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enam3l · 1 year

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love, lola / chapter eight / it's happening again (4.6k)

Eddie has some news and amidst all the drama, you're starting to get a sense of deja vu...

a/n: happy ending eventually, slow burn, will they won't they, a lil angsty but never mean eddie!

this is a two parter! once you've read this, go here!

series masterlist / follow #enam3l love lola for instant updates / my other work / now available to read on AO3!

comment for tag list. requests open for prequel stories.

Anything being said is drowned out by the ringing in your ears. Piercing and shrill, as if an internal alarm was triggered by the words that left Eddie's mouth.

'I'd have to leave for California next week.'

Simultaneously your prayers had been answered and your worst nightmare had come true. Eddie was being granted a shot at his dream to become a professional musician; a chance to get the hell out of Hawkins. Yet, the cost of it was leaving you behind. A successful rockstar life beyond the containment of this small town offered more than you ever could.

Eddie paces anxiously in front of your bed where you have sat unmoving for the last five minutes. With each lap of the room a new thought intrudes. He hasn't slept since Taylor asked him to join Kraven last night.

Does she hate me? Does she think I betrayed her? Is she actually relieved I'll be gone? Is she happy she doesn't have to follow through on letting me go back to New York?

His fingers brush over anything in his reach. Over the objects he's seen nearly everyday of his life. Fragments of everything he's ever know, that now feel like they're slipping away. A jewellery stand that is weighed down by handmade beaded necklaces from your childhood and priceless heirlooms; all equally precious. A silver frame filled with an array photostrips of you with himself, some with Steve, one with you as a baby with Gran. A collection of figurines Eddie had hand painted custom for your birthday one year. One a powerful elven queen radiating a bright light, tailored to your likeness. The other a dark knight resembling Eddie, in service of the queen as he is to you in life.

'You have to go, Teddy,' you finally muster a croak. Eddie freezes in his spot and your eyes meet. Both red from resisting the tears that beg to erupt.

'Are you su-'

You refuse to even let him ask the question, shaking your head profusely. Reaching a hand out to him to come closer, he climbs onto your bed. In the centre you both sit cross legged facing the other, like two kids again sharing secrets.

'You have to,' you repeat.

He inhaled and takes your hands in his, they feel so small and cold. Like he had when you were little in the winter, he rubs his thumbs over your fingers and knuckles to warm them. Focusing on the touching of your skin so he doesn't have to see your reaction, Eddie admits his biggest concern.

'But California doesn't have you...'

No it doesn't. At this moment in your life it feels like you aren't anywhere. Floating around lost without a tether, not to New York, not to Hawkins, not to Eddie.

'But it has your future.'

The words were like a punch to gut for the both of you. An admittance that your futures don't evolve around the other. Especially not in the ways either of you want but won't admit.

'This is a once in a life time offer, Ted,' you sigh, you've got to be the grown up. 'The chance to be a rockstar? It's something you've been dreaming of since you were a kid sat in this very room.'

Sniffles can be heard from behind the wall of curls before you.

'What if it doesn't work out?' he admits, letting his self-doubt show.

Shuffling closer, you brush away his wild curls to reveal the soft face you've always adored. Thumbs stroking over the smattering of summer freckles, smoothing the tired bags under his big brown eyes. It's a face the world deserves to know.

'Then you were close and will still have done something spectacular. Regardless, I'll always be here. But you have to, for once, be selfish. Do this for yourself... what would your Mom say if you were here?'

The tears in Eddie's eyes now fall. Coaxed out by your love and faith in him, the strength of which only ever matched by his Mom. His hands sit on top of yours.

'She'd...' he pauses to chuckle, 'oh man, she'd have threatened to shave the hair whilst I was sleeping. Would make me repeat what she'd tell me everyday, that I'm everything and anything I wanna be if I believe in myself like she does... did.'

As he recounts his Mom's words, it truly dawns on Eddie what the answer is. What he must do. Just like that, the cord that has tied you and Eddie together for over a decade is severed. You're setting him free. Tears trickle down your cheeks. Now, he mirrors your previous actions. Rough thumbs stroking over your cheeks that feel like velvet to the touch. He touches your features that he knows by heart more so than any song or movie. For a while you both sit there, hands bracing the other's face. Holding on before they flitter away into memory only.

When Eddie finally leaves your bedroom it feels all too symbolic, as if he has left your life. Once you hear the front door shut, you hurl yourself into the bathroom and throw up but this time, morning sickness isn't your excuse. The sob the racks through you vibrates off every bone. As if your body is responding to this feeling of grief. It's the first you've ever felt true loneliness. A jolt hits your again but it's not a sob or a heave. It's another first. The baby kicks you.

Exactly a week later, The Hideout was buzzing with people wanting to say goodbye to one of their own. Eddie Munson was getting the hell out of Hawkins. With the help of Carl the manager, you, Steve and Dustin planned a bon voyage party. The bar crammed full with the gang, Corroded Coffin, Wayne, Gran, Hopper, Joyce and friends from the Hideout amongst the usual regulars. Everyone's pride over their friend's news combined with the free flowing booze, managed to overshadow the lingering sadness at his impending departure. With some coercion, everyone was treated to an impromptu Corroded Coffin reunion.

Up on the stage and under the lights, Eddie glowed. It was where he belonged, this was always his destiny. Despite the clear intoxication, seeing the four up there you saw how they were still the silly boys you'd grown up with. Still all goofy grins and dimpled cheeks. After a couple of Corroded Coffin classics, Eddie's fingers strummed the beginnings of a song that halted the breath of a few in the crowd. Before you all, they performed Master Of Puppets. Playing from start to finish, uninterrupted, unharmed. Behind the raucous cheers were dewy eyes from those that knew. Knew this was so nearly Eddie's final song. But he had survived and stood in all his glory, stronger than ever. A fighter. A hero. He played like he had something to prove to the universe - that he was a survivor.

After the cheers subsided, Eddie took the mic from Jeff, taking centre stage instead.

'What can I say? You've been a wonderful audience. We're going to do one final song. It's for a very special lady. Y/N, sweetheart, I wouldn't be here without you. Kept me sane since were eight, when I first heard this song.'

Everyone turns, looking at you expectantly. Those that knew you wondering where he was going with this. Those that didn't wondering what exactly was your relationship. Hell if I know, you think. With that, his fingers kick started the song and he begins to croon with a wicked grin.

'I met her in a club down in old Soho

Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like coca cola

C-O-L-A, Cola

She walked up to me and she asked me to dance

I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said Lola

L-O-L-A, Lola

La-la-la-la Lola'

As soon as the first words slide off his tongue your grin matches his. Dizzy with sentiment. Out the corner of your eye, you see Gran smirking to herself. Everyone else is clueless but eventually learn to go with it, dancing and understand there's a tale they're not privy to.

When a small and afraid Eddie had shown up in your house twelve years ago, you were stuck on what to do. Gran sent you off to make him feel comfortable as she and Eva spoke. The curly headed boy was so timid, a far cry away from the one before you now rolling his hips with his guitar. To break the crippling silence that lingers between two strangers, you brought him to your living room where the record machine lived. Fumbling through to stacks of your Gran's aged records you picked one carefully.

'I... I think this will make you laugh. It makes me laugh when I'm sad,' you admitted nervously, unsure why you felt so determined to make this strange boy smile. The needle drops at the song Eddie is playing for you now, begins to echo out the speakers. Lola by The Kinks.

Shyly you sit back on the plush rug beside the rigid boy. It's not long before the sadness begins to crack. Eddie's fingers tapping. Then, it's clear he finally listens to the lyrics and his head whips around to you. It's the first time you truly get a look at him. Oh he's so pretty, the little voice in your head gasped. His eyes are wide in shock, white rimming giant chocolate buttons.

'Why she walked like a woman but talked like a man.'

The meaning dawns on him and he laughs. The best sound you've ever heard. An expression that causes dimples to pop and his eyes to shine. It's that moment you decide to need to make this boy, this Eddie, smile and laugh for as long as you know him. By the time your Gran and Eva come and find you, you're both sprawled out on the rug. Barely any distance between you and the song still on repeat.

Now Eddie is singing it for you. It's sinful the way his tongue flicks on the 'la-la's. His voice gritty during the rest of the song. It should be enough to tip you over the edge, drive you insane but it's too good not to indulge in. You spin around, laughing, joining in with the rest of your friends. Robin dipping you and Steve twirling you round. In Eddie's over watching eyes, the celebrations of others are nothing but white noise and a blur. To him it's only you stood in the centre of the crowd, red lights illuminating your hair billowing as you sway. You're in slow motion and everything else is an irrelevant blur. Even under the boozy fog, he channels everything he has into this serenade. It's all for you, every feeling runs through his veins, out his finger tips and pours out through the amps. It's for you, he chants internally, it's always all for you.

Once Eddie exits the stage, he's winded as you hurl yourself at him, arms wrapping tightly round his neck. He's quick to respond, his own arms round your waste to swing you round and round. The song, it was too much, forcing you to break your self imposed boundaries. The two of you remain the same most of the night, joined at the hip. Eddie's inhibitions growing looser with every shot and beer that passes his lips; raw from biting them to stop himself from impulsively kissing yours. Easily, you both clear out the dance floor. Between reckless spinning and Eddie dipping you dramatically, the space had began to thin out. People retiring to booths or back home as the night wore on. It felt like you and him were the only two people in the world again.

Suddenly, the energy shifts between the two of you when the track changes. The soft tones of Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths begin to hum through the room. Eddie freezes in his movements for a moment, you look up at him confused and expectant; waiting for his next move. Then, with more tenderness than any of his previous moves, he sweeps you into a slow dance. Two of your hands clutched together whilst he brings your other to his shoulder and then settles his own on your waist. Despite his intoxicated state, he glides surprisingly effortlessly and you can't help but take him in. His face surprisingly somber, blue lights soft on his features as he looks down at you. A mixture of melancholy and sweetness thick in the air. For an unknown reason, the moment feels so familiar as if deja vu but this has never happened before. You don't remember ever dancing with Eddie like this and god knows the boy won't ever let you play The Smiths. But you manage to push the eery feeling down, resting your head on his shoulder to let the moment embrace you and forget that tomorrow he'll be gone.

From the corner of the room, the adults congregate. There, Gran watches adoringly. Her eyes threatening tears at the sight. The two kids she's raised still together and oblivious to what was always obvious to Eddie's mom - they were soulmates. Hopper follows her gaze to the embracing young adults.

'Think they'd make a nice couple one day, y'know,' he remarks offhandedly from behind his bottle of beer. A hidden smile as he thinks of himself and Joyce at that age. Maybe they'll find their way back to each other one day, he muses to himself. Gran clears her throat, straightening herself up and withdrawing from the wistful place she'd found herself in.

'Maybe... I think there might be something to that,' she smiles sadly.

Before long the bar is near deserted. The remaining members are the survivors, the ones who know too much, who've been through too much for such an age. Round a booth, you, Eddie, Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, Argyle, Dustin, Lucas, Will, Mike, El and Max gather. All of you with a shot, in the case of the kids it's a shot of cordial. Unknowing to everyone but Steve, you join them in the cordial.

Steve chimes his class to raise a toast.

'I think, I speak for everyone here when I say we're proud of you, Eddie. You did it, most people would've never left the house again, man. But you're getting the hell outta this hell hole. Let's make this the start of the end, of us all moving on. The Upside Down is gone forever and now we can finally live normal lives. Here's to Eddie and to all of us, for surviving!'

Everyone cheers in agreement and downs their shot. You quicker than the rest before anyone, especially Eddie who hovers beside you, can notice its content. But he's too far gone to have ever spotted it, which he proves as he brashly clatters his rings against a class to get everyone's attention.

'Hey! Hey, Stevie s'not the only one who can make speech!' He slurs.

'Debatable,' Max smirks earning a prod from Steve and a snicker from Robin.

'Tsch be nice to your father, Red. He s'on his own now,' Eddie scolds.

The group chuckles and Steve shakes his head, face buried into his palms.

'How much have you drank, Eddie?' Dustin gawps and his swaying idol.

'Shhh secret, Dustybuns! S'okay, sweetheart lookin after me,' he grins goofily as he wraps an arm around your shoulder affectionately but also to keep himself upright.

'Anyway! Stop int... interruptin me. You lil dinguses gotta take in my wisdom whilst 'm still here! So I just wanna say... love you guys. Even when I'm up there accepting my awards, I'll still remember you. 'Specially sweetheart here. Keepin' me alive, huh? What am I gonna do without ya?'

The group look between each other, baffled as they watch Eddie paw at your face like a cat. Steve scowls, anxious as to what this is doing for you.

'Aaand on that note, let's call it a night,' Nancy claps, ready to rally the troops.

'Steve, we going half and half on the kids?'

Steve nods half heartedly, eyes still watching you and Eddie carefully.

'Okay, now Y/N, what about you? And Eddie? Need a lift?' She asks as she divvies up the kids between them.

'Noooo, she s'comin home with me,' Eddie whines before pressing a sloppy kiss to your cheek.

Nancy and Robin raise an eyebrow.

'Are you sure?' Robin presses you. You laugh it off.

'Yes, honestly guys it's fine. We live in the same place anyway and I've not really drank anything. I can drive. It'll just take everyone out of their way!'

The answer satisfies the girls and everyone begins their goodbyes. Before they all file out the door, Steve pulls you aside. That hand of support clutching yours once again.

'You'll be okay?' He whispers, 'be careful. If anything is wrong, just call me okay? Don't just lie their being sad-'

Steve is cut off as Eddie drags you out of his touch. Flapping his hand in Steve's face to shoo him.

'Get off my lady, Harrington!' Eddie garbles, making you blush and your stomach swirl. Drunk Eddie is not good for your already aching heart. Steve sighs, giving up and waving goodbye. It's just you and Eddie now.

Instantly, Eddie is draping himself over you. His eyes focused on a strand your hair he twirls round his fingers.

'Finally!! Thought they'd never leave us alone, sweets.'

'Think it's time we got you home, huh, Teddy?' You chuckle, cheeks red at the implication.

'S'cute when you call me that...'

You just smile and nod, trying to drag him to the car. Buckling him in as if he were a child, unable to himself as he continues to fidget with any part of you he can get touch.

The journey home was surprisingly quiet. Eddie's head resting against the window, watching the dark blur of what will now become his former hometown. It's only the sound of your voice that stirs him once you pull up outside the pool house.

'Okay, here we are, Eds! Home sweet home,' you pat his knee. He looks between out the window then back at you with a big scowl on his face.

'S'not home.'

Your heart sinks. You suppose it's not home anymore, California will be. Or maybe he means the trailer?

'Urm, well where else are you going to sleep then, hey?' You try to mask your sadness.

Eddie groans. Inside he's frustrated by your cluelessness and his inability to spit out his true feelings. Why is she being so silly, he thinks, this is not his home, you are his home.

'Your room! Sleepover,' he bats his long lashes at you and paws at you pleadingly. It makes your insides jelly. It's our final night together, you sigh internally, what harm could it do?

The second your bedroom door is open, Eddie is stumbling through and flopping back onto the bed. Tight tee riding up revealing his belly button, tattooed hip and a trail of hair that is so cruelly tempting. You idiot, you scold yourself. Leaving Eddie to lie there you go and change into the pyjamas then sit at your vanity to remove your make up. You're oblivious to how Eddie has sat bolt upright to watch you, entirely enchanted at the sight of your mid-routine.

'You looked real pretty tonight,' he whispers but it's loud enough for you to catch. Your cheeks redden, helpfully disguised by the swipes of cotton wool.

'You look pretty too, Teddy,' you chuckle. He blinks, baffled.

'Really?' He almost gasps.

'Of course,' you laugh, ruffling his curls as you get up and walk past. He leans into the touch and huffs quietly when it ends all too soon. You come back and stand before him at the edge of the bed,

'You always look pretty.'

Eddie wants to swoon but stops when he notices what you're wearing. You're stood before him in a t-shirt he always wondered if you still had. One he sent you home him on that night. He can't help himself as he reaches out, fingers skimming over them hem and accidentally making contact with the exposed thigh. Goosebumps instantly prickle up his arm and across your thighs but neither of you notice the others reaction.

'You always look pretty too, Y/N. 'Specially in that shirt...' his voice is the quietest it's been all night.

'O-oh yeah, I'm sorry. You can have it back! It's just really comfortable! I've no idea where it came from bu-'

Eddie cuts your rambling off by tugging you forward, causing you to fall on top of him. Faces hovering over each other, your hair acting as a curtain, hiding the rest of the world. Both of your breathing slows. The drunken hormones raging through Eddie are screaming. Before he can stop himself, his fingers are reaching out. Calloused tip gliding down the slope of your nose, over your cupids bow, hesitating over your lips. Both of you stare at each other wide eyed, unsure as to where this is going. Quickly, Eddie catches himself. He retracts his fingers from your plush lips and brings them back to boop the tip of your nose. The absurdity breaking the tension.

'Honk!' He grins.

You can't tell if you're disappointed or relieved.

'S'not a problem sweetheart, won't make ya take it off. 'Nless you wanna,' he teases, brows wiggling.

You give him a shove as you pull yourself back onto your feet and out of the compromising position.

'Edward Munson, you are wasted.'

He looks back up at you with hazy puppy dog eyes.

'I know. Can't move. You'll have t'undress me for bedtime,' he sighs with a smirk. Raising his arms up as a hint for you to get started. You gulp. Countless time you've seen him shirtless but you've never literally undressed him. Plus, you know him too well and know you just have to go with it when he's in these kind of moods. Trying desperately not to turn beet red, you attempt the task at hand. Tugging the hem of his shirt up carefully, gradually revealing his soft stomach, then chest, then shoulders. Perfect porcelain, dotted with ink and shiny healed scars and then of course, that god forsaken trail of hair. Your eyes linger far too long, trying to memorise this moment before it disappears.

'Trousers too,' Eddie chirps. Reclining back and thrusting his hips up. It's like the universe is trying to torture you.

'Eddie...' you murmur, mortified, 'you can do them yourself.'

'Can't, sweets,' he shakes his head defiantly, 'hands not working, see!'

He dramatically attempts and fails to use his hands to undo his belt; flopping them around as if they were jello.

'Sure you're meant to be a rockstar? I think you'd make a better clown...'

He prods you with his socked toes then but his smile is beaming. Sighing you begin to unbuckle his belt. Eddie's eyes are wide, throat tight and brain malfunctioning as he watches something he'd only fantasised about. Why did I talk her into this, he yells at himself, this is dangerous. He watches as your fingers nimbly undo his button, then the zip, then you take the top of them and begin to slide the denim away. Your soft touch brushing against his hip bones, then his thighs, exposing his boxers, exposing himself. Thank fuck they don't have holes in, he thanks his earlier sober self.

Your heart is in your throat seeing Eddie there reclined on your bed in nothing but underwear. You've seen him like this before but usually in glimpses as he walks between the bathroom and bedroom. Now he's entirely on display and it's torturous. You're barely allowed to look never mind touch. Praying he's too wasted to realise how your eyes flicker too the outline of his...

'Okay!' You clap, 'it's bedtime for you, Mr! Big day tomorrow!'

Eddie groans like a petulant child, 'don't wanna!'

You scoff as you tug at the duvet for him to move so you can get under.

'Don't wanna what? Go and live it up in California? Go and be a superstar?'

With his back turned to you as he swings to get off the bed, you can't see the empty look in his eyes. The sadness that sweeps the earlier joking off his face.

'No, s'just... don't wanna leave you.'

You fix your gaze at the ceiling as you lie there, not daring to look him although he's doing the same. Looking anywhere but at you as he climbs into bed.

'Oh... well... Eds, you ha-'

Your forget what you were going to say as Eddie turns over and drapes himself over your lying frame. Arm slung over you and his face buried into your abdomen. You're frozen, praying that now isn't the moment the baby decides to move or somehow he hears it inside you.

'I only just got you back,' he mumbles into the worn fabric of your shirt.

Any potential of him hearing the baby, the baby was now drowned out by the hammering of your heart. You're unsure of what to say or do other than stroke his tangled curls soothingly.

'You'll always have me,' you whisper back. It pains you how true the sentiment is, you would always be there. Waiting for him like the moon to his earth, functionless without him, permanently in his orbit.

The warmth radiating from you envelopes Eddie. The softness of the skin on your arm that he strokes and of the warn t-shirt of his you wear. No one has brought him comfort like this since his Mom. Nothing can touch him when he's in your embrace. If being in your arms was all he ever did, it was a life well lived. But that can't happen, you aren't his.

'S'not enough...' he croaks groggily.

Having you always but just as a friend isn't enough, is what he means. But he's too scared to ever admit that fully and too heavy with booze and sleep to explain anyway.

'What do you mean?' Your heart sinks.

What's not enough? Am I not enough? I already know, it's why I have to let you leave. Yet you realise your questions will remain unanswered as soft snores begin to drift from Eddie's lips. Snuggled into you, he falls into rhythmic breathing, his hand having moved from your arm, now resting on your stomach. It's the closest you'll ever get to having him feel your bump, you realise. You stay there, eyes fluttering shut as you stroke his hair in time with his breathing. It feels natural, regardless of the heartbreak, you feel at peace with him like this.

And maybe the baby feels that, feels how truly comfortable you are. Or, maybe, it's the sensation of being enveloped by Eddie; his warmth covering your bump. But as you drift asleep, the baby wiggles and kicks under his touch as if they too feel connected to Eddie.

Sometime later, at an ungodly hour, Gran wakes up. Making her way across the landing to your room to make sure you were safe and home. A quiet gasp escapes her once she opens the door ajar. There you lie on your bed, Eddie curled round you, as if guarding the bump he's oblivious too. It looks picture perfect, like a scene that was meant to be. As if her best friend, Eva Munson, was still alive and standing beside her, Gran can hear her smug laugh.

'I told you so,' Eva would be gloating, 'I said we'll really be family one day, Ruby.'

If only it had worked out so simple, Gran thinks with a woeful smile, maybe one day.

What was that deja vu? Is there something you don't remember... read the new prequel to find out

tag list: @tlclick73 @probablyin-bed @fangirling-4-ever @booksarekindaneat @azydrateanatomy @sadbitchfangirl @fluffybunnyu @big-ope-vibes @beam86 @midnightsgetawaycar @stevieharringtonswife

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alolanroy · 3 months

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2024 Watch Thread-Part 2

part 1: https://www.tumblr.com/alolanroy/739287467975458816/watch-thread-2024-pt-1

Resident Alien S1: Decent humor and it did a pretty good job of the small town with many interlocking sub-plots vibe. I wouldn't say that it is consistently laugh-out-loud, but you really never know when it'll floor you. I do kind of wish they toned down the attempts at serious drama, because this is a fish-out-of-water alien show, how serious can I take it? 5/10

Helldivers 2 at Launch: It scratches my multiplayer itch. Maybe the trick to making a successful live-service game was to...make it fun? The balancing is just teetering enough to be a blast. I didn't even mind the horrible queueing problems, nonfunctional matchmaking and level breaking bugs once I had half an hour of actual playtime. 8/10

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger: I'll be honest, in the beginning I was worried we might drop it, but it won me over hard. And I mean maybe my second favorite sentai so far (Donbrothers will remain undefeated for all time). While simplistic, the writing manages to unfurl a web of history, personality and cultural identity. While the choice to film most of it on green screed made it look awful most of the time, the strong writing and acting pulled it through, especially in the later chapters where the reveals kept getting bigger and the characterization swings. Personal favorites are Kaguragi's backstory, which feels out of a proper prestige drama and the two-parter on earth. It saves up its budget and goes ham. 9/10

Forbidden Planet: While I find a lot of this movie repulsive for its 50's-ass gender politics, I choose to say 'wow, cool robot'. I see why Robbie is iconic and was disappointed by how little of him I got. Its tedious pacing makes me appreciate how Star Trek TOS distilled this formula into the blueprint for great TV. (Sidenote: I gotta figure out where this ancient alien megastructure vibe comes from. I feel like a lot of dwemmer related skyrim mods are repeating this without knowing it.) -4/10

Ice Station Zebra: Nice of them to start the plot in the second half after the intermission. For such a basic thriller, they seem to think this was a cinematic event with all of its intermission cards and posturing. Did they think the submarine set was worth half the runtime? I find its red-scare politics kind of pathetic and I've seen more complex thrillers air on Cartoon Network on weekdays. 3/10

Ultraman Geed the Movie: Connect! The Wishes!!: A team of scientists distilled tokusatsu summer movies into a thick paste and molded it into the shape of a tourism ad for Okinawa. The results made me cancel my plans to watch the ultraman movies and doubt if I actually like Geed. 1/10

Skyrim: Midwood Isle: Really impressive stuff here. A good variety of locations and a satisfying main quest. The reveal of a mirror map filled with locations and daedric realms really got me excited. The only downside is that some of the back and forth with the mainland got old and the LOTD patch didn't work. I'm a little surprised this doesn't get talked up more. 8/10

Dune Part II: Incredible watch. Gorgeous visuals and really strong performances all around. Great cinematography and violent sound design really made me FEEL the power (the lackluster theater speakers could barely handle it). I do feel a lot was lost in the cracks though and didn't hit as hard as the first, but boy am I glad I saw it. 8/10

The Mummy Demastered: This is a very good video game. An efficient love letter to metroidvanias (and boy I can see the metroid) with some neat ideas and that Wayforward polish. If you like these sorts of games, what are you doing here? Go play it! The paired-back scale means none of the ideas get old, and none of the backtracking is egregious. But my real favorite spin was the varied and interconnected environments that flowed so well together. 8/10

On a sidenote: this really feels like a mirror into another universe where the Dark Universe actually took off. In a way, it made me more excited for it than the actual movie. It made me wistfully muse about what might have been (committee driven slop movies)

Born to Fight (2004): This movie occupies the same part of my brain as RRR. I'll overlook almost any nationalism if resolves in an hour-long string of white-knuckle Olympic sport action. Genuinely some of the most insane stunts I've seen committed to film. My watch group was hooting and hollering! 8/10

Death Code Ninja: Sometimes Godfrey Ho's chop-shop ninja movies are an ironic good time. This is not one of those times. It couldn't hold any of our interests. -3/10

Blue Submarine No. 6: This owns. It was so continually visually interesting and the art so distinct I didn't even mind the early CG. Sure a few threads might have been underdeveloped, but I admire how much of a non-traditional ending it had. Conclusiveness doesn't have to come from nukes and resolution doesn't have to be on screen. Honestly, good on them for redirecting most of the strange sexual energy to the fish girl, though I don't know how to feel about her role in the end. 8/10

Ninja Knight: Thunder Fox: man this sucked. At least two white guys in ninja outfits killed each other with shotguns at the end. -2/10

Money Plane: Just because it could be a whole lot worse doesn't mean it couldn't have been a whole lot better. Try having your wrestlers have action sequences that let them fight good. -5/10

Chop Socky Chooks: Sometimes we put bad TV on the wheel to see what would happen. Apparently, these things are supposed to be chickens, but without any form of exposition or attempt to set the stage in the first episode, I can't really say. I don't know which is worse, the radiation of vague racism or how aggressively bad this is on 'TV you watched when you are home sick from school' standards. -2/10

Gridman Universe: It's hard to talk about gridman without going on a series of digressions about the purpose of fiction, growth and the Ultraman Fandom. Most of it I would describe as some cute fan service without much meat, and a plot that just kinda happens. But my cynicism melted away in the final act. Man, I love the passion in these designs. 7/10

Werewolf Santa: I felt nothing. 2/10

Undertale Yellow: Perhaps my standards for fangames have gotten a bit high, but I was a little disappointed. There are some good gags, don't get me wrong, but the overall energy kinda drags. I don't think it helps that the boss battles are more transparently endurance tests for the defense minigames. I never felt like I was talking them down, just that I was letting them monologue at me until they let me go. Maybe it pulls some zingers in the last half but I can't bring myself to care. 3/10

American Ultra: This might be Black Panther for stoners, but to me, it is just Max Landis's wish fulfillment. the half hour we stomached felt longer than some seasons of netflix. 3/10

Thankskilling 3: Possibly one of the biggest delights of the year. Extrapolating from Thankskilling 1, I was worried this would be the bad kind of self-aware. Instead, the watch party was floored by the tireless barrage of joyful camp. They cracked the code, just mixed up the bits enough so that another gets old and washed it over with cinematography good enough that it too becomes a joke. I'll give this the rare +/-8 for being legitimately great and entertainingly bad (intentionally)

Viking Seige: First of all I feel lied to. This poster is nonsense. There were no dragons or longboats. Instead, it is a single-set zombie 'thriller' that would have been alright under normal circumstances. Still, the overall momentum isn't really there and the quality of performances is uneven. 4/10

Los Campeones de Justicieros (1971): Luchadors, little people, mad scientists, and non-stop jazz. Especially non-stop jazz when it is least appropriate. -7/10

Spy Kids Armageddon: This isn't nostalgia for the originals speaking, this was just a legitimately inferior product. The design philosophy of making a movie with everything a kid could want but camp for the adults is absent. Netflix original tier. -4/10

Zone of the Enders Dolores, i: The first act had me nearly drop the show. The worldbuilding was sloppy and the character design and environments were totally incongruous with the sci-fi setting this was supposed to be selling. However, when it remembered it was supposed to be a space opera, the show became much more watchable. By the end I was surprised how attached I had become. 7/10. It would've been higher if the beginning wasn't so tough.

Zone of the Enders 2167 Idolo: The story that it has is good, but it sure is in a rush to have it over. What I find interesting is that in many ways this is one of the more complicated mecha designs that Sunrise animated towards the end of the cell era. It makes me a bit sad now knowing how much of a downgrade the early Digipaint sequel is from a visual standpoint. 7/10

Godzilla X Kong The New Empire: THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN! I initially recoiled at the possible return of the podcasting gang, but all returning characters benefit from a more solid group dynamic that avoids the cringe the series hadn't quite shaken. The monster madness is as camp as it comes, but I the cinematography made me feel like I was having a panic attack with all the rotating. 7/10

MacGyver: I bounced right off this. Maybe it gets better in later seasons, but the pilot and the first batch after that were cheesy in a bad way. I don't like Anderson's accent and the vibes are too cartoon-drug-psa-episode. It could barely hold my attention 4/10

Battle Beyond the Stars: Forgot to add this one. I've seen enough 7 samurai 'in space' but the cast was varied enough be counteract the dull male lead with the fun factor. 6/10

Outer Wilds: Few games out there are real originals. And I'm glad to have played as much as I did. I've given the writing major props for making this silly setting feel real and consistent. A personal highlight was landing on the sun cannon station first try without knowing what it was because of my raw uncut skill. However, I don't really feel like definitively scoring on this one since I paused playing it for about a year right before getting to the finishing sequence. I honestly had no idea how to pick things up again. It felt like I ruined it for myself and resorted to watching a playthrough of the end. I'd probably say maybe a 7-8? A few of the environments cross the bridge between exciting to traverse to dull and maze-y wandering.

Lensman (1984): Gorgeous, and occasionally kind of charming, but not enough to overcome the general malaise of the non-starter plot. The vague Heroes-Journey shaped plot doesn't bother to explain what a lensman is or what the titular lens does until the final moments. There wasn't really enough there to not make sense. It almost says something about how resistance can take many shapes, even insignificant ones, but I almost feel like it does so on accident. 5/10

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soufsidesiren · 7 months

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blog entry 5: misty rain

today was quite a full day. a full three parter. this morning i woke up around 8am. helped my grandmother get ready for her morning for the first time in a while (a task my father seldom leaves to anyone other than himself). cooked breakfast for my family and did the dishes while i played a jazz vinyl set on yt which is later exchanged for let's make a deal followed by the price is right as is typical for the 10 and 11oclock hours at home. a ton of seemingly menial tasks, but i really found such joy the routine of it all today. it reminded me of the mornings i used to spend in my apartment in los angeles, the only difference was being able to share these moments with my family.

i don't know why but i felt particularly sentimental about my drive to babysit today. maybe because its probably my last time for a while seeing my little angel with such regularity. honestly the fifty-minute drive across town has gotten me way more comfortable with driving and spending time in the car than i could have otherwise anticipated. between the phone calls catching up with friends and new playlists, albums, and djs the car has become a very comforting and intimate quasi third space for me. a misty rain glazed my windows as flew down 75 and for the first time i actually noticed the leaves beginning to change. my typical route now spotted with hues of muted red and yellows nestled between the usual expansive stretches of seemingly endless green. atlanta. my city in the forest. slowly peeks between trees and over hills finally revealing her damped silhouette above the tree line like the castle of the final boss. i have come to learn and love the winds and hills that hide her away for safekeeping.

today was a short day with the little one. i arrived around noon put him down for his nap then woke him after two. because of the rain, there was no park visit today. instead we spent the afternoon exploring the pages of a new book i found yesterday in closet. he has really been enjoying identifying the animals and colors on each page. after a bit of reading, we had lunch. it been really beautiful to watch his appetite grow and his willingness to try new foods expand under my care. while i don't think i can take credit for it, it has been nice to witness regardless. then it was time for me to go, and as if he knew i was leaving for a while my little one gave me a long embrace unlike his usual indifference to my going. today he nestled his cheek up against mine and said "bye bye.. domgameek" oh i will miss the innocent butchering of my name.

then back on the road. sounds sponsored by a friend's dj set. i love the way they put music together and this summer set still plays incredibly through this vivid fall day. i weather through traffic and don't mind to much as it gives me time to enjoy the rain and music all to myself.

then at home. my mother and grandmother hurry out the door for a concert. leaving me, my father, and brother to our own devices. my mother has left the chicken out for me to make dinner. a task that my father is surprised she has entrusted to me and that i so readily obliged. oh, the role of the eldest daughter. i feed myself and tidy my things. find a good playlist and get to the task. part three of my day has begun and honestly, i still enjoy the labor. i catch up with my father. share with him all the fun things i've found this week and that i've started a blog on tumblr. "is tumblr still a thing" he says "to me it is" i reply. "i used to have tumblr. it was good for pictures". i don't inquire about what types, but my father is an enigma that never ceases to surprise me. he eventually returns to his room leaving me to my work. i season the wings my mother has left for me and let them marinade until eventually throwing them into the air fryer. i start work on a playlist i'd been meaning to finish since i found the opening track after being inspired by all the good listening of the day. a call from a friend on the road breaks my temporary solitude. i've missed their voice and stories. their experience is a source of constant inspiration to me. grateful for the call. we catch up for what never feels like long enough. i finish with the evening an edible, a bit of yoga and now here i am writing.

this has been my most thorough entry yet, nothing particularly remarkable happened but i wanted the day to exist as richly as i experienced it. until tomorrow

#dailyblog #frontporchprojects

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uvobreakmylegs · 2 years

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Say Hello to the Night

part one of a poly!vampire! uvo x reader x nobu three parter! very very heavy inspiration from The Lost Boys for this and the other two parts. it’s a movie that i really love and i hope everyone enjoys these fics :D

Part 2 | Part 3

Warnings: fem!reader, mind control, smut, dubcon, blood, some violence, mentions of death, implied kidnapping

Word count: 10.2k

You noticed the two men shortly after you and your friends had arrived. After you had paid at the ticket table and entered the carnival grounds, it was hard for you not to spot the two of them when you looked about and noticed them standing next to a fence that marked a boundary within the event space.

They both stood out in their own ways; one because of just how tall he was, towering over everyone including his companion. The other wasn't nearly as big and bulky as his friend, but he still had a fair amount of muscle, though what stuck out to you most was his long black hair. They seemed rather intimidating, in part because they were both dressed in black clothing that seemed rather heavy for the summer season. With their manner of dress, they probably wouldn't have looked out of place at a motorcycle rally. Maybe that was why there seemed to be a fair amount of space between them and the others that were around that area as people seemed to be avoiding them.

Or maybe there was an effort to avoid them because the two of them were smoking, you realized, and you noted the many dirty looks that all of the parents around were giving them while those same parents were trying to keep their children away from the nicotine smoke. You were pretty sure you'd seen a sign at the entrance that forbade people from smoking within the premises of the carnival itself, so why the staff hadn't come up to confront the two of them on that you weren't sure. Maybe they were too scared to confront them given how tough the two of them looked.

Still following behind your two friends, eventually you needed to look away from them as you focused on where you were going. Still, you couldn't help but think that the two men seemed out of place in this setting. Maybe they'd come here with other people and were just taking a break while waiting for whoever they'd come with.

Your focus turned to your friends when one of them said that they wanted to go on a roller coaster, and any thoughts of the two men you'd caught sight of were fast to leave your mind.

One of your friends had heard about the carnival through an acquaintance of hers that happened to be working at one of the booths, and when she suggested that you and her partner head over there for an evening, you figured it'd be fun and agreed to go.

It was taking place in an area that was several towns over, which meant you needed to take a car ride that lasted over an hour while driving past more farmland than you were aware had even existed. It was refreshing when you finally got out of that car, and though it was the height of summer, the late afternoon temperatures were nice.

It was a lot more lively and loud than you had been expecting; evidently you weren't the only ones who decided to take advantage of the nice weather.

Still, it was a good way to make some fun summer memories.

The next few hours went by fast. You and your friends went on rides, ate overpriced food and tried you luck at winning some prizes in the games area. One prize in particular caught your eye: a cat plush with a ribbon around its neck, one of the prizes hanging towards the side on the stall of a rifle game. You tried three different times to win that game in order to win the cat, and failed all three times. There was a temptation to try again, which your friends encouraged you to do, but you stopped yourself. These sort of games were the kind that would eat up all of your money if you became too determined to win, one where you'd end up spending way more than the prize was actually worth.

Nobody ended up winning anything in the gaming area, and after that you all were ready to go on rides again. It was fun, even if most of the time it was a little awkward for you; your friends were in a relationship and you were the odd one out, so any of the two seater rides you went on ended up with you sitting with a stranger or being by yourself.

It was hardly anything that warranted being upset over, and you were just happy that they had included you.

The sun was going down, signaling the change from late afternoon to evening, and you were waiting for your friends while they went on another ride. The last roller coaster you'd gone on ended up causing you to have a bit of motion sickness, and since getting sick when you were this far from home was less than ideal, you opted to stay put for the time being. Not that it left you with much to do.

The cellphone reception in the area wasn't great, so there was little you could do with the phone to pass the time. Without a phone, being unable to go on any rides at the moment, and being unwilling to lose any more money trying to win cheap carnival prizes, there wasn't much to do other than people watch while you waited for your friends to get back to you.

Not surprisingly, it wasn't too exciting. Just a lot of families with stressed out parents and rowdy children, groups of friends loudly enjoying themselves and couples who held each others hands in a manner that reminded you of your own friends.

Then you spotted them for the second time.

The two men you'd seen when you first entered.

They were on the opposite side of where you were standing, walking past a row of food vendors while they looked about the crowd around them. Almost like they were people watching, too.

Evidently they hadn't been kicked out for their earlier smoking, although when you glanced at the jacket pocket of the taller one, you did see a packet of cigarettes sticking out. It seemed very likely that you'd been correct earlier that the carnival staff were too scared to kick the two of them out for breaking that rule.

The two of them stopped when the taller one paused to make a pass at a girl going the opposite way. You couldn't hear what was said, but it was clear that was what he was doing based on his body language and the way the girl blushed in response, although she quickly scurried off to rejoin her group of friends when they called for her. The taller man didn't seem too bothered by it, and he and his companion began speaking among themselves.

It was wrong to just stare at people in the way you were, but you found yourself distracted when the taller one's jacket fell open and you caught sight of his bare chest.

You'd had a good idea beforehand just based on his size and the muscle you could see even through the material of the jacket, but seeing that was a confirmation of just how muscular he was, and you had to wonder just how long he'd spent working out to get into such a shape.

His friend seemed to be in a similar shape despite his comparatively smaller size, and when you glanced over their faces, you found both to be handsome.

The idea of approaching and trying to spend some time with them crossed your mind, but you brushed that thought away. For one thing, you didn't possess the confidence to approach them, and you didn't know how you'd handle it if you went up to them only to have them reject you. And for another, you had still come out to this event with friends, and even if you were currently separated from them, it would feel wrong to just ditch them halfway through for some guys you didn't know.

You didn't realize that the dark haired one was looking back at you until he nudged his friend's arm. Only when the taller one looked over to you did you realize, making eye contact with both of them. Saying that you were caught off-guard would be an understatement, and you felt flustered when it appeared as though they were laughing to themselves.

Ah, they were making fun of you, weren't they?

Still trying to salvage the embarrassing situation, you smiled at them, trying to play it cool and hoping you didn't seem too weird by doing that.

It seemed to have worked as they both smiled at you in return.

And then the taller one began to approach you, his friend walking a little behind him.

Oh god. What the fuck were you even going to say to them? 'Sorry that you caught me checking you out'? They didn't seem mad, but they'd been laughing just now. Were they coming over to make fun of you to your face?

A voice then called out your name, and your attention turned from them and to your friend Patty who came walking up to you.

“Hey,” she said, “you feeling any better?”

“Uh, kind of,” you answered, “though I'm not sure when I want to go on another ride again.”

You glanced back over to where you'd seen the men, to see if they were still approaching.

But they weren't there, and when you glanced around the general area, you couldn't catch sight of them anywhere. Despite how nervous and uncertain you had been over that situation, you couldn't help but feel some disappointment wash over you.

Patty didn't seem to notice, as she was glancing off to where your other friend, her partner was standing a little ways away.

“So, since you're still not feeling great, do you think I could ask you for a favor?” she asked.

“Favor?”

“Yeah. I wanted to spend a bit more one-on-one time with Hollis,” she explained, “so.... Would it be too much to ask that we stay separate for a little bit longer? I wanted us to do some couple stuff but I'm worried it'll feel weird for you.”

She clearly felt bad for asking, but you understood her logic: if you weren't feeling up to rides at the moment, they might as well have some time alone to be a couple on a date.

“That's fine,” you told her, and she gave a small sigh of relief as she smiled at you.

“When do you want me to meet back up with you guys?” you asked.

“How 'bout at the fireworks show? I think they're gonna set up blankets and stuff in the field next to us so people have a place to sit and watch. So you can come find us then.”

“What time will that be?”

“I think around 10:30. After that we'll probably head back.”

“Sounds good,” you said, “and I guess if I can't find you guys during the fireworks, we can meet up at the car.”

“Okay! I'll go tell Hollis,” Patty answered, “thank you. I promise I'll buy you lunch later.”

You just smiled as she returned to her partner, and as you watched the two of them walk off, you felt a pang of loneliness hit you. A reminder that you'd been the third wheel that was now cut loose, and now you needed to find some way to entertain yourself until 10:30.

Oh well.

You began to walk in no particular direction, glancing over the areas around you as you did. As you had said, you still didn't feel up to going on any rides at the moment, and at this point going on a ride by yourself would feel strange. At least earlier when you were tagging along with your friends, you were still in a group, even if you did end up by yourself most of the time.

Pausing when you saw the line of stalls for the gaming area again, there was that part of you that wanted to try again for the cat plush. But once again, you stopped yourself. Those kinds of games existed just to take away people's money, you reminded yourself.

With your options being limited, you decided to head over to an area with a lot of tables and benches, figuring you could just sit for a while before you figured out what to do for the rest of the evening.

You didn't notice the two figures that were watching you, nor did you notice when they continued to follow you.

You sat down at an empty table, resting your chin in your hands as you allowed your thoughts to drift.

Jealousy is an ugly emotion, and not one that you would want to be consumed by. It wasn't any good to be jealous of the fact that Patty and Hollis had their thing together, and it wasn't their fault that you weren't currently in a relationship. It was nice of them to let you tag along for this trip out that could've easily been just them.

You'd get over it. And even if you did end up spending the rest of the night on your own, you'd figure out something to do with yourself.

There had to be something here for you, after all.

“Is it cool if we sit here?”

The question caught you off-guard, and when you looked up to see who had spoken, you saw the two men from earlier. They were looking down at you from the other side of the table, and after a few brief seconds of staring at them, you realized that you hadn't answered.

“Sure, if you want,” you said, a fair amount of uncertainty in your voice.

They sat down even before you had finished speaking, sitting opposite of you while you collected yourself. Was it really that crowded that people needed to sit down with strangers if they had room for it? Looking around at the other tables that didn't seem to be the case. There were at least three or four other spots that were open.

Evidently it was obvious that you were looking around at the empty tables as the larger of the two jokingly asked “is it a problem that we sat with you?”

“No, no. Uh, just confused on why you wouldn't take an empty table, I guess.”

The one who had spoken smirked as he answered with “nothing too confusing. We wanted to get to know the pretty girl who was sitting by herself.”

At hearing the compliment you felt the heat rising to your cheeks, leaving you flustered while the both of them chuckled at your reaction.

They introduced themselves; the larger one was Uvogin, and the other was Nobunaga. You followed their example by giving them your name, though you found yourself still a bit uncertain on if they were trying to spend time with you out of genuine interest or if they just wanted to make fun of you.

You certainly hoped it wasn't the latter.

“We saw you walking around on your own a little while ago. You haven't been by yourself this whole time, have you?” Nobunaga asked.

“No. I came out here with some friends,” you answered.

“Ah. You waiting for them to get here?”

“Nah, we split up for the time being.”

You didn't really notice the way they seemed to perk up when they'd heard that information, as you looked away from them when you heard a commotion coming from the nearby crowd, like someone was yelling. You weren't sure what that was about, but the time that you glanced away allowed the both of them to share a look between themselves. It was gone by the time you looked back to them.

“What about you guys? You here with friends or something?” you asked.

“Nope. Just us,” Uvogin answered.

Huh. So you were wrong about the two of them being with a group like you. But when you looked at them you really couldn't picture either of them as being the type to want to go on carnival rides. At least, not willingly.

Nobunaga must have sensed your confusion as he clarified “we didn't have much else going on tonight. Figured it'd be fun to try out.”

“Ah.”

The same reasons you and your friends had come here. Hopefully they didn't think you were judging the two of them or anything.

“So are you from around here?” Uvo asked

“No, not really. We drove for about an hour to get here.”

“An hour for this?”

You shrugged when Uvo asked that.

“My friend Patty heard about it. We thought it'd be a fun change of pace. Same as you guys.”

“Fair enough,” said Nobu, “so what are you doing when you're not spending your time alone at carnivals?”

“Work. School. That kinda thing,” you answered.

“School? What're you in school for?” he asked.

“Nn. Still figuring that out.”

Internally you found that you were bracing yourself for them to mock you. Maybe in part because you'd seen them laughing at you earlier, and also because of other responses you'd gotten when you admitted that you didn't have a clear plan for your future. A friend of your mother's had been critical when you'd said that once, and she went on a tangent about how you needed to figure out what you wanted in life and strap yourself down so you could work hard to achieve it. Which wasn't wrong, but you didn't know what you wanted, and she'd made it sound like you were stupid for not being able to figure that out.

So it was a relief when Uvogin answered with “nothing wrong with that. It can take a while for some people.”

You hadn't realized that you'd sighed in relief until Nobunaga jokingly asked “what, were you expecting him to say something else?”

“A little bit. I've gotten some surprisingly extreme responses. Mostly about how I should have my shit together by now.”

“People who say that are stupid,” Uvo said, “don't listen to them.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” you replied.

By now you had a hard time thinking that they were here to make fun of you. Which made you feel better and you felt more comfortable.

But before you could ask any more questions about them, Nobunaga asked you something.

“What made you split up from your friends?” he asked.

“They just wanted some alone time.”

“Alone time? Here?”

“Yeah. Couple stuff, y'know? Something without a third wheel trailing behind.”

“Hm. Seems kinda shitty to just leave you on your own,” Uvogin said.

“It's fine. We've spent most of the night together. A few hours on my own won't kill me,” you insisted.

“Maybe not,” he conceded, “but since you're free, how 'bout you hang out with us?”

“Um, as long as you're sure? I wouldn't want you to hang out with me just because you feel sorry for me or something.”

“It's not that. We wouldn't make the offer if we didn't actually want to,” Nobu answered.

Both really seemed to be genuine in wanting to spend some time with you, and despite their rough exteriors, they'd been nice to you.

Uvogin must've thought that your hesitation was caused by uncertainty, as he added “we'll get you back to those friends of yours before the night ends. Don't worry.”

You were intending on accepting their offer, but at hearing his words you were fully convinced that it was fine. Much better than wandering around on your own, at least.

So you happily agreed to hang out with them.

The three of you talked for a while at that table; you told them some stories that you felt were funny that they seemed to like, and while they didn't get too personal with the things they told you, they spoke a lot about places that they'd been to. Lots of stories about the late night road trips the two would take and where they'd end up as a result.

They seemed to have a pretty spontaneous lifestyle, but when you asked what they did for a living, Nobu just smirked while Uvo winked at you and told you it was a secret.

It was surprisingly cryptic but whatever.

The area around you was filling up a bit more now, as more people were looking to sit down as they took a break from the other activities. All of the tables around you were filled, and when a few people passed by the table the three of you were sitting at, the way they glanced over at you had you feeling self-conscious for taking up a space that you didn't actually need.

You weren't sure if Nobu or Uvo noticed, although you felt as though they did and just didn't care.

Still, when you suggested that the three of you head off somewhere else, neither of them objected. The table you were sitting at was quickly occupied once you left, which wasn't much of a surprise.

“You two want to go on any rides?” you asked.

“Can't. Too tall for most of them,” Uvogin said.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Don't be,” Nobu interjected, “it's not your fault he's a freak of nature.”

“Freak of nature, huh? Guess I won't be helping you out the next time you get into trouble, Nobu.”

“I'm the one who helps you out, dumbass.”

Despite the words being said, you could hear that they were joking with the way they said it. They seemed pretty close, and you wondered what exactly their history together was, or how long they'd known each other.

The three of you walked by the games area, and as you came close to the rifle game, you found yourself looking over to see if the cat plush was still there. It was, although it felt kind of stupid as to how much you wanted it now. Maybe because you'd tried and failed to get it twice and the fact that you'd failed was what made you want it more?

Evidently you hadn't been discreet as they noticed you looking.

“You see something you want?” you heard Uvo ask.

“Oh, no. It's fine,” you told him.

“So there is something?” he asked, “what is it?”

“You don't need to try and win me anything, really.”

“C'mon, tell us.”

It didn't seem like Uvo was going to let this go, and you conceded as you pointed out the cat plush you'd tried to win earlier.

“The cat, huh?”

“But you don't need to try to get it for me,” you insisted, “they make these games hard to win on purpose, and I don't want you to waste a bunch of money on that sort of thing.”

You weren't quite sure if they'd heard you; after you pointed it out, Uvogin grinned as he leaned down to whisper something to Nobu. The black-haired man smirked after his companion finished speaking, and then he also whispered something.

It seemed that the two had come to an agreement, though over what exactly, you weren't sure.

“Everything okay?” you asked.

“Yeah,” Uvo answered. Then he stepped towards that particular stall, saying “I'll get that for you.”

“You really don't have to-” you began.

“I want to,” he said, cutting you off.

“I wouldn't bother trying with him,” Nobu said to you, “once he makes up his mind about something, it's impossible to talk him out of it.”

“It's really not that big of a deal, though,” you said while you watched Uvo slide a bill over the counter of the stall. The tired-looking employee of the stall accepted the money and then handed Uvogin a cheap plastic rifle that looked especially small when in his hands.

He looked back at you to smile at you once again, and while you were flattered, you wondered why it meant so much to him to win a stuffed toy for you.

He held the rifle up as he aimed it-

And then a sharp crack sounded through the air.

When Uvo brought the plastic rifle back down, there were several very clear lines in the plastic. Evidently Uvo had been holding it with too much force and had managed to break the cheap material.

“Are you serious?”

The voice of the employee who'd handed him the thing rang out as they went over to him, snatching the rifle out of his hands as they looked over the damage. Suddenly they didn't look so tired. They looked pretty angry, in fact.

“How the hell did you manage to do this?”

“Material that cheap breaks easy. Calm down,” Uvo told them.

“Don't tell me to calm down. We don't have a lot of these as it is, and now we have one less because you managed to break it!”

Uvo looked to be getting annoyed the longer the employee went off on him, and the commotion was attracting attention from the people around you.

Guilt that had been building was now eating at you, and since you felt that you were the one who caused Uvo to try the game, you felt that you should try to diffuse the situation. But when you made a move to step forward, you were stopped.

Nobu put an arm in front of you, motioning for you to stay where you were. He didn't seem annoyed or angry. He actually seemed like he was pretty amused by the situation, and he winked at you before he also approached the stall.

With everyone's attention being on Uvo and the employee, no one noticed when Nobu reached up and grabbed the cat plush from where it hung at the side of the stall.

Then he was back by your side, pulling you away from the scene and leaving you little time to process what was happening.

He stopped when he found an isolated corner in the carnival area, and when he turned back to you, Nobu presented you with the stuffed cat.

“Here you go.”

“.... I'm.... Not sure you should've done that?” you stuttered out, though you still took the cat from him.

“Why not? It's not like that guy doesn't have a bunch of other prizes hanging from their stall,” he said, “they're not gonna take a hit just because they lost one.”

You supposed that was true, particularly with how many people likely spent their money on that game and got nothing for their efforts; that person losing just one of their prizes wouldn't be that big of a deal.

“We left Uvogin, though,” you then said.

“Don't worry; he'll find us.”

As if on cue, you noticed movement from the side, and you looked over to see Uvo walking towards the two of you. He frowned when he saw the plush you now held in your arms.

“Speak of the devil,” Nobu said, laughing a little.

Uvogin huffed.

“That guy noticed that thing was gone when I was heading off,” he said, “so we should probably avoid going back over there unless we want security to kick us out.”

“Did you punch them?” Nobu asked him.

“I was getting close to it,” Uvogin answered. He was definitely irritated, and he sighed as he said to Nobunaga “I guess you won that bet.”

“Guess so,” Nobu said.

“Bet?” you asked.

“Don't worry about it.”

You weren't quite sure what that was about, but you decided to ignore it, feeling the need to say something to Uvogin.

“I'm sorry you got yelled at,” you told him.

“Not your fault,” he said, “that stuff breaks sometimes. Someone like them should know that.”

“Yeah, but I'm still sorry that happened.”

“Not a big deal,” Uvo answered. Then he put his hand to his chest in a dramatic manner, saying “just appreciate the sacrifice I made in getting yelled at so Nobu could get that for you.”

You laughed, answering with “all right. I'll make sure I treasure this always.”

Uvogin laughed at that, and you felt more at ease when his good mood returned. Nobunaga seemed happy as well. Even if he was more than willing to tease Uvogin when he got the chance, he didn't want Uvo to stay upset over something so small.

You stayed with them for a long while, the three of you going around to different parts of the carnival while you talked. Uvogin lit up a cigarette a few times, sharing them with Nobu as well as you. Trying to decline them was harder than it seemed, as Uvo would playfully insist that you take one. Nobu wasn't much better than him as he would encourage you to try it, and you would end up conceding, much to their amusement. Even though nothing had happened yet, you still found yourself worrying over getting kicked out by the staff for that, although considering the things the other two had done by this point, maybe smoking in the carnival space was one of the lesser things for you to get in trouble for.

At one point you offered to buy the both of them something to eat as a way of thanking them for all that they'd done for you, but they both declined, citing that they weren't hungry. You found that to be kind of a shame, because you weren't sure what else there was that you could do for them.

But hanging out with the both of them was fun, and you were feeling grateful that Patty had asked you for time alone with her partner. If it hadn't been for that, you probably wouldn't be with Nobu and Uvo right now, even if initially it had been a bit depressing for you.

The sky was dark now, and the area was lit up by the bright electric lights of the carnival. You noticed when you saw people heading towards a more open area, and then you remembered what Patty had said about the fireworks display. Pulling out your phone, you saw that it was about a quarter after 10. So people were already heading out to secure a spot for the viewing.

Your friends had wanted you to join them for that. But you weren't sure if you wanted to leave the company of the two men you were currently with. Maybe your friends would be okay if the two of them joined you? You didn't see how that would hurt; there was nothing that you could think of that would cause the four of them to not get along.

You were about to propose that the three of you search for the two friends you'd come here with when Nobu leaned in to whisper in your ear.

“Come with us. We wanna show you something.”

“Show me what?”

Nobunaga didn't answer your question. He just smiled as he reached down to grab your wrist before he pulled you along behind him, leading you as he followed Uvo out to.... The parking lot, as it turned out.

“Are we leaving?” you asked.

“Don't worry; we'll be back before too long,” Nobu answered, “just wanna show you something first.”

“Okay, but what do you want to show me?”

“He's not telling you because we want it to be a surprise, sweetheart,” Uvogin then said.

“What kind of surprise?”

“You shouldn't ask so many questions,” Uvo said, “sometimes you should just go with it.”

“I'm not sure if that's a good piece of advice to follow,” you said.

“And yet you're still following us,” Nobu said teasingly.

“You're the one dragging me along with you. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to,” was your response.

“Well, you're not wrong about that.”

Somehow, those words he'd spoken didn't seem quite as teasing. He actually sounded a bit more serious. Did he actually sound that way, or was it just that all of the noise of the people that still surrounded you three that made his words seem a bit more sinister?

You told yourself that it was the latter. But now that the thought had entered your head, you were questioning what exactly you were doing.

Some part of you knew that this wasn't a very wise idea. To run off with a couple of men you'd only just met without even letting your friends know where you were going. Even if you felt that they were nice and you liked them, on some level you knew that this was actually really dangerous. If you wanted to do the bare minimum to stay safe, then at the very least you needed to insist that you be allowed to send a message to one of your other friends first.

You stopped in the middle of the parking lot, and you opened your mouth to ask that they give you at least a minute to do that much-

Nobunaga looked back at you after you stopped and spoke in a low tone.

“It'll be fine,” he told you, “so just come along quietly, okay? You don't have anything to worry about.”

… Oh.

Upon hearing his words, you felt like he was right, and all of those thoughts and worries were wiped from your mind. He was right, and you didn't have anything to worry about. You liked the two of them, and they definitely liked you back, so the idea that they'd do something bad to you was stupid. You were safe with them.

You began walking again when Nobunaga tugged on your wrist for you to follow, and he returned the smile you gave him as you were led by him once again. You vaguely noted the way Uvogin was smirking to himself up ahead, but any thought of being worried by that particular image was also pushed out of your head by the prevailing thought that had been put in place:

You were safe with them.

It took a while since they had parked towards the end of the field that served as an extension for the lot, but eventually you were brought to a large and rather dented pickup truck. Nobu let go of you at that point, pulling the keys to the truck out of his jacket pocket as he headed towards the driver's side. You lingered for a bit, not sure where exactly you were supposed to sit. The truck itself only seemed to have two seats, obviously not enough for the three of you unless they planned to have you sit on Uvo's lap for the trip.

Your gaze went over to the bed of the truck, and though it was too tall for you to be able to see into it, another thought struck you: They weren't planning on having someone sit in the bed of the truck while Nobu drove, did they?

Uvogin grabbed you, causing you to yelp as he lifted you up and placed you in the back of the truck. The truck shifted as he hopped into the back as well, sitting down and leaning against the truck's rear panel. Through the glass behind him, you could see Nobu in the driver's seat as he started up the engine.

“This seems dangerous,” you said as he reached for you again.

“Hm? It'll be fine,” he told you, pulling you back so you were sitting next to him. Uvo tapped his knuckles against the glass of the window, and at the sound of that, Nobu began to back the truck out. You looked back up to Uvogin when you heard him speaking to you.

“If something does go wrong, I'll keep you safe,” he told you, “so don't worry about anything.”

And just like earlier with Nobunaga, you found that the worries that had been brewing in your mind were suddenly gone, replaced by the assurance of Uvogin that everything would be fine.

Uvo kept his arm around you as Nobunaga drove out of the lot, his hand staying possessively on your hip and occasionally gripping you a bit tighter whenever the truck hit a bump in the road that bounced you around a bit more than he liked.

The lights of the carnival were getting smaller as you drove away, getting more distant with every passing second. You found that you were clutching the cat tightly to your chest as you watched the lights get smaller and smaller, and a pit began to form in your stomach as you got the sense that you were doing something really really stupid and you needed to get back right now. You were driving off in the night with two men who you only just met without even letting your friends know where you were. If you had at least half a brain cell you'd call to let them know where you were going and who you were with. Not doing even that was just so-

Maybe it was just another bump in the road, but you suddenly found yourself thrown against Uvogin, your face landing against his chest. It was awkward, and made even more so when he didn't let you pull away. The arm that he had wrapped around you kept you pressed up against him, and he smirked when he saw you becoming visibly flustered.

“See? I told you I'd keep you safe,” Uvo said.

Once glance back up at him and those worries were gone again.

This is okay, you told yourself. This is okay.

Nobu drove the truck straight for a time, then turned onto a road that was slightly less bumpy than the one you'd been traveling on previously. Although there were now more trees in the way, you could still see the lights of the carnival. You still had no clue what the two of them were planning, but with both of them reassuring you, you decided that you would only get scared if they took you so far away that you could no longer see the lights.

That would be a reasonable time to demand answers.

The truck continued on its route, taking a few more turns until it went off road completely and then stopped at the top of a grassy hill. From where you were sitting, you could see the carnival even from this distance, the neon lights bright enough that they illuminated all of the surrounding area.

You heard the driver's side door open and then slam shut, and soon after Nobu joined the two of you in the truck bed, jumping over the side and sitting next to you. They were looking in the direction of the carnival as well, as though they were waiting for something. You were about to ask why exactly they'd brought you up here when you heard a sound shooting through the air.

You looked back just in time to see as a firework went off in the area above the carnival, spreading outwards as it illuminated the night sky. It faded away fast, but others were soon shot up, flying up into the sky with a shriek before they expanded and decorated the sky in different colors.

It was pretty, and the three of you watched quietly from that spot on the hill. Uvogin had lit up a cigarette at one point, inhaling a few times before he passed it over to Nobu. The black haired man also took a few hits, and then he held it with the intention of giving it to you. Knowing that trying to reject it would be a losing battle, you took it, also putting it to your lips and taking a few puffs, but you didn't hold it for too long as you were quick to hand it back over to Uvo.

Fireworks that lit up the darkened sky, the heavy smell of smoke that surrounded you, and the pleasant air of the night had you feeling content. This was nice.

Nobu seemed to sense the thought that you had, as he then said “and you were freaking out when we were bringing you up here.”

“I wasn't freaking out,” you replied defensively.

“Gettin' close to it.”

“Okay. But you could've told me this was what you wanted.”

“Why spoil the surprise?” Uvo interjected, lighting up another match.

“Besides,” he added, “you seem happy. That should be enough for you to forgive us.”

Nobunaga was nodding along in agreement.

You sighed, quietly conceding. You got the sense that if you continued to argue on that point, you'd probably just be going around in circles as neither seemed to be the type to want to admit wrongdoing.

And they did have a point: you were enjoying yourself. So you could forgive them even if the way they'd taken you away from the relative safety of the carnival had worried you at first. And the thought that had interjected itself into your head on the way over came back:

This is okay.

You weren't quite sure at what point they'd placed their hands on you. But in the middle of the fireworks show, you noted how Uvogin had his arm around you again, his hand on your hip while Nobu's hand somehow ended up resting on your thigh, his fingers rubbing soft circles against your skin. They sensed when you realized where their hands had wandered, and you could hear the smirk on Nobu's lips when you tensed slightly while Uvo took another drag from his cigarette.

Were they really going to-?

Uvogin flicked away the butt of the cigarette, distracting you as you saw it fly away into the grass. A question of if that was okay for him to do died in your throat when a hand grabbed you by the chin and suddenly Nobu's lips were on yours, muffling the sound of your surprise when you realized that he was kissing you. Uvo chuckled at you, and he grabbed the cat plush that you were still holding out of your grasp and tossed it to the other end of the bed. The reason for why became apparent when his hands were suddenly on you, slipping beneath the fabric of your shirt and feeling you up, pulling down your bra so he could tweak and tug at your nipples.

You squealed into the kiss, and Nobu took advantage of that by slipping his tongue into your mouth. His tongue danced with your own as you felt one of his hands slipping downwards to palm at your clothed cunt.

There was some conflict within you when they began. The thought of taking the both of them made you nervous, for one thing. And you really hadn't been expecting this when they brought you up here. Though maybe you should've. They'd seemed interested in you since early on. It was honestly a little worrying that this hadn't crossed your mind when they first dumped you into the bed of the truck.

But maybe this wasn't really a bad thing. You liked them and found both of them to be attractive. Maybe this was just a good chance for some no-strings-attached fun. Even if this was the only thing they'd been after from the start and they didn't want anything to do with you once the deed was done, that was okay. There didn't need to be any deeper emotions.

Just a nice summer memory that you would share with two handsome men.

With that thought in mind, one of your hands went to grasp at Nobunaga's jacket in an effort to pull him closer, while the other held Uvo's hand through your shirt.

Both were pleased by that reaction.

Nobunaga pulled away, and the noises Uvo was causing you to make by toying with your breasts were no longer muffled, making both of them chuckle.

They paused only so they could move you, lifting you up and placing you on Uvogin's lap. It surprised you when you felt his erection through the material of his pants. He was this hard already?

There was little time to think about that as Nobunaga lifted your shirt over your head and tossed it aside, your bra soon following after. Uvogin's assault on your breasts went on unimpeded now, and Nobu leaned his face in close to your neck while his hand returned to stroke your folds through the fabric of your shorts.

“Aren't you glad we went somewhere private for this?” Nobu whispered to you, “or would you have rather we stayed in that lot with all those people?”

“You could've just told me,” you breathed. You couldn't help the yelp you let out when Nobu dug the heel of his palm into your cunt.

Nobunaga pressed his face against your neck, lightly sucking on your skin.

“Hey.”

Uvo spoke up then, seemingly at Nobunaga. He sounded annoyed.

“Relax,” Nobu replied, “I haven't forgotten.”

A question of what they were talking about was forgotten when Nobu reached to pull your shorts and underwear down and off of your legs. Now that you were completely exposed, Uvo's hands hooked themselves under your knees and he spread open your legs. You were soaking by now, and you couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the way Nobu looked at the dripping folds of your pussy.

He reached down to slip a finger into you, and when that was met with little resistance, he slipped in a second, taking his time to make sure he loosened you up. A breathless sigh left your lips while your hands went to grasp at Uvo's arms, trying to get a good grip on the material of his jacket.

Fingers in your hair were then tugging your head to the side, and once he'd maneuvered your face to where he wanted it, Uvogin's lips were on yours. His scent, the smell of the nicotine that still surrounded him and how desperately he locked lips with you.... It was overwhelming.

You were barely able to note when the fireworks show ended; Nobu had three fingers stuffed into you and Uvo had released your lips so he could dip his head down to mouth at your neck. The attention from the two men was enough to make you oblivious to the majority of your surroundings, and all you cared about in that moment were the two of them.

A whimper escaped your throat when Nobu removed his fingers. Seeing him undoing his belt buckle and pants zipper had you biting your lip, and you found yourself shaking from the anticipation. Uvogin's hand went down to play with your clit, making you jolt.

“You ready?” Uvo whispered in your ear.

“Mm.”

Nobu pulled his cock out as he pushed his pants down to his thighs and guided his length to your cunt. Uvogin assisted by spreading open your folds with two of his fingers.

You let out a shuddery breath when you felt his tip between your wet lips. Nobunaga stayed there a moment then leaned back down to kiss you again.

Uvogin was proving to be the rougher of the two, while Nobu had been treating you a bit more gently. But even with his treatment of you, this felt surprisingly tender.

Earlier you'd been telling yourself that it'd be fine if they didn't care about you after and just dumped you somewhere, but after that, part of you found yourself hoping that wouldn't be the case.

Placing his hands on your thighs, Nobu pushed in. He stayed still for a moment after he had pushed his length in most of the way, allowing you to adjust. When he saw you let out the breath that you'd been holding and felt your walls relaxing around him, he began thrusting at a slow pace.

The gasps that came from your mouth were consistent, and whenever Nobu hit you in just the right spot, your back would arch. Uvo made sure to take advantage of that, leaning in to mouth at your neck while his hands stayed on your breasts and clit. His touch had gotten rougher, likely because he was still hard as a rock and he hadn't yet done anything about that.

Because of both of their attention, it wasn't long before you felt yourself coming close. Your gasps began to sound a bit more needy while your hands grabbed at them a bit more desperately. They picked up on it and responded accordingly: Uvogin rubbing at your sensitive areas with his rough hands while Nobunaga shifted so he could fuck you at a different angle.

Within moments you had cum, and you were left a gasping mess as their treatment of you didn't stop, both of them determined to prolong it for as long as possible.

They gave you a break when you fell back against Uvo's chest, breathing hard as you noted how hot you felt. Likely in part because of the humid summer air. Both men were speaking, seemingly about how good you did. At the moment you weren't aware of much besides of the fact that Nobu was still in you, and he hadn't cum yet. He was looking down at where the two of you were connected, a small flush on his face.

“You just gonna sit there or is it my turn yet?” Uvo asked him.

“I'm going,” Nobu answered with some irritation, “don't rush me.”

With that he began thrusting into you again, making you whimper and shake in Uvo's hold.

Uvogin's erection was still pressing against your back through his pants. Feeling a bit braver now, you slipped a hand behind your back in an attempt to stroke him.

Your fingers barely brushed against him when he grasped your wrist, holding it tightly as he pushed your arm up against your back.

“Don't tease me,” Uvogin whispered in your ear.

Despite how this position was slightly uncomfortable, you still shuddered at the sound of his voice in your ear, and when Nobu happened to drag his dick against your walls at that moment, a shuddering moan escaped your lips.

At the sound of that, Uvo's face was in your neck again, and you felt his tongue run up and down the side of your throat.

And then he bit you.

No soft love bite, no playful nip of the skin, but one with strength behind it; a bite where he was using his teeth with the intent to cause damage.

What followed the bite was pain that erupted in the side of your neck, and then something liquid dripping from your neck down your body.

That would've been blood. There wasn't anything else it could be.

The bliss you'd been feeling only moments earlier was gone as you were confronted with the fact that Uvogin was intentionally trying to hurt you.

It had to be intentional. He would've known that he'd done that. Known that he'd bitten down so hard that you were bleeding. There was no way he couldn't have known.

You lifted up your free hand to try and get him off of you.

And if anything, he bit down harder.

…. It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

He was biting you.

How were his teeth that sharp?

Why was Uvogin biting you?

Your eyes quickly filled with tears as the man behind you held you to him while keeping his mouth on your neck. Nobu paused in his thrusting, looking at the scene in front of him.

Words couldn't leave your mouth, but you gave him a pleading look as you reached out to grab one of his arms, desperately trying to communicate that you needed him to help you.

He looked at you, then back to Uvo.

“You seriously couldn't wait until after I finished?”

Nobunaga was speaking to Uvogin, and the only look you could see on his face was annoyance, not of horror upon seeing his friend literally taking a bite out of you.

Uvogin removed his teeth from your neck, but he didn't pull away very far when he answered.

“The agreement was that you got to go first. You didn't say anything about needing to wait until you were done.”

“Besides,” Uvo continued, lapping up more blood that came from the wound on your neck, “you really think I could keep patient after hearing all of the noises she's been making?”

Nobunaga scoffed, but as he watched as the blood ran down your chest, he asked Uvo in a low voice “how's she taste?”

“Incredible.”

Uvo ran his fingers through the line of blood that was running down your body, pulling them away when they were coated in it. He lifted his hand up as he offered his blood-soaked fingers to Nobunaga.

The black-haired man leaned in to run his tongue over Uvo's fingers, and he groaned when he got a taste as well.

You noticed his teeth then.

His canines were unusually sharp and pointed at the ends. It hadn't been that way before, you were certain of it. You would've noticed something like that.

You were petrified as Nobu licked Uvogin's fingers clean, disturbed in the way the men were clearly obsessed with the taste of your blood. Why did you run off with them? How were you that stupid?

“We chose pretty good with this one, huh?” Uvogin said before putting his mouth back on your neck.

Nobunaga smirked, then began to languidly thrust into you again, making you gasp every time his flesh met yours. The pain that came from the bite and the fear you now felt because of the two men was overpowering, but your orgasm had left you feeling sensitive, so when Nobu began again, you still felt some pleasure when his cock dragged along your walls.

It was confusing and thoroughly terrifying.

Trying to force Uvogin's head away from you resulted in nothing; even if you were at full strength you doubted you'd be able to push him away. As it was, you felt your strength rapidly declining as the man literally drank the blood that came from the wound in your neck.

“You're not gonna get him off of you,” Nobu then said, “so try to conserve your energy. He's going to want you to still be conscious when he has his turn.”

“Wh-why?”

It was the first thing you were able to say since Uvogin had bitten you, and even that one word felt like it had taken a lot of effort to get out.

Nobunaga let out a short chuckle as he repeated “why? Why what?”

“Why.... Why is this happening?”

“Well, you went and hung out with vampires, for one.”

….. Vampires?

…. No. Those weren't real. They didn't exist. And just because these two men who were clearly sick in the head were happy to drink human blood, it didn't make them like the undead monsters that populated movie screens.

But your mind went to other issues when Nobu began to thrust into you faster, gritting his teeth while his grip on you tightened, clearly getting close. It got to the point that it hurt, but trying to wrench your legs out of his hands was useless. And he either wasn't aware of your discomfort or didn't care.

With your legs still being held tight, your arm still in the powerful grip of Uvo and your head limited in the movements you could do because of the teeth in your neck, all of your struggles were useless. Just as Nobu had said.

Nobunaga thrust once then twice more, and then he pushed his weight into you when he came, and he groaned as you felt a warmth flooding your walls.

Eventually his grip loosened a bit, and though he didn't pull out, he was no longer leaning into you. Just keeping his softened dick in your cunt.

The buzzing of a phone suddenly sounded, and when you looked to see where it was coming from, you saw the screen of your cellphone lighting up beneath the pile of your clothing.

It was too far away for you to grab, but before you could make any attempt to even try, you were distracted by Nobunaga pulling out of you, and a mixture of his release and your own dripped from your folds as he moved away from where you and Uvogin sat. Moving your clothing aside, he picked up the phone, and you were able to see the name of the person who was calling you:

Hollis.

Seeing that your friends were trying to find out what had happened to you wasn't much comfort: even if some miracle happened and you were able to simultaneously escape Uvogin's grip, take the phone away from Nobunaga and manage to pick up Hollis' call, there would be nothing that they could do for you. At most you'd only be able to scream for them to help you before one of the two took the phone away.

So you anticipated Nobu doing something like declining the call and throwing the phone away.

What you didn't expect was for him to take the phone in both hands and snap it in half.

Nobu threw the pieces into the field, then turned back as he spoke to Uvogin.

“Guess her friends are finally bothering to look for her. Think we've got time?”

“We've got time. They don't have any clue where she is. They don't even know who she's with,” Uvogin answered, “we're far enough away from the carnival that even if the police do show up quick, it'll take a while for them to find this spot. We've got plenty of time.”

Nobu scoffed.

“You just don't wanna go home 'til you've had your turn with her,” he said.

“So? My point still stands. We've got plenty of time.”

Uvogin slipped a hand down the front of your body, lingering in the trail of the blood that still flowed down from your neck so that by the time his fingers made it down to your cunt, they were covered in your blood again. He pushed those digits in, forcing back in some of the release that had spilled out.

Tears were flowing by now, though you couldn't make too much noise on account of the state your throat was in.

Yet you still managed to find your voice.

“Please,” you whispered, “please don't kill me.”

Uvogin chuckled in your ear.

“Don't kill you?” he repeated.

The way he said it had you thinking that they really were planning on killing you after they finished fucking you, and that this field would be the place that they'd dump your body when they were all done. That thought had you wanting to break down, but you made an effort to keep it together, to try and find the right words that would have them spare your life.

“I don't want to die,” you tried again, “please.”

You sounded pathetic. Maybe that would only reinforce their decision to take your life.

“Then you're in luck,” Nobunaga answered as he moved back over to you, “we're not planning on killing you.”

“We like you a lot, so we're gonna keep you,” Uvogin added as he began thrusting his fingers in and out of you. There likely wasn't much need to stretch you out, so he was likely doing it just to see what reactions you would make.

That didn't sound much better, and you were ready to plead with them some more, try to convince you to let you go when Uvo removed his fingers and shoved you forward. Your face ended up against Nobunaga's chest, and had he not caught you, you definitely would've ended up sprawled on the bed of the truck next to him.

Nobunaga lifted you up slightly while you heard Uvo undoing the buckle of his belt, and the black-haired man leaned in to press his lips to the side of your neck that Uvogin hadn't bloodied.

He bit into your skin as well, though when he did it, you didn't feel quite as much pain. Although that could've been because of the amount of blood you'd lost by now and your senses having dulled because of it.

But you still felt it when your leg was lifted and the tip of Uvogin's cock was rubbed against your dripping entrance.

The urge to get away had you trying to pull out of their grips once again, but if anything the attempt was even more weak the second time. The two loosened their hold on you for the sake of readjusting you to a position more comfortable for Uvogin, and even then you couldn't break free.

When Uvogin pushed into you it immediately felt like too much, and the tears started up again when he began to thrust. There was no attempt at being gentle; he was just going as hard as possible and clearly thinking only of his own pleasure.

The truck creaked every time Uvo moved. Vulgar words would spill from his lips every time he pounded into you while Nobu would coo at you as he wiped away your tears. And the both of them would periodically bite into different parts of your flesh, lapping up your blood while marking you up as much as possible.

Too much. It was all too much.

You felt yourself slipping, despite your attempts to keep your eyes open. The amount of blood you'd lost was too great, and the way they used you didn't help.

The last thing you remembered before you were granted the mercy of unconsciousness was the feeling of teeth in your neck.

#reader insert #uvogin x reader #nobunaga x reader #yandere hunter x hunter #yandere x reader #yandere uvogin #yandere nobunaga #hxh uvogin #uvo x reader #Uvogin #Nobunaga Hazama #yandere hxh #vampire au

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klbwriting · 3 years

Text

Heat Waves

Fandom: Six of Crows

Pairing: Kaz/female!Reader

Summary: based on the song ‘Heat Waves’ by Glass Animals, this is angsty about Kaz having a girlfriend in modern day Ketterdam, he can’t bring himself to tell her why he can’t touch her, why he can’t go out all the time to clubs with her, so instead he lies to her and they end things, but maybe he can get help

Note: this is going to be a 3-parter I think, this, then the next one will be a year in the future told from the Reader’s perspective, and then a 3rd part after that

Road shimmer Wiggling the vision Heat heat waves I'm swimming in a mirror

It was the hottest summer in Ketterdam history. At least, that's what Kaz Brekker assumed as he limped down the street towards the Slat. He heard the music from the nearby clubs loud and clear, wondering if she would be waiting when he got back. Probably, but she would be upset that he wasn't able to take her out that night. He tried, he really did, he wanted to take her out, let her have fun dancing, doing karaoke, just being with their friends on the town, but when it was hot it was harder for him to fight his issues and he didn't want her to see them. He tried his best to hide his true self from her, instead making excuses about work or being tired, watching her get more and more disappointed with him. He finally turned the corner and saw her waiting outside, hair pinned back, smiling as Jesper and Wylan headed out to visit somewhere, and when they weren't looking her smile fell and she looked around again. She smiled softly when she saw him coming, waving a little. "Hey, you're late, busy day?" she asked as he came up. She noticed his gloves and frowned. "Aren't you hot? Its boiling out." She reached for him and he flinched back. He saw the hurt in her face but she covered it quickly, pushing a smile out. He nodded slowly. "We staying in tonight then?"

Sometimes, all I think about is you Late nights in the middle of June Heat waves been faking me out Can't make you happier now

Kaz looked up and down the street, thinking long and hard if he could push past this, make himself better for tonight. Internally he felt like he was pulled too tight, keeping these secrets from her, trying to present himself as the perfect guy for her, the person she deserved. He'd been doing it for over a year now and he knew the last strand was finally pulling too tight. It was going to snap at any moment but all he could think about was how much this would hurt her, how much it would hurt him. If only he trusted himself to be honest with her, to really tell her about why he wore the gloves, why he couldn't always be close to her. "Ya, I think I'm staying behind, you can go out though, have fun," he said, trying to give her an out. She looked down the street and then back at him, shaking her head.

"I'm going to stay with you, you're the only one I want to be with," she said. She offered him her hand and he forced himself to take it, shaking a little. She frowned, concerned etched in her face. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Maybe I'm just coming down with something," he said. He pulled his hand back slowly and started up the stairs to his room. She followed him, stopping by her room for a moment to get a blanket. "You can't stay with me tonight." She stopped in her doorway and he looked down, trying to hide the guilt. "Why not?" she asked. He knew she had been getting suspicious of something, probably thought he was seeing someone else, Nina or Inej or Imogen, any of the other girls that stayed at the Slat with them. "If I'm sick I don't want you to get sick," he said. He continued up towards his room and she followed. He felt her seething a little bit. This was not the first time something like this had happened and he knew it was only a matter of time before she got tired of his excuses.

You can't fight it You can't breathe You say something so loving but Now I've got to let you go You'll be better off in someone new I don't wanna be alone You know it hurts me too

He sat on his bed and she sat at his desk, watching him. He knew what was coming and this time, instead of fighting for her to stay he was going to let her go. "Kaz, please just tell me what's going on," she said. He looked at the ground, mustering up anything, any excuse. "Its someone else isn't it?" He looked up at her, his face guilty. He knew he would never love someone else but he had to pretend, she deserved better than all this. He pulled out his phone, looking at it before putting it aside. She seemed to take this as almost confirmation.

"I didn't want things to turn out this way..." Kaz said. He was looking at his phone again, trying to distract himself from the small whimper he heard from her. He couldn't look at her, couldn't watch her cry, it would break him and he would confess everything. She would feel pity for him, stay with him even though he couldn't be the man she deserved, and he didn't want that.

"Does she live here?" she asked. "Is it Inej? I know you two are getting closer, she's nice." O Saints why was she so kind? The very idea that he could be cheating on her with Inej and instead of getting angry she was here, complimenting the other woman. She was an angel and he was just come cripple who could barely stomach her kiss.

You look so broken when you cry One more and then I'll say goodbye

"Its no one you know, they don't live here," Kaz said after a minute. He looked at her finally, seeing the tears shimmering on her cheeks. She was the most beautiful person he had ever known and he had broken her. He blinked slowly to keep himself from getting upset. "You should go." She nodded and stood, moving over to him. She leaned down and kissed his head softly and he still, keeping himself from giving into the revulsion just below the surface of his skin.

"I love you Kaz, please do whatever you need to and I'll be there for you always," she said. She left before he could say anything. All night Kaz lay awake, trying to figure out what to say to her. Maybe he could tell her, maybe he could at least tell her he would try. He could build himself up into someone good enough for her. He could try at least. He needed to do something, he couldn't leave it this way.

In the morning he went down to her room and knocked, only to find the door open. He pushed it and looked inside seeing it was empty. There was a note for him on her bed. She had left in the night, telling him the she would come back but he needed to figure himself out first. Her phone was always on for him and he could message her any time. He sighed and shoved the note in his pocket. He needed to find some help.

#six of crows #kaz brekker x reader #kaz x reader #kazbrekker #kaz brekker #kaz

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namluve · 4 years

Text

Updated: 28 July 2020

M = Mature F = Fluff A = Angst C = Crack AU = Alternative Universe

➯ SERIES MASTERLISTS

⇀ Would you rather? | ongoing

↳ Right On Tide | 16.5k | oneshot | (M) (A) (C) (AU)

❝ as a passionate surfer instructor at one of the most glamour’s vacation resorts there were two things you hated. bad weather and kim seokjin. jin always steals your summer hook ups, leaving you in a dry spell for the whole summer each year the two of you work on the resort. this time, you decided things would be different, this time, you would get revenge ❞

↳ Office Rendezvous | 2.3k | oneshot | (M) (AU)

❝ your husband jin had called you into the office, wanting to know where you had been during lunch. of course, he already knew. he just wanted to punish you for it ❞

↳ Bubbles With Love | 1.9k | drabble | (M)

❝ boyfriend yoongi being the best and taking care of you after a long day at work ❞

↳ Melodies Flow | 1.6k | drabble | (F) (AU)

❝ you and yoongi had been dating for the last three weeks now and were in for a movie night together. you end up spending the night at his apartment ❞

↳ Love On Borrowed Time | 2.1k | two parter | (A) (AU)

❝ dating Hoseok for the past year had been the best time of your life so far. your soulmate took care of you, surprised you and made you feel so loved. so why can’t you feel happy when he just proposed to you? ❞

↳ Love Begins | 5.7k | two parter | (F) (AU)

�� trying to adjust back to normal after that one faithful night that brought you and hoseok closer together.❞ part 2 of ‘love on borrowed time’.

↳ Ready, Set, Begin | 1.4k | drabble | (M)

❝ your ex was being a dick and you wanted to show him exactly what he was missing out on ❞

↳ Pleading For Mercy | 7.0k | one shot | (M)

❝ namjoon found out you had faked an orgasm. to say he wasn’t pleased would be an understatement ❞

↳ Needless to Say | 5.7k | one shot | (F) (M) (AU)

❝ namjoon was the most dangerous man in the city and you were his doctor, sworn to protect and heal him. Over the months you could not help but to fall for the man who always ended up at least once a month at your hospital, injured and in need of your help ❞

↳ Princess Pillow Dreams | 2.5k | drabble | (M) ft. taehyung

❝ namjoon was not happy about the comment taehyung made on your ass and he was soon about to show him who you belonged to ❞

↳ Wrapped Up | 2.8k | drabble | (M)

❝ you and namjoon had been talking for a while about trying something new in the bedroom and it had finally arrived in the mailbox ❞

↳ Heavenly Plump | 2.4k | drabble | (M)

❝ jimin couldn’t take his eyes of you the whole night. when the two of you get home, you take control ❞

↳ Confessions Over Wine | tba | series | (F) (A) (M) (AU)

❝ oh how a single night can change your entire night. drunken on wine you spill the tea on how none of your previous ex’s could satisfy your needs in bed. taehuyng being your very experianced friend offers you a tempting offer you can’t seem to get of your mind ❞ 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07

↳ Princess Pillow Dreams | 2.5k | drabble | (M) ft. namjoon

❝ namjoon was not happy about the comment taehyung made on your ass and he was soon about to show him who you belonged to ❞

↳ Right Here | 13k | one shot + drabbles | (F) (A) (M) (AU)

❝ you had always been a part of the plastics and he was born on the wrong side of town. what happens when your worlds collide, and you realize, that he is the only one that’s not fake in your life? ❞

#masterlist #fics #bts fanfic

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krispydefendorpolice · 4 years

Text

Once Upon A Miraculous - Part 1

Okay so this prompt got away from me and now you all get a two parter. Yay me,😭😭😭

Also you guys are freaking amazing because I was not expecting the responses I got from everyone on my preview post. Especially since all I said was “hey I got a new story who wants to hear it”.

This is for @pepelachanel for the story idea. Oh my goodness, the brain worm you gave me have led me to write over 3,400 words of Jasonette goodness. And angst. Sorry for that.

I hope this is enjoyable.

Next Masterpost list

————————————

“Dan?” She asked the car with the plate that matched the ones on her Uber App.

“Marinette?” The man asked. He got out of the vehicle and opened the trunk for her bags when she nodded.

“Welcome to Gotham,” he said when they were both back in the car. “Is this your first time to the city?”

“No, I’ve been here before, a few years ago.” Marinette said looking out the window at the buildings they passed.

“What brings you back then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m on my way to school in New York and I just thought I’d stop and see an old friend.”

“You’re close with this friend?”

“I was, but he died a couple years ago.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said apologetically.

“Thank you. I wasn’t able to come for his funeral.” She smiled sadly, “This is the first time I’ve been able to come and properly pay my respects.”

They grew quiet as the driver continued to navigate the traffic in Gotham and Marinette’s thoughts drifted to that long ago summer.

*************************************

Marinette was 15 years old the first time she went to Gotham. She came at the request of Jagged Stone to work as his costume designer for his American tour. Marinette’s parents had agreed when Sabine’s old roommate from University had agreed to act as Marinette’s chaperone.

Selina Kyle was impressed by the girls creative mind. Everywhere they went the girl brought a sketchbook and she was drawing every time she had a chance.

They were at the Wayne building as Selina had set a lunch date with her fiancé and they had agreed to pick up the man and his son there. Marinette was sitting in the downstairs lobby where she could see the stained glass over the entrance doors while she waited for Selina to collect the men.

“What are you drawing?”

Marinette jumped at the voice but looked at the speaker. He was a big man? Boy? He looked about her age really so boy was probably right. He had a large build, about the size of her classmate Ivan. The same black hair too, but his eyes were blue like her own.

“A dress design,” Marinette answered looking back at the beginning sketch on the page.

“You’re a designer?”

“Yes. I mostly work on commission right now but I do some designing for myself.”

The boy nodded and looked from the sketch up to the windows she had used as inspiration. “That’s pretty cool. I’ve walked past these windows a lot and never seen them this way before.”

“Most of the world does,” Marinette says, “I’ve just trained myself to look at the things we mostly take for granted in new ways for inspiration .”

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“My guardian. We’re going to lunch with her fiancé and his son.”

The boy’s face brightened as he smiled, “You must be Marinette then.”

Marinette was surprised and it showed on her face.

He laughed, “I’m Jason Todd-Wayne. My father Bruce is Selina’s fiancé.”

“I didn’t say her name.” Marinette argued.

“My dad knows everyone that works for him and if someone else had gotten engaged we would know about it.”

“Marinette, Jason! I see you’ve already met. Are you ready to go?” Selina asked as she walked up to them with a man behind her.

During her time in Gotham Marinette ended up spending most of her free time with Jason. As he was on summer break as well he helped her when she needed to do work for Jagged and attended the concerts with her as her assistant.

They grew close, sharing jokes and stories. He showed her around the town and all the best places to go. He shared how he was an outcast in school for being a former street kid thrown into the world of the prestigious upper crust elite. Marinette shared how she was an outcast because of a liar who turned all her friends and the entire class against her. It was one of the main reason’s her parents had even agreed to let her go on tour with Jagged and Selina.

It was a week before her return to Paris that he kissed her for the first time. They spent the last week together going on dates and spending as much time together as they could.

Before she got on the plane to take her back to Paris he gave her a small wrapped package and said to hold onto it until he told her to open it. She agreed and placed it in her bag before kissing him and getting on the plane. She waved to him from the end of the flyway (the goof had purchased a ticket just so he could walk her to the gate but Bruce had refused to actually let him fly off to Paris).

Once home Marinette settled in. She took the box and placed it on a shelf above her designing area.

Then a crash outside had her transforming and running off to fight yet another Akuma.

The next day at school Marinette found out that some of the American news agencies had gotten pictures of her and Jason together. Many were from when they were just friends but a couple were taken after their kiss.

Her so called ‘friends’ jumped her when she entered the classroom asking when she had gone to America, why didn’t she tell them, could she introduce the Waynes to them?

Marinette ignored them, pushed through the crowd and took the seat in the back of the class. She pulled out her phone and sent a message and waited for his response.

Marinette jumped when hands slammed on her desk.

“Girl, why are you ignoring us. That’s not being a very good friend,” Alya said.

“We’re not,” Marinette answered.

“We’re not?” Alya looked confused by the words. “Not what?”

“We’re not friends,” Marinette said standing from her seat. “I haven’t heard from any of you in months. Not one of you sent me a message at any point while I was abroad. But even before that none of you talked with me, or have hung out with me in months. If that’s how you treat friends then I want no part of it.”

The class looked away from her, ashamed of how they had treated one of the kindest girls in the class.

Marinette took her seat as the teacher came into the class and the lesson began.

That exchange set the tone for the rest of the school year. A few, Nathaniel, Rose and Juleka, had apologized and did their best to rebuild their friendship with Marinette. They did get to meet Jason during one of his trips to Paris with Bruce when he came for business.

He wasn’t thrilled that Marinette had forgiven their treatment of her but was glad they were showing true remorse over it. They continued to talk or message daily with an occasional visit back and forth for the rest of the year.

It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning when

Marinette saw Bruce again.

“Mr Wayne, come in we weren’t expecting you were we?” She asked when she found the man at the door. He looked a mess but she didn’t want to be rude and mention it. “Did Jason come with you?”

He flinched at her question.

Marinette stilled at the unusual reaction.

“I. There.” He stopped and swallowed harshly. “There was an attack. The Joker, he took Jason.”

Marinette gasped, “is he okay? Was he hurt?”

Bruce shook his head, “I’m sorry Marinette. He didn’t make it.”

Her vision clouded over as tears filled her eyes and she dropped to her knees and cried.

Bruce pulled her into a clumsy embrace as he cried with her and just repeated “I’m sorry” over and over again.

The funeral was a week later. Bruce had offered to fly her to Gotham for the service but Marinette had to turn it down. The fights with Hawkmoth’s Akuma’s had increased and she and Chat Noir were fighting them on a near daily basis.

At 16 she grieved for a life, a love, a dream lost too soon.

***************************

Marinette accepted Adrian’s proposal. They had been dating for about six months at that point and she wanted to move on with her life. She couldn’t keep it on hold over a memory of a boy who would talk stained glass windows with her.

She took that old, little box, still in its wrapping and placed it in a drawer where she could keep all the memories it held with it.

Ladybug and Chat Noir had been fighting for four years by that time. It was a long battle but they were beginning to make headway. They had clues now, a new AkumaApp was produced that allowed the citizens of Paris to report when they saw the black butterfly’s. Using that information and the information provided by the Akuma victim’s themselves they were narrowing down the location of Hawkmoth's lair.

Soon they would have enough information to find the villain.

She was 18 years old.

****************************

Hawkmoth was unmasked and Gabriel Agreste was arrested.

Emilie Agreste was found in a coma under the house. Life support was stopped and she was pronounced dead five minutes later.

The first few months post Hawkmoth’s reveal, Adrian and Marinette worked to keep his company from folding due to the negative press while Marinette tried to keep Adrian from falling apart from losing both his parents the way he had.

Once things were beginning to settle and the company was evening out Adrian asked for a divorce. He wanted to end their marriage because there was someone else, someone he had promised himself he’d pursue if he ever had a chance.

Marinette moved back with her parents in the apartment over the bakery. Two days later Chat Noir and Ladybug met on top of the Eiffel Tower to say their final goodbyes. Back where their partnership had really begun with Ladybugs declaration that they would defeat Hawkmoth.

When Adrian revealed himself, Ladybug took the ring of the black cat and said she’d never agree to date someone like him.

Marinette was 19 years old.

****************************

“We’re here miss,” the driver said as he pulled up in front of the gates to Wayne Manor.

Marinette leaned out the window to press the call button on the gate box.

“Can I help you?” The voice not the other side asked.

“Oui, monsieur. Is Monsieur Wayne home?”

“He is out at the moment. Is he expecting you?”

“No, my name is Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. This was a rather impromptu trip I decided to make at the last minute. Perhaps you could help me. Would you be able to tell me in which cemetery Jason Todd was buried?”

Marinette was worried she wouldn’t get an answer when silence followed her question.

“Please drive up to the house.”

The gates opened and the car drove up. At the house the doors were opened by an elderly gentleman who walked to the car and opened the door for Marinette when they stopped.

“I am Alfred Pennyworth. We did not get to meet when you were last in Gotham Miss, but I did hear a great deal about you from Master Jason.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you monsieur Pennyworth, Jason had a great many things to say about you.”

“Do you have your things with you?”

“Just the bag in the trunk,” Marinette admitted.

Alfred went around and when the driver opened the trunk he picked up her bag.

“This way Miss Marinette.”

Marinette gave the driver a quick thank you before she followed Alfred into the house. He placed her bag down in the entryway, “I’ll make up a room for your stay and bring the bag up in a moment. Follow me please.”

“Oh, that’s okay I have a room at the Comfort Inn monsieur. I didn’t expect monsieur Wayne to put me up. I just came because I was never told where Jason was laid to rest and I was hoping someone could tell me.”

“The grave stone is in the Wayne family cemetery on the grounds Miss Marinette. It will be no trouble to give you a room for your stay. If you still insist after seeing Master Wayne and the others I will, of course, understand and drive you to your hotel myself.”

“Merci monsieur Pennyworth.”

“You may call me Alfred Miss Marinette,” he said with a kindly smile.

“Merci monsieur Alfred,” Marinette returned the smile as she followed him into what looked like an office.

Marinette was confused when Alfred walked to a grandfather clock and opened the glass door to move the hands on the face. She was startled when the wall next to the clock opened up to reveal a hidden door.

“Welcome to Wayne Manor Miss Marinette,” Alfred said and walked inside and down the stone steps.

Marinette considered it for a moment, the man could be leading her somewhere where he could kill her without risking her alerting someone after all, but everything she had heard about Alfred from Jason had said he wasn’t that kind of person.

Of course this man could be an imposter, she thought to herself as she followed him down the stairs. But well, cats weren’t the only ones that curiosity killed.

At the bottom of the stairs the room opened up into a large underground cave. The space to her immediate right was filled with glass cases each with an empty mannequin inside. A second row above had cases with costumed mannequins inside. They were various costumes worn by Gotham’s Dark Knight and his partners.

To the left was a large computer and various machines that would have been at home in a police forensics lab. In the center was an open space with a couple vehicles parked. The open spaces between the bike and cars could have been held for additional vehicles.

On the far side of the parking space was a giant coin and a dinosaur. Around the base of the dinosaur were a variety of cases that held other mementos from past battles.

“The family should be home soon. Would you like some tea while we wait?”

Marinette looked at the elderly man in surprise. Looked around the cave. And looked at the man again. She mutely nodded her head in acceptance.

After taking the offered cup, Marinette sipped it before asking the question she’d wanted to since she’d seen the insignia on one of the costumes.

“Monsieur Wayne is the Batman?”

“He is.”

“Was Jason... Did Jason die because he was a Robin?”

Alfred closed his eyes in grief, “he did. Joker got a hold of him. He tortured Master Jason before leaving him locked in a warehouse with a live bomb. Master Bruce was unable to make it in time to save him.”

Marinette paled at Alfred’s words. Though she teared up at the pain he must have gone through she was sure that Jason would have been a hero even if he had known what would happen to him. He’d had that edge of protectiveness he’d developed as a street kid when the younger kids were being harassed or bullied by older kids. He was a hero to the core. In or out of costume.

Marinette sniffled as Alfred poured fresh tea into her cup to give her a moment to collect herself.

“I do believe we’ll have a full house this evening,” he said to distract her. “Master Dick is in town following an arms dealer from Bludhaven. Master Jason is assisting him and Master Damian has insisted on helping as well.”

“I’ve heard about Dick from Jason. He was monsieur Wayne’s ward, a son to him yes? But the other’s I’ve never heard of.”

“Yes Master Dick was Master Bruce’s ward and son. Master Timothy was in a similar situation, when his parents died a few years ago Master Bruce took him in and later adopted him. Master Damian however is Master Bruce’s biological son. He came to us about a year and a half ago. He was almost as wild as Master Jason when he first came to us.”

Marinette giggled. Jason had told her about what a little shit he had been when he first came to the Wayne house. He had been convinced that Bruce was some kind of pedophile and had adopted him as some attempt to get a living sex toy. Jason had decided if that was the old man’s game he’d have another think coming to him.

It took a couple of months before Bruce and Alfred were able to convince the former street kid that that was not the reason why they took Jason off the streets. Of course that was not before Jason had managed to set every alarm and clock in the house to go off at noon everyday or change the passwords to every electronic device to Batmansucks****!

“That must have been an adventure,” Marinette offered.

“Quite,” the man said.

The quiet after they settled to their thoughts was broken by the roar of a motorcycle.

A man in a black costume with a blue bird insignia across the chest was the first to arrive.

“Alfred, I didn’t know we’d have a guest?” He looked at Marinette curiously.

“Master Dick this is Miss Marinette,” Alfred said by way of introduction.

He looked at the older man curiously, “I haven’t heard of a Marinette before. Sorry,” he apologized to her when he realized he was talking about her in front of her.

Marinette shook her head in dismissal, “I wouldn’t expect monsieur Wayne to have any reason to talk about me so I understand that you wouldn’t know of me.”

Before they could say anything else two more bikes and the batmobile pulled into the cave.

“Master Bruce, Master Tim, Master Damian, Miss Cassie,” Alfred called as they got off bikes and out of the car, “come greet Miss Marinette.”

Tim looked to be average height, about an inch or two shorter than Dick. Both had black hair and their eyes were hidden by the domino masks.

The girl looked to be closer to Marinette’s height but taller than Marinette herself, so probably average for a woman at 5’4 or so. She too had black hair and a mask.

The youngest looked to be no more than a child. Marinette would eat her hat if he was older than 12. Again he had black hair though it was hard to see and his eyes were hidden in the shadow of his hood as well as by a mask.

The Batman, one billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, was the tallest and walked up to her.

“I didn’t realize you were coming,” he said as he removed the cowl hiding his features, “or that you knew our secret.”

“I didn’t know until Monsieur Alfred brought me down. I made a last minute decision to come visit Jason’s grave before I go to New York for the new school term.”

She didn’t miss the way Dick and Tim stiffened at the mention of the grave but didn’t know why. Did they not want strangers to go to the cemetery? Alfred had mentioned it was a family cemetery. Surely they could allow her a few moments to pay her respects?

“Mmm,” he hummed in acknowledgement.

“I believe I made my opinion clear on the matter years ago Master Bruce,” Alfred said. As he left the cave he said over his shoulder, “Now you may handle this yourselves.”

Marinette watched him go with a frown but another engine coming into the cave drew her attention.

The man getting off was the biggest of all the Bat themed heroes, even Batman. He wore a leather jacket and a red helmet. He removed the helmet as he walked to where everyone was gathered by the computer but stopped when he saw everyone sitting there.

When no one moved, Marinette stood and walked to the new person. “Hi. Monsieur Alfred introduced the others but I haven’t gotten your name yet. I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she held out her hand for him to shake.

The man’s jaw worked as he looked to be trying to find the right words.

He finally settled for removing the mask he wore under the helmet. Marinette gasped her eyes going wide and her hands covering her mouth.

“It’s me Nettie. I’m alive.”

At 20 years old Marinette’s dreams, her love, was brought back to life.

————————————

Ok thoughts on the story? I’m gonna try to have Part 2 up sometime this next week. If you want off the taglist let me know. If you’re not on but want to be for part two let me know that as well.

@mellownieice @kris-pines04 @zebrabaker @two-faced-biatch @vixen-uchiha @mandy984 @shamefullove @mycupisbroken @dawnwave16 @abrx2002 @mochinek0 @tbehartoo @fertileleaf @thanks-captain-obvious @ravennightingaleandavatempus @hinata3487 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @zalladane

I cant find blogs for: @slytherinsheashire

#jasonette #marinette x jason

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artnerd1123 · 3 years

Text

A Familiar World

Shopping Day (pt 1) ——————————————-

With her newly acquired shopping responsibilities, Seraph hits the town to buy what’s needed. Though the task is daunting, Seraph is optimistic and determined to do a good job! She even meets a few friends. The only trouble comes when her budget of time and energy starts running out...

The masterpost for AFW can be found here. The chapter post for AFW can be found here.

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so this is a two parter, but it’ll have a chapter in the middle! I’m actually really surprised at how quick I finished this, but, nevertheless, here’s another installment for ser n evangel! with bonus appearance by an old oc- brownie points if u recognize them :>

The first shopping day was like any other. Outside was warm, the fading heat of summer chasing fall’s heels. The sun was bright. The town was bustling. What birds were left in the trees sang along with the sirens’ autumn songs. It was a beautiful September afternoon. And a certain familiar was doing her best to remember where the shop was. It wasn’t that Seraph hadn’t explored the town with mama! They’d been living there almost a year now. She just didn’t go out on her own very often. Which was ok!!! She just had to ask the people she passed where to go, and they’d tell her. She was a friendly little hybrid. People here were nice. So, the shop came into view soon enough. Seraph pushed open the door as best she could, the bell jangling to signal her arrival. She practically skipped inside, eyes wide. One hoof clutched her grocery list tight. The other held a pouch of gold slung over one shoulder. She held it in place with her wings. Looking around, she did her best to take in the shop. The store clerk sat at the counter. They were a weathered individual, a shock of brilliant green hair laced through with stripes of white. Their grassy gaze moved about the shop with an air of practiced ease- one long used to looking after their home. The clerk glanced up with a smile when the bell rang… only for their grin to falter when nobody caught their gaze. Seraph watched them blink for a second, face flushing. Ah, right. She was a lot smaller than the normal customers. Should she have announced herself? “Er… down here,” she said sheepishly. The clerk’s gaze drifted down, and they blinked again. Seraph gave them a little wave as they recovered. “Oh! Oh, hello there, little one,” they replied, a bemused smile on their face. It seemed her earlier guess was right. At least they were still smiling at her! “Are you looking for someone?” “Nope! I’m by myself,” Seraph chirped confidently. “I’m here to get the groceries for my mama!” “Ah, a pickup?” The clerk asked. They nodded towards a couple baskets sitting on the counter, their little labels written in neat handwriting. Seraph tilted her head in thought. She didn’t think Evangel wrote ahead for groceries… that’s what her list was for, right? “Well, if me picking food from the shelves counts, yes,” Seraph joked. The clerk chuckled softly. The sound made her smile. She liked that sound, it was a good sound. A happy sound. “I guess that could count,” the clerk mused, “but it’s not quite the same.” Looking her over, they set their head on one hand. Seraph was doing some looking of her own- it wasn’t often she came to the shop. She wondered if mama would let her grab some cookies… she wasn’t here, so it would be ok if she bought some on her own, right? Maybe? Hmm… maybe she should’ve asked… “Is this your first errand, little one?” The clerk spoke up. Seraph jumped a little, bleating in surprise. “How did you know???” Seraph gasped. “I had a hunch,” the clerk winked. “If you need any help, just give me a holler and I’ll be right over.” “Thank you so much!!! I’ll keep that in mind!!!” Seraph beamed. With that, the little familiar turned and skipped down the nearest aisle. She looked over her list carefully. Mama trusted her with this. She’d written it very carefully. There was no way she’d let her down. She had this in the bag! The familiar trotted over to a shelf of cereal happily. Her eyes carefully searched the shelf for the oat cereal mama took a grudging shine to. This is perfect! She thought, still searching. Now all that’s between me and home is gathering the- Wait a minute. Was… was the oat cereal on the… top... shelf…? … groceries… oh dear… “... hey, um, clerk?” Seraph called nervously. She waited a minute, and didn’t hear a reply. Maybe she was too quiet. Or maybe she wasn’t supposed to be disturbing them? But… she had to try something. Mama was counting on her. She trotted back to the mouth of the aisle, coins jingling in her pouch. The clerk was lazily eyeing the door, still leaning on the counter. “Excuse me… um…” she cleared her throat. The clerk glanced up, straightening a bit as they located the voice’s source. “Ah, you’re back,” they hummed. “Can I help you, little one?” “Yes please, if that’s ok, Mx. Clerk,” Seraph said meekly. Her wings shifted to hug her shoulders, braced for a scolding. “I… um... forgot I’m not tall enough to reach a lot of the shelves yet…” However, the scolding never came. “That’s ok! Fetching things off shelves is my specialty,” the clerk smiled. Their cheer was a surprise, but Seraph was instantly relieved. “I’ll grab a basket, and we’ll go grab what’s on the list, ok?” “Ok!!! Thank you so so much!!! I-I really appreciate it!” “Not a problem, little one. Not a problem.”

When she arrived home, giant basket in hand, Evangel’s joy was instantaneous. Seraph beamed, happily helping put things away as Evangel chattered about how much work she’d gotten done, and how happy she was that Seraph managed the shopping. When she methodically checked the purchases, she only complained a few times- that the cereal was too plain, and the familiar forgot to get some tool she didn’t remember mama saying she wanted. But!!! Everything else was there!!! So it was good enough, right? Evangel even told her she’d “done well.” That had to mean something. Mama’s praise was like music to the little familiar’s ears. Maybe shopping day wouldn’t be so bad after all.

~~~

The fourth shopping trip came sooner than Seraph would have liked. Usually, mama went grocery shopping once every week. She’d decided to stick to the same schedule. After all, mama knew what she was doing. Or… so she hoped. But it was barely even three weeks later, and she was toddling to the store for the second time that week. You just run out of everything fast when someone tiny does your shopping. The clerk was a big help, as they always were. Grocery shopping was a lot more fun with a friend. Especially one who was so funny! She and the clerk had started playing games and making puns while they collected the things on her list. She liked hanging out with them. Plus, they teleported the groceries right home for her! Free of charge! She promised them she’d start carrying the basket home when she was big enough. No matter how many times she promised, the clerk just smiled at her, giving her a pat and a mint from the bowl on the counter. Yes, she liked the clerk. But the clerk wasn’t the only one she was out to see. Mama had trusted her with another important errand. Mama said she needed to find the musician’s shop. There was a music box being sold there, and mama wanted it. She just hadn’t had the time to go get it! Seraph could understand that- their little tailor’s shop was getting more business now that the weather was cooling down. Lots of people needed new winter clothes or old cloaks mended. Mama was busy. And mama needed something to help calm her down. Music could definitely do that. At least, it helped for the familiar. Seraph wove between the legs of passerby on the street, squeaking out little apologies as she eyed the tall shop signs. Music store, music store… where had mama said it was? A bit farther down from the grocery store, if I remember right, she thought to herself. Sure enough, a sign for “musician’s oasis” sat proudly along the road. Seraph sighed in relief, quickening her pace to reach it. The sign was pretty well kept, and very nicely polished, with interesting little symbols all over it. If memory served, the symbols were music notes. She’d seen them next to illustrations of sirens in her library books. The thought of being somewhere with song excited her beyond words. Turning to the door, she waited until the entry cleared before wiggling into the shop. A peal of bells and strum of strings signalled her arrival, making the little familiar jump in surprise. “O-oh-! Oh dear-” she sputtered. Her wings huddled around her shoulders protectively. Where had that sound come from??? She looked around timidly for the source. … though… it was all but forgotten as she took in the space around her. Seraph’s eyes were like sparkling gems as she glanced around the shop. It was full of nothing but shining metal, masterfully carved wood, expertly pulled strings, and all manner of beautifully strange contraptions. A word sprang to mind- instruments. Her books and their pictures told her they were for making music. Just like the sirens she went to the cliffs to hear. Her ears flicked forward eagerly, claws clicking on the wooden floor as she moved further into the shop. Sure enough, she could hear some sort of rhythm coming from somewhere among the instruments. Music. Not the same as the sirens, but familiar nonetheless. She had to see what was making it! She had to! It didn’t take her long to find the source. It was some sort of stringed instrument. Like a bow and arrow, but with a dozen strings instead of just one. A harp, if her books were right. One of the things the angels on the pages played often. It looked as if invisible fingers plucked the gilded strings. The sight was utterly fascinating. But not nearly as much as the music. It was gentle and soothing, like listening to ripples in a pond. Seraph was utterly transfixed. So, this is where it came from. Those soft melodies she heard when she was half asleep in the morning… the ones that came from down the street instead of from the sea… Oh, how lovely… “Did you need something, sweetheart?” At once, seraph snapped out of her thoughts. Her head jerked up at the sudden voice. A stout woman with long, curly blonde hair stood before her. She had a big witch’s hat on her head, and a comfortable looking dress, half hidden by an apron. Despite her kind blue eyes, Seraph felt her stomach drop. Oh no- oh no- mama told her not to go poking around places! Her face flushed, and she squeaked as she scrambled for words. “U-um- maybe- i- s-sorry, was I not supposed to be back here-?” She stuttered, wringing her hooves. “I-I can go back to the front, s-sorry, I didn’t mean to-” “Hey, hey, it’s ok little one,” The woman broke in gently, holding up a hand. “You’re welcome to wander anywhere in here, hon. It’s alright.” “R… really…?” Seraph mumbled. “Yes, really,” the woman smiled. Carefully, she crouched down to the familiar’s level. “You just looked a little lost. Are you here alone?” “Y… yeah… I am,” Seraph replied shyly. “I’m running errands for my mama...” “Ahh, you must be the little Sanyi familiar!” the woman beamed. “I’ve seen you around in the tailor shop windows. It’s nice to meet you, dear.” “O-oh! Er- thank you!” seraph squeaked. Her? She was glad to meet her? She… didn’t know what to think of that. She twittered shyly to herself, kicking at the floor. “E-ehehe… thank you…” “Of course, dear,” the woman hummed. “Oh- where are my manners! I’m Sadie, dear. I’m the shopkeeper.” “It’s nice to meet you, miss sadie!” Seraph chirped. She did a little curtsey, her eagerness slowly trickling back in. “Do you run this whole place by yourself…? It’s so lovely in here!” “Well, thank you, dear!” Sadie laughed. “I run this shop with my husband. Usually he’d be here with me, but… well…” She chuckled softly. “Someone needs to watch the baby.” “The baby?” Seraph gasped softly, eyes wide. She was still a kid herself, but the prospect of a playmate excited her! Or just another little one. She had such a soft spot for the little ones. “Ah, you might see her one of these days, if you come by again,” Sadie said. “She’s napping now, I’m afraid. But! While you’re here, was there something your mama wanted you to fetch?” “Aww… ok…” Seraph sighed. “A-and! Um! Yes, sort of! Mama sent me to buy a music box!” “Oh, she did?” Sadie asked, looking surprised. A flash of confusion passed in her gaze, and seraph shifted nervously. “Is, um, n-now not a good time…?” she asked meekly. “Ah- no, that’s not it, sweetheart,” Sadie soothed, giving her head a little shake. “I’ve just never seen a familiar your age doing more than quick fetch quests.” “Mama says I’m old enough to help with the shopping,!” Seraph reported proudly, wings fluttering. “I like to help, and she trusts me!” “Hmm… fair enough,” Sadie replied hesitantly. She heaved herself back upright before Seraph had time to share her unexpected worry. “What sort of music box did she want, dear?” “O-oh! She wanted the one with the gold embellishments, and the dancer in the middle!” Seraph chirped. “The shiny one in the window!!!” “Ooh, a good choice! Let’s see- I believe it’s back this way, we had to move it off display to polish it…” Seraph bounced after Sadie happily, her worries forgotten. The shop’s gentle melodies drowned out any concern or memories of Sadie’s hesitation. After all, she was on a trip for mama. And mama sent her somewhere amazing. Surely it all worked out, right?

When Seraph returned home, mama was still swamped with work. She gave her a quick bit of praise- “ah, yes, the groceries, very good- could you put the music box on my desk, doll? And do make sure you put everything away right this week, especially the frozen things, it was all disgusting last week-” before getting right back to her sewing. Seraph would’ve been a little put out if she hadn’t just come from the music store. The melodies were still floating around in her head… painting lovely pictures in her mind… It was enough to keep her going even as she put away the groceries on her own.

~~~

The eighth shopping trip came the week before an important day. Well, important to seraph. It was October again. Today was the tenth. In three days, she’d officially be a year old. The thought excited her a lot!!! She’d heard from Sadie’s familiar, foffee, that birthdays usually meant growth and change for a familiar. Nothing incredibly drastic- at least not after your first few years. Seraph was hoping it gave her some height. It would be nice to be a bit taller. It meant she could help more. Plus, she’d seen birthday parties before! It would be so fun if she had one!!! She bet her mama was planning it. Party plans had to be somewhere among all those papers and notes on her desk. Why else would she be so flippant and want Seraph to stay away from them? Why else would she keep asking for her to go elsewhere and leave her be? It had to be a plan. Even if it was just something simple. Like sweets for breakfast, or a trip to the music shop. Oh, she couldn’t wait!!! Her heart was full as she bounced down the street. Groceries were first, as per usual. The thought of being able to carry her own basket soon made her so excited. She told the clerk as much when she entered. They were as delighted as she was! The two bantered with their usual puns before they parted ways. On her way out, the clerk gave her an early birthday cookie and a promise of discount sweets after her big day. After that, she skipped down to the fabric stall in the marketplace- they had some sort of new silk that mama really wanted. Every stall was filled with a merchant today. Plenty of people were out shopping. The cliffs were close, and the sirens’ final fall songs laced through the buzz of marketplace chatter. With all the bright colors, smiling faces, and upbeat energy, Seraph felt like she was floating on a cloud. Oh, she wondered if mama had gotten her a gift… each stall full of toys and pretty dresses made her beam in anticipation… Finding the silk was easy enough. The stall was full of people looking for just the right patch of fabric, or the new material for a cloak. Seraph snuck her way into the crowd. Her two feet of height was useful at the moment- she could get into all manner of places easily. Now, where did it go… she wondered, eyes searching the fabrics laid out on tables. Her eyes caught on the brilliant white silk after a moment or two. A happy bleat bubbled from her as she bounced over, tail wagging and wings fluttering. Perfect!!! It was perfect!!! Just what mama asked her to get! She reached for it carefully, little hooves only pausing when she realized she didn’t know how best to carry what she needed to the merchant. She frowned in thought, foot tapping on the ground. She was so deep in her planning that she didn’t notice someone come up behind her. “Need some help?” a voice asked. Seraph perked up instantly, a grin rising to her cheeks. “Sadie!!! Hi!!!” seraph chirped, waving a hoof. “That would be nice, thank you!!! What brings you out today?” “It’s no problem, dear!” Sadie replied, gathering some silk into her arms. She continued as Seraph told her how much to take. “I’m looking for something soft I can use to make a new onesie. Molly Lily’s outgrowing all her comfortable onesies, so I need to whip up a few new ones.” “Aww, that’s fair! I bet they’ll be so cute!!!” Seraph giggled. “Better make it something she can move in, too!” “Oh, of course,” Sadie laughed, starting towards the merchant. Seraph followed, making sure none of the silk spilled from Sadie’s arms. “You know my girl likes to move.” “She really does! I always like seeing her!” Seraph hummed happily. “Well, you could come by and say hello today, if you’d like,” Sadie offered. “I know your birthday is in a few days, but we do already have a bit of baking done in preparation…” “Really???” Seraph gasped excitedly. “Yes, really,” Sadie chuckled. She set the silk down on the counter, calling the merchant over. Seraph held up her hands for a boost- Sadie gladly gave it to her. The two made sure the silk was paid for and teleported home before the conversation resumed. “If you’re done with your errands, you can come by the shop to say hello and grab a snack!” Sadie continued. “We’ve made plenty of cupcakes, and Molly Lily’s already had her nap. I’m sure she and foffee would love to see you!” “That sounds so good!!!” Seraph beamed. She thought it over for a minute. She was done with her shopping, right? Groceries, silk… she’d gotten the week’s candles earlier, and the mail, too… Right, yeah. That was everything. It was all at home now, too. Surely mama could put things away herself. And mama didn’t say she needed her at the shop today. So… it should be ok if she went with Sadie for a little. She bet mama would be fine with it. The familiar gave a decisive nod, wings flapping eagerly. “Yeah, let’s go!!! It’s playtime!!!”

When seraph wandered back home, it was around dinnertime. Before the time she usually ate with Evangel, of course! She didn’t want to miss that. Though she’d stayed out longer than she’d wanted, the little familiar was still happy. Her tummy was full of cupcakes, her ears full of laughter, and her mind full of playful memories, stories, and more of that lovely music. She wondered if mama would let her bake cupcakes at home. It sounded like so much fun! She’d ask once she went inside. Or, at least… she meant to. She didn’t have the chance to say much of anything the moment she stepped in the door. Evangel stood right in front of it, hands on her hips, her face twisted into a distressed grimace. It was a look Seraph didn’t see often. But she knew exactly what it meant. Oh no. Oh no. She’d really messed up, hadn’t she? “Seraph! Where have you been?!” Evangel demanded. “I’ve been waiting for you for hours!” “I-I- I just w-went to the neighbor’s house-” Seraph mumbled, quailing under Evangel’s accusing glare. “You should have come back to the shop, not gone somewhere else!” Evangel broke in with a scoff. “Half the frozen food has spoiled because I haven’t had time to put it away! Not to mention the silk is horribly wrinkled!” “I- I’m sorry mama- I- I didn’t mean t-to-” Seraph whimpered. She could feel herself tearing up. She’d really really messed up. “I p-promise I’ll come right back home n-next time-” “I would hope so. What kind of familiar leaves their mother to fend for herself?” evangel sighed. Her look of lament shifted to one of discomfort as she noticed Seraph’s tears. “... oh… and now I’ve upset you…” “M-mama-” Seraph said hastily, scrubbing away her tears. “Wait- I-it’s not your fault, I’m the one w-who was late- I was j-just- I lost track of time when we were playing-” “I guess I can understand why you’d want to go somewhere else, then. I’m upsetting and I’m not fun,” Evangel sulked. Heaving a long sigh, she turned towards the steps. “I’m so sorry I’m not enough for you, Seraph.” “Mama, that’s- that’s not what I mean!” Seraph cried, running over and hugging her leg. “You’re so so good mama! I-I just lost track of time! I’m sorry, I won’t be late again! I’ll be good, really!” “... mmm…” “I promise, mama. I won’t leave you.” “... ok, Seraph. If you say so.” Evangel was still for a moment more before she reached down. She scooped seraph into her arms. She held her close, bouncing her with all the gentleness of a precious porcelain figure. “I won’t leave you either, doll. Not once. I was just worried for you, and for the shop. You know I love you,” Evangel soothed. “I… I know mama…” Seraph sniffed, taking some deep breaths. “I love you too…” She snuggled close to her mama, sighing softly. She promised herself she’d be better about times. There was no need to worry mama like that. Not again. “How about we put away those groceries, hm?” Evangel asked. “We can read a book afterwards, if you’d like.” “A book?” “Whatever book you’d like off the shelf.” Seraph gave Evangel a small smile. “That sounds great, mama. Thank you.” “There’s my happy little doll...”

~~~

The ninth shopping trip came late. Seraph meant to go out on the fourteenth. She’d marked it on the calendar. She’d gotten a list ready. She’d chosen an outfit. Everything in her wanted to go. But when her birthday came the day before, mama hadn’t said anything. Instead, the two had worked. All day. Stocking the shop, helping customers, organizing orders- even manning the register while Evangel slipped out for some emergency frozen dinner food. Seraph fell asleep curled around the music box from Sadie’s shop during the evening rush. Mama gave her a scolding, and sent her to bed early, because she was tired. When she woke up in the morning, she didn’t feel right. She was drowsy. Sluggish. She felt as ravenous as a wolf, and as sleepy as a sloth. Evangel just left her upstairs with a box of old swan feather boas, dyed wool, and scraps of gold trim. She muttered something about how familiars get all droopy after their birthdays, and how she hoped seraph liked the feather colors, and hoped they did her some good. Seraph didn’t know what to think. When she finally managed to get her energy back up, the week was almost out. She was shaky on her feet- she hadn’t moved much. It was a little awkward trying to find something that fit, too. She’d certainly grown some in her post-birthday slumber and chow fest. She was a little under three feet tall- almost a whole foot taller than she had been earlier. Getting used to it was… challenging. But mama needed her to go out. There were so, so many errands that needed done. She was a year old now. She couldn’t let mama down.

The twentieth was the day she went out. The clerk asked her out her birthday went. She just gave them a smile, said it was ok. She did her best to joke around. The clerk didn’t need to know she was tired. She needed to do this. For mama. The marketplace was full again. She had a lot of stalls to go to. Each merchant was kind, but she barely processed their words. Her smiles were like glass, and her gaze as warm as a forgotten blanket. Everything she couldn’t carry she had them teleport home. The rest was in her arms. Carefully, gently, she carried the basket of groceries, the fabrics, the paper, the pens, the tightly sealed ink bottles, and two new books. All of it for mama. All of it going home. When she got there, mama only spared her a glance. A nod. And a sentence, to tell her to put it all away, and that she’d done well. Seraph had done well. Tired as she was, she tried her best to cling to that sentence. She clung to it like a moth to a lamp, or moss to a rock. She didn’t let it go through all the organizing and assisting. She didn’t let it go as she went to bed that night. Mama told her she’d done well.

That should be enough for the familiar.

#afw chapter #afw #a familiar world #my story #arty writes #seraph sanyi #evangel sanyi #im not gonna tag the bg extras bc LSDKJFSLKF no #amyway #this was an excuse to write cute baby ser and also show evangel being The Worst (tm) in the bg #next part will be fun :)))#but h yea heres this #enjoy

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hollyethecurious · 3 years

Note

1, 2, 6, 23, and 24, please. 😘

1. Do you have a word-count goal for the upcoming year?

No. I try to write a little bit everyday, but never with a specific word count goal.

2. Will you participate in any fandom exchanges or fic challenges, etc?

I love fandom events! I wanted to participate in the CS January Joy, but after my dad passed I didn’t want to commit only to back out if the muse wasn’t feeling up to it. I am participating in the Neverland New Year, hopefully with a new fic, but if it doesn’t come together I have a few old ones I can reblog as my submission.

Other than the cssns, I’m not sure what other events will be happening this year. If I can come up with an idea I like for the Supernatural Summer then I’m sure I’ll sign up. I hope others will pop up as 2021 progresses.

I probably should try and finish my Bad Things Happen Bingo Card this year, and I also have a CS tropes card I haven’t officially started yet, so... maybe those will have some work thrown their way.

6. Which yet-to-be-started fic is first on your list?

I’m gonna alter this to yet-to-be-posted, because I already have six wips started not including the two already posting. As I mentioned, I signed up for the NLNY event and I’m hoping to post something new for it. It’s a multi-parter divergence where only Hook and Emma go through the portal to rescue Henry, and it’ll include head-canon-y NL flashbacks of Hook’s years there whilst in Pan’s service.

After Seal the Deal finishes updating (hopefully by the end of this month), I plan to take February off from posting so I can focus on getting more wording done on my other wips. I want to maintain a regular posting schedule this year, so I need to have a good amount written on a fic before I start posting it. (Even though I’ll be immediately breaking that resolution with my NLNY fic, lol). Depending on which wip my muse focuses one, I’m hoping to start March back up with alternating updates again. Most likely finishing the Neverland fic and introducing either my 1800s Prison AU or my Mob AU.

23. Would you like to go on a writing retreat?

YES!!! I would LOVE that. I’m actually hoping (Covid pending), I might be able to get a weekend away in February to do just that. If not somewhere away, away, then I might just check into a bed and breakfast here in town and lock myself away for 24-48 hours.

24. By the end of this year, you want your fandom to think of you as “that author who _______.”

...wrote things I liked.

~/~

Thanks for these!

#ask game #new year fic ask #kmomof4

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eurolifeau · 4 years

Text

EUROLIFE MASTERPOST

SEASON ONE

On a Sunday (Pilot part I)

Alfred moves in and meets his new neighbour Mikolas. He agrees to join Mikolas’ friends that evening, but they don’t know who Alfred really is. The Rybak family just arrived from a trip back home. Now that Elina’s going back to her workaholic habits, Alexander is trying to get some responsability off her shoulders. But it will really be the right decision? Also, Alekseev is attending Eliot’s party with an exciting guest.

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Fire of Love (Pilot part II)

Elina is having some medical issues that is leaving the Rybak family a little bit concerned. Will they see the bright side of it? Émilie and Jean-Karl test their parenting skills babysitting Zena and Alekseev for a while. Start of college is approaching and that means that the Lake Malawi household is reuniting. They said that Antonín has a new girlfriend and has settled down, but things aren’t always as it seems.

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Oniro Mou (My dream)

Sarah dropped out of school a while ago with one objective: getting into the modeling industry. Will she get what she want before money finally runs out? With his Dad out of the town, Michela’s self esteem starts to crumble as his mother’s comments are more and more noticeable. As Tulia is admited as the Superior Mother, she has to look after a special group of nuns arriving to Villa Europa.

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Wake Up

Eliot is throwing a party to celebrate back to school. He doesn’t expect that many things happening in one night, involving Miki. After moving in with his mother again, Michael feels like he has fallen too deep. He has to find the way out before he starts drowning and be able to save his daughter as well.

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Forever

Alekseev finds himself between the sword and the wall when certain events involving his little sister and his friends happen. Jean-Karl and Émilie are trying to start a family too hard, that Émilie’s stress is testing Jean-Karl’s patience. Victor Crone is in town for a quick singing class and there’s only one person who doesn’t like this decision: Alexander.

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She Got Me

Luca might seem like a fuckboy (he really is), but has been fancying Eleni since she opened her beauty salon. He will do whatever to get into her bedsheets, but Eleni’s a hard bone. Will Luca reach unpleasant extremes to get what he wants? Eliot comes back to La Venda and this time, Miki isn’t happy about it.

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Together

While Ryan is watching his love interest get married, Cláudia tries to cheer him up by setting him a date with another guy. Mariam starts her theatre classes and Michael is there to support her, but that’s not the only reason he’s there.

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Beautiful Mess

Michela is getting more and more scared on her eating habits, alarming Alekseev. Alfred tries to compose a song for the first time he has arrived to Villa Europa. Albert is having a hard try in his economy class and Jeroným proposes something not very legal.

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Replay

Eleni’s little sister is in town, causing some trouble between the young men. Conviniently, Luca is also in the middle of the problem. Since Blanche has a boyfriend, Zena feels more isolated as her friend slowly distances rom her. She makes new friendships here and there, and maybe they will help her realise what is happening in reality. Michael gets the guts to ask Ester on a date.

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Lie To Me

Suprising love triangle strikes Mikolas, even when he thought he was over his ex. Émilie and Jean-Karl are again challenged by her strange pregnancy cravings. The Lake Malawi household is having a hard time fixing the lights and the housekeeper won’t do anything about it.

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Dancing In The Rain

Things are going wild in the Saint Lukas Meijer convent. There’s this particular group of nuns that are trying to make from humanitarian work a better world, but don’t think they have an easy journey. Cláudia and Ryan are trying to think a way to tell Duncan to not get married, but Ryan doesn’t want it to affect their relatioship more that it already has.

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When We’re Old

Michela’s relationship with food is getting weaker and weaker, ending up in an emotional breakdown. Kate is trying to get some inspiration for her new clothing line, but her mind is blocked. Sarah thinks it’s better to take a break and have a “Girls night”. Alexander isn’t a very good friend of the English Literature teacher, and things get hostile in Mrs. Lorenzo Babyshower.

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Your Song

While things seem to go relatively well for Alfred, an unexpected visitor appears. But, Mikolas has a plan to start Alfred’s career again. Ryan’s and Duncan’s paths may reconnect again. Émelie is ready to give birth. Miki and Eliot have to sort out things, and Michela and Alekseev story may not have a happy end. Michael and his family might have new opportunities.

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Our Songs (EXTRA EPISODE)

A deep look through Alfred’s songs for his new album 1016.

BARCELONA WONDER 1016 LONDRES MADRID LA CIUDAD ET VULL VEURE HIMNO DEL PRAT

Goodbye (EXTRA EPISODE)

Sergey returns to Russia after recieving a concerning call from Polina.

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SEASON TWO

Fuego (Fire)

Eleni is always saying she doesn’t want anything serious, but she may be lying to herself since Nicolas. Benjamin throws a massive party in his house, but Zena remembers the night he sneaked in her room and can’t stop thinking about it. Sergey comes back from his trip to Moscow and brings home a new villager.

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This is the night

Kurt visits for the first time his sister in the hospital. He’s the only family she has now. He has to find the way to tell the news to Alekseev, even though Michela doesn’t want him to know. Eliot just came back from his summer studies and he sees Miki with different eyes. Tamara moves in and quickly becomes friend with Sarah and Kate. But they know there is something wrong with her past.

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Arcade

Even though Ryan and Duncan have agreed on forgiveness, Duncan has the constant feeling of losing the game of love. He feels disoriented and he will have to navigate through the fog to reach happiness. Jean-Karl, the newbie parent, isn’t ready for the stress of no-sleep nights and constant baby cries that are brought to the apartment, . Mikolas struggles to pay the rent so he applies for a modeling job… not so conventional.

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La la love

Jeroným is locked on the bathroom for a long time, and neither Albert and Antonín or the housekeeper are happy about it. Eliot finally agrees on working with Miki to save some money, and things are funnier that what he expected. Eleni decides giving Luca an oportunity.

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La Forza (Strenght)

Tamara is working two shifts to pay rent and she is forced to leave Anja with the neighbours. Her daughter is upset with that decision, but maybe some things are not how she believed they were. Things keep getting colder and colder in the Rybak marriage, as Elina has went back to her workaholic habits. Zena gets stuck between the wall and the sword when Benjamin has news to tell her.

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Goodbye to Yesterday

The old Rästa house needs some fixing but Stig finds hard to let some things go. Polina is still trying to adapt to her new social enviroment and Sergey makes up a friend gathering for her to cheer her up, but maybe it will bring her a lot more anxiety than she already had. Alfred struggles in his recording.

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Under The Ladder

Konstyantyn is Alekseev’s well known cousin, being famous by his not very legal deals. His life isn’t idilic, everyone knows that, but things are going worse than the Rybak family expected. As Cláudia’s letters arrive, Ryan feels more and more lonely. Maybe it’s time to set up some more dates, but as her crime parter isn’t here, he doesn’t know how. As their relationship advances, Eleni and Luca have to name it.

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Michela’s letters (EXTRA EPISODE)

Michela wrote letters to her loved ones while she was inpatient in Massiel Hospital

TO DAD TO ALEKSEEV TO ELIOT TO KURT

Zena’s and Benjamin’s Message Exchange (EXTRA EPISODE)

Where Benjamin tries to catch her attention, and Zena remains solid as a rock.

PART 01 PART 02 PART 03 PART 04 PART 05 PART 06 PART 07 PART 08

EXTRA EPISODES

Mai Natale (Christmas 2019)

As the festive season is coming, the Moro family get together and the most funny and sparkly disputes between them come afloat. Come to have a merry Christmas with them!

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7 PART 8

Europe’s Living a Celebration! (before AU)

Sergey, Miki, Mikolas and Luca booked a trip on a cruise together. It includes: pool, jacuzzi, spa, and what not, a bar. Will they stand each other for five days? Most importantly… will they arrive safe and sound to the Italian Islands?

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Mélovin’s Childhood (before AU)

Konstyantyn has just lost his mother due to suicide, and Alexander takes him to live with them. Working with a traumatized teenager and two innocent children, the couple have to make their house a safe enviroment.

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Alcohol You

Roxen and Victoria are very close sisters. Everything changes when a bottle of rum is inbetween the two.

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Victor Crone’s Tour Diary

Being the most famous musician from Villa Europa it’s not that easy sometimes. Victor portrays all the issues fame has given him.

PART 01 PART 02 PART 03 PART 04 PART 05

About: Explanation of how Eurolife AU works.

Author: Get to know me (Khloe) behind Eurolife.

Characters: Get to know all the characters from Eurolife.

Touring around: Get to see all the places the characters frequent.

Shitposting: Memes, Q&A and out of context Eurolfie.

Don’t forget to support the original fic clicking here ;)

Last updated: 22/04/2020

#eurovision #esc #au

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peacefulwriter88 · 5 years

Text

Silent Orders - Part 1

Teacher!Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings: None for part one minus sweet fluff

A/N: @gifsbysimplysonia requested this a while back and my imagination was able to cluster together this cute little two parter - hope you all enjoy

Also mood board created by me so tag me if you reblog/share _______

The spring bake sale had been pushed up earlier, much to many parents dismay. The spring soccer teams were in dire need of new uniforms for every grade so the principal had suggested to use the popular small town event as a fundraiser in which every parent was encouraged to participate in.

And in a small town like Green Oaks, that meant of course that everyone participated.

It was what had led Steve walking down the narrow Green Oaks Elementary hallway, a small chubby hand encased in his own as the pair of them slowly strolled down the narrow passage. Dismissal had been an hour ago but the school was still vibrant with life, surprisingly for a Friday in March, the air drifting with laughter and the sweet smell of baked goods and other wares.

“Is my mommy going to do be down this hallway?”

Adrians voice is tiny, barely audible above the chatter and Steve looks down at him with a large smile, giving him a squeeze.

“I think so buddy. Remember, this morning she said she was going to be a little late because she had to run home and grab all of the yummy goodies you helped her bake for the fundraiser?”

Adrian nods but his small, round eyes still don’t stop from roaming from the endless array of tables. Steve gives him a squeeze, resisting the urge to lift the small boy and sing him one of the many songs that he knew would yank a grin out of him.

Biasedly, Steve adored the inquisitive five year old and he knew that half of it was because the boy had the kind of intelligence and compassion most kids didn’t find until there were far older, and the other half was because he was an extension of you.

When you had dropped Adrian off this morning, you had that worried glint in your eye that he had become accustomed to seeing.

“My father can’t pick Adrian after the bake sale,” you had sighed as you watched Adrian run around on the playground with his peers.

“I have to rush home to pick up all the things I baked which would mean an hour of Adrian being unintended for, and I’m not comfortable enough to ask any of the new moms. I know they mean well but….sometimes they just come off judgy, you know?”

Steve knew. That mixed with your pride kept you biting down on your lips, eyes trained on your son. The solution was easy to him,

“If you don’t mind,” you had flickered your eyes to him, “ I can happily watch Adrian during that time. Dawkins likes for the staff to linger for these things, say hi before we head out so I’ll be around anyways. And I don’t mind watching Adrian.”

The smile that had erupted across your lips had been all he needed, happy for his decision as you squeezed his arm in quick thanks, before waving at your son and currying away.

You were exactly the kind of trouble he was enjoying getting lost in.

“Steve I didn’t think you’d stay for this thing.”

The familiar low tone of his good friend draws his attention away from Adrian and he stops them both, turning and watching as Natasha makes her way through the crowd, oblivious to the many dads who give her a second look as she progresses toward him, a bag in hand.

Natasha was probably one of the most attractive people Steve has ever met in his life, point blank. Fiery red hair and a personality to match, supple lips that matched her hips and wide blue eyes. The only thing stopping her from breaking Green Oaks male population was the fact that her fiance and his best friend from childhood, James “Bucky” Barnes, was a respected police officer in the community.

That and she shut down most men before they could get a word out.

Regardless, she was far softer with the fifth graders she taught and Steve was grateful that he had someone else in this building he could have normal conversations with. He wasn’t oblivious to the looks he received from most of the women he worked with, the lingering touches despite if they were married or not. It was a far different experience from how he used to be treated in high school - his former scrawny self an afterthought after puberty hit him in college.

“Well I had some motivation.” Steve pulls Adrian into view who smiles widely at the redhead, beaming,

“Hi Ms. Roman….Roman….Romaneff.” the young boy furrows his eyebrows trying to get her name out and Natasha laughs as she ruffles his head,

“You can just call me Ms. R,” she shifts her eyes to Steve. “I’m going to be so happy to be Mrs. Barnes for so many reasons. Mainly so kids can finally say my last bloody name but don’t let Bucky know that’s the top reason.”

Steve laughs as he directs Adrian back in the direction of the cafeteria and Natasha nudges him, following his pace,

“He’s stinking adorable but why are you on teacher duty? Bell rang nearly an hour ago.”

Steve stops with Adrian at a table, watching as the young boy eyes travel to the soap dinosaur bombs with mild curiosity before flickering his eyes back to Steve. Steve knows that he shouldn’t buy it for the boy - you would hate that - but there’s something about those large bold eyes that has him tugging in his back pocket for his wallet, telling Adrian he can have one if he liked.

“And one for my mommy?” Adrian asks shyly and Steve chuckles and nods. You were going to be livid with him.

“Sure bud - that way this nice lady doesn’t have to break my ten.” he winks at the elderly woman behind the table who laughs though she blushes, shaking her head as she temporarily asks Adrian which dinosaur he’d be interested in.

Natasha raises an eyebrow as Steve turns to her and says,

“I told Y/N that I’d watch him while she prepped for this thing. Her dad couldn’t pick him up today and she was in a bind so…”

“So you just thought to play babysitter to the hot new mom in town.” Natasha kids and Steve rolls his eyes though he smiles. He notices the woman flicker her eyes between the both of them but he waves it aside.

Everyone knew about you - it was hard not to in a small town like this, a distant suburb of Boston. You had moved here two years ago with just Adrian and had been an immediate hot topic. Single mom who bought the only art gallery in town and curated some pieces for the few museum in the local area - why wouldn’t you be a gossip?

Really it was the women who gossiped and really, Natasha had pointed out the one summer evening she had dragged him and Bucky to a show you were hosting, it was because you were...different. The women were intimidated by you. You were an outsider from the city, this curvy one woman show that was also the daughter of Green Oaks former mayor.

Your dad had bee a scandal - a known Green Oaks native winning their votes despite his Brooklyn upbringing. The fact that he had always talked about you but never dragged you out - the tongues that wagged though he was voted for term until he couldn’t any more.

Then you, his daughter. Single mom with no husband fresh from the big city opening a posh art gallery in town. Obviously you were scandalous.

Except, of course, like most things time shifted the tide.

You used your space on Saturdays to host free art classes that you facilitated. Adrian participated in every class, club and sport you could sign him for and you were a proud member of the local book club and an active member in Green Oaks PTA. You volunteered at parades and organized charity runs and was a proud chair member of the city council.

Through time, people discovered how Adrian’s father ran out on you when he found out you were pregnant. That you had studied in Versailles and was a distinguished artist before you had gotten pregnant. That you moved to Green Oaks where your parents decided to retire so you could get help with raising him, not wanting Adrian to get lost in the city that was New York.

Steve had known you long before Adrian was in his class, from afar, when he would go to art nights with his friends and sometimes drop in for classes. Had enough pleasant enough conversations with you but could never break down your wall.

But then he started teaching Adrian and things had changed.

“She’s not new anymore Natasha.” Steve chuckles as Adrian runs to him with the bright Stegosaurus and T-Rex bombs he had selected. Steve helps him place the bombs in his backpack before Adrian grabs his hand and they resume their journey down the hall.

“I know,” Natasha nudges him, “I’m just curious as to why? You normally shut that down with moms month one. Playing the babysitter.”

Steve keeps the smile to himself as they turn a corner and it's obvious that this is a particularly popular hall, the noise level increasingly louder with families jammed together. The baked goods hall. Adrian tightens his hand around Steve, his hold around the plush dinosaur that he favored being bought to his chest as he looks around amused.

“This hall is busy.” Adrian finally comments and Steve agrees, nodding.

“I agree bud - this hall is busy.”

“Why?” the young man asks, the curls on his head falling back with him as he looks up at Steve with large, curious eyes.

“Hmmmm, I’d guess there’s a really popular table with a lot of yummy goodies.”

“I bet it's mommy’s table.” Adrian doesn’t miss a beat, smiling deeply as he starts to pull the large man down toward the hectiness and Natasha gives an approving nod.

“He actually is right about that.”

It only takes a few strides before they find the source of the long line and, like Adrian and Natasha pointed out, your table is the source. You’re oblivious to their presence as you talk to parents, jumping from English and Spanish depending on the individual as you exchange your baked delicacies for cash or credit card. You’re hair has been thrown into a haphazard ponytail, the bodycon professional dress fully exposed as you throw your blazer on the chair behind you exposing your bosom.

He feels the air escaping his lungs, tries not to let it show as Adrian pulls toward you more strongly, though he feels Natasha’s eyes on him as Adrian screams out,

“Mommy!”

Your head automatically snaps to his direction, eyes falling on your son before they blink up to Steve. There’s satisfaction in seeing the way you exhale a large breath, teeth tugging on your bottom lip before you shake your head, moving from behind the tight space of the table to bend down and extend your arms out for your son. Adrian moves with ease in the crowd, despite the awkward weight of his large backpack and he jumps in your arms as you lift him, placing kisses all over his face.

“Oh little man I’ve missed you.” you say as Steve and Natasha near and you flicker your eyes to the group,

“Natasha you back for more?”

The red head laughs and shakes her head,

“No way. I’ve bought enough chocolate to ruin my wedding dress size for the next few weeks. No, I figured I’d lead Steve in the right direction since he’s been looking for you.”

You smile over at Steve as Adrian burrows himself in your neck, wraps around more as you say,

“Mr. Rogers thanks so much for looking after Adrian. I really appreciate it and am sure the last thing you wanted to do was watch a five year old for one hour longer on a Friday.”

Steve sticks his hands in his pockets, bashful grin planted on his face,

“It was no problem at all, it was fun hanging out with Adrian. And please Y/N, you can call me Steve. Especially after work hours.”

He feels silly when he’s in your presence, hard to grasp on his thoughts but he is grateful as he sees you fall into yourself, a similar shy smile on your face before you clear your throat and turn with your son in your hands.

“Well everyone bought up a lot of my cupcakes and truffles-”

“You should have an in house bakery in your gallery. Those truffles are sin.” Natasha cuts you off and you laugh as you turn back to them.

“Not sure about that Natasha but I did save these for you Mr. Roge….I mean Steve. To thank you for hanging out with Adrian...it really does mean a lot.”

You hand over the container that held four cupcakes and you shift Adrian on your hip as you say,

“They’re the dark chocolate ones you like. The ones with the salted caramel frosting. I remembered you telling me how much you enjoyed them when I made them for your class last fall so...figured you deserve the small batch I whipped up this morning.”

“Oh come on...those are Bucky’s favorite and she wouldn’t let anyone buy them! I even offered to pay 50 dollars for them. Aren’t you lucky Steve.” Natasha pretends offense though she laughs at the way Steve smiles cheekily at you, a slight blush tinging his cheeks. He doesn’t mean for the thank you he shoots your way to come off as timid as it does as you stare him back down but he also was still trying to figure out how to navigate interacting with you in public spaces.

You clear the air, promising Natasha you’d bake her and Bucky a special batch as you sit Adrian down, handing him a book as you start to clean up the little material you had on your table. Steve notices that you have nothing left, not compared to everyone else around you and doesn’t hesitate to volunteer himself and Natasha to help clean up.

“We were headed out anyways.” he notes when you protest and though Natasha throws him questioning eyes she doesn’t challenge him, happily helps fold the black tablecloth you’ve bought, pile the left over plastic containers into your travel cart.

“I’m happy I sold out early, means I can head home and start my weekend early.” you say as the four of you head out of the school, Adrian unwilling to leave the embrace of your arms as you carry him and your work bag. Steve is carrying the four tubs of plastic ware and Natasha has the rolling bin that held your tablecloth - the table decorations. You stop temporarily to speak with the principal about your contribution, handing him your moneybox before you proceed with the group back to the parking lot.

“Tell me about it. I don’t know why we planned for a late spring wedding. School is out and then a wedding? I’m an idiot - I have so much to plan for and have little motivation to want to get it all done.” Natasha mumbles and you click your Nissan Rogue open as you say,

“If you want, I could come over this weekend. I took Saturday off and I’ve been in a wedding or two...I’d happily help out if you need it.”

“Oh my god would you? Bucky would be eternally grateful….would even forgive you for giving his best friend all of his cupcakes.”

You laugh as you place Adrian in the back seat, buckling him in and nodding.

“Let me give you my number. Text me when I can come over...as long as you don’t mind Adrian tagging along. We were going to go to the zoo but if the weather is going to be bad like predicted he’d happily watch some movies while we plan and drink wine.”

Steve places the containers in the trunk, and the bin before closing it and checking on Adrian who is playing with the bath bombs like action figures.

“You have a good evening little man. Don’t give your mom too much of a hard time.”

“I won’t Mr. Rogers. I’m gonna tell her about the dinosawr bones we found!” the young boys face is enthusiastic and Steve ruffles his head before coming to the other side, waiting on you patiently as you and Natasha see each other off, Natasha waving goodbye to Steve before heading to her car.

“Natasha’s kind of had a girl crush on you for months...you don’t know how much that means to her.” he says when you turn to him and you laugh as you cross your arms, tightening your hands around your body as you try to block it from the early spring chilly air.

“I doubt that. Natasha is too cool of a girl to want to hang out with a dork like me.”

Your voice is teasing and he laughs as he shuts the door at Adrian’s side, waving at Adrian through the tinted glass as you turn on your heels, moving toward the drivers side. He’s not too far behind you.

“Well it was a pleasure getting to spend time with you, Ms. Y/L/N,” you stop at your door, leaning on it as he stands in front of you, mirroring your movement, “You really know how to brighten up a man’s day.”

You blush as you play with your keys, shaking your head before looking back up at him and smiling,

“Well you’re the one who saved my ass earlier today Mr. Rog….I mean Steve,” a gust of wind hits and you tighten your hold around you. “Thanks for watching Adrian. I really appreciate it.”

There was so many words going unsaid as he watched you in the twilight, your eyes twinkling as they looked back at him, hair getting tugged out of your ponytail and whipping against your face. He loved that when you smiled your dimples dug into your cheeks, loved the faint smell of perfume that wafted to his nose. If he could, he’d lean over and kiss your lips, succulent and teasing - whisper how much he loved you and how he was looking forward to seeing you later. But you weren’t ready for that, not yet. You wanted to make sure that it was okay with your son, knows it would be a big step for him to have someone like Steve in his life.

Instead he digs in his pockets, finds the scrap of paper he’s written out to you earlier and grabs your fumbling hands, rubs the soft skin that's gone cold from the wind before giving it a quick squeeze.

“Anytime,” he places the small note in your hands before raising them to his lips, giving it a quick peck and saying, “See you around.”

He opens your car door, waits until you’re in before he closes it, giving you a wink that you return before waving to Adrian one last time. Waits until you’ve safely left the parking lot before he walks to his own car, getting in and waiting for it to warm up. Barely puts his car into drive before Natasha is calling him and he doesn’t get a chance to say hello as Natasha barrels out,

“Holy shit how long have you and her been dating and how the fuck has this town not known and put it on the front page of our herald!?”

He’s on Bluetooth and looks around the parking lot, sighing as he sees her car still in its parking space,

“Did you really stay back in your car to spy on us?”

A snort,

“Uh yes. Bucky and I have been trying to hook you and her up for months now! You always chicken out when we go to the gallery nights. Apparently we should have just brought her to your world, she’s into the whole naughty teacher act.”

He laughs as he pulls out of the parking lot,

“That's not….that's not how that happened at all. I was surprised same as you when I saw Adrian on my roster. But it all gave me some one on one time and we started chatting more casually. And a little before Halloween I finally got the nerve to ask her out and she said yes. That's all.”

“Why haven’t you told your two best friends!?” Natasha counters and Steve shrugs though he knows it falls on silent eyes.

“We wanted to keep it quiet for a bit because everyone in this town is always gossiping about something. And...she wants to make sure Adrian is ready for a new person in his life. It's not just her I’m dating - she wants to be considerate of her son.”

Natasha wait's a beat before saying,

“That’s fair. I get that, I guess, you’d think I’d gossip to the harlots of this town -”

“You’d completely tell at least Sam and Wanda and Wanda actually works for the herald - Sam is a government official…..we all know the minute they know everyone does. So yes, gossiping to the harlots indeed.”

“Whatever,” Natasha continues, “How did you both manage to date for five months without anyone else knowing? Seriously, you sneeze in this town and everyone’s texting about it.”

“We drive to Boston or stay at my place.” he says simply and Natasha laughs,

“Well then you both deserve this secret romance. Well played. Next question - can I ask her about you tomorrow?”

“I’m hanging up now.” he deadpans and Natasha laughs

“I mean I was going to regardless, you kept giving each other fuck me eyes. God you should have seen Alison Johnson - she has such a hard on for you and got so sour when you didn’t even acknowledge her waving at you and instead was drooling over hot mom. She’s definitely going to be gossiping about it….”

“Good night Natasha. Tell Bucky I said hello.”

He hangs up on his friend, laughing in good nature. Natasha was probably right and that was something he could talk to you about later. In the meantime, he needed to make a minor adjustment to dinner plans and he knew exactly where to begin.

________

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#steve rogers #steve rogers au #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x poc #chris evans #captain america

119 notes · View notes

flannelpunkcalum · 5 years

Text

The Devil Wears Kevlar - Part 7

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

it’s crazy how i’ve been doing this for almost two months huh? the next week the chapter is a little short so to celebrate the real two month-aversary I was thinking about updating twice? let me know what you think but I’d just feel bad with the shorter chapter and hopefully I’ll have more time this summer so I won’t need chapters in the bank. but the suspense is a big draw for you guys, right? anyway content warning for violence again

She comes back to consciousness slowly, achingly. One thought after the other.

Ow.

Aspen’s mouth feels like foam.

The chair she's in is really uncomfortable.

Sound really echoes in this place.

Ow.

She's cold.

Ow.

Something is digging into her ankles.

Ow.

Aspen drags her head up and blinks her eyes open. Shapes and colours blur together for a long moment - she huffs out a breath and squints. Things sharpen.

The walls around her are concrete - it's all unfinished, wherever this is. It’s breezy. She can't see any door, and the only light is from some industrial floodlight pointed into a corner. There are dropcloths all over - in fact, there's one under the chair she's sitting in.

Well. Shit.

Now that she's looking around with her stiff neck - her ankles are chained to the legs of the chair she's in. Not delicately, either, the chain’s wound around each of her ankles a couple of times and tight. Her arms - she wiggles experimentally - they're chained too, to something behind her. At least, that's sure as hell what they feel like. She's no expert. She's never been kidnapped before.

Fuck. Aspen forces herself to take a deep breath, and then another, but it doesn't work. She's panicking. And you know what, fucking goddamn right, she doesn't know where she is or how she got here or what’s going on-

A door slams open behind her and she jumps. The chains click a little. It’s a metal foldout, the kind you’d find in a church basement. Any information feels essential, in this state - even turning her head, she can’t see who’s come in. The tears in her eyes make everything blurry again.

“Aspen? Oh, you’re awake, I’m - glad.” Liam comes into her field of vision.

Liam. It all rush through her mind again; the elevator, the garage. There’s a deep ache in her bicep that starts to throb as she remembers it all.

“Here, have some water.”

Aspen is parched, but as Liam holds out a water bottle she doesn’t lean forwards to try and drink. “What the fuck is this?” She says, trying to ignore the way her voice cracks. She looks around again, sees city lights out between the scaffolding. This must be a construction site. Fuck, she’s up so high.

That wasn’t what Liam was looking for, apparently, because he draws the water bottle back and looks wounded. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and sweatpants, and that alone his almost as eerie as this whole damn thing; she’s never seen him in anything but a suit before. There are dark stains on the pants that she’s praying are motor oil. “I just want to get you home, Aspen, I- this wasn’t supposed to happen. You’ll be fine as long as you listen to me, I promise.”

That’s what does it - Aspen makes her hands into fists behind her back, but it doesn’t help, the tears are already falling hot on her cheeks. She doesn’t want him to see her cry, goddamn it. She turns her head away, into her shoulder. She’s still wearing her cardigan. Thank god. She doesn’t know what she’d do if she was stuck in just a slip and her bruises in this- in this-

“Oh, no, I- please don’t cry. It’s- there, there.”

She feels Liam’s hand on her other shoulder and instinctively jerks away, as much as her bonds will let her. “Don’t touch me.” She hisses, even though it sounds pitiful. She can’t look at him, she’ll implode.

After a long moment, she feels him draw away and move around her. She hears his footsteps drag over the concrete. A door behind her closes. She is alone.

She weeps.

This was never supposed to happen. If she was at the mercy of some desperate person in an alley or one of the nightmare supervillains in this town it wouldn’t be so bad, but this is Liam. He let her borrow his stapler and now he’s got a sheet out so her blood won’t stain the floor. Aspen isn’t sensitive, but now she weeps, like she’s a fucking princess in a tower. Only now, she’s an office worker in a a half-constructed skyscraper and she’s going to die here.

She cries her throat raw.

Eventually, she gets her bearings back. She forces herself to take breaths so deep her lungs hurt until she calms down. Wipes her face as best she can on the shoulders of her cardigan. She’ll survive this. She’ll survive this. She has to.

She doesn’t know how long it is until she hears voices outside and she tenses up again, drawing her shoulders back and down like her shoulder blades are plates of armour. She doesn’t know how long she’s been left alone down here. She can’t make out what the people out there are saying, but the voices are low and angry until the door flies open and crashes against the wall, enough to make her gasp.

“-isn’t gonna be happy about this, you know he wanted-”

“Didn’t I say I’d take care of it? Back off, or I’ll tell him exactly how you tried to get in my way.” That’s Liam. The door slams behind her again and she sucks in a breath, in case what comes next hurts, but it’s Liam again, striding over to her. His body is drawn tight - his hands are in fists, too. “How are you doing? You ready to answer some questions for me?” He says, in a voice meant to be gentle. It almost works.

Aspen makes herself take another deep breath. She’s not gonna get out of here if she can’t keep from crying. “Is that why I’m here? Liam, I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything that justifies this, I don’t-”

“Don’t scare yourself, sweetheart, I’m sure we can take care of this.” Liam says, reaching for the same uncapped bottle of water he first offered her. “Here, you want some water now?”

Aspen almost nods. Her mouth tastes like the rest of her feels, and she’s lost a lot of water, but there could be something in that bottle meant to make her fall apart again. “You drink first.” She says.

Liam’s brow creases, and he looks at the water in his hand for a moment until - Liam isn’t easy to read, but she sees something come clear behind his eyes. He understands. He almost looks hurt that she thinks he’d do such a thing, which - dick. “If that’s what you want,” he says, and takes a long sip, wiping his mouth as if to accentuate how safe this is. “It’s fine. I swear.”

Aspen doesn’t need any more than that. “Please,” she says, but before she has to beg anymore Liam is kneeling beside her and tilting the water into her mouth gently. She still nearly chokes on it, but the water is sweet and glorious and she almost feels human by the time he draws back.

“Better?” He asks, and she tries not to be too eager when she nods. “Good. I’m glad. Think you can help me out now?”

That, she isn’t so sure about. “I don’t know what you think I know, Liam. I really don’t.” She says slowly. She doesn’t want to be stupid, she wants to survive this, but - fuck.

Liam’s still kneeling beside her. “Falcone just wants to know a little about Mr. Hood’s plans in the next few days, and you’re smart, I know you-”

“Wait, Don Falcone? Tell him to make a fucking appointment.” If she is chained up in this fucking construction site because one of her boss’ parters doesn’t want to wait to see Calum, Jesus Christ, she’s gonna throw a fit.

Liam looks like her response personally agonized him. “Aspen, please. I shouldn’t have - look, let’s start with something easy, what time does Hood usually get to work in the mornings?”

Aspen doesn't answer. Why would Don Falcone have her kidnapped and tied up to ask about his schedule? Why would he- what does he want with Calum that would make him do this? “Liam, what's going on?” She asks, after a long moment.

“I'm asking the questions, Aspen,” but Liam hesitates even in the cliché and it is not reassuring.

“Please.”

Liam puts the water down and stands up, running a hand through his hair. He turns away from her and looks over Gotham’s skyline, a silhouette against light pollution. To think, probably. All this silence feels worse than if he just told her outright he was going to kill her, which- he wouldn't. Liam wouldn’t.

Of course, Aspen had been pretty sure he wouldn't kidnap her, too.

“...I've already said more than you should know.” Liam mumbles. He's still not looking at her. “All you need to know is that even if it doesn't feel like it, I'm on your side. Okay? I know I've been terrible to you, I know I was a prick at work and all, but this is serious. It’s real. And I- I really don't want to have to hurt you.

“Aspen. God, that's the last thing I want.” Liam turns back to her with wide and desperate eyes, so much so that she almost believes him. “If you trust me, I promise you that I'll make sure you're safe. Just for once in your fucking life cooperate and we’ll both come out fine.”

This is probably meant to make her feel better, feel safe. It doesn't. What is Liam Payne - twice her size Liam, legs like tree trunks Liam, held her down with one hand Liam - what is he so afraid of? Aspen knows it's in her best interest not to find out.

But he's asking her about Calum.

She kissed Calum.

Aspen doesn't know how she would feel about giving up her boss’s schedule if they hadn't- she doesn't know. She’ll never know. All she's certain of is that right now, she's not telling Liam a fucking thing.

She just looks through him. Fixes her eyes on the wall behind him, on the pits she can see in the concrete. If he wanted her cooperation, he shouldn't have chained her up.

He made the wrong fucking choice.

The silence isn't completely lost on Liam, and Aspen can see him shuffle nervously. “...I know you’re mad at me. And once this is done you can be as furious as you like, you can scream at me, anything. Just right now, I need you to play along. Please.”

Liam sounds scared, but Aspen doesn't look at him.

“Hey, I know you must be uncomfortable, I know you must be sore. I can help get you home in twenty minutes if you tell me about Mr. Hood’s plans on Monday. I promise.

“Aspen, I've never broke a promise to you.”

The light in the corner buzzes faintly.

“Look at me.”

She doesn't.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. I need you to tell me what you know or we’re both going to get- Aspen, this is serious. You know what Don Falcone can do.” He grabs her chin, twisting her head so she has to look at him. She doesn't meet his eyes. She can't. She's not going to. This is all she has control over and she's not going to lose it so soon. “Talk to me. Monday morning. What. Time?”

Liam is getting angry. She can feel it in his grip - he’s not hurting her yet, but his fingers positively thrum with anger like a note through piano wire. Her stomach seizes up, but she keeps her eyes fixed over his left shoulder. He's not going to break her. He's not.

They stay like that, for a long time. Really, probably fifteen seconds, but for every one of those seconds Aspen is drawn tight, waiting for the inevitable blow. Watching his shoulders carefully for anything that could warn her. Forcing herself not to squeeze her eyes shut. This is an interrogation, he’s gonna hurt her eventually, and at least she knows it’s coming. She’s going to be brave for as long as she can.

He lets her go.

Aspen lets out a breath, shoulders sagging, and then he hits her.

It doesn't hurt, not at first. There was a flicker of movement above her, and then her head snaps to the side from Liam’s backhand. She doesn't move as feeling creeps back into her face, and with it pain, pain like sparks.

Liam clears his throat. “Please don't make me do that again.”

Aspen forces herself to turn to look at him.

He’s got his fists clenched, but not like weapons; he looks shaken, too. She doesn't sympathize.

It's not that she doubted he would hit her. He held her down on concrete and stuck a needle into the meat of her bicep, of course he’d slap her. It's just all so appallingly wrong.

“Fuck you.” She hisses, turning her eyes back on him.

Liam rubs his forehead and looks away. He seems exhausted, all of a sudden. Aspen’s so sorry if the emotional burden of slapping her around was too much. “At least you're talking.” He murmurs. She thinks she wasn't meant to hear it.

“Fuck you.” She says again, louder this time. “Don't try to pretend you're on my fucking side, don't act like you're trying to protect me when the whole reason I'm here is because you attacked me. I don't trust you and I'm not gonna tell you shit.”

Liam doesn't even look that hurt, which pisses Aspen off more. He just looks stressed out, like this is one of his sales things gone wrong and not her fucking life. “You will, though. One way or another. Don't you get it? Don Falcone is coming here in less than an hour and if you haven't told me about Calum’s plans there's gonna be people with him who can make you say anything. I know you think you're strong but they will break you in ten minutes if you don’t- don't make this difficult, please. If you want to keep both your, your pretty fuckin’ eyes in your head, you'll tell me what I want right now.”

Liam’s not lying. Aspen knows he's been lucky, that he's gone easy on her for a mobster.

She knows she can't be brave forever. They will hurt her and bleed her until they get what they want from her, and if she's lucky that will be all. Maybe Liam will save her, then, if there's anything left to be saved. Maybe he won't.

But she can be brave for now.

For now, she's not going to answer Liam’s questions. When he hurts her enough to wear her thin, she will lie. And if he realizes, if it comes to that, she'll bite her tongue until she can't anymore. Until they force it out of her. They'll make her talk, she knows that. It's just a question of when.

Not fucking now, that’s when.

“Great,” Liam sighs as he realizes she's clammed up again. “Do I need to hit you again? I will. If that's what it takes.” Aspen flinches as he raises his hand, but he drops it back down after a long second and takes a step back, running a hand through his hair again. “You ever seen someone get their teeth yanked out? ‘S not pretty. You should talk to me before it gets to that point.”

Aspen still doesn't relax, not until he kneels down beside her again. At least if he attacks her from there he won't have a height advantage. “I know you don't want to believe me, but I've been looking out for you this whole time.” He says.

Liar.

“You want to know why I tried to keep you from taking this job?” He continues quietly. “To avoid this. To keep you safe. I knew if things didn't go right, I would have to, um, talk to Hood's assistant. You're- well, you were my friend. I didn't want to see you hurt. I still don't. I tried to get his plans other ways, but- you got in the way.”

Liar, Aspen thinks at him, but her mind is whirring. She knows this is probably just a ruse to make her trust him, but it’s not going to work, even when… I mean, what else would make Liam so desperate to kick her out that he’d try to tell her boss she wasn’t interested after the job interview? He had liked her before all this mess started, she was sure of it, they’d been friends- there’s not much else that can poison their relationship but this kind of fear. Him trying to get the schedule, Don Falcone’s visit - it all made too much sense.

It’s a lot to take in; Aspen had been sure Liam hated her for weeks and now this, and the tenderness, and - like, he did hit her, and that’s damn near unforgivable, but he does just want to help, she thinks. He’s just gonna get her killed doing it.

“I know I don't deserve your trust.” Liam continues, still in his softest voice. “But I need you to give it to me. Just for now. Let me take care of this and I promise you you'll be safe. Aspen. Please. Let me do this for you.”

He doesn’t have to grab her chin this time to make her look at him. Maybe Liam knows it, maybe he’s done this before, but either way he’s saying exactly what she wants to hear.

Aspen might have courage, but she is terrified. Determined or not, she is still so very human and she doesn’t want to get hurt, she doesn’t want to die. She anticipated getting the information dragged out of her with pliers and pain, but in Liam’s big, worried eyes she’s thisclose to telling him every fucking thing.

“Calum Hood can’t possibly be paying you enough to stay quiet.” Continues Liam, like he’s egged on by her silence. “No fucking promotion is worth this.”

Aspen doesn’t want Liam to talk any more about what makes Calum worth this. She breaks her meager silence. “Why are you even after him? He’s like the best-protected guy in Gotham.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Aspen immediately worries about that.

Don Falcone is Calum’s family friend. There’s no reason for this, even by mafia standards. Kidnapping her in the parking garage - that wasn’t subtle. It’s a high-risk move by whoever’s pulling the strings. This can’t be some weird way of securing a business deal, or blackmail material - somehow she thinks there’s got to be better way to get incriminating information than tying up some poor secretary in here.

It’s got to be something bigger.

What the fuck does that leave? Why can’t Liam’s boss just make a fucking lunch appointment? What does he want with one of the richest CEOs in Gotham that he can’t get without-

Oh.

“Aspen? Hey. Look at me.” Aspen’s lungs feel tight as Liam reaches for her face again. She’d been staring into middle distance trying to figure this thing out - and it’s big, shit. She turns her head before Liam touches her, but when their eyes meet-

She sees him raise his hand again, turns her head before he can hit her, but he grabs her hair and hauls her head in close to his. She squirms in his grip, but his eyes are boring into hers and she knows he sees her eureka moment written all over her face.

They’re frozen in tableau for a long moment. Aspen can only hear her heartbeat in her ears and traffic on the streets below.

This is what Aspen knows.

Aspen knows she is trapped in a strange half-constructed room with the man who chained her there. She knows that he is trying to convince her to trust him. She knows that he is not on her side, whatever side that may be.

She doesn’t know if anyone has noticed she’s gone.

She doesn’t know if anyone is gonna find her. Or her body.

She knows that she kissed her boss and that now he is in danger and she knows she is very stupid for this but she’s going to try to hold out.

And now, she knows this; there is a killer in Gotham who is hunting the rich and powerful. She knows Don Falcone is strange and sinister, and she knows Liam is working for him. She knows they’ve been trying to trap her rich and powerful boss. She knows that it would be all too easy for the Don to “kidnap” himself, remove himself from suspicion. She knows the reports said he got beat up, but she also knows he kept a lunch appointment with Calum the day after, so how bad could it be?

She knows Don Falcone is the villain the police have been looking for and he’s going to be here in a few minutes to watch her bleed until he has the information he wants.

This is what Liam knows; Aspen knows too much.

#tdwk #tdwk7 #my writing #ch fic #calum hood fic #calum hood series #cw: violence #tw: violence #ch series #5sos series #5 seconds of summer series #what do i usually tag this with #um #the devil wears kevlar #ceo!cal #batman!au #liam payne #also liams in this one

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lukin08 · 5 years

Text

Hindsight

Happy Holidays @frenzy5150! I’m your secret Santa! Two years in a row now! Since you are all around awesome and you also just celebrated a birthday, I decided to do something a little different. First you get a two parter- one for your bday and one for Christmas. Second, I went out on a limb a bit and went a different direction than I’m used to. This is kind of sorta inspired by a show I watched with the same name maybe five years ago. I hope you like it! Part 2 will be up later in the week.

Part 2 HERE

Modern AU

Rating: T

Words: 4600

If you could go back and change one thing about your life, one decision, one answer, one mistake, what would you do? Knowing everything you know now, would you make the same choice and somehow get it right this time? Or would you start over?

The question was at the tip of her conscience as she flipped through the pages. She looked so happy. They both did. Her wedding. Her first one. With the exception of her sister, no one would have guessed on that day how her marriage would implode on itself. You married the wrong person, she thought to herself.

Almost twenty years later, Anna still thought about that day. Her first husband, Harry, and she had been so in love. Or that’s what she had told herself. They were definitely crazy. …and impulsive. And so stupid!

Anna closed the album with a sigh and walked over to the closet to tuck it safely on the shelf. The best place for it now, she decided, was under other stacks of photo albums and scrapbooks she had collected over the first twenty years of her life when she had occupied this room. She never brought them with her when she moved out. All the digital files were with her, but she had still wanted to print them all out. There was something permanent with pictures in a book. Maybe she was old fashioned, but she preferred to look at them this way. With the exception of one wedding album that joined the stack a long time ago, none of them ever left. Anna preferred the nostalgia of being able to sneak in every so often and steal a glimpse of her past.

The layers of photos and books heaved as she tried to lift up the bottom. Anna rammed the album in only for the entire pile to shift to the right and begin to tip. If it hadn’t been for the box of books stored next to them, the entire thing would have come down on top of her. The albums came to an abrupt stop, sending several pictures fluttering down to the floor.

She quickly picked them up and went to stuff them back in one of the pages. But something stopped her when she glanced at the photos. Those eyes were staring back at her. Young and hopeful and without the sadness they carried the last time she had looked into them. She slowly flipped through the others. They were all pictures of the summer she spent that summer at her parent’s lake house and it was her favorite memory.

There were two of her and Elsa. Both smiling and making faces at the camera. It was easy to forget over the years how close they had once been. The rest were of friends including another picture she stopped to look at again of the one she considered her best for a very long time. That was the first summer they met and she thought they would be in each other’s lives forever. Incredible how she was wrong about so many things.

“God, I miss you,” she said, running a finger over the photograph.

A spark touched heart for a brief moment before the knock on the door made her jump.

“Anna? We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago.” The door opened as Andrew popped his head in. “Everything okay?”

Anna twisted on the bed and offered a smile. “Yes. Yes! Good. I had a little fight with the closet, but its fine!”

He walked into the room and offered his hand to Anna. “Good. I was beginning to think my fiancée was getting cold feet.”

“Don’t be silly!” Anna wrapped her arms around Andrew. She felt him pull her closer for a moment. Then one arm let go of her as he fumbled in his pocket. When she looked up at him, he had a ridiculous grin on his face.

“What is that?”

“Mistletoe.”

“I know what it is, but why do you have it?”

“Because you and I both know that tonight is going to be crazy and I want one kiss with you alone with no party and no people.”

Anna smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek. “Hold on to that until after the party. I’ve kept us too late already.”

“But I won’t see you after the party.”

“Then we’ll have to find a few minutes to sneak out of it.”

She walked past him and down the hall to the front door. Andrew quickly caught up to her, grabbing her coat and helping Anna into it.

“Are you sure you’re up for this. An engagement and Christmas party all rolled into one?”

“Of course. We are getting married and everyone is in town and its Christmas. What better excuse do we need to host a party?” She winked at him and reached for the door to head out.

----

Okay, you can do this. Just get a drink in your body before you talk to your sister.

Anna strode through the room, keeping ahead of Andrew, smiling and waving to the guests. She found the closest bar and ordered a glass of champagne.

“There’s the blushing bride.”

Anna spun on her heels, setting a pleasant look on her face. “Hi Elsa.”

They gave each other a quick hug, one that would never happen if they were not in the public eye. Elsa gave Anna a once over, not hiding that she was checking to see if Anna was dressed appropriately.

“You look worried.”

“Elsa.”

“Okay, You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. And you look beautifier. Beautiful, I mean. As always.”

Elsa nodded, then turned her gaze to the crowd of people. “Thank you for agreeing to this. Since I couldn’t convince you to pick a more sensible time after the holidays for your engagement party, I think this is the best compromise. I will admit it makes it easier to host the Christmas party and Andrew’s parents run in the same social circles, so co-hosting with them makes sense.”

Anna held in the intense desire to roll her eyes. “That and it’s one less function you have to attend now.”

“An added benefit, yes.”

“Wouldn’t want to make you look bad.”

“That hasn’t seemed to bother you in the last twenty years.”

“Can we not get into that? I just want tonight to go smoothly.”

“Relax. You’ll be fine. You’ve done this before, you know.”

Elsa glided away, greeting a valuable client with her usual diplomacy.

Anna couldn’t resist. She cupped her hand to her mouth and yelled out. “I love you too, Els! Merry Christmas!”

She turned back to the bar and downed her glass. By the time her second was in her hand, Andrew had whisked her away to make the rounds to all the guests. The evening began to blur. Anna found nodding along with Andrew instead of engaging in conversation an easier path for the night. It didn’t help that questions from her boss kept scrolling in and she had to excuse herself to answer them.

“Where do you keep going?” Andrew asked as they walked together during a brief moment alone. Anna could hear the tint of annoyance in his voice.

“It’s Simon. I have to keep helping him for a meeting prep he has tomorrow.”

“You work too much.”

“What else am I supposed to do?’

Andrew sighed and turned to Anna. “Maybe one of these days, you should put your tail between your legs and talk to your sister about working at the company you are partial owner in.”

“That’s never going to happen.”

He smiled that exasperated smile at her. It hit her how genuine he was. How much he loved her. Andrew was the opposite of her first husband in every way. He was sweet, kind, responsible, had a job. But did he set Anna on fire?

She was warm. That had to count for something.

By the time the toasts began, Anna could barely hide the look of despair as her body fought the duel urge to run and stay. You look worried. There was no hiding the truth from Elsa. She had noticed it instantly. Doubt crept into Anna’s thoughts. Was she making the right choice or was this about to be another bad decision in the string of ones that defined her life? Anna yearned for a trusted shoulder to lean on right now. But she didn’t have her sister to talk to and she hadn’t spoken to her best friend in years.

She made it to the bathroom and was able to hide in a stall before full panic took over. This whole engagement was a mistake. It was screaming at her. It was the same warning that she missed before her first marriage. Just get through the holidays. You can deal with it then. Tonight you need to stay calm. Anna took a deep breath, but before she could move, she heard two people walk in.

“You must be so relieved she’s finally settling down. She could probably still have a baby if she froze her eggs.”

It was her cousin. Anna had never gotten along with her and she seethed at hearing her voice.

“Let’s hope this one sticks. Anna’s always been. You know, a little flighty,” Elsa replied

Anna’s mouth dropped at hearing her sister. She had to clamp her hand over her mouth to stop the squeak from leaving her mouth. She peered through the slats in the door to get a view.

“Anna’s been successful in other areas of her life. She does well with her career.”

“Please, she’s a glorified secretary.” Anna’s hand came up to her heart at the harshness of Elsa’s words. “I always thought she’d have a bigger life. You know, do something extraordinary. Or at least something that made her happy. She’s so talented, but she was consumed by that husband… then the job.”

“Anna made her choices. Bad ones, yes. We both told her that her priorities were out of whack. So her first marriage was a disaster. Sometimes it’s better to let people do what they need to do so they can work it out themselves. We’re here now and she’s finally settling down with a nice man.”

“You’re right. I’ve just been worried about her for so long. I won’t dwell on the past. I’ll… I’ll try to be happy for her now.”

The women finished up and headed out. Anna’s cousin spoke again. “Who knows? Maybe Anna will come to her senses and apologize to you and come to work at the company where she belongs. Where family should be.”

The door closed and Anna let it out, punching her fists in the air as hard as she could. Elsa, please see through her bullshit. She’s just trying to get her husband a position at the company. The room was silent and Anna was left with her thoughts of Elsa’s words. It wasn’t a surprise to hear, but they tore at her still.

Anna slipped out of the bathroom and away from the party until she found herself in the front lobby. She needed to talk to someone. But not just anyone. She needed one person that would listen to her, understand and not judge her. She longed for his comfort and how he could pick up her spirits when it seemed the world was collapsing around her. But she had ruined that as well and it cut her down more than anything.

A flash caught her eye, making Anna look up. In the lobby, was a grand Christmas tree all decked out in the finest decorations. Ornaments and garland glittered all the way to the top where it was fitted with a gorgeous star. It took her a second to notice the two girls who were working the party in front of her admiring the tree.

One of them caught her staring at her and elbowed the other. “We’re sorry ma’am.”

Anna shook her head. “Don’t mind me.” She looked back up at the tree. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Both girls smiled back at her. “It’s our last night working before Christmas. We had to get our wishes in.”

Anna tilted her head at them. The other girl added before she could ask. “Some of these decorations from the tree are original to when this hall opened. I don’t know which ones besides the star. But there’s a story that if you make a wish to the star, it will be granted.”

“It doesn’t hurt to try, right?” The other girl added.

The corners of Anna’s mouth turned up. “No. No it doesn’t at all.”

The girls excused themselves. Anna went to go back to the party, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off the tree. “I know what my wish it would be.” She took one last wistful look at it and went back into the party to find Elsa to tell her she was leaving.

It took a few minutes of searching and ducking out of small talk with people to find Elsa. They may have not be close anymore, but Anna was still aware of Elsa’s tricks and hiding spots. After a few tries at more obvious locations, Anna spotted Elsa off in a side room with a bar. It was secluded enough that most of the people didn’t use it and exactly why Elsa requested it stay open every party.

She was half way in the room before she noticed who Elsa was with. She froze in place, unable to move. Her sister sensed her, looked her way while tapping the arm of the person seated next to her. Elsa slipped off her stool and walked towards Anna. For a fleeting moment, her face was soft and she paused to place her hand on Anna’s shoulder.

“Go talk to him,” she whispered. “I’ll cover for you.”

It took some convincing for her feet to move. Anna finally took a hesitant step closer. Then another. And another. He had already turned back to the bar and she watched him take a long draught of his beer. Her hand gripped the back of the stool next to him. She noticed the two other empty bottles sitting off to the side.

“Is…is this seat taken?”

Kristoff huffed and a slight smile brushed over his lips. He glanced at her before looking straight ahead, pulling another swig of his beer.

“It’s your party. I think you can sit wherever you want.”

It probably was the best invitation she would get. She stepped up to the stool, keeping both legs facing him. “It’s really Elsa’s party, we both know that.”

“She’s not here to kick you out the seat, so I guess it’s yours for now.”

The both chuckled, Kristoff stole another glance at her holding her eyes to him. He had aged well, despite everything he had been through. He was smaller than she always remembered him, his hair was short, with just a hint of grey at the temples. It fit him, but Anna missed that mop of hair that she always had to fuss with and yell at him to remember to cut. “Kristoff.” She reached up and stroked his cheek. When he didn’t jump back from her touch, she dared ever so softly to place her hand on top of his that was resting on the bar. She could feel her heart start to race, a surge of energy running through her body. “What are you doing here?”

“I was invited, remember.”

There it was. That grin. Suddenly he was twenty-one again and not a day had passed between them.

Anna arched an eyebrow, grinning back. “You’ve been invited to at least the last ten. You’ve never showed up before.”

He shrugged and turned to the bar again. The break in contact, felt like losing him all over. Anna pulled her hand close, her fingers still tingling where they had touched him.

“I was in town. Didn’t have anything else to do. I figured there’d be free food and drinks.”

“Okay Bjorgman. Whatever you say. You sure that’s the only reason?” She bumped her shoulder to his, hoping to keep the mood light.

He didn’t look at her, keeping his beer close to his lips. “Kind of wanted to check in on you, too.”

“And hiding in another room is how you do that?”

“No. I saw you earlier. You were busy talking to…everyone. I decided to hold back and see if I could find you later.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

They fell into an easy rhythm. Anna told Kristoff everything that popped into her head. She talked about work and how busy she was, ignoring the messages from her boss. She talked without a filter and she couldn’t remember how long it had been when she didn’t have to reign in everything she wanted to say.

Kristoff was listening to her and it felt so good to feel significant to someone. He shifted in his seat as if he was studying her.

“Anna, are you okay?”

“What? Of course I am! I’m wonderful. It’s Christmas and I’m getting married.”

“But are you happy?”

“Why do you think I’m not happy?”

“I don’t know. You just seem… not like yourself.”

Anna stiffened at that. “You haven’t seen me in over ten years. You don’t know who I am.”

“I know when something isn’t right with you. That hasn’t changed. I can see right through you. What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.” Anna crossed her arms.

“No you’re not.”

“Kristoff, I told you-“

“It’s because you’re about to marry a guy you don’t love and you are absolutely miserable, isn’t it?”

“No!”

He squinted his eyes, leaning closer. “Yeah, that’s it. About to make the same mistake again. Did you not learn anything from your first marriage?”

“How dare you!”

“How dare I what? Call you out on your bullshit? Can’t handle hearing the truth, princess?”

“Don’t call me that. You don’t get to call me that anymore.” Anna turned away from him, but she couldn’t stop herself from glaring back at him. When she moved, he looked so smug and satisfied that she saw red.

“Who do you think you are anyway? Waltzing in here after years! What? Did you find out I was engaged and you had to run over here just to try to rub in all my misery? Poke at all my weak spots. Make me feel worse than I already do? Well you did! Are you happy? Why do you care? We aren’t even friends anymore!”

“You made sure of that, didn’t you?”

“You don’t think I don’t feel horrible about that? I do every day, Kristoff! I hate that I wasn’t there for you and that I wouldn’t listen… and… I miss you every day. But you stopped talking to me! And you can’t come here and tell me I’m not happy when you don’t know me anymore.”

“I know you better than you know yourself! Look, forget it. This is pointless. I shouldn’t have come here tonight.” He pulled out his wallet to fish for a tip.

“Kristoff, why did you come here tonight?”

“Why did you invite me?”

They stared each other down. Anna gnawed at her bottom lip unable to take it anymore. “I asked you first.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she struggled to stay in control.

Kristoff sighed. “Because I didn’t try to stop you before.”

“You did. I wouldn’t listen.”

“Look, Anna. You’re right. I don’t know what’s wrong other than you are not happy. I had to come see for myself. And I see you and you have the same look on your face that you did before. I didn’t try to stop you the way I should have last time. I wasn’t honest with you and it wasn’t fair to you. I thought if I showed up this time…that…”

“What?”

He shook his head and laughed to himself. “I never could tell you to no. Ever. No matter what crazy idea got in your head. Even when I watched you marry someone you didn’t love. I couldn’t stand the thought of causing you pain. But I should have then. Or at least I should have figured out when to walk away.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because there never was a time when I wasn’t in love with you.” Kristoff fumbled for something at his legs. “I have to go. I’m sorry Anna. I shouldn’t have come. Forget I was here.”

Anna sat frozen in her chair. She watched as Kristoff carefully slid off the stool and take a measured step with the cane. The memory of his accident flashed in front of her. The doctors said he was lucky to even be alive. Then the guilt washed over her. She hadn’t been there for him. Too wrapped up with Harry to be the friend he needed the most.

He got to the entrance of the room before what he had said sunk in and Anna could move again. She hopped off the stool. “Kristoff… I invited you all these years because it kept the door open the tiniest bit. It was all I had, but there was always hope that I would see you again.”

“I know.” He stopped and dropped his head. “Do not pursue the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. The past no longer is. The future has not come. Look deeply at life as it is.”

“What? Kris, I don’t understand. Please, just stay-“

He looked at her once more and smiled. But it was distant and he took another step away. “It’s a Buddhist Proverb. One of my therapists told it to me when I was rehabbing. I used it as a mantra to help me keep going when I thought the pain was too much. I never forgot it.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Your past doesn’t define you, Anna. You can make your future what you want it to be. Remember that. Please.”

“Kris. No.”

“I have to go. Don’t invite me again. Goodbye, Anna. Merry Christmas.”

He disappeared into the crowd in the main room. An ache shot directly into Anna’s heart. She couldn’t breathe, choking on the air as tears streamed down her cheek. He was gone and this time it was for good. It was as if a part of her had been ripped off. She couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again.

She caught her breath, her mind racing. No, this wasn’t going to be how this ended. Not this time. Not when she finally understood what she had been wanting all along.

“Kristoff! Wait!”

Anna darted through the crowd, trying not to look too desperate as she wove through the people and headed towards the lobby. She had to be able to catch up with him. She pushed out the main doors, and past the tree she had stood in front. A reflection from the lights hit her in the eyes, making her wince. He wasn’t there. Anna hoped she could catch up to him before he got any further.

“Kristoff!”

Anna yelled as she raced down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.

“Kristoff wait! Please! Where are you?”

She ran into the streets, checking in all directions, looking into the vehicles before they could move from the light.

“Kristoff!”

But he was gone. It was as if he vanished right in front of her. Anna threw her head back in defeat looking to night sky. She was too late.

A snowflake hit her eye. Anna flinched and stumbled backwards. When she caught her balance, she looked around and saw that it had started snowing. She loved the snow. It should have felt magical, but all she wanted to do was get to her bed and sleep for a week.

She trudged back to the venue. Somewhere inside was her coat. She needed to find that before she figured out how to get home, all the while trying to avoid Andrew and her noted absence. Anna was going through scenarios of how to sneak in and back out when she found herself in front of the tree. She slowly followed the layers of ornaments up to the star as the rage and sorrow from the night built.

“Wishing tree my ass.” She let out of woeful laugh. “How many people have come here over the years? What do they ask for? Money, I bet. Or their health. Or love.” Anna waved her hand dismissively. “For what? All because someone came up with some ridiculous story who knows how long ago to draw in customers.” She stared up at the tree again. “How many people have you let down? Christmas wishes… You know what wishes solve? Nothing! You’re still poor, or sick or lonely, or… or…” She stopped to wipe away the tears. “You know what my wish would be? To fix this! To fix me! Make this night never happen this way! But you can’t because you’re a stupid tree! A stupid, dumb, plain ole, non-wishing tree!”

Anna stepped back. She could feel a headache coming on. “What’s wrong with me? Now I’m talking to the tree,” she mumbled.

Her headache quickly morphed into a dizzy spell. Anna held onto the wall waiting for it to pass. Her eyes caught the lights of the tree. They were blinking. Had she not noticed that before? The room started spinning. Then it got faster. Anna went to call for help but couldn’t make a sound. She lost her grip on the wall, stumbling forward, passing out before her body slammed to the floor.

----

The beeps were faint but steady. Anna groaned at the sound. She turned, not fully awake yet. That noise? Where was it coming from?

“It’s Saturday,” she drawled out. “Alarm off.” The sound didn’t stop. “Snooze.” No change. “Disconnect! Off! Stop!”

Anna sat straight up. Great, the sensor on this thing was going to have to be fixed again. She didn’t even want to know how much that was going to cost. She stretched, waking up more… Wait. That sound was different. It was farther away, muffled almost. She scrambled around. The sound was coming from her bed. No, from in her bed, under the blankets. Anna threw them off, searching until her hand felt something hard, like metal.

“Ah ha!”

Anna’s hand flew up in triumph with the offending source of the noise. She brought it down closer and stopped. “How much did I have to drink last night?”

She turned the device around and stared at the phone. Her finger reflexively swiped at the screen setting the alarm to off. “I didn’t know I still had this. …or why.” But it was hers she remembered that case that was designed to handle being dropped. Lord knows she dropped it enough times. It was a wonder the phone even turned on.

Anna laid back down. She was going to have to find Andrew and talk to him. First to find out what happened; a huge part of the night was a blur and then… nothing. She remembered going to find Elsa, but after that was blank. But more importantly talk about them. She couldn’t mask over her feelings anymore.

She ran her hand through her hair and stopped. “What?” She pulled a handful forward to look at. “H-how?” It was long. Last night it was,pulled back and short. Her hair didn’t go past her shoulders. The last time her hair was this long, she was…

Anna’s mouth dropped as she looked around. This wasn’t her old home. It wasn’t even her current place. It was… it was…

She hadn’t noticed the TV was on, but her head flicked to the screen as the morning news came on.

We are officially entering the Christmas season here folks. Welcome channel seven news for Saturday, November 24th 2018. Your home for all traffic weather and…

Anna bolted straight up.

“Wait, what? Did he just say 2018?!”

#kristannasecretsanta2018 #Hindsight #kristanna #Edin what did you write #anna #ngl I am nervous about this one #if they seem ooc there is reason #and to clarify 2018 is the past in this fic

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