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#Horror Writers Gathering
lawrencedagstine · 10 months
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Book Tours/Book Events: "The Nightmare Cycle" by Lawrence Dagstine - (and OTHER Dark Owl authors and surprise guests)
Chugging right along on the 2023 to 24 Nightmare Cycle Book Tour and Book Event calendar sponsored by Dark Owl Publishing comes the following spooky extravaganza by Arizona’s Number One horror specialty retailer, Terror Trader. With their annual Gathering of the Ghouls event. Held at the Mesa Convention Center. I believe this might be the first (of hopefully many) GOTG events. There will be food,…
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bekandrew · 2 months
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Hey! I make a little horror/dark comedy story podcast called "Gather 'Round the Trashfires" about my Deviant: the Renegades chronicle that's been going on for 3 years now. I have the logs saved, so I started from the very beginning. I have 8 episodes out so far and I publish weekly. A group of young adult strangers find they’re victims of the same secret project on the water system that gave them both fantastic powers and horrifying consequences. What’s worse, the hospital they ended up in isn’t what it seems, either. They must band together to protect themselves and their loved ones, seek vengeance, and expose those responsible. And maybe, hopefully, learn to live with each other along the way. It's also available on most podcast platforms including: Spotify Apple Podcasts Youtube
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silhouettecrow · 5 months
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365 Days of Poems: Day 5 (January 5th)
Pale Heart
a heart
calcified
hardened with bone
turned white as ivory
grown over with ossification
a heart
enclosed
surrounded in a glass prism
outlined with gold filigree
circled by wax and flame
a heart
spellbound
whispered into blindness
chilled by crystalline frost
held in a dreaming state
a heart
a̷ ̶h̵e̷a̵r̵t̷
а нҿаят
ʇ̴ɹ̴ɐ̴ǝ̴ɥ̴ ɐ̴
a̴ h̪ͥe̢̳̝a_̂rt̢ͨ͘
it's ₳ ⱧɆ₳Ɽ₮
- - - - -
Here's the link to the corresponding writing prompt post
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anarchist-rat-swarm · 11 months
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Got an interesting take on eldritch horror for all you writers out there. It's a bit of a roundabout schlep to reach the actual idea, but writers tend to be readers so I hold you'll stick with me til we get there.
So, consider a 2D creature. Little flat dude, living on the ground. No concept of "up" or "down." He's 2D, he just doesn't parse the concepts and can't perceive them anyways.
He sees you. What he actually sees is just the 2D cross section of you where you intersect with his 2D world, which is probably your footprints. So, as far as he can tell, you are a pair of footprints that are.... apparently one being? He doesn't get how it works exactly, but it's not too far out there, so he just kind of accepts that, yes, humans are The Two That Are One. Spooky. They always seem to use the singular to refer to the pair of themselves, and only differentiate between themselves as Left or Right. But other paired instances of The Two That Are One are, in fact, separate entities. So they're only in sets of two, unless accompanied by a companion called "Cane," which they are sometimes, or even a pair of companions called "Crutches." When Crutches are present, sometimes one of The Two That Are One will be missing entirely. It's a little confusing.
But wait, what now? They disappear and reappear in sequence, teleporting in turns. He never sees them just move like a 2D being, always the stop-start teleporting. Apparently this strange power is called "walking," and its accomplished by The Two That Are One moving through an unseen dimension called "Up," through a process called "lifting" themselves and re-entering the real world farther away in the direction they wanted to go. He can accept the idea of unseen dimensions, and he vaguely gets the idea that one of The Two That Are One must remain anchored in the real world to prevent something called "falling," which is some kind of uncontrolled movement through the unperceivable dimension of "Down." Which is the same dimension as "Up," but...... backwards? Reversed? He's not really clear, but "Falling Down" is presumably bad, so The Two That Are One keep one of themselves here in the real world to prevent it.
Except if they do something called "jumping." Which consists of gathering up their power to hurl themselves through the Up dimension together to reappear together somewhere else in the real world. He isn't sure why they Walk instead of Jump, since it seems better to take both of The Two That Are One together at the same time, but okay.
Okay, what the hell, they can Walk through impenetrable barriers like the great wall of Sidewalk Chalk? How do they go through that? What? They went "Over?" The hell is "Over?" Like 'around' but through the unseen dimension of Up? But they couldn't Walk through the barrier of Wall. Why could they go "Over" Sidewalk Chalk but not Wall?
And they can't go between the four small obstacles of Refrigerator Feet. The area between them is safe from The Two That Are One, for the four Refrigerator Feet are connected to each other in the strange and eldritch dimension of Up. The barriers are too powerful to be moved by The Two That Are One, and it (they?) cannot enter the real world where it is blocked by such powerful forces.
Got all that?
Okay, now consider a 4 dimensional elder god and how we 3D entities would perceive them.
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withacapitalp · 5 months
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Starry, Starry Night Pt 1
Happy birthday dear friend!!! @thefreakandthehair Lex you are a pillar of the fandom, an amazing writer, and just all around one of my most favorite human beings. I'm so so lucky to get to call you one of my best friends and I hope this fic puts a smile on your face!! @stevethehairington and @hbyrde36 thank you for betaing and for encouragement!!!!
Read it on ao3 instead here
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Steve was asleep at the counter. 
Again. 
Robin placed another VHS precariously on the top of the pile surrounding him, making sure to adjust it so it wouldn’t fall. A copy of Secret Admirer had toppled down half a dozen boxes when she placed it without care earlier, and Steve had almost woken up just from the sound. She had worked her way through all of the romantic comedy returns and was halfway through the horrors already, and the pile was up to Steve’s waist. 
Her working theory was that she would be able to get all the way through the action movies before Steve was completely covered in tapes. 
Part of her wanted to feel at least a little bad for fucking with him every single time he fell asleep. After all it wasn’t like Robin hadn’t fallen asleep on the job herself once or twice, and Family Video wasn’t exactly the hardest job in the world. Now that they lived in a veritable ghost town, the store was lucky to get even a handful of patrons every day. 
Apart from her own boredom, there wasn’t really any reason to mess with him or try to wake him up. 
But there lay the crux of the problem. Robin and Steve had gotten their jobs as one so they could spend time together. Not so Robin could get stuck watching her best friend drool on the counter she would inevitably be forced to clean before they closed tonight. 
So, tape fort. 
Robin’s theories were almost immediately dashed though, because just as she placed her fourth copy of Rosemary’s Baby down, Steve stretched out his arms, knocking directly into the wall in front of him and bringing that entire cluster of VHS cases down on his head. 
“Ow! What! Why?!” Steve shouted, jerking upwards, startling as the rest of the tapes surrounding him began to tumble to the floor. 
Robin snickered to herself as she watched the melee, hopping up onto the counter next to where he had been lying his head and beginning to gather up the failed remnants of her experiment. 
“Good morning Dingus,” She sang, lightly tapping him on the top of the head with Ghostbusters, “Did you have a good rest?” 
“Robin,” Steve groaned, covering his face with his hands and heaving an absolutely ginormous sigh, “Why?” 
“Hey, this is your fault,” Robin protested, putting the stack of tapes to the side and sliding to the floor to start grabbing the rest. 
“My fault?” Steve repeated, sliding his fingers away from his eyes so he could glare at her while still hiding his face. 
“This is the fifth time you’ve fallen asleep on me this week, Dingus,” Robin said, giving him a look as she waved a VHS around her head, “Look at this place. Look at how boring it is. I need enrichment, I’m like a tiger in a zoo.”
Steve lowered his hands, raising a brow and silently judging her for a second before grumbling and joining her on the ground.  
“What? Was making paper clip crowns and hiding M&Ms in my pockets not enriching enough anymore?” Steve asked rhetorically, referencing the other things she had done this week during his impromptu naps as he collected the rest of the rom-coms. 
“Nope.” She replied, popping the p as she stood, tapes in hand, “Five times, Stevifer. Five.” 
“So?”
“So, it’s only Wednesday!” Robin shouted, walking around the counter and towards the shelves, knowing Steve would be following close behind with his own stack. “Is Eddie really still that excited about getting you in his bed every night?”
“You would be the first person to know,” Steve said, wagging his eyebrows and looking far too smug for Robin’s tastes. 
That much was true. Steve told Robin everything. What he had for breakfast, any weird customers that came in while she wasn’t scheduled, the stupid things the kids said, and, to the chagrin of both Eddie and Robin, anything and everything to do with his sex life. 
And god damn it did her best friends have a lot of sex. 
“Okay, so it’s not Eddie keeping you up,” Robin said, a small pit beginning to form in her stomach. She had hoped it was just them fucking like bunnies and Steve needing to recharge during the mornings, but now she was pretty sure it was the other thing, and that was a lot worse. 
There was no quick fix for that particular problem. 
“You wanna talk about it?” Robin asked softly, turning towards her best friend and trying to be as gentle as allowed. 
“Not really,” Steve said, keeping his eyes on the shelves and avoiding her gaze.
Okay, so not gentle. Trying to get Steve to open up was a weird careful tightrope walk between being gentle enough to lower down his guard, while also being firm enough that he didn’t feel like he was being treated like a child. So far Robin was the only one who managed to succeed most of the time, but even she stumbled on occasion. 
“You know I don’t mind covering for you, but you can’t keep this up, Dingus,” Robin tried, nudging their shoulders together as she did, hoping that a little extra physical contact would open Steve up even more, “It’s not healthy, and they’re not worth it.”  
Wrong thing to say. It was like she could physically see the walls coming back up around him. 
“I’ll be fine, Robin,” Steve said, the forced nonchalance in his tone hurting her almost as much as it was definitely hurting him. 
“You’re not sleeping again,” She stated plainly, putting it out there for both of them to see. Steve flinched at her words as if she had physically struck him. 
“I’m just…still adjusting,” He tried. 
Adjusting was still figuring out how the oven worked at Eddie’s new trailer, or trying to find the best routine for sharing the bathroom in the morning. Adjusting was planning work schedules, learning how to live together, becoming used to each other's rhythms. 
Whatever was happening here wasn’t adjusting. 
“Steve, It’s been almost a month since…” Robin started, trailing off as she tried to find the right words to help him. 
Steve already had them. 
“Since what, Robin? Since my parents kicked me out?” Steve interrupted, his voice hard and angry as he forced himself to meet her eyes, as if challenging her to try and find a kinder way to say it. 
That wasn’t a challenge she was planning to take on. There was no making this better. 
“Yeah, since your parents kicked you out,” She repeated, refusing to meet his level of emotion, knowing that would only make Steve even angrier. Sure enough he pushed away from her, stalking over to the counter and furiously punching returns into the computer, a storm cloud of rage swirling around him. 
“Steve-”
“God Robin, will you just drop it?!” Steve snapped. 
Robin leaned ever so slightly back at his sudden shift and Steve let his eyes slip shut, hanging his head low and taking a slow deep breath. The anger drained from his face, leaving behind only barely there frustration, and a longing that his parents didn’t fucking deserve from a son that was far too good for them.
It wasn’t exactly a shock when Richard and Diane showed up and told their son to pack his shit and leave, but that didn’t make it any less painful for Steve. Robin had never had any faith in them, but for some reason Steve did. He expected his parents to love him just as much as he loved them, and he had deluded himself into thinking that they had only ever done the things they did to try and make him better. 
Letting go of that couldn’t be easy, but it was also one of the few things about Steve that Robin felt she would probably never fully understand. 
“Please.” Steve whispered, Robin’s heart breaking at the pain in his voice, “I just don’t wanna talk about it, Bobbin.” 
Rather than answering she rounded the counter, pressing her body into his side and leaning her head against his shoulder. Steve adjusted to fit her automatically, two becoming one as she let Steve breathe into the pain instead of ignore it. 
“Were you at least having a good dream?” Robin asked, her voice slightly muffled by the soft sweater Steve was wearing, wishing she had a way to help him. 
“Oh yeah, it was great,” He said with a soft laugh, “I was lying back on a mountain of pillows while Eddie was using his massive thick-”
“Finish that sentence and I’ll be forced to smother you next time you fall asleep at work,” Robin groaned, sticking her tongue out and gagging as she pushed Steve away from her. She hammed it up for extra effect, but she couldn’t hide the smile on her lips as she listened to Steve’s laughter. 
He hadn’t laughed as much in the last few weeks, and Robin hadn’t realized how much she missed the sound. It reminded her of everything good, all the stuff they hadn’t really been able to do since he moved in with Eddie. Burning breakfast together, dancing around the house in their socks, even trying to muffle their giggles in her bed so they wouldn’t wake her parents, looking through the skylight that was above her bed at the stars…
Huh. Maybe she did have an idea of how to help. 
“Now that you’re awake, I’m going to take my break,” Robin said in a faux casual tone, stretching and trying to hide the Cheshire cat grin overtaking her face. 
“You built a tape fort around me because you were annoyed I fell asleep and you were alone, so the first thing you do when I wake up is go hide in the back alone?” Steve complained, turning back to the computer and restarting the returns he had begun. 
“Love you too,” Robin said, pecking his cheek as she practically skipped towards the breakroom. She closed and locked the door, pressing her ear to it for a second just to make sure Steve wasn’t eavesdropping before almost bolting over to the phone in the corner, punching in the number for the Thatcher’s Tires and bouncing in place as she listened to the dial tone. 
This was a great idea. One of her best. 
“Hey Pete, it’s Robin. Can you put Eddie on the phone?”
Part two is coming tomorrow!! If you want to be tagged say it in a reblog!!
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rs-hawk · 4 months
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Gender irrelevant, an enthused archaeologist encounters a creature which would change the known history of the entire area, and sets out to track it to its lair for further (actual) research.
Instead, what awaits them is an education in why this thing was worshipped, and why they should start worshipping it too.
This just broke me out of my slump/writer’s block 😍 TW: the Raven Mocker. Light horror smut
You have been studying the development of civilization and population growth in the Appalachian Mountains. It was always your “special interest” as a kid, and now in your early 30s, you’re finally able to devote yourself to it properly. After years of studying everything in books, charts, even occasionally going to Indigenous Cultural Centers to discuss what they knew about their ancestors who lived there, you finally get to get into the field. Yet, there’s one creature that keeps popping up that you can’t get out of your head for some reason is the Raven Mocker. It makes you hesitant, but you push through.
Of course, even as a child your mother told you about them. You always sort of brushed it off because you always thought that it was just stories that your mom picked up from her mom. It’s not like you really grew up in the culture anyway. However, in the mountains, setting up your camp as night falls around you, a shiver creeps down your spine. There’s something watching you. You know it. The primal part of your brain is on sending out high alert signals to every part of your body.
You tell yourself you’re being silly. At worst there’s some predators, but you have a gun, and a fire going. You just want to make your way to a spot where your colleague said he saw some fragmented pottery and what he thought might be evidence of a small band who used to worship something they thought lived in these woods. From what he could gather from the shards, it seemed to be some kind of deity of death. This thrilled you. Against hope, you hoped that you might be able to discover a small, lost village or band that had vanished with time.
With that hope warming your heart and pushing away the anxiety creeping up your spine, you crawled into your tent, finally able to get some sleep. Although it was against the regulations of the park you where in, you left the fire going to ward off animals. You just set an alarm for every 90 minutes to check in and tend to it. That night, you are lucky. Nothing happened. But your recklessness has caught the eye of the very creature who lives in the back of your head.
Every branch you stumble over. Every time a twig scratches your face. Every time you cross a stream or go off trail because of something blocking your path. It’s there. Watching you with a curiosity that it hasn’t felt since it had its own body. How long ago has it been now? It looks down at its rotting limbs, twisting them this way and that. Flexing its wings. Centuries. It’s been scavenging for new body parts for centuries.
The sound of your voice filling the air as you curse a rock you had stubbed your toe on brings its attention back to you. The creature decides to scavenge new parts before approaching you. Just in case you can see it, it doesn’t want to look a mess.
You make your way to another spot you think is safe to camp. That might, you decide not to leave the fire going. You feel safer. More secure. And you’re worried about what might happen if you sleep through an alarm. The thought of being why a giant forest fire sweeps through the mountains makes your mouth run dry. No. It’s not worth it. You shouldn’t have even risked it last night.
Tonight, you curl up in your sleeping bag again, dozing off quickly despite your skittishness about your surroundings. However, you’re woken up by the sound of what at first you thought was a wild hog. Your blood runs cold as you sit frozen, knowing that you’ll be killed. You have no way to properly protect yourself from one, but you were in an area not known for them. After a few minutes of listening, you see a shadow cast onto your tent walls by the moonlight. It’s a bear.
You’re not sure what happens next, but before you know it, you’re laying on the shredded floor of your tent as the bear wanders away after not being able to find the food you’d tied high above the ground. The attack leaves you weak, but you manage to call 9-1-1 and tell them in a gurgled voice where you are. They promise to send park rangers as soon as possible. The woman asks you to keep talking, but your reception is spotty at best. After mere moments, the connection is lost. All you can do now is hope that they get here in time.
The Raven Mocker finds you easily. Even more so than it would have thanks to the delicious scent of your death. It flies over to you, inhaling the sweet scent of your life force. Through blurred vision, and a trembling voice, you ask it for help.
“Please. Just, make it quick,” you ask, knowing what it is as its wings fold behind its back. Those beady eyes peering down at you. “It’s not like they’re going to find me in time.”
It looks at you curiously. Do you really want to die? It can’t decide. Instead, it walks around you before straddling your weak body. It leans close to you, slowly drinking in your life and it leaves your body. You wince, but it doesn’t hurt. Not really. In fact, how gentle its being, the way its holding you as it slowly steals your life, is almost kind. Maybe its the blood loss. Maybe its because you’ve always been scared, and its not that scary. Not really. But you lean up to meet its deformed lips.
The Raven Mocker is caught off guard, even pausing its drinking of you. However, it soon returns the kiss. Its foul tasting tongue invades your mouth, making you let out a tiny sound of approval. The creature hasn’t felt like this in a long time. So long. It had been a long time even when it was a human. Its hands wander, exploring your slowly dying body, but you respond to every touch. Your cunt starts to get wet as it slips a hand between the two of you, palming and teasing it over what little cloth still covers it.
It tears the rest of it off with ease, quickly sinking two of its decaying fingers inside of you. A soft moan escapes your lips as it pumps in and out of you, spreading its fingers to stretch you out. You’re arching as much as you can in this weak state. You’re starting to feel cold, but this distraction is helping.
Before you know it, the creature pulls out its fingers and replaces it with something so large that you can’t help but cry out as it’s crammed inside of you. You can’t even look to see if the cock now jackhammering inside of your wet cunt is human or not. Not that you suppose it really matters. The creature’s wings shield you from the drops of rain that have started to trickle down onto the two of you. It was making you even colder until it shields you.
Its withered hands hold your upper body closer to it as it hunches over you, slamming its cock in and out of you. It bullies your poor cervix and stretches you more than you ever have been stretched. You can feel your life starting to slip more and more away as its talons scratch down your back, though not unkindly.
Precum coats your womb as it crams itself inside of you. To your surprise, you feel something else pushing into you. You try to shift slightly, the pleasure now becoming more of a pain, but it doesn’t let you. Instead, it pushes you to the ground and uses its full weight to pin you there. Before you realize what’s happening, there’s a popping noise, and you’re fuller than you’ve ever been. You grimace and try to move, but the decaying creature on top of you holds you still, decaying and cracked lips finding every soft spot of exposed skin as its wings shield you from the now onslaught of rain.
The cum feels hot. Too hot. Inside of you as it pumps rope after rope into you. All you can do is lay there, slowly slipping into unconscious as your blood pools under you. Just as it pulls out, you hear park rangers. The creature caws as it straights and bursts into a run before taking flight. From a distance, it really does just look like a raven.
The rangers manage to save your life, and the Raven Mocker leaves you alone. Even when you try to call it back, worshipping it for its power. All you can do now is wait for Death.
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boxofbonesfic · 7 months
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Title: Brave [7 of ?]
Pairing: Orc!Steve x Reader
Summary: The pack regroups after the deadly assault in the pass.
Warnings: 18+ Only, Genre typical violence, Warlord Nomad AU, Dark Fantasy AU, Enemies to lovers, Eventual smut, References to past abuse, Fighting, Monsters, Animal Death, Violence, Mildly described gore
A/N: thank you all forever and ever for bearing with me as i struggle through writer’s block! i’m afraid you all won’t be happy with the results of this chapter, but i hope you have enough faith in me to stick it out and see what happens. as always, reblogs and feedback of all kinds are appreciated and always welcome!
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When Steve attempts to pull the reins from your trembling hands you hold on tightly, fighting him. 
“Easy, Sweetmeat. Easy.”
The torchlight is warm and welcome in the gray mist, and by its light you can see the extent of the damage. Your hands are caked with blood and dirt, your nails raw and split. You raise a trembling hand to your chest and wince. There are wounds here too, matching claw marks like the ones you know now mark the space between your shoulder blades. 
They stretch from the base of your throat down between your breasts, cut cleanly through the ragged fabric of your dress. softness. Steve repeats it as he looses them from your grip, peeling each of your fingers back gently, until you are forced to release the bloody leather from your trembling hands. The pass is far behind, now, lost somewhere in the mist, but you fear it still, your wide, terrified eyes searching the gloom. For the sun, for more nameless horrors—
In the dark angry sky, you find neither. 
Perhaps it is morning, perhaps not—there is no sun by which to tell, no light peeking from behind the furious, roiling clouds.
Steve dismounts, landing beside the horse with a wet thud. You join him and grimace as you sink into the muck up to your calves. The ground is slick, thick with mud that sucks at your boots. The grass sea is pock marked with patches of lightning-scorched earth, patterning what little you can see in the gloomy twilight—some are bigger around than your father’s house. Above, thunder rumbles, and you watch massive bolts of lightning twist across the sky in a burning arc, lighting ablaze the distant hills where it strikes. 
Would this path have been any better? You eye the storm’s path of destruction across the sea. No, you decide, watching again as lightning cuts through the dark sky. Where there is death, there will always be death.
Steve produces a torch from his gore-stained saddlebags. He lights it, holding it aloft. The firelight is warm and welcome in the gray mist, and by its light you can see the extent of the damage. Your hands are caked with blood and dirt, your nails raw and split. You raise a trembling hand to your chest and wince. There are wounds here too, matching claw marks like the ones you know now mark the space between your shoulder blades. They stretch from the base of your throat down between your breasts, cut cleanly through the ragged fabric of your dress. 
“To me!” Steve bellows, the depth of his voice trembling in your chest. “To me!” Slowly, the pack begins to reform. Out of the darkness they come, circling the flame like lost moths. You are overcome with relief to see Carol among them. Beneath her, her steed trembles, the gash along its flank bleeding sluggishly.
So few. You cannot help but take stock of those who gather, dismounting their horses to stand before Steve. So few. The pack had been intimidatingly large before. Perhaps fifty, sixty riders strong—the ones who remain number less than forty. Steve knows it too, you can see it in the grim set of his jaw.
“Where is Bucky?” A murmur passes through the pack, but no one answers. For the first time, in Steve’s bright blue eyes, you see fear. You search for Bucky’s face amongst the survivors, your chest tightening as the realization dawns cold and clear—
You do not see him. After a long while, someone finally speaks. 
“He fell.” Carol steps forward, her head low. You watch Steve’s entire body go taut. He shakes his head, his brows knitting together in angry disbelief. 
“No.” 
 “I saw him.” She looks up, and her eyes are bright and wet. “He fell.” The wind whistles through the grass in the silence. “He fell.”
For a moment, Steve’s free hand rests upon the hilt of his sword, squeezing the pommel as if beset by foes a second time, but he releases it, clenching his fist. When he does speak, his voice is cold, devoid of anything but authority. 
“Then we will light his way to our ancestors.” The light of the torch does not seem to reach his eyes, which are shrouded, and dark. “We will light the way for all of them.” 
The fire is weak, at first, sputtering dangerously as you all feed it bundles of wet kindling. It catches, eventually, the light rain fizzling out as it meets the flames. Steve’s face is stone, dark and unchanging as he watches the flames grow tall. 
You are no stranger to mourning, to grief. Those who remain surround the fire, and their sorrow is yours too. The pass had claimed many who were kind to you, who had accepted you—
Gone. 
A young female Orc approaches the fire. Her face is bandaged roughly, and the edges of the long wound peek out on either side of the dressing. In one hand she holds a shield. Her hands are steady, but her voice trembles as she speaks. 
“Arun.” She tosses the shield into the fire. “May—” Tears choke her for a moment, and she swallows roughly. “May you find your way.” Others approach the flames, some weeping, others stoic and distant, speaking the names of those they have lost into the fire. 
“Jonai.”
“Huth.” 
“Karali.”
So many, many names. 
“May you find your way.” 
You do not know the Orc traditions for mourning, but you know your own. You have lifted your voice in song for your mother’s memory more times than you can count, praying that the crows will carry the notes high into the heavens, to her ear so that she might know that you have not forgotten her. You have no name to add to the fire, but this—this you can do. So too will you mourn for the pack, for the ones who have fallen. 
The words are slow to come at first, reluctant to leave your lips. It is not long, however, before they remember the familiar shape of these melodies; before they remember how to name your grief. So you do—you name it there, before the fire. You feed it your grief, like—and unlike—the rest of the pack. They gather behind you as you sing, bowing their heads. The song catches in your throat, the words faltering on your tongue at the sight of them.
“Finish it.” You turn back, and there is Steve, stood before the fire. He is close enough to touch it, a torn quiver held tightly in one hand. “Finish it and guide them home.” He tosses in the scrap of leather as you finish, his voice consumed almost entirely by the sound of crackling flames, and the last echoing notes of your own parting gift—
“Bucky.”
to be continued…
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Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals Season 2!
Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals is a fiction podcast based on The Hugo Award Winning microfiction series "Midnight Pals" originally posted on Twitter by Bitter Karella https://twitter.com/midnight_pals. The series stars classic horror authors Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, and Dean Koontz all gathering around a campfire to tell their stories like in the classic kids horror anthology "Are You Afraid of the Dark?".
Our first season premiered last year to much success and all of our episodes are currently available at http://www.midnightpals.com/ or wherever you like to get your podcasts.
We are currently crowdfunding our Season 2 which will feature parodies of Hellraiser, Angela Carter's Red Riding Hood variations from The Bloody Chamber, The Watchers, Interview with the Vampire, "A Shadow over Insmouth", Richard Bachman, and Rebecca. If you like a healthy dose of laughs with your horror, we just might be your jam.
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bitterkarella · 20 days
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Midnight Pals: The Surgery
James H Longmore: Submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call this the tale of joe's unwanted penis Longmore: it's a darkly humorous and bizarre parody of the bruce jenner story Poe: you mean Caitlyn jenner? Longmore: Longmore: what? Barker: oh yeah this really bodes well
Barker: she changed her name, she's caitlyn now Longmore: really? Barker: you didn't know? Barker: i mean she's in the news all the time for sucking Poe: clive Barker: what? she's not here Barker: i can say it Barker: just absolutely sucking
Longmore: my story is told from the point of view of the penis Longmore: the unwanted penis is mad because its been rejected like it was an ikea lamp Longmore: so making a lot of comments about Joe and his ruined, mutilated, gross, Frankenstein body Franz Kafka:
Franz Kafka: wow, so her own disembodied dick is misgendering her? Kafka: WOW Kafka: that is VERY Kafka: problematic Longmore: well, in the dick's defense, the dick was really mad at Joe! Kafka: and now its DEAD NAMING her!!!
Longmore: anyway Joe gets a vaginaplasty instead of hrt Kafka: "INSTEAD of?" Longmore: yeah Kafka: Kafka: Kafka: "INSTEAD OF???"
Longmore: anyway Joe has a vaginaplasty, during which they remove Joe's dick, balls, and prostate Kafka: THEY DON'T TAKE YOUR PROSTATE OUT DURING A VAGINAPLASTY!! Longmore: Longmore: are you sure about that? Kafka: YES! Kaka: I'VE DONE A SUSPICIOUS AMOUNT OF READING ABOUT THIS!
Barker: wow, franz, you know so much about trans issues Kafka: huh? oh yeah, i guess Kafka: i mean, it's just this thing I've kinda been into lately Kafka: i mean, trans rights are human rights, right?
Kafka: just seems self-evident Barker: oh yeah? you do? any reason why? Barker: for this recent interest hmmm? Poe: clive, leave her alone Poe: i mean leave him alone Poe: jesus christ you have me doing it now
Poe: clive stop harassing franz Poe: clive you know you don't have to be trans to care about trans rights Barker: ah ha oh edgar don't be so naive Poe: yeah you're probably right
Longmore: so the poor penis has been rejected JK Rowling: hello children Poe: oh great look who it is Poe: look who you brought here Poe: this is just great Poe: great
Rowling: ssso i hear the penissss iss ssad? Rowling: sso i hear that a transss perssson issss ressponsssible for thisss? Rowling: just more proof of their natural masssculine criminality Poe: this is stupid Barker: ah ha ha edgar Poe: no Poe: you're right this is stupid
Longmore: so the penis goes on a merry madcap chase to reunite with his former owner Longmore: who has since regretted transition Rowling: yess!! ha ha… YESSS!!
Rowling: there'sss ssssurgical regret too??? Rowling: a transss persssson feeling BAD??? Rowling: thisss ssstory hasss it all! Rowling: the ressst of you should ssstart telling ssstoriesss like thisss Rowling: way better than the usssual ssstuff you guysss tell!
UNRELATED: If you like our jokes, check out our indiegogo! Just added a tier where you can get all 3 volumes of Midnight Pals electronic books for cheap!
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percheduphere · 7 months
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I wanted to find and gather some lesser appreciated Mobius moments from S1, and some thoughts occurred to me.
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When we see Mobius drill into Loki about his choices, his thought patterns, whether or not he enjoys hurting people, Mobius comes down on Loki HARD, cruelly, goading, and manipulating (Sound familiar? Just wait...). He does so in a way that's confident he will get the answers he expects from Loki, which he does.
When we cut to the scenes with Renslayer, Mobius's truer, gentler side appears. The side that is kind and soft and believes in second chances. Notice, also, the difference in lighting between these scenes.
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And then it hit me:
Mobius was using a carefully constructed persona--an illusion--with Loki to control the situation and get Loki into the headspace of self-reflection. He uses the very same technique Loki uses regularly to get the outcome that is beneficial for both of them.
Genius, really.
As we move into S1E2 and E3, the power dynamics are decidedly uneven, but once they are out in the field, Mobius's actual power and control over Loki is quite limited and actually banks on a LOT of faith. A ridiculous amount of faith, to be honest. Despite logical misgivings, Mobius makes a POINT of giving Loki freedom and trust because he has analyzed Loki enough to know that lack of trust perpetuates a destructive self-fulfilling prophecy.
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So when Loki chooses to escape with Sylvie, all those centuries of belief and good will Mobius invested in him were thrown in his face. He's understandably furious, but the interrogation scene after both Lokis are captured simply does not read as normal without the additional lens of jealousy. If Mobius were not emotionally compromised in some way, he would have handled the interrogation clinically, and he would have sent Loki to be pruned without a thought.
Mobius doesn't do either of those things. Rather than asking Loki objective questions, he focuses on Loki's attention on Sylvie and verbally twists the knife where he can. His punishment for Loki after the interrogation is shockingly personal:
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A word about the Sif loop scene: I really, REALLY hated that Mobius did that. It honestly made my gut churn. I think the writers tried to play it off for laughs because Loki gets kicked in the balls repeatedly, but the emotional undercurrent of Sif's words and everything that it means is just awful.
That said, I understand that this scene reveals not only Loki's vulnerability but ALSO Mobius's. This is a "passionate diagreement" through proxy. Mobius knows what would hurt Loki the most psychologically. But why would Mobius choose to hurt him this severely with these specific words?
Remember, this might be a memory, but Mobius is choosing to speak his feelings to Loki through Sif.
I think the answer is 4-pronged: First, Mobius put his career, reputation, and friendship with Ravonna on the line for Loki. The stress of the potential repercussions (which were HIGH) should Loki betray him was a constant heat on his neck. Despite this, Mobius chooses the riskier route of believing Loki would not betray his trust. And yes, within the context of what Mobius has done to advocate for Loki and what's at stake for Mobius should he fail, Loki absolutely betrays him.
Second, Loki told Mobius everything he believed about the TVA and his place in the multiverse is a lie. When was the last time Mobius reacted so violently?
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When Brad called him a "nowhere man".
Mind, there is guilt beneath this anger. Not only has everything Mobius believed in been revealed as a lie, it is revealed he was complicit in the genocide of multiple timelines for which there was never any ultimate good. YIKES. That's a lot to take in, and Mobius at his core is a deeply empathetic person. The guilt of this horror, at his hands, is probably why Mobius does not defend himself when Sylvie tears him a new one in S2E4.
Three, I think Mobius may have wished for a friendship with Loki long before his intervention. I've written elsewhere that his intervention appears to be premeditated. Mobius was only waiting for his chance to come along. Who knows how many centuries that took. I believe he may have rationalized away his emotional attachment as a means to help the TVA succeed. Mobius is adept at suppressing not only his emotions but his wants.
Four, by S1E3, Mobius came to love Loki to some degree, platonic or otherwise. I think it's very difficult to not develop love for someone or something you've been tasked to be an expert on. Having Loki actually beside him, engaging with him over lunch and work, no doubt added some much needed color in Mobius's life. It's hard not to become infatuated with someone fun and exciting.
The jealous rage that overwhelms Mobius doesn't last long. When it comes down to it, Mobius can't help but believe in Loki. Doubt in the TVA takes root once his immediate anger dissipates. So Mobius steals Ravonna's TemPad, verifies Loki's claims, and immediately self-corrects. Mobius could have dug his heels in with more denial, but he doesn't. Why? Because Mobius ultimately cares more about Loki than himself.
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When Mobius returns to Loki, he asks a few other questions that I can't share images for because of the 10-image limit. Those other questions include but are not limited to:
Do you care about Sylvie?
Do you really believe you deserve to be alone?
I should point out these questions are not at all tied to the well-being of the TVA or the multiverse. They are specifically tied to Loki's well-being. Loki's happinness.
Why does Mobius ask these questions? Because, in my opinion, Mobius was preparing himself to let Loki go, be with who he wants to be with (Sylvie), and fight the battle he wants to fight. Mobius will not be the obstruction to Loki's path to personal success even if that means letting go of the TVA, letting go of Ravonna, letting go of Loki himself.
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All of this is a selfless act of love. What kind of love that is is up to the viewer, but it is very much there. It's real and integral to the story.
Classic Loki points out that this is a high cost. In response, Mobius takes the crux of his belief in Loki and directs it to himself.
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The beauty of the goodbye scene in S1S6 is that the emotional thrust of selfless love is echoed and amplified in Loki's own self-sacrifice in S2E6. Loki lets go of the TVA, lets go of Sylvie, lets go of Mobius himself. Ouroboros.
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bekandrew · 14 days
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"Gather 'Round the Trashfires," a Deviant: the Renegades horror/comedy fiction podcast Sun, 05 May 2024 14:45:00 +0000
Zuse has a quest for the cohort with totally, definitely, no fine print. The cohort goes on a shopping trip and learns they're not alone in the world.
They do NOT, however, learn how to collectively pass the bread test.
As an announcement, this podcast is officially moving to release every other week. Release day will still USUALLY be on Saturday unless, like this week, everything possible goes wrong up to and including having to rerecord 3 hours of raw audio.
Follow my Patreon at Patreon.com/BekAndrewTTRPG Check out my other work at linktr.ee/bekandrew Check out the Intro and Outro artists' Bandcamps! https://theavantist.bandcamp.com/music https://troigo.bandcamp.com/ Remember to subscribe and see y'all next week! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gather-round-the-trashfires/donations Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cNTPsi32ltxNWQK6TGcjWzzn1g8gL1KK/view?usp=sharing
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silhouettecrow · 7 months
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365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 301
Adjective: Reflective
Noun: Relic
Definitions for those who need/want them:
Reflective: providing a reflection, or capable of reflecting light or other radiation; produced by reflection; relating to or characterized by deep thought, or thoughtful
Relic: an object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest; a part of a deceased holy person's body or belongings kept as an object of reverence; an object, custom, or belief that has survived from an earlier time but is now outmoded
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fadedncity · 1 year
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wc: 1.8k (teaser)
pairing: mark x fem!reader
cw: street racing au, childhood friends to lovers, mentions of other idols; (full fic) tags: smut, lil angst, alcohol consumption, use of marijuana, teasing, fingering, semi public sex, marking, oral sex (giving/receiving), dirty talk, pet names, praising, multiple orgasms, more to come…
a/n: everyone thank ay-yo mark for finally getting me out of my writers block 😁 p.s. i don’t know shit about cars and only have knowledge based off the fast and furious movies so apologies 😭
FULL FIC OUT NOW
[9:16 PM] FRIDAY
"Come on. The cops are gonna bust it before we even get there!" Summer stomped her heels like a whiny child.
"You know these things never start on time, we will be fine," you said, coming down the stairs.
"You could always go ahead of us and we'll meet you there," Nyla said, checking herself in the mirror, "Oh wait, you can't drive," she deadpanned.
"Only temporarily," Summer rolled her eyes.
"Only until your suspension is lifted," you reminded.
"One of you could let me borrow a car. It's only an issue if I get caught." Summer says matter of factly, like either of you would agree with her.
"That is the issue, sweetie, you did get caught." Nyla pats Summer's cheek.
Summer crossed her arms, again acting like a moody toddler.
"Let's go," you grabbed your keys off the table, "Thought you didn't wanna be late." You said to Summer, heading out the door.
With an annoyed huff, Summer gathered her things and followed you and Nyla out the door.
The three of you got into your car, the gentle purr of the engine coming to life once you put the key in the ignition, sending vibrations through the entire vehicle. Music filtered through the speakers as you pulled out of your spot and took off down the street.
"Hyuck said to make sure you turn your lights off when you're coming up," Summer relayed a message she received from Haechan once you were halfway there.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," you waved off.
You turned off your headlights once you neared the exit, moving offroad. You carefully drove into the woods on unpaved ground, heading deeper into the darkness as the distant streetlights weren't doing anything to assist your sight anymore. 
"I always hate this part," Nyla says from the passenger seat.
"Gotta make sure we don't get caught if any cops are hiding around here." You said.
"I know, but it always feels like the beginning of a horror movie. And you know the hot ones always die first," Nyla pouted.
You found the opening in the fence, worn down from being driven over so many times, and pulled into the abandoned army base, finally able to cut your lights back on.
The sound of music playing and tires screeching on the pavement could already be heard from the runway the meet was on, and you were still a few hangars away.
You slow down once you reach the crowd taking over the runway. People move out of the way as you cruise down the road, looking for a spot to park.
"Ain't that Johnny over there," Summer pointed from the backseat.
"I'd recognize that giant beanstalk anywhere," you say before honking your horn, startling the Aquarius and getting his attention.
"Wow, the princess, actually graces us with her presence on this lovely night," Johnny curtsies, and you scoff.
"Just move out the way before I run your ass over." you tell him.
You backed your car into the spot next to Johnny, and your friends practically jumped out of the vehicle before you could put it in park. You hadn't even closed your door when Johnny embraced you in a tight hug. 
"Jesus, John, gonna crack a rib," you gasp.
"Feels like we don't see you at these things anymore," He let you go.
"Come on, it hasn't been that long. I was here a few weeks ago."
"For like 20 minutes. You left before you could even see me smoke Jungwoo," he crossed his arms over his chest.
You remember that night. You had totally forgotten the assignment you had due at 11:59 and raced back home to turn it in on time.
"Shit. That's my bad. You know it's just stuff with the garage and school and…stuff," you trail off.
"Yeah, I get it," Johnny slung his arm around you, "You're doing good though, kiddo," you both started trailing behind Nyla and Summer.
"How do you figure?"
"Made it further than me. I had already dropped out by this point," Johnny said, sharing a laugh.
The music came from every direction with people displaying their boosted sound systems out of their trunks. The ones not focusing on the races were too busy gawking at the expensive modifications under the hoods of those showing them off.
"Last chance. Winner take all," you instantly recognize Chenle's voice over the rest of the clamor.
You watch Summer reach into her bag, giving Chenle an indescribable amount, looking proud of herself.
"Who're you betting on?" Johnny asks her. 
"Yeri, duh," she answered. 
"You sure that was a good choice?" he asks, teasingly.
"Obviously. Hyuck ain't got shit on her." 
"Yeah, alright," Johnny rolled his eyes, taking a bit of offense himself.
"Where is Haechan, by the way? He's up next," Jeno asks.
"Over there talking to Jaemin," Chenle nodded to the opposite side of the runway where Jaemin's car was parked.
You spotted the back of Haechan's head speaking to Jaemin through the window of his car, probably checking the police scanner and making sure you're all still in the clear, no doubt. Then your eyes land on the guy standing next to him, recognizing his silhouette.
"Oh my god, is that-" Summer starts.
"Mark Lee?" you will your vision to focus from this distance to see clearer. "Mark's back in town and no one said anything?" you hit Johnny's arm.
"You would know if you were here." Chenle shrugged.
"I'm sorry, who is Mark?" Nyla asks.
Everyone turned and looked at Nyla.
"Mark Lee? How do you not know Mark?" Summer says, showing Nyla his Instagram.
"How did you pull that up so fast?" Renjun asks.
"Holy shit, he's good," Nyla says impressed, and you already know Summer pulled up one of the videos of him racing.
"Better be. I taught him." Johnny smiles like a proud father. "We all go way back," he says, "Ain't that right?" Johnny nudges your arm.
Way back. 
Way back when you used to spend hours at the garage with your father after school and only knew Johnny as your father's best and favorite (unconfirmed) employee. And Mark was some boy from your high school that you didn't even know until you went to your first car meet.
Way back doesn't even feel that far away anymore now seeing him. It almost feels exactly like the first car meet you snuck out to. When you first met him.
"If your father knew you were here, he would lose his shit. If he found out I let you drive he would have my head. You are not getting into any car—getting behind any wheel tonight under any circumstances. Do you understand?" Johnny said. 
"But-" 
"Aht, I mean it," he said, shooting you down before changing the subject, "You know Mark, right?" he asked. 
"No, I don't know Mark." 
"Well, this is Mark," Johnny said, yanking the boy out of a conversation to introduce the both of you. "You mind keeping each other company, and make sure she stays out of..everything," Johnny not so quietly muttered to Mark. "I'm up next, so be good while I'm gone," Johnny patted your head before he hopped in his car, leaving the two of you alone. 
"I can't image he's much less of a jackass at work." Mark said. 
"He definitely isn't. I don't think it's something he can turn off," you laughed before you looked over at him, "How'd you know I'm from the garage?" you asked. 
"Johnny said you might be here tonight. He talks about you all the time, like a little sister he's never had," Mark tells you. 
"Oh really? What else has he said?" 
"You're one hell of a driver."
"Come on, it's starting," Summer pulling on your arm, tore you out of your thoughts, and you realize Mark's no longer in your sight, having lost him in the crowd.
People gather on either side of the runway, cheering as Haechan's electric blue Supra pulled up next to Yeri's lavender-wrapped GT-R, stopping right before the spray-paint on the pavement that served as the starting and finish line.
Chenle stood between both cars, looking at Haechan and Yeri. He raised his arms, both drivers reviving up their cars, Haechan burning out his tires, kicking up smoke behind his car before Chenle dropped his arms, and they both sped off past him down the road.
Through all the commotion, you spotted Mark again. And before you could even think about it you were already weaving your way through the crowd to get to him.
"So you thought you could just come back to town and not say anything to anybody?" you say, getting his attention.
Mark's eyes light up, no longer concerned with the race upon seeing you.
"I just got in yesterday but heard you were gonna be here tonight. So I thought I'd surprise you."
"Consider me surprised."
You take the time to notice everything about him, the things that have changed and the things that haven't. Like his hair, no longer dark with the typical schoolboy cut. It's now grown out and blonde—that was as much as you could tell from the beanie it was all tucked underneath. But nothing about his face is much different than how you remember it. Still the same soft eyes you can get yourself lost in and the sweet smile that used to bring one to your face.
"So who's your money on?" Mark asks you.
"You know I'm not throwing anything unless I really got something to lose," you say, "But if I did put my money on one of them, it would definitely be Yeri. She's winning this."
"Yeah, she's a good driver but don't you know what Haechan has under his hood?"
"Yeah, but it's no match for what's under Yeri's. And I would know. I put it all together myself," you smiled proudly.
You heard the cars approaching, closing in on the finishing line. From this distance, it's hard to tell who's winning, but you aren't as eager as the rest of the crowd cheering on either side to see who would make it to the end first.
The cars blurred past you, wind whipping behind them, blowing your hair out of place a bit as you turned to Mark.
"Now would you look at that," you smiled as Yeri was announced as the winner, "I know it's been a while Mark, but the last thing you should forget is that I'm always right."
"Trust, there isn't anything about you I could forget," Mark says.
a/n: i’m currently already at 7k but just wanted to know how y’all feel about this so ik whether i should keep going or not so pls lmk! feedback is appreciated <33
edit: currently at 11k and still haven’t gotten to the smut yet…y’all pray for me
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queer-n-here · 3 months
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u already kno wassup !!!!
eldritch abomination reader who has come to originally destroy the world, but was enchanted by their 'one', ( aka sigma, atsushi, and mushitaro or someone of ur choice ) and instead devotes their entire time stalking and invading their lovers mind, pulling them into the readers all devouring aura.
( ur honor they are madly in love ) they dont quite have a proper form but has slowly been constructing one bc their lovers coworkers/friends don't believe they exist "you always go out on dates with this mysterious person and you always rant and rave about them, but not once have we seen them. are you just making them up or something?"
so eventually reader finally constructs the perfect form and comes to their workplace to get them for their date ( that involves tentacles, mind fucks, and breeding ) . Reader basically envokes primal fear in everyone and will kill anyone who hurts what is theirs ♡. major weird ask but it is a random and specific Need i have
~ 🕸
Long time no see 🕸️ bro! Btw, thank you, this just made my writer's block evaporate.
Is it weird that I totally loved every single part of this?
Also, I had no fucking idea what an eldritch abomination is, so I did some research bout them!
This ended up becoming 100% fluff, hope you like it!
Contents: Eldritch abomination reader who sees Atsushi and goes heart eyes
Warnings: Fluff, powerful reader, mind manipulation, shit ton of stuff that doesn't fully make sense but whatever, it's Atsushi even if I haven't mentioned his name (because I felt like the Eldritch would be like 'that's too simple a name for me to address my love with')
EDIT: Soooo, I may have confused myself on what an Eldritch horror is 😅 I kind of imagine smth like Dormamu from Dr. Strange tbh hehehe
You had arrived at that small universe to satisfy your thirst of destruction, to watch it crumble under your power as faces of fear and misery looked up at you, their lives at your mercy. And yet, you found yourself thinking of that vision less and less.
It was not going as you had expected.
Nowadays, you were focused more on that boy that you had started watching. His house was located quite close to the woods you had chosen as your home.
You were everywhere, and always watching everything, but you needed a headquarters of sorts to concentrate your power for it to be more effective, and that was why you had chosen the woods.
You had expected him to be the first of your victims, yet now you found yourself growing less and less fond of that idea. He was not meant to be killed. He was meant to be taken care of.
Not only was he so incredibly small and three-dimensional (like most of these 'humans') he was also wonderfully precious, like a small-sized treasure that slowly began meaning everything to you.
So after months of watching him, you finally gave into your desire of meeting him in person. You changed your form to the one with the simplest dimensions, not wanting to make him lose his mind the way you did others.
He had stepped out of his house to gather firewood, that little thing. When he saw you, he dropped it all, stumbling backwards and attempting to run.
You were not pleased.
You guided the trees of the forest to block his way, and when he had no way left to escape, you spoke to him in the language he would comprehend.
"Do not be afraid." You said, your voice low and guttural. "I do not stand before you with intentions to harm."
He had fallen to the floor in his attempt to scramble away from you, and now he looked up at you with fear in his eyes.
It was not an expression you wanted to see on him.
So you eased into his mind, calming his small brain with the likeness of a sedative. His breath grew steadier, and his eyes returned to their normal size. His instincts were clouded now, and he could not help but be drawn to you, standing up and stepping closer.
"Closer," You told him, and he obeyed. He did not need your words, you could control him fully if you wanted.
But some part of you was reluctant to do it. You wanted him to... Like you? Perhaps, you yourself were not entirely sure yet.
You moved closer, wrapping your form around him, encasing him into yourself, away from the rest of his world, where he would be the safest.
You let him be curious, freeing the part of his mind that you knew would ask questions... You wanted him to know you.
"What are you?" He asked, his eyes wide again as he turned to look at all of you.
"I have many names," You said. "But you will be able to use none of them; they are too powerful."
His wide eyes reflected the kaleidoscope of colours of your form, and you felt his brain grow appreciative of your form.
Pride. It was an emotion beneath you, and yet you could not help the swelling of colours in your form when you saw that he liked it.
"Then... What should I call you?" He asked, looking as though he was still unsure who he was talking to.
"Anything," You presented before him a makeshift form. It was a mirror image of his own, something he could look at while talking and not feel awkward.
He gasped. His fear had long since been subdued by your charm, and he did not hesitate to reach forward and his doppelgänger's shoulder.
"Wow," He whispered, and your colours became brighter again.
Later, when returned back to his house, his senses finally returned to him, and he realised the danger he was stepping into.
And yet, could he resist the urge to go back to you? Not when you had so easily planted it in his head. Hence, after resisting for a whole day, he returned to you the very next.
You let him look for you in the forest, hiding in a dimension his eyes could not perceive. You let him run around, growing more and more desperate when you wouldn't show yourself, calling out to you, but unsure of how to do so since you hadn't told him what to call you.
When he collapsed, tired, on the bank of a small lake in the woods, tears dripping from his eyes as he sobbed, you decided that your game had lasted long enough.
And so you showed yourself, making it look as if you had emerged from the lake itself. He looked up with a gasp, eyes wide and wet as an ecstatic expression broke through his face. His arms rose, reaching for your form.
You let him touch you; today you had taken a four dimensional form, and it was way easier for him to get wrapped up between your colours.
"I thought... I thought you l-left," He said, sniffing.
"I would never," Was all you said, and yet his face lit up. It was not your doing, you had already relaxed your control of his mind when he had entered the forest.
Weeks passed, and his human mind slowly developed romantic feelings for you. You perceived them, and yet never expressed it. He would be the one to tell you, and on his own accord.
You waited, but not for long. Soon, he brought you flowers, handing them to you as his cheeks flushed, looking away and shivering slightly. You wrapped around him; humans got cold painfully easily.
He froze in your embrace, he had learnt some of your ways to show affection. His blush spread gradually, and his muttered confession felt like something with even more power than you.
Joy. Yet another emotion beneath you, but when it came to him, you were reduced to a mere human teenager. You cared not of status or immortality anymore. Destruction of his world? You had long since abandoned that plan. This was his home, and you'd protect it with your life.
You would protect him with your life.
A month passed, and he visited you everyday, bringing with him small presents of the like you knew humans appreciated. You took them all, preserving them with your power so they would never spoil and hide them away in the most complex dimension you could find.
And every time he visited, you gave him the thing you thought was best: a little bit of your own immortality. He did not know yet; you did it without his knowledge. But you did not think he would mind if he found out.
Now he sat on a tree branch as you watched him, leaning against the trunk for balance. You had lifted him up there, and he was speaking of the view. You could not help but move upwards, closer to him.
He watched you, a smile on his face as you changed forms again.
Being three-dimensional was difficult for you. Not only did it weaken your power incredibly, it also could not store your abilities. The closest you could reach was four-dimensional, and that itself took its toll on you.
And yet you were always four-dimensional with him, knowing that this was how he could see and touch you best.
You sat on the branch next to him, wrapping around his small frame.
There was a comfortable silence, and you slowly lulled his brain, sending him to sleep.
You loved it when he was defenseless, when all his safety was you, when the only one that he trusted was you, and not his human friends.
It was another one of those days where you were watching him as he went about his day, keeping him safe from any danger that might come his way.
He was talking with his friends, and they appeared to be teasing him.
"Come on, you've never even shown us a picture..." One of them said, sitting so close to your human that you had the urge to crush her insides. "Or even told us their name!"
He flushed slightly, not knowing how to respond. "W-well, their name is... Very complex."
"A nickname, then," Another said, wrapped in bandages and leaning back casually against the couch. "Or what? You just call them 'honey bun sweety pie'?
They laughed, and you bristled. Your human was getting flustered, and no one but you was allowed to see that expression on his face.
You took shape immediately, condensing your power so much you felt its strain. To make it three-dimensional was like trying to contain the ocean in a glass jar, and yet you attempted your fullest, anger fueling your movements.
You appeared on the doorstep of the building, your speed phenomenal as you climbed its small staircase and appeared at the door of the room your human and his friends sat in.
You pushed open the door, and stepped in. They all looked up, and his eyes widened.
Your power needed your three-dimensional vessel to be big, and you were as tall as 6'8", your shoulders wide and arms thick with what looked like muscle but was actually energy. Your hair was a light brown, and covering your body was what seemed to their eyes a suit.
He recognised you immediately; one glance at your multi-coloured eyes and he knew. This was you, the one he loved.
You walked up to him, throwing him a well-practiced wink as you greeted him the way you had seen lovers greet each other, leaning down to place a kiss on his cheek.
"I came to pick you up," You said to him, your voice low as you ignored everyone else in the room. "Your work has almost ended now, right?"
A long-haired man lowered his glasses to look at you. "And who are you?"
You could not help but grow irritated, and you triggered fear in the minds of everyone in the room but the one who was yours.
"He's..." Your human seemed breathless. "He's my b-boyfriend."
One of the humans, the insignificant ones, whistled as he stood up. He was scared, you had made sure of it, but was putting up a front.
"Damn, Atsushi," He said, taking in your carefully constructed human form. "He's biiiig."
Your human blushed, his cheeks reddening in that way you did not want them to see.
"I don't see why you didn't show us his picture before," A female said, her house quivering slightly. "He's not bad looking at all. Not that I thought you were, just so you know."
You looked at her, sending her your appreciation for praising you in front of your human by tickling the part of her brain responsible for pleasure.
She squirmed in her seat, her eyes slightly wide.
You turned back to what was yours, holding out your hand. "Shall we head home?"
His blush spread; he still hadn't managed to take his eyes off you. "O-okay..."
He let you take him away, his cold hand clasped in yours. You put on a burst of speed, and the two of you were back in your forest.
The moment you two were alone, he took your face in his hands, his eyes shining.
"You look..." He could not go on, but you knew what he meant.
Another burst of pride. He made you feel things you had never thought significant before.
You leaned down and kissed him, pressing his plump red lips against yours and, unknown to him, transferring more immortality to him.
He responded in the affirmative, letting you wrap your arms around his waist and bring him closer.
You opened up dimensionally, creating a fourteen-dimensional barrier around you two, freeing your power and protecting him at the same time. A part of you still remained three-dimensional before him, embracing him and kissing his lips.
When you pulled away, his eyes were slightly moist.
"I love you," He whispered, and you smiled.
Your love was such that it could not be put into words he would comprehend, and yet you did not want him to think that you did not reciprocate his feelings.
"I love you, too," You put energy into the phrase, making sure he felt the intensity of your feelings.
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yellowbunnydreams · 1 month
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Masquerade (Part 1) (William Afton x F! Reader)
~Happy birthday to a fellow member of the William Afton Husband Club, awesome writer and a generally wonderful friend @ruh--roh-raggy . Happy birthday, you wonderful person! I hope your drywall survives in your flimsy American house haha~
Credit to; saradika-graphics for the page dividers.
CW: Meet-cute! William in a suit, sunshine dad energy Henry, William is older than reader, kissing a stranger(?), flirty banter, light mention of murder, soft!dom Will, predator/prey metaphors
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The thick paper in your hands felt heavy when it arrived through your door. The kind of paper where the smooth yet textured surface made you think of it's quality and how expensive it probably was as the black marbled pattern embossed with golden ink in hard-to-read cursive stared back at you.
At first, you had thought it was a mistake. Some mix-up in the post that meant you had received this special thing, but your name was clearly printed on it, as was your address in golden ichor and sealed with a golden wax stamp. Did people even use wax stamps anymore? You wondered. Clearly they must do. The wax was cured in the shape of an elegant flower and eventually, you managed to prize it off with a butter-knife an keep it intact so that you could still read the letter within.
So you sat in your kitchen in your ratty pj's and eating from a bowl of cereal that you had had to sniff the milk for and you weren't even sure you had checked the date on the cereal, holding the thick paper in one hand and reading elegantly printed white ink against the black background. Almost choking as you read the contents.
'We cordially invite you to attend the charity Summer Equinox ball, you have been selected by random draw to attend due to your noted goodwill within your community and charity work.' You raised an eyebrow at that, sure you donated a couple of dollars when you could afford it here and there but it was never ground-breaking amounts of money. You continued scanning the words on the page with your curiosity growing.
'This year, the charity of choice is St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and we have gathered many like minded people from across multiple sectors. Whilst we encourage socialisation, it is reminded that the ball is a masquerade and one cardinal rule must be followed; that you must never reveal who you are whilst on the property.'
Now you were especially curious. A masquerade ball at a mysterious property that you were not supposed to know who was attending? It sounded almost like the plot to some cheesy horror movie you once saw, or perhaps the beginning of some silly romance novel you started reading on Wattpad that never got finished. But as you shovelled the last bites of cereal into your mouth you were more focused on the dress code and the thrill of excitement that ran through you at the opportunity.
'Participants will be given a mask on arrival. Please find attached a gift card to purchase appropriate attire in the black-tie range.'
Even if it resulted with somebody's hands deep in your guts for some absurd sacrifice, you decided that you were going because you weren't sure you would ever get the opportunity to do this again and honestly the chance to participate in something that sounded straight out of novel sounded right up your alley.
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The dress had been purchased and you had found another letter at your door the day after it's purchase. The same white ink on black paper, sealed in golden wax. This time it was instructions for the ball instead, instructing that you must keep the dress in the box it had been neatly placed in and that you were to bring it with you when you were picked up as you would be allowed to change at the venue.
"It's almost like they don't trust me with the expensive stuff." You chuckled to the empty house when you read it, wincing at the receipt on the box and shaking your head.
But the night had arrived sooner than anticipated and the butterflies in your stomach were undeniable as you watched the limo pull up outside and climbed inside, clutching the invitation and your dress to your chest firmly as the driver nodded silently to you and began the drive. Soft music playing in the background as you were glad you had charged your phone for the journey, unsure how long it would take. You were almost surprised to look up at one point and recognise the town you were driving through, the ancient red-brick and domed roof of the library that had been acquisitioned by the university after a fire wiped most of the original features from the building sitting proudly in the approaching skyline. Face practically pressed to the cool glass as you watched the lights inside dazzling against the still pale summer sky and several people in formal looking suits stood on the white stone steps.
The limo pulled up outside of it, and you yelped as the door was pulled open to who you assumed was staff, their face partially obscured by the presence of a simple black eye-mask. Feeling your cheeks heating up as they extended a silent hand and allowed you to pick up the box before exiting the vehicle and guiding you up the steps towards the looming building. Wondering how late it would have to get before the sky turned dark and the place lit up.
"Welcome! You must be the guest we were told about." One of the staff greeted, a younger woman in an elegant black cocktail dress and a golden pin on her chest, also in a black mask as you nodded slightly dumbly. Her red curls were pinned to perfection, and you were envious that she looked so put together and well practised in heels as she tapped a clipboard and gestured for you to follow. "Come with me please, we have much preparation to do."
The marble floors clicked beneath her heels as you struggled to keep up with her long strides, feeling your heart pounding as you looked around as quickly as your guide would allow. Scanning the glass cases filled with some of the original library books, the plaques dedicated to the university to the painstaking restoration done by staff and students to try and preserve the history. If there was a place to pick to host a ball near to you, this was it.
You almost bumped into the woman as she suddenly stopped, turning on her heels and peering through the mask before gesturing to the heavy oak door in front of her.
"This is where you'll be getting ready tonight. Me and my team will assist you." Her voice was cool and clipped, professional as your brow furrowed in confusion.
"Team?"
"Yes, we're going to help you put on the dress and do your make-up and hair for you this evening."
"But...it's a masquerade? Nobody will see my face." Your confused tone clearly amused her as the professional neutrality broke for a moment with a small smirk before she cleared her throat and placed a thin hand on your back, guiding you inside.
"Whilst...technically yes, you are correct, people will still see your mouth and eyes. It helps with any guests who might have issues with hearing to communicate." She explained, letting you into the cool, dark room before your eyes adjusted to the change in light and revealed a well furnished, old fashioned study. The walls panelled in some heavy, dark wood and the smell of old books cloying with sweet incense and perfumes that you didn't recognise.
Inside, there were several woman gathered around a small table and a vanity that had been set up, all looking up as you entered and giving a polite smile under the same masks and similar dresses that you figured was the dress-code for the staff for the evening as you were guided to the chair in front of the vanity and your dress box was taken from you so that a cape could be tied around your shoulders.
"Now, miss, you are going to know the joy of creation." The red head smiled over your shoulder in the mirror, and you blinked as you tried to figure out where you had heard those words before.
"Sorry?"
"We're going to make you so beautiful, you'll be our own little Cinderella." One of the others giggled, brandishing a bottle of facial cleanser and some cotton pads as they approached.
"Now, sit still and let us work!"
"Yeah, just call us your fairy-godmothers for tonight!"
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Whatever the staff had done to you had worked wonders by the time you could hear extra guests arrive in the hallway outside. Who knew that portable salon basins were a thing?
"Your hair always looks the best when you've just come from a salon trip you feel slightly guilty for spending the money on!" One of the ladies had explained to you, and as you looked at your hair neatly pinned up and framing your features perfectly, the right amount of shine and lustre to it, you couldn't argue with their logic.
The dress was a deep green, tight to your body and made of silk with a slit running up the leg to expose it. The bodice wrapped in small ivy-like lace that gave you a sort of 'goddess of the forest' vibes as you had been handed your mask, a silver filigree bunny that covered the top half of your face. Eyes lightly coated in a green eyeshadow and a deep red lipstick that somehow made your lips look even more plump. You felt like a million bucks. You felt like you could spend a million bucks too with what a good job they had done.
But you were soon stood at the main door to the hall. Heart fluttering in your chest nervously as your hand rested on the cold iron knocker and you swallowed. You were unsure if you were really ready to embark on such a daring adventure.
It would be a shame to put the dress to waste though.
As the door pushed open, your senses were assaulted with the sounds of people talking a laughing in the grand hall. Bathed in warm light under the dome skylight that revealed the slowly deepening summer sky. It did look like something out of a fairy-tale as you looked at the large, wooden bookshelves around the walls of the room filled with leather-bound tomes and carefully draped with bouquets of off-white roses and green ivy. Flashes of green, gold, silvers and coppers mixing with black and white. A band of neatly dressed and pressed musicians forming an orchestra towards the back as you descended the stairs.
Unlike Cinderella however, you were grateful that there were only a few eyes that turned towards you curiously. Trying to keep your balance in your small heels and navigate with a sense of grace and your posture elegant but not drawing too much attention to yourself as you navigated towards the bar that had been set up in a little alcove of the grand library.
There were already two men stood at the worn down wood, chatting amicably with each other. The shorter of the two with a gold bear mask, his arm wrapped around a woman in a deep red dress that matched his suit that you assumed must be a husband and wife..or perhaps just very well co-ordinated dates. But the taller of them caught your eye for a moment, his silver eyes widening behind his mask as they flickered over you so quickly you weren't entirely sure that you had even seen it.
"Are you ready for the performance tonight?" The woman asked as you stood to one side and glanced at the menu, wincing at some of the prices despite the sign that stated some of the profits went to charity from the bar. The taller one carefully adjusted the black leather gloves as he spoke, like he was considering something.
"Of course we are, darling! It's going to be spectacular and it's going to be magical!" The one with dark curls laughed, adjusting his bear mask and leaning onto the woman and planting a kiss on her semi-exposed cheek. Earning him a light smack on the arm as the taller one chuckled lowly. A sound that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and stomach twist in nervous knots.
"Yes, I've done all the safety checks three times over. There is nothing that could go wrong unless some idiot spills their drink on us." His voice was deep and gravelly, with an accent you couldn't place, that voice was something you were sure you would love to hear again as you tried to focus on the drinks options and wondering if you should just ask what you could get for less than three dollars.
"Well, we have more people to go 'meet', why don't you have some fun?" The one in red laughed, gesturing to the wider hall and whisking away the woman with him. Feeling some of the tension you didn't know you were holding in your body leaving before you let your attention fully return to the task in hand.
After a few moments however, your brow furrowed as you felt eyes linger on you. Turning your head to see the taller man left behind and watching you. His golden mask catching the light as he leaned against the bar and his serious expression quirked into a small smile before he shoved away from it and made what seemed like small steps towards you. Towering over your smaller frame before he settled back against the bar again, forcing you to look up at him.
"May I have your name, sweetheart?" The taller man asked, your eyes wandering over the golden rabbit mask over the top half of his face, still able to make out his greying salt and pepper hair and beard. Those intense grey eyes that had a slight squint to them like he was without glasses that he needed.
"Ah ah, the whole point of a masquerade is that we don't know who that person is." You wagged your fingers disapprovingly, unsure of where the confidence had come from, and the man laughed, his broad chest straining through his tight black shirt, the matching black waistcoat tailored to his body as he rolled his sleeves up to reveal his thick forearms, covered in thin silvery scars and thick coarse hair. You couldn't help but think that they were the kind of forearms that you knew would hug you right, but the thought disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Those black gloves tightening over his large hands and hearing the faint sound of leather creaking as he held onto his elbows.
"You're very right, and so I shall have to name you 'Miss Bunny' for tonight...given your mask and all." Gesturing to your own mask that you had been given for the night. A silvery copy of his own.
"Then you shall be Mr. Rabbit." The older man smiled, making your heart flutter slightly in your chest as he chuckled deeply. "Hmm..I like it. Well, Miss Bunny, may I get you something to drink?"
"Oh no I couldn't-"
"I insist. And plus, you've been staring at that rather short menu for the past five minutes like you're contemplating every penny in that purse...although I have to say I can't tell where you would even keep money in that stunning dress."
Your cheeks were heating up at he called the dress stunning, feeling his eyes raking over you again before you giggled and shook your head, deciding to be a little bolder than you might have been had you not had the mask to hide behind.
"Mr.Rabbit! It's rude to ask about a lady's finances...unless you're proposing a dowry?" The man blinked for a moment before he let out a deep laugh, doubling over slightly and making your cheeks heat up as a few heads snapped your way at the sudden sound. Turning himself towards the bartender and gesturing them over before giving you a wolfish grin.
"Feisty little bunny, I like that. A scotch on the rocks for me, and...a bourbon cherry for the little lady here." He pulled a wallet from his slacks pocket and his thick fingers nimbly pulled out a few notes to lay on the bar. Unable to stop yourself from watching his hands as he moved them. "So, you look terrified little bunny. Do you need some company to keep you from the wolves?" That damn smile flashing again as you tutted.
"Wolves? You're quite mistaken Mr. Rabbit, what if I'm a wolf in disguise?" You asked, raising an eyebrow and making the older man chuckle as he leaned it, the drinks arriving on the bar as he came close enough that you could smell the spicy, earthy cologne that he wore. And something faintly like motor oil beneath it.
"I know predators when I see one, Miss. Bunny, and you are far from one. They're the go-getters, the ones who'll seize life by the throat and tear out their own opportunities should they not be offered up."
"Maybe it's you who's in disguise then." Your voice soft as you picked up the cocktail glass with the thin red liquid inside and a cherry run through on a stick, picking it up to bite the fruit before a leathered hand wrapped around your wrist and made you gasp, heart pounding loudly in your ears as his large hand easily held onto you and he leaned it.
Those silver eyes focused on you and flashed with mischief and something dark as he opened his mouth and wrapped his long tongue around the cherry before closing his lips around it and pulling it free from the stick. Leaving you dumbfounded as he leaned in so close you swore you could smell the sweet tartness of the fruit on his breath, setting your knees weak and making your chest tighten as he whispered softly.
"Perhaps.... But I think I'll enjoy seeing you again tonight, Miss. Bunny. Unfortunately, I have a performance to get ready for." Standing up slowly and releasing your wrist slowly, his finger stroking along the delicate skin inside your wrist and leaving you breathless, swallowing softly as he adjusted his gloves and black waistcoat. Giving you a wink and lopsided grin before running one hand through his salt and pepper hair and moving back into the crowd with his own drink.
The room suddenly felt hot as you felt your cheek with your free hand, taking a shaky sip of your drink and finding some comfort for your racing heart-beat in the tart and smoky flavours. Staring after the golden rabbit with the hope that you would find him again before the night was over.
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holy-puckslibrary · 3 months
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sid to a furry friend's rescue!
florist!reader gets flustered during sid's calendar shoot
parents mentors for the day
someone's going on a date with chief crosby... and it ain't our girl </3
gif from @matbaerzal
To Sidney, this sham is nothing more than a meat-market legitimized. His fierce, formidable crew, flaunted and auctioned off in the name of "charity," as upstanding members of the local community brazenly gawk and drink themselves into a courageous stupor.
Gathered in packs around the local watering hole on a Friday night, the only things missing are high-res Animal Planet cameras and the calm wonder of Sir David Attenborough. It's only a matter of time before they start throwing themselves at each other like elk during mating season.
It's a shame Sidney won't be around to see it.
"Don't even think about it, Chief."
Sidney slumps; he spoke too soon.
Now, he's caught between cracked-door freedom and the firm grip of his Assistant Fire Chief. Kneading at the annoyance budding between his brows, Sidney turns on his heel to face his childhood best friend.
"C'mon, really? This is a circus, Nate. I shouldn't—Is this really something I should be doing? Y'know, it's not exactly... becoming of a civil servant."
"I'm doing it," Nate shrugs. "You don't see me pitching a fit."
The Chief glares. "Yeah, because you already know who you're going home with."
"Not true; tonight's could be the night Emmy decides to act on her grade school crush," the blonde jokes, his chin tipped across the gymnasium. "And who'd blame her? Flower's lookin' better than usual tonight."
"Nate."
The younger of the two only laughs in response to the dramatic groan of his name.
"No, I get it. You're acting pissy because your flower's stuck at home with a stomach bug, and, subsequently, you've been condemned to the terrible fate of having Cole Harbour's hottest fight tooth and nail for a date with you—oh, the horror! Truly, I feel for you, Saint Crosby."
"Bandwagon much?" he grumbles.
As Nate's grin widens, Sid's frown deepens.
Blue eyes twinkling with satisfaction, Nate teases, "You didn't deny it this time."
"D-Deny, what?"
Nate rolls his eyes; Sid's refusal to acknowledge anything, let alone something so obvious to anyone with eyes, was starting to get old, and fast.
"Yeah, sure, okay. Play dumb if it makes you feel better. But I'd figure my shit out sooner rather than later if I were you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sidney blinks.
"Oh, nothing... Just that you aren't the only civil servant sniffing around Blossom & Bloom these days."
With a parting wink, Nate vanishes into the crowd, leaving Sidney to stew in a fresh pot of bubbling unease.
and the plot thickens... hehehe 😈
as always, i would really appreciate if you reblogged my work, left a comment or dropped by my inbox w some feedback :) fandom runs on engagement, and so do writers!! thx a mil in advance!
DIRECT CONTINUATION HERE!
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