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50calmadeuce · 2 months

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Ch. 13: The Conference

Warning: Mention of miscarriage. Some chapters have sex.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

As the sun began to set, you and Jake emerged from the stable, hand in hand. With the picnic basket in his right hand and yours clasped in his left, he suddenly gave your butt a quick pinch, causing you to jump and erupt into laughter.

"Jake!" you exclaimed, and he laughed, then pulled you in for a kiss.

"Well, it's about time!" came a female voice, loud and clear.

Turning your heads, you spotted Cindy standing on the back porch, prompting you to walk towards her. As you reached the bottom of the steps, it was clear from her expression that she had something specific she wanted to say to Jake.

You leaned in and kissed him. "I'm going to take a quick shower and then start working on my second presentation." You ascended the stairs, passing Cindy, and playfully shook your butt at Jake before walking through the door of the house.

Cindy crossed her arms, fixing Jake with a look, while Jake turned his attention to her, acknowledging the silent exchange.

"Yes, Momma," he acknowledged her presence and her unspoken authority.

"Jake. I love you. You're my only boy, but if you put that girl through what you did again… I don't know what I'll do."

"I won't. I swear," Jake assured her earnestly.

"It's about time you woke up. She worships the ground you walk on," Cindy responded, her tone softening slightly.

Jake nodded, his expression serious. "Oh, I know. I couldn't ask for a better person or wife."

Cindy grinned, satisfied with his response. "Good. Now, you stink. Go and take a shower."

Jake smiled, acknowledging the directive. "Yes, Ma'am," he said, as he quickly made his way past his mom and into the house.

As you focused on your laptop, seated on Jake's bed and wrapping up your notes for the conference, Jake entered the room and observed you for a moment.

"Darlin', it's late," he gently pointed out.

Lifting your gaze to meet his, you replied, "I know. I'm just finishing up."

He made his way onto the bed and settled down beside you, peering over at your laptop screen. "You can tell where a cow or bull has come from?"

"Pretty darn close," you responded with a hint of pride.

He glanced at the screen once more, a look of confusion crossing his face. "And I don't get homozygous/heterozygous gene mutations."

Your grin widened as you explained, "Homozygous means you inherit the same version of the gene from each parent, so you have two matching genes. Heterozygous means you inherit a different version of a gene from each parent, so they do not match."

Jake rolled onto his back. "That's why you're the Doctor."

You chuckled, a lightness in your mood, as you closed the laptop and carefully placed it on top of the dresser.

You made your way back onto the bed and snuggled up to Jake, who wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close, and gently kissed the top of your head.

"You do know this is the book I wrote with Doctor Stryker?"

"Yup."

"He was there today," you added, a hint of significance in your voice. "He followed me out of the building. Told me he still thought about me."

Jake's reaction, the sudden tension that coursed through his body, was a clear indication of the complex emotions your revelation stirred within him. The quiet, intimate moment you both shared was momentarily shadowed by the unexpected intrusion of the past into the present.

Despite the initial shock, Jake's embrace remained firm around you, a testament to the strength of your connection. After a brief pause, he let out a slow, measured breath, as if to steady himself before speaking. "He followed you?" His voice carried a mix of concern and a protective edge, yet he made an effort to keep it level, to not jump to conclusions.

"Yes, just to talk," you clarified, wanting to ease the tension. "It was unexpected, but it was just a conversation. Nothing more."

Jake was silent for a moment, processing your words. Then, with a careful effort to keep his voice calm, he asked, "And how did that make you feel? Him saying he still thought about you?"

It was a question that required a moment of introspection, a balancing act between acknowledging past connections and affirming the present reality of your relationship with Jake. "Surprised, I guess," you admitted.

"Thank you for telling me," he said, his voice softening. "I won't pretend it doesn't bother me, but I trust you. And I know we're solid, we've built something too important to let shadows from the past threaten it."

You nodded, feeling a renewed sense of connection. "I love you, Jake. Nothing is going to change that."

Jake gently kissed the top of your head again, a silent acknowledgment of your words and the depth of the bond you shared. "I love you too. More than anything," he murmured, holding you a little tighter.

When you woke up the Saturday morning, the space beside you was empty; Jake had already risen. You stretched, feeling the day's possibilities stretch out before you, and glanced at your watch. It was 6 a.m. With a sigh, you threw the comforter off and turned, standing up to start your day.

As you opened the bedroom door, the inviting aroma of breakfast cooking and fresh coffee wafted towards you, instantly brightening your mood. You allowed yourself a moment to savor the homely scents before slowly making your way to the kitchen.

"Morning, Y/N," Cindy greeted you warmly as you took a seat at the kitchen island. "Coffee?"

"Oh, yes please," you responded, grateful for the offer and the comforting routine of starting the day with a warm cup.

Cindy turned back to the coffee maker, her movements practiced and smooth, indicative of the many mornings she had performed this ritual. The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee, a scent that seemed to wrap around you, easing the transition from the tranquility of sleep to the alertness of a new day.

As Cindy poured the dark, steaming liquid into a mug, she glanced over her shoulder, offering you a smile that seemed to brighten the room. "Cream and sugar?" she inquired, knowing your preferences but always polite to ask.

"Yes, please, thank you," you replied, watching as she expertly added the cream and sugar, swirling it into the coffee until it reached the perfect shade of light brown. She placed the mug in front of you, along with a small spoon on a napkin.

Taking the mug into your hands, you savored the warmth seeping into your palms, the comforting weight of the ceramic, and the promise of caffeine to kickstart your day. "Thanks, Cindy. This is exactly what I needed."

"How'd your notes come along?" Cindy inquired.

"Pretty good, actually. I believe my findings align quite closely with what Dr. Stryker is discussing," you replied, taking a sip of the coffee, appreciating the warmth and the caffeine starting to work its magic and noticed Cindy's body tense at the name.

"Jake knows about him now?" Cindy asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yeah. We had a chat last night," you confirmed, trying to keep your tone light despite the complexity of the conversation you'd had with Jake.

Just then, the backdoor opened, and Jake walked in, dressed in a pair of shorts and tennis shoes, with his headphones hanging around his neck. His dog tags dangled between his sweaty pecs, evidence of what must have been an intense morning run or workout.

He walked over to you and planted a quick kiss on your lips. "Darlin'," he said with a warm smile, then moved over to the cabinet to grab the blender, presumably to whip up one of his post-workout smoothies.

As he moved around the kitchen, you caught a flash of metal on his left hand and realized he was wearing his wedding ring. It struck you suddenly; you hadn't seen him wear that ring since the day you both got married. The sight of it now, especially after everything you'd been through together, warmed your heart and filled you with a mixture of surprise and deep affection.

You glanced at your watch, noting the time. "Jake, we need to leave in an hour. I'm going to shower and get dressed," you announced, already planning the timing in your head.

He turned his head, meeting your gaze with a smile. "I'll be right behind you," he assured, his tone light and affectionate.

Cindy sighed from her spot at the kitchen island, an amused yet resigned expression on her face. You couldn't help but smirk behind the coffee cup.

Two hours later, Jake steered the truck into a parking spot at the school. He was the picture of casual elegance in khaki pants, a black polo shirt, dress shoes, and a matching cowboy hat, a combination that accentuated his fit physique.

You had opted for a professional ensemble, choosing black business slacks paired with a tan dress shirt, complemented by a sleek black dress coat. Preferring comfort over convention, you chose black flats instead of high heels, and your hair was neatly pulled back into a stylish ponytail. The outfit was a perfect blend of formal and practical, suited for the day's events.

Glancing down at your left hand, you puzzled over what could have snagged your tote, then remembered the wedding ring you'd slipped on earlier. The sight of it brought a smile to your face. You and Jake had chosen matching rings, inspired by a love for the Western aesthetic. Yours was a stunning cathedral-style engagement ring, featuring a brilliant half-carat diamond at its heart. The band, a delicate work of art in rose gold, was intricately hand-engraved, complemented by a sterling silver rope motif that encircled half the band, leaving space for a companion piece. The companion, a sleek sterling silver bead wedding band, was designed to fit snugly alongside the engagement ring, creating a harmonious set. Jake's ring mirrored this design ethos, boasting a handsome rose gold band adorned with similar engraving and sterling silver bead detailing along the edges.

While you were captivated by your ring, Jake made his way to the passenger side of the car.

"Everything alright?" he inquired, a note of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm just not accustomed to having it on yet," you responded.

His smile was warm. "It's good to see you wearing it once more."

"The feeling's mutual," you answered, returning his smile.

"Do you have everything you need?" he asked, casting a glance at your tote.

"Yup," you confirmed, and with that, he gently shut the passenger door for you.

He gently grasped your left hand with his right and the two of you headed towards the Conference center from the parking garage.

As you entered the Conference Center, you made your way to the check-in table, where a young college student was stationed.

"Name?" she inquired.

"Dr. Y/N Seresin," you provided.

The young girl's eyes widened in recognition. "Dr. Seresin? I read the book you co-authored with Dr. Stryker. I'm really looking forward to your presentation today," she said, enthusiasm evident in her voice as she handed you two lanyards.

"Thank you," you replied, appreciating her excitement as you handed Jake his lanyard.

The girl's gaze shifted towards Jake, and you could tell she was quite taken with him. "And your guest?" she asked, trying to maintain her composure.

You couldn't help but grin. "This is my husband, Lieutenant Jake Seresin."

Jake offered her a friendly smile and a nod, acknowledging the introduction.

"Is there a booklet with this weekend's events?" you asked, gently redirecting the girl's attention away from your husband.

"Oh, I'm sorry, yes," she quickly apologized, handing you the pamphlet. "I'm really looking forward to your presentation."

"Thank you, we're both excited to be here," you responded warmly, accepting the booklet from her. You were keen to see who else was presenting and what other panels might be of interest. The conference was an important event in your field.

As you walked away from the check-in table, Jake leaned in and whispered, "Seems like you're quite the celebrity here."

You chuckled softly. "Well, let's not get carried away. But it's nice to know the book is reaching people."

Looking through the booklet as you both made your way down the hall, you found your presentation time and location, as well as a few other sessions that piqued your interest. The weekend was packed with opportunities for learning, networking, and sharing your own research.

"Let's make sure we attend the keynote this afternoon," you suggested, pointing to the schedule. "And there's a panel on the latest technology in my field tomorrow that looks fascinating."

Jake nodded, showing his interest as he surveyed the surroundings. "Sounds good," he remarked, his attention then shifting back to you.

Glancing through the pamphlet, you noted, "Both of my presentations are today, and then there's the dance tonight." You checked your watch and then looked up at Jake. "I need to go meet Dr. Colson in his office now."

He met your gaze, understanding. "That's fine. I'll find you later."

The two of you shared a quick kiss. "Love you," he said softly.

"Love you too," you echoed, before hastening off towards Dr. Colson's office.

The presentation with Dr. Colson unfolded flawlessly. Out in the audience, you caught glimpses of Jake, watching and smiling. You were aware that he might not grasp all the details of the discussion, but that was irrelevant to you.

Once the presentation concluded, Jake waited casually. As you and Dr. Colson descended the stage, your gaze found Jake.

"Dr. Colson, I'd like you to meet my husband, Lieutenant Jake Seresin," you introduced them, bridging your professional world with your personal one.

Jake extended his hand, offering a warm greeting. "Nice to meet you. Y/N has spoken very highly of you."

Dr. Colson's handshake was firm and welcoming. "Likewise. You're a fighter pilot in the Navy, correct?" he inquired, releasing Jake's hand.

Jake responded with a smile, "Yes, sir."

Dr. Colson returned the smile. "No need for formalities," he insisted gently. Glancing at his watch, he added, "Please, call me Jason. It's lunchtime, and Y/N's next presentation isn't until 3. I'd be interested in hearing more about your career. Would you both care to join me for lunch?"

You and Jake exchanged a quick look, a silent agreement passing between you. "We'd love to!" you replied enthusiastically.

"Great!" Jason exclaimed. "I know a wonderful little spot just a couple of blocks from here."

The two of you followed Dr. Colson—Jason—out of the conference center.

#jake hangman seresin #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin x you #glen powell #hangman top gun #hangman #top gun maverick hangman #hangman fanfic #jake hangman x reader #top gun fanfic #jake hangman seresin fic #jake seresin #jake seresin fic

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wantsobadminsung · 6 months

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Bittersweet. 😢 💔 🧊

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I muster up the courage to confess my feelings. The room feels tense as Minho and Jisung sit across from me, unaware of the turmoil brewing inside me. They've been together for a while now, and I know they care about each other deeply. But this secret has been eating away at me for far too long.

"I need to tell you something," I stammer, trying to steady my trembling voice. Minho and Jisung exchange curious glances, leaning in closer to listen. Their eyes fixed on me, waiting for my words.

My hands twist and knot together nervously as I continue, "I... I'm in love with both of you. I don't know how it happened or when, but it's true. I can't hide it anymore."

Silence blankets the room, and I can feel their shocked expressions burning holes in me. The weight of their disappointment settles heavily in my chest. Minho's face contorts with a mix of confusion and anger, while Jisung's eyes grow distant and cold.

"You can't be serious," Jisung snaps, his voice laced with bitterness. "You expect us to believe that? This is just your excuse, isn't it? You're trying to steal Minho away from me."

My heart shatters into a million fragments at his accusation. I never intended for any of this to happen; I never wanted to come between them. The tears begin to well up in my eyes, and I desperately search for words to make them understand.

"No, Jisung, that's not true," I plead, my voice wavering. "I never wanted to hurt either of you. I would never do that deliberately. I'm just... confused, and I needed to be honest with you both. I can't keep pretending anymore."

Minho sighs, running a hand through his hair. His face remains unreadable, his eyes not meeting mine. "YN," he says calmly, "We're all adults here. Emotions are complex, and sometimes they don't make sense. But this situation isn't fair to anyone involved. We can't continue like this. You need to find someone else, someone who can give you what you truly need. It's best for everyone."

Every word that falls from his lips feels like a dagger to my heart. I had hoped they would understand, give me a chance to explain, but instead, I am met with rejection and dismissal. The tears finally spill over, rolling down my cheeks as I realize that my confession has cost me not only their love, but also their friendship.

"I... I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice cracking with sorrow. "I never meant for any of this to end like this. I'll go now; I'll find my own way."

As I leave their house, the door closes behind me, and I can't help but feel a sense of emptiness. The weight of rejection and loneliness hangs heavy upon my shoulders. I find solace in the night sky, allowing myself to grieve for the love I lost and the friendships that were shattered.

In the darkness, I vow to heal and find my own path, taking the hard lessons learned from this painful experience. And as the tears continue to fall, I remind myself that even amidst heartbreak, I am strong enough to rebuild, to find happiness again.

The nights grow colder as I navigate through the aftermath of my confession. The pain lingers, haunting my thoughts and infiltrating my dreams. Each day feels like an uphill battle, as I try to heal the wounds that Jisung and Minho's rejection have left behind.

I push myself to keep moving forward, to find solace in things that once brought me joy. But it's not easy. Every familiar place and every shared memory with them seems tainted now, reminding me of what could have been.

Loneliness envelops me, seeping into the depths of my soul. But amidst the despair, I remind myself that I am stronger than I believe. I refuse to let the darkness consume me entirely. I search for the light, even if it's just a flicker.

Days turn into weeks, and weeks into months. Slowly, I begin to find solace in the company of friends and family who offer unwavering support. Their warmth helps to thaw the ice that had formed around my heart.

Through self-reflection and introspection, I realize that my confession was not only an act of courage, but an act of self-love. I had to honor my own feelings, despite knowing the potential consequences. And although the outcome was painful, I remind myself that I deserve love and happiness too.

The wounds start to heal with time, and the tears become less frequent. I learn to forgive myself for the pain I caused, understanding that sometimes love doesn't align in the way we hope.

In the midst of rebuilding my life, I cultivate newfound strength and resilience. I rediscover my passions, pouring my heart into creative endeavors and pursuing my dreams with a renewed fervor. The pain will always bear a mark on my heart, but it no longer defines me.

And as I take each step forward, I remember Minho's words, reminding me that we are all adults. Life is a journey filled with unpredictable twists and turns. I allow myself to cry when necessary, to mourn the loss, but I also embrace the resilience within me to move on.

Love, in all its complexities, remains elusive. But I refuse to let fear hold me back. I know that one day, when the time is right, love will find its way back to me. And until then, I will continue to grow, to heal, and to cherish the lessons learned from this bittersweet chapter of my life.

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faterpresources · 10 months

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Sᴘɪᴅᴇʀ-Mᴀɴ : Aᴄʀᴏss ᴛʜᴇ Sᴘɪᴅᴇʀ-Vᴇʀsᴇ (2023) - Pᴀʀᴛ 2

A collection of random lines compiled from the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Feel free to change the pronouns in order to better suit the parts involved.

❝ Kid's an anarchist. ❞

❝ Oh, what the heck? ❞

❝ Wanna see pictures? ❞

❝ "Chai" means tea, bro! ❞

❝ You're saying "tea tea!" ❞

❝ Would I ask you for a "coffee coffee"? ❞

❝ Yeah, actually, stop talking. ❞

❝ I don't see anything, boss. ❞

❝ This guy/girl is killing me. ❞

❝ You're welcome. Shut up. ❞

❝ You never made a mistake? ❞

❝ Why don't you have 8 arms? ❞

❝ I don't believe in consistency. ❞

❝ Neither was I! I'm in the zone! ❞

❝ It's a metaphor for capitalism. ❞

❝ You disrupted a canon event. ❞

❝ Do you wanna hold my baby? ❞

❝ Oh, I thought you hated labels. ❞

❝ I told you he/she was a liability! ❞

❝ This is what I love about heists! ❞

❝ Can you not talk for a second? ❞

❝ Did you go see your little friend? ❞

❝ Wanna go easy on the penguin? ❞

❝ You're not supposed to be here! ❞

❝ Baby... you're really not helping. ❞

❝ I was gonna try and ignore you. ❞

❝ Yeah, and how did that work out? ❞

❝ Look, I know I messed up, okay?! ❞

❝ How many sweaters do you have? ❞

❝ Why does the horse need a mask? ❞

❝ I don't always like what I have to do. ❞

❝ Of course I'm right. I'm always right. ❞

❝ I've given up too much to stop now. ❞

❝ No, no, no! I did not mean it like that! ❞

❝ Oh, I'm very good at reading people. ❞

❝ That's a sports metaphor, by the way. ❞

❝ This romantic tension is so palpable! ❞

❝ You can't ask me not to save my ___. ❞

❝ Could this day get any damn weirder?! ❞

❝ How can you guys even concentrate? ❞

❝ Do you know how bad this is for you? ❞

❝ I'm coming up to get you! Here I come! ❞

❝ You weren't expecting that, were you? ❞

❝ I promise I will not let you down again. ❞

❝ I always taught you to do it by the book. ❞

❝ I'll do it, but not because you told me to. ❞

❝ I didn't know they made those for adults. ❞

❝ We are supposed to be the good guys. ❞

❝ Cuz I think it's gonna change our vibe. ❞

❝ Running is the least crazy thing going on! ❞

❝ What are you talking about? I'm helping- ❞

❝ He/She just wants to be taken seriously. ❞

❝ I have never seen him/her so emotional! ❞

❝ You blew another hole in the multiverse! ❞

❝ I know you know I've been lying to you. ❞

❝ I had a nightmare about that once. But no! ❞

❝ Why do you wanna be a part of this stuff? ❞

❝ I don't follow orders. Neither does he/she. ❞

❝ I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot. ❞

❝ We all want to live the life we wish we had. ❞

❝ You gotta promise nothing's gonna change. ❞

❝ Look, he/she's just some villain of the week! ❞

❝ I'm not following what's happening right now. ❞

❝ Man, what does it look like I'm trying to do?! ❞

❝ You got an hour to fix this, or I can't help you. ❞

❝ Wait! You don't know what you're doing, man! ❞

❝ Actually, we need you here, for some reason. ❞

❝ Stop pretending you know what you're doing! ❞

❝ How much trouble could he/she get in tonight? ❞

❝ You realize how messed up that sounds, right? ❞

❝ And this is where the British stole all of our stuff! ❞

❝ Are you talking to him/her, or me? Or... him/her? ❞

❝ Bit of advice: use the palm, not just your fingers. ❞

❝ How many missions have you been on together? ❞

❝ What am I supposed to do? Just let him/her die?! ❞

❝ Taking a crap on the establishment. I salute you. ❞

❝ You're both equally terrible. Does that settle it? ❞

❝ I don't even know what the right thing is, anymore. ❞

❝ I'm not a role model. I was briefly a runway model. ❞

❝ Oooh, you weren't invited, and you came anyway? ❞

❝ I'm trying to hold a serious adult conversation, here. ❞

❝ Do I, uhh... have web on my face? What's the deal? ❞

❝ You and me are finally gonna live up to our potential. ❞

❝ You let him/her leave, he/she'll only do more damage. ❞

❝ I'm about to be so much more than a villain of the week. ❞

❝ You made me feel empty, like I had a hole inside of me! ❞

❝ I'll make you pay for everything you took away from me. ❞

❝ I wouldn't call it a mess. More like a... success in progress. ❞

❝ Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go. ❞

❝ If I hadn't said it before, by the way, you're a terrible mentor. ❞

❝ Come on, go easy on the kid. He/She had a terrible teacher! ❞

❝ Please, hold your questions until I'm done breaking this thing! ❞

❝ Is this where... like, you dress up like your favorite character? ❞

❝ Where's the... the bad/girl guy you were supposed to monitor? ❞

❝ I just saw where you went, and went there without you knowing. ❞

❝ Ha! I knew I was gonna regret making him/her that web shooter. ❞

❝ It's because I thought if you knew you wouldn't love me the same. ❞

❝ This should work! Or vaporize me and everything in this building. ❞

❝ Do... do you want us to do something, or do we just stand here? ❞

❝ You don't get to have a heartfelt conversation with me right now! ❞

❝ I just need enough to get me somewhere with a full-sized collider. ❞

❝ Since I leveled up my game, I'm on a journey of self-improvement! ❞

❝ I can do all these things, but I can't help the people I love the most. ❞

❝ The hardest thing about this job is you can't always save everybody. ❞

❝ Hey, you! Could you please deactivate this wonderfully strong barrier? ❞

❝ You have a choice between saving one person and saving an entire world. ❞

❝ Don't be afraid of my friend ___,he/she just looks scary. He/She's got no bite. ❞

❝ Look bad things are gonna happen. It makes us who we are.But good things happen too, you know? ❞

❝ I hate labels, I'm not a hero, 'cuz calling yourself a "hero" makes you a self-mythologizing, narcissistic autocrat. ❞

#rp meme #roleplay meme #roleplay ask meme #rp ask #ask meme #sentence starters #writing prompts #dialogue prompt #original #marvel rp #spider man #spider-man #into the spiderverse

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asexualbookbird · 7 months

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The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon ⭐⭐

I followed this book from it's conception, through it's editing, and hyped it's publishing date on twitter. I was genuinely excited to read it, and really thought and hoped I'd enjoy it. I wasn't a huge fan of what I read of The Bone Season, but everyone assured me this was different! And to be fair, it was! I think in my heart, though, I knew the truth because I waited so long to read this and I'm sorry to say I did not have a great time.

My problem with Samantha Shannon seems to be she creates these wonderful worlds full of interesting magic systems and characters that are fun to follow, but there's too much crammed into the book as a whole. In The Bone Season, I felt the Rephaim were unnecessary. In Priory there are too many points of view. There were things I liked, this wasn't a complete waste of time, but wow they were hard to come by in the end.

What did I like?

-Ead! Ead was clearly the main character and I think it would have worked better if it was just Her Book (I'd also settle for her and Tané, please Tané deserved more page time than she got) -Sabran. I'm surprised, but not really, that people didn't like her. She's complicated! She's mean! She loves deeply! She's a person! People just hate women who are mean lol -MAGIC! Magic comes from fruit that comes from the stars? It's fire and water and ice and air? NEAT! COOL! Cool magic systems seem to be SShannons strong point! -High fantasy with no sexual assault or threats of sexual assault. There was a little misogyny with the way Sabran and her line is treated for their ability to give birth (and no, one throw away line of "This is bad actually!" doesn't fix it lol) but it fit in context and considering no one was mean to women for being women I'll let it slide!

What didn't I like?

-LACK. OF. DRAGONS. yall there are dragons on the COVER, every time someone talked about this online, they added dragon emojis. So why, in the more than 800 pages, did dragons show up for maybe five pages TOTAL. Like if we went line by line and pieced all those lines together, it would maybe take up five pages. Ten if I'm being generous and include the dragons that are The Enemies. Which, by the way, -Dragons are Mean. I've discovered that I prefer dragons to be neutral to allies, I don't like dragon books where we are slaying dragons. It's nice that we have both here, no group of people? Creatures? Are a monolith, but I want more of the eastern dragons! They were pushed aside and we hardly saw them! We hardly saw any of them! If you promise me dragons, then deliver! The! Dragons!!!! -Writing style. I'm thinking maybe SShannon's writing style and I do not vibe at all. I'm not sure what it is about it, I know she doesn't like writing action scenes and so avoids them, and I love reading action scenes, but that didn't feel like the entire problem here? But something about this writing detached me from the characters. Yes I liked Ead, but I felt nothing about Tané, other tha wanting MORE of her. SShannon spent a lot of time saying not much at all, it's really rather impressive. -Tané in general. Part of the writing problem is the way the POVs were split. It was most obvious in Tané's storyline. She has everything stripped away from her, but the emotional impact wasn't there because we hardly spent any time with her. -The Priory. The book is named after it, but we're hardly there at all. I spent a good chunk of the first half wishing Ead would go back to the Priory, but once she was there, I wanted her to leave. The Prioress' motives also seemed iffy to me? Ead was right, why spend nearly ten years trying to keep Inys afloat and then go "actually! Nevermind! Let it burn!' -Plot....holes? Not so much holes but Convenient Plot. I was ready to ignore some of it, suspension of disbelief and all that, but nah I"m going to be picky now! The scene that stuck out the most was Ead being chased and hunted down and CONVENIENTLY wyrms attacked her pursuers and she was the one who got away. Or how about Niclays at the LITERAL LAST MOMENT deciding to have a change of heart because......plot has to move forward? Also. What the fuck happened to Ishari lol Tané noted Ishari was disappointed to be sent to Feather island, but said she hoped their paths would cross again one day! And then! Tané goes to Feather Island! And NO MENTION OF HER AT ALL! Or how abut Loth learning a VERY BIG VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEIGHBORING KINGDOM AND THEN NO ONE MENTIONS IT UNTIL NEARLY THE END LIKE "OH YEAH BTW THE PRINCESS THERE IS COOL LOTH SAID SO" -Wrap Up. I didn't really mind the final Big Fight. I know even fans of the book have been disappointed, but honestly it's one of the strongest stretches of the book, even if it was a little hard to follow at times. What bothered me was after. I know I tend to be impatient when reading the final chapters of a book, the What Happened Next bits, but never have I been so annoyed as to have to read a wrap up from the POV of someone who WASN'T EVEN CONSCIOUS. I suppose it's better than a book where a single first person POV character is knocked unconscious mid battle and then the next scene is "and then everything was over" but come ON.

I know she had to edit this book down a LOT, which. Girl. It's 800 pages how was there MORE. So maybe my questions were answered in things that were cut, but I could not physically handle any more of this book. I got fatigue from her writing, I cannot handle more of it at once, but considering how long it takes her to finish a book (not a complaint! Everyone has a different pace!) I also would not have wanted to wait that long for a conclusion. There's no winning for me here. We were simply not meant to be. It's just that if I'm going to read a book that takes hundreds of pages to say nothing at all by an author that puts out a book once every few years at best, I'd read VE Schwab or Patrick Rothfuss.

#bookbird babbles #book reviews #my review #books #booklr #the priory of the orange tree #tpotot #LOOK AT ME POSTING REVIEWS AGAIN #WITH A NEW HEADER AND EVERYTHING #I think i accidentally used the same or similar fonts as last time lol #but hey! I like them!

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highreevess · 2 years

Text

Keeping Her: Part four

Warnings: Talk of pregnancy, talk of pregnancy symptoms.

Summary: It's been three months since Rafe flew to Connecticut to try to win the love of his life back. Every day, the reader finds the ache in her heart growing smaller and smaller. Every day, Rafe's heart pulls for her more and more. It's time to make a choice. Can she forgive him for his betrayal, or has the pain he caused her made her too afraid to allow him back into her heart?

Word count: 2,056

Part one Part two Part three

"This stuff smells awful," Rafe says as he fixes a bottle of formula.

I scoff. "Why are you making it anyway? A little early, don't ya think?" I ask as I place my hands on my almost seven-month pregnant belly.

"Because I want to see if it's edible. And by the smell, it's not," Rafe says, grimacing as he sniffs the formula in the bottle. "Looks like you'll have to go natural," he says, sending me that damn grin.

He's been trying to convince me to breastfeed once I have the baby for the past two months. And he's using every excuse he can find to bring up the topic, much to my great annoyance.

"In your dreams," I tell him, taking the baby bottle from him. I toss it into the sink for him to wash.

He does so without question.

"Do you want me to make you something to eat?" he asks, and I shake my head. "Not right now."

He nods. "Just let me know when you're hungry, and I'll make whatever you want."

I nod and avert my gaze, not wanting to say anything to him.

For the past three months, Rafe has been nothing but the biggest help. Ever since I found him in my living room fourteen weeks ago. He got an apartment in the building so he could be close to me to help but not close enough to suffocate me or make me uncomfortable. He's been taking me to my O.B appointments, helping with all of my food cravings, and has been preparing my apartment for the baby, which could come at any time. Though I'm only 27 weeks, early birth is common in Rafe's family. It happened with him, Sarah, and his little sister, Wheezie.

The baby is coming soon, and I still have no idea what I'm going to do.

I know I'm having it—obviously—but I don't know what to do about Rafe.

He has been nothing but helpful and affectionate toward me without acting like we are back together. He's made my life so much easier, and each day, he's shown me how truly remorseful he is for his actions.

But I still don't know if it's enough.

I can still feel the dull ache in my heart every time I look at Rafe, and he is the one who created it. I can't just ignore what he did because he's proved himself sorry.

I know he's sorry. I can see the guilt eating away at him every single day, so much so that I wonder how he's functioning properly. But his guilt doesn't automatically mean he won't ever hurt me again.

And the thought of him hurting me again makes my chest cave because now, I'm not the only one who will be hurt by his actions.

I have a daughter to think of.

"Y/N?" Rafe asks, breaking me out of my thoughts. I meet his gaze and swallow when I see him looking at me with those guilty eyes.

He knows I was thinking about him.

He clears his throat and clears away the emotion on his face as if to stop me from seeing his guilt, but I see it.

And it makes my heart pull.

"Maybe you should lie down," Rafe tells me, glancing at my bedroom door. "It's not good for you to be up so much."

I glance at the door before turning my head back toward Rafe. "I suppose I could rest for an hour or two."

"I'll clean up while you sleep. Go ahead," Rafe tells me, drying his hands on the dish towel next to the sink.

I nod and make my way over to my bedroom door. I open it before walking inside and closing it. Then, I head over to my bed and settle between the mattress and the freshly-washed covers.

Sleep comes almost instantly.

My eyebrows pull together as I slowly wake from my deep sleep. My eyes flutter open, and I see that it is dark outside. The moon is high in the night sky and shining through my windows, painting me in a pale glow.

I slowly sit up and look over at the clock on my nightstand. When I see that it's a little past eight, my eyes widen, and I jump out of bed.

I've been asleep for over six hours when I was only supposed to sleep for two.

I let out a huff of frustration before walking over to my bedroom door and opening it.

The smell of food fills my nose, and my eyebrows furrow.

I slowly walk into my living room and see something that makes my heart skip a beat.

Red roses cover nearly every surface of my living room and kitchen. The lights are turned off, and there are dozens upon dozens of candles lit in various places, giving the room a romantic glow. On the large coffee table in my living room are dozens of different foods. They range from seafood to pasta to sweets. Every one of my favorite foods is laid out on the table.

On two opposite sides of the table are a bunch of pillows, neatly stacked for two people to sit comfortably on the floor.

"You're up," a sudden deep voice says, startling me. My head snaps in the direction of the voice, and I see Rafe holding what looks like a metal pan of baked macaroni and cheese, hot and fresh from the oven. My favorite.

Swallowing, I nod. "Yes."

I glance at the table again before looking at Rafe. "What is this?" My words come out as a whisper, and I mentally curse myself for it.

He shrugs and walks over to the table to set down the mac-&-cheese, which looks like a pan of heaven from my view.

Once it's set safely down in the middle of the coffee table, he turns toward me and removes the oven mitts on his hands. "I wanted to cook you dinner."

"This is a feast, not dinner," I mention as I observe the various foods he has laid out. This must have taken hours to cook.

He shrugs. "Feast dinner, same thing." He has that boyish smile on his face that makes me weak in the knees as he says this, but I refuse to let myself give in.

"Rafe, why did you do this?" I ask sternly but not rudely.

He opens his mouth but closes it. He averts his gaze for a moment before straightening and looking back at me. "I thought we should talk."

"And you had to make a fifteen-course meal to do that?" I ask, the corners of my lips kicking up in the tiniest of smiles.

He shrugs, his boyish smile returning. "Figured everything is better with food. And you're eating for two, so I thought I might as well make all of your favorites."

This time, I actually let my smile show. "You didn't have to, Rafe."

"I wanted to."

I can tell he means his words, so I stop asking questions and head toward the coffee table. I sit down on one of the two stacks of pillows and smile at Rafe. "You remembered."

When I was young, I would sit at the coffee table with my mother and father and eat dinner. We would sit atop pillows on the floor. Never once did we use chairs. It wasn't a part of our culture or a tradition that started with my grandparents or anything; it was just something we did.

He smiles and takes off the apron he's wearing before sitting across from me. "I did."

I smile at him again before reaching for the crab legs Rafe boiled. I grab the snow crabs and pull some onto my plate before eagerly digging in.

"Straight for the seafood," he smiles, watching me as I dig into the food he prepared.

I grin.

A small laugh escapes his throat at my toothy grin, and he leans over the table to hand me something. When I see that it's a crab pincher, I take it gladly and use it to help crack the crab legs and get the meat out.

And when I look back up at Rafe to ask where the melted butter is, he's already holding out a cup filled with it for me.

I take it gladly and eat through the snow crabs on my plate in just a few minutes.

The delicious food almost makes me forget about the elephant in the room.

Almost.

After about fifteen minutes of eating and talking about small things, a sort of silence settles between us, and the air grows thick with tension.

I try my best to ignore the tension as I eat my body weight in delicious food, but when Rafe speaks, that becomes impossible.

"So," he speaks, breaking the silence between us.

I look up at him with crab legs in both hands, and the corners of his lips tug up when he sees it.

But he stays on task. "The baby could come any day now, and I know you might still need some time, but I'd just like to know where I stand with you and where I stand with our daughter."

A quiet breath passes my lips, and I set down the crab legs before wiping my hands on the napkin atop my lap.

"I want you in our daughter's life, I know that. I want you to be a father to her and raise her with me," I tell him, completely sure about this.

"But you're still not sure about letting me into your heart again," he concludes with slightly furrowed brows.

I avert my gaze and nod.

A quiet sigh escapes his lips, but he quickly covers it, no doubt to stop me from hearing it so I don't feel guilty about my admission. "Do you think you'll ever be able to trust me again?" When he asks me this, he meets my gaze, and I see that his eyes are glossy with unshed tears.

My own eyes gloss at the sight of his face, so I quickly blink and avert my gaze. "I don't know," I tell him truthfully.

"Do you want to?" he asks.

"Of course," I answer, and I mean it. I want nothing more than to be able to trust him with everything I have, even more so now that we have a child on the way, but I'm so scared to do it. I'm so scared of him hurting me again to the point that just thinking about it makes my chest cave.

"But you're afraid," he concludes again, and I nod. "I don't want to be," I tell him. "I want more than anything to be able to trust you again, to be in your arms late at night while you whisper about how much you love me, but I'm terrified of you hurting me again. You can't possibly imagine how scared I am, Rafe."

"I know," he whispers, his words thick with guilt. "And you will never know how sorry I am for what I did, for what I made you feel. You'll never know how grateful I am that you're allowing me to help raise our daughter, even if you still can't let me into your heart."

He reaches over the coffee table and gently grabs my right hand in his. "I don't care if I have to spend the next twenty years proving myself to you. I will do whatever it takes to win you back, and when I do, I will treat you like a fucking queen. I will never hurt you again. I will be a good father to our daughter, and I will be a good husband to you."

My heart skips a beat at him implying he wants to get married someday, and tears pool in my eyes.

I quickly blink them away before they fall, but I don't look away from Rafe. "I love you. That hasn't changed. And I'm scared, but I will try to let you in. I'll try to trust you again, Rafe, because I do want a future with you. I always have."

I see the corners of his lips kick up in a bittersweet smile. "That's all I can ask for."

A/N: There will be one more part after this. It should be posted by the end of next week.

Taglist: @abby-johnson04 @ailee-celeste @belcalis9503 @bethoconnor @dirtytissuebox @hopebaker @houseofperfecttaste @i-always-come-back-xoxo @onmykneesforrafe @outerbankspov @penny4yourthoughts @phildunphyisadilf

#rafe cameron x y/n #outerbanks rafe #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe obx #rafe outer banks #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron angst #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron fluff #rafe cameron obx #rafe cameron one shot #rafe x reader

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little-tyrant-gortash · 5 months

Text

Oathbreaker

Pairing: fem!Tav x Enver Gortash, fem!Tav/Astarion

Tags: Emotional Manipulation, Manipulation, Manipulative Relationship, Paladin Tav (Baldur's Gate), Vaginal Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Drunk Sex, Unrequited Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Scars, Blood and Injury, Injury, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Torture, Psychological Torture, Implied/Referenced Torture

Word count: 1,504

Ao3 here.

Chapter 1.

Chapter 2.

Chapter 3.

Chapter 4.

Chapter 5.

Chapter 6.

Chapter 7. ⬇

Chapter 8.

Notes: The flu kicked my ass bad. I wanted to post this days ago. Sorry for the delay! I'm feeling better, so, hopefully, I'll have more energy to write. :3

Chapter 7: Three Conditions

The expression he donned was indescribable. Tav could detect so many things in the very same moment: regret, rage, boastfulness and then… sadness. Settling on a scowl one mere second later though, Enver shook his head.

"She'd rather gut me than letting me even consider fixing it."

"I'll talk to her."

Gortash stared at her for a long moment.

"On three conditions."

"Three?!"

"You've heard me."

Tav fought hard not to roll her eyes. She crossed her arms in front of herself with an expectant look on her face. Three conditions - they weren't much to give in exchange for her friend's life, but if it came to Gortash, who knew what he might ask for… Tav probably wouldn't sell her soul to a devil to save her, but she was willing to give this a try. After all, he couldn't claim her soul, at least, and that was a relief…

What was the worst to happen?

"I'm listening."

"One", Gortash raised his right index finger, then pointed at the Reaper's Embrace, "you're wearing the armour from now on."

Something stirred within her. What did he do to the armour, really? Why was it so important for him? She wondered… what was that dark purple gemstone he put in it's claws right over where one's heart would be?

Given the nature of their meetings Tav was trying to believe he wouldn't pull anything malicious when it came to her. But she couldn't be entirely certain. He'd tricked an innocent bard, after all, offering her gold in exchange for her "voice" – only for her to end up as a brain in a box. Surely, Tav shouldn't let her guards down, because she might find herself without a body, too.

That was the worst to happen.

She shuddered.

Still, she'd need Karlach with her, and perhaps she'd… tolerate Gortash more if he did them all such a favour. He'd ultimately save Karlach's life – of course, after he'd majorly fucked it up for her. In any case, if Tav wanted to really bring the fight to Orin, she needed Karlach. That was non-negotiable.

In short… she had no choice. Try and trust Gortash, or die.

"Fine. I'll wear it."

"Two: you'll visit me every day for dinner." Tav nearly smiled, as it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She could have the others stay at an inn and she'd sneak out every night without anyone knowing… that should do the trick. Free meals? So far, every meal she'd eaten with him was glorious. She'd be mad to turn that down. "And", he added when he sensed she was looking at it as good news, "we will work on your traumas to toughen you up."

The absurdity of it all!

"You have absolutely no idea what I had to face", she couldn't help it, she snapped. "The things I've seen and done-"

"Exactly", he nodded, "and we need to get those out of the way. You can't feel vulnerable in Bhaal's temple. We can't allow that to happen."

"I can take care of myself. Always did, always will."

"I know that, but will you allow me to do the same for you? You don't have to do this all alone."

She stared at him for a few long seconds, trying to determine how serious he was about this.

"Dinner sounds nice, the other – not."

Gortash knew he'd need to be cruel. This was, really, a small price to pay in the long run. If she could get rid of Orin for him, and brought him the Netherstones… he was willing to sacrifice his free time to work on her, so she could withstand anything she might face.

"You either do this for me, or I'm not fixing Karlach's engine. It's up to you."

She wanted to snarl at him for being so stubborn. He reminded her of Raphael, bringing back an old memory; that how Mol had freedom… to choose 'freely' the only one choice she had. Tav growled lowly.

"Okay. What else do you want to extort from me?"

Gortash smirked at her question.

"A kiss. Not now", he held his right hand up, then motioned between them, "on my own terms. Where I want, when I want."

Tav furrowed her brows, sensing some sort of trick. And, at the same time, she hated everything about him, even the motions he made with his hand when he was talking. Not for long enough, though.

"One single kiss?"

"Yes."

"That's it?"

"Yes", he nodded, and chuckled quietly at her confused expression.

"Fine", she ran a hand in her hair. "Anything else? Or are you finished taking everything from me?"

"My dear, the payments I require are nothing in comparison to what I'm ready to do... for you." He reached out to touch her towel clad waist, and pulled her close to himself before he kissed her deeply. Tav nearly melted at his confidence, in his embrace. She reached up to touch his face, and gently ran her thumb over his scar on his chin. Enver hummed before he pulled away. "It's late, and it's dangerous outside. Stay for the night."

"Do I have a choice?" She asked playfully.

"No", he smirked as his hand slid down on her body and grabbed her ass.

"I'd like to remind you that I do not belong to you", Tav murmured, trying hard to look just as confident as he did, but his closeness and his hands on her body were distracting.

"You needn't remind me. You're not cattle." Cocking a brow, his eyes darkened with something different, something she knew from their previous 'meetings'.

"Glad to hear that", she purred softly.

As a reply, Gortash grabbed the towel at her back and yanked it away from her form before he reached down and picked her up. She gasped as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck.

"…again?" Enver huffed in her neck, making her giggle when his breath tickled her skin.

"Oh, yes~"

It did not take long for him to relocate them in yet another lavish bedroom, but she didn't even really care where they were. He could've taken her in a bedroll in the middle of nowhere with nothing but their dinner to their names; the way he could make her feel was otherworldly and utterly dangerous.

Later on, she was thinking about that if anyone told her a month ago that she'd be laying comfortably in the arms of the Chosen of Bane, she would've laughed hysterically.

And yet, there she was. Nestled warmly against him. Tucked in, his arms and his blanket around her form. In his bed. In his bedroom. In his bloody palace.

And she'd never felt safer in her entire life.

Tav listened to the way he was breathing; rhythmically, calmly, his last words still hanging in the air when he was dancing between being awake and asleep.

"Together... we will be great."

He'd given her no reason to believe he was lying. So far, everything about him was surprisingly good; from their shared meals to the sheets, Gortash paid a lot of attention to what she liked. She didn't even need to say it out loud, and he knew. As if it was second nature for him. As if it was in his best interests to keep her satisfied and happy.

And it was, in fact, done in his best interests. He was doing this all to make her obey him. To make her submit to his will. To guide her. To prevent her from ever betraying him.

A part of her wanted to give in. She wouldn't need to do much, just follow his lead; let his hand guide her wherever he wanted her to be. Perhaps it'd be best, really; she was growing tired of being the leader, trying to hold her little band of vagabonds together, trying to figure out their next steps, trying to keep peace within the camp. Especially after how Astarion had left them. It'd be so much easier if she could just... lay back and let someone else do the brain work for once.

But she also was aware that Gortash was a Banite; the very Chosen of the God of Darkness, a god who valued people who crushed the weak under their boot.

Did Gortash see her weak? Was she?

Tav's brows twitched as she was questioning herself. From a point of view, she was. Gortash never needed to do much to get under her skin, but that wasn't entirely his fault. She simply couldn't help herself when she saw those dark eyes, messy hair and thick lips of his. And his voice. Gods, his voice. His brilliant, wonderful mind and well put-together plans - the fact he was ready to share everything he earned for himself with her of all people.

She closed her eyes.

I'll worry about my emotions later, she decided, I shouldn't let them distract me now. I'll enjoy this while it lasts.

#Oathbreaker #little tyrant [enver gortash]#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg 3 #enver gortash #archduke enver gortash #lord enver gortash #fanfic #Oathbreaker fanfic

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frauleindermorgen · 9 months

Note

Pelleas has never been particularly gifted at hiding his emotions, teeming to the brim as they are wont to be. The entire time he's invited himself over to Micaiah's dorm to spend the night, it is clear he is on edge, a bit distracted. He mistakes the feeling at first for fear, nerves on edge as the minutes while away.

Micaiah's going to go to sleep. She likes to meet the dawn. Will he have enough time? It feels like such a doomed prospect; he feels stupid for even trying. She can probably feel all this nervous energy from him, and that could hardly be fun to deal with, he imagines.

Settled into bed with her but completely unsettled, it's when the clock strikes midnight that he at last can let it out.

“ Happy birthday, Micaiah! ”

A beat passes until realization sets in.

“ ...Ah, that came out a bit louder than I anticipated. Sorry, ” he quickly apologizes, lowering his voice back to a whisper. “ I was just so nervous, waiting all this time to make sure I didn't mess up the timing of it... I wanted to be the very first one to tell you that this year, worried if I didn't say it then, you'd wake up before me and go out and then somebody else would beat me to it. But now that I think of it, I guess it was a little silly. I'm glad I did it, but... There was a better way to go about it, probably. ”

He sighs but it turns into an awkward laugh.

“ I'm sorry, really ” Pelleas repeats. “ I'll let you sleep soon, I promise, but can you hold still for me for a little bit? ”

He climbs out of her bed and reaches for his bag that he had brought his spare change of clothes in, fishing out a hair pin. It is black save for the sight of a tourmaline spider lily decorating it, and when he returns to her, he fumbles as he fixes it into place at the side of her fringe, letting the moonlight catch the gemstones in it.

“ There. My birthday gift to you. I remember you in Midsommar looking at something like this. You said it was cute. ” He knows it had been in reference to her trying to find an accessory that looked good on him rather than her, but looking at her with it on now, he can't imagine himself comparing at all to her with it.

His expression melts as he does his usual spiel. “ The spider lily... it's a flower with bad omens. I know I shouldn't have given it to you, knowing that, but most people fear it because it blooms where death does. But do you know why it does that?

“ The spider lily is given to protect someone in death. It's supposed to save you from curses and bad spirits, and it carries with it a hope that when you are reborn, you shall be safe and sound. ” Death is inevitable, this flower cries, but it still tries valiantly in the face of that.

He rejoins her, sitting down on the edge of her bed. “ There's a story with it too. I won't tell you all that now, but... I suppose the way you can think of it is that it also is meant to tell your lover, 'I want to run away with you.' ”

He lets that meaning sit with her, worried anything that he said would ruin it. Instead of elaborating on it further, he merely smiles warmly at her, not wishing to wish for too much from her.

“ It really is pretty on you... But anyway, happy birthday again, Micaiah. I'm glad I got to tell you again... ”

For who knows when the last time he'll be able to do so shall be?

Birthdays are a truly unique part of her Garreg Mach experience, as are the many trinkets she has collected in relation: the handmade rose-embroidered cloth and gloves from Elincia, Soren’s bracelet of interlocking birds, as well as Pelleas’s pouch inside of which is the matching ribbon and a few pressed flowers: all are kept inside a wood box Micaiah had bought for herself still only half-believing the need for it. It sits on a shelf beside the journal from Lachesis, near filled now, next to the mysterious “fountain pen” and her favored quill.

Sometimes she gets distracted just looking at them all – she never did know what to think of others’ admiration of material possessions outside of what was immediately useful but looking at each, memories rising up warm as ever, she finds she is now much closer to some understanding.

Tonight she is finishing a paper she has been persistently editing for her class on Neo-Politics in the Leicester Alliance – a topic she finds fascinating, but is apparently quite controversial with some of those native to Fodlan, and so she feels near cross-eyed from fact checking each source though she will get it done.

Pelleas had helped her a great deal in the days leading up to the final submission, but now she wants to look at the flaws on her own; which is to say, she is perfectly happy to have him in her room wrapped in her bedsheets but she will be doing this final check alone.

He doesn’t seem to mind, at least not unduly – the nervous energy coming off of him is just that, frenetic rather than hurt and as Micaiah makes herself one more cup of strong tea she really cannot quite tell who’s nerves she is picking up on.

“Alright,” she says finally, when she feels a headache non-caffeine related coming on, “I’ve done all I can. If any of the old guard from the Kingdom or Alliance, or goddess forbid my own house leader, wish to debate me I will simply take it in stride.”

Saying this she finally begins to get ready for bed as she has announced she would at least an hour ago, falling into it a bit dramatically knowing Pelleas will be there to catch her – and this too, is dangerous, falling without looking; with nothing to catch her but that trust but just like the transient warmth she feels every time she looks at reminders of her “birth” it feels too good to give up.

She’d like to take this moment back too alongside her gifts to the palace. To know the same moonlight there might blanket their embrace, though the stars might change; she thinks to bring it up actually, drifting in her thoughts, when Pelleas speaks first.

(Or shouts? He’s certainly excited, but just as Pelleas’s emotion ebb and flow in such a unique way so too does his tone of voice. It’s never bothered her so authentic as it is).

“I told you I’m always happy to hear it, didn’t I?” She chuckles, rising to a seated position as he does the same.

She lets Pelleas’ words come into being, one rolling over the next with the same burble as a river and finds herself smiling wider – so that’s what he had been thinking! She never would have guessed. (Perhaps forgetting your own birthday was another birthday tradition, she will have to ask when she finds someone who might be knowledgeable regarding such a thing).

Micaiah holds still, and doesn’t mention he needn’t have worried about being the first to greet her – because as used to walking in the morning as she was, she hadn’t planned on leaving him, the sun being as good a blanket as the moon in her opinion. She sees the gem only for a moment before he pins it to her hair but the shape of the flower is familiar from her reading and finds herself nodding along.

“Mm… you know it’s rather fitting being the Priestess of Yune and a Branded myself that I should be given something called ominous, I think. It’s no less beautiful for it.”

Rebirth, he mentions; and as gladdened as she is by the rest of his speech the hope in her eyes dwindles only a bit - is that what will happen to you, she thinks? Will your soul have enough to go on? Or would her own desires and the spirits tie him down… she wonders, placing the guardian flower in his own hair for a moment just to see how it looks.

“I thought I had been doing my own research, but you always know so much! I like that, a flower meant to protect from death despite what an insurmountable object that is; I’ve read too you can plant spider lilies around rice paddies and other vegetables to keep them safe from mice or other pests. I suppose they’re always protecting us in some way then…”

She takes the pin from him again, and reaches over him to place it on the desk before pulling him back down with her; “I’m confused about one thing though, Pelleas,” she chortles, “shall we run away together now or shall we go to sleep?”

Daein was too cold a climate for spider lilies to flourish, but she wants to see them with her own eyes, hand in hand with Pelleas if she can. And she tells him this – uncaring for this one moment, that she has tied him to her once again with another promise, as for now she can feel his warmth. She cannot put that in a box, but she will remember.

#pirrhyc #;answered #event;birthday2023 #//hi my other bday replies wont be almost 1000 words. this is ns fault i say (it's not)#//anyway ur other micapell drabble made me weep so im glad she didnt get thAT for her birthday. the timelines.... the timelines in RD...#//i like writing domesticity. :meow_tehe: so for now i stay sane. for now #//sending a curveball when u dont expect it tho so quick duck

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dashofmonsters · 2 years

Text

Roommates & Renovations Pt. 7

Merman x F!Reader

"Well, that all happened," you sigh.

Yen exhales sharply and runs his hands through his hair, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, stressed, the usual," you shrug. "But at least we won't have to worry about the Queen or the trial anymore."

He nods and downs a glass of water, "I'm still worried though, if Achara becomes the new Queen my mother and aunt will try to pry in the palace politics for their own personal gain."

"Are they really that bad?" you grimace.

Yen let's out a breathy laugh, "They disowned me when I divorced the Queen. My father tried to keep in contact afterwards but it ended when my mother discovered what he was up to. He used to ask me about my divorce and if-" He takes a deep breath and clears his throat.

"If you could help him divorce your mom?" you ask. Yen nods his head. "Divorce is a sore subject for your people huh?"

"It's not widely accepted and it's considered embarrassing to most. My father wanted something discreet and I was going to ask Varen but, my mother ended up cutting us off. I haven't spoken with him in years now," Yen's face scrunches, a quiet pain in his eyes.

He hasn't spoken much about his family but you knew his relationship with them was strained.

"Maybe once things have been settled we can find someway for you to see him, without your mom or aunt," you take his hand and bring it up to press a kiss to his palm.

Yen leans in closer and places his head on your shoulder, "That would be wonderful, if not almost impossible my light."

You turn your head and place another kiss on his forehead, "In the meantime I'll get in contact with my doctor and see what she can do about your condition. Hopefully it'll be an easy fix."

He grumbles and nuzzles against you, "I know you want to fix all this but I really don't want to talk about this anymore, I feel like it's all we've done today."

"Alright then," you agree. "Then what do you want to do today, aside from going clothes shopping?"

Yen sits up and looks at you confused.

"You ruined most of your clothes and I'm not doing laundry every other day. Also, I've been itching to see you in something other than jeans and a plain t-shirt," you pinch his arm and he rolls his eyes.

"Fine, fine but at least let me take a nap first," he groans.

You laugh and smooch his cheek, "Ok, that's fair go get some good sleep my light and I'll clean up around here."

Yen glows a dim pink before hulling you up as he stands. His eyes are normal now and all those rough edges have smoothed out and you start to wonder if maybe, just maybe you can keep that lusty side of him under control by flustering him. It's just a thought, a theory, but one you'll look into when the time comes.

He plops onto the couch while still holding you. You curl in his arms and lean against his chest, "What happened to taking a nap."

"I want to hold you before I go into the tank," his hands give you a light squeeze as he moves you till you're straddling him. You raise a brow at this new position but you don't complain. His hands gently glide up your arms till he's cupping your face. Yen's thumbs rub your cheeks, a tiny bit of his magic seeps out from his palms causing you to lean into his touch.

"Mmm what's this about?" you ask as you feel the slightest pull on your mind.

"I've only ever felt your emotions when you've been stressed or upset. I want to feel other things with you," he dips down and presses his forehead against yours.

You bring your arms up and wrap them around his neck, stretching your hands against his back, "And what am I feeling right now."

Yen nuzzles your cheek and squeezes your hips causing the both of you to jump a little. He laughs and holds you closer to him, "You feel happy, a bit tired and stressed, but still happy... Do I by chance make you happy?"

His voice wavered a little with that question. You purse your lips when you look him in the eye or at least tried to. He looks away from you, his dim pink turning an even dimmer and duller dark blue.

"Why do you do this to yourself my light?" you kiss his cheek, the spot where you pecked turning pink. "Why do you assume the worst before I can even give you an answer?"

Yen's mouth hangs open as he takes a deep breath, another tug at your mind comes and he screws his eyes shut.

"My li-"

He pulls you into a tight hug and you can feel his body shake and shiver.

"I've... I've never felt anything like this from anyone," his voice cracks and his body stiffens. "What is this?"

What is it indeed that he's feeling from you. You care for him a lot, but that word doesn't feel enough. You want him to like himself more, to have more confidence in himself since he's really good at his job and picks things up real quick. You've never felt this way about anyone before, not even with Varen who broke your heart those years ago.

A word lingers in the back of your mind that you're too afraid to confront even if it might be the right name for this feeling. Yen must have read your emotions because his fingers dig into you as if to anchor you to him.

"What is this?" he asks again, though his voice is hoarse and he coughs.

Water, he needs to get into his tank now. You try and pry yourself from him but his hold on you is firm.

"Yen, you're drying up! You need to hydrate now!" you squirm in protest but he doesn't let up. "Please! Just go and we'll talk about this later ok? I just need some time, please."

You feel a sting at the corner of your eyes and before you can bat the impending tears away Yen kisses you. It's a soft and gentle kiss that makes you feel as if you're floating. He kisses you again, his lips slightly chapped. The breath between the kiss is like a whisper, drawing you closer so you can hear better.

"I love you," he speaks against your lips before kissing you again.

A stream of salty tears pave their way down your cheeks then Yen's. Slowly and carefully he picks you up and lays you onto the couch as he kneels down next to you. You can feel how dry he is, his skin cracking and the red scratches on his face open and blood smears.

Yen's eyes are blood shot when he looks at you, his lips peeling as he tries to speak, "We'll rest today my light, we both need it after everything that's happened. Tomorrow, we'll go on a proper date."

He kisses your forehead and slowly gets up and limps to the hatch. You try to get up but something's holding you down. Magic.

It's not a heavy push or a pull to stay on the couch but a shield to keep you from getting up. You try calling out his name but the splash of water drowns your voice out. The shield drops then and you scramble to to the front door. You wheel around the house and to the door to the basement. It's cold and dark save for the dim light from Yen's tank.

There's a strange stale smell in the air, stagnant and still. Your skin crawls the closer you get to it. You've felt this before, a long time ago when your school was letting its students get a feel for forbidden and dangerous magic.

Why would there be something like that here, you think. Your feet take you to the furthest corner of the basement and away from Yen despite what your entire brain and body is telling you. The strange smell is strong here and everything in you is telling you to run. There's a lot of forbidden items that will do that to a person, all of them too deadly if you're constantly that close to them.

You suddenly feel a chill run up your spine and your heart nearly stops. Yen's been in here, his equipment is here and... You run out of the basement and slam the doors behind you. You make a mad dash back into the house and grab your phone, calling your friend who loaned Varen her phone.

"Lin is Varen still there?" you pant.

"A hello would be nice, but yeah your hunk of an ex is still here," Lin replies.

"I need to talk to him, I think someone smuggled in a restricted magic item," you whisper.

Lin goes quiet on the phone for a second, "That's a very big accusation considering what's going on. Are you sure?"

"Lin I felt it. Now please let me talk to Varen," you plea.

You hear Lin shift the phone and walk around before muttering something.

"I've barely been gone for what two hours and there's already trouble? What now?" Varen sighs.

"There's an RMI in my house," you repeat.

Varen groans, "Of fucking course there is. Did you touch it?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? Of course I didn't touch it! The damn thing is in my basement behind Yen's equipment," you exhale sharply and try to collect yourself.

"Right, who all has access to the basement aside from you two?" he asks.

"The two guys Yen had hired on, both human," but you can't think of how either would have gotten ahold of the item or known how to handle it.

"Correction, both seem human. We've been dealing with a lot of glamour related incidents recently and forging an identity has been a major issue. If the Queen invested in a glamour potion within the last few months I'll let you know. For now, only you and Yen are allowed in the basement. I'll send someone to remove the RMI tomorrow," his words have a terrible bite to them. You can almost see him festering in his own thoughts while pacing back and forth.

You know how strained things can get when the mortal and fae realm clash and this incident will have everyone on edge. The borders are temporarily shut down for the trial and investigation, gods only knows what would happen if word got out that a glamoured fae snuck passed all that and caused trouble here.

"Alright, and I'll text Lin's number if I find anything else. How long are you staying there?" you ask.

"Till next week or until I'm called back. I'll update you if I find anything out about the glamour and whenever said someone will come over to remove the object. I suggest keeping Yen away from the basement in the meantime if you can," Varen suggests.

"I would if he didn't practically live in it... oh gods do you think that thing has been the reason he's been-"

"Don't jump to conclusions but you might be onto something. Have him stay in the lake for now, he told me it's breathable enough. Neither of you should chance this, I'm surprised he hasn't felt it at all... That is unless it was attuned to him," his voice drops to a whisper and he chokes on the last few words.

To have an item of magic attuned to you is one things, perfectly normal and it's great to keep things from getting stolen. To have a restricted magical item attuned to you is the same as having an illness locked onto you, slowly draining your energy or infecting your mind. There's no telling how long it's been down there and what it's been doing to him.

"I...I gotta go, I'll update you if anything happens," you hang up the phone before Varen can say anymore and run towards the hatch. You take a deep breath and jump in, knocking on the sides of the tank as you descend.

You dive down and forward, staying close to the pocket of air at the top. After a couple minutes of swimming you feel a tug on your legs and you're being pulled down into Yen's arms. One of his eyes is all black while the other looks completely normal. You point upwards so you can talk with him but he pulls you in closer and kisses you, his magic filling you up.

The spell quickly turns you and you push away from Yen once you're able to breathe, "Yen you have to get out of the tank now, there's a restricted magical item down here. It's pretty bad, come on." You tug on his arm to follow you but he remains still. You look back down at him and see that his eyes are screwed shut and he shakes his head furiously.

Something's wrong, really really wrong. You tug harder and he reels, clutching his head. You swim down to him and grab his shoulders and try to swim upwards. It's a slow ascend back up and you drop Yen a couple times but he's not struggling. By the time you're close to the hatch he swims past you and nearly flies out of the tank.

You hear him cough and toss around as he gets used to breathing air again. You debate climbing out of the tank with his spell still on you so you linger at the top and hold onto the edge. His violent thrashing slows and he flops onto his back, chest heaving.

"Yen you need to calm down, take deep slow breaths," you urge him.

He stutters something and groans as he curls into a ball. His face contorts with pain, his eyes black and puffy and claws grow longer and sharper, digging into the hardwood floor.

You curse whoever did this to him as you decide to pull yourself up out of the tank, you'll hold your breath if you have to. Luckily the spell wears off once you're out. You go to his side and haul him into your arms, turning his face just enough so you can get a better look.

The skin around his eyes look bruised and his lips are pale. What the hell is going on? When did that RMI get there and why is it so bad now, why now?

Suddenly you hear a knock at your door. You're not expecting anyone and you have the next few days off so no one should be bothering you. Your phone goes off and you debate grabbing it or staying by Yen, it's a tough choice but you end up going for your phone and answering it.

"Answer the door," Varen says then hangs up.

You quickly pad your way to the front door and swing it open. A tall elven woman in sunglasses with bunched up red hair stands at your door with a ridiculously large tie-dye rainbow purse all the while wearing a lab coat.

"Rori, you're-"

"Here, yes yes I know. Where is he?" she pushes past you and shoves her purse into your hands. You don't argue, that's one of the few things you learned early on about your doctor.

You close the door and chase after her, watching as she kneels down and curiously inspects Yen. She makes several humming sounds as she peels open his eyes and mouth, picks up his hand and checks his pulse... you think.

"Where's the RMI?" she looks around.

"It's in the basement where he's at most of the time," you answer, watching as she rises and pauses with too much dignity for someone wearing polka dot pants.

She demands that you lead her down to the basement, showing you a string of texts and papers clearing her to inspect it. You nod your head and as you lead the way you text to double check with Varen. It all checks out.

Rori makes a face of absolute disgust and tears her glasses off the second she gets a whiff of that stale stagnant magic. Her yellow eyes stare right in its direction and her nose scrunches, "Vile nasty little thing."

She crosses her arms before making several frustrated hand gestures, "I cannot fucking believe this got past border security! Are you fucking serious?!"

That's what you've been thinking. How and why and who?

"Is there anything you can do for Yen?" you ask her, slowly approaching her side.

Your doctor twirls around and places her hands on her hips, "I've never had a merfolk as a patient but I know the further away he is from this thing the better. Back up we go!"

You and Rori make a plan to take Yen not to the lake but to a nearby freshwater pond big enough for him to stretch and sleep in. It's clean and managed by the next city over who Varen apparently pulled some strings to get them to loan it to Yen.

It's a hour drive there so you and Rori put Yen in the backseat where she'll splash some water on him ever so often. Little by little and the further you are away from home the better he looks. You glance back every stoplight and every stop sign to check.

By the time you get to the pond Yen has slowly started to wake up, his eyes blood shot and dry. A team of doctors and local law enforcement help Yen into the pond and to your doctor's clear dismay, check his vitals.

"If they just asked me what had happened I'd tell them he was under the influence of an RMI but nooooooooo, let them fiddle away," she leans against your car and throws her hands up in the air.

You're thankful for her fitful attitude and its distractions or else you'd be tossing yourself at Yen and asking everyone around him to be careful and gentle with him and that he's been through a lot. They probably know, Varen would have hinted at the importance of the city loaning us the pond.

Yen groans and coughs loudly then, pulling you away from Rori's loud pouting. Two orc officers are slowly settling him into the pond with the utmost care but the one holding Yen by his shoulders nearly drops him when Yen rolls over to cough. You run to his side or at least try to but you're stopped by a naga in a lab coat.

You look to Yen and you see him muttering something to the officers holding and they holler at the naga to let you through. Yen's tail hits the water first as he's lowered in and you hear a sigh of relief. Once he's up to his chest he waves to officers off and thanks them for their help.

"How do you feel?" you ask him as you plop down next to him, not caring that your clothes have gotten soaked.

"Better...what happened to me?" he swallows hard and coughs.

"Someone snuck a RMI into the basement, behind all your equipment. Varen's got an idea who it might be and how they got one but-"

"The Queen? Not hard to believe, the palace owned several that I tried to have destroyed but I was outnumbered. Some voted on using them for 'defense'... Let me guess she paid someone to hide it and gave them a glamour," he looks at you with tired eyes, his breathing finally evening out.

"That's... that's been the only theory thus so far but yeah. Do you know of any RMIs that were in the palace that could force your bedroom eye behavior but ten times more intense?" you ask him.

He looks confused for a moment then his eyes widen with horrific realization. His face twists and he looks like he's about to be sick.

"Yen, my light...?" you press and hand to his shoulder and it glows a light pink. His eyes stare right at your hand that's on him and his eyes start to water. He pulls you into his arms and you squeak at the sudden and very public display of affection.

"Thank the gods," you hear him mutter, "it was all real."

Before you can ask him what he means you feel a light tap to your shoulder and look up to see Rori wearing a shit eating grin.

"Hate to interrupt but Varen sent someone to pick up the RMI ahead of schedule. They'll either need the keys to the house or for you to show them where it is," she gestures with her head that you should probably go.

You look back to Yen who just smiles and shrugs, "I'll be safe here my light. Officer Bran said they'd have security posted around here and only people I'm close with or have personal permits from Varen can get anywhere near me."

That makes you feel a tiny bit better but you'd rather stay with him. You'll go home of course, but you'd rather be here. Yen lets out a breathy laugh and kisses your cheek. You can feel him magic pour into you, but unlike before where it flowed like a calm stream this flowed in like a rapid river.

"Stay safe, if anyone or anything tried to hurt you you'll be teleported here. I can't be there with you but my magic can," he nuzzles your cheek and places a tingling kiss to your forehead. "And that one's to dry you off once you get out of the water."

"My hero," you giggle and kiss him back. You tried to be quick about it but he held you long enough for Rori to clear her throat and poke at his head.

"I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. You go take care of things on the homefront smalls," Rori grins.

You groan, "Oh for fucks sake, can you stop calling me that."

Rori and Yen giggle and you eye your boyfriend who you know is going to stash that nickname in his arsenal.

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

The drive back home was stressful, you kept shifting in the seat and tapping the steering wheel. When you pull up to the driveway there are two armed cars and at least twenty people on standby. A tall fae you sort of recognize greets you and hands over the paperwork and his id that you check with Varen. You do this nineteen more times, but you'd rather be safe than sorry.

A group of three, a fae, a minotaur, and a naga, are charged with removing the RMI. You lead them to the basement that's being heavily guarded by ten people. You're not to go in for safety reasons until they send someone in to purify the house of the stagnant and stale smelling magic.

The minotaur holds a heavy duty metal box that they plan to put the item in. The naga is armed to the teeth, wearing a dual realm approved protection vest, good against magic and mundane attacks.

The fae heading the group was in fact an old colleague of Varen's though he transferred to realm border safety and became a specialist in RMIs.

You wince when everyone reels back as the tainted magic rolls over them. The naga grimaces and readies himself as he follows behind the others. Everyone else goes back to position but you can tell they're nervous.

The air is thick and you can hardly breathe as you wait for them to come back out. You back yourself up against the treeline to try and relax only to have a guard run up to you.

"Sorry I can't let you out of my sight," the orc sighs.

"Figures, someone placed something like that in my house that could have put a lot of people in danger," you shrug.

"Thank you for understanding," he nods.

You stand against a tree while your orc guard stands next to you as stiff as a board. You feel a strange sensation, dizzy and lulling. You shake your head, tired, just tired. You try and snap out of it but it's got a firm hold on you whatever it is. You don't like this...

"Psst, hey hey you," you wave at the orc and beckon him closer. He raises a brow but moves in closer nonetheless. You whisper something to him and he nods his head. You both feign a laugh and he goes back to his post waving off your 'joke'.

The magic wraps around you even more then, you become dizzy and wobbly, your eyes heavy. You fight to keep them open to watch the trio exit the basement but you finally give in and then hands wrap around your throat.

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

You and your attacker fall into the pond with a heavy splash, they thrash and try to grab for you but you're faster and get to the shore in record time. Rori hollers for an officer to grab the perp but Yen tosses him out and they land with a hard thud.

They curse and try to scramble to their feet only for them to get dragged up by an orc. The officer forces him to straighten up and every terrible suspicion Varen had came true. It was one of the workers Yen requested to be hired on. The young man snears, his face distorting and inhuman features start peeping out.

You look to Yen, his face awash in shock and rage. His eyes start to turn black and Rori begs him to calm down. He's not listening, the water around him spikes and his magic starts to whip against the wind. He's pissed, so are you. You turn to the man and he gives you a toothy grin before spitting on you.

Yen's magic lunges out but your fist makes contact with the man's face first. The orc holding him stammers and Rori barks in laughter while Yen's magic just drops. The man spits out a tooth and growls at you so you kick him.

Another orc officer carefully and very nicely asks you to leave him alive enough for interrogation. You secede with a grumble, giving the man... the bogg... a death glare as you stomp off and back into the water.

"He really had the balls to try and scope shit out while they were removing the RMI, fucking stupid!" you seeth.

Yen swims up to you immediately and wraps his arms around you. You're still not used to public displays of affection and your doctor knows this.

"Oh my dear smalls, all grown up and has a mate," she playfully wipes away a tear. You turn and glare up at her. "But on another note, we've confirmed a few things about Yen's condition. It's very similar to saltwater merfolk mating behavior but with the additional of your said bedroom eyes."

You look to Yen and he smiles at you, "Good news I guess?"

"It's manageable, so yes," Yen grins.

Rori and Yen explain that the RMI was used as a 'party favor' by the Lakes' palace to heighten sexual desires and primal instincts during its more hedonistic era. According to them they theorize that the Queen had that bogg plant the RMI in rather recently to have Yen go bonkers right before her trial. She just didn't think that you'd be able to identify magic.

With the item out of the way Yen's condition won't be an issue but it'll still need to be monitored since no one has any data on freshwater merfolk and human pairings. Rori then goes onto teasing the both of you relentlessly until she spotted a shirtless orc running past the pond's park.

"And that's your doctor?" Yen snickers.

"She's also an old family friend, her and Priscilla go way back," you shrug, overly used to her antics. "So how are you feeling?"

"Better, my head doesn't feel as muddled as it has been. I should have known something wasn't right," he grits.

"Like Rori said, there was no way you could have know it was there. The RMI was attuned to you and-"

"That's not what I meant... I should have been more careful, I should have known that she'd try to pull some fucking last minute trick just to fuck everything up and drag me into her trial," Yen seethes, his tail slapping the pond in frustration.

"You can't keep beating yourself up for this, it wasn't your fault," you take his hand and quickly place the briefest kiss on the back of it.

The gesture was not lost on Yen, he knows you're not too fond of PDA or having him call you all those little nicknames in public. His face relaxes and his shoulders settle back down, he's been on edge and tense since being at the pond.

"I never wanted you to get involved with any of my problems but you've been tackling them head on and you have no idea how much that means to me. We knew dating each other would have some issue but I have so much baggage, possible war against the realms kind of baggage," he pauses and runs a hand through his hair as if to gather his thoughts. "But I want to start putting that behind me, I can't keep using all that as an excuse for who I am."

Where the hell is all this coming from, you think. Did Rori and Yen have a long drawn out conversation about your relationship? You're happy that he wants to put all this crazy stuff with the Queen and the Lakes behind him but you're panicking a little because this feels like it's coming from nowhere.

"So yeah....," he sighs. "I just wanted to get that off my chest and uhh that I'd still like to take you on a date, a real date and not just to buy me clothes. We can do that first and then plan a date."

Your heart flutters, not because of the date but because he's put so much thought into it. That he thought of prioritizing the time you two spent together and it touched a part of you that you haven't felt in a really long time.

"That sounds nice. Once the house it cleared for us to go back let's plan on getting you new clothes asap. New, real clothes, not just t-shirts, jeans, and sweatpants," you poke at him and he rolls his eyes.

You both talk about what kind of clothes would look good on him and you learn he has quite the aversion to shorts and khakis. He does make it a point to note that he will in fact be buying t-shirts just because he likes how they feel and they're easy to take off.

At some point you have to get out of the pond even with Yen's dry spell on you just to stretch and walk about. You overhear from a couple of the officers stationed several feet away that they're worried this incident might cause problems between realms. A few of the doctors who stayed after most probably got chased off by Rori are worried about how scrawny Yen is and if that's normal. Oh if only they knew how much he really puts away.

You think about going to your car until you remember you were teleported here. That'll be a future me problem you decide as you head back towards the pond.

A buzz from your phone has you stopping to check it. A string of texts from 'Lin' lighting up the screen.

Lin: This is Varen. I'm going back to the fae realm after today. The High Court moved her trial to Friday and I have to get the RMI and that bogg there and processed. In order to keep things uncomplicated please just agree to whatever compensation will be sent to you. One check will be for your own personal distress from the events that have occurred and the other will be for any and all setbacks on the town's reconstructions and renovations. And as Lin suggested I'll be getting a throw away phone to use to update you on the trial.

You text him back a quick reply and let him know that the RMI was the cause for the escalation of his condition then shove your phone back into your pocket. When you get back to the pond you see Yen talking it up with one of the doctors who commented on his weight. They laugh and make a couple faces and you're just so happy that he can be joking around after all that's happened.

"Did I miss anything while I was gone?" you ask.

"Oh no, not really. Oh we'll be able to go home soon though, they just have to finish purifying it," Yen smiles.

The doctor dismisses himself and runs back to his group. Yen tells you that they were worried if he's not been eating due to stress or the effects of the RMI but he just has ridiculously high metabolism.

"Ah yeah so we might have to find a ride home since my car is well-"

Yen barks out laughing, "Ohh gods I didn't even think about that! Think we could talk one of the cops into giving us a ride back?"

Luckily one of them does agree to and it's one of the orcs who helped Yen in the pond. He's nice and very very talkative. The ride home is filled with back and forth banter between Yen and officer Kirill who are both big fans of the movie remakes starring all sorts of peoples from the fae realm. They end up exchanging numbers using your phone since Yen left his at home so they can talk and criticize the movies and shows together.

Officer Kirill helps you get Yen into the house and to the hatch. You offer him some coffee but he declines it saying he's got a buttload of work he's got to catch up on and reports to file.

After he leaves you stand in the middle of the house and take a long deep breath. The hard part of this nightmare is over, you think. There's a ton of evidence stacked up against the Queen and that bogg is in realm custody. Yen's condition is no longer an issue and you'll be handsomely compensated for the troubles the both of you had been put through.

So why does it feel like something is still amiss?

You hear the hatch slide open and Yen pulling himself up but not getting out. His complexion is already looking a million times better but the look on his face is troubling.

"Is everything alright?" you ask him.

His brows scrunch and he sighs, "Yes... no... I don't know, I feel like-"

"We're forgetting something?" you shrug.

"Sort of, I just have this feeling like this isn't over? Like we're just sitting on the edge waiting for good news or bad news to strike. I think it's because it's been one thing after another," Yen groans and tosses his head back. "Like when is the next bad thing going to happen and what will it be?"

That was it, that's the strange feeling that was starting to gnaw on you.

"We've gotten too used to bad shit happening all the time I think," you joke, sliding in next to him and slowly sitting down.

"I just feel like even after the trial, even after my sister gets the throne and my mother is happy sitting in the palace that there's something else that might happen... something else that would-"

You wrap your arms around him and hold him as tight as you can, "It's done Yen, at least with all that. Sure things might come up in the future whether it's with work or our personal lives but we'll manage. We got through this so anything else that comes our way will seem small compared to this," you kiss his cheek and lean against his shoulder.

His body shudders and tightens, "This nightmare is really over huh?"

"That particular nightmare that is. We still have to go clothes shopping," you poke at him.

Yen starts laughing an infectious laugh, his body a glow with a light green. He scoops you up in his arms and just holds you, giggling against your neck but you feel something else. Speckles of tears that he wants to hide, that he wants to move past.

"It's over, it's all over," he mutters.

You let him hold you till his tears run dry and he's relaxed in your arms. His eyes look tired and you can see days worth of exhaustion on his face. You kiss his forehead and you both agree to go clothes shopping tomorrow, after he's had a nice long rest. He slips back into his tank with a yawn and a lazy wave.

After a few minutes you go around the house flipping all the lights off and putting the a/c on a comfortable temperature. A nap sounds good you think, a well deserved and undisturbed nap. You grab your favorite throw blanket and toss yourself onto the couch. You fall fast asleep in no time with Yen's magic holding you like a gentle hug.

Everything with the Queen is over...

Now everything with you and Yen can finally begin...

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katrinawritesthings · 1 year

Text

Jonghyun/Taemin ; hoohoohoo ; NC-17

Locker room blowie... :3c

Jonghyun is feeling a lot of powerful emotions right now, on his knees in the locker room with Taemin’s cock halfway down his throat, and he's pretty sure that what he should be feeling the most is panic or guilt, but instead, most of his entire being is occupied by being just incredibly incredibly horny.

He can hear the rest of his football team bustling around two rows over, gearing up and heading out for practice; he can also hear Taemin’s low, husky voice murmuring soft praises and words of filth down to him.

“So pretty, sweet little mouth, taking me so well, so deep, feels so good, baby boy, perfect boy, swallow my cock, fuck,” Taemin is whispering. Jonghyun’s helmet is on the bench behind Taemin, next to the eye black pen. Jonghyun doesn't know how Taemin tricked him into coming down here where it could be the two of them alone just so he could offer to draw the thick black hearts of makeup under his eyes for him.

Or, maybe, he does; maybe he was coming back from the bathroom and Taemin caught his elbow before he got to the rest of the team? He’s not sure. Honestly, with a dick in his mouth, it's always hard for him to remember anything except how good it tastes and how wonderful it feels to have a hard cock pressing against the flat of his tongue, fucking passed his lips and forcing his mouth open wide. Maybe his mistake was being so weak for sucking dick in the first place, which isn't really a flaw that he cares to fix.

Not right now, at least, when every drip of precum that soaks into his tongue and settles into his taste buds makes his own cock throb under his uniform. He aches to stick his hand down his pants and touch himself, jerk himself off quick and rough, but he knows that Taemin won't let him, and even if he did there wouldn't be enough time to deal with it before his “pee break” got suspiciously long and someone from the team came to check on him. It's already pushing it kind of far as it is, with Taemin’s hands cupping his face as he fucks his cock slowly in and out, thumbs rubbing over his cheekbones and smearing the eye black over his skin. He knows that by now a few people have already left the locker room to head out to the field.

Taemin must know that as well, because it's within a minute of him murmuring about Jonghyun’s big gorgeous eyes blinking up at him that he tenses and shivers and moves one hand to grip tightly in Jonghyun’s hair. He holds him there, still and obedient, and pulls his cock out of Jonghyun’s mouth, jerking himself off quickly. Jonghyun’s eyes widen at the realization of what he's about to do and then shut a second later as Taemin leans over him to thud his forehead against the locker and cums hotly over his face in thick, messy streaks.

“Taem—fuck,” Jonghyun breathes, the reprimand lost from his voice when a dollop of cum lands in his open mouth. He shivers as he swallows it and feels more land on his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose, a whole body shiver that has his skin tingling. It's so good. Before he can gather his rational and not horny brain together and try to be annoyed, Taemin licks his lips and swallows thickly and tugs him up with gentle but firm hands on his shoulders. Panting hard, he cups Jonghyun’s chin and presses a hot kiss flush to his mouth. Then he grabs Jonghyun’s helmet from behind him and pops it right onto his head, tapping the round shell pleasantly.

“Have fun at practice,” he says brightly, getting his hands on Jonghyun’s shoulders and ushering him gently towards the exit of the locker room. He pats Jonghyun’s butt, too, in a friendly sportsball kind of way, adding, “I'll be watching, so make sure you're good,” in a low, smug voice.

Jonghyun, horny and confused and horny and rushed and horny and panicked and feeling cum dripping down his cheeks, stumbles a few dizzy steps forward until a couple of his teammates swing their arms around his shoulders, joking and laughing and pulling him out onto the field.

Out on the grass, while he's doing his warm-ups, Jonghyun catches Taemin’s gaze from where he's sitting casually on the sidelines and watches his smirk twitch up a few notches as he lifts a friendly hand to wave at him.

#jongtae #jonghyun #taemin #smut #nc17 #drabble #Taemin isn't even on the team he's just Jonghyun’s boyfriend that shows up to practice #And everyone loves him because he tells funny jokes and tells everyone good job #Was looking up what eye black was called and then I learned that sometimes they draw designs and like.#Was I Not supposed to go feral about Jonghyun with hearts on his cheeks.

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addie-bx · 2 years

Text

Mirrorball by Taylor Swift

This is my own interpretation of the song

It-mirrorball as an object

They- the mirrorball personified

You- the observer

Mirrorball is a metaphor for a type of person. The 'mirrorball' is the one who when the dust has settled and the battle is won, keeps going. Stays on the battlefield long after everyone has left. They're afraid that if they stop and they look around they'll actually have to face the trauma, face the consequences and they don't know if they'll survive that. It's easy to make entertainment out of the misgivings of their life. It's harder to actually admit that it wasn't okay and that they're not okay. They'd rather keep performing, keep the smile and keep going and surviving their day-to-day life. Surviving isn't living. How long will they be able to hold onto their broken pieces before they succumb to their darkest desire, the desire to just turn off the lights, turn off the music, close the doors and stop spinning? The mirrorball has cracks and breakage all over that can be seen by everyone but no one is looking.

I want you to know

I'm a mirrorball

A mirrorball hangs above the crowd for all to see its shimmering and shining parts. Its light cascades down for all below. The mirrorball as a person takes on the persona of all who look upon them. Showing every side of you in their reflected glass. Happy, sad, anxious, angry, hurt, playful, carefree, serious, stressed; every side of you that emerges based on these emotions and more are reflected in the mirrorball as you move below their light. They will adjust their personality to fit you. They will change physically, emotionally, and mentally to adjust to your moods. You will see yourself in them because that's what they think you want.

I'll get you out on the floor

Shimmering beautiful

And when I break it's in a million pieces

When a mirrorball breaks it starts with cracks in the glass that go unnoticed as it spins. When it shatters, it can not be fixed. You will have to get a new one to string up. The mirrorball persona is very similar in that way. They give the performance of a lifetime, day in and day out. Put on a show just for you. Just to see you smile, to see you enjoy yourself. They will showcase the best parts of themselves just to see you, the person they care about, be happy and carefree, and not worry about them. Due to the mask they wear, you don't even notice at first as the cracks start seeping in, not too far from breaking into a million pieces. As the pieces fall to the ground you continue to dance amongst their broken shards.

Hush

When no one is around, my dear

You'll find me on my tallest tiptoes

Spinning in my highest heels, love

Shining just for you

In the quiet of the night, when all have come and gone the mirrorball is still spinning. Still performing. The show must go on even when it's just the mirrorball and the music. And it's all for the audience, itself included. It's all for an audience that doesn't pay attention, that isn't even around to watch. If the mirrorball stops spinning, let's go, they can't go back. They will break and they're scared they won't be able to put the pieces of themselves back together after the breakdown, so its easier and more beneficial to them and to you and to the people in their lives to keep the mask on, to keep spinning even when no ones around. Just for you. They can't afford to slip and fall. They may not be able to string themselves back up.

Hush

I know they said the end is near

But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes

Spinning in my highest heels, love

Shining just for you

In the soundless ballroom, the mirrorball still spins. They still put on a show even as they're breaking. The cracks are showing the longer it goes on, as their performance comes to an unexpected end. All you'd have to do is look up. Look at them, look into their reflection and you'll see the breakage reflected back at you. If only you'd just look. Despite the breakage, for now, they keep spinning. They're not shattered yet, so the show goes on into the sleepless night.

I want you to know I'm a mirrorball

I can change everything about me to fit in

As said before, the mirrorball as a person will morph themselves into the people they interact with. Much like a physical mirrorball will reflect everyone who looks up to it. Even through the cracks, you will still see your reflection shown back at you. They are insecure and don't feel as if they alone are enough. In order to keep you, they change to fit you. To keep you happy with them. To fit in with you.

You are not like the regulars

The masquerade revelers

Drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten

Masquerade: To pretend

Revelers: To enjoy obnoxiously

The mirrorball is constantly surrounded by people who pretend to care and want them around. Who pretends they, the audience, aren't annoyed by their(the mirrorball) constant glow when directed at the audience alone. These same people are the people who dance and laugh as the mirrorball spins and shines for their entertainment. Never taking the time to look up, to see past the lights and notice the cracks, the cracks that have only gotten bigger. The edges have shattered, never to return. But not you. You used to be like the audience. Not anymore. You've looked up you're different. You've learned to appreciate the beauty in their broken parts. You know you can't fix them, they're too high up, too far gone. But you can be there. You can watch their performance in awe. It's why they focus on you, they do it for you most of all. They want you to be proud. proud of them for continuing on despite the pain. Because you care. While the crowd ignores the breaking centerpiece in their drunken haze you see the damage and still love them. It stops the breakage for a while and shines through. For a while, it hurts a little less to keep spinning.

Hush

When no one is around, my dear

You'll find me on my tallest tiptoes

Spinning in my highest heels, love

Shining just for you

Hush

I know they said the end is near

But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes

Spinning in my highest heels, love

Shining just for you

On one hand, they're trying so hard to be seen now, wanting someone to notice that it's all a performance. To not only notice but to call them out on it. It's too tiring to keep going. On the other hand, they do keep going, cause you're still watching, they still have an audience. They still want the appreciation and the recognition that their performance gives them no matter how little it actually helps the,. You're too scared to call them out. You love them but can you handle the fallout? Can you handle the shattered glass ricocheting around you? You can't can you?

And they called off the circus

Burned the disco down

When they sent home the horses

And the rodeo clowns

I'm still on that tightrope**

Everyone's left. The facade has been destroyed. The mirrorball finally shattered and burned down. and so did all around them. Through the smoke, everyone ran. Trampling over the shattered pieces of the mirrorball to the next big thing. The new shiny toy. Everyone else couldn't handle the fallout. The mirrorball though? They may have finally broken down but they picked up their shattered pieces and moved on to the next performance. The show must go on, no matter how broken.

**They've changed the show, a new performance to bring you and the audience back. To pretend they aren't broken.

I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me

I'm still a believer but I don't know why

Despite the destruction, despite everyone leaving. You came back. Giving them hope. You wander back in, expecting to see destruction. They have hope that you'll once again not see how broken they are and pretend with them, laugh with them again. Give them that normalcy back. Despite the fact that no one has ever stayed, they still have hope someone will. That someone will come back. And you did.

I've never been a natural

All I do is try, try, try*

I'm still on that trapeze**

I'm still trying everything

To keep you looking at me

A jack of all trades, master of none. They have to try so hard at everything they do at the expense of themselves. In the trying, they lose their light. They dim little by little in desperation to be okay, to keep you. They're trying, will it ever be enough?

*Repetition of 'try': They're exhausted, they're still trying in desperation. They're never gonna stop trying to be enough, to be okay, to keep you.

Because I'm a mirrorball

I'm a mirrorball

I'll show you every version of yourself

Tonight

No matter the shape they take, they will always at their core be that shattered Mirrorball.

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mercurygray · 2 years

Note

"A touch when you are afraid", for Nix and 2 Girl Gang members of your choosing? 😊

This was not the day for hide and seek.

Joan peered around the vestry, wondering where the hell she was going to start looking if she didn't find who she was looking for here.

"Lewis Nixon, where are - oh." Here he was, morning coat and pinstriped pants, and a small spray of flowers in his buttonhole, slipping something from flask. "That had better not be whiskey, Lewis, I'm not having you at the altar for a third time smelling like a still. Eileen deserves better."

"Eileen does deserve better," Lewis said, sniffling a little. "And no, it's not whiskey. I told her I would stop and I have." He offered the flask and she smelled it before tasting the rim. Just as he'd said, it was only water. "Felt comforting to have in my pocket," he offered. "Doesn't mean I don't want some now."

"What's wrong?"

"Well, it's…it's really the third time, isn't it? After I've fucked up my first two marriages I'm really…back for more. What if I fuck this up too?" He took a deep breath, despondant. "We're doing all right, as…whatever we are. Why should we…put a ring on it and call it something else? What if it's bad luck? What if I'm bad luck?"

Joan took a deep breath and looked down at her gloves and the corsage on her own coat, featuring an orchid that was sure to photograph splendidly. "Lew, I know you. I've known you now for a very long time. Generally speaking you don't care about fucking things up - so to hear you say that means I don't think you will."

Lew, rather surprisingly, said nothing for a moment - though he did swallow heavily, overcome by some emotion he couldn't name. Joan laid her hand on top of his and let him have his moment. When he recovered, it was to make a joke. "Did I just hear Joan Winters swear?"

Same old Lewis. God forbid we have feelings. "And you'll fucking hear me again, if you make this wedding even later than it already is, Mr. Nixon," Joan said, just as cheerily. There was his smile again - there was hope for him yet. "Now, come on, the entire Hollywood press corps is out there and the flowers are wilting and if we don't make an appearance there'll be headlines tomorrow saying that Joan Warren stole Eileen Hammond's fiancé. And I don't need to answer that much hatemail."

"Thanks. Glad to know you've got priorities beyond my happiness and making decisions that will affect the entire rest of my life."

Joan grinned. "Someone has to stand up with you. It might as well be me. After all, our marriage wasn't a flop."

"I did lose you to that Winters fellow, though."

"And I'm losing you to one of the best women in the world. Now, come on. Let's fix that boutinere and get you out to the head of the aisle." She let him stand up and spent a moment brushing off his coat, standing back a moment to survey the general effect. "You look very handsome," she said, and meant it.

"I'll probably cry, you know."

Another actual emotion - how rare. "Dick has an extra handkerchief, just in case."

The church was, indeed, filled with people, and more than one flashbulb went off when the two of them emerged from the side-aisle, Dick rising from where she'd left him in the front pew. "Everything's fine," Lew said, before his friend could say a word, and took his place at the front of the church without another word, his freind standing up behind him and brushing his jacket once more. Here we are - the groom's family, if we can call it that - two of his best friends and not much else. Everyone else here is a business associate, or an onlooker - but that's all right. The people who matter are still here. Joan took a deep breath and settled into her seat, rising when the organ played the familiar notes and the church, as one, got to their feet, flashbulbs popping again.

Eileen looked radiant as a bride - a white dress, of course, though she had said during her fittings she knew she wasn't fooling anyone at this point. And Joan had to smile, from up in the front row, as Eileen took Lewis's hand and would not let it go as the minister began, "Dearly beloved…"

#i have written a thing #eileen hammond #joan warren #postwar #god forbid we have an actual emotion #mercurygraypresents

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apatchedupdoll · 1 year

Text

Here's a lil story

So I may or may have not forgot to link Oh, Where Have You Been Brother? in the last post. I'm sure that made it easy to find! So anyways I edited the post so it does link to the ao3 story and I linked it here! Yay! Also decided to sketch Leo with Bunny ears and just fuck around a lil bit. I don't use water color seriously enough XD

Also I made a lil story for Easter (I know late but hey it came to me in a dream). It's also something that comes before OWHYBB takes place. I know I do it for a lot of my other stories so how about a lil bit more?

C/W: Bloody, child and animal abuse, animal death, almost selfdie, and very sad.

Glass everywhere. On the ground, stuck in flesh, cutting through fabric, glistening with blood. Leo cried out in pain as his mistake was very immediately punished. The howling and crying of the animals didn't make this any better. Why didn't he just go home after work?

The teen snapped back to attention when hearing the crunching of glass behind him. He didn't bother to look back as he scrambled to his feet. "That looked like it hurt. You should really not be jumping through windows just to escape." A voice void of emotion hummed. The slider glanced back before feeling the metal bo staff crash into his side. He felt his body hit cages hard enough to break them open and creatures running to escape the crossfire. "You always have to run. Why can't you just come quietly?" The heavy boots were getting closer. "Well, at least you're lucky I can fix you."

Leo could barely focus on the figure crouching down in front of him. But that's okay, he just needs to know where it is. The figure yelped as Leo used one of the cages to smash into where he hoped their face was. His legs began to move as he raced to the back of the store, smashing the office door open. A screech later and a desk was pushed against the door. Banging of his opponent potent as they tried to get inside. The slider looked around panicking before spotting the window.

The giant smashed through the door with the technician right behind. "Fuck! Where is he?" "The window! I'll go through and you run to the other side." The giant ran back out where they came while the technician jumped through the open window, metal claws helping them along. The office was left quiet as papers were finally able to settle after the gusts of air caused by the commotion. After a beat of silence, Leo would finally come out of his hiding space and gasp for air. He let out a whimper as the pain was starting to set in through the adrenaline. At least now he had a chance to get home.

Leo limped through the sewers, the smell of blood causing him to cover his nose. Although the bile on his hoodie was enough to remind him that nothing will ever help. Worst of all he was alone. Pops wouldn't be home for a while and April was at summer camp. So it was up to him to fix himself. He could do it, this was fine. He watched them do it plenty of times. Although he wasn't sure if that thought was a good one.

Leo found his way to the bathroom of the lair and stripped, hissing in pain as the glass sticking out of his flesh was pulled on. He dropped to his ass and leaned against the small tub, just needing to breathe. He was home, he was safe. His eyes traveled down to his wounds and watched as blood dripped to the ground, the smell coming back to him as his empty stomach was starting to twist. He gagged and it quickly led to vomiting nothing. Leo sobbed as he couldn't stop his body from convulsing, he sobbed as he couldn't control himself, he sobbed as he couldn't stop hating himself. Maybe it would be okay if he just succumbed. His dad would be sad, but at least it wouldn't- a squeal broke his thoughts.

Leo's eyes traveled to his tossed clothes and the shivering lump barely visible. The teen pulled himself onto his knees before crawling over and carefully moving his bloody and torn clothes. A small bunny lay on the ground with a piece of glass stuck in its leg. How did it get there? Leo's mind started to buzz with questions before a whimper would break his thoughts. He should help it.

Blue got the med kit and got started on helping the bunny. He removed the glass, stitched up the wound, and wrapped it. The small thing didn't even struggle, seeming too weak to try. Leo went to grab some food, only really having bread to give the small thing. That would be okay for now. While he waited for the bunny to wake up he started on his own wounds, following the same steps as he did the bunny until he was also wrapped up in bandages. The bathroom smelled of blood, and Leo was finding himself wanting to vomit so he quickly moved himself and the bunny to his room.

He wrapped himself up in blankets and chewed on one of the slices of bread left, his eyes never leaving the small breathing lump curled up on his pillow. Time wasn't concerning anymore. Leo's mind was blank, his body tired, and his wounds ached. Yet, he was calm. Even if his mind allowed him to have thoughts, what would there be to worry about?

A week had passed? Yes, a week had passed and Leo was laying on the floor with his new little friend sniffing the food he'd managed to find. Leo smiled while watching the bunny nibble on the hay seeming comfortable with the turtle watching. A giggle left Leo's lips when watching the bunny scratch behind its ear before moving on to a strawberry. It scratched its ear again and Leo decided he'd help the little thing. He gently rubbed the itchy spot and giggled again as the rabbit leaned into the scritches with a purr.

Suddenly the tapping of claws would catch Blue's attention and looked back to see a tall figure standing in his doorway. "Dad!" The little turtle chirped before hopping up and hugging the cloaked rat. "My son, what are you doing?" The rat hummed softly as he allowed the affection. The slider pulled away before quickly going back to his fluffy friend. "I'm feeding my friend! He's so cute! Maybe a she? I don't know but I love them!" The rabbit had stopped eating at this point and was staring right at his father, nose twitching before thumping the ground. Leo couldn't help but giggle again at the action. He sat on his knees and the bunny quickly hopped to him, thumping the ground again as it stared back at Splinter.

"So you went up to the surface? Against my wishes?" Leo flinched before picking up his little friend. "Uh, it was to get food. I uh was hungry and didn't want my friend to be hungry." "Where is April? She is your friend." Leo looked up as he held the bunny close. "Summer camp. And this is my new friend! They keep me company while April isn't here." There was a long silence as Leo watched his dad stare, the bunny in his arms thumping again. The stare wasn't for him, and Leo tightened his hold on his friend a little more.

The rat would stride over before leaning down and plucking the furry creature from Leo's arms by the ears. The creature squealed and Leo squeaked, wanting to reach out but his body knew better than to touch. "You're hurting them! Please! Dad!" "Leo, you don't need little things like these to keep you company." The rat used its other paw to wrap around the bunny's neck before a crack. The teen felt everything freeze at that moment. His little friend dropped to the ground carelessly. "Now look, you've killed it." Leo just stared into nothing as the flies started to swarm in his ears. "I thought-" "It's okay my sweet boy. I know you're not the best at thinking. I'm sure it forgives you, hopefully." Leo nodded in silent agreement. That's right, Leo wasn't very good at thinking. He'd be lucky if his little friend forgave him.

The rat rested its paw on the slider's head as it spoke from above the surface, "Don't forget to clean up your mess." And Leo was left alone with the flies. Tears dripped from his face, but he wasn't the one wailing in pain. That's okay, he'd let them cry for him. He would clean up the mess and everything would be okay. No matter how many flies ate at his body.

#OWHYBB #ao3 #ao3 writer #rottmnt #watercolor and ink

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heartofspells · 2 years

Note

I’m not sure if you’re taking requests so if not please ignore me but after reading this line: “but James still thinks he looks far better than Sirius, who's seemed to regress over the passing days, closing in on himself, sleeping rarely and waking to growing nightmares that have raised him and Lily from their bed the past two nights several times.” I would love to read a bit more of a nightmare scene with James or lily or both and Sirius

Hello, my lovely.

I've never really thought much about saying I'm "open" to requests, but I suppose I am? Especially for this. And I will never ignore anyone, so long as it's not something nasty and negative.

So, yes. And this goes to anyone. If there's something you'd like to see (for anything, really, not just At the Healing Edge of Broken, though those will almost always get me immediately because I clearly can't let go), send it my way. If it pings, I'll write it out for you. It might take me a while, so don't get discouraged if it goes unanswered for a bit of time. And if it's not something I can't feasibly do, I'll let you know.

Anyhow, here's another outtake from At the Healing Edge of Broken, taking place sometime between chapter 14 and 16. Also, mild spoilers ahead if you haven't read it.

Lily is the first to wake to the sounds she hears coming from a few rooms down the hall, James only half-roused beside her. But she'd been expecting them, had been waiting, barely allowing sleep to pull her under, like drifting in and out all night every time Harry came down with a dreadful fever.

James is suddenly lurching upright in the bed, eyes wide for a shocking moment before they're blinking owlishly, peering myopically around their darkened room. He begins to push himself from the bed, swaying a bit as he goes, but Lily reaches out and settles a hand over his shoulder, holding him down. Her husband is exhausted, she can see it in the way he holds himself now, every line of his body tensed but also somehow sagging. Lily feels it too, deep inside the marrow of her bones, the worry and stress they've both been enduring, crashing back over them so suddenly it aches like fresh wounds split open to the acrid air of the world surrounding them.

"I'll go," she tells him softly, urging James back down. He looks at her, his mouth opening like he's going to protest. Lily fixes him with a sharp look, daring him to speak, to say this is his friend, his brother, his responsibility and no one else's. James never says a word, only nodding, and Lily leans forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. "I'll take care of him, you know I will."

And then she's slipping from their bed, padding with bare feet out of their room, moving quickly down the hall. The distressed sounds grow louder the closer she comes to the cracked door near the end, left that way on purpose earlier in the night. This isn't the first time either of them has made this journey since migrating to bed.

Lily pushes the door open, finding Sirius still asleep. His sheets are tangled around him, and even through the half-light light provided by the waxing moon outside the windows, she can see they're damp with a thick layer of sweat. His body is rigid, fingers curled into claws and digging into the bedding so tightly, Lily is surprised he hasn't torn through them. Not a part of him moves except his chest under his labored breathing, his head jerking and spasming from side to side, his lips mumbling vague words that only have half-meanings to her ears.

He whimpers, cries out, shouts loudly before going silent again. Sirius falls deathly still as the sounds abate, leaving a heavy quiet, a foreboding pall over the room, and then he's flailing before he's locking up, every muscle in sight standing out under his pale skin. He stops breathing suddenly, and Lily is moving quickly, dropping down on the edge of the bed beside him, feeling frantic but trying to hold it in close, knowing any emotion like that from her or James never helps.

"Shh," she soothes softly, finger shifting over his dampened forehead, pushing wet hair out of his face. "Shh, shh, shh. I'm right here, sweetheart. You're safe. You're home and you're in your own bed. Nothing can reach you here, because I'll never allow it. I'm right here with you, Padfoot. I'm always right here."

Sirius is slow to wake, seeming stuck in whatever reality his mind is attempting to trap him within, but Lily resists the urge to touch him more than she already is. They'd learned months ago not to shake him awake from his nightmares, one of the first times James had tried earning him a hard jab to the side of the head from Sirius' flying fist before he'd even opened his eyes. Sirius had felt terrible when he'd realized, though James hadn't been harmed more than a small bruise that had faded quickly.

So, Lily tenderly smooths her hand over his forehead, fingers threading through his sticky hair, working out knots with practiced ease when she finds them. She doesn't stop even when his grey eyes finally flutter open, darting around in a terrified frenzy, only pulling away when he pushes himself upwards with hasty, frantic movements.

"Sirius," she says in a calm voice, drawing his attention, forcing him to focus on her and nothing else. Her fingers brush over the knuckles of his hand, acclimating him to her touch before she tries for more, something else she'd learned early on in this new world of theirs that they still can't manage to understand.

He breathes heavily, the sounds harsh in the oppressive silence around them. Lily hates it, not just for Sirius, but for all of them. James is trying so hard, she knows, walking such a thin line between waiting and action, him and Lily both only trying to do and give Sirius what he needs, though they're struggling to figure out exactly what that is, even now. Especially now, Sirius seemingly thrown back into such intense turmoil after separating himself from the one person who had seemed to help the most.

Sirius' mouth finally begins to work, his throat tightening and loosening as he attempts to form words that won't come. Lily doesn't press, waiting patiently, hand ceasing its movements and simply settling over his, providing warmth in the only way she can right now.

"Lils," he rasps, and his eyes flicker around the room, searching the shadows, before resting back on Lily's face. She smiles at him, squeezing his fingers with gentle pressure.

"Hello, luv," she greets easily. "You've had a nightmare again." Sirius nods slowly, his eyes dropping to the sheets wrapped around his legs. Lily lifts her hand slowly, making certain Sirius sees it approaching, giving him ample time to back away before she connects with heat-soaked skin, fingers pressing to the line of his jaw, thumb stroking the bone. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Sirius' nod turns to a vigorous, insistent shake of denial faster than Lily can blink, and she smiles as him reassuringly as his breathing spikes again. "That's all right," she murmurs. "You don't have to say anything, but I'm here if you change your mind."

He looks her over, eyes heavy-lidded. Lily can't help noticing the changes him, some happening so slowly, it had taken her longer to see than she's proud to admit. They stand out plainly now, his sunken skin over his cheekbones, the dark smudges under his eyes. He's thinner than she thinks she's ever seen him before, even during their school years when he'd still been trapped with his family, struggling to survive the horrors they descended upon him.

Sirius moves while Lily in drifting in her thoughts, surprising her as he leans forward, pressing against her. His head settles over her shoulder, her arms wrapping around him without a second thought, holding him and forcing every small bit of love she possesses within herself into him, hoping he can feel it, hoping it settles into his muscles and heart and bones just as he's worked his way into hers.

Lily rocks them gently from side to side as Sirius' chest shuddering against her silently, but she doesn't comment on it. Instead, she hums, having learned years ago what the simple inclusion of music into moments like this, when he's teetering so closely on that ledge, ready to fall, does for him. Her hand soothes over the back of his head

"I thought I had it," he whispers into the damp fabric of her shift after what feels like hours. "I thought I'd finally…found it, that thing you keep pushing me towards. I thought he – " Sirius stops, his words choking and dying away.

Lily only holds him tighter, rocks them more. She nods against him, tears springing to her eyes at the pain she can hear so clearly in his voice. Lily doesn't judge, no more than she can stop herself. She isn't happy about what's happened here, about the negativity and darkness it's all brought back to the surface of the man currently in her arms. But for all her misery at the situation, she finds she can't blame Remus too harshly. She knows, somehow, there must be a reason for he's done, for the secrets he's kept stashed away, whether Sirius sees them, chooses to ignore them, or not.

"I know, my darling," she murmurs, barely keeping the shaking from her own voice. "I know, I know." And she does, but she desperately wishes for something else she can say to make any of it better, knowing there isn't. And even if there was, Sirius would never accept it, not now, not buried as deeply as he is in the dreadfulness that's always seemed to follow at his heels.

Lily carefully pulls his head back enough to look at him, fingers pushing black hair from his drooping face. "Would you like something? Water? Maybe a nice cuppa?"

"Already ahead of you," comes James' voice, and they both look up to see him entering the room, tray in hand with three steaming cups spread over its surface.

Sirius' eyes track him as the other man settles on the bed on Sirius' other side. Lily doesn't miss the flash of guilt that passes over his features.

"Sorry," he mumbles, glancing between the two of them. "I woke you both again. Almost makes you wish magic existed, doesn't it? Then we could just lock me in here, silence the whole place so you wouldn't have to hear it."

"Sirius Black, you stop that right now," says Lily sternly, tone firm and unforgiving. "Don't you ever apologize to us for things you can't help, for needing." Sirius slumps forward a little, caving in on himself, but Lily reaches back out, fingers gliding over his cheek, wiping away tear tracks. "We love you, Sirius. So much. I don't care how many nightmares you have, we will always be here to pull you out of them."

Sirius says nothing, never responds, barely meets her eyes, but Lily doesn't push the issue just yet. James picks up a cup, offering it out to Sirius with a small twitch of lips.

"Honey," he informs their friend, and Sirius looks up at him finally, Lily more than relieved to see the smile spreading over his face.

It brightens him from the inside out, makes him look just a touch better than he had a few moments before. But it doesn't alleviate her overwhelming worry, clenching around her heart like digging fingers. She only wishes he would sleep, even for just a few hours.

#at the healing edge of broken #wolfstar #sirius black #lily evans potter #james potter #remus lupin #sirius x remus #sirius/remus #outtake #snippet #my writing #holli writes #ask #answer #request

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valorxdrive · 1 year

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"s o r a . . . ?"

Again, a little louder this time--a girl's voice slithers out of the vents in the room, the radio turns on and it emits the same awful, keening name:

"Sora...?"

And very suddenly the lights start flickering in the apartment, as if someone is flicking the light switches all at the same time, quickly, over and over again...

"WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The television snaps on then and over the screen there's Namine sitting in white space, knees pressed to her chest... but her drawings are also there, surrounding her, hanging in all that emptiness so that the only thing she can witness are all those tormenting memories looming about her.

Namine sobs, rocking a little, clasping her hands over her ears tightly--

"Sora, Sora--I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

And on the screen Sora appears too, but he's smaller here, young and carefree, and he smiles sadly onto Namine...

"It's like this... I'm really not happy about you messing with my memories," the young Sora says to her, a little mournfully even as he tries to smile. But he presses on bravely, "But you know--I can't really get mad at you for it, either..."

And then another Sora appears, but he's a little older now, wearing a black jacket and pants, the crown necklace glittering around his neck--it's as he looked before, back when he first discovered Roxas.

"These memories you gave me... in my head, I know they're lies--but they still feel right. Like the promise I made. I said I would protect you and I wouldn't make you cry... not ever," the Sora in black tells her, but it only makes Namine cry harder.

Finally, the last Sora settles behind Namine, appearing as he does now--red and black clothes and a smile still fixed on his face, even if it is a little more worn.

"Namine, if you cry now, I'll feel guilty--like I let you down," this last Sora finishes.

"Stop! Stop!" Namine gasps, staring blankly at the floor as she sobs. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

But then all the Soras merely repeat their lines, one by one, until it is a drone of apologies and mistakes and regrets--

Namine SCREAMS--

But then... the image on the screen pauses, everyone freezing, Namine's terrible screech abruptly cut off--

Another voice oozes into the room then, cool and crisp, no emotion in their tone... the funny part is it sounds like Namine...

"I know you want to go back to the Realm of Light--it's what you desire most right now," the eerie voice says, seemingly coming from everywhere. Or is it merely inside his head...? "Your memories make it obvious... use the Power of Waking, Sora. I can chain you back to the Realm of Light... but you can only remain in that Reality for three days."

The voice pauses before it continues, as if giving him a moment to consider the awful image on the screen and her offer between them.

"Do you understand? I can only keep you in another Reality for so long without a vessel for your heart... but the connections and memories you made will be enough for me to keep you here temporarily," the girl's voice explains methodically, as if she's checking off a list she's made, making sure all the important points have been spoken.

And then she says, with a little too much sweetness: "This is what you want, isn't it? Another chance to save your friends, another moment to play hero... but, of course, you could go anywhere with your three days..."

The television flickers onto an image of Destiny Islands, palms trees swaying and a beautiful sunset bleeding onto the ocean...

Then the channel changes again: it's Twilight Town now on the screen, but a sprawling building that's a twisted version of Castle Oblivion looms in the very same forest the Old Mansion once lingered inside.

"Use the Power of Waking and I'll meet you there in the dark. You can let me know where you want to go after that..."

The television snaps off, the lights remain on and undisturbed, the radio is quiet... everything is exactly as it was...

Except for the choice that falls into Sora's hands now.

♕ - What cleaves through the peaceful semblance of sleep would be his name. A voice that draws familiar echoes in a constant rhythm through the heart, that mighty vessel recognizing the companion who calls out to him amidst this peaceful, self-made emptiness for rest. Yet it elevates, growing serrated as the agonizing screech of machinery immediately bolts him awake, tucked full of heavy drowsiness as some inaudible grunt follows suit.

Bracing upon the bed, he immediately lifts, the constant pound of his heart reflecting the concerned sentiment that begets fear due to the raw panic held within that voice. "Nami..!?" However, it's amidst this swirling chaos, another anomaly regulating its presence within his apartment that throws him onto his feet. Trained senses tear away from any sense of comfort, instead depending on the sharpened tension to break the haze away from his mind.

That itch to allow his Keyblade's song to ring bolsters further by the second.

Any such thought is stamped heavily the instant he realizes who exactly is on that screen. Step by step does he edges close, confusion, relief.. the primal pool of emotions managed to derive an unsettled feeling from all of this as well. Part of him swears he could feel the alien energy that drew upon his particular apartment complex akin to miasma within this moment. Sora's features are soon brightened by the pristine eeriness of that room Namine settles within.

Not to mention who joins her, differing ages, those same blue eyes, alternations of that spiky brown hair despite the ivory crown that rests upon his clothed breast. It rattles a disturbed sensation upon his spine within an instant as he immediately advances towards the television, fingers bracing upon its edges as the agony within her tone tears such a blinding sense of concern within his chest. "Namine! Namine, hey! I'm here! Can you..!?" Part of him gets the idea its not that simple.

While the protective urge boils alongside a mystery that manages to scratch a remote part of his skull, any billowing ideas are rendered to a screeching halt the instant her fair lips are compelled to scream as a showcase of this agony. ..Yet, why does it feel stuttered within that same breath?

His answer arrives in a voice that's directed with a clinical tint. Professional, unaffected, many qualities that draws a sense of disgust within the hero in that moment. The mere fact they can allow the poisonous ichor of deals, a disconnect from the sight before him, an urge to weight his presence upon them is gridlocked by not only what he just saw.

Its what they offer that draws such a shaken breath stirred.. alongside a frantic beat of his heart..'

Their offer is drawn as he takes a step back from the television, as if that same poison, temptation finds itself being painted in a pristine sense of saccharine. What's shown before him, these sights, what they focus upon were his desires that simmer and ache for an easier means to accomplish his goals. One such opportunity arrives right now, held by a hand in the dark, further prices being drawn on how this matter can be approached.

"Just who are--!?"

The room goes dark. The grating noises cools into silence. Sora finds himself alone once again.

"...."

That door to his flat never slammed open quicker as the keybearer stormed out of it. His authority alone willed the door shut and locked as an immediate impulse to just tear away from this suffocating sort of position in the physical sense overriding his desires in that moment. Constant swirls of his voice saying things he never remembered, things that TV bound Namine recognized.. and how it oh so accurately depicted familiarity within his heart, that edging pain that always seem to grate into her sweet voice.

The offer hangs. For how long? Would they hold true to his wishes?

Is there another hidden lining upon this contract forged in gilded parchment?

"Namine should be okay.. Should, I remember helping her get released from Kairi's being.. Gotta calm down." He focuses upon that inner energy and voice that lends its guidance. Past experiences have to be his foundation before any particular steps are made. ..Is there anything he can find out about them beforehand?

That idea sticks to Sora the further he prods upon it. If they have a means to draw a connection to him.

There has to be a viewpoint he's missing on this! Hope clicks strong as he presses into the rolling winds of Quadratum's city life.

"Just what can I do?"

@witchofremembrance

#witchofremembrance #| Bottle Mail #O__O #y'know answering a Magic ask #Really can get me into old form vgfdzsgf #WE OUT HERE

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clairethecutepup · 1 year

Text

Ed Edd n Eddy: "Playing" with (the) "Dollies" (Writing Practice; Assassin AU)

Synopsis: "It's always exciting to take home a new toy, when you were a kid, but what's it like when YOU are the 'new toy' brought home for another's amusement?"

*Before you read:

This is based on C2ndy2C1d's "Assassin AU" of the series

Sarah and Jimmy will be arguably and a tad "out of character," as this paints their "assassin" versions as being in a more, mildly sadistic light; yet, they're not Satan incarnate and will have more humane moments

There are "trigger warnings" for the following: abduction, (very mild) instances of non-graphic torture, and experienced side effects of psychological/emotional stress. Despite what is said in the tale, I did not add, "a victimized minor," as Claire is only a "small girl" because she's a short and baby-faced person that makes others assume she's an actual kid.

It's not profanity-heavy, but a strong word or two does get dropped for emotional impact.

If you're good to go, feel free to read for critiquing, amusement, etc.

N-Now I know why they call it: "Being in the wrong place, at the wrong time..."

I was asked to dump out our food scraps for the animals, along the edge of the forest. I got caught up in gaming and didn't remember to do that, until it was getting dark. Even though we're out in the country side, it's a very safe place, so I didn't feel like I'd be in any danger by going out this late. When I actually got to the edge and threw the food in, I found out I was being watched: two people were looking back at me, with a dying person on the ground. I had been looking down the entire time, and I guess the other two were too distracted to notice me. I did tend to walk really quietly and be silent overall... I-I guess it's also hard to hear someone like me coming, when you're too busy listening to someone dying instead...?

The two people then motion for me to come over with their fingers, and they've got the scariest grins and looks in their eyes. Since I only see half their faces, they must be wearing masks... Th-That's even creepier! I gotta run for it!!!

They manage to land on either side of me and grab my limbs: the ballerina-like one grabs my left arm, while the jester-like one grabs my right arm... I try to get free, but their grips are too tight and they jump back into the trees with me. They work together to hold me in place: the ballerina is holding me up and hugging my upper body, completely pinning my arms, while the jester holds my ankles. It looks like the ballerina is a woman and the jester is a man, but wh-what're they gonna do to me...?! I can only close my eyes 'cause I don't know if I can actually fight back, with how strong they seem-- especially the woman.

"It seems someone has trouble following instructions," I can hear the grin in the jester's voice, "Well, nevermind that, as maybe you can help make tonight more enjoyable. We were disappointed when our previous 'play date' didn't really give us much of a chance for some fun, but a witness we need to keep quiet can fix that easily~."

N-No, really, what's gonna happen to me now?! P-Please tell me they're just planning to kill me, and that's it...

"What's this, then?" the Jester asks, "Usually, this is the part where you'd beg us for your life, promising you won't tell a single soul what made you a 'witness' in the first place."

"Not exactly like we'd believe you," I hear the ballerina add, "but something tells me you're not keeping quiet because you're smart enough to figure that out."

I just keep my mouth and eyes shut. I'm bracing for whatever's gonna happen...

"You're awfully calm about all this..." the jester says, after a moment, "I'll admit, it's a tad boring when we have someone too willing to accept their potential fate. Perhaps we should make things more interesting~? Sarah and I always did enjoy engaging with our more playful sides..."

Uh oh, it sounds like they're not gonna settle for just killing me...

"Let's move to somewhere more secluded, though," the jester finishes, "We don't want anyone else to possibly happen upon us, do we~?"

I feel them carry me away somewhere, probably deeper into the forest... Someone, help me!! I feel myself being pinned against a wall of sorts. I open my eyes and see the ballerina-- "Sarah," or I believe she's the one that name belongs to, at least --holding me on it: I'm lying against some kind of short dirt cliffside that must've been what I felt them jump from. Oh no, now I'm really out of sight! If only they seemed like people I could fight more easily, or if there was at least just one of them...

The jester speaks up, "Now then, shall we begin~?"

"Definitely~," Sarah chimes in, "This'll be so much fun~!"

No, no, no, I don't want something that's probably slow and painful; I try to squirm free, but this woman is still stronger than me!

"Oh, knock it off," she slams me into the lower part of the wall, "you're not going anywhere!" she grins at her partner, "What should we do first, Jimmy~?"

"I think I have the perfect idea, Sarah~," he crouches beside me, sneering evilly, "Just follow my lead..."

He covers my eyes, claiming it's more fun when victims can't see what exactly they're doing and can only feel it. Crap, now I really can't fight back or get away, since I can't tell what's being done until it's too late! It is too late, though, 'cause I feel my throat get jabbed in a way that makes me gag, but no sound comes out of my mouth. I dunno what they did, but now I can't scream or say anything! It was probably mostly done to keep me from laughing too loudly 'cause I feel myself being tickled. Yeah, that's usually not considered the worst thing ever, but it does turn out to be a really harsh form of torture... I just silently "laugh," as they both "attack" me everywhere with one hand, while using their other hands to keep my eyes covered and keep me pinned with enough force on my stomach. They're giggling about how "cute and helpless" I am, and how easy I am to make squirm with so little effort... When they finally take their hands off me, I try to sit up; but my body suddenly starts twitching and flailing, which means that must've been more than just tickling... The two lie on other side of me, while I keep squirming and writhing. That's when "Jimmy," the jester, decided to speak again.

"We know more spots, than just what makes someone laugh, you know," he smirks, "Muscle spasms are also a fun way of playing with our current 'toys.'"

"I prefer making them completely limp myself," Sarah adds, "That way, I can make my little 'dollies' dance and do whatever else I want, even easier~."

I wanna cry, I've always been afraid of being helpless: being restrained, being unable to match someone's cunning wit... I'm scared that if I do cry, though, they'll just wanna make it last longer and get even meaner, so I'll cry harder! I keep my eyes shut tight and I start breathing heavily through my nose. Darn it, lungs, breathe slower! They're sure to realize it's getting to me badly and that'll only encourage them to do worse! O-Or, what if I encourage them to do that by not crying 'cause it'll seem like they need to up their game...? I dunno what to do!! My eyes do, though, and they start releasing tears after all. Please, don't let it encourage them to keep torturing me...

"Jeez, what a baby," Sarah presses a finger into my nose, "We haven't even broken anything or decided to string you up, as a fun little piñata, just yet~."

"You should be grateful we've been playing nicely, thus far..." Jimmy says, "But go ahead and cry, as either way we'll find those pathetic wails and tears amusing; although, I'll admit it's far more convenient to receive more for less~."

Can they just kill me already...? If it's horrible now, what'll it be like when they decide to get serious: that "breaking things" and "piñata" remarks? I stop trembling a little, after I feel one of their hands caress my face, after I stop twitching. I slowly open my eye, to see which one it was: it's Jimmy, but Sarah is also leaning over me with a scary grin.

"You know, you're a truly interesting 'toy,' indeed," Jimmy continues, "one that we may like to play with, even longer."

"She really is everything a 'dolly' needs to be," Sarah hugs my neck, "She's cute and tiny, completely helpless, and best of all: easy and fun to break~," she squeezes my neck, "And, it shouldn't be too hard to make her do whatever we want, even with no strings attached."

Jimmy laughs, while Sarah giggles, and I'm cursing the appeal I've often had for others.

"So, what do you say?" Sarah asks, "Wanna come back home with us and be our new 'dolly'? We promise to play nicely, especially if you're good for us~."

"J-Just kill me...!" I can finally speak again, "I-I think I'd wanna just die instead...!"

"That's no fun..." Sarah pouts, pulling my ear, "We never like putting someone out of their misery, until we're ready for a new 'toy' or 'play date,' and you don't seem like one we'll want to end, anytime soon. Sooo, since we can't leave any witnesses to what we just did~..."

"Aren't you a lucky duck?" Jimmy pulls my other ear, "You get to stay alive, after all, and you'll get a nice new home~."

"No, just kill me...!!" I beg, "Please, I don't wanna....!"

"Oh, don't worry~," Jimmy whispers in my ear, "We'll take very good care of you~."

"And, you don't have to work, ever again," Sarah whispers into my other ear, "it'll just be all 'play~'... Now, it's time for our little 'dolly' to take a nap."

I suddenly feel her fingertips jab into me: her nails feel a little sharper than human ones should, now that I think about it, like she's got needles hidden in there. After getting jabbed, I feel my eyes get heavy and my body starts to go limp. I try to fight it, though, hoping to stay awake and still escape, somehow... I can't believe this all happened, just 'cause I waited until later to take out some food trash...

No, can't... fall... asleep...

Jimmy says, "Sleep tight~."

Sarah adds, "Good night~."

****

I later wake up in a sleeping bag and I notice the two standing over me. I duck inside the bag, but then realize I've got a collar and chain around my neck, and I'm guessing it's connected to a nearby wall or something. One of them pulls me out from the sleeping bag and I see it's Sarah.

"Don't be a rude jerk," she pouts, "we were just about to get to know each other."

I can't say anything, I just tremble and feel sweat running down my forehead. I've been kidnapped, and no one knows it's these two nor where to find us... My life is over, but in one of the worst ways possible. I feel like I'm gonna be sick...

"I'm 'Sarah,'" she continues, "and my friend over there is 'Jimmy,' in case you didn't figure it out already," she presses a finger into my nose, "What's your name?"

I muster up the strength to speak, "....... Clarissa ....."

"Okay then," Sarah smirks, "we'll just call you 'Claire,' since it's easier."

I start shaking, wondering what they're gonna do to me... I try to hold in that sick feeling, even though my chest feels like it's gonna burst. It'd be one thing if they'd just kill me, but keeping me alive means they'll probably do all sorts of horrible stuff to me! Why couldn't I have taken out those food scraps sooner, why did my life need to end just for that?!

"Now then," Sarah smirks, pulling me closer by the literal collar, "let's go over some rules... Just do whatever Jimmy and I say, and don't cause problems for us. 'Easy peasy,' right?"

I nod and shut my eyes tightly.

"Good 'dolly,'" she pats my head, "So, why don't we get you settled into your new life~?"

I just shut my eyes tighter, afraid of what exactly that means... She laughs and lets go of my collar, letting me sink back onto the floor.

"You look so cute when you're scared!" she giggles, "I think Jimmy and I are going to have fun with you for a long time~."

I just curl into the fetal position, covering my head and hiding my face into my legs. I feel one of their hands on my head, but I don't look. I only tense up further, despite the hand petting my hair.

"Hmmm... You feel more like a 'teddy,' with how soft you are," Jimmy remarks, "Maybe we should be calling you that, instead?"

"Why don't we find out which one she really is more like?" Sarah suggests, "It may even help us get an idea of the best way to play with her~."

I really start shaking now... What're they gonna do??!! I suddenly feel myself being pulled into a pair of arms: Sarah's hugging me-- and as tightly (and painfully) as possible! Now, I know how a stress toy might feel... Oh no, that'd be a worse "toy" to become here, than just a "doll" or a "teddy," I'd bet!

"Well, Jimmy," Sarah finally decides to stop crushing me, "she's definitely nice to squeeze, like most stuffed animals are."

I-I can't breathe, after that... That was a really, really, REALLY tight hug. I wouldn't be surprised if she actually broke something... I then wince, when Jimmy pulls the side of my face.

"She's also soft, beyond just her hair," he adds, "If that's not the work of lotions, but your natural skin, I must admit some jealousy."

He releases my face. It doesn't sting as much as my body, but my cheek still hurts a little from the strong grip. Then, Sarah holds my chin.

"I guess I have to admit," Sarah sneers and pulls my head toward hers, "teddies can sometimes be cuter than dollies, and you're definitely one of the cuter 'toys' we've had," her eyes gleam more evilly, "And, dollies can still be seen as people, even if just a little bit, while teddies can't. Yep, you're a 'teddy' alright, but still fun to play with, either way."

I'd honestly rather be a dead person... Seriously, just skip to that part!!

"What game should we play first, 'Teddy~'?" Sarah's vile grin grows, "I promise we won't play too rough-- especially when it's too early to break you, just yet."

I try to mentally prepare myself for what's going to happen; I just hope whatever they'll do isn't going to be something right out of the Saw films. Suddenly, I feel them jabbing their fingertips into me and my body goes limp afterward. I dunno what exactly they did, but I can't move at all! They start moving me and making me "talk," just like you'd do with an actual teddy or toy. I can't even close my eyes, so I'm forced to watch and listen to their "play" session firsthand.

They start by making me "talk": how excited I am to play with them, having "conversations" that interested them-- whatever feigned speech would bring a demented smile onto their faces... If I could wince, I would. They laugh at me, then they make me "dance" with them, before manipulating my limp body in other ways. I honestly feel like one of those life-sized dolls than a "teddy," but no matter what I'm called, they're "playing" with me all the same.

Eventually, they get bored with that kind of play and decide to wait until my muscles can move properly again, so they could have fun with a more "interactive toy." So, to pass the remaining time and see when I'm finally "back to normal," they decide on tickling me, again. Just because I can't move or laugh doesn't mean I can't feel anything... Honestly, it feels WORSE when you can't laugh 'cause that'd at least be some kind of release to make it feel less intense!! My mind is screaming at my body to start working again, so it'll finally get them to stop, but my limp self decides to just take its sweet time... Yeah, it's not really a "sweet time" for me, though!

When I can finally laugh and squirm, I do so and the intensity dies down a little, but it's still unpleasant. Now that they see I can move again, they stop and I try to catch my breath. Unfortunately, that's all I have the strength to do: panting quietly. I'm too tired after what they did to me and the realization that I'm going to be kept here... forever. Well, I guess gasping isn't all I can do, I can also cry. I shut my eyes tightly and let the tears fall, unable to stand the idea of continuing this, day in and day out-- especially if they decide to make things worse!

I hear Sarah and Jimmy talking about something and they start giggling. Great, they're planning more, aren't they...? I just keep crying, as it's all I can do and crying naturally makes you feel better. Then, I hear them giving each other suggestions for the next "game" and all. Luckily, I seemed to put their plans on hold, thanks to my body's exhaustion from tears and extreme emotional distress. After all, "toys" are apparently more fun when they're wide awake and full of energy, since we'll "react better and last longer." Ugh, my eyelids feel so heavy, but I don't want to sleep with them around. Sarah places her hands under my back and picks me up. I wince, afraid she's about to do something else.

"Aw, are you tired?" She smiles at me, "I think our 'teddy' could use a nap."

I resist the idea, even if it's just me trying to keep my eyes open. Unfortunately, they're not letting me stay awake. In fact, they're taking a more... soothing approach? I'm put back inside the sleeping bag, which makes it a little harder to stay awake. It became full-on impossible to be so, after they acted more like parents trying to lull their child to sleep: they spoke in more kind tones, while gently petting my head and back. Well, at least I got what little comfort I needed, after all that happened...

****

I wake up in the sleeping bag later on, admittedly feeling rather well-rested. Unfortunately, when I see that I really have been abducted and it wasn't just some nightmare, I begin to cry. I don't see my captors, so maybe they're still leaving me alone for now. I still find myself hiding inside the sleeping bag, though, as if I'm expecting them to pounce on me at any moment. My hand feels the chain attached to the collar they put around my neck. Well, at least it's not exactly hurting me and the chain seems long enough to allow for some movement. Of course, it won't be enough to actually make escape possible... Still, I should see where exactly I am, even if I can't get out of here. I peek out from the sleeping bag and get a better look at the room I'm in: it's a bit dark in here, but there's definitely light lamps overhead and it's definitely someplace you'd "play" with people in... I see shackles-- both hanging from the ceiling and the walls, a table meant to hold someone down, and the entire place looks exactly like a child's playroom: stuffed toys, the wallpaper and flooring, and some dolls.

These guys really are like giant, creepy kids... I hope they don't come back for a while-- or at all. Unfortunately, I hear the sound of a door creaking open. I shrink inside the sleeping bag, as it's my only hiding spot; but it's not really a "hiding spot," when they'll automatically know that's where I am and I can easily be seen inside it. I hear the footsteps come closer, until they finally stop on either side of me. I feel two hands on my back and I instantly know: Sarah and Jimmy have returned for more "playing." I try to prepare myself for whatever they might do next, but I'm not sure what to expect.

They start talking, as if they're having a casual conversation. I try to listen in a little, but they're whispering to each other, probably so they don't risk me overhearing and they can still be amused by me fearing the unexpected. So, I brace myself for anything. I then realize I smell something: t-toast and scrambled eggs...? Huh? I open my eyes and look through the open end of the sleeping bag: yes, there really is a plate of the cliched breakfast item right in front of it. I'm not making a grab for it, though, these two might make a grab for me, if I do. B-Besides, I don't have the strongest appetite right now...

"Claire~..." Sarah's voice sings, "Wake up~..."

I am, but I'm not coming out!

"... Okay," she sounds a little more annoyed, "you just asked for a rude wake-up call, Missy!"

I'm suddenly yanked out, by the chain of my collar. I quickly scramble onto my hands and feet, and fearfully stare at the grinning duo. J-Jeez, I really hate those skull masks on their faces... They cover enough to give off an "uncanny" feel, but they reveal enough of their faces to show how terrifying their natural selves are. Jimmy pulls me over toward the plate, by the arm.

"Now, now," he says, "we just wanted to make sure you weren't starving to literal death. It's important to keep your strength up, if we're planning to play together."

I start shaking, feeling too sick and terrified to even taste what's been made.

"Oh, come on," Sarah playfully pulls my ear, "it's not like it's poisoned or anything."

I shut my eyes tightly and tense up. I-I hate when they touch me!!

"Do we have to feed you ourselves?" Sarah pouts, "Don't start being difficult, now..." she suddenly sounds excited, "Unless, you need us to feed you instead. That could be fun~."

I shakily reach a hand for the toast and make the cooked bread tremble with my hand; I am not letting these two do anything with me, if I can prevent it.

"Heh, heh," Jimmy laughs, "Sarah's right: you are adorable, when frightened."

Making myself eat the scrambled eggs is a little harder 'cause my shaking hand kept dropping lots of eggs from the spoon, when it didn't just drop the spoon entirely. But I finally manage to get it all down, despite my anxious stomach threatening me with vomiting, now that it has "ammunition."

"How about eating a little faster next time?" Sarah presses a finger into my nose, "That way, we can play sooner."

I shudder, since they're probably gonna make it "play time" now... They waste no time grabbing onto me, their visible eyes gleaming sadistically above their evil grins.

Sarah asks, "What should we play first~?"

Jimmy suggests, "Perhaps some new way of making her adorably helpless~?"

I start trembling, as I've got a feeling it's going to be a whole lot worse than simple tickling or that weird, limp state they put my body into before.

"We'll start easy," Sarah says, "and then work our way up to the really scary stuff."

She reaches out and grabs my wrists, forcing my hands up high above my head. Then, she holds my arms there, so tight, I can practically feel my bones cracking. They clearly have something planned that won't involve me staying against the wall for long, otherwise they'd probably have used the shackles instead. What are they planning, though? I notice Jimmy taking off my chained collar, so does that mean they're taking me somewhere: maybe out of here or into a further part of the room? The two give each other a look, before Sarah suddenly throws me into the air. I crash into the ceiling and fall off it, landing hard onto the floor. Then, I feel the back of my shirt being clutched.

Sarah shouts, "Upsie Daisy~!"

She throws me into the ceiling again, then I crash into the hard floor again. She keeps repeating the phrase, while Jimmy laughs at the (more for them) amusing twist on the game parents would often play with their young children. Each time, it's a painful "SLAM!" into the ceiling, before a hard "WHOMP!" onto the ground. It hurts like heck!

"Here's the last one, so let's give it our all~," Sarah announces, grinning at me, "Up we-- or YOU --go~!!"

he tosses me into the ceiling, one final time. This time, my body sinks into the brick-like surface and I form a me-shaped dent, before I slowly fall out of it and land. I cough, when I slam back onto the ground, and there's blood droplets mixed with my spit. My body hurts, especially my chest and back. I just lie on there, my breathing uneven and wheezing. I think I hear both of them approaching me, on either side.

Sarah asks, "Wasn't that fun~?"

I don't answer; I can't answer, it all hurts too much.

"Oh dear," Jimmy sighs, "I believe you might've overdone it, Sarah... It seems our 'toy' might've suffered some internal damage."

"It's not my fault," Sarah huffs, "I can't tell how tough they really are, until they finally break, remember?"

I slowly close my eyes, continuing my shallow breaths. W-Will I be lucky enough to finally be released from this and before it gets much, much worse...?

"Well," Jimmy says, "we can't let this one die, now, can we? Let's get her tended to..."

I think he's the one lifting my chin right now...? I dunno, I can't open my eyes nor do more than stay immobilized. It hurts... It all hurts so much. Suddenly, my throat wretches and produces a large spatter of, what I assume to be, my own blood through my mouth. I feel my chin being dropped immediately after, likely because whoever held my head up was trying to dodge the blood spurt. Another gag, and another mouthful of the iron-flavored substance escapes my mouth. I go back to wheezing and I'm just about ready to pass out. I'm then rolled off my stomach and onto my side, easing any chest pain with less pressure on it and still making it easy to spit out whatever blood I need to.

"Okay, okay," I hear Sarah's voice, "Just hang in there..."

I think she's also the one with their hands on my shoulder and head, before I finally pass out.

****

I wake up in my sleeping bag, but without the collar and chain around my neck, this time. Instead, I'm sore all over and can barely move. It feels like my chest is wrapped up and I can see that it is, when I look down at my abdomen. Unfortunately, that's as much as I can move my head... I also hear Sarah's and Jimmy's voices, and it sounds like they're arguing with a third person.

"For Heaven's sake, she only appears to be a teenager at oldest-- a YOUNG teenager!" the strange man's voice protests, "It's one thing when your little... 'games' are done with actual, heinous criminals or for the ever-important method of interrogating useful information from someone, but a seeming CHILD-- and especially one without the slightest use toward any job's completion?!"

"It's important not to have witnesses, either, remember?" Sarah huffs, "Jimmy and I are just making sure no one can run off and share what they saw, and having fun while doing it~."

"Would you have preferred we slaughtered her instead?" Jimmy asks, "Some would say that still being alive, no matter in what state, is a blessing in of itself, wouldn't they~?"

"Being assassins isn't a valid excuse to entirely throw out the concept of standards and morality, believe it or not!" the strange man huffs, "If you absolutely had to exterminate any witnesses, very well then; however, there is nothing 'necessary' about this cruel, prolonged torment! Keep in mind, there also exists the saying: 'a fate worse than death,' and this certainly seems like it for the poor child. I may not be able to force you both into releasing her from this torment-- and I certainly know better than to ignore the obvious difference in strength and numbers --but I highly implore you both to end this sadistic game of 'play,' immediately."

"Pardon me," Jimmy huffs, "but I believe we asked you here to help fix our 'toy,' above all else, so if you're finished..."

"... Very well, then," the strange man hesitates, "I shall take my leave, but consider what I had to say, yes?"

I think I hear him leave. No, please, t-take me with you and away from these two... N-Nope, it looks like I'm still stuck with Sarah and Jimmy-- even when they let others know about me. It really is hopeless; death really is the only way I'm gonna actually "escape" from this, I'm certain of it now. O-Oh no, they must've noticed I'm awake 'cause I catch them coming this way, from the corner of my eye... I shut my eyes tightly, as they walk over toward me. Too bad I'm too hurt to actually hide inside my sleeping bag, so I'm forced to lie out and be easily accessible. Crap, I'm crying from fear already... Huh? I feel... my tears being wiped away?

What's... going on...?

"You're okay," Sarah says softly, "We're not 'playing' right now, or for a while..."

I'm panting fearfully. I dunno if I can actually take their word for it... I-I know they want to hurt me more than anything, they find it funny!!! AGH... P-Panting is a bad idea, it's making my chest hurt...

"Easy now, Claire..." Jimmy adds, "Just breathe slowly and try to relax..."

My heart's pounding so hard, I swear it's trying to escape from my body through my rib cage...! UGH!! My head hurts, too... I suddenly feel some sharp point, on each fingertip of theirs, press into my collarbone and arms. I freak out, trying to get free; but I don't see much success, given my near-immobile state. Soon, my body suddenly switches to slower, normal breathing and my chest doesn't hurt anymore. Sarah and Jimmy remove their fingers from me, before each uses a hand to offer a less pricking and more soothing touch: both hands petting my head. I'm just lying there, trembling, and feeling utterly exhausted. I hear them try to offer more comforting words, than their usual brand of taunting and everything, but I can't understand what they're saying... I'm too tired...

They continue to stroke my hair and forehead, until eventually I drift off to sleep again. I wake up some time later, refreshed and calmer. I can finally sit up again, causing the chains on my returned collar to rattle. Crap, I hope that didn't get those two's attention, somehow... I don't see them, so I look down at my chest and touch the bandaged area. Urf, still stings a little... Well, it's definitely not as painful as before. Hmm, well, if I can move... I look around and see if there's any possible way to get out of this collar and out of here; or if I can at least free myself and find some way to kill myself after, if I can't get out of here. I'm escaping one way or another, and I know I can't take them out instead-- especially when I'm hurt like this. So, I decide to start with something simple first, which is getting the chain off my neck.

I carefully examine the chain: it's without any cracks or other weaknesses. My collar also feels like it's perfectly intact and that keyhole, found by my fingertip, tells me I'll need an obvious key. If only I had Sarah's terrifying strength, maybe I could then just pull the chain off the wall and create my own exit. Unfortunately, I'm just simply "above average," when it came to the strength of small girls. So, I guess I'll have to come up with a different plan. I sniffle, knowing I've got nothing else to do except wait for whatever happens next, in the meantime. The door opens, so I turn to see who's coming in. It's Jimmy! Where's Sarah, though? Well, at least that means I only have to worry about just one of them... Unless, she'll also be here, soon enough. I instinctively hide inside the sleeping bag, as Jimmy approaches me. I tremble, which makes my chest sting a little because of the movement, but I've a lower fear threshold than a pain one.

He sits beside me and I hear him whisper, "Hey, Claire," he reaches in and strokes my head, making me flinch, "You're looking better already."

I don't think that's a good thing... It may mean they'll get ready to "play" with me again and I may get hurt worse! Well, at least they may decide it's time to "break" their newest toy and I can finally be freed from this.

"Don't worry," Jimmy continues, "we now know you're one of our more fragile 'toys,' so we'll play more carefully next time."

I then hear Sarah's voice: "Is she better yet?"

No, no, no, no, no... If they're down here together, that increases my chances of having to go through more "playing"... Even worse, it's probably gonna hurt more this time, when I'm still recovering.

"Her condition's improved," informs Jimmy, "but she still needs some rest."

"Okay..." sighs Sarah, "But I want to play again, as soon as possible," I feel her patting my back, through the sleeping bag, "But we'll do it more gently and nicely this time, I promise~."

Well, at least there's that "good" news, I guess... I try to ignore the fact that I'm being touched, but it doesn't work very well. Then, it becomes even harder to ignore... but more pleasant? Don't get me wrong, I still realize it's a kidnapper-- and a murderous one at that, given the "assassin" comments of the strange man or that dying person they killed in the woods --but it's definitely a more "caring" hold, if that's the right word: she must be kneeling, or something, but I can definitely tell she pulled me into a hug from behind. It feels nice, actually, almost like a mother's embrace. But it's not my mother, it's an evil woman-- an evil woman teamed up with an evil man. I have to remember that, no matter how "nicely" they decide to "play" and when they decide to act more soothing. I can't forget how I even ended up here in the first place, after all!

"You really are one of the best toys we've ever had," Sarah says, "Too bad you're also one of the easiest to break, otherwise we'd get to enjoy that cute, scared, helpless face more often... Oh well, we know gentler ways to make you squirm~."

I'm feeling my blood run cold, to where I can't tell if I'm shaking from fear or a freezing body...

"We'll let you sleep for a bit longer, though," Jimmy adds, "and then we'll start playing with you again~!"

"So, keep resting up~..." Sarah holds me tighter, but still gently, "We want you to be nice and full of energy again, real soon. That way, you can handle more and make the next 'playdate' last longer~."

My heart pounds against my chest and I feel like throwing up. The thought of more "playing" makes me sick. I think I'm shaking hard enough to make Sarah do the same, while she's still hugging me.

"Jeez," I hear her huff, "maybe we should consider you more of a 'baby doll' than a 'teddy'..."

"Don't be too upset with her, Sarah," Jimmy reassures, "She's probably just shaking with excited anticipation~!"

"You're right, she's probably thinking about all the fun stuff we'll do together~!"

They laugh at me and I'm trying to fight back tears. No, I can't... The most I can do is not flat-out sob, while the tears fall. Finally, the two stop laughing, and I feel Sarah leaning back and trying to hold me more comfortably.

"Go back to sleep, now..." She speaks low and soothingly, "It really will make you feel all better."

She definitely makes sure I'll fall back asleep: she hugs me closer, rubs my back, and whispers softly into my ear. It doesn't work out very well, as I know giving into sleep means waking up to more torment. I need to delay it, as much as possible. But I'm tired and she seems to know how I tick, all too well, and I can't help but drift off... I wake up later, and find my wrists and ankles chained to the top of a table that I'm spread out on. My head is propped up with a pillow and I look around the room to see what's happening. I spot those two standing at the end of the table, where my feet are, and they're grinning evilly back at me. They must've been there the whole time, waiting for me to wake up.

"Good morning, sleepyhead~!" Sarah says cheerily, "Feeling better? You definitely look better, especially enough to play again."

I can't speak; I feel myself turning pale and I can't breathe.

"Oh, come now, there's no need to worry..." Jimmy chimes in, "We'll just have another round of fun, that's all~!"

He walks over to the side of the table and looks down at me. Sarah does the same, but on the other side. I shut my eyes tightly, bracing for whatever comes next.

"Good idea," Sarah taunts, "it always is more fun, when you can't see what's happening."

I suddenly feel something being tied over my eyes, a blindfold likely. I then feel some kind of cold edge pressed against my throat. I-Is that a knife...? ... Well, if it is, then maybe I can finally be freed? S-Sure, having your throat slit isn't the best way to go, but it's still a way to get out of here.

"I normally prefer knives for cooking," I hear Jimmy say, "but they can be great for 'playing,' too~."

"I like doctor's needles myself," Sarah adds, "when I get tired of the 'acupuncture' type of poking, it's fun to do the injection kind and see how I can make you squirm with whatever I put inside you~."

It definitely feels like she's pressing the tip of a syringe's needle against my arm! Neither one of them actually penetrate my skin, with their proclaimed tools, but Jimmy tauntingly moves the blade across my neck and Sarah taps the needle's point into different parts of my arm. Any moment, they could just decide to cut me or inject me...

"Try not to squirm too much," Sarah teases, "otherwise we might accidentally break the skin~!"

They laugh and mock me while doing this, and I can only lie there and take it. It's terrifying.... Since they seem to enjoy hurting me as much as possible, I brace for the inevitable stabbed throat or injection of whatever substance that'll wreck me from the inside out. Then, suddenly--

"Whoops~!"

"Oops~!"

I instinctively yelp, after it feels like both the syringe and knife have been forced into my body. Crap, CRAP, oh FU--

...

Wait a minute, I-I don't actually feel any pain? It also doesn't feel like I'm bleeding... In fact, it doesn't even feel like I'm experiencing the painful pressure a syringe would offer. I hear them laughing again and the blindfold is ripped off my eyes. Sarah and Jimmy wave their "knife" and "syringe" in my face, tauntingly: Jimmy actually had a metallic cream spatula, while Sarah only had a large mechanical pencil.

"You're so gullible, 'Baby-Doll~,'" Sarah pulls on the side of my face, "The Kankers are the ones who actually inject people with stuff, and we prefer leaving all that slitting and cutting to Nazz," she releases my cheek, "Well, we leave it to Nazz, when it's supposed to be with blades instead of strings, anyway."

Jimmy's cackling too hard to add anything.

"Aw, what's wrong?" Sarah sneers at my panicked face, "We were just playing, 'pretend,' silly~," she pats my head, "It's always fun to use our imagination, right?" she grins into my face, "It sure can be, like letting someone 'imagine' a real knife is about to make you drown in your own blood, or there's an actual needle getting ready to put acid or something else scary into you."

O-Oh great, they also play mind games, instead of just physical 'ones'... How long is this going to go on?!

"I don't think she enjoyed playing pretend, Sarah," Jimmy finally speaks, motioning to my scared face, "So, perhaps we should stop pretending and make things actually happen to her~?"

"Well, if she's not having fun with this instead..." Sarah's eye gleams with malice, "Then, we'd get to enjoy real screaming, too~!"

"Maybe you could crush her, with that fearsome strength of yours, Sarah?"

"Or, I could literally break her in half!"

"Then, perhaps I can assist, by slicing her with my sharpened strings?"

"Maybe we could do all of it, Jimmy~."

I gulp. If I was badly hurt from just simply being thrown around, last time, then what'll happen if they try any kind of "play" involving more serious harm?!

"Then, we could stitch her back together and do any other repairs a broken toy may need," Jimmy chortles, "so that we may do it all over again..."

"And, again and again~," Sarah adds, "At least, until we can't put her back together anymore."

They lean over me, with those wicked grins.

"What do you think, 'Baby-Doll'?" Sarah asks, "I guess it'd only be fair for you to get a say in~."

"J-Just kill me...!" I beg, "C-Cut my head off, or something that'll end it quickly...!!"

"But we're not done playing with you, yet..." Sarah pouts and flicks my nose, "Besides, who said YOU get to decide how you'll finally 'break'?"

I wince at the stinging contact, then clench my teeth when she holds my neck. It's not enough to actually strangle me, but I can tell she's planning to do a bit more. Her nails dig into my skin as she stares me down, waiting for some sort of reaction... I can feel the surprising sharpness of those tips, and I'm starting to wonder if they did something to their nails or the actual fingers to make physical manipulation easier. I'm just saying, it's odd for normal fingertips to control your body, in certain ways, just with a few jabs and pokes. Sarah's also smiling creepily and I'm wondering why she seems so pleased. Then, I realize it: she must've hit some kind of reactive point(s) on my neck because it's swelling!! I-I can't breathe...

They laugh at me, as I start gagging.

"Uh oh," Jimmy sneers, "is something the matter~?"

"I think she needs a doctor, Jimmy," Sarah smirks, "Let's play that, next."

"Good idea, Sarah, especially when she's already on an operating table."

"Oh, wait a minute, Jimmy... She doesn't like playing pretend, remember?"

"But Sarah, we never said any procedures would be actual pretend. The only 'pretending' we'll do is us being real doctors, while using real cutting, stitching and all other medical necessities~..."

I'm struggling in my restraints, as much as I'm struggling to breathe. No, I'm not having them hurt me again-- especially worse!! But, I can't stand the state they've already put me in, either: my throat's swelling up and I'm choking on my own air... Maybe I'll be lucky enough to pass out from a lack of oxygen, so I'll at least be out cold during all that stuff. I panic further, after watching them suddenly pull up a cart of tools, and while showing me the evilest of smiles and glances.

"I'll make the incision, Sarah!" Jimmy orders his friend, before pulling a scalpel from the cart, "You can do the needle-related work, both with the... 'anesthetic' and the necessary stitching."

I'm struggling harder now, as they bring the scalpel and syringe tools close to my neck. I-It's no good, I can only close my eyes. Teardrops fall out of them, after I feel the faint cut and poke of the tools; however, they didn't actually stick either item too deeply into me. In fact, they just barely broke the skin of whichever areas they targeted... Then, they remove the items.

"The patient's been put under, Jimmy."

"And, I've made a successful incision, Sarah, now I'll get to work on fixing the problem."

I feel him lightly cut my skin a few more times, and I'm wincing each time because I fear it actually cutting deep enough to do serious damage. That, and the stronger pain caused by the swollen muscles of my neck.

"All done, Sarah, sew her up."

"Sure thing, 'Dr.' Jimmy~."

She doesn't actually stick the pin through the underside of my skin, thankfully, but she zig-zags the sharp tip over each cut and that's painful in it's own right! I wince and squirm, getting Jimmy's elbow into my gut and instantly immobilizing me. GAH! That... Hurt...

"It seems you need to increase the amount of sedatives, next time, Sarah," he sneers down at me, "Luckily, I was able to put her back under."

"Oops, silly me," Sarah giggles, "Oh well, I at least did a better job with stitching her back up, right?"

"Indeed, she's good as new, I'd say."

I just lie there, trying to keep breathing and feeling my tears trail down my face.

"Still feeling under the weather?" Jimmy smirks, "Well, I know just the remedy for that: laughter always is the best medicine~."

Oh no, don't tell me they're going to do that again, especially when my throat and neck are like this?!

"You're right, Jimmy," Sarah adds, "laughter makes everyone feel better~."

No, please, it'll really hurt and be hard to laugh with a sliced-up neck and swelled throat...!!! Of course, they go ahead and start tickling me all over again, making me painfully gasp for breath and thrash in my restraints. AGH, this is pure torture...!!! Getting hurt, feeling pain, being held here against my will, being touched against my will-- I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!

Eventually, though, they stop. They leave me lying there and wheezing, while I try to calm myself down. It's a bit hard, when you're doing more sobbing than gasping. I hate this!

"Well, how are you feeling, 'Baby-Doll'?" Sarah taunts, "Are ya starting to feel better~? If you're not..."

ENOUGH OF THIS, JUST, ENOUGH!!! It doesn't matter how I respond, does it?! They'll look for any reason to torment me and I'll always just end up giving them the reaction they want!! I may as well just give up and cry, like the hopeless and trapped little girl I am!! So, I just do... Or, as best as I can manage with my throat like this and such little breath. I'm just... done. They both chuckle at my pathetic display.

"Oh, poor, weak Claire," Jimmy says, "So helpless, so pathetic~."

I don't care what you guys think, you'll just keep deciding to torment me, regardless... I ignore him and just keep crying.

"Well, how else is she supposed to be fun?" Sarah asks, "Boy, you really do deserve to be called: 'BABY-Doll.'"

More ignoring and crying.

Sarah asks, "What should we play next, Jimmy?"

"Hmmm, I know..." he suggests, "Let's play: 'Tic-Tac-Toe~'..."

Their version of the game involved pins with the appropriate "X" and "O" heads, after they draw the lines on whoever's going to be the appropriate "board." They promised to know enough about bodies, so they would make sure they didn't stick the pins anywhere that'd kill me or worse. It still stings, though... I had to go through 10 or so rounds of being jabbed, until they finally decided to stop that game, too.

Afterward, they decide to play a different game: one where they hold their hands behind their backs and have me pick one. They called it: "The Lesser of Two Evils," where the objective is to pick the hand that has the less awful item to be used on you. I wasn't very good, so I got some pretty bad cuts and stuff... Luckily, they just kept to the less painful and tougher parts of my body; so it wasn't the pure agony of having an eye stabbed, or my nails poked underneath and pushed off. Still, getting cut on your biceps and bruised on your shoulders can really hurt... Of course, I'm crying the entire time because who honestly cares at this point? This is just how it's gonna be, until the day they finally let me die, no matter what I do or don't do.

"Alright, I think we're done now," Sarah smirks, "Thanks for playing with us~."

P-Please, let that mean they've somehow gotten bored of me already and it's time to get rid of me...

"Uh oh, do I need to be more specific~?" Sarah sneers at my (possibly) hopeful-seeming face, "I meant just for today, silly~."

I slam my head back onto the pillow and grit my teeth. I feel them bandage up my current injuries, before they free me from the table and carry me over to the sleeping bag, to reapply the chained collar.

"Don't worry," Sarah says, "We'll let you rest up, then maybe we can play again the very next day~!"

I don't even bother to hide inside the sleeping bag, this time... Seriously, what difference does anything make at this point?! I just lie there and have my obvious sorrow be the only response available.

"Hey," Sarah pulls my ear, "save some of that for when we play again... It won't be as much fun, if your voice gets too tired to cry and scream during everything."

"Crying and screaming" now, doing it then-- who cares?!

"I said," she covers my mouth, "QUIET..."

I don't open my eyes, but I do stop sobbing.

"That's more like it," Sarah huffs, "Now, sleep tight, 'Baby-Doll.' We'll be right back with something to eat."

I just lie there, by the time they come back. I feel myself being sat up by my shoulders and I smell food under my nose, so I guess they're offering me something on some silverware.

"Come on, now," I hear Sarah say, "Eat up~."

I feel my chin being pulled to force my mouth open and the food being forced inside. It tastes like cut-up hotdogs, served on a fork. I opened my eyes when that happened, so I can see it's Jimmy as the feeder, and Sarah as the one behind me and sitting me up.

They set me back into the sleeping bag, after I've eaten all the food they brought me, so that I can be ready for more "playing" tomorrow. They do the usual hair-petting and all, before I can finally feel inclined to sleep. Please, just take me, as I rest...

*****

I couldn't tell, at first, when I woke up. After all, it was still dark when I opened my eyes. I thought I was blindfolded by my captors and possibly restrained, but I could actually touch my face and there was nothing on it. Well, except for my glasses, of course. Oh no... OH NO! I-I can't see, what did they do to me?! I start crying again, since fate decided to just make me even more helpless to do anything about this. I tried to convince myself that they maybe just moved me somewhere that's completely dark, but I feel my surroundings and it's definitely the same room: the sleeping bag, the wall with the chain, the large play matt nearby... I start feeling my body, curious if those two may have also done anything else to me, in my sleep. Everything feels right and the only sore spots are where they touched me before.

I hear the door open and some footsteps. I don't bother hiding this time, as I can't see Sarah and Jimmy anyhow. Wait, is there someone else with them?? There is: it's the voice of a woman I haven't heard (or seen), yet.

"Is she down here?!" the woman yells, "I really can't believe you guys!"

"So, what if we did?!" Sarah's voice snarls, "It's not exactly like you guys are perfect angels! We all kill people for a living, remember?!"

"Dude," the other woman huffs, "there's a difference between our 'career choice' and just being plain evil; you guys can't even argue that it'd help with taking out or finding a target!"

"Just leave us alone, Nazz!" Sarah roars, "Why do you care, anyway?!"

"Because, unlike some people," Nazz replies, "I want to try and hold onto whatever good's left inside of me, like not letting some random kid get tortured for your own fun; even the Kankers never turned out as horrible as you guys apparently did, think about that!"

"Oh please," Sarah scoffs, "those three would've probably buried her by now... Don't even get me started on if she was some 'handsome dreamboat' of a guy, instead of a girl."

"Just taking her out would be a lot less cruel than this, dude," Nazz huffs, "If you need to get rid of witnesses, fine, but you can fix that problem without being so sadistic about it... There you are. Are you alright?"

Is she in front of me? It sounds like it... I wonder what she looks like? I want to finally see a face that isn't laughing or smirking at my suffering, at least one last time...

"Hey, don't be scared," Nazz continues, "Okay, so, normally, we can't let any witnesses... 'stick around,' but I feel like it's too cruel to leave you like this. I also feel a little squigged out at the idea of killing anyone who might be under 18, if I don't really have to... Basically, what I'm saying is: I'm sure we can find some way to make sure you won't tell anyone what you saw, without having to hurt you any more than these two have already..."

"How do you know for sure?" I hear Jimmy ask, "I'd say, the damage has already been done, and our best option would be to either hold onto her or simply dispose of her. I believe you know which one we'd prefer."

Crap, if I'm hearing both him and Sarah, they're obviously in here!! I move my head around, as if I could somehow still spot them. Well, maybe my ears can help tell which direction they'd be in?! It'd definitely be a lot better than simply not knowing where they might be and get surprised by whatever contact they have planned next. I grit my teeth and wince a little, as my entire head seems to be straining itself, not just my ears.

"... What are you doing?" I hear Sarah ask me, "We're standing right here. At least, I think that's what she's doing..."

My left ear says she's in front of me, a bit away and to the left. I'm guessing Jimmy's near her, since they often seem to enjoy being by each other's side.

"Hey, can you see...?" I hear Nazz ask, "... Did you guys kidnap a BLIND girl?! How is that a 'dangerous' type of witness, when she can't actually describe you two to anyone or say anything more than: 'It sounded like a man and woman did it'?! Even if she actually did say anything, some people don't take blind witnesses as seriously as someone who could actually see things; don't even get me started on how you can't even 'hear' acupuncture being done to someone, so she couldn't even describe how you did it..."

There's a moment of silence, like Sarah and Jimmy are thinking about what she said. I imagine them looking at each other, even.

"'Blind'...?" Jimmy repeats, "Surely, she can see, otherwise she wouldn't have reacted in some of the ways she did."

Sarah huffs, "Let me see..."

"Hey," Nazz warns, "don't do anything else to her!"

"I'm not!" Sarah retorts, "I'm just making sure..."

Wh-What are they talking about; what the heck's Sarah doing?! I don't hear or feel anything, especially nothing painful or promising to be... I-I really hope this "Nazz" lady will step in, if they try anything!!

Sarah finally says, "... You really are blind..."

Nazz demands, "What did you guys do to her?!"

"Nothing to her eyes," Jimmy answers, "so we couldn't exactly tell you."

"... Then, she's probably suffering from hysterical blindness because of you two!" Nazz huffs, "From what Double Dee told me, it's no surprise she'd have the necessary stress for it! If only I could've found out about this sooner..."

"Hmph, tattling cad..." Jimmy huffs, "Count on the likes of him to ruin everyone's fun..."

"I don't think you'd find it 'fun,' if you two were the ones it happened to," Nazz retorts, "Until you guys can remember what sort of people you should actually be doing things like this to, then I don't know if I want to hang out anymore."

"What?" Sarah asks, sounding surprised and upset, "But you're my best friend, next to Jimmy..."

"Nazz, I understand our 'playful' ways might seem cruel," Jimmy tries explaining, sounding equally saddened, "but you must understand, it's really them who instilled this darker side into ourselves, ever since the day--"

"--They only forced us to become killers, not torturers!" Nazz suddenly snaps, "No one else has gotten this sick and twisted over the years-- not even the Kankers, like I said before! At first, I was willing to just shrug it off as how you 'did' things, but you clearly want to do it outside of jobs, too-- including to random kids! The 'assassin' thing can be forgiven for all of us, that's the only thing we don't actually have much of a say in; but anything more than that is YOUR decision, so excuse me for starting to finally see you two as the monsters you actually are. In fact, we're ALL starting to catch onto just what kind of people you really are and that's why no one else has been seeing you two, like I have. Even Ed, Sarah, because how can he still see his baby sister, instead of of some 'scary' psychopath and her equally messed-up friend, when this's how you act nowadays?"

A moment of silence lingers.

"... Sorry, dudes," Nazz sighs, "but I'm not really comfortable being near people who'd do this sort of thing for fun, instead of being forced to... Honestly, I'm starting to question if we even needed to be taken in the first place, in order for you both to decide this type of thing suits you. Just, let me take her, okay...?"

I suddenly feel someone hold my hand. Even though it's gently done, I still jerk away, just in case it's Sarah or Jimmy.

"Hey, it's okay..." I hear Nazz say, "I'm taking you away from here."

Honestly, I don't feel like being with any of you people, no matter what you say! I mean, for all I know, she's just putting on some fake, "nice hero" act, to get me to come along easily to something that's just as bad or worse! I mean, the man that came in here, a while back, didn't seem to really care about actually saving me-- even if he did protest about what these two were doing! I-I...

I...!

...

... Just, finally make it stop, please... I wanna go home or just wake up in my bed already...

I whimper and try to move away from the lady, despite not being able to actually see her, but I'm also careful not to somehow bump into Sarah or Jimmy. Crap, I feel the wall and know I'm cornered. I just cover my face with my arms, wondering what'll happen next.

Nazz orders, "Take that off of her, now."

I feel someone remove the chained collar from me, but I stay in place.

"See?" Nazz continues that gentle tone, "You're going to be okay now..." I feel her hand lightly rest on the side of my right shoulder, "Come on..."

I... I don't really have much of a choice, do I...? Well, at least she's my chance of finally getting out of here...

"Here," Nazz pulls me onto her back, "this should make things a bit easier... Hold on tight, okay?"

****

I couldn't see where she took me, but I came to realize it'd be a hospital. Before Nazz left, she told me I'd be safe now and that I needed to keep quiet about what happened. She said, Sarah and Jimmy-- or even someone else from their "organization" thing --may come after me, if it seemed like I needed to be silenced about the assassination I witnessed. Normally, Nazz is supposed to do the same with anyone who finds out about them, but she couldn't bring herself to kill me because she felt bad for me and thinks I suffered enough. Trust me, I'm not even going to literally open my mouth anymore, if it means risking those two-- or someone who's somehow worse --getting a hold of me, again.

I felt relieved, when I recognized my mother's hug, while in my hospital bed. My parents had been freaking out, ever since I suddenly wasn't home when they came back, the next day. They promised to never leave me alone again, and that they'd make sure I was taken care of and helped with my blindness. I made sure to lie that I could only remember up to the point of reaching the woods: I "don't" remember what all actually happened nor how I got to the hospital.

Eventually, I got to go back home, but I think that only increased my stress because it's my own property I got kidnapped on... Even though I'm never going outside again-- especially not at night --I'm still expecting Sarah and Jimmy to suddenly reappear, now that, "Nazz isn't looking," or something... I'm also afraid of my parents getting hurt, this time, too. Soon, I can't really leave my bed, unless I have to use the bathroom, 'cause I just wanna hide under the sheets and in my room. My parents decide to let me do what makes me comfortable, since they don't want me to face worse stress that'll do more than just blind me.

I worry this's gonna be my new life, but I dunno what else I can really do... I'll never feel safe outside of here nor be able to relax-- not even enough to possibly regain my sight, knowing those two are still out there and may decide to "invite" me to another one of their "play dates"...

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

[Epilogue]

Another day, another 24 hour period of staying within my room, and hiding away from the risk of being kidnapped and "played" with again. This truly does feel like the safest place to be, as sad as it is.

...

Well, until I realized my bedroom and bed don't make me impossible to reach, like I thought. It was probably late at night 'cause the whole house was quiet, and the fact my parents didn't seem to notice Sarah and Jimmy were in my room with me. I sure did, though, when I realized my pillow felt strange and that it was really someone's lap. At first, I thought it was my mom, since she'd often come running in whenever I had nightmares about those events. Then, I recalled something: my mouth was never covered, whenever that happened. When I wasn't sure if it was my mom, I felt the person and my hands could make out a dress's shape-- and I knew, all too well, who wore an outfit like that... Oh no... OH FUCK NO, THEY REALLY CAME BACK FOR ROUND 2!!!

I start squirming and struggling, but Sarah's got too strong a grip on me... I can't even turn my head! I can't even kick my legs, either, which feel like they're being held down... That's impossible, though, she only has two hands: I can feel them on my mouth and head. Then, Jimmy must be the other one here... I dunno what to do, so I just randomly decide to free my mouth. Maybe I could at least call for help, even though I don't know what my parents could actually do and I doubt the police could come in time...? I gotta do something! I keep struggling, expecting either of the two to break my arms or something, but they don't. Instead, Sarah... comforts me?

"Shhh, it's okay," she says, as I feel her fingertips stroke my head, "We're not going to hurt you, anymore..."

Huh, did I hear that right??? They seriously aren't gonna kidnap me, again, or something?? … Then, why are they here...?

Sarah asks, "You probably still can't see, huh?"

"It doesn't seem like it, Sarah," Jimmy answers, "it might be dark in here, but the window provides enough light and she didn't immediately react to us."

Crap, he is here, too... Wh-Why, what're they gonna do?! I-I didn't say anything, I-I...!! M-Maybe I should actually try to physically fight back, for once?! No, even with my sight, I know these guys are out of my fighting league and they've still got me outnumbered!!

"Anyway, we're here because... Nazz was right," Sarah continues, "Jimmy and I... We... We got... carried away..."

"Carried away"?! You guys made me cry, scared and caused me to feel pain! You're evil, you're just... EVIL! Leave me alone already...!!

"We're sorry, okay...?" Sarah keeps caressing my head, "It's just... Jimmy, can you help me? I don't think I can figure out the right words..."

Just leave me alone!!! I don't wanna understand your sick minds! I feel my eyes tearing up and the drops falling down my face. It's the only way I can tell I'm crying, since I can't rely on seeing the usual blurry and watery vision. I feel them being wiped away, though, most likely by Jimmy, as I still feel Sarah's hands on my head and face.

"Sarah and I..." Jimmy sighs, "... We've been through a lot, I suppose you could say: we've also been taken from our home, been made to endure hardships ourselves..." I feel him place a hand on my shoulder, "It's changed us for the obvious worse: morbidly trying to hold onto childhood joys we were robbed of, being a prime example... Each day, it seems our past innocence grows further and further away, to the point that young boy and girl might as well have died that terrible day, only to have two literal demons of Hell assume their places and spread torment above ground than below it. It also doesn't help, when you face a world where everyone else is allowed to maintain the normal, happy lives they can still choose for themselves. I suppose it just makes it all the easier to unleash your crueler side, including onto whomever is simply unlucky enough to cross your path, at an unfortunate time..."

Oh, so because they got their lives ruined, I guess, I had to have mine ruined, too...? Jerks. Well, it may be more-so "ended," depending on what all they're planning to do to me. Honestly, the only real objection I'd have to that is my parents' sorrow to lose me for good this time, but I don't care to keep living like this, either.

"I know it's asking a lot to be forgiven and that you have every right to deny us it," Jimmy continues, "But still, it's wrongful behavior that needs to stop and, in this case, have amends be attempted, at the very least. So, please allow us the smallest privilege of being able to apologize, even if it's left unanswered or shot down... As Sarah said, we're sorry."

Well... They sound... "honest" enough, I guess? I still want them to go away and never come near me again, though.

"We can't exactly promise that we can't hurt anyone ever again, though," Sarah sighs, "We're basically assassins, until the day we die-- but that's really not why we came to find you again, I can promise that, at least. The real reason we came back really is to apologize and let you know that you don't need to worry about us, anymore," I then feel her hold onto my head firmly, "And, maybe see if we could help with that blindness we caused. Nazz said that it's caused by 'psychological' reasons, instead of physical ones, so maybe we just need to help you relax a little. We don't just know points that can hurt people or worse, we also know ones that can help make people better or just FEEL better. Jimmy's going to hit some of those better spots, so don't freak out when you feel it happening, okay? I promise, that's all that's happening to you."

I wanna resist, but actually doing it won't really do much... I feel the jabbing done to my body and the gentle squeezing on my hands, while Sarah holds me tightly and still keeps my mouth covered. I feel my tension decreasing and my mind feels like it's suddenly (and literally) flooded with calmness. I don't believe it... For the first time, in a while, I'm starting to kinda relax. Yeah, there's still the fear of who's in the room with me, but my brain's finally able to stop talking about everything that happened and be quiet. Maybe it also helps that my brain acknowledges my current inability to do anything, and decided it's better to just accept any possible death here and that any stressing-out won't really make a difference.

Eventually, I feel Jimmy stop and Sarah stops "restraining" me. My eyes almost instantly shut, after she returns me to my original lying position.

"Feeling a little better...?" Sarah asks, petting my head, "I don't know how much it'll actually help, but it can probably take a little off the edge..."

It seemed more like it took a LOT off the edge, instead: after that, I only stayed awake long enough to hear some promise about, "making things right and not stopping until then." For the next few nights, I kept awaking to their self-inviting presence within my room and it usually went: promises of no further harm and other attempts to decrease my fear of the two, perhaps an additional apology or two, and a less scary session of acupuncture that'd further decrease any remaining anxiety. It's not like they just hit magic buttons that suddenly made me better, it just made it easier for my brain to finally release the endorphins and such I'd been denied for so long, I guess. Acupuncture is all about making the body respond to however you poke it.

Then, one morning, I could tell my eyes were opened-- and not because it felt that way: I saw the blurriness that often accompanies my glasses-less eyes. I quickly put them on, so I could enjoy sight in its complete clarity-- even though permanently blurry appearances would be enough for me, after how long I've gone without any semblance of vision. My parents were overjoyed: they wept and hugged me, not only pleased I could see again, but to see me so eager to leave my room and be comfortable outside it again. Well, even if it was just to literally see everything again, I wasn't gonna waste the appreciated second chance for a life that I'd almost lost forever: one I could live to the fullest of my abilities (and senses), with pleasures I'd no longer take for granted. Of course, the current chapter of my life wasn't over yet... Sarah and Jimmy would probably be back tonight, too.

When the night did come, it was dehydration that woke me up instead. I made my way to the kitchen, but kept gazing around for any sign of them. None, whatsoever. I finally returned to my bedroom and got ready to climb back into my bed; however, I find myself stopped, when I notice my window being slowly opened. I've got a feeling it's them, but it's good to be alert, in case it's a robber or something. Nope, it is them. At first, we just locked eyes 'cause they must've been surprised I could visually acknowledge them. After all, the window made no sound that'd alert someone blind and then there's the way I stood toward their direction. They each curiously hold a hand up and I wave back. I could see them smile and they both beckon me over with a hand. I wince, as it's a bit too similar to when we first met...

"It's okay," Sarah whispers loudly enough to reach my ears, "we're not going to do anything, we just don't want to wake anyone else up."

I nervously walk over, keeping my guard up. I only get close enough to be just out of reach, or what I assume is too far for them to grab me from. They probably could tell I wasn't ever gonna fully trust them, even though they acted nicer the past few nights, but they didn't seem upset by it.

"Alright, I guess that's good enough," Sarah still smiles, "So, you can see again?"

Yeah, but I don't want it to include you guys...

"... Okay, I guess that was a pretty stupid question," she continues, "What about everything else: is it easier to leave your room and relax a little?"

I answer, "... I guess so..."

"That's wonderful to hear," Jimmy replies, but then frowns, "You certainly don't deserve to be robbed of happier times and life in general..."

Sarah's now frowning with him, while they both share a guilty expression and look down.

"... Well, if you're better," Sarah sighs, "I guess that means we're done here... You probably want us to get lost anyway, right?"

Do I even need to so much as nod?

"Farewell, Claire," Jimmy wraps everything up, "You have our word that this is the final time you'll ever see us again-- and that you'll never need to fear us tormenting the innocent and 'uninvolved' ever again, as well. Try not to waste your second chance of a normal and fulfillable life, especially when very few are lucky enough to have one themselves..."

With that, they kept to their word. I never again saw them and ensured to be more careful, as to prevent a situation like that from happening to me, ever again-- especially when I'd likely be denied any third chances at that "normal and fulfillable" life. Still, it's not like I lived my life in fear 'cause, again, I'm trying to enjoy all the things I took for granted and appreciate what I can, before it all gets taken away for real.

Yet, sometimes I have to question, though not as fearfully as before nor as some form of endearment: would it really be impossible to ever see them again and could they somehow not be as evil as I assumed? Obviously, there's a reason I say, "not as," and don't just dismiss them of being so altogether; but I'm curious what they're like when they're not being cruel and sadistic, when they're showing more of that nicer and remorseful side that seemed rather genuine. Maybe they just wanted to feel better about themselves, but I can't help wondering-- especially if they could have other friends, like that "Nazz" apparently was... Maybe in another life, they could've been truly good people. Perhaps even, the type of people I wouldn't mind seeing again and maybe even befriending. Jeez, imagining my ex-captors and me as friends... I guess I really did get Stockholm Syndrome. Well, I'm not crying about them being gone, so I guess it's not too bad of a case. Still, weird people like that don't really leave your mind, even if it's not in the form of trauma to haunt it.

In fact, maybe it's subconscious paranoia, but I don't really feel like they've left my actual life, sometimes. Then again, they only did say I wouldn't "see" them ever again... It would explain the time my parents left on that business trip: no one else was in the house during those two weeks, yet I could've sworn I recalled someone tending to my sick self, after I caught a bad case of the flu, as fuzzy as the memories may seem.

[End]

****

Author's Notes:

Well, a bit more... morbid for my usual brand of "writing practices," but I do plan on writing actual horror, in the future. Plus, it's admittedly fun to imagine a darker side to the "assassin" versions of our favorite EEnE characters. I know, some of you might joke, "You call this: 'uncharacteristically cruel' of the loud brat that torments her loving brother and for a scheming little weasel like Jimmy...?" but you gotta admit, it'd feel like a stretch to imagine the two actually doing worse than the usual angry fisticuffs or sneaky screwing-over of others. Assassins or not, I don't think the two would ever actually become pure evil that walked out of Hell itself.

I also worry it seems weird and "fetish-like" to simply mention the two tickling Claire-- especially more than once, but it probably would be a realistic form of torture chosen by those who want to bastardize forms of childlike play... Plus, these two were listed as having acupuncture, of all things, as their main assassination weapon, so I'd say they're a pretty touch-heavy duo. Sometimes, it's probably easier to make a target squirm through more basic means, than racking your brain in trying to remember what each spot/point does to a target specifically. Well, hopefully it doesn't feel strange, since there's not really an in-depth description of it...

Also, I really recommend NovelAI: it's a fun way to practice writing and, oddly enough, I ironically find myself doing more writing myself with it than I do in Google Docs. I dunno what about it seems to get my creative juices flowing better: it being a paid service and thus I'm feeling inclined to do more work, the excitement of seeing how it replies after paragraphs of original text... I dunno, I just find it easier and more encouraging to write with it, than anything else. Plus, sometimes it gives me really great ideas for writing dialogue and all, whether I'm stumped and simply need a suggestion, or when I'm simply curious what it has to offer. ... At least, when it's not making things "inappropriate." Seriously, N-AI, this is not supposed to be a smut-fic, stop suggesting Sarah and Jimmy handle Claire in a more NSFW manner!!

Also, in case you forgot or didn't know: Sarah and Jimmy's assassin nickname is, "The Dollies," hence the title.

#ed edd n eddy #sarah #jimmy #assassin #au #alternate universe #out of character #oc #fanfiction #trigger warnings #first person #1st person #first person narration #nazz #mild horror #abduction

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