#it doesn't matter that i already read it like a year ago I'm not ready | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rxmqnova · 6 months

Note

Hi, could you write something like this.

I'm reading a lot about: Wanda saying i left vis alone and he was filtring with someone... And when i left yn alone she was watching something or petting a cat.

I don't know if you know what i mean but it's like yn being in love and like giving golden retriever vibes

Loyal

Y/N: 24 years old ——————————————————

NO ONE'S POV Ever since Wanda broke up with Vision, she promised herself she'd never date anyone from the same building again.

It's hard to see the one that disappointed you and ruined the perfect relationship you had every single day.

After some time Wanda met Y/N, a girl who works in a coffee shop. Some people might say it was love at the first sight. Wanda's mind was full of that girl ever since she saw her for the first time, so she took matter into her own hands and invited Y/N on a date.

And that's how the two started dating 3 months ago. Both have been really happy together, although Wanda's been having doubts about Y/N's loyality. She doesn't want to repeat the thing that happened with Vision and Y/N seems to be way too friendly sometimes.

"So what do you want to do?" Natasha asks, sipping her coffee.

"I asked her to come with me to Tony's party tonight. I'm gonna go away for a bit and see if she's gonna get too friendly with someone or not" Wanda explains, also taking a sip from her own coffee.

"So you're gonna test your girlfriend if she's loyal? You gotta work on that trust issues, Wanda" Natasha sighs.

"I know, I know. I just want to be sure. Y/N is amazing and I really love her, but I don't want to repeat the thing with Vision. I just want to make sure she loves me back" Wanda reasons. "Anyway, I need to get ready now. I'm picking Y/N up at her apartment, so I'll see you there" Wanda smiles, standing up.

The witch walks to her room to get ready. She does her make-up and puts her hair into a high ponytail. Then she just puts on her favorite black dress, does a few final touches and she's ready to go.

Y/N is also ready by now. She's also wearing a dress, but unlike Wanda she's wearing dark red one. Wanda loves that dress, especially when she was the one who got them for Y/N.

"You look absolutely breathtaking" Wanda smirks, looking her girl up and down.

"Thank you. You look really beatiful too" Y/N blushes, smiling at her girlfriend.

"Thank you, baby. Are you ready to go?" Wanda returns the smile and leads her girlfriend to the car after hearing a nod from her.

The pair arrives to Tony's party and as always heads to the bar first. They order drinks and just talk about their days.

"What's wrong? What are you looking for?" Y/N asks confused as Wanda's been looking through her purse for a few seconds.

"I think I left my phone in the car. I'll be right back" Wanda smiles, kisses her girlfriends cheek and disappears.

"I… Okay" Y/N sighs and stays sitting on the barstool.

10 minutes later Y/N is still sitting at the bar, waiting for her girlfriend to show up and worrying something might have happened to her.

She sighs and decides to go outside and find her girlfriend, eventually to help her find her phone if she's still looking for it.

"Wanda?" Y/N calls, not seeing anyone around.

'Maybe Wanda's already back inside' Y/N thinks, turning around to go back in, but spotting a little black kitten in front of the door.

"You're so cute" She squeals, slowly kneeling down to the kitten and running her fingers through the fluffy fur. "How did you get here?"

Meanwhile Wanda is walking around the whole room, trying to find her girlfriend. She wasn't standing far from the bar, actually she saw her girlfriend perfectly, but she got lost in her conversation with Clint and Y/N walked outside without the witch noticing.

After walking around the room for the 5th time, Wanda decides to go home, thinking Y/N has probably left with someone.

"Oh my god, Y/N! You got me worried sick!" Wanda rushes to her girlfriend who's been playing with the kitten the entire time.

"Wanda, you scared Shadow off" Y/N complains with a pout when the kitten runs away.

"Who's Shadow?" Wanda asks confused, helping her girlfriend up from the ground.

"A kitten I found when I came to help you find your phone. Have you found it?" Y/N asks, giving Wanda a sweet smile.

"Wait. You've been here with a cat the entire time?" Wanda asks with a chuckle.

"Yeah. I was worried something happened to you when you still weren't coming, so I went here to look if you don't need help" Y/N explains, making Wanda smile, her doubts now forgotten.

"Come on, you. Let's go to have some fun" Wanda chuckles, interlocking her fingers with Y/N's and dragging her back into the building.

———

"Where's the other half?" Natasha teases, sipping her morning coffee while watching Wanda enter the kitchen.

"She's still sleeping. I want to make her breakfast" Wanda smiles, taking out all the ingrediences she needs for pancakes.

"So it went well yesterday? Did she not get 'too friendly' with anyone?" Natasha asks cousiously.

"Well… when I left Vision alone, I found him flirting with other girl… and when I left Y/N alone, she was playing with a cat, so no. She did not get too friendly with anyone. I have nothing to worry about" Wanda says, smiling to herself while thinking of her girlfriend.

"Morning, Nat" Y/N smiles, stepping into the kitchen. "Oh. There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared" The girl smiles when she sees her girlfriend and walks to her.

"I wanted to surprise you with breakfast and you just ruined it" Wanda teases and pulls Y/N in for a kiss. "Good morning, my love"

"Good morning" Y/N smiles back, wrapping her arms around Wanda's neck and giving her a hug.

----------------------

I'm not sure if this is what was meant, but hopefully I was at least close…

Part 2

Series masterlist

Masterlist

#wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #natasha romanoff #black widow #fanfiction #wanda x y/n #wanda x you #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader

327 notes · View notes

julianalvarez9 · 1 year

Text

forget me / mason mount

part of the "broken by desire to be heavenly sent" series, can be read as an stand-alone.

mentions of: alcohol and the consumption of, kepa arrizabalaga, ben chilwell, christian pulisic, asshole!mason, break-up, alleged cheating, crying, swearing, angst, no happy ending (for him at least)

wc: 1.792 words.

"days ache and nights are long, two years and still you're not gone. guess I'm still holding on".

the days seemed to weigh differently on mason's head this past month. they were impossibly heavy, with the days getting shorter and the nights painfully long due to the creeping winter. but if it wasn't for the changing seasons, mason didn't really know what to attribute it to: that was what annoyed him the most, that he didn't know the reason, so he couldn't do anything to avoid feeling this way. but waking up that morning and checking the date, something clicked. this would have been your five year anniversary, but instead, was the fateful date you two broke up, two years ago.

"you told your friends you want me dead and said that i did everything wrong; and you're not wrong".

the breakup had not been amicable, no matter what you tried to make believe on social media. his fans never really liked you, for starters, and you weren't planning on moving out of the country anytime soon, so you two decided that the best way to proceed with things was just stop contact all-together. no more likes on his instagram pics, and certainly not more comments from his page to yours. eventually, you unfollowed him too, not being able to stand his face after what had happened between the two of you.

words travel fast, and even more so, when your best friend, in which you confide all that you feel, is his best friend's girlfriend.

"you really fucked it up, mate" ben sighed, and the hold mason had over his handbag tigthened, almost turning his knuckles white form the force. "do you think i don't fucking know it already?".

"'cause i'm not ready to find out you know how to forget me. i'd rather hear how much you regret me, and pray to god that you never met me, than forget me".

the party is loud, as one expects it to be, but still, it bother mason to no end. his head hurts since he woke up this morning, his training went like shit, and now, ben's dragging him up to some bar. he broke up with his girlfriend a few days ago and he needs a distraction, or so he says, although mason is beginning to think this is not about getting a distraction for chelsea's number 21, but rather, for himself.

he doesn't mind it, though, when he finds something to keep his eyes focused on. or rather, someone. at first, he doesn't see her face: she's giving his back to him, but still, he can appreciate how nice her figure is. and then, she turns to say something to the guy beside her, and mason recognizes her face in an instant. it's you.

"since when are y/n and kepa friends?" mason can't keep his brows from furrowing when he recognizes the man by your side is their teammate. the grip he had on the glass tightens when you place your hand over the goalkeeper's neck, bringing his head down a bit for you to be able to speak in his ear, the size difference clear between the two of you. his body is almost covering your frame, and it has chelsea's number 19 almost breaking his neck trying to get a glimpse of you. see what's going on between the two of you. see where his hands are wandering. where his hands, mason's, should be instead.

"i think they're seeing each other" christian says, rubbing the back of his neck in an uncomfortable gesture. ben's far gone now, whether because he found someone to distract himself with, or because he went to the bar to order a few drinks for the three british men. "since when do you know?" mount asks, almost hurt that he was the last one finding this out. he knows no one owes nothing to him, not after how it all ended, but it still hurts him to see you laughing with another man.

with kepa, nonetheless.

"i don't know, a few months?" he tilts his head back, taking a sip of his beer before he speaks again. "please, don't do anything you regret. we can go somewhere else if you want".

"no, no, i'm okay" mason says, or rather, lies. and even if christian knows it is, in fact, not okay, he doesn't say anything. rather, agrees with his friend, just in time for ben to bring the vodka shots he always ends up regretting in the morning, but still, downing them, one by one, until he couldn't think straight anymore.

"i hate to know i made you cry but love to know i cross your mind".

mason, whether he had done it on purpose or not, had been keeping tabs on you and kepa all night long. it seemed like the two of you were having a good time, laughing and dancing together, but not too close to bother your ex. he even thought that, maybe, christian had heard wrong: maybe you two were friends. yeah, it seemed like you two were close, but not romantically-involved close. mason knew it was of no use, hoping for you and kepa to not be together, given that there was virtually no chance of him getting you back. but still, knowing that you were with someone else, effectively, would turn his hopes to shreds.

he doesn't miss when you, seemingly, run away from the scene like you've caught fire, or something. he doesn't miss that it comes after your eyes meet, and then, when his companion scans the place to see what had triggered her that way and sees the midfielder, his jaw locks.

but he doesn't go after you.

he gets up before his friends realize, and disappears so quickly that christian and ben are left wondering when did mason vanish like that. he didn't even see where you were going before getting up, but he knew you, so his feet did the job of getting him where you were.

the cold weather hit him hard when he finally got outside, making your harsh words seem almost kind. "oh, great, just what i needed tonight. to see your stupid fucking face up close," you mutter, directing your hands back to your face, facing the pavement, and angrily cleaning up the tears under your eyes. "why are you crying?" was the first thing mason said after crossing the back door, and almost like it was second nature, slipping off his jacket to rest them on your bare shoulders.

"what the fuck, mason?" you get up angrily, brows furrowed while taking big steps towards him. you take the jacket off your figure quickly, to give it back to its owner, before his perfume can intoxicate you again. he doesn't take it, though, so you're left holding onto a piece of him, even if you don't want to. this is the first time, in the two years you've been broken up, that the conversation extends longer than a friendly greeting. "you don't get to ask for anything," you said, accentuating the you by pointing a finger into his chest accusingly.

"why are you crying?" mason repeats, maybe too worried to actually hear what you just have said. that he didn't get to ask you anything. "did he do something? i'll fucking kill him" he says, and you scoff at his boldness. how dare he.

"no, mason, he didn't do anything. he isn't you" it would be a lie to say that these words didn't destroy his soul. but still, his face remained stoic, hand always wanting to touch you but retreating at the last minute in case you didn't welcome his touch like you did before. it was meant to happen, he wouldn't be surprised by it, but he would continue hurting himself in the process.

"he's just too good for me. i keep waiting for him to fuck it up. to wake up one day with photos of him kissing some girl flooding every tabloid" mason winces at the memory, two years having gone by but still feeling the regret seeping into his blood flow. "but it never comes. and he waits for me. he's been waiting ever since you fucking tore my heart to pieces, and i can't keep on wasting his time because of you".

"'cause i'm not ready to find out you'd know how to forget me, even after all this time".

the silence has been heavy between you two since the admission. the music is loud enough to be heard from out here, but you want to finish this quickly. not only because you can't stand to be in mason's orbit again for more than five minutes, but because you know kepa must be on the other side, listening, even if it isn't what he wants. he doesn't want to intrude. all these months he has been kindly waiting for his chance, showing you he's the right one for you. and even if you, sometimes, still wake up thinking of mason, or even dreaming about him, he understands. you don't think he'll be around any longer if you don't give him the green light soon, and destroying this beautiful thing you've built due to the glooming shadow of your cheating ex doesn't seem right. it isn't.

"i'll say yes," you conclude, lifting your head from the pavement. he's standing on the way to the door, so you don't have any other choice but to walk straight towards him. you extend your arm again, trying to give him back his jacket for the final time, but again, he doesn't take it. instead, his hands fly to your wrist, and you're stuck there, too close to him again. "no, you won't," mason says through gritted teeth, and you scoff. "i'm not fucking asking!".

his caramel brown eyes have turned regretful from one moment to the other, and you have to look behind him to avoid feeling guilty about all of this. "and i'm not telling you, i'm begging you not to say yes" he says, looking for you eyes, but you don't give into it.

the cold london air is just what you need when you breathe, helping you sober up a bit more. reality washes over you, the hurt you've felt all this time, ever since you woke up one fateful morning to find the articles of mason and another girl too damn close to be just friends, no matter what he tried to explain to you they were. the anger is far gone now, only the disappointment is left in you. "maybe if you hadn't fucked it up the first time you wouldn't need to be begging for a second chance, mason".

#football imagines #football imagine #mason mount x you #mason mount x reader #mason mount imagine #mason mount x y/n #mason mount angst

289 notes · View notes

writingforatwistedworld · 2 years

Note

Hey there! So I've been wondering for awhile about the selfaware au,(i hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable if it does feel free to delete this request!) For diasomnia(particularly malleus and lilia) what would happen if fem! player gets pregnant?, Assuming that they're already at the wedded stage where the player is trapped in their respective house/palace and is married to them, how would they react to the news? Would they see the child as an extension of the overseer? Someone to also worship? Especially if the player married malleus and became the queen of briar valley their child being the heir, but what if it's lilia who's a former war general? On another note how would the faes in briar valley view the overseer's marriage if it was silver? Would there be like a sort glory to being the overseer's spouse and if so, is it right to assume that any noble house that marries the overseer would receive prestige? Overall how it could and would affect the hierarchy of the valley if the overseer were to marry and have a child with anyone from briar valley. I'm just really interested in the whole world building this au is capable of! I hope that this interests you and that i worded that properly! Thank you very much! Have a great day!

Since you seem mostly interested in Malleus, Lilia and Silver I will be writing for them. Please don't forget that my request limit are three characters.

Also, this will be gender neutral since you can have children even if you say you don't have a gender or identify as a male. You just need the working organ. (Also, I am no doctor of something like that)

Self-aware au

All of the written characters are aged up and at least eighteen years old!!!

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, pregnancy, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, religion, imprisonment, murder, death, obsession, possessiveness

Malleus Draconia/Lilia Vanrouge/Silver-Player gets pregnant (gn reader)

There you are, the greatest grace, the highest being, GOD THEMSELVES

Puking into the toilet

Usually Malleus would raise more of a fit if something like this happened but he knows what is going on

In fact, the entire Valley knows what is going on

And do believe me, my dear Overseer, they have gone from “let’s-imprison-them-out-of-love” to “they-aren’t-even-allowed-to-bathe-alone”

I have to admit,no matter how luxurious your lifestyle is, it’s very oppressing and stressful

Jokes on them because they want to avoid stress as much as possible

But how did this even start?

With Malleus fainting and hitting his head against the desk behind him (yes, it hurt him)

Ok need more info? Well then how about him nearly burning a forest down because he was a bit “too happy”

Also, there are suddenly way more guards in the castle

To his defense, he is having a child with God so...

Be ready to be hailed to death... figurative

There is a new temple build just for them, and a lot of prayer created, and statues carved, and you are more or less the subject of every singe discussion....

Wait... that last one is nothing new

But at least you are absolutely safe. Maybe a bit too safe.... that guard once looked at you and lost his head you know....

Oh wow.... you are in on a ride...

You know these huge families in which every single one of them is super hyped if one member is pregnant, treat them like they are made out of paper thin glass and think that their pregnant member can step on other pregnant people because duh

That's Lilia... not you and Lilia

Not Lilia and the entire Valley

Lilia alone

You won't be leaving that chair you are sitting on for an entire year

A year? But doesn't a pregnancy last nine months?

Well yeah but be is saying that “your body is exhausted and needs to recover”.... three months...

Also, Lilia mind is still from a time long ago so I wouldn't be surprised if he knows at the beginning more superstitions about pregnancies than actual facts

All the things, “a girl steals her parents beauty”, “you have morning sickness if you have a girl”, “the babies eyes are burned if you eat spicy stuff”, “cutting your hair could lead to the child having bad vision”, “you can only have children on a full moon”, ...

So be prepared to bear screams if you do completely normal things (sometimes, not always)

You have to plead to him to look up modern medical knowledge about pregnancies

He is somewhat bearable after that but I hope no one dares to visit especially now (except Malleus, Silver and Sebek of course)

Suddenly he is more like a card soldier than a general of the Thorn Valley

“Off with their head” and all of that you know....

Now, a human, I repeat, a human, somehow managed to make the Overseer fancy them

Gasps and sounds of fae fainting all over the place

If your significant other (or your kidnapper which is more realistic if we are being honest) would be a fae that would already have given them more power over the Valley than the Draconias could ever dream of having

Now imagine what new level of power a human would gain over the faes because of this

Non. You are correct

In fact, if you want Silver to be alive (or rather those who dare to threaten your harmonic relationship) then you should probably make it clear that everything is how you want it to be

You are not forced to be married to him! This is what you want! Not!!!

You totally aren't imprisoned! You just didn't like the outside! Not!!!

Everything is fine!

Despite being the youngest of them (by centuries) o do believe that he would be a pretty good father and also understand very well how pregnancies work

He was taught in school how it works, he had a happy childhood. What could he miss for a happy family?

Ok maybe you aren't here because you want to but what a happy pair you are on the photos!

Your eyes aren't glassy on them! Not at all! They are

The only wish he wouldn't fulfill is allowing you to leave

Why would you want to do that??! Have took care of everything!!! Don't leave him!

In the end he is the one who unlike the other two can be overpowered (even of the possibility is very slim) so he has to try... other means to make you stay

Don't worry dear! The potion doesn't harm the child. It just paralyzes your legs forever

930 notes · View notes

neontokyoo · 9 months

Text

The Struggles of Single-Parenting

Really quickly just to get things straight because people are wondering, requests ARE closed and may not be open again for a while. However, I'm leaving my inbox open, so feel free to share thirsts, talk with me, or just send me whatever's on your mind right now, whether it be q&a's or just silly ideas. And I'll still continue writing on my own. <3

So, as I said a while ago I've been really busy and my brother was shot, leaving me to fly down to Arizona to pick up my niece and fly back to California. And then when my boyfriend came to Arizona to fly us back (because his mom has flight benefits and helped us save money) he surprised me with a new puppy.

Fortunately, I had a little bit of time to write today while my niece was taking a nap, so here you guys go because I've been kind of dead trying to take care of a two-year-old, and a brand-new puppy while my roommate and boyfriend go to work every day. I think I'll be turning the children's fanfictions into a new series, too (for every character in both MTP and BSD) so be ready for some more chaotic fluff.

And for anyone who follows me on Wattpad and/or AO3, I may be linking the Bella series to Dazai Issues after the book is finished (if I ever finish it).

Unfortunately, this series may or may not come out in order, but I'll sort them out on my master lists the best I can.

Plus the name reveal of my new puppy!

Pairing: Dazai Osamu x Fem!Reader Genre: fluff Summary: You have to try to take care of Bella while Dazai is at work. To make matters worse? You also have to take care of a new puppy, all while being pregnant with your second child. Warnings: None

Eighteen weeks pregnant with your second child, you found yourself in the midst of delightful chaos. Your husband had left for work at the Armed Detective Agency, leaving you to handle your energetic two-year-old daughter, Bella, and a brand-new puppy named Ryuna.

As the morning sun painted your cozy home with warmth, you sighed, watching Bella chase Ryuna around the living room. The energetic giggles of your daughter filled the air, blending with Ryuna's excited yips. Balancing your growing baby bump, you decided it was time for strategic intervention.

"Bella, sweetie," you called with a gentle smile. "How about we read one of your favorite stories?"

Bella's eyes sparkled, and she immediately abandoned her pursuit of Ryuna to hop onto the couch next to you. She handed you a colorful book from the shelf, and you began to read aloud, your voice soothing and comforting. Ryuna settled down, curling up at your feet.

You weren't quite sure why—or how—you convinced Dazai to adopt a dog—considering how much Dazai hates dogs—while you already have enough on your hands with Bella, alone, but seeing how happy the dog made your daughter was enough for you.

Just as you reached the climax of the story, your phone buzzed. It was a message from Dazai: "How are my two favorite girls doing?"

You chuckled, typing a reply while Bella listened with rapt attention to the story. "We're having a lively morning! Bella and Ryuna are quite the duo."

Dazai's response came quickly, filled with his usual charm: "Make sure Ryuna doesn't outshine me!"

After finishing the story, you set Bella up with crayons and paper, encouraging her to draw while you tended to Ryuna's needs. Puppies, like babies, needed constant attention and care. You made sure Ryuna had water and a fresh place to sleep, which turned out to be your second attempt after she'd decided Bella's art supplies were a cozy spot.

During this momentary lull, you took a deep breath and decided to seize the opportunity. You retrieved your phone and started researching ways to prepare Bella for the arrival of her new sibling. As you read through the advice, you couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation about the changes ahead.

Bella's joyful laughter interrupted your thoughts, and you looked up to see her proudly showing you a scribbled masterpiece of stick figures and colorful swirls. With a proud smile, you applauded her effort.

"Mama, look! Art!" she exclaimed, beaming up at you.

"That's amazing, Bella! You're such a talented artist," you praised, feeling a sense of pride welling up within you.

The day passed in a blur of activities – from outdoor playtime in the garden to changing diapers and preparing meals. Your energy seemed to flow from an endless reservoir, fueled by the love you had for your daughter, the anticipation of your new baby, and the deep bond you shared with Dazai.

As the sun began to set, Dazai returned home, wearing his usual rakish grin. Bella's face lit up when she saw her father, and she ran to greet him. Ryuna, too, wagged her tail excitedly, completing the picture of a joyful homecoming.

"Hey there, my lovely ladies," Dazai cooed, scooping Bella into his arms. "Did you have a fun day?"

You joined them, resting a hand on your growing belly. "It was certainly eventful, but we managed just fine."

Dazai leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead. "I knew you could handle it."

As the evening settled in, you all gathered in the living room. Bella snuggled up next to you, Ryuna curled at your feet, and Dazai nestled in beside you. In that moment, surrounded by your growing family, you felt an overwhelming sense of contentment and love. The challenges of the day had only strengthened the bonds between you all.

With Bella in your lap, Dazai wrapped his arms around both of you, his love evident in his gaze. "Our little trio is the best team, don't you think?"

You nodded, a soft smile gracing your lips. "Absolutely. And soon, we'll be a quartet."

Dazai's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he placed a hand on your belly. "I can't wait to meet our newest addition."

As the evening wore on, you cherished these moments – the simple joys of togetherness, love, and the promise of a growing family. With each passing day, you were reminded that no challenge was insurmountable as long as you faced it with the unwavering support of your loved ones by your side.

#bsd fanfic #bsd #bsd x reader #bsd spoilers #bsd dazai #bungou stray dogs #dazai osamu #osamu dazai #dazai bsd #dazai x reader #bungou stray dogs dazai #dazai x y/n #dazai x fem reader #dazai x you #bungo stray dogs #bungo stray dogs x reader #bungou sd #bsd anime

75 notes · View notes

detectiveruebennett · 4 months

Text

set me free | sam wilson

summary: it is said that your skin will regenerate itself approximately every 27 days. although, that may be true... it's been two years. why doesn't it feel like it?

pairing(s): sam wilson x teen!black!reader [ minor natasha romanoff x teen!black!reader as well ]

warning(s): talks of sexual assault, panic attack

genre: angst, hurt/comfort words: 2,278

authors note: IF THE TOPIC OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IS TRIGGERING PLEASE DO NOT READ!!! the parts that are in italics are flashbacks to reader's nightmare. the flashback doesn't go into detail of the reader's SA, only Sam comforting them about the nightmare. this is a vent fic is based on my experience as a SA survivor. i use writing as a way of coping and stuff. it's free therapy. i've been sitting on this fic for over a year debating on if i wanted to post it and finally finished it. the ending is kinda rushed tho.

Two years ago, you died. Well, not physically. You were still breathing and everything. But that was when your innocence had retired. You never told anyone when it first happened. You were too scared of the consequences. And, by the time you hadn't, it seemed too late to speak up, in your opinion. There was nothing anyone could do now. He already ruined you. So, you just let it be.

Eventually, you learned from Sam and Natasha that your uncle was arrested for multiple charges of sexual assault. You were immediately overwhelmed with tears at the announcement, for you finally felt free. You began to laugh as well. The pair were quite confused as they watched you laugh and cry. A weight lifted off your shoulders that day as you finally could admit what he did to you. Sam suggested speaking up, but you were still very fearful of even being in the same room as him. It didn't matter that you'd be protected during the trials; the thought of it made you sick.

You still get nightmares from time to time. Sometimes, they were manageable. Other times, they were not. Last night, it seemed like luck was not on your side. You didn't get much sleep due to how bad this one was.

It felt too real as if he was watching in the shadows of your room. FRIDAY alerted Sam due to the spike in your vitals. You'd awakened in a state of panic. You sat in a pool of sweat as your heart pounded in your head.

Sam busted through the door in a frenzy. He hadn't noticed his mistake until you frantically hurried out of bed toward the widow bites on the desk. You trembled in the corner of the room as you pointed the weapon toward him. Sam lifted his hands as he attempted to persuade you to put the weapon down. "It's okay. You aren't there anymore. You're safe," he assured. "You can drop it. It's okay." He stayed in that spot, repeating those phrases until you lowered the weapon.

Finally, the widow bites hit the ground. You drop down along with it. Slowly, Sam takes a couple of steps toward you. Knowing you were still startled, he squatted down to your level to make himself less of a threat. He kept some distance between you, instructing FRIDAY to turn on the lights. "You're safe. I'm here. It's okay." You quivered in fear. Although you saw Sam before you, you only heard your uncle's voice -- the monster who took advantage of you. Your mind was playing tricks on you. "Breathe with me, yeah? Ready? One, two, three, four…." You obeyed his instructions.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Soon enough, your breathing went back to normal. Your sobs shift to hiccups and periodic sniffling. Sam waited for you to settle more before questioning, "Is it okay if I move closer?" He didn't want to set you off again.

You nod.

"Are you sure?"

You swallowed. "Yes," you whispered with a croaky voice.

Carefully, Sam scoots to sit beside you. He makes a point of keeping some space between you. You sit in silence for a while. He wants you to take control of the situation. He doesn't want you to feel pressured to talk. You recognized the silent act and appreciated him dearly.

"I… I thought I saw him." You glanced up at Sam; your voice was low, shaky. You pointed to the corner adjacent to you. "H-He was right there." Sam doesn't speak. He held out his hand as a silent invitation of reassurance. His eyes and the expression on his face held sympathy. You clutch his hand like your lifeline.

"He can't reach you anymore." Those five words caused a loud sob to escape. Sam pulled you onto his lap and nestled you as you let it all out. He couldn't prevent the tears from falling. Sam hated that this happened to you. No one deserves to feel manipulated and violated.

"God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

You sat there for who knows how long. Waves of grief and pain danced throughout the room as both of you cried. Sam grieved with you as you wept over the loss of who you once were. Truthfully, he felt responsible for what happened to you. The man wished that he was there to protect you that night.

He hadn't noticed that you'd fallen asleep until he heard the sound of soft snores. Guessing that you wouldn't want to sleep in your bedroom for the rest of the night, Sam slowly maneuvered himself to carry you to his room instead. Sam spotted your teddy bear in his peripheral vision as he approached the door and grabbed it before walking down the corridors. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about waking anyone else in the Compound because only You, Sam, and Natasha lived on this floor. As far as Sam knew, Natasha was still visiting her sister, Yelena, in Ohio.

Once he settled you in his bed, Sam made himself a makeshift bed on the floor at the end of the bed. Sam knew you'd end up scolding him in the morning for doing so, but he didn't care. He checked his phone for the time and noticed a message.

Message from Nat:

Hey. Friday alerted me that [Name] had a nightmare again. My flight isn't for another hour, but I'll be there before she wakes up. I know you've got them, so I'm not too worried. Update me tomorrow :)

Delivered at 2:35 a.m.

I finally got her back to bed. This one seemed much worse. I'll tell you more in the morning. Have a safe flight, Nat

Delivered at 3:56 a.m.

Sam checked up on you again before allowing himself to fall back asleep. "Sweet dreams, [Name]."

As you wake up, the scent of lavender and pine trees greets you. From beneath you, you can hear Sam snoring. Usually, you'd scold him for the potential back pain he'd experience later. But you were too exhausted today to do so. Despite your body's protests, your brain determines you are better off continuing your education. Some of you believe that connecting with friends will lift your mood. So you try not to wake up Sam and sneak back to your room to prepare for the day.

You were better off staying at home.

The school hours are a blur. You lack self-control. You are not present mentally. You've detached yourself from everything. You were tired of your peers and those who didn't know you well. You wrote your exhaustion off as pulling an all nighter, which wasn’t too much of a lie in your eyes. That was your explanation when confronted with your unusual behavior. Most people bought it. It took more sway from Peter, Ned, and Michelle. They stopped bothering you after you assured them you were okay, though you still occasionally felt some concern. When the day is done, you are overwhelmed by the amount of skin you would brush up against while walking through the hallways to your next destination. You're quick to pack your belongings and rush out of the building. You don't bother to say goodbye to your friends.

A black Corvette Stingray awaits you just outside the school's main entrance. "Hey, Solnishko," Natasha says as you enter the car. When you questioned Natasha one day during your training session, she explained that it meant "little sun." She described you as having a bright and fiery essence, similar to the sun. And you became her little sun from then on. However, her little sun isn't shining as bright as usual today.

The term endearment makes you smile but doesn't reach your eyes. Natasha doesn't comment on your gloomy disposition.

"Hi," you reply. "How was your trip?" The upbeat tone you desire does not come through. As Natasha drives away, you concentrate on the blurry scenery outside the window. You cringe internally at your lack of enthusiasm. Even though small talk is the last thing you want to do right now, you last saw Natasha a while ago. You were missing her presence.

"It was great. Later, I'll fill you in on everything." Only a murmur is returned, so the redhead ends the conversation there. The only sound on the return trip home is the radio playing at a low volume.

Natasha knows that you're not yourself. Your body language reeks of detachment. She doesn't take offense to the lack of expression you offer her. Sam gave her the run-down of last night's events once you left for school. She sees herself in you, and it pains her. The same drained look in her eyes after the memory of the past that Natasha pleaded to any god who would listen to escape. She knows how it feels to have her body controlled in such a terrible way - Innocence that was snatched away without any consent. It upset her terribly, but the most she can do is comfort you in any way she can.

Once you enter the Compound, she guides you to her room, knowing that you usually find solace in her bed compared to your own. "Do you want to talk about it?" You still stand at the edge of her bed, arms crossed against your chest as comfort. She sits with her back against the headboard, waiting for you to make a move yourself. She waits patiently for you as you ponder whether you want to relive the nightmare again. You crawl over to the opposite side of the bed and lie so your head rests in her lap. "You know, I was talking with Bruce the other day, and he told me our skin regenerates itself every 27 days," you say as she caresses your cheek. "It's been two years, Tasha; why can I still feel him?" Your voice cracks as the tears you've been fighting away resurface.

Natasha's throat runs dry at your words. She wants nothing more than to harm the man that hurt you. Of course, there isn't a time limit when it comes to healing from trauma, but she hates that this still affects you so profoundly to this day. "I don't know, Solnishko," she whispers. She's at a loss for words. She knows nothing she says will immediately take away the pain you experience. "I'm sorry I can't take the grief away, sweetheart. If I could, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"I know. But your presence is enough for me." You bask in each other's comfort for a while. "Is Sam still home?"

"Yeah, did you want to see him?" she asks, and you nod in response.

"Okay. Hey Friday?" she calls to the Artificial Intelligence. "Can you tell Sam to come to my room, please?"

"Of course, Ms. Romanoff," the AI replies after a beat.

After a few minutes, a knock sounds at her door. Granting the man entrance, Natasha gestures to the teen in her lap, who has their eyes closed. "Hi, honey," Sam greets them as he nears the edge of the bed. Slightly opening your eyes at the sound of his voice, you grin. "Hi, Sammy," you whisper.

"How are you feeling now?" He asks you. Observing your face, he can see signs of exhaustion in your eyes.

"Very drained," you admit. "But a little better now that both of you are here." As much as you love everyone on the team and have a strong connection with them, you've always been more connected to Sam and Natasha for some reason. And the two of them love you like their own. They both smile softly at that.

"How about we all take a nap, yeah? And then we can go out for dinner later?" Natasha suggests, looking at Sam for his thoughts on the suggestion.

He nods. "Sounds good to me. Is that okay with you?" He asks you for confirmation.

You nod in agreement. With a yawn from you, you all situate yourselves on Natasha's bed. Sam and Natasha lay on opposite ends, with you in the middle. They wait until your breath evens out before speaking quietly. "I might call the school tomorrow to excuse her. She needs a day for herself." Sam tells the redhead.

"Yeah, she needs it. Maybe we could plan an outing with the team for her." She kisses your forehead, brushing your braids out of your face. "Or just with us, depending on how she's feeling in the morning."

Sam nods at the idea and closes his eyes; Natasha follows suit. And for a while, it's quiet until he says, "You know, you'd make an incredible mother, Nat." The statement causes Natasha to open her eyes again and look at Sam. He knows the subject of motherhood is a touchy one, given her background, but he can't help but admit it. He honestly does believe his friend would be the best parent. "Thank you. You know, you wouldn't make too bad of a father yourself, Wilson. You already have the terrible dad jokes downpacked," she says with a light chuckle.

He sucks his teeth. "They not that bad."

She smirked lazily as the jet lag from the mission caught up to her. "Everyone else begs to differ."

"You think they'll be okay?" Sam asks as he stares at the sleeping teen between them.

"They always do. They have us in their corner to guide them," she reminds him, and he nods in agreement. If you were anything like either of them, you wouldn't let this throw you off track forever. You always bounce back from whatever obstacles life throws at you. With that, they fall asleep with a heaviness in their hearts for you, but they know you'll be alright.

#sa trigger warning #sam wilson #sam wilson x you #sam wilson x black!reader #black reader #spotfiy #ofblckwriters #marvel mcu #avengers #mcu #marvel imagine #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x black!reader #Spotify

18 notes · View notes

j2lx · 1 year

Text

Rainbow After the Storm (Maki x Reader Drabble)

Warnings: angst if you squint (just about being stressed and pressured), mentions of the Zenin clan (in relation to Maki and how they made her feel), overall just fluff about making each other feel better <3

A/n: I… I love this request so muchhhh ahhhhh!!! It's so cute and fluffy… and it's like something I never knew I needed in my life <3 I really love all the Maki requests so I'm hoping to get more from all of you! (I love her)

Ship: Maki Zenin x Gender Neutral!Reader

@nothin-l, here you go! Sorry it took so long for me to finish it 🥲 I hope you enjoy reading it

Being a Jujutsu sorcerer was bad enough on its own, but being a student at the same time? Basically torture. And yet, that's what you had to go through everyday, being a second year student at Jujutsu High. You can't say that you were used to having schedules packed to the brim, or having to receive criticism from the higher ups whenever you completed a mission in a way that they didn't approve of, but you had your girlfriend by your side, and that made everything so much better.

You don't have to say much when you step into your girlfriend's room after a bad day. You'll find Maki on her bed, having already showered a while ago, or sitting in front of her desk, trying to finish an assignment due soon. No matter what she's doing, she's always ready to embrace you and comfort you after a long and tiring day.

The two of you often take the time to shower together before snuggling in bed, holding each other tight. She holds you close to her heart, letting you hear her heartbeat. It was calming, knowing that she was there, right next to you, holding you. You would snuggle into her chest as she strokes your hair gently, allowing you to relax. No words are exchanged, but even so, you feel so assured and safe. She waits for you to speak, waiting for however long, not wanting to press you for information on what was troubling you.

When you eventually open up to her about how bad your day was, she listens quietly before pressing a kiss to the top of your head once you had finished telling her all about it. She cups your face in her hands, and looks into your eyes, telling you about how proud she is, and about how amazing you are. Because more than anything, Maki wants to let you know that you're the number one, the very best in her heart, and even if the day somehow doesn't go your way, she'll be there for you, supporting and rooting for you no matter what.

~♡~♡~♡~

Your girlfriend was no stranger to having bad days either. Days that the higher ups reminded her of how the Zenin clan used to treat her, days that she exhausted herself both physically and mentally with classes, training and missions the whole day. She might not be as expressive as you were about having a bad day, but you've been with her long enough to pick up on the small signs that you need to comfort her.

When Maki has a bad day, you'll drop whatever you were doing just to make sure she's ok. Making sure that she's hydrated, that she has eaten, and more importantly, making sure that you give her the cuddles and reassurance she deserves. Regardless of how busy you are with schoolwork, you always make sure to prioritise your girlfriend whenever she's just not feeling great because of what had happened throughout the day.

You pull her onto your lap after settling onto the bed or the small couch in your room, and let her just close her eyes for a moment. If she falls asleep, it's all well and good. And if she doesn't, you'll wait. You'll wait for as long as it takes for her to open her eyes again, moving to slowly adjust herself to sit on your lap and look at you, before telling you what had happened. You have to admit that it's tough for her, her past still haunting her in the back of her mind as she tries to move on. Going through events that trigger all those bad memories again.

You know you can't do much, that you can't erase those memories from her mind, so you just hold her close. You tell her that she's doing really well, affirming and praising her for being so strong. You wrap your arms around her tighter, hoping that your actions are enough to make her feel better again.

~♡~♡~♡~

Of course, having bad days together was far from uncommon. Considering that the both of you were both second years, you both had the same workload in terms of schoolwork. Both of you were assigned rather tough missions ever since you became second years too, which didn't help with the already stressful circumstances you were in.

Often, the two of you would find yourselves clinging onto each other, not wanting to move at all, after both of you have had a stressful and agonising day. The warmth from each other's bodies were so comforting and just made the both of you feel better. The whole time, none of you spoke, and waited for the other person to talk about their day. But most of the time, you two just spend that time in silence, since you could both guess how the other's day went.

Maki would let you sit on her lap in times like this, and she would stroke your back slowly as a way to help you feel more at ease. You play with Maki's hair at the same time, running your fingers through her soft and smooth hair, untangling any tangles in it as gently as you could. The two of you would usually do that until one of you starts to talk, while the other listens and tries to make them feel more relaxed.

Bad days are plenty, especially when you're both a Jujutsu sorcerer and student at the same time. The world sometimes just isn't on your side, and the day ends on a bitter note. Well, it would if you didn't have your girlfriend to make it all hurt less, to make the day end off just fine, despite all the stress and anxiety you've experienced throughout the day.

Your girlfriend understood you like no other, and vice versa. That's why the two of you would be fine, as long as you were together. Through rain or shine, good or bad, you had each other. And it was just fine that way.

I love Maki so so much ahhhh and I really love writing for her!!! I'm honestly quite pleased at how this one turned out and I hope you enjoyed reading!

124 notes · View notes

luckyshotwrites · 6 months

Text

Ch. 93 // They Don't Understand You Like I do // XXX

Contents (Warnings): Drake Makes a Deal (Angst, slight blood warning, character and monster info as always). Read full chapter on A03

Wordcount: 4,600+

Song I correlate to this Chapter: Sleepwalk - Forrest Day

-------------------------------------------------------------------

(Roughly 4 and a quarter years ago)

Drake

The surge of nightmare-fueled pain woke him up. He fought to remove his covers and laid there motionless when he did. Every other night, he'd have a twisted dream. Sometimes, it involved his family discarding him; other times, it was like the event that happened a few weeks ago.

I hate being so damn useless. Drake forced himself to sit up. His hair fell over his eyes, making it nearly impossible to see through it. I should cut my hair. He attempted to redirect his mind from the vivid scene of the two vampires in the abandoned hospital.

He lazily groaned, twisted his body, and slapped down at his phone on the end table. He clutched it and pulled it from the charger. He brought it to his face. It glowed past his hair, barely readable. It's already noon. He dropped his arms and muttered incoherently.

He got out of bed, nearly tripping over the covers he knocked to the floor. He yawned, threw them back onto the bed, and then went to the closet to get his clothes. He lifted his phone to his face to check over the messages from the night before.

We're watching that horror movie tonight. Drake thought as he picked out something for later. Not that he assumed it mattered much. This time, he picked a 'safer' group of humans to hang out with, even though they were older college students. The worst they did was drink and act recklessly. Not that he couldn't stop them.

He took a shower and got ready in a light gray hoodie, black sweats, and Converse. However, something else caught his ears as he went down the steps. Their sound was unfamiliar.

The further he went down the second flight of grand stairs at the center of the home, the easier he heard the voices from the kitchen. I need to get into the kitchen. He wanted to get a drink.

He sighed. I'll ignore them.

Drake got to the doors and threw them open. His eyes trailed to the new blue-haired male, who gave a small wave, and then to Ulysses.

"Hey, Drake, morn-afternoon." Ulysses's voice always came off sheepish around Drake.

You're trying too hard. Drake remarked in his head. He nodded, acknowledging them both before going to the fridge.

"You're his younger brother, right? Ulysses has told me a bit about you." The blue-haired male offered his hand. "I'm Ace."

Drake's eyes traced over the hand the magus offered him, "What did he tell you?" He looked over at his brother before he opened the fridge door.

"I only got your good side," Ulysses's tittered laugh scratched Drake's ears. He rolled his eyes and got out a pack of blood.

"Are you visiting?" Drake asked Ulysses.

"For a bit," Ulysses said. "There's a party near town, and we're on break."

Ace finished drinking his water, "We should invite that new girl, Charletta. She seems so powerful and cool."

Ulysses nodded, "Koi doesn't seem bad either."

Drake took his first sip, tuning them both out. He would have left if Wenna hadn't popped in.

"I KNEW I HEARD YOUR VOICE, ULYSSES!!!" Wenna threw herself from the door, wrapped around him, and hugged her brother tight.

Drake bit down and punctured the 'straw' like the top of the blood packet.

"Hey, Wenna," Ulysses pet her head.

I have to get out of here. Drake hurried to leave. Wenna cheered upon seeing him, too.

"Drakie!"

"Nope. I have to go study." Drake lied and avoided her arms. He wouldn't say it; he refused to feel the warmth from any of them. Drake chose to focus on the vicious intent in their eyes. They only want my blood.

...

He pretended to go to their campus, claiming he was getting a degree as a linguistics major. He was glad they didn't ask more regarding his classes but also disappointed because he wanted to explain further about the degree. It was something he thought about doing in the future.

Drake jumped into their conversations whenever he could and held himself back during others. He wanted to be cool, so he threw down a funny or sarcastic comment from time to time.

Drake wanted to maintain a level of mystery and intrigue, too. They wouldn't get bored if they didn't know too much about him. Drake expected this to be it; they would split off and go to their cars, but one of them recommended the ice cream shop two blocks down.

He felt lost in their conversations as they got closer to the shop—their heartbeats and those from the few they passed were loud to Drake. He could tell who liked who, when someone felt uncomfortable, who tried to distract themselves from something embarrassing they said. He picked up and heard it all.

It left little to the imagination. Drake couldn't feel what they felt but understood it enough to know what each beat meant. Regardless of the heart's uniqueness, each beat had a different sound—playing the same notes.

Suddenly, a familiar sound caught his ears. He traced over those walking ahead and panned to the figure walking toward them. Drake fought with his heels. They wanted to turn and run.

What is he doing here?

"Drake!" The curly-haired male's voice came out in a hum. Those in the group looked back at Drake. I can't let them see me as a coward. He justified staying there.

"Hey...Andras?"

"A friend of yours?" One of the dudes' asked.

"More of a stranger," Drake commented softly.

"I'm his best friend, actually." Andras said, walking between them, "It's nice to meet you guys."

You're not going to meet them. Drake wouldn't introduce them to who he thought was a killer.

"I'll catch up with you guys." Drake turned around to head back to the movie theater.

When they were far enough away and no one else was nearby, Drake spoke, "Have you been stalking me?" What am I supposed to do if he says yes?

"Stalking you? No." Andras's voice left plainly. The beat of his heart was consistent enough. It doesn't seem like he's lying. "I have a proposition, though."

Drake responded quickly, "I'm not interested."

His attention drifted to Andras, afraid of what the guy might do. He prepared himself to stop any grabs. "Okay, how about a question instead." Their eyes met briefly. "Why were you utterly terrified of those lowly vampires?"

The curly-haired male strung all the wrong cords, "I wasn't scared." Drake lied, not even well, either.

"That's my point. You have all the power over them. Why don't you use it?"

Drake's nose scrunched, and his eyes finely encompassed Andras. He's taunting me. Drake kept his tongue curled in his mouth and held everything he wanted to say.

The amused expression on his face curved higher, reflecting a white reflective tape-like shine in his faint gray hue. "There's a reason you didn't use magic, huh?" He scoffed, "Don't tell me you felt pity for those who didn't care for you."

His aggravation was a poor sheath for his fangs. "I'm not stupid," Drake replied brusquely.

"Well," Andras said—he stopped at the wall of the theater near an exit. "The only other reason would be due to lack of energy. And if that was the case," he spun his finger around and then made it land in Drake's direction. "you'd be dead."

"It's none of your business."

Andras moved his pointer finger from Drake to the air, "It's not your fault either, is it?" He then clapped both of his hands together. "It's genetic, isn't it?"

How am I supposed to respond to that? Anything Drake could say would sound suspicious. He took too long.

Andras pushed off the wall, "You have a genetic issue that doesn't allow you to use magic effectively? Interesting." The brown, curly-haired boy approached Drake again. "I still wasn't wrong. You can easily control them even with that."

What the hell is he talking about? "You're delusional."

He shook his head, and his curls followed. "If you have something that someone else wants, you can control them," Andras said. "In your case, your blood."

Drake scanned around them even with the absence of heartbeats. He needed to make sure. Once a monster tastes your blood, that's it. Some even react to the sheer smell of it." Adding to Drake's ire, he boasted. "They'll do whatever they can to get it."

No matter what his instincts told him, Drake moved closer. "How am I supposed to control them when they're like wild animals!"

His snickering and refusal to retreat from Drake's approach made him want to hit Andras. There's no way I'd win that fight.

"You simply take that power you have over them."

"There is no power."

"How much are you willing to bet?" The smug male's grin strung up wider—unnaturally so.

Drake ignored the slow quake of his body. Stop it, body; I'm not running away. "I'm not going to make any deals with you."

Andras chuckled surprisingly lightly. It didn't hold a threat, "Fair." He took out his phone and typed something, then showed it to Drake. It was an address and instructions. "I'll show you what I mean if you meet me here with a vial of your blood."

Andras held up a finger, "and before you say it. You can bring whoever you want to ask for help to come along, Drake." He only showed it this way because there was no way Drake was handing out his number to him. "Stop by tomorrow with whoever you want," Andras waved his hand and continued to walk down the street. He still yelled, "I think you're strong on your own, though!"

Drake quickly typed the directions and instructions he read on his phone. He looked at the notes he had compiled. He must think I'm stupid. Why would I ever give anyone a vial of my blood?

...

Why am I doing this? Drake asked himself while he fiddled with the vial in his front hoodie pocket. He moved it between his fingers as he walked.

I know this is a trap. Drake couldn't get the idea out of his head. Andras could beat Drake; he had no reason to orchestrate this.

His claws tapped the tips of the vial. I don't trust him. Nevertheless, he came alone.

He didn't trust anyone he knew around his blood, and the only others he'd consider friends were humans. He couldn't rely on their help.

The streets were clean, a few people walking amongst them to nearby restaurants and stores.

As Drake approached the gentlemen's club, 'loose strings', he felt increasingly uneasy about it. It was broad daylight. His hoodie was up mostly to cover him from the sun's UV light, though it didn't burn or kill him outright. It weakened his body like other vampires, while the moonlight was too dim to do anything. Drake also felt timid embarrassment—if anyone saw him here, they'd think he was some pervert.

Why does he work here? He shimmed down the back alley, looked for the door marked with employees, and knocked. The metal rumbled under his knuckles, and he distinctly heard steps, voices, and their hearts from beyond it. Two so far.

The door flung open seconds later, and Drake was face to face with Andras.

"Nice to see you again, Drake," Andras said. He came out the door and wrapped his arm around Drake's shoulders before he could react. He wanted to fight it but allowed the curly-haired male to direct him inside. The place was dim—only a singular bluish light emitted from the far corner. Many poles, tables around them, and booths were on the far sides. Everything faced the stages.

The slam of the door behind him stirred him to jump enough and pull from Andras. A woman laid her back upon it. When Drake turned back, seeing Andras's smirk, mockingly so.

"I don't like being touched." He covered up his nervousness. He then reached his hand into his pocket and handed Andras the vial.

This doesn't seem right. I'm giving some maniac my blood. Drake peered over at Andras, inspecting it.

"This is great!" The male with three dots in a line under his eye said. He still walked, and Drake followed. He then grabbed a sack from one of the tables and tossed it to his left.

Drake caught it and felt the odd, sharp lumps inside. They weren't solid enough to be glass. He opened it up and saw the few stacks of money. "Why are you giving this to me."

"You think I wouldn't compensate you for this," Andras said, his eyes not fleeing from the vial.

Drake's parents were well off, but he never received money like this.

"Now, let me show you what I meant yesterday." He led Drake further back, past some red velvet ropes. Drake followed begrudgingly. He avoided touching the chairs or walls as they went down a strip of hall.

"You don't look much older than me. It's weird to think you run this place."

He looks younger.

"It's a good cover for business because no one cares what goes on here as long as the customers leave happy," Andras said, then his tone shifted. "But don't worry, you won't let customers walk all over you either."

With a tone of unwavering confidence and stonewall sternness, he culled Drake's ears.

He slowed as they approached the other person he knew lying behind the black curtains. He expected a performer, not a man in a suit taking a long drag of a cigar. Drake's eyes went from him to the small tables and booth encompassing the room. It was also bigger than where they came.

I don't think that man's human. He's probably in a human case. They weren't common, but Drake knew of them.

"Who's that?"

Andras sat down and ushered for Drake to sit beside him. Drake did so. I have the same question. Andras held the vial in his palm for the man to take.

"Try this and tell me what you think."

"I wanted a hum-"

"I said, try it."

The man looked to have a mixture of fear and respect for Andras—enough to take the vial. In mild disgust, he stared at Drake.

"You'll love it," Andras said.

Drake couldn't pry his eyes from the curtains. He couldn't get the images out of his head. Drake knew what would happen next. He kept his hands on his lap, awaiting the rush as soon as the man drank it.

I can beat him. Drake made sure to come to this with full energy. The gulp sounded loud, he figured, due to his focus. His wine-red hue flicked to the man momentarily. As Drake watched, his outer appearance, which was no different from a man in his thirties, burst like a balloon. It revealed a much larger creature underneath it. A sleek gray and spotted one with bulging yellow eyes, snarling fangs, and spiked thorns sticking up from its humanoid back. It looked like a human-like hyena.

Drake sprung up, Andras grabbed his arm then threw him back on the booth. And before the man could fully launch himself at Drake, Andras pulled out a concealed blade and stabbed it right into the male's shoulder.

It stuck him to the booth as he howled in pain.

"That's no way to treat someone who gave you their blood." Andras put his foot up and near the hip of the much larger monster. Fearlessly, Andras had his face right before the thing that could probably bite his head clean off. His hand didn't let go of the blade, and he twisted it in the wound. "Apologize."

Drake didn't move. He watched the blood squirting and falling to the cushions. He then looked at the monsters tail sway above its head, pointing directly at Andras's head like a skewer. There was an intense stare between him and the magus.

Even with Andras's back to Drake, he could feel the smile he wore. He knew he begged the monster to do something else.

The monster broke first and turned to Drake, "I-I'm sorry..."

Sorry? Drake could still clearly see the craving in his gaze.

Andras looked back at Drake, "do you forgive him?"

The question stunned Drake, of course not. Drake wanted to say that. He didn't. "U-uh, yeah." If he kills you, I'm screwed.

"Do you want more blood?" Andras turned to the monster.

"Yes." The monster said without hesitation.

Drake jumped. "What."

Andras didn't turn to Drake this time. "Then you plead to him for it."

The monster wanted to refuse, wincing at the blade. Andras picked up the empty vial from the empty table and put it by the monster's nose. "You want to taste that blood again, don't you? It'll make you stronger." He said.

Drake expected another charge, even with the blade in his shoulder. That didn't happen.

"Please." The monster told Drake. "Let me drink more."

Drake had never heard that word before. He felt increasingly uncomfortable as he saw the monster's desperation grow.

He leaned forward, trying to taste from the vial, and Andras pulled it back. "I'll pay anything, anything you want."

Drake's thoughts were empty.

Andras leaned his head back, exposing his neck to the monster. "And you say you hold no power—look how pitiful he is." The curly-haired magus said, "You hold all the power here, Drake, so you decide."

No. "I'll waste my energy." Why am I even considering this!?

Once again, the curly-haired boy threw his head back and offered Drake a hand, "don't worry, I'll supply you with energy if that's your concern."

Why? Why would he even do that? Drake knew it would hurt, and this was not a vampire or vampire beast like him.

He nodded. Andras yanked the blade from its shoulder. It whined aloud.

"Don't tear my arm off," Drake ordered. Why am I seriously considering this?

The monster leaned into the arm that Drake offered.

It latched to his arm quickly, making Drake want to tug it away. He disliked the firm hold it had on his appendage and the sound of it lapping up his blood.

His other hand held Andras's wrist, and he could feel the energy Andras sent into his body. He's upholding his end of the deal.

He jolted when the monster started to pull harder and puncture his arm deeper.

Drake's other free arm came up. He swiftly grabbed under the monster's jaw, digging his clawed fingers into it. It stopped.

"DON'T TEAR MY ARM OFF." Tendrils of Drake's animosity lashed at the monster with Drake's hiss.

That was the first time he saw it—fear that he caused. He released them after that. The monster obeyed him.

"See." Andras's voice whispered. "I told you."

Drake faintly nodded. His voice had never come out that powerful before.

He touched his throat as if something else inside him caused that. The monster didn't go for much longer. Andras escorted it out while Drake sat back.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Andras broke the stunned silence when he returned. He sat across from Drake in the large room.

He looked at his that had long healed. "Not the biting part."

Andra threw his head back and snickered, "It doesn't look pleasant, no."

Drake shifted, not wanting to sound impressed. "He listened."

"Mhm," Andras said. His pale eyes checked over Drake. "You realize you're a vampire beast, much stronger than a vampire, regardless of your 'defect,' right?"

"How do you know you didn't stage this."

"You don't," Andras shrugged. He put his arms up and over the top of the booth's back. "However, let me tell you this, Drake. If I intended to betray you as soon as you joined, what's stopping me?" He pointed his finger next to Drake. "You didn't bring anyone. I could have taken the energy I gave you back, left you weak, and kept you."

"Yeah." Why didn't you?

"Then why do you assume I'd stage it? Wouldn't it be easier just to kidnap you?" Andras questioned rhetorically. "I wouldn't have to pay you that way or prove a point."

Drake thought about it. He looked at the money on his other side. "You did all this to prove a point?"

He smirked, "Yes, and to ask you if you'd like to join me."

Drake narrowed his gaze. There it is. "And if I say no?"

"Your loss."

Drake listened cautiously for lies. Andras remained calm. There's always an odd calm about him. "I've seen what you've done to your 'employed.'"

Andras sat forward, "You mean those two diluted? I found them complaining about their lack of opportunity and power. I gave them power after, and they still didn't uphold their end of the deal." Andras sighed, "I supply my clients with a means, and they must pay me what's due."

He looked Drake up and down. "If I hire you, you'll be paid for your services, well fed, and protected if necessary. And most importantly, clients will listen to you; if they don't, you make them. And I'll show you how." Andras stood up and offered a hand. "It's ultimately up to you, Drake. You can join me or not."

He loses here. I don't know what he'd gain from making this mutual. Drake's hand nervously came up. He could overpower me. So why would he offer me this? Offer to teach and make me stronger.

Drake's hand clasped with his. "I'll join you."

...

It had been two months. Drake still wasn't infatuated with the idea of his blood being another monster's drink.

Though, at the same time, he liked the power it gave him. He never felt like he had control over something. It's what made Drake go back day after day.

It's also the reason he was leaving earlier today. Alexander outperformed even Ulysses, and his mom wouldn't shut up.

"Hey, honey, how did training go for you yesterday? You never told me."

Drake peered up from his phone to look at his mom. She's only saying that to seem like she cares. Drake lied to his parents. He told them he was back in martial arts again.

"Fine," Drake said.

He flinched when his mom sat next to him. He got up immediately. "I should be going to the studio."

"Isn't it a little early?"

"I can maybe train with the master," Drake said as he left the room.

"Oh, okay." He heard her broken tune. "Be safe!"

He ignored it and went down the hall, heading toward the entrance. He would have taken his car, but he knew his luck; they'd see it parked by the gentlemen's club and assume something.

Before he could reach it, another stopped him. "Drake, have you seen Alexander?"

He met her gaze. She was taller than him in her human case, too. And nearly as tall as Alexander. A messily twirled ponytail adorned her lighter brown hair. It swayed momentarily from her shoulder blades when she immediately stopped.

Her heartbeat read panic.

"No." Good thing, too. I don't want to deal with him. He held back his sympathy.

"Darn it, I don't know where he's run off to." She pursed her thin lips together. She ran her lower lip under her teeth before catching Drake once more when he tried to go around her. "Has he been acting strange to you at all?"

"No," Drake answered. I'm neither his babysitter nor hang out with him; he just follows me around.

She put her hands to her face, "I feel like he's been avoiding me lately." She jogged in place. "Not that I didn't expect it, but-" She threw her hands into her hair and messed up her ponytail. "Ah, that kid!"

I wonder what he did this time. Drake's skeleton nearly leaped from his body. He was so distracted with her that he didn't notice the other person behind him. He turned back to lash out until they playfully threw up their hands.

"What's got you so jumpy, Drake." Pete's laugh always left his lips so softly. He nodded toward his wife. "Is Olcay harassing you?"

It's more like I'm trying to leave, and she's in the way.

"Alexander's gone!" Olcay exclaimed as if it was a dire emergency.

"Maybe he's out finding a tall beauty of his own," Pete's blew her a kiss, and she pouted.

"Pete's stop it! He didn't even tell us he was going out this time!"

Drake successfully walked around Olcay this time. He wasn't going to stick around and witness their romantic advances. Besides, he didn't care much about the whole thing. He had work to do.

...

He rubbed the back of his neck. Why did I think that would be a good idea? If a vampire tried to drink from his neck again, he vowed to kill them.

He took a deep breath of the pine and slowed down. It's him. His eyes brushed across the forest floor. They fell upon the figure a meter or so away.

He was sleeping before, so Drake didn't catch him, but something stirred Alexander awake. Why is he out here? Drake's thoughts grumbled about in his head.

"Drake?"

Alexander got to his feet and approached.

I could run home. His house was pretty close.

"Why are you out here, alone?" Drake groaned to show his lack of enthusiasm.

"What? I can't enjoy the outdoors?" Alexander snarkily said. Before Drake heard him sniff the air, "Why do you smell like you've been bleeding?"

Drake's muscles compressed, ready for action. This is what I get for trying to use reversal magic myself instead of letting them do it.

He awaited the fight that Alexander didn't show any interest in having. He's not reacting.

Drake hid his worry. "Who cares." He continued his walk to the house.

"Hey," Alexander unexpectedly grabbed Drake's shoulder. Drake flung his hand around and clenched around Alexander's. Seeing that his claws couldn't break or squeeze him hard enough, he felt frustrated.

"You put your hand on me again, and I'll rip it from your body." Drake rolled it off his shoulder and soaked his words in animosity.

Alexander held against it. "I leave you alone when you tell me why the hell do you reek of your blood? What happened?"

"I don't have to answer to you."

"Did someone take your fucking blood or not?"

Drake's eyes narrowed. He flipped back and yelled. "SHUT THE HELL UP AND MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS."

Alexander flinched but didn't move.

Drake continued in his peeved fury. "All you do is follow me around when I fucking hate you, you damn prodigy. Stop acting like I'm so helpless that I need your damned help."

"I know you don't."

Drake growled, "Then why do you keep buzzing around me? I don't need a babysitter. And I certainly don't want you around!" He raised his arms and threw them down, "I doubt anyone wants you around."

Alexander lowered his head and gave off a pained laugh, "Yeah, like I don't fucking know that."

"Then why are you still here."

Alexander didn't answer.

The sound reverberated inside Drake's eardrums. It was as if Alexander's heart was forcibly curling in on itself.

His face didn't show it. Alexander's face only reflected anger—anger Drake knew was fake.

Alexander gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, then turned around. "Go ahead then, Dumbass." He went walking back to his spot. "Get yourself killed."

...

Hey, you, thank you so much for reading. I'm glad I put out a story that people can enjoy! I hope you continue to enjoy it as WE have a LOT more to go! YOU BETTER KEEP PROSPERING! (Nonnegotiable, as always~).

First Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Catch up, see some maps/art, or check the latest release dates down below ↓ ↓ ↓

What I’d do for a Livable Income Part 2 (Synopsis/Chapter - List)

#widfali #vore story #vore writing #v.ore #soft vore #v/ore #v.0re #v/0re #slight blood mention #nonsexual vore

12 notes · View notes

seeminglyseph · 19 days

Text

reading Dungeon Meshi like 'hmmmm.... yeah. I *should* make the effort to put together a good breakfast.'

sometimes it feels shitty because like. it's hard to make food matter to me. but fuck it. sometimes I can. and I know part of it is that I just need to like... have control over my life, and because I have an unhealthy living environment food ends up one of the things that gets made collateral damage of me having mental health issues. because like... I'll literally be eating one things and my mom will walk up and be like "there's other food you could be eating why aren't you eating that?" and it's like. literally just eating is an intense fucking personal negotiation and personal politics game of planning and bartering and never 'I wanted to eat this thing' or whatever, it's like balancing my mom's reactions and my mental health and eating disorder and whether I can maintain an appetite in the face of overbearing control?

It has gotten stressful enough in the past where I just end up puking instead of eating. so it's like. difficult and very stressful. and I'm just feeling so on edge right now. I know my like. blood pressure? is high right now for some reason. I guess probably because I'm like. my period is so irregular and I think stress makes it worse and it's fucking. supposed to happen. I don't know why it's just not happening. It's supposed to have happened. It's not like I'm skipping a period 'cause I'm pregnant, maybe I'm just stressed. but like. it's always weird when my resting bpm goes from from like 59 to 66 for the week. it usually means PMS and I'm about to have my period. and in general I feel stressed and sick and exhausted and I just. feel like I don't have a whole lot of patience??? and right now it's just like. "I'm not always available, stop asking me to take off my headphones and talk to you especially when it's like. 'hey I talked to you five minutes ago, I don't have anything new to say, just chatting again' and I'm in the middle of stuff you just happened to walk by me again.' like we share a space and I'm wearing headphones and we've talked about this. me existing in your line of sight doesn't mean I'm available." I feel like I'm gonna explode. or come across like a bad person just for having to keep having the conversation like "just because you can see me doesn't mean I'm open for conversation, sometimes I need to just have some time to myself. I wear headphones because I don't want to force you to be quiet when I'm in a shared space, but you cannot assume I'm always listening to you, or that I'm always ready and willing to listen to you. It is difficult and kind of frustrating to be trying to focus or work on something and be constantly interrupted."

Like, yes we are working on cleaning out and renovating the room that will become my office but my mom has just now decided that she's changed her mind and she wants to remove the carpet and redo the flooring which depending on if she actually does it might add a week or 6 months-2 years to the project. I have no way of knowing. The room has already sat for three years full of junk with a promise of being cleaned. so it's hard to know when things will be done. and with summer coming up and my mom's priorities immediately going out the window when there's outside things to be done it's like. impossible for me to really count on anything. All the windows in that area of the house are the original from when the house was built and have pretty terrible insulation. she doesn't see that as a huge issue, but the pain on one of the walls of the room has a large bulge of water damage from the window condensation dripping down and damaging the paint job, so if we repaint whatever the wall I gotta figure out what we're doing. And I think I wanna change the lighting situation because to be honest the lighting in those rooms is kinda bullshit. Having lived in those rooms most of my life. I'm not sure if she's willing to listen though because half the time I will wake up and she's done something on her own.

She says we are living together collaboratively, but it's definitely me living in her house and she doesn't want me to exert too much control or do anything too far because it's not *really* my space. She's still thinking more of resale value than customization. which is fine but like... it makes *me* feel temporary sometimes. I feel like a renter who can't risk too much damage, because the renovations are actually for next tenant not me, the person living here.

And I know a lot of people are like "yeah of course your mom's probably ready have you out of here, you've really overstayed your welcome. you're way too old to live at home." and I feel that pretty hard for sure. severe disability makes that a lot more difficult in reality. a lack of resources and a surplus of debt, a housing crisis and an economic collapse... and just. I dunno I suck I guess? does it help if I just admit that I suck? I fell for some scam schools? I had a some bad medical treatment that fucked up my brain and body? I dealt with a lot of abuse? Honestly a lot of that support people are supposed to get growing up just kinda didn't happen for me? Sometimes I was just unlucky or stupid? I don't know. In the end, I get it. I'm not in the most respectable place right now. but it still sucks. It sucks to need help and like. If you have a kid you gotta like... accept sometimes that kid is gonna have a disability, might have chronic illnesses and need help.

I know that sounds so fucking selfish, but even for people that aren't me. Like what's the time limit of taking care of a kid that has a disability? like if it wasn't me, if it wasn't a 35 yr-old nerd you felt okay making fun of mooching off their mom, is it cool being like 'yeah there's a time limit for when you're allowed to be taken care of and in need of support and help?' because that's kinda a terrifying thought. because admitting I need help in life is like. The reality of my existence. I'm afraid to live alone because I feel like there have been moments where I've needed help. But at the same time it puts me at the mercy of someone. And being at the mercy of someone is really... shit. At least when that someone is extremely controlling. and in a lot of my experience people get really controlling when they help people because after a while it's like... 'I have a right to control what you do because you're going to ask me to help you with the repercussions. and if I have to deal with the repercussions, I should control what you do.'

Which spins back to my mom getting really really controlling over my diet. She ends up feeling that she can make me un-sick if she has complete control over what I eat, and she's felt that way since, obviously, I was a kid. unfortunately she doesn't often have a lot of knowledge about food. And went through a big Dr Oz phase. I got put on fad diets like the one where I couldn't have any sugars or carbs or starches when I was 18, hell when I hit puberty and started putting on fat like... a normal AFAB teenager does there was a lot of concern and I ended up uh. having a diet that consisted largely of a stick of beef jerky and one bottle of pepsi a day for most of the year while I was also doing sports, I was in school at the time so she didn't have a lot of control over things at that time just commenting on things like how jiggly my thighs were getting and stuff. then when I got a job at a drug store and bought myself snacks and gained rebound weight it was... like. the worlds greatest tragedy. "You have your father's genes. And soon you'll fit into them." was her great zinger. Ironically like. Yeah, I did have my dad's genes. I was like his side of the family, short and stout. And my mom's side of the family was fucking skinny. so part of it is like... my mom just really struggled with the idea of 'why can't you just not put on weight like I don't???' like sorry I got dwarf genes instead of ethereal elf genetics bitch.

this has turned into like the most unhinged rant, I have no idea. I'm sore, I'm tired, and my heart is beating kinda weird. I just ugh. everything feels gross right now. I feel stressed and frustrated and I don't know specifically what I want or need? but I feel like I can't express it properly.

#my life

2 notes · View notes

asknoahpuck · 2 months

Text

( @kurthq )

Things had been weird between Puck and Kurt since their drunken fumble, a moment the football player is pretending he doesn't remember. To be fair, he had actually forgotten at first, when the other first asked him what he remembered, but it came back to him a few hours later, and for whatever reason, he just kept pretending. Now it's been a week, and Puck still doesn't know how to bring it up or what he would say if he did. 'Hey Kurt, remember last week when we got wasted and fully made out at my place and then woke up half naked and then we just never talked about it because I didn't even remember it? Surprise, I remembered, now what?'

Trying to focus on the worksheet in front of him he was stuck reading the same sentence over and over again and he still couldn't tell you what it said. Thankfully, Puck had already accepted he liked dudes, he'd figured that out after he fully went for it with Sam a couple years ago. But he'd known that he an Sam were solid. Despite a two week freak out and more conversations than he wanted to have, Puck knew he and Sam would be good at the end of it, no matter what.

It was different with Kurt. Their history wasn't as... easy. There was no way for him to know he and Kurt would end up good. Puck is pretty sure he fucked this up and he doesn't know how to fix it. Do I wanna do it again? Would Kurt even be interested if I did? I'm probably not even his type. Even if I was, am I ready to publicly date a dude? Letting out a frustrated groan, he looked over at his tutor and wondered when Kurt got so hot and when did he start noticing?

"My brain's not working today, it won't focus on anything I need it to, can we just call it?" Suddenly Puck was struck with a feeling of pure awkwardness as he watched his friend's face, a feeling he hadn't felt with Kurt since he was trying to figure out how to apologize for bullying him back in middle and high school, He hated it.

"Maybe you could help me with one of the things my brain's been fixated on." Sitting up a bit, he was nervous, like he was about to put himself out there and he wasn't sure it would be well received. "I need to look nice for this whole homecoming court thing, even if i don't win and I don't really have anything and you always look good." Tripping over his words a bit he just powered through. "I just mean you've been trying to make me over for months and I guess I'm down. I mean if you've got time now." There he did it and the world didn't end. He never should have doubted himself, he's Noah fucking Puckerman.

#ch. kurthq #para. kurthq

2 notes · View notes

bandedbulbussnarfblat · 11 months

Text

Remembrance Chapter 10

Here is the latest chapter of my Armand/Daniel fic Remembrance. Or you can read it below

Louisiana is a closed record state, so Daniel can't even do any research to pass the time. It leaves him with his thoughts, which is a dangerous thing. It's been a hell of a day.

He resigns himself to getting some sleep, when there's a knock on his door. Daniel sighs deeply. “Go away, Armand.”

“It's me.”

Louis' voice. Daniel gets up from his seat and goes to the door. Louis is on the other side, looking almost shy. Daniel leans against the door frame. “Did he send you?”

Louis holds up his hands. “I'm here on my own.”

Daniel steps back and gestures Louis to come in. Louis doesn't move. “I was hoping we could continue the interview.”

Daniel eyes him carefully. He seems...fine. Closed off, distant. He's like a ghost walking again. Daniel is no expert, but he figures it can't be healthy. “You up for it?”

Inwardly, he curses himself for worrying about Louis. He shouldn't. Louis certainly didn't worry about him all those years ago, when he and Armand let him go. Louis smiles a small smile that doesn't meet his eyes. “Are you?”

“Let me grab my stuff.”

A few minutes later, they're in the living room ready to record.

“For Claudia, all humans died with Charlie.”

Daniel isn't sure they were ever really alive for her, not after she got turned. But he keeps that thought to himself. He listens to Louis talk about fear of a hunger strike, of discovering Claudia was killing and keeping souvenirs, of the police searching the house. Then of the fight between them and Claudia leaving.

“I had no words for her. What words were there?” Louis says. “It all happened so fast. I was trying to save you. All vampires are born out of trauma.”

Louis, who has been sitting so still on the edge of the couch shifts and leans closer. “We made her out of remorse...out of selfishness.”

“Poor dear. She wasn't held enough in between ritualistic murders.”

Louis shakes his head. “She spent every night for half a decade with no friends, locked in the emotional storm of puberty.”

Does Louis know how he sounds? He speaks of her like she was a victim—and in some ways she was—but it hardly dissolves her of guilt. The girl was a monster; Louis treats her like she was still human.

“Look, Charlie Manson wrote a couple of beautiful songs. Still, he was Charlie Manson.”

Louis meets his gaze. “Is that all you think of her?”

The thing is, as a character she's likable. Sympathetic, to a certain degree. But Daniel doesn't know her; he doesn't have fatherly affection to cloud his judgment. “Mostly. I also think she makes you and Frenchy look like a couple of whiny, existential queens. Probably why she's a fucking gold mine. The girl who moves a million books.”

Louis looks noticeably bothered by the remark. Daniel might feel bad, if he wasn't still so pissed off about this entire scenario.

“I won't have her exploited.”

Daniel can understand that. It's his daughter. But he has to know he can't control how people see her. “Won't matter what your intentions are. It's the world out there now. She's the single shooter, X-box, mouth-breather shit they crave.”

“You can put the diaries in a proper context.”

Oh.

Louis trusts him with this. Daniel can see now why he chose him to do this interview. He knows Daniel cares about him, and he thinks it will make him show more care. Even after all these years, he trusts Daniel not to do something to hurt him. It's...incredibly frustrating, actually. He let Daniel walk away; he doesn't get to ask for favors.

“Context? Sure,” Daniel says. “Warn the world about a forthcoming apocalypse. Or maybe inspire a line of sexy Claudia Halloween costumes. Or a cool dismemberment trend amongst the suburban Sylvia Plath set.”

Louis keeps scraping a nail against the couch. He's already split a gash in the fabric. This turn of conversation is obviously upsetting him, but he has to understand what he's in for. “Once you put it out there, they decide what it is. It can get away from you.”

Louis picks up a journal and drops it beside him. “Keep reading.”

“Keep talking,” Daniel counters.

Louis does, saying how in the coming years he longed for Claudia, ached for her. How he sent out telepathic messages, but she had closed her mind to him. Daniel gets it; he remembers calling out to Armand after the many times he left, begging to come back home.

It seems Claudia was stronger than him.

It's been nearly a month since Daniel left and he's miserable. He's sleeping on a park bench, because his hotel kicked him out this morning for not being able to pay. He had only brought a few grand in cash with him to live off of. The idea had been to find a job, then find a place to live. So far he's had luck with neither.

And the dreams have started. Dreams of Armand, nearly every night now. Not that Armand will ever admit that he sends them. Not that he'll admit he wants Daniel to come home. No, he waits for Daniel to be desperate and begging before he lets him back.

“Armand, I need you. Come for me. Come take me home.”

There's no answer.

Christ, he feels like shit. He hasn't eaten since lunch yesterday, when he ran out of cash. His head is pounding and his eyes hurt. He needs a drink. (What he really needs is Armand's blood, but he's not going to think of that.)

If only he had some spare change, he could use a payphone to call Armand. Beg him to send one of the planes to take him home. Daniel misses home.

“Armand, I want to be with you.”

He should have called last night. He'd woken up late after a dream of Armand, woken up hard and wanting. Only stubborn pride had kept him from reaching out. But he knew he'd be back. Didn't he always go crawling back?

At least it's warm tonight. He won't perish in his sleep from the elements. Of course, he might get robbed or worse. And wouldn't Armand feel guilty then for ignoring him? Daniel almost wishes he would get hurt, just to spite him.

“Please, boss. I miss you.”

The silence isn't any less frustrating for being expected. Eventually, Daniel does fall asleep. He wakes to a hand on his arm and the tingle of another mind pressed to his. Hope surges in Daniel and he sits up, eyes flying open. The image of Louis greets him, wearing jeans and a zip-up hoodie. Daniel can see his Grateful Dead t-shirt peeking out from the partially open zipper. Daniel wanders if he's wearing it because he missed him. If Armand misses him too.

“Not who I expected.”

Louis smiles slightly. “Hello, Daniel.”

“Hey Louis. You come to take me home?” Daniel swings his legs off the bench and stands up. It's dark out, but there's a lamppost not too far away that's shedding light. Louis looks good; he has that glow that means he's just eaten. Shame, Daniel would have let him snack on him.

“I have. We need to talk.”

Uh oh. “That why it's you, not Armand?”

A thought strikes Daniel. Louis would have to been on the way to get him hours before he called out to Armand earlier. So either Armand had always intended to bring him home and just let him suffer in silence because he was a bastard, or Louis came of his own accord to get him.

“Don't worry; he knows I'm here,” Louis assures. He starts walking away and leaves Daniel to follow. Daniel shoves his hands in his pockets and saunters behind him. The view of Louis from behind is one he's missed. The man has an ass that won't quit.

They only walk a short while before coming to the sleek, black Rolls-Royce parked in the small lot near the park. Daniel had expected the limo and the chauffeur, but this is nice. “Can I drive?”

“Hell no,” Louis says and slides into the driver's seat. He's been wary of letting Daniel drive since he crashed the Mustang a few months back. In his defense, he had been high off his gourd at the time and arguing with Armand. Driving away had seemed the only option at the time; he had just needed some space. Armand had been furious with him for putting his life in danger.

Daniel sinks into the passenger seat and immediately starts fiddling with the radio. He stops it at a station playing an Aerosmith song. Steve Tyler crones about it being the same old story while Louis stares at Daniel.

“You should probably watch the road. Precious cargo and all that.”

Louis flicks his eyes back to the road and says Daniel's name.

“Yeah?”

“You know Armand isn't the only one who misses you when you leave.”

Daniel feels his face go warm. And it's not like he doesn't know Louis is fond of him. Hell, they've fucked enough times to prove it. But they both care about Armand more, and Daniel isn't always sure where that leaves them. Friends who fuck (sometimes) seems too glib to convey the magnitude of what it is. Yes, Daniel is Armand's, but he and Louis are partners of a kind too. They're together in their own way, one completely different than what he has with Armand. So when Daniel leaves, he's leaving Louis too.

Daniel runs a hand through his hair and looks away from Louis. “Shit, man. I know, I'm just...”

He trails off. Things with Armand can get difficult. It's hard to explain. “Sometimes I just need to escape, you know? He can be a lot.”

Daniel fiddles with the radio just to have something to do with his hands. He ends up on a station playing 'Wild Horses' by the Rolling Stones. Louis likes the Stones, so he leaves it there.

“He can,” Louis agrees. “But next time things get to be too much, come talk to me, okay? Don't just leave without saying goodbye.”

“Yeah, I-ah, I can do that.”

Then, acting on impulse, Daniel leans over and kisses Louis on the cheek. It's more affectionate than he and Louis usually are. Outside of sex they don't really touch each other that much. Louis must like it, because he catches Daniel by the chin and presses a quick kiss to his lips. “I'd kiss you proper, but I gotta keep my eyes on the road.”

He's grinning as he says it. Daniel grins back at him and asks “Hey, want me to give you road head?”

Daniel reads Claudia's journal, her recount of meeting another vampire, Bruce. Except there are pages missing.

“There are four pages torn out.”

Louis seems impatient when he says “I'll repeat myself; I will not exploit her.”

“Did she tear them out? Doesn't seem like something she would do.” Daniel knows that he's provoking Louis, but he can't bring himself to care.

“It's clear what happened.”

Does Louis really think he's going to try to exploit her assault? And didn't he say he was doing this to give her peace? He needs to hear what she says for that. “And she wrote about it, and I'd like to read it.”

“No.”

“When you do that, Louis, when you editorialize, however noble the reasoning, it calls into question the other shit you're shoveling my way,” And boy, isn't there enough of that. “Or maybe you can recite it from memory, as you've demonstrated before.”

Daniel knows he's probably pushing Louis too hard, but he's here to get the truth. The whole truth. Even the ugly parts. “Uh, let's see. 'Bruce walked back from the fire and leaned down over me and...Torn out pages.”

Something shifts in Louis' expression and there's a hardness in his eyes. Daniel feels his hand begin to shake inside the glove he's wearing. It hurts. He grips it with the other hand and tries to hold it down on the seat beside him.

“Don't ask again,” Louis says, eyes boring into him. Daniel's hand keeps shaking.

Only a second later, Armand is sweeping into the room and placing a hand on Louis' shoulder. Louis' eyes close and his hands go out in front of him. Daniel's hand slows its shaking then stops.

“Louis finds it difficult to talk about Claudia,” Armand says.

“Got that,” Daniel says, glancing up at Armand. It's strange to see Armand trying to keep the peace. From what Daniel remembers, generally Louis played peace keeper.

Armand is trying to apologize for Louis, but Daniel ignores him. He gets up and slaps Louis across the face. It's extremely satisfying, even if he knows it can't actually hurt him.

Louis turns his face into it, so at least Daniel doesn't break a hand in the process. But that hardly gains him back any points. He crossed a line. They stare at each other for a hate-filled moment, then Daniel sits down.

“Still recording.”

#iwtv fic #daniel molloy #armand/daniel #i guess this chapter is more louis/daniel though armand is very much a part of their dynamic

7 notes · View notes

dangerously-human · 1 year

Text

Trying to pick my next book and feeling stuck between continuing the Dragons in Our Midst reread (next up is Eye of the Oracle, and as I get into Oracles of Fire, oh man, am I ready for Elam and Sapphira again? My heart!) versus a long overdue Circle series reread (probably starting with Black, since it's been a while, and while starting the circle with Green is an interesting experiment, I remember thinking I strongly preferred the narrative and could follow it better starting with Book One as opposed to Book Zero). I've been feeling like it would be good for me to read some Christian romance, for Reasons™, and either option is good for that - I guess technically maybe I'd get to it a little faster with Black, if I remember the timeline for Thomas and Rachel correctly, but that doesn't really matter. The Circle series keeps me going on the current sci-fi kick; DiOM means less investment to shift gears because I'm already partway through the series. I wanted to reread the Circle series a couple years ago, but a pandemic plot hit a little too close to home, lol. Thought about making a poll to have the Tumblr besties decide for me, but apparently that's not something I can do yet, so I guess I have to make my decisions the old-fashioned way!

#personal #diom #circle series

10 notes · View notes

fleurcareil · 10 months

Text

East & South Labrador

Drove this day another 406km through the boreal forest from Happy Valley - Goose Bay to the tiny hamlet of Port Hope Simpson, which brought me back to the coast, this time the eastern Labrador shore! Apart from Labrador being the "Big Land" of forests, it's also the big land of flies, which is a bit of a shock to the system after not having had any yet in my travels so far (mosquitos yes but flies are worse). There's the huge flies that sound like a bomb is ready to go off when circling your head 😳 and the tiny ones that are barely noticeable but swarm you in their hundreds. Like a woman told me earlier this week; "they all bite and they're hungry!" 🥺. I had managed to dodge the large flies as they're rather slow but impossible to escape the midgets, however generally there's much less of anything on the coast so that's good news!

I won't bore you with more pictures of ugly trees, but instead here are two from Port Hope Simpson, where - you'll guess it - the first stop was at the gas bar (although I'm back now into safe territory with more gas pumps) and then checked in before 2pm already, even including an extra 30 minute Newfoundland time change, which happens somewhere obscure on the road (doesn't really matter where, as there's nothing anyway 😅). Walked a bit around the harbour and then spent à few lovely hours along the water reading a book - A History of Time by Stephen Hawking that my sister gave me 20 years ago and which is interesting but needs to be read piecemeal, it's been a while since I brushed up on my physics! 😝

In the morning, the weather had done a 180, and changed from a sunny 28 degrees to a foggy & rainy 10 degrees😢. For the next few days, I was bundled up in my thermal underwear, woollen socks (thanks Tara for knitting them!), 3 layers of sweaters, winter coat, hat & gloves, whereas record heat temperatures were broken around the world...

I arrived early at the Mary's Harbour ferry dock so that I could still do a short hike up & down the hill to Gin Cove, which is not too special but still pretty enough and got me warmed up before boarding the little boat to Battle Harbour Historic site where I'm staying the night on the island. Despite the poor weather, I preferred to stay outside to watch for icebergs & whales (none) but I do see a puffin! 😊 With me are two elderly couples from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland who I find out are hyperactive, still scuba diving, skiing and planning a 3-week ATV road trip on their 70th, something to aspire!

Battle Harbour used to be the unofficial capital of Labrador in its heyday when it was the largest cod fishing village on the east coast and had amongst others the first hospital and Marconi wireless station. Some fishermen would stay all year, but most would travel from Newfoundland for the summer. It started declining when the school was relocated to Mary's Harbour but still operated until the cod fishing moratorium was imposed in 1992. The village is now restored and run by a historic trust, which provides visitors an opportunity to stay through all-inclusive packages. Seeing slowly the buildings come out of the clouds as the boat approaches made it even more mystical!

I'm staying in the bunkhouse all by myself (which I had already been counting on 😁) which was the original cookhouse built in the 1770's. After delicious lunch, we were given an elaborate tour of the buildings, which was really interesting as it was led by a 6th generation islander, who had lots of personal stories of how she helped salt the cod. Similarly, the handyman on the boat was one of the 10-year old boys who found a plane wreck the day after it had crashed in the fog (and which I saw myself also in the fog), so that truly connects the history to the present...unsurprisingly, they're still bitter about what happened with the fishery as it destroyed their community, and some of the blame was given to the sharply increasing seal population since the hunt was forbidden in the 80's, which likely has a grain of truth (though most of the blame went to the federal government)... Despite the pouring rain, I decide to take a little hike around the island in the hope to spot icebergs (as there were 3 the day before) but all I got were beautiful landscapes and getting fully soaked. 😜

Over the communal dinner table, I got to know the rest of the guests; an (apparently famous) painter from Newfoundland - Jean-Claude Roy who shares the same first name as my father & comes from the same French region, his somewhat eccentric wife and a guy from North Carolina who is shooting a documentary about JCs relationship with Battle Harbour where he's been painting for over 10 years. The other group consisted of 5 Swedish sailors who toured the world on a yacht, showing breathtaking pics of Antarctica and leaving the next morning for Greenland.... Needless to say that the evening, including a black-white 1930's movie about an Artic exploration followed by beers in the pub, provided lots of interesting conversations! Compared to this lot, my road trip is really not that special😁.

I try another hike in the morning but the fog is even worse, so I give up quickly and instead play a patience card game in front of the wood stove, much better! The way back on the boat is quite rough but all is forgotten when the captain steers us along an iceberg!!💖 I had already seen quite a few in 2010 in Newfoundland but very happy I saw one again! Back on the road, the fog was really bad but when I turned the corner onto the south shore, it suddenly disappeared and I see not one but 3 white blobs on the sea! 😊 Iceberg Alley made its name true and in the next two days I saw a total of 41 icebergs; anything from little "bergy bits" to tabular, drydock, dome & pinnacle shapes, very very cool & unique in the world! Most were farther away and could only be properly seen with the binoculars, but a few were close to shore.

The Red Bay world heritage site has an interesting history of Basque whaling and a ferry ride to Saddle Island for an interpretative hike, but there's basically nothing left (or it was reburied for preservation) so there's a lot of imagination needed to gather what was there 😂.

After a late lunch I was ready to crash in the hotel being hangover from the night before, but decided to at least drive to the start of the Tracy Hill trail, which is notorious for its 689 steps. The trail builders included corny inspirational quotes to keep you walking, and I must confess that the first one did get me to actually start: "One day or Day one?". Apart from pretty scenery, every step seemed to show more icebergs; 22 from the top, which was a perfect way to close the day!

The next morning, I woke up again in fog (getting fed up with it now!) so at the lighthouse at L'Anse Amour, I first drank my cup of tea in the car while checking out icebergs and birds. It's the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada which my legs definitely felt when walking up the steps to the Fresnel lens & active light at the top. The Strait of Belle Isle provides a 200km shorter route to Europe than around Newfoundland, but has strong currents, up to 200km/hr winds & often ice, so it has had its fair share of shipwrecks & heroic tales of rescue.

Nearby, a 9,000-year-old burial mound of a Maritime Archaic Indian child was found, representing the oldest known human remains in North America but there's now nothing to see apart from pretty dunes. In L'Anse au Clair I stop at the lovely visitor centre in an old church and do a small hike to an abandoned fishing village called the Jersey Room, after the families that settled here from Jersey island near France.

When I cross into Quebec, it's suddenly 1.5 hours earlier! The entire Atlantic and Newfoundland time zones are undone in a split second, which confuses me in my day-planning and makes it a very loooong day. Checking in at the ferry terminal (more on that later), doing groceries and lunch kept me busy for a bit and then I was off to a viewpoint where I was told you could see one of North America's largest puffin colonies... which are on that island far away in the picture below... I could definitely see with my binoculars it was full of birds but whether they were puffins or gulls?!? 😂 Nearby were again lots of Eider duck so don't think they're that special after all... they seem to do well!

Driving west to the end of the road, there were some more pretty viewpoints and a waterfall, until I reached the Salmon Bay Farm, which is actually a scallops farm located in Salmon Bay. I've toured an oyster farm when I was little in the Netherlands and didn't realize there were also scallop farms until now. After a tour of the on-land facilities and explanation how they're cultivated (interesting titbits; scallop shells grow year rings just like trees so you can count how old they are, and they have up to 200 eyes along the edge of the shell), I chose the left scallop to taste raw (both the muscle and the roe, which were very tender) and also tasted two steamed scallops, which included also the roe as well as the baleen-like frill which is used to filter the water for nutrients. All accompanied with a glass of wine & finished with local jam biscuits, great experience!

Only 15 minutes more to the west, I reach the end of the road, thereby finishing my tour of Labrador of close to 2,000km! It was a long drive of, as someone put it; "trees and rocks, then rocks and trees, and after that trees and rocks again" 🤣 but very happy to have done it and seen this part of Canada! 🍁💖

The only way to complete my loop back to Baie-Comeau is by a 2-day boat trip west until I reach the village of Kegaska where the road starts anew. There's no ferry but instead a cargo boat, so my car needs to be shipped into a container to make the voyage, a first for me! 😃 I was supposed to report this morning at 5:30am but when I dropped by yesterday, I was told that the boat got terribly delayed...likely until 10pm - midnight tonight. Good news is that I could sleep in this morning (although wide awake at 3:45 due to the time difference) and that I have an extra day here - going for a hike once this is posted, but on the flip side, I might now stay two nights onboard sleeping in a chair instead of a hotel, plus may need to cancel an excursion I had already booked for after my arrival. Mother nature is in control so hoping there won't be much more delays! 🤞

As a side note, it's shocking to realize that the time is here the same as it is in Thunder Bay, over 3,000 km to the west! No wonder that it's light so early here...

PS. the boat's departure time has just been updated to 9am tomorrow morning so I can luckily stay another night at the hotel here but will need to adjust my plans forward. It's going to be an interesting few days ahead...

Distance driven this week: 1,954km

Icebergs: 1 from Battle Harbour boat, 6 from the road, 22 from Tracy Hill, 3 from L'Anse Amour, 4 from L'anse au Clair, 6 from Blanc-Sablon

Wildlife: 1 puffin (Battle Harbour boat), 17 female Eider ducks (Red Bay) and 50+ male Eider ducks (Blanc-Sablon), 1 osprey & 50+ Merganser ducks (L'Anse Amour), 1 mink whale & 1 seal (L'Anse au Clair)

SUPs: none

Hikes: one at Mary's Harbour, one at Battle Harbour, two at Red Bay, one at L'Anse au Clair

2 notes · View notes