but I hoped she was able to find some.”
“There’s a refrigerated section of the store—maybe they have other apples, or real apple blood there? Maybe the plant is named after its likeness to the animal?”
“Hm.” Amity shook her head. “I’m starting to think maybe apples are just different in the human realm. But we can give it a look.”
She followed Hunter to the refrigerated section of the store, examining the products. “Milk, milk, milk, cheese, eggs—what KIND of eggs?! What laid them?!” She picked up a carton, examining the contents with a snort. “Extra large? These aren’t even CLOSE to the size of the smallest griffin egg!”
“Weird,” Hunter agreed.
Amity pointed at a door. “We haven’t checked there yet?”
“Says employees only.”
“Exactly. If they have a live apple, it’ll be back there.”
Hunter shifted back and forth. “But it’s for employees only, Amity! We don’t work here!”
Amity shuddered, but paced in front of Hunter. “We’ve spent our whole lives doing what someone else told us to do! My parents! Belos!” She stopped to face him, one hand clenched in a fist and raised up at chest level. “We’re finally free! Are we going to let a door tell us what to do?!”
“Yeah,” Hunter said slowly, “Yeah! I mean—yeah, you’re right, we shouldn’t, not yeah we’re letting the door tell us what to do!”
“Alright! Are you ready?”
Hunter squared his shoulders with a gulp. “I’m ready.”
“Don’t you dare bail on me! I’m not going to break the rules alone!”
“Ha! Don’t you bail on me!”
Neither of them pushed through the door.
Hunter glanced at Amity. “Any time you want to go is good.”
“After you.”
“No, it was your idea.”
Amity laughed nervously. “I mean, maybe we shouldn’t. What if the door is trapped?”
“Absolutely,” Hunter agreed, “The employees might have rigged it, in case a non-employee tried to get in. Kikimora set up a BUNCH of traps like that in the keep. She always forgot to send me the memo on where they were, though.”
“Hunter.”
“Yep. Yep, I hear it.” Hunter took a deep breath. “We can do this.”
He pushed open the door, and Amity followed close.
The door clanged behind them, and a wave of panic swept over her.
“Oh, titan, what are we doing?! This isn’t some stupid rule designed to make us miserable, it’s just not a space that customers are supposed to go!”
“Bad idea,” Hunter agreed, “Can’t believe I let you talk me into this!”
“You actually went in the door first!”
Hunter whirled around, pushing on the door. His face paled. “Amity. Amity, I think it’s stuck.”
Amity shoved the door. It didn’t budge. “The employees did trap it! You can warp out of here, right?”
Hunter shook his head. “I left Flapjack outside.”
“What?!”
“It said no animals except for service animals on the sign outside!”
“That is your service animal!”
“In the human realm, not being able to do magic is normal!Besides, the sign also said no weapons!”
Amity summoned an abomination. “I’ve got this!”
The abomination pushed on the door with a groan, then stepped back and charged.
The door shuddered but didn’t open. Amity dismissed it. “Great. We’re stuck!”
“Camila knows where we are. She’ll come for us.” Hunter gulped. “Oh, we are in trouble.”
Amity put her face in her hands. “I can’t make her mad! What if she says I can’t date Luz anymore?!”
“Because telling you not to date Luz worked out very well coming from your mother?”
Amity sank to the ground with a groan. “She trusted us. And we let her down, and now, instead of making LESS work for her, we’ve made MORE!”
Hunter paced back and forth. “She won’t kick us out,” he said softly, “She won’t kick us out, she won’t kick us out, she won’t—”
The door moved, and Amity jumped up. “There’s an employee coming! Do you think they’ll kill us for disturbing their sanctum?!”
“Better than getting killed by Camila!”
The door rattled, and Hunter clung to Amity’s arm. “I’m sorry for attacking you and threatening Luz at Eclipse Lake!” he yelped, “In case we die, I want to say I’m really, really sorry!”
Amity gripped his arm just as tightly. “I’m sorry for cooing at Ghost and calling her a good little hunter baby when she pounced on Flapjack! I should have discouraged her!”
“What?!”
The door swung inwards, and the employee from earlier sighed. “What are you doing in here?”
“It opens in,” Hunter whispered.
“It opens in,” Amity confirmed, face palming, “It’s a pull door from this side.”
“Yeah, I wish it weren’t it makes it hard to get things OUT,” the employee agreed, “What are you two doing in here?”
“We… got lost?” Amity tried.
“Dude. Go make out somewhere else.”
Amity let go of Hunter’s arm. “Oh, ew, no! No offense.”
“She has a girlfriend,” Hunter yelped, “No!!!”
“Alright, alright, I’m sorry. Just…” the worker pinched the bridge of their nose with a sigh. “Get out of here.”
“Okaythanksbye,” Amity yelped, grabbing Hunter’s arm and tugging him out. “It opened the other way,” she said again, shaking her head.
He laughed. “It opened the other way.”
Amity let go of his arm and took the cart. “Well, I think we can safely say that there are no animal apples in this store. Let’s just get the stuff on the list and go.”
“Hey, what did you mean about Ghost pouncing on Flapjack? Because she’s a cat? She’s hunting my bird?!”
“Whaaaaat? No. Come on.” Amity started to walk briskly down the aisles, pushing the cart in front of her.
“Amity!” Hunter jogged after her. “Amity!”
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leviathans-watching · 8 months
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chhw - 11
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intro post/m.list | wc: 2.2k | next
get added to the taglist
taglist: @marie-morningstar @mynutsinurmouth @mewchiili @ghost-mint @traumamakesmefunnier @sugar-sweet14 @duhsies @bontensbabygirl @bunny416
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“This is going to be amazing!” you enthuse, clapping your hands together excitedly. 
“Are you a big fan of the seaside?” Lord Beelzebub asks, and you nod. 
“Oh, yes! While most families went to the countryside, I had a friend who much preferred the sea, and one summer I went with her. My time there was definitely one of the best summers I had as a child.” 
Lord Satan smirks. “I hope the Devildom Sea holds up to your standards, my lady. I heard Prince Diavolo specifically modeled it after the beaches in the Human Realm.” 
“I’m sure we will have a grand time either way,” Lord Belphegor murmurs, and you give him a broad smile. He holds your gaze for a moment before turning away, the tips of his ears reddening. “I hope to nap on the beach. I’ve heard it is quite good for one’s health.” 
“I think I’ve heard that too,” you agree, and Lord Mammon snorts.
“That sounds so boring. I, for one, plan to swim.” 
“As do I,” Lord Leviathan agrees, shooting looks around the group. “It has been so long since I’ve truly swam. Perhaps I’ll see if Lotan is up for a visit.” 
“Do not jest about such matters,” the duke says, looking up from the thick stack of papers he has been working. You really think he needs a break. “It could be taken as a threat to the empire.” 
“Yes, because Levi’s the one we have to watch out for,” Lord Asmodeus quips, trading humorous looks with Lord Satan.
Before the conversation can derail, you chime in, effectively distracting them once more. “I’d like to swim too, given it’s not too cold. Or that the waves aren’t too high.” 
“I think the prince mentioned something about it being magically sustained,” Duke Lucifer assures you. “As far as I’m aware, it should be plenty warm and calm.” 
“I want to swim with you, my lady,” Lord Mammon says. “If you’re worried we can stick together so I can make sure there’s no danger.” 
“If someone is to do that, it should be me!” Lord Leviathan counters, leaning forward to glare at Lord Mammon. “After all, I am Navy General!” 
“We know, Levi,” Lord Belphegor says boredly. 
“I’ll spend time with all of you,” you placate. “I think we’ll have more fun as one big group, don’t you agree.” 
“I suppose,” Lord Leviathan agrees reluctantly. 
“Well, I want to try some of the local cuisines,” Lord Beelzebub puts forth, to the surprise of no one. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had seafood. Do you think they serve giant squid?” 
“I’m sure they do,” Lord Belphegor says, letting his head fall against his twin’s shoulder. “And if not, there’s certainly something similar.” 
Conversation in much the same vein follows for the remainder of the carriage ride, and before you know it, you can see the ocean. 
“Pull aside the curtains!” you say excitedly, and your nose is soon met with the salty smell of the coast. “It’s exactly as I remember it!” 
“Well, that’s good,” the duke says. “Be sure to let Prince Diavolo know when we see him in a few moments.” 
“We’re seeing him?” you repeat, looking at the duke wonderingly. He gives you a rare smile. 
“Surprise. Lord Simeon, Lord Luke, Sir Solomon, Barbatos, and the prince are all to meet us here.” 
“They are? That’s stupendous!” A large smile settles across your face, momentarily stunning the carriage occupants. Not that you notice, too busy poking your head out the window to take everything in. The carriage finally rolls to a stop outside of a modest inn, and the duke helps you down. You stretch, arms above your head, before settling with a happy sigh. 
“This is where we'll be staying for the weekend,” the duke intones, gesturing to the inn. “I sent word of our arrival, so I’m sure they’ll be expecting us. 
It takes very little time for you all to get settled in, and excitement courses through you as you listen to the gentle waves lap at the shore. You can tell you’re not the only one antsy, and finally, everyone gets changed and heads down to the beach. The others come too after a few minutes, and you make sure to thank Prince Diavolo profusely as the duke had suggested. 
After blankets and towels are laid out, you stand. “Who’s coming in with me?” 
Everyone, even Lord Belphegor, makes a scramble for the water, with you at the helm. The water is warm and soothing, not cold in the slightest, and you dive in without hesitation, bubbles forced out of your mouth by your laughter. 
“This is great!” you say, and agreeing cheers arise from all around you. How lucky you are to be here, with these people. You float, bobbing slightly in the waves as various shenanigans occur around you, including not one, but two separate splash wars, and make eye contact with the duke, who stands about waist deep, top half still dry. 
He strides over to you, lithe and graceful in the water, and you paddle back to him, meeting him halfway. 
“You really like the water, don’t you?” he asks wryly, and you smile, completely unashamed. Not that you think he’s aiming for you to be. 
“I do. I’m really happy we were able to be here. Thank you, Duke.” 
“Of course, my lady,” he says, warmth clear in his eyes from your informal use of his title. “I’m glad you’re having fun. This was mostly for you, you know.” 
“I know,” you say. “You’re not half as subtle as you like to think you are. But I’m glad everyone is having fun. Not just me. And to think we have a few more days of this too!” 
“Hey, Lady F/N!” Lord Mammon calls, effectively interrupting you and the duke. “Let’s play a game!” 
“Such as?” you call back, getting your feet under you and standing. 
“Well, I think Beel brought a ball,” Lord Mammon begins, “so we could try a game with that!” 
A sudden idea hits you. “Have you guys ever played shoulder wars?” you ask, gaining the attention of everyone. 
“No, never,” Lord Leviathan replies, shaking his head. “What is it?” 
You grin. “It’s a commoners game. Teams of two go against each other and try to knock one another over. One person on the team is the base, and the other sits upon the base’s shoulders. The base must move the other around and stay steady as the two opponents on top try to push and shove at one another. It’s quite wild, but also quite fun!” 
“That sounds unfathomable,” Lord Satan says. “Let’s do it. Lucifer, you’re going down!” 
“Let’s pick teams,” you say, once everyone has agreed to play, aside from Barbatos who has opted to sit out. “Like I said, we need teams of two.” 
“I call Lady F/N!” several voices shout, and you laugh. 
“Sorry everyone, but I’ve decided I’m going to be on Lord Luke’s team, if that’s alright with you?” You direct the last part at the little lord directly, who nods vigorously. Groans and whines erupt from all around you, but eventually, everyone has paired off and is quaint on you for further instructions. 
“Let’s do it like a bracket,” you suggest. “Last two teams standing battle for first place.” 
You and Luke’s first opponents are Lord Beelzebub and Belphegor, and they seem a little wary of using their full strength on you, something you plan to take full advantage of. Luke climbs onto your shoulders with clumsy, unagainly movements, but you wrap your arms around his shins to keep him in place. It’s clear that neither of your opponents are going all out, perhaps reveling in the way you laugh and laugh, and you’re easily able to make it to the next round. 
It’s clear to you that everyone is letting you and Luke win, but your partner truly doesn’t seem to notice, cheering every time your opponents go down in long, exaggerated movements. You’re grateful that the boys are all playing nice, not getting too competitive and ruining it. 
Well, competitive with you, that is. A few feet away you can see Lord Satan and the duke furiously shoving at one another, completely forgetting themselves in their passion. 
Eventually, you and Luke get to the final round, against Prince Diavolo and the duke, the latter of whom is on top. Reluctantly, it seems, but he's keeping a good humor about it. 
The prince gives you a warm smile as you stride up to him, playfully miming pushing you over. 
“We can do this, my lady!” Luke cheers, and his pure excitement is infectious. You already know who the winners are going to be; everybody besides Luke does, but you see no reason to still not give it your all, supporting Luke to the best of your abilities. 
The duke gently grapples with Luke, who’s huffing and puffing with exertion, and the two lock together for a long moment before the prince gives you a wink, dramatically staggering back. 
“Oh no,” he says, “Lucifer, I can’t hold us! They’re going to win!” 
They hit the water, and you, laughing too hard to truly keep your balance follow soon, making sure Luke isn’t trapped underneath your body. Water dribbles down your face, and the prince grabs your arm, hefting it into the air. 
“Luke and F/N win!” he declares loudly, and everyone cheers. Luke grabs onto your waist, looking up at you excitedly, and you can’t help but grin back. 
“We did so good!” he says, and you agree, pushing back his hair off of his forehead. Your stomach grumbles, reminding you that it’s about time for a break, and you get out of the water, joining those on shore. 
“Would you like a sandwich, my lady?” Barbatos asks, handing you a towel, and you nod gratefully. 
"Thank you.” 
“No,” he says, placing his hand on your arm for a short moment, “thank you. This is the most fun we’ve all had in a while.” 
“I’m just glad everyone was so nice to Lord Luke,” you confide quietly, cheeks beginning to ache from your seemingly-permanant grin. “I think he’ll hold winning over everyone forever.” 
“I hope so,” the butler agrees, leading you back to the blankets and taking a seat next to you, pulling out the aforementioned sandwich. 
Everyone sits down with you as you eat, all digging into their own snacks, and it’s not too long before you notice the sun beginning to set, darkening the sky to oranges and reds and pinks. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen something so achingly familiar, but instead of being sad you’re only slightly nostalgic. You’ve never regretted joining the diplomacy program, not once, and you truly hope everyone knows it. 
“Shall we head in for the night?” Lord Simeon eventually asks, and after a few moments of gathering belongings, you all head back for the inn, excited to take a nice, and warm bath. The inn staff tends to you, and soon enough you’re ready for bed. You’re tired but content, muscles feeling well-used from the day’s activities. You don’t head directly to bed, walking to the communal living room for this floor of the inn (Prince Diavolo, perhaps to help the other guests not affiliated with your party suffer less, had rented the entire floor, granting you agency and privacy, something you were much appreciative of) to see if anyone was still up. You find Sir Solomon, Lord Simeon, the duke, the prince, and Barbatos all chatting, and you hesitate in the doorway. 
“Am I intruding?” you ask lightly, and everyone’s eyes snap to you. You wrap your warm woolen blanket tighter around your shoulders. 
“Not at all,” Sir Solomon hastens to assure you, making space for you on the small couch he sits on. “We were just talking about the day. Did you have fun?” 
“Is that even a question that needs to be asked?” you question, and Sir Solomon smiles. 
“Perhaps not.” 
“Lady F/N,” Prince Diavolo cut in, “I had no clue you were such a big fan of the sea.” 
“I adore it,” you respond frankly. “And I cannot thank you and the duke for putting this outing together. This day, nay, this weekend will surely be a cherished memory I carry with me for the rest of my life.” A yawn overtakes you, and Lord Simon chuckles. 
“It looks like it’s time for us to retire.” 
“I suppose so,” you agree reluctantly. “But one last thing. I wanted to let you all know how much I truly love and treasure being here. I cannot imagine what my life would be like had I not taken part of the program, and I truly help you are all aware of my gratitude and sincerity.” 
“Trust me, my lady,” the prince says, leaning forward, “we all are. But we are the ones that should be grateful to you. Without you I doubt we would have ever reached where were are now, and for that I am forever in your debt.” 
Your cheeks flush, but you hold his gaze steadily, silently signaling to him just how much his words meant. Eventually, you do heed Lord Simeon’s words and head for your room, but not before stealing a few more moments with them, happy and warm and so, so grateful you have the rest of the weekend left. 
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leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own
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aspd-culture · 9 months
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When you say pro social instincts, what do you mean? /genuine. Because I’m autistic (and I know you have it as well so maybe this would help me) and I’m not quite sure how to.. I suppose.. distinguish between pro social but autistic, just socially inept, and antisocial and autistic.
Prosocial instincts are all those things that come naturally to prosocial allistics that keep society both together and functioning. This is in no way an exhaustive list, but some examples are -
The desire to be around other people/be in packs, picking up on and internalizing the emotions of the people around you to survive (if they’re afraid, there is probably something that is a danger to all of you around somewhere), contagious yawns and vomiting, the desire to heal other’s wounds, the desire to feed/clothe/house/protect the youngest, oldest, and sickest of your pack, the desire to “pack bond”, sharing for no reason other than to share, passing down knowledge/stories/etc, mating long term/for life without interest in cheating, feeling responsible for not just your own children but all children, the natural pull to aid someone in emotional distress, “mating rituals” like dancing, social games like being polite, the desire to fit in, the fear of wronging and/or upsetting another member of your pack (which once upon a time could have ended in death as humans are pack animals who are not made to be self reliant in the wild), internalizing the morals/politics and culture of your pack, strong attachment to your pack over anyone else (the innate pull to protect people from your community - even if you have never personally spoken to them - over people who live elsewhere) - this is why if a prosocial finds out they went to the same college as someone else or that someone else is from near their hometown, they immediately feel camaraderie with that person even if they have literally never spoken before, the desire to sing and laugh and dance and make stories with people you know, the desire to breed specifically for the purpose of procreating vs just for the fun of it, the need for touch from other humans all throughout life (being “touch starved” in a non-sexual way), the need to feel and be understood/heard/validated, etc. etc. etc.
These are the things that make life… life to prosocials. It’s in every fiber of their being to find a community to belong to and then live and die by that community and it’s rules/customs/etc. It’s what makes living worth doing for many of them. pwASPD work to find our purpose elsewhere, and many of us honestly end up feeling like we are just surviving until life takes us out rather than “living” in that sense, but prosocials find their purpose in each other. Prosocial instincts built communities - by creating this weird setup of behaviors and rituals and such, they can see who is like them and they can surround themselves with people like them so that they can feel content at having a pack which would have been vital to live in the wild. This is why ableist prosocials think pwASPD don’t have a soul or aren’t really human - they think that we must be defective if we don’t want to be around people. To some degree this is difficult for prosocials to control because their biological instincts are telling them that if they were to foster relationships with us, any kids we have would be more likely to end up dead because they wouldn’t have a pack to protect them in the wild. It’s hard for some of them to think past their instincts to realize those packs are no longer required the way they were before we took over the entire damn planet and became the dominant species. It’s not justification, but it’s the reason it happens. Some prosocials - the ones who are ableist and spout eugenics towards pwASPD - are just weak and cannot think beyond the literally thousands of years outdated instincts.
For prosocial autistic people, many of these things may not come naturally, but they *want* to learn them. They *want* to fit in and be liked and have these close bonds where everybody “gets” them and they “get” everyone through the set of subconscious behaviors, chemical releases, social games, etc that are built into allistic prosocial society. The largest difference between a prosocial allistic person and a pwASPD as far as I’ve seen/heard is that a prosocial autistic person may not understand the language the rest of the world is speaking, but they are *trying their damndest* to figure it out - which is where masking comes from. pwASPD who are allistic often completely understand these rituals and customs but actively choose not to participate either because of disinterest or outright disdain for this very illogical set of expected behaviors, and autistic pwASPD often both don’t understand them and don’t care to try to learn. I am an autistic pwASPD and my view on it as a child was that if they enjoyed their weird rituals and games and such, then that was great for them - and all the more reason for me to stay to myself because I didn’t get it and I didn’t have any interest. It’s like seeing people get excited about football when you aren’t interested in it - it’s not hurting anyone and you mind it, but you also don’t get it and aren’t going to try to learn because it’s just not your thing. They can just do that and you can just not and everyone can be happy with that. Basically, autism causes you to not understand these instincts, while ASPD makes you not care about them or actively dislike them.
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gettinshiggywithit · 1 year
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i still do,and i always will
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scenario:- shoto comforts reader after their breakup with dabi
pairing:- shoto x reader (platonic) past dabi x reader
Angst??? On shotos birthday????
Yup~
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It was the third day after y/ns break up. And shoto was going over to his best friends dorm with their favourite snacks and drinks.
They’d been holed up in their room for three whole days and even mr aizawa and the teachers were getting worried.y/n wasn’t a studious student,but they were always at class.
Shoto knocked on their door.
No answer.(no surprise there)
He put down the snack-fest in his hands and used his key to get in.
He cracked the door open just a little to allow them time to ask him to leave.if they didn’t want him there,he would come back later.
And when there was no protest,he pushed the door open to reveal a very dark, very dirty and very sad room.
Snack packets and tissues lay strewn across the floor and the room looked like it hadn’t been ventilated in a few days.
When he looked at the sheets he noticed they were shaking.
He placed the snacks on the messy table and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.
He then heard the sobbing and the sniffling and without hesitation wrapped the bundle of sheets(and theREBY person under them) in his arms and hugged them.
This seemed to alert y/n to his presence,to which they responded with a little yelp.
They sniffed and looked up to see his concerned face.
“shoto…”they said “what are you d-doing here?” “checking up on you….you haven’t stepped out of your room in three days.even mr aizawa is worried…” shoto replied.
“oh…im um im fine…”they said with a very forced half smile
Shoto tilted his head to one side. “no you arent” y/n sighed “yeah, who am I kidding. Im a wreck”they said with a laugh.
They looked around the room to see the mess and sighed again. “dammit look at the mess….” They then proceeded to try to get out of bed to clean(emphasis on the *try*)
Shoto immediately stopped them and said. “ill clean it don’t worry”
“sho I cant ask you to-”
“you’re not asking,im offering.”
“thank you…” y/n said tears pricking at their eyes again.
“do you want to talk about it?”he asked
“i- yes? Maybe? I don’t know….” They said as they proceeded to wipe away their tears with the back of their hand.
“go ahead.”shoto said calmly.and waited for them to go on
“i- um I really don’t know sho…”
“if it’ll make you feel better you should.who was he?why did he do it?”
“he- well…I cant really say his name… and um well he spewed some bullshit of how he was doing it for my own good,something about it was dangerous being with him.but sho I didn’t Care! I didn’t care if it was dangerous if it was life threatening Goddamit it didn’t care at all!!!”
Shoto wrapped his arms around them as fresh tears streamed down their face and sobs began to rack their body once more.
He knew there was nothing he could say.but he also knew him just being there would help even a little.
“and I was actually happy with him you know? I- every moment I spent with him felt like a dream and I was just so happy. I could be myself I could talk and rant and I could be vulnerable.i mean you’re the only other person who ive ever felt this safe with and i- it felt so nice to have someone else like that.someone who seemed to love and care and want to protect me.sho I felt so.so safe with him you know? And now he’s gone.he left me.just like I thought he would and im just sitting in my room not doing anything.GODDAMI WHY AM I SO FUCKING PATHETIC.”they finished.
At this shoto looked down at them and held their face im his hands before saying “you aren’t pathetic for feeling this way.youre just human.”
“well then being human sucks” y/n said with a half laugh
“I agree”he said in reply.
y/n  inhaled deeply.
“and you know the saddest thing? I love him.i still do and I always will…”
To this, shoto’s only answer was “hmm”
Unbeknownst to the two of them,they had an intruder eavesdropping on their little exchange.
The perpetrator himself.the cause of y/n’s despair.
The man himself,dabi.
He’s snuck into the UA dorms, to apologise ,to check on y/n or something along those lines….even he wasn’t sure what he was there for…
The last few days had been equally as painful for him;but by now he was used to pain.both physical and emotional.
But hearing y/n’s words.
Hearing that they Loved him,made the regret wash over him all over again.
But what hurt almost as much was knowing that it was shoto comforting them.
Knowing HE was the only other person that had made them feel as safe and happy as he did.
The bane of his existence;the one responsible for all his suffering besides his father,was also the closest person to the only person he’s ever truly been himself with.
How tragic.
But he knew he couldn’t go back to them.he couldn’t.
If fate willed them to be together,perhaps they’d find their way back to eachother again.
But as for dabi.he wasnt strong enough to make the first move.
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please dont repost my work here as your own on any platform all rights belong to me except that of the characters used,their right belong to their respective owners.but these stories? mine.
feedback,likes,reblogs and comments are so very appreciated tbh :’)i hope you enjoyed and ill catch ya next time!
Comments & Reblogs w/ tags >>>>>>>>>>>likes please
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honeyoru · 1 year
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resonance (steve harrington x superpower! reader) chapter six
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masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter
content warning for blood, gore, & death!
“Well fuck,” you sighed, handing Lucas back his binoculars. The roaring echoed throughout the grounds. “And you said those things came from under the lab?”
“It might not look like it, but that building is full of secrets,” Dustin said. 
Don’t I know it. You snorted, ignoring the weird look he threw you.
“Do you think there’s anyone inside?" Max asked hesitantly.
At the boys’ stares, she rolled her eyes, a little sassiness peeking out through her shock from finding out monsters really exist. “Anyone human?” 
“If there are, they probably aren’t alive,” Lucas said bluntly, wincing apologetically at Max’s sharp intake of breath. “Sorry.” 
You adjusted your braid, silently agreeing with the boy.
“It’s on lockdown,” Dustin mused.  “Something must have happened.”
“Yeah,” you heard Steve scoff from your side. “Those fucking things happened, which is why none of us are going near that building.”
“That’s right,” you nodded firmly, catching his eye. “None of you are.” Glancing back at the building, you decided it was time to break away from the group. “This has been, like, super fun, but I’ve gotta blast.”
“Hey!” you heard Steve shout to your back as you began teleporting down the hill carefully, taking caution to squint hard into the darkness before popping a couple of yards at a time. He cursed from far behind, pulling a giggle from you as the group had clearly begun to sprint after you disappeared. “What are you doing?” 
“Didn’t we already have this conversation?” You called back wryly, glancing a little at the dark trees around you. You realized you were near the area where Hopper and El had found you. 
Shuddering a little, you continued towards the lab with cautious eyes, passing the barbed fence that surrounded the building into the entrance of the grounds, and noticing a couple of cars parked in front. You were just about to teleport again when the sound of clumsy, loud footsteps clamored from behind you. 
You groaned. Hopper did say they were persistent. 
“Quick question,” you said loudly with a bright, dazzling smile when you realized they were determined to follow you. You abruptly spun, nearly whipping Lucas in the face with your braid. “What exactly is your plan here? You’re gonna just waltz in behind me?” you asked snarkily, waving your arm around. “With what, just a slingshot?” You put your hands on your hips, mimicking Steve, who looked supremely pissed off at the boys. “From what I just saw, neither one of you can go hand-to-hand with those dogs, so why would I let you come with me? You’d just be a distraction.”
Dustin and Lucas began to babble defensively about their fighting skills, causing you to stare at them with an open mouth. “Jesus, do you two have no sense of self-preservation?” You looked at them again, absolutely stunned. “No.” At your sudden change in demeanor, they paused, freezing a little when you leaned close to their faces, playful tone nowhere to be seen. “This isn’t a game, you can’t just throw yourselves in danger without knowing how to defend yourselves and no, a slingshot with a few rocks doesn’t count,” you added when Lucas began gesturing towards it again. “You’ll get someone hurt or worse, killed.” You couldn’t look at Dustin without thinking of what your mother had told you all those years ago. 
You shook your head. “You aren’t coming with me into that lab, because I have a job to do, and you need to lea—” Your lecture was cut short by the sound of leaves crunching from across the clearing, and in no time at all you had quickly swept the group behind you with your hand, pushing them a few feet away. You pulled your knife out and scanned the perimeter, ready to attack. You wouldn’t let Henry hurt them, if he decided now was the time for a reunion with you. 
But it wasn’t Henry, you realized soon enough. 
It was just two teenagers, a boy and a girl, who had walked away from their car, no doubt trying to investigate the noise your group had been making. You wanted to roll your eyes. “Seriously? Does everyone in this town just enjoy late-night walks through the forest?”
“Jonathan?” Dustin exclaimed from behind you as they came closer under the moonlight. 
Max pointed her flashlight toward them, harshly illuminating their faces. “Nancy?” Steve asked, and you recognized the inquisitive girl from the store. 
“Steve?” both of them responded, clearly not expecting to see him here. 
“Jesus Christ, not the name game again,” the redhead rolled her eyes, making you grin as you walked away from the group to teleport to the security booth. 
You weren’t surprised in the slightest when they began to follow.
“What are you two even doing out here?” Steve’s voice echoed throughout the clearing. 
The girl, Nancy, responded. “We're looking for Mike and Will.”
Mike and Will are missing? You hummed. That seemed odd, but then you remembered how many times the phone had rung earlier. Could it have been them? Or Joyce? Shit, you thought suddenly, what if they were here for an appointment? 
“They're not in there, are they?” Dustin said, clearly on the same wavelength as you. 
“We're not sure,” Jonathan responded. “Why?” 
The screeching from the building answered his question, more or less.
Straightening your spine, you berated yourself for allowing yourself to get distracted. You quickly scanned the old security panel for any sign of power, pushing at the defunct buttons. The group had caught up and moved in around you, also hitting every button they could find as if it would help. Letting out an irritated sigh, you squeezed by Jonathan, ignoring the teen’s reddening cheeks as your body slid by his. “Uh, who are you?” 
“That’s Y/N!” Lucas answered for you while he slammed the defunct power lever up and down. “She has superpowers, just like El!” 
You heard Nancy answer. “We can see that, thanks.” 
“She saved our asses,” Dustin rushed out, shoving Jonathan out of the way to hit more buttons. “We would have been demodog food if she didn’t show up.”
"Demodog?”
“It’s like a demogorgan but a dog! It’s a compound!”
“She literally just pushed us back with her mind when we heard you!”
“Can you please finish this somewhere else?” you asked from the gate that blocked the lab’s front doors, teleporting to the other side. “Preferably far away from here.” 
“No, Y/N!” Steve exclaimed, putting a hand up to the fence. “Let me go in with you!”
“Wait,” Nancy shook her head bewilderedly. “You’re not actually going in the lab, are you?”
You shot her a dumbfounded look back, as you thought it was fairly obvious that yes, that was what you were doing. “If there’s a chance either of those kids are inside with those things, then obviously I’m going in.”
Shooting a pointed glare to the two kids you knew would try to follow you, you bid them farewell and a stern, “Don’t follow me,” and teleported to the front of the lab, wordlessly throwing the doors open with your mind. You spared a glance back, seeing Steve and Jonathan yanking down the younger boys from the fenced-off gate where they were, once again, trying to follow you. 
You couldn’t help but snort at their determination before you threw the doors open.
The lab you knew in the future didn’t exist yet, that much you were certain. You felt like you had just entered a horror movie scene. A silent emergency light flickered, illuminating various bodies throughout the halls that once smelled like artificial cherry. 
Now all you could smell was the terrible stench of blood. Lucas was right. 
You took a deep breath and buried your emotions, easily forcing the part of you that was fucking horrified deep, deep down. In all your time working for the lab, you’d never seen this many mangled bodies all at once. 
Silently popping down the hallway, you carefully avoided the deceased staff and their puddles of blood. This was all for naught, however, as the power was suddenly slammed back on and you heard the doors to another hall further away from you be thrown open. 
Your arms went up in a defensive stance at the sound of pounding feet, ready to face whoever was coming, but instead, your jaw dropped at the sight of a familiar man who was running with a child in his arms. 
“Hopper?” you exclaimed, utterly surprised. Guess that explains why he was late.
His eyes bulged out. The poor man was clearly in a state of panic when he yelled your name. “What the hell are you doing in here?” He looked you up and down before casting his eyes all around you, no doubt looking for El. 
“She’s not here,” you said, and you saw utter relief pass through his body at the statement. “And I’ve been tracking those demodogs all day, saw them earlier this week and meant to tell you about it but you know,” you waved nonchalantly, stepping a bit further away from a body on the floor near you. “You said you hated me and all that.”
He snorted and had just opened his mouth to argue when a younger voice piped up from his other side. 
Another kid had been hiding behind him. “Who’s not here?” 
Well hot damn, you thought, recognizing the scowl he was sporting and the bowl cut on the other kid Hopper was holding. Guess Mike and Will are here.  
Deciding it was better to have this conversation another time, you turned back to Hopper. “I ran into your other hooligans, they’re all waiting outside.”
He cursed and then looked up, jerking back to face the doors he had just kicked through as if he suddenly remembered the danger you all were in while you chatted amongst the bodies. “Shit, Bob and Joyce! They were supposed to be right behind us—” 
“—I’m on it,” you cut him off. “Take them outside, they shouldn’t be here for this,” you gestured towards Mike and Will.  
“My car is out there too,” he said, already stepping over a leg to start walking towards the entrance. “I’ll hand him off and come back for you.”
You nodded, cracking your neck and took off the way they came. 
“Be careful!” Hopper screamed behind you, no doubt planning the thousand different ways he planned to lock your ass in his cabin for good if you managed to come out of this alive. 
An eerie silence enveloped you once more as you teleported down the hallway. It didn’t take long to find Joyce, her wailing practically echoed down the halls as you stumbled upon an entirely too gruesome sight after pushing through another set of doors. “Jesus.”
You assumed the man on the floor was Bob, who looked like he had only just been taken down by one of the creatures. It was still gnawing at his intestines, yanking them out to nibble at like they were hors d'oeuvres until you finally thrust your arm out to choke it, throwing its lifeless body towards the wall with barely a glance.
“No!” Joyce let out an earth-shattering scream, one that would have really shaken you if you weren’t so focused on the other three demodogs that had entered the space. You stepped in front of the adults, holding your hands out to begin flinging the monsters around like they were ragdolls. “Joyce,” you called out. You were hesitant to take your eyes off of them to see how Bob was doing, certain they’d pounce if your attention was elsewhere. Grunting, you slammed the stupid things into the ground repeatedly until they stopped moving. You would have rather enjoyed torturing the creatures a bit, given how fond you had grown of Joyce. Hearing her like this was almost unbearable, and you felt the dark part of yourself yearning to make the reason for her pain suffer.  
But alas, you breathed heavily, barely wincing at the gross noises that were erupting from the dogs, no revenge for me tonight. You killed the last one, sparing a glance at the door that more creatures were currently heaving themselves against, and knew you had to get out of here. You pulled a vending machine in front of the door, hoping it’d hold them off until you left. “Joyce, we have to go.” You felt a drop of blood streaming down your nose from the exertion, which hadn’t happened to you in quite some time.
“Not without Bob,” she insisted, refusing to abandon him. You wiped your nose, looking down at the man with pity.
Poor bastard, you thought grimly. Joyce’s hands were bright red from where she was hysterically trying to stop the bleeding from his side to no avail. “I won’t! I can’t leave without him!”
“Joyce,” you repeated, your mask cracking just a bit at her pain, knowing she’d never be able to stop that bleeding. Kneeling beside her, you took note of his injuries, frowning even deeper when you realized they were undoubtedly fatal. You looked into his eyes and swore you could already see the light slipping out of them. 
He mumbled incoherently, whispering nonsense. Joyce began to plead with you. “Y/N, can you do something? Anything.” She begged. “Honey, you must know something to help him. Please, please help him.”
You steeled yourself again, setting the mask back in place, and mentally flipped through every first aid method, power-related or otherwise, that you’d been taught, coming up short. The monster had pulled his intestines out for fuck’s sake, and he’d already lost too much blood. It was pooling around where the two of you were, and Joyce was fucking covered in it. 
There was no solution. Even if you managed to close the gaping hole in his body, there was no way Bob could live. 
“I can help him pass peacefully,” you eventually said, knowing you were about to crush her. “Make him feel no pain and… see something else, in his mind.” 
She screamed in response. You’d never felt guiltier.
Hopper suddenly burst into the hallway, halting when he saw the man on the floor.
“Joyce…” you heard Bob say weakly. “I love you.” 
You turned your head to the other door again, where the vending machine was being slowly but surely nudged out of the way as the dogs continued to pound at them. Fucking hell. 
Joyce heard them too, and she met your eyes, nodding after biting back another wave of tears. “Do it.” 
You instructed her to hold his hand, so he’d feel the woman he loved as he passed and placed your own on Bob’s forehead. Swiftly you entered his mind, easily constructing a landscape that you thought would be peaceful for him. 
He lay on a picnic blanket in a grassy meadow, one you knew existed not too far from the Byers’ house, his head in Joyce’s lap as she sat in a pretty sundress with a glass of lemonade. They were smiling. 
For a last-minute mind vision, you did pretty damn well, considering the situation you were in. You remembered Joyce telling you of the date he had taken her only a couple of weeks ago, the one she claimed made her feel like a teenager again. 
And with her name on Bob’s last breath, you closed the eyes of a man you’d never met but had heard so much about before slipping out of the empty void that now remained.
“Kid, we need to leave now, ” Hopper yelled, cocking a gun you hadn’t noticed before in the direction of the dogs, eyes frantically darting between where you sat and the doors. 
Joyce was still sobbing, and you stood up slowly, locking eyes with Hopper. “Take her and leave. I’ll meet you outside,” you said calmly, cracking your knuckles and pulling out the hunting knife. 
“What the fuck? No! ” he screamed but went to grab the woman anyways, gently pulling her into his arms. “There’s too many of them! If they’re breaking those damn doors down, you’re coming with us!”
“I said I’ll meet you outside Hop,” you firmly stated, evenly staring at him. “I can teleport, let me give you a headstart. Don’t worry, this won’t take long,”  you cracked a smile. “Give me, like,” you shot your eyes towards the dogs, “… two minutes, tops.”
Hopper had the foresight to pick Joyce up and throw her over his shoulder by the time the doors broke open. “If you’re not back in two minutes, I’m coming back!” he repeated, turning on his heel and running the hell out of there. 
You took a deep breath, steeling yourself as several of the dogs crashed through the entrance, piling on each other towards you.
Exhaling, you burst into action. 
Rows and rows of teeth snapped at you, slime and spit flying with gusto on you. One lunged towards Bob and all at once, you saw red. 
Panting a little, you yanked your knife out of the last dog that was in the room before taking off in a sprint towards the entrance, knowing that more must have been coming from the distant roars that echoed throughout the building. 
After jumping over the dead monsters, you slammed those damn doors closed again before teleporting to the front of the lab, nearly slamming into Hopper. 
“Two minutes, my ass ,” he spat, pulling you in for a quick hug before shoving you toward his car, noticing the way you winced. “Any of that yours?”
“Some,” you responded, trying to quell your shaking from the adrenaline (and residual fear) rushing through your body. Though you were wearing all black, you were fucking soaked in blood. You could feel it drying on your clothes, splattered across your face, and after looking down, noticed it had stained your hands as well. 
One of the dogs had clawed down your left arm, and a slow stream of red was flowing steadily from the rip in both the sweater and jacket you wore, but as far as you were concerned, compared to Bob, it was barely even a scratch.
A cacophony of swearing screeched from the back seat when you hopped into the car. Dustin, Steve, Lucas, and Max were inside, talking over each other as they gawked at your bloody form. “What the hell happened? ”
“Nothing much.” You panted, pulling off the jacket and yanking your sweater over your head shamelessly, leaving just your sports bra on. “Lots of dogs, lots of death.” You looked at them wryly. “Glad you two boneheads finally listened and didn’t follow me, that would’ve been like, ten years' worth of trauma for you.”
“Are you okay?” Steve asked just as Hopper jumped inside the car and tore like a bat out of hell into the forest. Jonathan and Nancy had already taken off with Joyce, Mike, and Will. “I know you’re like, covered in blood, but it looks like you’re bleeding too.”
“Just a parting gift from one of Dustin’s pets.” The look of anguish that washed over the kid’s face made you snort. “Kidding, ‘tis but a scratch,” you sighed, watching your bright red hands continue to shake. You couldn’t force your flat tone to sound upbeat at the lame joke, the memory of Joyce’s screams still echoing inside your mind. 
“You’re covered in blood and quoting Monty Python ?” Dustin asked bewilderedly. “What the hell?”
“Doesn’t look like just a scratch,” Max commented, shoving her way closer to you. “Hope you have some good stain remover, Chief. Blood is hard to take out of fabrics and that seat’s gonna have a gnarly smell if you don’t take it out immediately.”
“How do you know that?” you heard Lucas ask.
“Harrington!” Hopper barked suddenly. You were all tossed to the left as he drifted through a sharp turn down the dark road. “There’s a first aid kit in the back. Help her, that cut looks deep.”
“I’m fine , Hop,” you said, but twisted around to watch as the group scrambled to find it. They bickered even in chaos, shoving each other in the tight space as if it’d help locate the kit faster. 
“Got it!” Lucas exclaimed, holding it out like a trophy. 
Steve snatched the kit from him and leaned in close to you over the console, looking carefully at the cut. “Don’t think you’ll need stitches,” he hummed after he eventually stopped the bleeding, quickly using hydrogen peroxide wipes to clean it. 
“So Upside Down monster germs… how do those work?” you asked, bracing yourself against the sting of the wipe. “Think it’ll get infected?”
“What, afraid you’ll get superpowers or something?” Steve teased, his eyes flickering up to meet yours warmly. With him this close, you noticed his eyes were a deep hazel with flecks of gold inside. 
Hopper cleared his throat a little too aggressively and you suddenly felt the man’s eyes burn into your skin, knowing damn well he was thinking of the much older Steve you had mentioned knowing in the future. 
“Keep it in your pants, Harrington,” Dustin said loudly, shrinking back only slightly when he received a glare from the older boy.  You snorted. “So, Y/N, how do you and Hopper know each other?”
You blinked at the kid’s audacity. 
He blinked back. “You called him Hop,” he explained. “And he hugged you. I’ve gotten hurt plenty of times in front of him and he’s never even asked how I’m doing.”
“Twisting your ankle on the way to the restroom isn’t the same as taking on a hoard of monsters, kid,” Hopper rolled his eyes. 
“Besides,” you laughed, glancing at your newly wrapped arm courtesy of Steve, who snorted at Dustin’s indignant noise. “It’s none of your business.”
“That’s not fair!” 
You rolled your eyes, turning back around to the front. “Tough shit,” Hopper huffed. 
“But—” 
“—It's not up for debate Hender—” he cut off with a spare glance at you. “ Dustin. She just saved all of our asses back there and since you kids have found yourself wrapped up in this shit yet again instead of being safe at home, I’d suggest you stop talking,” he stated in an irritated tone. 
“Why don’t you take them home?” you asked, watching the road ahead of you for any stray demodogs.
“Can’t break up the Scooby-Doo gang this late in the game,” he muttered furiously, flying through a stop sign. “As annoying as they are, they’ll always find a way to group up and at this point,” he looked back at the kids in the rearview. “It’s safer for us all to be together. We need to figure out what the hell is going on.”
“All that blood,” Max cut in, and a wave of melancholy washed over the group. “Is everyone in the party okay?”
“It’s mostly from the demodogs,” you replied gently, aware of how much of a shock this whole night must have been for her since she wasn't in this chaos last year. “And um, Bob’s.” You lowered your head. “It’s Bob’s too.”
You found yourself silent, along with the rest of the car’s occupants, for the rest of the drive.
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lillified · 10 months
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Hello! I hope you don't mind this, but I've been trying to better understand He/Him lesbianism, but google isn't very helpful and I've heard a lot of explanations and I wanted to hear your side of it since your Megatron seems to align with that? Your explanations tend to make more sense to my neurodivergent brain 😅
-Bi lady trying to better understand the peeps around her ❤
I mean, I’m probably not the best person to explain this and you’re probably better off asking someone who is one, since everybody’s reasoning and experience is different. I’ll try to give a basic overview to get you started, but I really can’t claim to speak to everyone, if even very many, people’s experience:
The basic principle is that pronouns are social arbitrage and are indicative of how other people in society perceive you, but they are limited to describe the scope of gender experience. you may not be a man, but still identify strongly with masculinity and “benefit” from some of the social consequences of presenting and performing masculinity—or, in many cases, the rigid expectation of femininity is just way too narrow and suppressive. The tragic fact is there really isn’t a lot of precedent or understanding for women who aren’t feminine or perform feminine roles, and those expectations are so ingrained that they infect the core of people’s expectations of womanhood. I’ve heard butches describe that sometimes it’s just easier to use masculine identifiers because it helps people understand, which is something I’ve experienced to a lesser degree (even now as I’ve become less ambivalent with my gender I still frequently call myself “guy” and “man” and similar things).
All that being said, presenting socially as masculine doesn’t necessarily change who you are, or how you experience the world. Butchness is very performative and masculine, but deep down most butches have a connection to women and femininity that is extremely strong. Womanhood is an isolating and often dangerous experience, and, historically, lesbianism isn’t JUST about relationships, but the effort of women to find protection and support from sexism, oppression and violence within themselves. Being butch, even to the point that you “pass” and don’t experience as much targeting for being feminine, doesn’t erase your connection and experience with the feminine, and with womanhood. Whether you are cis or trans, your experience of the world and your treatment at the hands of other people has, and probably will always be, affected by that overarching social expectation, and often detriment, of womanhood.
Being butch is a personal celebration of the fluidity of one’s gender and the performance of masculinity, but just because it rejects the appearance of the feminine, that doesn’t mean it dislikes or “rejects” femininity. This is something I’ve struggled to reconcile for myself, but it feels demonstrably true. Your physicality, appearance, and social role may appear masculine, but manhood is more than just short hair and pants, just like womanhood is more than long hair and dresses. They’re simple blanket statements intended to describe a range of human experience that is extremely vast, both socially and biologically. Your pronouns can describe you to strangers and peers, but they don’t always represent your experience and reality, and that’s where you get he/him lesbians, who are masculine in performance, but feel a connection and allegiance to womanhood that is far deeper than someone who identifies as a man might.
that being said in Megatron’s case (can’t believe we got here from a transformers question), while I use he/him pronouns for him, they aren’t his only ones, nor are they even the ones I’d say he’d choose. I see him as ambivalent, and a performer; he presents a very exaggerated, masculine persona to hold power and communicate strength, so masculinity is something others see and expect from him. In a situation where power games weren’t mandatory, I could honestly see him preferring other pronouns. I guess that does kind of tie in with what I described, lol.
Anyway, I hope this helped, at least a little bit! I got kinda rambly there, apologies. I feel like the nightmare scenario of guy whose interests include gender study nonsense and transformers. once again, I am just one person and I’m definitely not the best qualified, so please seek out other material if you’re confused, and remember that everybody’s relationship with gender is completely different!
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bidarcywriter · 2 years
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“You here for Max?” 
Billy stopped about a foot from the passenger side window, close enough for Steve to catch a whiff of smoke, sharp mint, and some cologne Billy must’ve just applied for how strong it was. Cinnamon tones burned in Steve’s airways. He stole a glance at the open V of his shirt, telling himself it was a hunt for Starcourt scars. 
“How the fuck aren’t you freezing your ass off?” Steve shook his head in mock disapproval. "In case you didn’t get the memo, it’s February. And yeah, yeah I’m here for Max.”
Billy tilted his head to one side, and Steve could almost feel hot steam on his neck from the showers in Hawkins high, almost. It wasn’t quite the same. Billy sized up an opponent back then, an enemy, tried to draw out the infamous King Steve just to flaunt his superiority; now Billy just looked...tired. Apathetic underneath that killer grin. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about my ass.”
That brought a humorless smile to Steve’s lips. Rebellious and unable to resist what he called the “fuck it” impulse, he dropped his gaze to view said ass, every bit of its hard-earned curve. Steve used Ted Wheeler as inspiration for how impressed to be. “Whatever, Hargrove.”
That, surprisingly, earned a chuckle from Billy. Like he didn’t expect Steve to do it. “Cassidy.”
“What?”
Billy blew a steady stream of smoke away from his car, waited for it to fade, then shrugged. Steve thought it looked a hair too casual for someone who didn’t give a fuck. “Trying something out.”
“Oh.” Silence carried on for about four seconds (subjective four minutes) and Steve’s stomach twisted, adding nerves to a cocktail of uncertainty. He felt awkward knowing it must be his mother’s name, the one who left him all those years ago in Sunny California. “Yeah. I—it uh, suits you.”
Billy grinned with his teeth. That was more like him, inching dangerously close to the asshole from senior year and every bit as suave, but the tell—Steve noticed up close—was in his eyes. So blue now. Empty of that visceral, nameless thing that used to fog them up like storm clouds. Empty of a lot of things. 
A shell, he realized.
“Liar.”
He was right.
Billy Cassidy sounded all kinds of strange to Steve, like ill-fitting clothes or stiff shoes. Not like Steve didn’t get distancing himself from ‘Hargrove,’ though - everyone in Hawkins heard about how Neil dealt with the massive Starcourt shitshow of ’85.
It was kind of messed up, honestly. Billy had still been in the coma when the government showed up and Neil fucked off like a bat out of hell - ‘like Billy’s mother did’, Steve overheard someone say. At the local supermarket. 
Small towns, man. Small fucking towns.
There were other rumors, too. Darker ones made of human monsters and fake smiles, but Steve had no clue whether those were true. He felt guilty for even listening in the first place, because they weren’t the kind of stories he could (or wanted to) confirm. Only one thing was sure. Hargrove or Cassidy, it didn’t matter: Billy would resent any pity Steve showed him. So he swallowed it down.
“You could grow into it,” Steve offered instead. 
“That’s the idea.”
A pause. Then, since Steve felt like pushing it today—“So, you really staying in Hawkins? Thought you’d be halfway to California the minute your car was up and running.”
Billy cocked a brow. Steve noticed a small slit in the arch of it, unable to discern if it was style or something that used to bleed. “Hawkins is the shit hole of shit holes, but lucky for the shit hole, I’m staying a while. Not like my baby won’t get a taste of California streets again soon.” He took a leisurely drag. “Why? Hoping I’d get out of your hair?”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
Billy chuckled, but the sound was different than before. Like nails scraping pavement. “Precious, coming from the guy who visited daily when I was out cold.” The emptiness in Billy’s gaze didn’t disappear, still swallowed up any spark of life, but he continued to sound more like his dickish self with every sentence. A pink tongue poked out from between his teeth. “According to Max, that is. I’m touched. Really.”
Steve groaned as his cheeks warmed. Wished he could smack his forehead against something hard. Max Mayfield was a traitor. “Yeah, don’t get too excited. Your sister needed someone there in case you, I don’t know, tried to fucking stab her with another broken floor tile.”
Reflecting back, he had absolutely no clue what made him say it. Steve only got bits and pieces of what happened with the sauna test; the kids, Max in particular, hated talking about it.
Billy’s cigarette fell to one side. For a split second he looked stunned, like he’d been hit, and even though he recovered fast and scrubbed away all evidence with a smile like a concrete wall, Steve tasted guilt. 
He—fuck.
Steve scratched the back of his neck, fingers stinging. Not meeting Billy’s eyes. “Shit, man. I shouldn’t have—jesus.”
“Save it, Harrington,” Billy cut in, voice sinking an octave. Steve had expected it to sound angry, not resigned. Not hollow. “I know what I fucking did.”
Something churned in Steve’s stomach. Sickened him. He never thought about whether Billy remembered what the Mindflayer did with his body. He lit up with the sudden urge to double down on his apology, to explain he didn’t hold Billy responsible for all that shit, none of them did, but when he parted his lips? Nothing came out. The words got stuck somewhere between formation and the roof of his mouth. 
Mercifully, Max chose that moment to shimmy through the front door sideways, shattering the tension like a rock through a window. 
Full fic here <3
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sakannaz · 2 years
Text
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃
Why are you here? How did you get here? Are you willingly ready to explore?
Warning(s): Entity’s. Cause they are highly dangerous-
Tagging: @violet-memoria
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
October 27th 1981
You hated being at home. Your parents were always fussing and you never got any rest. You were the only child and wished you had some older siblings to talk to but..that wasn’t going to happen.
You walked into the living room to still find your parents fussing, they’ve been going at it for months but would stop for the sake of you. Only father would but your mother didn’t care.
“Well, listen, I’m not gonna fuck up our child’s mind with all this fussing. alright?” You walked upstairs and went into your room closing the door behind you.
It was raining outside and you just got from school, you were getting ready to do homework until you felt sleepy.
You could use some sleep since you weren’t able to sleep last night, you overworked yourself last night of studying so from now on you’ll note not to do that again.
You laid your head on the desk and closed your eyes. You wish you could be away from home, hopefully that wish would come true.
Once you woke up you felt like you were in a cold room but it was..oddly warm. This wasn’t your room, you’ve had to been somewhere else, there was a stinking smell, it came from the floors and you didn’t like it at all.
When you stood up the walls were all mono-yellow. This was like and endlessly maze, the ones you play on the computers in school. That’s what it felt like..
You began walking and heard movement on the other side of the room, you quickly looked for a hiding spot and found one, there was groaning and scratching sounds, it sounded like a human but you could tell it wasn’t human at all.
You covered your mouth so whatever that thing was couldn’t hear you. You closed your eyes and could hear someone walking closer and closer to your hiding spot.
Then you felt a soft tap on your leg and you opened one eye to see a male looking at you, his hair was long enough to reach his shoulders and he waved at you, “Hey, You okay? You saw what I saw, right?” He whispered before grabbing onto your hand softly and pulling you out of your hiding spot.
“On three, we run, alright?” You nodded before looking behind you and seeing a headless monster, it could smell your scent, and eventually it would find you.
“Three, two…” you were getting ready to run, “ONE!“ he yelled, and the both of you started running, the entity saw the both of you and started running after the both of you, the male beside you almost tripped but caught himself, you both no-clipped into another room accidentally, now what room were you in? Or..’Rooms’ if your correct.
You winced in pain, The male beside you looked to check his surroundings, now the two of you were in a room where there was nothing but water.
He turned to you and his eyes widen when he saw you were hurt, “Woah, you okay- well obviously not, let me help you.” You shook your head, trying to ignore the aching pain in your left arm, he sighed, “you could either be having a heart attack or Bursitis.” Everything was quiet cause you didn’t utter a single word and looked at him with confusion, “Trust me I know. I’m studying to become a doctor. Don’t worry I’m not telling you anything wrong.” You smiled, at least someone was able to make you smile.
“I’m Julian by the way.” He had his hand stretched out for you to shake, you shook his hand and smiled up at him, “(Y/N).” You told him.
“Wait- aren’t you the one who’s studying to become a mechanic?” He asked, you nodded, “but I’m not sure if that’s what I wanna do.” You told him, he titled his head with confusion, “You sure? I mean..it seems like a pretty good fit for you. But I can’t say anything because you can choose how you want your life to go. Not me.” He was right though, you did want to be a mechanic but..you weren’t really aiming for that.
“Anyways. Do you know where we are?” Julian asked before touching the water, “No, I don’t, you?” He shook his head, and sighed, “me either.” He said while rubbing his face in tiredness. Guess he hasn’t gotten any sleep either.
“But I recall a old myth if you accidentally no-clip that means your in the backrooms, and now I’m guessing we’re in the..pool rooms?” You said, Julian turned to you, “We’re in a bunch of rooms? Oh how my day couldn’t be worse.” But you would like to explore this place a bit more before going back home, “No..I-I wanna explore this place a bit more. Even though there’s a bunch of entities roaming around..we’ll be quiet. But I want to see why this place makes me so calm..” Julian nodded, “Sure, alright.” And the both of you began to walk, you’ll admit it was long but you wanted to see what this place held.
Part 2 maybe??
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Text
Two’s a whole lot lonelier than one
Timari January: Replacement (Yum) by @maribat-calendar-events
Summary: “You’re trying to annoy me into leaving, aren’t you?”
Back to Timari January 2023 Masterlist
Tim held out a hand for the woman on the ground. She had stumbled back in surprise when he had dropped into the alley to attack her attempted mugger and hadn’t bothered to get up since. She had been staring at him ever since. Not in shock, but shocked.
She blinked once and then looked down at his hand. Something like a grin tugged at her lips as she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
He handed her back her purse and she absently rifled through it – he no longer took offense when Gothamites thought he had taken things from them, it was too commonplace for him to care at this point. She hummed a single happy note to herself, apparently pleased to find everything still in place, and then held up a hand in a vague wave as she set off.
He fell in step with her. “I’d like to walk you home.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and sighed. “I think I can get home on my own, Red.”
“Forgive me for doubting you when I just had to save you from a mugger.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You save, like, seven people a night. Do you think that every person in Gotham is incapable of walking home?”
“Kinda, yeah.”
“Then go help one of them.”
His eyes narrowed just slightly. She… really didn’t want him to walk home with her. Was she hiding something? Or did she just not trust him?
“Don’t you need to stay with the perp anyways?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “You know, in case they get out of their bonds or whatever before the police arrive?”
“Can’t be there when the police get there,” Tim shrugged. “Kinda bad to be spotted by them. Illegal vigilante and all.”
She hummed. “Ah. So that’s why you’re coming with me.”
“Is it really that hard to believe that I’m doing this out of genuine concern for your safety?”
She shrugged. “I mean, kinda. Honestly, it feels like you’re just suspicious of me.”
He was.
“I’m not. What, do you have a guilty conscience?”
“Gonna pull the usual ‘shouldn’t be scared if you’ve got nothing to hide’ routine?”
“I’m not a cop.”
“Yeah, you’re a cop that does illegal things to put people behind bars… oh, wait.”
He gritted his teeth. “You’re trying to annoy me into leaving, aren’t you?”
“I’m just naturally charming,” she said, batting her eyelashes.
“I don’t doubt that, but I still think you’re trying to get me to leave.”
She hummed lightly, turning to walk backwards in front of him. A dangerous thing to do in Gotham, considering all the stuff on the ground, but she seemed fine.
“Well, if you’ve figured out my master plan, then I guess I don’t need to hide it.” She gave him a crooked grin. “Reeeeeed Robin. Yum.”
“Original. I’ve never heard that one before.”
“Still bugs you, I can tell,” she said, her eyes crinkling at the corners in a smile. It was a nice smile. He wished he could see it in a context that wasn’t her purposefully trying to get on his nerves.
“You know, most people are grateful when I save them. Or indifferent. I can’t say it’s normal for someone to purposefully try and annoy me.”
She smirked. “Awwww, you think I’m special?”
He raised an unimpressed brow at her. She paid it no mind. Or maybe she did and it only egged her on:
“Did you know that no human has beaten a chess-playing AI in over 15 years? The robot revolution is coming.”
“Only if we allow them to come.”
“You know we will. Someone will decide that the money that could be made is worth more than whatever problems may rise from it. ‘Tis human nature.”
He shrugged. “I choose to have faith in humanity.”
“Lame. And wrong. It’s not about humanity, it’s about individual humans.”
“I think individual humans can be good.”
“And I know individual humans can be bad.”
“I’ll agree to disagree.”
“I won’t.”
He rolled his eyes. “Okay. Well, I’m done having this conversation.”
“Coward. But if it really bothers you that much, you can always just leave.”
He rolled his eyes again.
“Hm. Looks like it’s time to pull out the big guns.” She took a deep breath. “This is the song that never ends –!”
She tripped.
He caught her arm with ease. He only barely stopped himself from dropping her just for the sake of it.
“This is karma, I hope you know.”
“... it will go on and on my friend!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eventually – finally – they reached her apartment. He glanced past her as she slipped inside. It looked pretty normal, if a little unused. Maybe she was new in town? Or maybe it was a safehouse? Or was she the world’s most neat minimalist?
… yeah, probably not that last one. She tossed her purse aside and didn’t even glance behind herself to see where it landed.
She leaned in the doorway, massaging her throat. As promised, she had sung The Song That Never Ends until they had reached her building and now her voice cracked every few seconds. He was just glad that they had made it to the apartment complex before he had gotten distracted and accidentally sang along.
He reached into his tool belt and pulled out a tiny canister of water. “Here.”
She blinked. “Thanks,” she said, looking down at it with wide eyes. And then she gingerly took it. After a moment where she looked at the water, blue eyes narrowed as if she was wondering whether he was trying to drug her, she took a couple hesitant sips.
“It’s no problem,” he said softly.
She nodded once, still looking down at the water, quietly thinking.
And then she leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. “Nice of you to walk me home and give me water and all that, but I hope you know I’m not ‘inviting you inside’.”
He jerked back in surprise. “I – no – I wasn’t expecting –.”
She brought a hand up to her mouth to laugh, her eyes bright.
He relaxed a little. Despite himself, he found himself smiling a little. She was still insufferable, don’t get him wrong, but this kind of behavior was far more genuine, and far more fun for both people involved.
“It’s been… well, not nice, but meeting you has been an experience.” He held a hand out to shake. “Goodbye… oh, I don’t think I caught your name.”
“Because I never threw it.”
He raised an eyebrow at her behind his mask. “Still trying to get rid of me?”
“Still lingering outside my apartment like a creep?” She said, and then snickered at whatever expression had made its way across his face in response. “My name is Christine. It’s been ‘an experience’ meeting you, too, Red Robin.”
They shook hands.
And then she pulled away, giving a tiny wave just as she disappeared behind her doorframe.
He shoved his hands into two of the many pockets on his costume and walked away.
He glanced back just before he turned the corner.
Hm.
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cowboyatlarge · 9 months
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Saw your post about Maria and thank god someone called it out. I often find really nice fics about Joel settling into Jackson and then out of nowhere they make Maria a real bitch or have Joel and Ellie be awful to her (tbh the majority seem to be Pedro stans who can’t ever have any character dislike who he’s playing. Like I love the guy but some of his fans are wild). But yeah, from her perspective this guy is dangerous, far more so than Tommy who has probably told her some awful things about Joel, who then shows up out of nowhere and expects Tommy to do this thing for him. Like she goes off at him in the game and for good reason, and being pregnant in the show she has more reason.
Some people just really aren’t able to see the other perspective. Joel is the main character so we see things from his pov but to her, this man she’s heard horror stories about, travelling with a girl Sarah’s age she’s not going to welcome him with open arms and I’d be surprised at anyone not being distant from someone with Joel’s rep. Love him, but he’s just not a good guy and the look Tommy gives him when he says ‘am I the wrong people’ is very telling because the Joel he last saw is the wrong person and she won’t want someone like that there.
But people’s inability to see from a perspective other than Joel and Ellie has me terrified for how they’ll react to Abby because if they don’t like Maria when she’s raising incredibly valid points about Joel, how the hell are they going to react from Abby because they certainly wont view things from her perspective.
I’m super late but like!!! Everything you said everything you said!
i’m actually terrified for how pedro’s fans in particular are gonna react to abby, because if they can’t even understand where maria and all of her completely valid concerns are coming from, who knows how they’ll feel about abby who is basically younger girl joel and her character arc in part two is ellie’s arc in part two in reverse combined with joel’s arc in part one
abby is a perfect example of the baseline ideals in a post apocalyptic world, especially one in which her father was the presumed answer to restoring humanity, so of course the “kill or be killed”, mentality is heightened when someone not only murders YOUR FATHER but also in doing that cuts off what is presumably the last answer to saving mankind and for what? she literally Does Not Care
the same way joel Did Not Care, he was saving his world, abby is avenging her’s and the world as a whole
and to think, they’re mad at maria for being a little CAUTIOUS?! just wait until they give my digital YT wife a golf club, then the tears will come
in short it’s just really unfortunate to be given such great material in both tlou games and the tv show adaptation and because people are thirsty and don’t know how to handle themselves, are not able to handle the various themes and tones that the show brings to the forefront
like everyone praises both games and the show for their realism and depictions of what could very well be (not really bc fungus) a real version of life, and not be able to take someone digging at their favorite character, we need to remember that joel is not a Good Guy and hasn’t been since his first born was murdered, that’s what makes the story so SOOOOO good is seeing him change and evolve and like? that change and evolution is why it’s so refreshing to see a character like maria who only knows about Bad Guy Joel, question those changes, especially since she’s married to and carrying the soon to be born child of his brother
like come on
sorry for rambling lol I just have a lot to say
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Text
Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Reiji Dark [05]
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CHAPTER MASTERLIST
Monologue
From the day Richter-san was murdered,
time just flew by. 
The situation has only gotten worse ever since,
with cases of Demons being hunted,
steadily rising both in the human and the Demon World,
every day consisting of new unsettling stories,
reaching our ears. 
Reiji-san began to leave the house more frequently,
and would often walk around looking exhausted. 
However, we have yet to find the culprit to this day. 
While it worries me to see him like this,
I end up keeping quiet about it,
in fear of saying something out of line. 
This situation continued, until one day...
ー The scene starts in the living room of the Sakamaki manor
Ayato: Ahー I’m bored out of my fuckin’ mind! I don’t understand why I have to stay in the damn house 24/7!
Laito: We really don’t need someone telling us it’s dangerous to go outside as long as the culprit hasn’t been caught, right? 
Ayato: Che...Oi, Chichinashi! Go and urge Reiji to get his lazy ass movin’ already!
Yui: Reiji-san is trying his best, you know. 
Ayato: Listen up. I don’t give a flyin’ fuck ‘bout that! It’s the results which matter!
That Old Fart must have hit his head or somethin’ to give his powers to that incompenent fool. 
Subaru: I mean, it doesn’t make sense how he still hasn’t figured out who is behind these incidents, right? 
Yui: But it seems like he can’t use his powers to their full potential here in the human world... 
Ayato: Haah? Then how did the Old Man do it? The location never mattered to him.
Kanato: Exactly. It’s all Reiji’s fault for being incompenent. 
Yui: No way...
Shuu: ...The Old Man was the odd one. 
Yui: Eh...?
Shuu: He may have inherited his powers, but I don’t think it’s fair to group him together with that absolute monster. 
Laito: Well, I guess you have a point there...
Kanato: However, he is the one who inherited Father’s powers, so you can’t really blame us for comparing the two, right?
Yui: ( This situation has been going on for a while... )
( It’s like this gap has formed between us, it’s painful to watch. )
( I wonder if this is what Karlheinz-san was referring to...? )
ー Yui recalls his words
Karlheinz: You shall learn the hard way.
At what price powers come.
This is...your rite of passage...
ー The flashback ends
Yui: ( His rite of passage...Even if things are looking dire right now, I’m sure he’ll be able to overcome it, right? )
( I shouldn’t let it impact my mood negatively either...Right! )
Selection
→ Make something sweet (❦)
Yui: I’ll make us a sweet snack of some sorts, okay?
( I hope it can help soothe this tense atmosphere. )
Kanato: ...Please make it extra sugary
Yui: Sure!
Ayato: In that case, takoyaki for me!
Laito: Those aren’t sweet, are they? 
Yui: ( ...Yeah, I feel like this helped ease up the tension a little. )
( I’ll make a bunch of different snacks and deliver some to Reiji-san as well. )
→ Go look for Reiji 
Yui: I’ll go look for Reiji-san 
( I want to be there for him at least... )
Ayato: Is that so? Che, what a pathetic loser. 
Yui: Eh? 
Subaru: Needs a girl to look out for him? Talk about lame.
Shuu: ...I mean, go for it? 
Yui: ( ...I guess that didn’t make too good of an impression. )
Yui: ...I’ll get going then, okay?
ー Yui steps out into the hallway
*Thud*
Yui: ( Well then...Hm? I think I stepped on something...? )
( ...These are cut flowers. They’re scattered all across the floor. Was someone trying to pull a prank? )
( ...Hold up. Now that I think about it, during the ride back home from school, Reiji-san mentioned something about having to change the decorative flowers soonーー )
...Reiji-san? Where are you? 
...
( I’m positive. He heard the conversation from earlier. )
( Oh no...I better go after him. )
Monologue
One by one, 
I pick up the cut flowers laying on the floor by my feet.
Step by step,
I get closer to reaching Reiji-san,
while trying to conjure up the words I want to say to him.
I wonder what I can do (出来ること) for him? 
As I proceed while those thoughts fill my head,
a colorful bouquet forms in my hands,
representing the different feelings (想い),
growing inside of me. 
ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー
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