#heard about this on a daily basis for the last month & went 'nah sounds too fantastical this will never work'
Text
For my mutuals who might travel to/through Germany for the summer ... they actually did it. Absolute mad lads
#heard about this on a daily basis for the last month & went 'nah sounds too fantastical this will never work'#huh!!!#german stuff
7 notes
·
View notes
Note
Heyo! Hope your doing exceptionally well, wonderful and ur staying safe! I was reading ur little oneshots for the movie! Verse and instantly fell in love! Think u have anymore for Kai and Lloyd? (But u don’t need to listen to this, obviously hehe) Have a splendid day!
ahhH thank you, I hope you’re doing well too!! :D oh man it’s been so long since i’ve written something for movie-verse, but I’ve had this little snippet in my head for a while so I guess it’s as good a time as any (and it is, of course, about kai and lloyd bc when is it noT)
it’s a little different than what i usually write, for movie-verse? but i hope it fits the bill! (takes place pre-movie, btw)
Of all his friends, Lloyd thinks Kai is most like the sun. Not just for his codename, and the enthusiasm with which he brings fire to the team, metaphorically and far too often literally, but for how bright he is. Kai reminds Lloyd of the sun at full force, strong and blazing and staunchly refusing to let anyone hide from his warmth. An endlessly combusting ball of stubbornness and passion.
Kai also reminds Lloyd of the sun in the way that he possesses about the same amount of brain cells the sun does, which is zero, because the sun has no brain — much like Kai.
“Hey, ru—de, ow, stop—”
Kai’s petulant response strangles off in cracked pain as Lloyd hushes him, simultaneously pulling the alcohol-soaked cloth from his arm with a sympathetic wince.
“Sorry, sorry,” Lloyd murmurs, wringing the edge of the cloth. “But I’ve gotta — it’ll get infected, if you don’t—”
“Nah, s’okay,” Kai says, breath hissing out through clenched teeth. He gives Lloyd a wavering smile that could almost be encouraging, were he not bleeding over Lloyd’s faded bedspread. “Just caught me off guard, I’m good now. ‘Sides, the — the stitches are gonna be worse, so—”
“It won’t be that bad,” Lloyd promises him, cleaning the rest of the deep slashes that run across Kai’s arm as quickly as he can. The lower ones aren’t so bad — he could get away without stitches, maybe. It’s the uppermost one that scares Lloyd, cutting deep enough into Kai’s skin to pose a threat. And Lloyd has no intention of leaving Kai anywhere near in danger, especially with the reason he’s hurt in the first place.
Lloyd swallows against the thick lump that suddenly forms in his throat, trying to banish the flood of emotions that have been rising since the battle against his father’s forces earlier. Surprise, shock, gratitude—? A swirling maelstrom of a deep-seated kind of aching warmth Lloyd is utterly unfamiliar with. It leaves him off-kilter, and words don’t come easily as they usually do.
Not that words ever come easily to Lloyd, but normally he isn’t quite this stuttering. Maybe. He hopes not. Maybe he’s just hyperaware right now, after everything, and he always sounds this embarrassing.
“I promise,” Lloyd continues, yanking himself from his thoughts as he busies with the needle. “I’ve got a lot of experience, and I’ll be gentle.”
Kai watches Lloyd threading the needle with a thinly-veiled fear, but he nods, the bravado Lloyd’s more familiar with making its way across his face. “Nice,” he says. “I trust you, Dr. Lloyd.”
Lloyd’s hands falter with the needle for a moment, before he resumes sterilizing it, ducking his head. Kai sounds like he means it — Kai sounds like he means everything he says, but the way he says trust hits differently, for Lloyd.
They’ve only been a team for few months, now. Not very long at all, to form any kind of trust in the son of your greatest enemy. Lloyd’s been going to school with some of the same people since kindergarten, and they’ve never looked at him with anything kinder than hatred, much less trust. And yet Kai is here, offering him his bleeding arm in Lloyd’s tiny room, trusting him to repair the damage he only took because he was protecting Lloyd.
Lloyd doesn’t understand. He doesn’t — people don’t — but his team—
They listened to him. Actually listened to him, to Lloyd. They actually listen to him in general, have since they were all thrown together in this odd little grouping, but it hasn’t quite hit home in the way it did tonight, when he’d snapped orders at them in barely-restrained panic, Kai’s blood staining his fingers as he’d staunched the knife wounds meant for him.
They hadn’t flinched back at his raised voice. Lloyd never raises his voice — he’s learned to keep it quiet, soft, unassuming. Even the slightest slip of frustration is enough to send anyone around him murmuring in suspicion, eyes narrowing and hissed whispers of just like his father filling the air.
Lloyd’s voice had been sharp and strained, barking across the rooftop, and they’d listened. No one flinched back, no eyes widened in fear — they’d just listened. They’re still listening, carrying out Lloyd’s orders without question, and it’s — it’s dizzying, if Lloyd had to put a word to it.
Cole and Zane are taking care of clean-up — something Lloyd will have to thank them for later, profusely. Neither were particularly happy about letting Kai out of their sights, but Cole and Zane are better at keeping each other steady than anyone else. It was the right call, Lloyd knows it was. Hopes it was.
But Lloyd hasn’t been having much faith in his calls, tonight. Not after Kai went down.
He swallows, focusing on the sounds reverberating from behind his closed door. Nya and Jay are talking with his mother, Nya’s louder tones easier to hear as she laughs. Lloyd knows her well enough to catch the strain in it, but he knows it’ll fool his mother. They’re distraction — Lloyd’s house was closest, and he’s got the best supplies stashed there. No one questions why he’s the one with the fully stocked medical kit, but Lloyd suspects they’ve all drawn their own conclusions.
He wishes they’d believe him, when he says it’s because he’s worried for them. He grew up with Wu as his uncle, who picks fights on a daily basis — with Morro as his cousin, who picks fights on an hourly basis. Lloyd knows the importance of having the good kind of medical supplies.
He finishes prepping the needle, squeezing Kai’s wrist briefly in warning. Lloyd’s not usually a tactile person — not that anyone would let him be — but he knows Kai soaks up touch like a starved sponge, and Lloyd’s desperate to give any kind of comfort he can before he starts with the needle.
Kai swallows, fixing his eyes firmly on the faded glow-in-the-dark stars plastered across Lloyd’s ceiling.
“Okay,” he says, his voice tight. “Bring it on.”
Lloyd swallows, steels himself, and sets the needle against his skin. Kai flinches at the first prick, eyes squeezing shut briefly, but otherwise he doesn’t move, jaw set stubbornly as Lloyd moves quickly. For his part, Lloyd keeps his eyes locked on the stitches, his hands steady. For all that Lloyd’s made up of bouncing nerves half the time, his hands rarely shake. Never when patching wounds up. He’s always been proud of how steady he can hold a needle, and tonight is no exception.
It’s the least he can do.
Kai suddenly tenses up, a broken-off noise strangling in his throat. Lloyd’s heart twists, but he stays steady, rallying himself. Conversation — Kai likes talking, right? Distraction, he can do that.
“So, um,” Lloyd stutters. On second thought, he’s awful at small talk. But — for Kai. “The way you took down that last guy was, it was really cool. Where’d you learn that?”
Kai bites his lip, exhaling shakily before he answers. “I train too, you know.”
Lloyd’s mouth quirks, despite himself. “Not like that.”
“What, a ninja can’t — can’t get creative,” Kai replies, through half-gritted teeth. Lloyd doesn’t say anything, but Kai rolls his eyes, continuing. “Fine. When I was younger, I ah…might’ve taken a few dance classes. For Nya! ‘Cause I couldn’t let her go alone, y’know, but they were — they were kinda fun, I guess, and maybe they slip into fighting, sometimes.” His cheeks darken, and Lloyd bites back a quiet laugh.
“Nothing like Cole, obviously, ‘cause he’s an actual dancer, but — that’s where I got it from.” He pins Lloyd with a glare, that’s somewhat dimmed by the scrunched expression of pain on his face. “Tell anyone and you’re dead though, okay?”
Lloyd hums his agreement, too focused on the stitches to reply immediately. After a moment, though, he speaks up again. “I did some ballet, when I was little.”
“No way,” Kai says, sounding delighted.
“Yeah, way,” Lloyd says. “I’ve heard from a very reliable source that dancing backgrounds are useful, with ninja stuff.”
“Very reliable meaning your uncle,” Kai grins.
Lloyd shrugs. “Maybe,” he half-smiles. Kai suddenly sucks in another pained breath, but to Lloyd’s relief, it’s likely the last one. He finishes off the stitches with a well-practiced hand, snapping the end of the thread and exhaling in relief.
“There. All done.”
Kai’s eyes widen. “Seriously, already?” He glances down at his arm, his other hand moving up to touch the stitches. Lloyd smacks it away, glaring at him.
“Don’t touch. You still have to watch out for infection. I’ll text you instructions for taking care of it, and everything. Just don’t do anything, ah…”
“No ninja-ing?” Kai finishes for him, crestfallen.
“Probably a good idea,” Lloyd says, apologetic. “But it’s not too bad. Shouldn’t take long, and you can be out, uh, ninja-ing again."
Kai is quiet for a moment, regarding his stitches. Then he turns to Lloyd, who is immediately staggered at the bright smile that stretches across his face.
“Cool. Thanks, Lloyd. You’re good at this.”
Lloyd can’t answer, his throat burning. He forces the welling moisture back, looking away. Kai’s only hurt for him, and that is layered with so much more meaning than Lloyd can comprehend right now.
“No problem,” Lloyd mutters, focusing instead on the voices outside his door in an attempt to find footing again. He can hear his mom laughing at something Nya’s said, open and relaxed in a way his mom rarely is. Lloyd’s heart twists into knots.
He doesn’t deserve them, any of them. Not really.
If Kai reminds Lloyd of the sun, then the rest of the team reminds him of stars. All bright and shining, bursting with warmth in their own way. Maybe not quite at the blazing heat that Kai does, but Nya is a north star if Lloyd’s ever needed one. Jay’s a blinking constellation, scattered stars that form a complex whole much larger than you’d thought. Cole’s the kind of star you see first pop up over the horizon, blending with the oranges and purples of the sunset, like a painting you’d see in soft watercolors. Zane’s the early-morning kind of star, the ones that stay stubbornly after the night’s left, dotting the pale morning with a calm steadiness.
Lloyd would be a planet, he supposes, caught in faithful orbit around the five people who have somehow, for some reason, given him a chance. It’d be generous, though. No, Lloyd is content just to be a moon — with no light of his own, reflecting only the brilliance others give him the best he can.
Kai’s finger taps the edge of his forehead, snapping Lloyd from his thoughts, and he blinks in confusion.
“Lost you there, again,” Kai asks, words mangled through a yawn. “Where’d you go?”
Lloyd shakes his head, turning his attention back to the bloodied thread leftover in his hands. His stomach turns, and he quickly sets it aside. “Just thinking.” He pauses, momentarily lost for words. He settles for jerking his head toward the window, where the smoke trailing from their hard-won battle is still visible against the dark sky, and gives Kai a wry smile. “How much do you wanna bet the cheerleading team comes up with a new song tomorrow?”
It’s been an inside joke for them, the ridiculous songs Chen and his gang keep coming up with to throw at Lloyd, and normally it gets a laugh from Kai. This time, though, Kai is silent, his eyes searching as he stares at Lloyd. Lloyd shifts under the attention, caught off-guard again. He doesn’t know what kind of look this is, that Kai’s giving him.
“They shouldn’t talk about you like that,” Kai finally says. His voice is quiet, but Lloyd can spot the brewing anger in it. Kai’s always got anger to spare.
“Sticks and stones, remember?” Lloyd shakes his head. He’s learned, after a while, that anger changes nothing. “Words will never hurt me.”
“Words hurt when people are throwing sticks and stones at you while they yell about your dad,” Kai grumbles.
“No one’s thrown rocks since second grade, actually.”
“Hm.” Kai’s tone is a mix of thinly withheld anger and mild amusement. Lloyd tilts his head, confused, and Kai gives a huff, anger tugging loose.
“Y’know, people say that if kids throw rocks at you in second grade, it means they’ve got a crush on you.”
Lloyd knows well enough it’s a joke, but he flushes red anyways, heat spreading across his cheeks. “Yeah, sure,” he stammers. Kai laughs at his reaction, though, the odd kind of anger departing, and Lloyd feels he’s found his footing again.
They’re quiet as Lloyd finishes cleaning up the medical supplies, Kai nodding sleepily on his bed while Lloyd carefully washes the needle in the bathroom sink. Maybe he can convince his mom to let Kai spend the night, he thinks. Jay and Nya , too — their apartment isn’t very big, but it’s awfully late to make them walk home, and Lloyd is fine with taking the floor, if he needs to.
Lloyd nods to himself, resolving to ask her once he’s finished hiding the evidence. His mom’s been so thrilled about him having people over at all, he can’t see her saying no. A smile pulls at his lips as he listens to the conversation outside his door again. Jay’s rambling on now, bright and excited without any of his usual reservation. He feels a pang, wondering if Jay’s the same as him — wondering if they’re all the same, playing at muted caricatures of themselves, too fearful to let whatever lies beneath shine through.
He wonders what it means, that they’re the ones with the city in their hands, that weight on their shoulders. Wonders what it means, that Lloyd feels safer with bullets strafing the air around him and his mask on, than he ever has with it off. That Green Ninja will always, always sound better than Lloyd in his ears.
“Hey, uh.”
Lloyd starts at Kai’s voice, twisting the sink off as he turns to face him. Kai looks half asleep, but the smile he gives him is bright as ever.
“Thanks, seriously. Not just for this, but for looking out for us. You’re a good friend.”
Lloyd’s heart skips a beat, his brain latching onto the word friend and holding on tightly, tucking it somewhere safe inside his chest.
“So thanks, Lloyd,” Kai yawns, barely awake at all now, but still stubbornly clinging to the threads of awareness.
Lloyd’s got his own thank you to give back, twisted and strangled behind whatever lump’s formed in his throat, but Kai’s snoring before he gets the chance to say it. So Lloyd tugs the edge of his comforter over his friend — his friend — instead, and runs the words over in his mind again and again, like a treasured line from a book.
On second thought. Maybe Lloyd isn’t so bad. He’s only ever liked his name the way his mom says it, without any of the snapping, harsh emphasis others give it. In others’ mouths, Lloyd’s name is a curse. In his mom’s, Lloyd’s name belongs to a person.
But he thinks, maybe, he likes the way it sounds when his teammates use it, too.
#answered#ninjago#tlnm#lloyd garmadon#kai smith#slight blood tw#i just. have a lot of feelings about friends#and a lot of thoughts about how the movie!ninja put each other on pedestals#not in an inherently bad way but#i think they all think so much of each other#they forget they're human#and that leads to fallout#anyways! movie bros T-T#my fic#masterofswag213
266 notes
·
View notes
Text
Welcome to Wacky Wally Wackford’s World!
Greetings, I say, greetings demons of all ages! The name’s Wally Wackford, an oh so suave man of business! You may not know me, but surely you’ve seen me…pretty much everywhere. Yes, I’ve never been the type to stay in one place for long. Life can be pretty wild at times. But that’s what makes it oh so fun!
So what’s my story, you say, you say? Well look no further, ‘cause I have a tale to tell.
I’ve been doing freelance work off and on, laboring at one job, moving onto the next. The jobs vary a lot, but I’m a Wally of many trades. (Yes, I’ve been fired many times as well, figuratively and literally…it is Hell after all.) Early on, I found out that living in poverty is never a lot of fun. I quickly learned how to scam other people…and boy did I enjoy it! It was the only way I could inch toward the top, get some power of my own. I’d make a few deals here and there and then when clients got desperate, I’d say something like, “Oh I’m so sorry but there’s an extra fee you have to pay. Forgot to mention that.” Then I’d point to that small scribbled section on the contract I added in moments ago.
“I’m starving, sir!” they’d say. Or, “I left my money at home,” or my favorite: “Shove it up your trickster rear!”
Sometimes they did pay me extra. Other times they didn’t…and those were the ones who soon forgot about everything forever. (chuckles).
Anyway, moving on.
Sometimes when my days got long and hard, I’d go to saloons for a nice bottled drink. The emerald colored Greed Mead is my favorite. Twirling my thin black mustache, I’d wink at some pretty imp gals nearby and say, “Hey there. You’ve been in Hell for a long time. Is that why you’re so hot?”
Most of the time, I’d get a swift punch to the face in response. The glares on their pretty faces, “Take that remark to the Sloth Ring, lazy bootleg fucker.”
So many aggressive people these days. I could tip my black hat to many imps and they’d either fall to my charms or roll their eyes. I was fine with that. There’s not much else to do in Hell then to live your life and amuse yourself with watching others struggle. In fact, pretty much every sin is encouraged, so why not keep going?
After stalking around looking for more people to scam, I came across Loo-Loo Land in the Ring of Greed. I’ve always loved that place, its vibrant atmosphere emitting joyful fun and chaotic flair. I walked on over and asked the vendor, “I say, you have any jobs here?”
“I’ve heard of you, Wacky Wally,” he said at the ticket stand. “You may be a good pick-pocket, but your skills are nothing compared to Mammon. In fact, this whole place is a fucking rip-off of Lucifer’s Lu-Lu Land!”
“All the more reason to love this place!” I exclaimed.
“Robo Fizz is putting on another show at 7pm tomorrow,” said the beefy imp vendor. “Made in Mammon’s factory and modeled after the famous imp Fizzarolli.” He then spoke in a low whisper, “It includes some behind the scenes moments for the VIPs…you know, with tentacles and ‘special features.’”
“Oh that sounds delicious!” I said with a slow grin. “It’d be great to see how his…mechanics work someday…”
The imp vendor rolled his eyes and flinched at my lighthearted comment. Always know what to say to get that grimace reaction.
“Anyway,” said the vendor, “We’re running low on staff, so you can go sell those torches over there.”
The imp pointed to a pink cart with Mammon’s jester face on it. I shrugged and got to work.
I happily rolled my cart around, selling torches wherever I went. I could honestly stare into those mesmerizing green flames all day.
“Torches here!” I drawled in my Foghorn Leghorn southern accent. “66% off when you buy four! Parties, decoration, destruction and more!”
One time on my break, I got to talk to Robo Fizz about money, shows, sex and chaos. We even cracked some jokes together. The robot seemed a little nervous in my presence but then again, he was very unpredictable on a daily basis.
“A duck, a frog, a demon and a skunk go into a bar. The bartender told them that the drinks were one dollar each. How did they pay for them? Answer: The duck had a bill, the frog had a greenback, the demon had a soul…but the skunk only had a scent!”
“Hahahaha!” Robo Fizz laughed, sparks flying near him. “Your jokes are much better than Blitzo’s corny puns!”
“Why thank you,” I replied. “But nothing beats your organ-playing animatronics in your ‘Wonderful World of Evil’ puppet show you did last month.”
Robo Fizz grinned at the compliment. “You do anything else besides selling torches?”
“I scam, I kill, I do a little bit of both. Oh and I’m also a great inventor!”
“How marvelous!” Robo Fizz grinned. “Perhaps if you have enough mayhem in you, you could perform with me at the next Fizzarolli N Friends show!”
“I say, I’d love that! I’m sure your show will be top notch, copyright be dammed…won’t it?”
Robo Fizz smiled widely, hiding a strain. “You bet it will!”
It was during one interesting day when I pushed my cart by a large tent where several Robo Fizz posters were posted. I held up a troch with a hand and called:
“Torches, I say! I say! Get your inconvenient torches here!”
Then before I knew it, the robot and a random imp crashed right into the cart.
“Ow, I say OW!” I cried as the green flames quickly spread around. After getting the flames off me, I ran for the hills out of the burning park. I sat, dejected shortly afterward. So much for that job. Along with figuring out what to do next, I also happened to watch the imp fight off Robo Fizz…and the robot falling into the dragon’s mouth.
How unfortunate.
After helping Robo Fizz from the dragon’s insides, (killing said dragon, pulling out said robot, cleaning and making quick repairs), I inched closer to him and said, “You made some new friends, I say.”
Robo Fizz stood tense with just long wires for his body, a metal skeleton of his previous appearance. “Yes…an old time co-worker of mine. A clown of an imp named Blitzo. He and his sisters were once part of a circus act called “The Amazing Imp Siblings. A bit dowdy if you ask me. ”
Robo Fizz looked around. “Hahahaha! That was some chaotic fun. But now the park is ruined!”
“I say, if I were you,” I told him, “I’d do all I could to get this park repaired and back on track. Costs a whole lotta money. The last thing you need is to have your boss disappointed in you.”
A brief look of fear came on his face. “Oh yes, yes, good idea, Wally.”
“And your friend…whether you upstage him or what, you’d best be sure Blitzo stays out of trouble. I lost my job and almost my life because of that fight!” My yellow eyes shined in a show of sadness.
“I-I will not let master Mammon down…not that I have a choice.”
“Let Asmodeus know what’s up as well.”
Robo Fizz nodded, spun away and laughed. “Time to find that rodeo clown imp!”
0 0 0
Later on after leaving Greed, I got a brilliant idea. It was after I saw some old fashioned 1800s snake man in Pride plow down buildings with a metal bulldozer vehicle. That was it! I could start my own business!
I walked over to 666 News station. “Oh Katie,” I said in my sweetest voice.
“What is it, scum?” she asked, sitting at a mirror and doing her hair. “Can’t you see I’m preparing for a back to back broadcast right now?”
“I was considering doing my very own commercial about me exploiting…erm, employing other demons for my new factory.”
Katie barked out a laugh. “Good luck with that, filthy old man! Now get out of my studio.”
“Very well,” I said. As quiet as a hell mouse, I snatched a camera with an eye at the center and made my way out the door. The rest of the materials I needed came from a nearby junkyard. (Thankfully I avoided the wrath of some hungry kangaroo parasitic queen demon). I was running out of money fast; with no job around the corner, I figured I’d start my own!
Even I don’t really know where I got my inventing skills from. Many say it was my natural trait. Others say I learned from other experts in the trade. After all, one of the quickset ways to a man’s wallet is through the latest technology.
But I, Wally Wackford would not settle for your standard modern devices. No. I preferred to make things…well, wacky.
In no time at all, I had built myself my own mini studio where I could film my commercial! Now, what to call my company? Hmm…
The Onceler One In a Lifetime Opportunity? No, not enough Ws.
Wowing Whimsical Wonderous Wonders? Nah, too many Ws.
Ah…of course! What is a company if you don’t have your name on it?
0 0 0
“Uh huh, keep going, keep going, keep going!” Blitzo insisted at the I.M.P. office.
Moxxie switched the channel again. This time, an imp appeared wearing a large black top hat, a white shirt and pants, gray vest, black bow tie and black boots. He held a cane in his hands and he also had a thin curly mustache. A mischievous grin of sharp teeth appeared on his face.
“I say, I say!” the imp exclaimed, briefly pointing his cane at the camera. “Are you looking to get work making crazy contraptions and goofy gadgets?” “Crazy Contraptions” and “Goofy Gadgets” appeared in bold spiked icons to the imp’s left and right. The imp twirled his cane.
“Well call me at Wacky Wally Wackford’s Wacky Idea ‘Factory!’”
He pulled down another screen. The title appeared in bold red, gray and white letters surrounded by pinkish circles reminiscent of classic cartoons. “Factory” appeared in quotations. Wally Wackford appeared again.
“Where you make the things and I make the money!”
Wally Wackford then got up closer to the camera with a pleading look. “Please, I’m very desperate!”
“Bingo!” Blitzo called, shooting and exploding the TV again.
0 0 0
It was actually really easy to find where Blitzo was and the new sinner inventors. The killing company of imps had me very curious. If they could start a business, why shouldn’t I? And being in the company of amazing inventors…
I could almost see the soul dollar bills floating into my hands.
I snuck up to the building, merged into the floor, eavesdropped on their fascinating conversation…
0 0 0
Crash!
A metal plank crashed into the room from above as Moxxie scurried out of the way. Loopty Goopty strolled down the plank. “Blitz!”
“Loofa!” Blitzo called, saying his name wrong. “We can explain everything. I was…”
Crash!
Millie pulled Moxxie out of the way before another metal plank landed in the spot where he would’ve been. From on the floor, Blitzo’s butt was very much in view. Blitzo glanced down at him and remarked, “Oh chill out Moxxie, if you kiss my ass any harder you’ll go right inside me.”
Moxxie turned beet red in the face and scooted further back. Millie helped him up again.
“Thanks for saving me again,” Moxxie said. “I would’ve foamed at the mouth and maybe died again.”
“Why would you think I would ever ignore you?”
Moxxie shrugged.
Just then, the demonic form of a man rolled down the plank. His body was black and spherical, with a mint green head wearing a black bowler hat on top. He had a large bushy light gray mustache and pince-nez goggles with dark red spirals on the lens like Loopty. His grinning teeth resembled piano keys.
“Lyle Lipton?!” Millie, Moxxie, and Blitzo asked in unison.
“I don’t understand,” said Millie. “We thought you went to Heaven.”
Lyle Lipton chuckled. “Heaven?” He rolled toward Loopty Goopty. “You don’t make millions in technological advances in robotics by not experimenting on the poor!” He laughed.
Loopy Goopty grinned as he unleashed his weapons in front of Lyle Lipton. “Finally! We meet again at last! Now that you’re dead, you have no money to keep from me!”
“Well, I’m a better inventor than you!” Lyle scoffed. “And I’ll make the most money here first!”
“Nonsense you no good son of a bitch!”
“Tie yourself in a knot, loony Loopty!”
“Roll in your grave, fat shit inventor!”
“Two robotic inventors?!” called a nearby voice. A steampunk blimp hovered in the air and a well-dressed snake demon appeared from a hole in his ship.
“Who is that guy?” Lyle Lipton asked.
“I’m the one and only Sir Pentious!” he declared. Several Egg Bois were steering his ship. The eye on his dark top hat peered at the other sinners in curiosity. “With my dominating machines, I aim to take over all of Pentagram City!” Then he muttered, “The repairs were a fucking nightmare to endure.” He glanced at the leftover cracks and holes on the metal sides of his ship.
“Oooh!” Loopty exclaimed in admiration. “I’ve only seen such inventions in old time history books. How long have you been here?”
“Since eighteen eighty eight!”
“Love the loopy numbers!” Loopty grinned, making three small eights with his contraptions. “I’m Loopty Goopty! Lyle is my could’ve been partner in crime but actually rival!”
“When you’re rich as me, who needs a dead partner!” Lyle exclaimed.
“You’re dead too, you know!”
“Where did you cowardly sinners get here?” Sir Pentious asked.
“Well we just got here,” Lyle called. “Experimenting on the poor made us millionaires! Just…be careful when messing with anti-aging machines. Made us both old.”
“A machine that changes one’s age?” Sir Pentious pondered. “That could prove to be ussseful in the future,” he hissed.
“Oh, you should join us, snake man!” Loopy suggested. “Or me, rather.”
Sir Pentious briefly glared. “Hmm. While I’m perfectly capable of spreading my constrictive terror on my own…I suppose having some…lackey sidekicks would suffice.”
“Don’t call us lackeys!” Lyle sneered. “And I’m not working with him!”
“Maybe if we briefly collaborate as a team…”
Lyle grumbled in annoyance.
After a moment, Sir Pentious sighed. “Okay, you may join me, but…”
He spread out his hood, revealing pink eyes. “Don’t even think about crossssing me.” He pulled his hood back. “Now go gather your contraptions and help me manage those scrambled fucking eggs!”
A bunch of eggs in top hats and suits rolled out and jumped on the two inventors, who were stunned.
Loopty then laughed evilly. “Inventors to inventors it is!”
Just then, I popped out of the ground in the room.
“Did someone say, I say inventors?! Name’s Wally Wackford, and I am lookin’ for creative new people to exploit! I mean employ.” I twirled my mustache with an evil grin.
At last, a chance to expand my business of the mass production of robotic Fizzarollis! All of Hell will go crazy when they get a chance to buy all the sex robots, the merchandise, everything...and all to profit ME!
“Everyone, stop fucking up my walls!” Blitzo yelled. “Moxxie’s gonna have to fix all this shit! Satan’s balls! First we deal with Heaven’s table-scraps, now this?”
I smiled. “Well I guess you can say, you say, you have a holey operation here, Blitzo!”
I slapped my knee and laughed at my own joke.
“Get out,” Blitzo muttered.
Soon I doubled down on the floor laughing. “Oh! I said, ‘o’!”
Blitzo yelled, “No, I’m serious, get the fuck out!”
Everyone in the room looked at Blitzo in shock and surprise.
0 0 0
And then, that one other time where I helped host the Harvest Moon Festival Pain Games!
Wally Wackford a.k.a. me…stood on the wooden stage, holding a gray microphone decorated with an eye in the center and small horns on the top. I wore my usual white shirt, vest, white pants and dark boots. I twirled my black cane and tipped my black top hat.
I spoke dramatically through the microphone.
“Welcome, I say welcome all to Wrath Ring’s annual Harvest Moon Festival! To kick things up, we have the great prince Stolas-a here to user in this here Pain Games!”
Stolas took the microphone from me and chuckled in slight embarrassment.
“How kind, Wackford.”
Stolas then addressed the audience. “Greetings tiny Wrath Ring imps. I hereby welcome you all to another year of celebrating the spoils of your labor that continue to feed the citizens of Hell!”
A crowd of imps glared at him and several boos were heard. Many of these Wrath imps were impoverished farmers who lived on scraps, meat or good crops if they were lucky. The food they worked so hard to produce was consumed by royalty and those in the other Rings. But the reward for their work was being underfed, underpaid and underappreciated instead. The unbalanced cycle had lasted for generations.
I, too, stared at Stolas with a glare in my eyes. That rich royal thinks he can parade around, doing whatever he wants. Well unfortunately for him, I have plans of my own. Once he sees what I’m capable of…
He will know who really rules the roost.
Stolas obliviously continued. “I’m happy to kick off the start of these games that will challenge the toughest imps to show their skill and dominance.” He did a little wave with his fingers. “Good luck to you all!” He noticed Blitzo in the crowd beside Moxxie and Striker and spoke lower. “Especially that sexy little one there! Yoo-hoo, Blitzy!”
“Oh fuck me,” Blitzo scowled.
A gun went off and the games began.
The first event was the race. Moxxie was instantly trampled by the other racers.
The second event was the high jump. Striker climbed over the high wooden ramp structure with ease and raced after Blitzo who jumped past him. Moxxie struggled to keep his balanced as he reached the top. He slipped down, trying to use his claws to hold on. He fell with a splash in a small puddle…and was promptly chewed on by a monstrous black and white shark with several red eyes.
The third event was an event with rope. Striker grinned as he held a tied up Blitzo. Blitzo’s arms, legs and horns were all tied up. Moxxie gulped as a stronger grinning imp tied him up with ease.
The fourth event was tug of war. The crowd cheered as the two teams pulled hard. Striker, Blitzo and Moxxie were on a team. Moxxie stumbled and fell into nearby water, where the shark attacked him again.
The fifth event was mud wrestling. Blitzo and Striker grinned as they wrestled each other, Striker getting the upper hand as he held Blitzo down, arms locked. Moxxie was instantly crushed in a football hurdle by a group of imps. As they got off of him, Moxxie sat up. And the shark leaped out of the water and over the fence.
“Mother fucker!” Moxxie screamed as the shark crushed him. (Moxxie somehow survived all this.)
I hopped back on stage.
“I say, I say for the first year ever, we have a tie, for the winner of the Harvest Moon Pain Games!”
Stolas took the microphone from me again.
“The winners are…Striker, and my darling Blitzy!” Stolas did a one-legged pose as the crowd cheered.
“Just say my name right!” Blitzo complained. He muttered “Fucking dick,” as he and Striker walked onto the stage.
0 0 0
After the event, I noticed that I.M.P. and Stolas had left. After sharing an undiscernible look with Striker, we parted ways.
I soon returned to a special place in Greed, tired but determined. I walked alone down dark hallways, torches burning green flames on either side. I wagged my pointed red tail.
I pushed open the double doors and came across a marvelous sight.
Gold. Heaps of it, just shining brightly all around the vast spacious chamber. Gold pillars held up the cavern-like ceiling, a chandelier made of bones and diamonds hung from above. There were chests of necklaces, precious gems, goblets and weapons of every shape and size. Hanging on a far wall, concealed in shadow were angelic weapons…at least half a dozen.
I stared around in amazement. Even Lucifer would be surprised if he could see this place.
I raced around and tossed the gold coins into the air. In a craze, I rolled around in a nearby pile of green dollar souls. With a grin, I stood up and stared with pride at the grinning face of the jester printed on there.
A face confident in his ability to deceive others, pursue wealth and bask in endless entertainment.
The grinning face was all too familiar…
…because it was my face.
Wally Wackford leaned his head back, mouth open in a high pitched shriek as dark magic flickered around him. The imp form fell and morphed into shadow. In the imp’s place, a large black beast with thick fur, razor sharp claws and red eyes decorating the body. The figure stood up on two powerful furry legs and sat comfortably in a giant golden throne that occupied the center of the chamber. Angular jester clothing of red, gold and purple stripes adorned the wolf body. And finally, a large spiked black crown sat atop the dark loopy jester hat with bells at the ends. A white and gold jester face showed sharp white teeth and glowing yellow eyes. Dark clawed hands juggled fresh demon skulls into the air and popped them into his large mouth. He crunched loudly before swallowing every bit.
My imp disguise was perfect. Literally no one else save for Robo Fizz and a few elites knew who was underneath. And even then, my magic was so powerful it could easily confuse anyone around me.
Being an imp has its advantages; you can travel anywhere and gather information along the way. You can track imps from a killing company and find out where they’ll likely travel to next. You can affiliate yourself with your own robotic creations, some slave imps and succubi…and then in your own form, work with a fellow Deadly Sin on the next stage.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Funny, really. Wally Wackford could easily be a separate being, born into poverty, learning to scam others at an early age and go up from there. I, however, didn’t need to learn anything…deceiving others and attracting material wealth was a natural talent. As was shapeshifting.
Lucifer might not be happy with me coping his idea of a theme park…but business is business…and in Hell, anything goes.
That incompetent prince Stolas would be dead soon enough. No more Goetia showoffs to get in the way of my rule and reputation. At least the prince’s wife was rightfully concerned with maintaining tradition that has existed for centuries. Aside from my dear friend Lucifer, I was, and should be, the most powerful being in Hell. I’ll keep exploiting those I choose because money is money.
Those I.M.P. assassins have no idea who they were dealing with.
I let out a crazed evil laugh, intermingled with a wolf’s howl. With a single touch of my hand, my nearby scepter turned into gold. I admired its shiny flawless sheen. Asmodeus, Leviathan, Lucifer, Satan, Belphegor, Beelzebub and myself…the Seven Deadly Sins…circus-loving rulers of the Overlords and in charge of maintaining chaotic order in our respective Rings.
I, Mammon, had much to do.
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
Impromptu Office Meeting
Summary: You and Arthur work for the same company. On the side, you two maintain a relationship that remains a secret around your other coworkers. You find Arthur’s been stressed and coax him into taking a relaxing lunch break.
Warnings: Oral sex, light swearing
12 pm, lunchtime.
As soon as the clock recorded your punch out for lunch, you stood up from your office chair and stretched out, letting out a soft groan. After four hours of answering phones and scheduling appointments, you definitely needed a quick walk to wake yourself up.
“Enjoy your lunch, Y/N!” Your coworker, Tilly, called over the the other end of the desk.
You shot a smile at her. “Wish I was going home instead.” You joked, walking from the receptionist desk and toward the doorway that led deeper into the building. Hell, you were only half joking. Being a receptionist wasn’t the most glamorous of jobs, but it paid the bills decently enough.
It also helped that your coworkers were bearable. More than bearable; they were much like a second family to you from the way they treated you, the bosses always making sure you didn’t stay too late or had help on days when it seemed busier than most.
From what you understood, most of the employees knew one another before the company started, and had been working for them for years. You were a newer hire, settling yourself for reception after being let go from your previous position. Having to take angry calls and answer dumb questions for even dumber people was enough to make your head spin, however you forged through each day with a forced smile on your face.
You had to wonder why Tilly remained so chipper despite having to deal with this on a daily basis. You asked her one day, and she had a simple answer: it was only temporary. And she was right, it was. Still, you could only wish to have the amount of happiness she did to not hang up halfway through a phone call.
On your way toward the break room, some chatter piqued your interest. Familiar voices conversing and laughing with one another. Upon coming to the partially closed door, you were able to pick out each distinctive voice, one in particular that made your heart leap.
Pushing the door open to reveal the small break room, you set your eyes on its inhabitants. Karen, a lazy office assistant who spent more time gossiping than working, but she had a great sense of humor and showed progress when pushed. Charles, a usually quiet but hardworking man who oversaw warehouse inventory. And last but not least, Arthur, one of the higher ups that were often favored by the bosses for all the right reasons. Always performing his hardest and never demeaning those that would be considered beneath his position, even stepping in to help if others became overwhelmed.
It was one of the reasons why you fell in love with him.
He and Charles leaned against the tiny kitchen counter, smiles on their faces as Karen shared the tail end of a joke that you seemed to have missed. When you stepped in completely, all eyes turned to you.
“Hey, Y/N,” Charles greeted. “How’s your day going?”
“Pretty good, Charles. Thanks for asking.” You said politely, offering him a smile as you walked toward the fridge.
“Y/N!” Karen gleefully exclaimed. “I just heard this joke, it’s pretty funny!”
Arthur gave you a smile, a small one that reflected something more in his eyes. You shot him a quick smile back before digging into the fridge for your lunch, having only paid partial attention to Karen repeating her joke. The coffee maker was on, evident that the two men were probably waiting for it to roast before returning to their respective spots.
By the time you sat down, Charles and Arthur had left. You and Karen spoke for a few minutes while you munched on your lunch, yet eventually you found yourself alone. The quiet that surrounded you was nice, your head finally stopped buzzing from the incessant phone rings. There was however 45 minutes left for your break, and normally you would be reading a book or passing the time by playing a game on your phone.
Your mind was drifting around Arthur. You were in a relationship with him, a secret one at that. You two started to date a few months after you were hired, and opted to keep it in hushed tones in concern of judgement and unprofessionalism. You also knew some of the office ladies had crushes on him, the way they giggled and fawned over him while he wasn’t looking. It were as if you were in high school again.
It still sometimes shocked you to think out of everyone else, he picked you. A simple receptionist with no other attributes other than your ability to multitask. But he looked at you as if you were a Goddess, and treated you as such when away from prying eyes.
And so you wondered what he was up to at this moment.
You got up from the table, leaving the break room and made your way toward his office. You were careful to keep watch, making sure no one could see what you were up to. Luckily no one else was wandering the halls, and you soon found yourself standing in front of a closed door with his name in large print.
You knocked, and once you heard him speak, you opened the door.
His office wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. He had a decent sized desk that faced the entrance with a large computer monitor tilted to the side. He kept his workspace neat; a few framed pictures here and there. There was minimal décor elsewhere, a plant sitting in the windowsill, a few professional photos on the walls of places out West, where he was from.
He looked up at you in faint surprise, quickly melting into a smile. “Hey, Y/N. Need somethin’?”
You closed the door behind you, shaking your head. “Nah, just wanted to see what you were doing.”
The smile faded from his face, his eyes shifting toward the computer screen. “Eh…too much,” he sighed. “Lots o’ paperwork to review. Think I’m gonna end up workin’ through my lunch if I wanna get outta here on time. Past few nights I’ve been leavin’ late, and Dutch won’t have that.”
Your frown matched his, and you walked forward, rounding the desk and placing your hands on his broad shoulders. His muscles were hard underneath, and you began to massage him. “Ooh, my poor baby. You’re so tense.” You cooed.
Arthur let out a groan, relaxing immediately from your touch. He leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to look up at you. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
You smiled down at him, leaning to plant a light kiss on his lips. “Wish I could help you if I could. How about dinner tonight?”
“If I get out in time,” he sighed. “Don’t cook tonight, wouldn’t be fair if I showed up dead on my feet.”
Your fingers hit a knot, further confirming its presence when he flinched. You rubbed your thumb over it, easing the tension out with precision. “Sounds like you need a break.” You mused.
“Ah, can’t take one. Been behind on this stuff for the past two days. Gotta get it done ‘fore Dutch jumps on my throat again.”
You managed to work the knot out, smiling to yourself in satisfaction before moving to the next. You then scoffed at his response. “You’re less productive if you don’t have a break, Arthur. Overworking yourself will ruin your mind and body. It’s not healthy.”
“Didn’t know you were a doctor too.” He mumbled dryly.
“I’m serious,” you countered, placing a hand on his chin to meet his gaze. “And legally, you have to.”
Arthur stared at you for a long moment, and you waited to see if he’d protest again. Instead he sighed and sat up straight, pulling up the program on his computer to clock on for lunch. “Alright, but I don’t wanna hear it when I come late and pass out tonight.”
You rolled your eyes and lightly smacked his arm, and went back to massaging him. He leaned right into your touch, closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh. As you worked the kinks from his muscles, you couldn’t help but to marvel the sight in front of you.
His outfit was always simple; a button up shirt and a pair of slacks. Today he decided to wear all black, the sleek fabric of his shirt shining faintly underneath the fluorescent tiles above. It accented the curves of his arms, shoulders and chest in every way. The top few buttons were open, showing just a slight amount of his chest. He was sexy, even if he didn’t think so himself. You had to remind him on a daily basis early on in your relationship. You couldn’t help but to secretly drool over him at work every day, but the first time you saw him naked nearly gave you heart palpations.
“You’re too good to me, ya know?” Arthur sighed, bringing you out of your thoughts. His hand reached up to drape over yours, squeezing it slightly.
You smiled at him again. “Just trying time take care of you, since you can’t seem to do it yourself.” You giggled.
He let out a small chuckle. “Appreciate it, darlin’,” the amusement in his face fell, his other hand rubbing his forehead. “Been too much these past few days…”
You smoothed his hair sympathetically, and he leaned into your touch and closed his eyes. Your fingers ran through his fair, scratching your nails lightly along his scalp.
“Been so stressed…” he murmured. “Feels like I can’t relax at all.”
“Hey, it’s only temporary.” You said to him, using Tilly’s words. He hummed in response, saying nothing else. You wished you could help him more, but you’ve only seen a fraction of the type of work he does, and you had to commend him for having to stick through with it. It wasn’t something you’d be able to do without getting confused in the details of it all.
Your mind began to wander, thinking of ways to help him relax for the short hour break. You’d worked out the knots of his shoulders. It would have to be discreet, hoping to not capture the attention of your coworkers.
And then a dirty thought crossed your mind, enough for heat to flare in your face. It shouldn’t even have a second consideration given that you were at work, but you knew how much he enjoyed it. You glanced at his pants, biting your lip and moving from behind him to face him. His eyes opened, a look of curiosity plain on his face. You then knelt down between his legs, and his eyebrows raised.
“Y/N, what’re you doin’?” he asked warily.
You gave him a smile, reaching to place your hand lightly against his crotch. “Helping you relax.”
His breath hitched slightly, tensing around you. “Y/N. We’re at work. This ain’t a good-”
You shushed him gently, sliding your hand to rub a soothing circle on his chest. “Just gonna use my mouth.”
“What if someone walks in?” he asked, worry etched in his eyes.
“More people are out than in at the moment,” you reminded him. But just in case, you scooted backward, resting partially underneath his desk. “Not like anyone’s gonna come in and interrupt.”
“’Cept you.” He murmured, giving you a pointed look.
Your only answer was to smirk at him, quickly shooting a wink while your hand returned to its prize. You pulled the zipper down, reaching in to fish out his semi-hardened cock. Wrapping your hand around his thick girth, you pumped him slowly a few times, watching his head tilt back against the chair. He let out a sigh as his body visibly released the tension in your grip.
It only took half a moment before he was at full mast, you brought your mouth to the tip, sliding your tongue across the slit and underneath, toying with the sensitive pinch of skin. He let out a soft groan, his chest heaving in a deep breath. You traced a path up and down his length, enjoying the heated skin against your tongue. You soon engulfed the tip, sucking him sensually and slowly. He groaned again, slightly louder, his hands gripping the armrests of the chair.
“Sweetheart…” he sighed. “That feels so good…”
His words prompted you to sink down on him, his girth filling your mouth to almost the back of your throat. You began to bob your head, taking him further in your mouth with each pass. He whispered your name, placing his hand on the back of your head, knotting his fingers in your hair. Added pressure was welcoming, inviting you to completely deep throat him.
“Fuck,” he growled, his hips trembling beneath you. “You…you’re gonna make it hard to keep quiet.” He managed to whisper in one breath.
An innocent hum was your response, locking eyes with him as you did it once again. He sucked in air between his teeth, his other hand resting on the opposite side of your head. “Darlin’-” he gasped. “Please-!”
You pulled your mouth almost completely off him, giggling lightly as you returned to his normal pace. You knew with teasing like that was something you’d never been able to get away with, without some sort of revenge from him. You’ll be hearing about it later…or, feeling it.
He gave another sigh as he loosened his grip. “Did ya want me to fuck your face?” He exasperated, trying hard to keep his tone even.
You didn’t answer then, reaching up to cup and massage his balls through the fabric of his slacks. An action which caused him to melt once again. His breath shuddered, his fingers massaging your head. He groaned deeply, the vibration traveling through him.
You kept yourself at an easy speed, occasionally pausing to tease the head before swallowing him again. His entire body was limp like a dummy, only moving to stroke your head or face. His eyes occasionally locked on to yours, half-lidded and glazed with pure lust. He wanted to take you then and there, you could tell.
“Baby, I’m gonna cum soon.” He sighed after a few moments. His hand gripped your hair harder, pressing your head down a little further.
You reached your hand up to this thigh, rubbing it in understanding. He moved his free hand to take yours, squeezing it gently and enjoying the moment of sweet intimacy regardless of the circumstance. Faster and faster you went, attempting to coax him closer to his climax.
A knock on the door caught your attention. Simultaneously, you froze and Arthur sat up straight.
“Arthur? May I come in?” A voice from the other side sounded. You recognized it as Hosea, one of the company owners and one of yours-and Arthur’s-bosses.
“Uh-” Arthur tried to answer, trying to hide the nervousness that plagued his voice. The door however opened, and your stomach lurched.
You still had him in your mouth, still very rock hard and throbbing slightly against your tongue. You dared not to move in case the slightest of sounds would make your presence known, and prayed Arthur wouldn’t make any sudden movements of his own that would have you gagging. You were so thankful Arthur’s desk had a wall between you and the door.
"How are you today, my dear boy?" Hosea asked with a cheerful and caring tone.
“Good. Just, uh, got on my lunch break.” Arthur answered awkwardly. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see his free hand move, most likely to gesture toward his computer.
“Excellent. I just needed to ask, have you seen Y/N?”
Your eyes widened. Did Hosea somehow know about your relationship with Arthur? Did he know you were right there?
“No,” Arthur answered immediately. “Why would I know?”
“I was told she’s on lunch, and Karen said to ask you and Charles. Charles only saw her in the break room,” Hosea answered. “I must speak with her about a phone call with one of our clients.”
The thought of Hosea somehow finding about your secret dwindled slightly, and you were able to relax a touch. Your tongue pressed up against the underside of Arthur’s length, a move which caused his hips to twitch just a fraction.
“I-If I see her,” Arthur began, fighting to hide the stammer in his voice. His hand tightened around yours. “I’ll send ‘er your way.”
“Thanks, Arthur.” Hosea spoke before you heard the movement of feet and the door closing.
Blood roared in your ears, neither of you speaking for a moment as you listened to the fading echo of footsteps. Your heart was still hammering against your rib cage.
“Shit…” Arthur murmured, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. “That was too close.”
You looked up at him, sliding your mouth off him. “Way too close,” you agree, glancing behind you. “Glad you have a desk like this.”
Arthur chuckled softly, smoothing his rough hand across your cheek before gripping himself, tugging at the open zipper in attempt to tuck back in. “First n’ last time we-”
You cut him off when your hand curled around his. You smirked up at him, carefully prying his fingers from himself. “Didn’t say I was finished, though.”
He looked at you in surprise. “Y/N, we nearly-”
“But we didn’t,” you added bluntly. “Besides, you were close. I’d hate to edge you and give you blue balls for the rest of the day.”
Arthur appeared as if he wanted to argue, but your mouth taking its place on his length erased the mere thought from his head. His breath shuddered and his head lolled back, uncaring about the previous encounter.
It didn’t take much longer for him to finish. A few short moments of your deep throating had him nearly fucking your face. His entire body vibrated with his groans that were almost wolf-like. His voice breathless, he murmured his pleasure to you, his hands gripping your head as he shoved your mouth down completely. His hips locked, shooting his hot spend down your throat. He hissed out a swear as quietly as possible, pumping his hips shallowly to milk himself dry. Once he released your head, you slowly removed your mouth. Swallowing the last of his seed, you reached over to tuck him neatly back into his pants. He looked as if he ran a marathon, his chest heaving as he attempted to catch his breath.
His eyes locked with yours, and a dopey smile crossed his face. He beckoned you closer, and you stood up to join your lips to his, eliciting a tender kiss. His hands cupped your face while you ran your fingers through his soft hair. After a long moment, he gently pulled back.
“How do you feel now?” you asked quietly, smiling at him.
“Ten times better,” he rumbled with a small laugh. “Guess I did need that.”
“See? Told you it would help,” You cheekily responded. “Even if we did almost get caught by one of the bosses.”
“Speakin’ o’ which, you should go n’ see what he needed ya for. How much longer you got for your break?”
You glanced at the computer screen, realizing with a jolt that more time passed than you realized. “Fifteen minutes,” you sighed. “Guess I should go before I’m thrown back into the fray.”
Arthur rolled his eyes, although the smile on his face remained. “Go on then, I’ll see ya tonight.”
“You got it, Mr. Morgan.” You said, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on his forehead before heading towards the door. As you reached for the handle, he spoke again.
“By the way, I’m eatin’ you for lunch next time.”
You froze in surprise, wondering if you just heard that correctly. You peered over your shoulder at him. “What happened to first and last time?”
His head tilted down, holding your gaze with a mischievous gleam in his eye. “Just gotta lock the door next time.”
Your eyebrows raised, still in shock by the 180 shift in attitude towards this impromptu meeting. You hadn’t planned to make this a reoccurring event, however the thought of it bloomed deep in your stomach, stirring up a newfound excitement. “Alright,” you said with a sultry tone. “I look forward to it.”
140 notes
·
View notes
Text
National Anthem 2. June 4, 2020 - Part One
She clutched the yellow legal pad to her breast and leaned back, propping her heel on the wall. With her weight balanced on one leg in a state of semi relaxation she ignored the myriad of noises that filled campaign headquarters in favour of the small television mounted in the corner above. Someone had helpfully turned the volume up, but she still had to strain her ears.
And if anyone asked she was making mental notes for the follow up article. She was not under any circumstances listening to the rise and fall of his voice and thinking about the very fine figure he cut in his suit.
Nope.
That was not what was happening.
Notes would have sold that story better, not that there was a story to tell, but if anybody asked she could easily cite the clearly labeled folders on her laptop since driving Caroline crazy only ever extended to her desk and packing habits.
She could have recited his platform in her sleep.
And if she bit her lip it was because she wanted to commit the televised interview to memory. It was not because he liked to gesture with his hands and she couldn’t stop thinking about the way those long fingers liked to deliberately graze her palm at every turn.
Nope.
Her skin was not tingling with memory.
She was not subtly rubbing her thighs together because three nights ago they sat beside each other at a dinner where she gleefully let him tease her and ruin yet another pair of underwear. She was not imagining those hands stealing under her skirt.
And she was not conjuring up wild dreams of what they could do to each other if they ever managed to get a little privacy.
Okay…
Maybe she was thinking about that last one, but in her defence it had been three months. Three damn months had passed since she joined the campaign trail. Three months had trickled by with all the speed of poured molasses while they flirted, while they teased, while he strung her higher than a kite.
“Many comments are being made on your accent.”
She tuned into the onscreen interview again as they wound down and approached the human interest portion that the entire country denied they eagerly awaited, though as far as juicy gossip went this morsel wasn’t that good.
“I’ve heard a few of them,” Kol chuckled.
And damn that laugh did things to her.
“According to all of my sources you were born in Northern Virginia, contrary to some commenters suggestions that you were not.”
“I can guess where those rumours came from.”
Elena could guess too. There were some opponents who thought they could knock him out of the presidential race by insinuating he wasn’t actually American, and she knew precisely which one. She also knew that the one starting that rumour knew how false it was.
“… but I assure you, Mark, I’m as American as you.”
“Can I ask how you came by the accent?”
“It’s not much of a story,” Kol shrugged, smiling that damn adorable smile that made him look so much younger. “My parents wanted the best education for us…”
“More like wanted you out of the house,” Elena muttered so low nobody could hear. She was still upset with Mikael and Esther’s decision twenty years after they ripped apart her childhood friendship. Luckily she got to reconnect with Rebekah and after everything they were stronger than before, but there had been years where she missed the blonde like crazy and thought their letter correspondence wouldn’t sustain them.
“They sent my siblings and I to an elite boarding school in the United Kingdom when we were young. Each of us attended until graduation and all of my siblings with the exception of one of my older brothers caught the accent. Haven’t been able to shake it. We often joke about it actually. Elijah never lost his own accent, yet he spent more time in the UK than any of us.”
She tried to hear Kol’s signature ‘darling’ with a heavy southern drawl and giggled.
“Something funny Elena?”
Her eyes snapped to the campaign manager and she shook her head. “Nah Josh, I’m just imagining Kol with a Virginian accent.”
“As fun as that sounds,” he rolled his eyes, “don’t you have an article to write. I’m sure your publication isn’t paying you to stand around and watch the news.”
“It’s already written,” she waved one hand.
“Including the new information you just heard?”
“That’s hardly knew information,” Elena shrugged, straightening up. “The Mikaelson siblings attended Westminster School London and spent summers and holidays at the family mansion in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Before that they each attended Mystic Falls Elementary School.”
“That’s more information then the Senator has ever given,” his eyes narrowed.
“Yeah, well,” Elena tucked her hair behind her ear, “he also has never said he once set off a glitter bomb in his little sister’s bedroom during a slumber party and put frogs in his oldest brother’s cereal.” She had no issue telling the tales of his pranks to Josh. Outside of the polaroids she kept in a shoebox under her childhood bed there was no physical proof and even if the stories got out they would only serve to make him appear endearing.
And she did not think he was endearing.
Nope.
She was not still laughing about the things he used to do in the summers before growing up. She was not thinking about the time he dumped Klaus’ paints over Rebekah’s hair and looked at her when she tried not to laugh.
“Is he giving you exclusive interviews or something?” Josh’s brows rose.
Phantom hands grasped her hips as ghostly touches grazed the column of her throat. She would not label that an interview, no matter how telling it was.
“I’m from Mystic Falls,” she explained. “His sister is one of my best friends and technically I’ve known him since I was five.”
“I take it your editor didn’t know that.”
“Not the details,” Elena tilted her head. From the corner of her eye she saw the interview wrapping up and turned her head to catch the last question.
“Anyone new in your life?” The way the question was phrased made it very clear what was really being asked.
“I meet new people on a daily basis with the campaign trail, but I sense that’s not the question you’re asking.”
“You got me. There’s been a lot of curiosity lately.”
Lately was an understatement. People had been snooping around since his last long term relationship; not that Mary could really be considered long term.
“So anyone new?”
“No,” Kol’s eyes flickered beyond his interviewer and directly into the camera until she felt certain he knew he held her gaze, “there is nobody new.”
Elena ducked her head and stared at the empty legal pad, hoping her hair covered whatever blush stained her cheeks. “I should go get to work.”
She slipped into a dimly lit hallway and shut the door, leaning against it as she did. She had just managed to get her heart under control when a smooth voice interrupted what she had thought to be solitude.
“Do my eyes deceive me, or are we finally alone?”
Her skin tingled as he moved closer and stopped a few inches away. She felt his body heat before she looked up through her eyelashes.
“It’s the main hallway in a major campaign headquarters,” she whispered, and her fingers were not smoothing down his tie. “I wouldn’t count on being alone for long.”
“Oh,” he sighed, “so I don’t have enough time to wrap you around my body and have my wicked way with you.”
“Probably not,” she meant for her voice to be exasperated, but it may have come out breathless as she imagined digging her heels into lower back and her fingers into his perfectly styled hair.
She cleared her throat and found her voice - the one that wasn’t indicative of the hot mess he made of her insides.
“I would hate to be the one caught defiling the baby of the house.”
“I hate that that name stuck.” He groaned, chuckling as he covered her hip with his hand.
“That’s what you get for being the youngest member ever elected,” she teased, moving her hand to smooth a non-existent wrinkle from his suit.
“There are younger members than me now.” His gaze flickered between her laughing eyes and parted lips.
“Maybe,” she conceded, “but you’re the youngest ever, and it doesn’t help that you look young.”
“You’re not about to call me boyish are you?”
She shrugged, smiling from ear to ear. “You look it in every interview. Young,” she reached up, trailing a finger over his jaw, “fresh faced… boyish…”
“I assure you darling,” he caught her wrist, twisting it to press a hot kiss to the sensitive skin, “that there is nothing remotely ‘boyish’ about me.”
“Really?” She shivered, letting her legal pad fall. It hit the floor with a soft thud. “Cause I have this picture in my head of a scrawny kid switching out the sugar for salt and catching a picture of his big brother’s faces.”
“Scrawny?” He gasped, mock offence etched in every inch of his face.
“Thin arms,” she nodded, “bony knees, and hair that sticks up in every direction. And of course that constant smirk that said trouble. I’m sure you remember me just as fondly.”
“I see a little girl with perfect curls and huge brown eyes, somehow always looking like a doll. Until she fell in the mud, anyway. I don’t recall you ever being scrawny.”
“You were at an elite boarding school and missed that phase,” her eyes sparkled. “And I remember you pushing me in the mud.”
“Technically I pulled,” he tilted his head. “You pushed me.”
“You pushed Rebekah,” she smiled, “I had to avenge my friend. And you were really skinny, so easy to push.”
“I assure you darling,” his voice dropped half an octave as he pressed her palm to his abdomen, “there’s nothing scrawny about me now.”
And she did not bite her lip because she could feel those abs that were still oh so lickable.
“Shall I show you?” Amusement danced in his eyes.
“Here?” Her fingers hooked in his belt loops. “And have the future President arrested for public indecency? Press will have a field day.”
“Only if we get caught,” he breathed, catching her chin with his finger.
His nose brushed hers and it would have been nothing to close that last inch, but before she could a door clicked down the hall and they were forced to separate.
He cleared his throat when there was a respectable distance between them and caught her dark eyes. “I can’t believe you’d bring all that up.”
“That’s what happens when you surround yourself with not new people,” she winked, hurrying to walk around him.
++++
She hooked her right leg over her left after toeing off the heel. It wasn’t like the bottom of her shoes were filthy, but there was always the chance that enough dust had collected to leave a telling line, and she couldn’t have that. Physical evidence wasn’t the point of teasing.
“So Elena,” Josh caught her attention from across the table, “did you get your article finished?”
“Almost,” she smiled her sweetest smile. In that moment, at this dinner, Josh was her new best friend, even if he didn’t know it. The seat he had snagged was the one she normally took, and while her skin ached for the covert touches that left her panting and barely able to string a sentence together sitting across the table had its own unique advantages.
And he was about to experience first hand what he had spent three months putting her through.
“I’ve got a couple of things left to proofread and then it goes off to my editor,” she cut a small piece off her chicken and popped it in her mouth.
“And I suppose you threw a few of those other details in,” he grinned, taking a drink.
“Other details,” Kol cocked an eyebrow, “what sort of details?”
“The truly sordid ones,” she let her eyes flicker over his features.
“What did you tell him?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“She might have mentioned a glitter bomb, and something about frogs,” Josh laughed. “You didn’t tell me you two knew each other.”
“Elena and I go way back,” Kol took a drink.
“We do,” she nodded, letting her toes make contact with his thigh. The response she got was priceless and as close to dropped composure as she would ever get in public, and she wanted to make his eyes pop open again. “Kol and I go all the way back to knobby knees and skinned elbows.”
He swallowed and caught her ankle, but her flexible toes curled and gently stroked his length.
“Knobby knees, huh?” Josh leaned an elbow on the table.
“I refuse to believe I ever had knobby knees,” Kol shook his head, a fond smile on his lips. He brought his hand up to the table and focused on cutting his food into bitesized pieces.
And if he held the knife a little tighter then strictly necessary nobody mentioned it.
Just like she didn’t mention how feeling him harden beneath her toes was having the same effect his hand had on her thigh.
“Deny all you like Mikaelson,” she bit the corner of her bottom lip, “but I’ve got pictures.”
“Let this be a lesson to you Josh,” his brow lowered as he caught Elena in his gaze, “never start a potentially life long friendship with a journalist.” He turned, giving his campaign manager a quick wink as he stage whispered. “They keep everything.”
“And twenty-eight years later write a tell-all detailing the time he pelted me with paint filled water balloons,” she raised her glass in salute.
“In defence,” he held out his hands, “the paint was water based and it was really hot that day.”
“I was wearing white,” she gasped with a dramatic little shriek. And no, she was not thinking about her retaliation and the way the coloured water had beaded on his bare chest. “Everybody could see through my sundress.”
“I replaced that dress…”
“Because Rebekah made you,” her eyes sparkled while her toes applied a light pressure to his length.
“And you were wearing a bathing suit underneath,” he leaned across the table, gesturing to her with his fork, “it’s not like anybody saw your underwear.”
“How old were you two when this happened?” Josh tilted his head.
“They had to have been kids,” Marcel joined in, grinning from ear to ear on Kol’s other side. “Must have been back when you had those knobby knees.”
“I don’t know,” Cami tilted her head, casting her eyes from Kol to Elena. “Water balloons sounds more like adolescent antics, maybe pre-adolescent.”
Dishes clinked as a busboy scurried behind them.
“Well,” Marcel prompted.
“Oh,” Elena tipped her head back in thought. It had been so long ago, but she distinctly remembered the warm tingling feeling that she had not gotten when he tore off his soaked t-shirt. “When was that?”
“It was after that year you shot up four inches and started dating that Salvatore,” he supplied, mouth twisting on the name.
“Right,” Elena nodded. “I was seventeen, and you were nineteen,” she levelled her fork in his direction and turned her head towards Cami. “I’m guessing that’s a little old to be pelting the baby sister and her besties with water balloons.”
“A little,” Cami laughed. “Tell me you at least gave as good as you got.”
“Oh, I gave,” she grinned, pressing down with her toes. His thigh clenched under her heel. “Rebekah, Caroline and I got hold of his ammunition and drenched him from head to toe,” she lifted her eyebrows. “Then he shoved Rebekah in the pool.”
“I was out of water balloons,” he shrugged.
Elena was pretty sure she saw his jaw pull with strain, so she eased the pressure and reigned it in to the lightest of touches that resulted in little more than a tickle; and dammit, if that tickle didn’t travel straight up her own leg.
“Water balloons, frogs, glitter…” Marcel tilted his head.
“Don’t forget the sugar/salt incident,” Elena chimed in.
“So, what I’m hearing,” Marcel leaned back and steepled his fingers, “ is that you were that kid.”
“What kid?” Kol’s brows lowered, but the smile stayed on his lips.
“A little shit,” Cami supplied, and from anyone else it probably would have come off as an insult but the psychologist said it with affection.
“I was not a little shit,” Kol scoffed.
“I’ve got a handful of people on speed dial who can confirm that you were,” Elena grinned, making to reach for her cell phone.
“Leave my siblings out of this,” he rolled his eyes, “and I’ll admit that I maybe, just maybe, I was that kid.”
“You were that kid,” she tilted her head, “and the only reason you wanna leave Rebekah out of it is because she’ll tell stories from boarding school that prove my point. Also I’ve got more than your siblings; Bonnie and Caroline would gladly take the stand.”
“How has none of what you know found its way to the masses?” Marcel shook his head.
“Because we’re friends,” Kol kept his eyes on Elena.
“Surprising after everything, that I assume is just the tip of the iceberg,” Cami waved a hand between them, “you did to her.”
“Like I said,” Elena smirked, “I always gave as good as I got. And it wasn’t all bad.”
“No?” Josh toyed with his water glass.
“Nah,” she nodded. “He did help me study for my SATs and stepped in when my escort pulled a disappearing act during the town pageant.”
“Did you win?” Marcel asked.
“My friend Caroline did,” Elena shook her head. “She was more qualified, though I think Kol’s abysmal dancing is what really knocked me out of the running.”
“Excuse me,” he scoffed, “I’m a wonderful dancer. And I think I excelled at the near touch,” his fingers traced the air just above her ankle, “and flirting with the eyes.”
“You sound like Mrs. Lockwood,” she laughed. “He also taught me how to cook a decent meal that wouldn’t give my boyfriend food poisoning.”
“If I’d known back then that it was for Salvatore,” his mouth twisted again, “I wouldn’t have bothered.”
“I take it you didn’t like this boyfriend,” Marcel caught the second grimace.
“Salvatore?” Cami mused. “Damon Salvatore? Your opponent?”
“Those two have been competing for years,” Elena took a drink of water, “but it was Damon’s younger brother Stefan.”
“Not that I liked Damon much either,” Kol swirled his drink in his glass. “He always looked at you in a way that I didn’t like.”
“You almost sound jealous,” Cami laughed.
“Damon was an ass,” Elena blinked slowly. Something had gone down between one of her best friends and Damon, and though Caroline never went into details about it she had gotten the sense that it was really bad. The second her friend told her she had broken things off with him and was happy she hadn’t been involved long enough to gain deep feelings. He was the definition of a two-faced politician and the basis for her rule.
She was pretty sure that rule was out the window; assuming it had even gone with her onto the bus.
“Speaking from experience?” Cami tilted her head.
“Two dates, and during each one he ordered for me,” her eyes narrowed at the memories. She had given him a second chance after the first date went badly, blaming it on what she thought were first date jitters, but after the second when she had opened up to Caroline and let the name, that her best friend confirmed was the ass from high school, out she stopped taking Damon’s calls. “Let me correct myself. Damon is an ass.”
“Bring it into the present tense,” Marcel nodded.
“Something about that guy’s face in interviews just makes me cringe,” Josh agreed.
“Might I suggest a toast to knocking him out of the race,” Elena raised her glass.
“I’ll drink to that,” Kol clinked glasses with her, holding her gaze over the crystal as everyone drank.
“Shouldn’t you actually knock him out of the race first?” Cami asked, reaching for her own glass and staring at the wine.
“Here’s to soon knocking him out of the race,” Elena amended.
Her abdomen clenched with the whispered promise in his eyes. She thought maybe, just maybe, her words referred to more than politics.
Dinner continued with a side of light teasing through dessert until she had to lower her foot and replace her shoe. She rose from the table in a single, fluid, motion with the rest of the party and had to bite her cheek to keep her smirk hidden when Kol remained in his seat.
“Are you coming, or spending the night at the restaurant?” Marcel cocked his head to the side.
“Just finishing my drink, mate.” The look he shot her promised torment as he reached for his glass.
“Looks more like you're nursing it,” Elena said, licking her bottom lip. She lifted her jacket from her chair and slipped it on.
“Well, darling, this bourbon is amazing,” he sipped the amber liquid and made a show of appreciating it. “Truly astounding.”
“Enjoy it then,” Josh rolled his eyes and laughed while gesturing towards Cami and Marcel, “we’ve got competitor speeches to go over.”
“And by that, he means that I do,” Cami winked at Elena. “Got to find their weak points.”
“So what do these two do?” Elena stage whispered, pointing rather obviously to the pair of them.
“Verbally insult the competition, drink expensive liquor and make my job ten times harder and infinitely more fun.” She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “It’s not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening. You wanna join us?”
“While that sounds like it would be highly amusing, and the chance to insult Damon Salvatore with like minded people is always welcome, I’ve actually got a little work of my own to finish up.”
“Then perhaps you’d like to drive with me instead,” Kol suggested. He stood from the table and folded his jacket over his arm to hold in front of his body while everyone watched Elena for a reaction.
“You’re gonna go way out of your way to drop her off at her hotel?” Marcel tilted his head.
Elena smiled softly.
“Since we’ve been in Washington the last few days and we’ll be here for at least another week, Rebekah offered me her apartment so I didn’t have to stay in a hotel. And since I was getting really sick of take out I jumped at the chance to have a full kitchen again.”
“And it had absolutely nothing to do with the king size bed, rain shower and jacuzzi tub,” Kol cocked an eyebrow.
“I never denied the tub was a draw,” she bit her lip as she smiled. “That thing would fit three people in it and has this sort of waterfall feature,” she looked at Cami while waving her hand in a sweeping arc. “Plus Bekah’s got the most amazing selection of scented candles, bubble baths and epsom salts, plus wine that I am encouraged to drink.”
“Damn,” Cami breathed, casting her blue eyes to Kol. “Do you think I can stay at your sister’s place? It beats my airbnb.”
“And the hotel by a mile,” Elena nodded.
“You’d have to take that up with Rebekah,” he nodded to Cami, “and it’s not out of my way. It’s very much in my way.”
“Rebekah lives on the floor below him,” Elena explained, “at least when she’s in town.”
“In that case, I guess we’ll leave you in Kol’s capable hands,” Marcel clapped him on the shoulder.
Elena lifted her eyes to stare up at the chandelier and bit her lip. “I suppose that would save me the cab, or asking any of you to go out of your way.”
“Elena,” Kol offered his arm, nodding to the others as they said goodbye.
She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and set off through the restaurant at a sedentary walk. Ahead of them Marcel held open the door for Cami. Josh stepped out last and the three of them disappeared down the street.
They weren’t far behind them and Kol steered her to walk up the street.
“Where did you park?” She rubbed her fingers in tight circles, feeling the tension in his coiled muscles.
His only answer was to take a sharp step to the left. He pulled her with him, yanking her almost violently to his body as his mouth covered hers hungrily.
And if another option existed outside of submitting to the cruel ravishment of her mouth she didn’t see it. And quite frankly she wasn’t sure she would have taken it because the way his tongue dominated hers made her toes curl in her high heels.
Not that he was affecting her.
Nope.
And she wasn’t clinging to his shirt for dear life.
Through her jacket she felt the impact of stone and the scratch of brick snagging her hair. The kisses shifted from punishing to searching, and she moaned into his mouth.
He ground against her hip and it was not having an affect on her.
No siree, no affect whatsoever.
She was most definitely not aroused enough to be dripping.
At least that was the story if Rebekah got wind of the incident and asked. But when he kissed her she definitely kissed him back, if only to see what it was like.
Why had it taken them so long to kiss?
Of course that excuse only worked the first time. She couldn't rationalize or deny how she carded her fingers through his short hair and hooked her leg around his waist.
She gasped for air, letting it fill her burning lungs the moment he pushed her further into the wall.
She had a sinking suspicion she would merge with the building material if she didn't merge with him and merging with him sounded like more fun.
“Kol,” she panted, biting her bottom lip.
He bit her throat in response, and that did get a response she could never deny. Her throaty moan could not be written off.
There was also going to be a mark on her throat.
Thank God for Caroline's obsessive packing that resulted in half a dozen stylish scarves.
“Kol,” she whimpered, rolling her hips. His length pressed deliciously against her. “I should really get back.”
“That eager to get away?” He growled, and damn if it didn't make her want to rip off his pristine white shirt and use that freaking tie to shut him up for a while. On second thought she might need two; one for his mouth and one for his hands.
Then again, she could use his belt for his hands. Or his tie for his hands and her ruined panties to shut him up; he’d probably love knowing just what he did to her body.
“I've got some work to do,” she ground down. Her hand held the back of his neck as she breathed hotly against his ear. “I thought you could look over my article.”
“Is that what you want me to look over?” He nipped at her ear.
“Amongst other things.”
@kol-and-elena-fanfiction @elejahforever @elejah-wonderland @cry-btch @geekofmanyfandoms @morsmornte @xanderling @bellemorte180 @iw1shiknew @blndbandt
#kol mikaelson#Elena gilbert#kolena#marcel gerard#camille o'connell#josh rosza#the vampire diaries#the originals#national anthem fanfic
12 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hdjdkd your fics make me so happy oh my gosbhdhe, but i had a silly fic idea. Basically, a spiderman/love, simon au? Doesn't matter which boy is spiderboy? Thank you again, for sharing your writing with us!! Your writing is so sweet!!
Over the Clouds - Spierfeld Fic
If Bram had known taking AP Chemistry would involve getting bitten by a radioactive spider; one which gave him super strength, insane reflexes, a sixth sense and the ability to shoot webs; Bram would have simply taken Physics.
But Bram had gotten used to the craziness by this point. It had been almost two years since the incident occurred, and more than a year since Spider-Man became a public figure.
The first few months were the toughest, especially since he had nobody to talk to. He had been afraid to speak to Garrett after he’d nearly rendered him unconscious with a pass on the field. The soccer ball had hit Garrett so badly that the school needed to call an ambulance.
Bram quit the team that day.
But Garrett wasn’t someone who quit on his friends, showing up at Bram’s home every day to make sure he was alright. Eventually, Bram told him the truth. It wasn’t like he could hide it forever, especially from someone who was as involved in his life as Garrett was.
“This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” Garrett said in complete awe when he’d first seen what Bram could do.
“Well, I’m still crap at everything,” Bram shrugged. “Not really a hero,”
“You’re not a hero,” Garrett replied. “You’re a fucking superhero,”
“Oh my god, did you read the latest article on Spidey?” Abby squealed, scrolling through her phone frantically.
Simon barely registered what she was saying, having been momentarily distracted. Bram Greenfeld had just entered the cafeteria.
Sure, Simon had been obsessed with the masked vigilante earlier in the year; but he’d given up on the idea of ever meeting him, let alone imagine a romantic scenario with the two of them together.
Simon wanted to focus on someone more real, and the way that adorable boy smiled at him sometimes made Simon forget that anyone else other than Bram existed. His crush on Bram had started a few months back when he and Bram were selected to help show new students around.
There was something about him, an aura, that he had a secret too. A part of himself that he couldn’t share with everyone, but he wanted to. It was something Simon couldn’t shake off, and since that day, Bram Greenfeld had been on his mind.
“Si! That woman he saved from the condo fire the other day, said she heard him up close and he sounded like her son. She said he sounded like a kid, not a man!” Abby nearly yelled, pulling Simon out of his thoughts.
“What’s your point?” Simon said, finally tearing his attention away from the table across from them.
“That he could be our age!” Abby rationalized. “He’s not necessarily a man, he could just be a regular kid like us,”
“What kind of kid would give up his everyday life to go around saving people?” Leah imposed, “You don’t think people around him would figure that out? Like his family? Or his friends?”
“Not if he was good at keeping secrets,” Abby replied back. “Come on, Nick. Back me up,”
“Hiding such a massive part of your identity from everyone you know,” Nick thought carefully. “Nah, that’s impossible,“
Simon tried his best not to roll his eyes.
It was way past midnight when Bram finally arrived home, way past the curfew he’d set for himself on school nights. It had been a quiet day, for the most part, there was one mugging and three cats in trees that were successfully taken care of.
Then there was the robbery, on a local grocery shop near an intersection. Bram had run into some trouble there, but Bram left that guy unconscious and tied up outside the store for the cops to find. So all in all, it ended pretty well.
Bram mentally checked his agenda, recalling that he’d managed to finish his Math homework during lunch, which he ate on a non-operational crane. His acrophobia was quite a battle in those early days of training, but he’d gotten control over his fear now. The sights he’d gotten to see were some of the most beautiful in his life.
Thinking of beautiful things, Bram’s mind casually drifted to one person; Simon Spier. Bram had only spoken to him a few times, through their common friend, but never on an individual basis. Bram wished he had the courage.
He scoffed out loud. Bram swung from building to building on a daily basis. He had run into burning apartments and physically fought men with guns. But nothing scared him more than having a conversation with his crush.
‘This is why there aren’t any teenage heroes,’ Bram thought to himself, flinching as he took off his suit.
Something was wrong.
It’s been a week since Bram had come to school, and although Simon had not-so-casually brought it up in a conversation with his friends, he hadn’t gotten any answers. He built up the courage, or stupidity, to go ask Garrett who always was by Bram’s side.
“Um, hey, Garrett?”
Garrett looked up from his phone, momentarily confused since they’d hardly ever spoken to each other, but then offered Simon a huge smile.
“Spier! How are you?”
Simon hesitated before sitting down opposite Garrett, he was certain that he wasn’t on a last-name basis with Garrett, who often called his team-mates by their last name.
Regardless, he seemed like he was in a good mood, and Simon realized that Garrett probably didn’t care about why Simon was asking about Bram.
“I was just wondering…” Simon said in a small voice. “I haven’t seen Bram for a bit. Is he okay?”
Garrett eyed Simon suspiciously as if he were trying to analyze his intentions.
Simon cursed himself, knowing that asking would be a mistake, Garrett was going to find out and he’d tell Bram and then the entire school would…
“Bram pulled something on the pitch a few days ago, and it still hasn’t healed up,” Garrett finally offered. “But I’ll let him know you said ‘hi’,”
“Oh no! No, I was just worried because we’re partnered up in this Chemistry project together and I just hadn’t seen him…” Simon trailed off as he got up.
The thing was, both boys were lying to the other. And both of them knew it. Nick had told all of them that Bram had quit the team a while back. And Garrett knew Bram had vowed to never take another Chemistry class again in his life.
Garrett went to visit Bram that afternoon, sitting at his desk as Bram rested in bed. It was tough seeing his friend like this, knowing that he could do nothing to help him other than cheer him up.
A few days back, ‘Spider-Man’ had interrupted a grocery store robbery, and he must have been distracted because he came back home with a gunshot wound in his arm.
Apparently, he’d been feigning illness a little too well, and his mother let him take a few days off of school. Garrett was tasked with bringing Bram his assignments and a bunch of medical supplies.
“It’s looking better,” Garrett said, eyeing the wound.
“Scrapes and cuts heal up fast, but I guess this one was a little deeper,” Bram replied.
“That bullet nearly took your freaking arm off, and you didn’t even realize until you got home,”
“It was the adrenaline,” Bram explained.
“Aren’t your spider-senses supposed to defend you from that sort of stuff,”
“It did,” Bram defended himself. “That bullet was meant for my chest, I moved out of the way,”
“Fine,” Garrett surrendered. “Spier asked about you today,”
Bram immediately sat up in bed, staring at Garrett and urging him to elaborate.
“I don’t know! He was worried that you haven’t shown up all week, and then he wrote it off to some B.S excuse about being science partners or something,”
Bram couldn’t contain his smile, “I guess I’ll be back at school tomorrow,”
“Ok, Romeo. But remember, you can’t let distractions get the best of you,”
“I’ll try,”
He had a feeling this was going to be a good day, considering that Bram was finally back after his mysterious disappearance, and even offered him a smile as he sat down next to Garrett after lunch.
Their entire History class had a field trip together that day, and Simon was particularly excited since he and Bram were the only ones who knew each other in that class.
The bus ride wasn’t filled with too much entertainment, but somehow he’d found the courage to offer his seat to Bram, who kindly accepted. Bram was so easy to talk to, once they got past the initial shyness, the conversation flowed easily.
By the time they got to the museum, Simon felt like they were inseparable.
“Hey Bram, I think we’re going to head to the café in about twenty minutes…” Simon began but could see that Bram’s expression had suddenly changed.
“Did you feel that?” Bram asked looking around at nothing in particular.
“No,” Simon replied.
“Si, you need to get out of this building. Take as many people as you can with you, okay!” Bram said in a frantic tone.
Simon was momentarily frozen, not knowing whether he should focus on the random change in Bram’s demeanour, the weight of his words or the nickname that Bram had so effortlessly used.
Simon could barely catch his breath, racing out of the building and holding on to Bram’s hand. He didn’t know how Bram was running that fast, but before he knew it they were out of the building.
“It looks like Mr. Sykes got the class out,” Bram commented, counting the number of their classmates.
“What was that,” Simon asked, his voice shaking.
“I don’t know,” Bram answered, keeping his gaze on the upper floors of the museum. “You should join everyone,”
“What about you?” Simon asked, wondering why Bram seemed so preoccupied at a time like this.
“I’ll join you in a second. I’m going to look for some staff members and talk to them,”
“Why? Did you see something,”
“Yeah, I think I did,”
Bram found an abandoned corner of the building, which housed industrial-sized garbage containers. A perfect cover, and within moments Bram was suited up.
He walked back a few steps before slinging a web to the top of the building. He was sure there would be an entrance up there.
Surely enough, there was and as Bram carefully stepped into the building, he could hear voices. There were four men, definitely armed and Bram planned the entire fight out.
Within seconds, he climbed up on the ceiling, taking advantage of the one who was a lookout and knocking him out cold.
One seemed to be focused on a large piece of artillery, something that could have caused the explosion, while the other two seemed to be looking at blueprints. Bram decided to go after the two, knocking their heads together in one go.
The last one turned around in a panicked state and fired his handgun at Bram. He managed to dodge them without much effort and managed to swing the gun right out of his hands. Another web pulled the final criminal towards him, and Bram used the leverage to kick him down into unconsciousness.
Tying up the criminals was always the most difficult part, as Bram always worried one would wake up and move around, but the four of them were wrapped around a pillar within ten minutes.
Bram shook his head, why couldn’t he have one day off.
Next, Bram checked the main floors for anyone who wasn’t in the building and then exited the museum. He took a moment to address everyone in the crowd, ensuring them that they were all safe, and he’d taken care of those who were involved in the crime.
“Please let the authorities know that they’ll find the four men in the northwest section of the enclave in the upper level. They’ve been disarmed and the artillery is military-grade. If anyone’s in serious need of medical attention, I can get them to a hospital right now,”
“We’re missing people!” Mr. Sykes called out to him, and Bram panicked before remembering he was a student too.
“How many people?” Bram asked, trying to deepen his voice.
“Two of my students. Bram Greenfeld and Simon Spier,”
“Simon?”
“Yes, and Abraham Greenfeld. According to some of my kids, Simon went to look for his friend,”
“And you let him?!” Bram yelled but caught himself in time before he went too far. “Sorry, I’ll go look for the two of them, just please keep everyone else safe,”
Mr. Sykes nodded, slightly backing away in fear.
Simon knew that sneaking into the building wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but he couldn’t imagine leaving Bram in that type of danger. Currently, he was stuck in an elevator, which had stopped working halfway through.
The lights were flickering on and off, and Simon was sure he’d heard gunshots. It was only a matter of time before someone found him, and it could mean either rescue or something worse.
It felt like forever before he heard another sound, and Simon wasn’t sure if he was imagining those sounds. Someone was calling his name, and he was ninety percent sure any criminals wouldn’t be on a first-name basis with him.
“Simon! Are you here?”
For some reason, Simon thought he recognized that voice, so he shouted back: “Bram! I’m in here!”
The elevator doors began creaking, and Simon knew there was no earthly way Bram could open those with his bare hands. And he was correct because it wasn’t Bram.
“Spider-Man?”
“Hey, are you alright?”
Simon felt like that the masked vigilante sounded eerily similar to Bram, but blamed it on the frantic situation he was in.
“Y-Yeah. I’m okay,” Simon stuttered. “Are you alright?”
Spider-Man seemed to be confused, and paused before saying, “Nobody’s ever asked me that before,”
Simon couldn’t see it, but he was sure that the guy beneath the mask was smiling at him.
“I’m gonna step into the elevator okay? And then I’m going to help you out. This elevator is stuck between two floors, so there’s a bit of a drop, but you’re gonna be safe, understand?”
“Got it,”
“Okay. I’m stepping in now,”
Spider-Man took a step inside and Simon could feel the structure shake beneath him; the hero beside him could clearly feel it too. Spider-Man carefully opened the hatch above them and seemed to be measuring the space mentally.
Then he offered his hand to Simon, who took it slowly.
“Just hold on as tight as you can, okay. And don’t look down,”
Simon wrapped one arm around his shoulder and the other around his neck, holding on as tight as possible. In a flash, Spidey shot a web up and Simon could feel himself being yanked upwards. He closed his eyes shut, but the sound of the crash was unmistakable. That could have been him.
When he felt his feet on solid ground, Simon finally opened up his eyes. He was clearly high up, higher than he’d ever been before. Looking down at the crowd below, he realized he was on the roof of the building.
“You’re okay,” Spider-Man offered him some comfort.
“Did you find Bram?”
The masked hero waited a moment before responding. “Bram?”
“He’s my…” Simon paused. “He’s my friend, the one I went back in looking for,”
“I wouldn’t advise doing that in the future,” the disguised hero replied sternly. “There was nobody else in the building, but I’ll keep an eye out for him,”
“Okay. Thanks for saving me and everything,” Simon said to him casually, “let me know if there’s any way I can pay you back.”
Simon was certain he had just made Spider-Man laugh, and he could definitely put that down on his bucket list.
After dropping off Simon with the crowd, Bram changed back into his regular clothes within a matter of minutes and raced back around the building.
“Bram!” Simon said, as soon as he saw him, running up and wrapping his arms around him in a hug. “Are you hurt?”
“No. I’m fine. I went looking for you,”
“So did I,” Simon replied. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Bram nodded. “Are you?”
“Yeah, got into a little bit of trouble, but I got out of it just fine. Met Spider-Man,” Simon shrugged, sporting a shy smile.
“Oh?” Bram returned his smile.
“He’s not all that he’s hyped up to be,” Simon replied jokingly.
Arriving home, his mother greeted with a tight hug, refusing to let him go for a number of minutes.
‘If only she knew’ Bram thought to himself.
As the day turned into night, Bram went over the day’s events in his mind. He had an urge to swing on by to Simon’s house, in full costume, knowing that it was probably the dumbest thing he could ever do. Maybe this was why crushes and heroism didn’t mix well together, but Bram had to remember he was a teenager, and priorities were always muddled.
He paced around back and forth in his room, putting the mask on and off wondering who would impress Simon more. He knew the obvious answer was Spidey, but Bram had a feeling that he and Simon had gotten off considerably well throughout the day. Simon had actually gone looking for him, and that had to mean something.
He almost missed the knock on his door, and barely had time to shove the mask under his bed.
“Honey?” Bram’s mom opened the door an inch. “There’s someone here to see you?”
“Garrett?”
“Nope,” Bram’s mom replied mysteriously.
Bram walked down the stairs and was pleasantly surprised to see Simon in his foyer.
“Si?” Bram said, walking up to him, face riddled with confusion.
“Hey, Bram. I-I wanted to see how you were doing, after today,” Simon shuffled in place.
“We can step outside,” Bram offered, wondering if Simon wanted to talk alone.
They sat together on their front porch, and Simon tried to keep his breathing under control. He had no idea how he’d built up the courage to do this, but he knew he had to.
If his experience today had taught him anything, it was that nothing was promised, not even the next moment. Today could have ended very differently for him, for Bram, and for everyone there. And he knew that someone wouldn’t always be there to save them.
He needed to let Bram know the truth.
“I like you,” Simon blurted out as soon as they sat down.
“What?”
“I know that sounds fucking weird to hear, and I don’t even know if you like guys, or let alone like me…but I could have died today and I realized that I couldn’t let a day go by without letting you know that…”
“Si?” Bram interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I like you too. A lot,” Bram replied.
“Oh?”
“And if it’s okay with you, I’d really like to kiss you,”
“That’s more than okay,”
Bram carefully leaned in to close the distance, closing his eyes in time. He felt the gentlest movement against his mouth and Bram felt his heart skip a beat. Simon was kissing him back.
Bram wanted to stay in this moment for as long as he could, but he knew that this one act was going to change everything. This was going to be another person who he’d either be keeping a secret from, or to whom he’d be confessing a heavy truth. This was someone who’s safety could be used against him. Someone with whom he would fall in love.
But Bram pushed away those intrusive thoughts, giving his all to the kiss. At that moment, he decided, nothing else was going to matter. No bad guys, no overbearing stress, not his secret identity; nobody existed outside of the bubble of himself and the boy in his arms.
There would come a time where he’d have to trust Simon with everything, and Bram had an inkling it would turn out fine. After all, Simon owed him one.
#love simon#rennwynn#love simon fanfiction#love simon fanfic#svthsa#svthsa fanfiction#svthsa fanfic#simon spier#bram greenfeld#simon vs the homosapiens agenda#simon x bram
198 notes
·
View notes
Note
Ok; got another one word prompt for ya! "Rose"
I can’t believe that I friggin edited this on my phone so I could get it posted last night, and then Tumblr didn’t cooperate so I couldn’t.
Papercrisped as Valerie repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fist. Hernerves were killing her. She couldn’t remember the last time shehad felt so anxious, so worried.
And,sure, compared to some of the things she went through on a dailybasis, it wasn’t a big deal. And maybe to some people it wasn’t.But it wastoher.
Becausethis could so easily go wrong. There were so many things that couldmess up, that could stop her from succeeding. And she had thought itthrough well, considered as many possibilities as she could… Butshe couldn’t help but worry that she had missed something. Shewasn’t used to this,to planning ahead.
Butit would be worth it. That, she was sure of.
Shejust… had to go and dothis.Get over her nerves and approach the boy she was crushing on.
Itwasn’t like he didn’t like her back! She knewhedoes, or did,at least. They had dated, after all. Only, she had broken up withhim. Had been too afraid of him getting hurt because of her ghosthunting. Hadn’t known how she could keep him safe.
Soshe had stepped away, had left him. Had watched from the sidelinesinstead, for months. But her crush hadn’t died down, not in theslightest.
AndDanny… He hadn’t shied away from her, either. He had been sad, ofcourse. Had been heartbroken. But he still hung out with her. Stillremained friends with her, despite everything.
Andthat didn’t make it any easier on her. Because she wantedthis,so badly. But she wouldn’t let herself date him, date anyone,if she couldn’t protect them.
So,when her crush stubbornlyrefused to die down… She instead settled down for some research.Combed through any and all literature about ghosts and ectoplasmicentities she could find. Spend hours- days- weeks-looking for ways to keep Danny safe, without having to rely on herghost hunting equipment. Because she couldn’t always protect him,not directly.
And,finally, she had found something. An obscure flower, little known andnigh extinct. A relative of the rose which apparently deterredsupernatural creatures, especially ghosts.
Ithadn’t been easy to acquire some. She had managed to track down aghost enthusiast who was willing to sell her a few seeds, but shehadn’t had the money to pay for them. Instead she managed to talkthe enthusiast into a trade, swapping information on ghosts forinformation on the flowers.
Witha bond of trust thus established, she asked them if there wasanything she could trade for the flowers themselves. The enthusiasthad remained quiet for a long while, and Valerie had grown worriedabout losing her only shot.
Untilthe enthusiast had messaged her back, saying that they would trade asmany seeds as she needed for a ghost. A real-lifeghost.
Andreally, she shouldn’t have done it. Who knows what kind of damagethe ghost could’ve done in the hands of an enthusiast who likelydidn’t even own any kind of weaponry.
But,she couldn’t let this chance pass her by.
Soshe had captured the weakest ghost she had ever come across. Asickly-looking ectopus which could barely stay afloat, and whichdidn’t even put up a fight. And then she duct-taped the thermosshut, and had mailed it off to the enthusiast.
Shehadn’t considered how difficult it would be to actually growtheflowers, unfortunately. Even with all the information the enthusiasthad provided, it had been quite tricky. The roses were finicky, andit took her several months before she got the hang of growing them.
But,she had succeeded. And now here she stood, with a bouquet of a few ofthe fully-grown flowers in full blossom.
Andshe had to admit that the flowers were kinda pretty. The blossomingpetals were incredibly similar to the roses they were related to, adeep red reminiscent of blood. The stems and leaves were a littlemore unique, a deep black which revealed itself to a be a deep purplein the right light.
Takinga deep breath, Valerie straightened out her spine and pushed hershoulders back. Then she summoned every last scrap of confidence andbravery she felt, and stepped towards Danny. She made sure to keepthe bouquet behind her back, lest she ruin the surprise.
Theboy heard her approaching and whirled around, a large smile on hisface.
“HeyVal, what’s up?”
Shesmiled back, resisting the urge to ball her fists to relieve heranxiety. “Hey Danny. I, uh… I have something for you.”
“Youdo?” he asked, curiosity peaked. His eyes were big and sparkly and-Valeriestop letting yourself get distracted darnit.
“Uh,yeah,” she stammered, before remembering that she still had thebouquet hidden behind her back. She blushed, then shoved it roughlyinto Danny’s chest. “Here,” she bit out asshe did so.
Dannyhad automatically grabbed the flowers, but dropped them as suddenlyas he had received them. He flinched, backing away from the bushel ofroses lying on the floor. He frowned at them, and then at her. Shewasn’t sure what to think of his expression, the cocktail ofemotions playing on his face too complicated for her to decipher.
Ofall the ways she thought this could’ve gone wrong, this wasn’tone she had considered. She didn’t know what to think, how toreact.
“Thoseare...” Danny started, but he trailed off before lapsing intosilence.
“BloodBlossoms,” Valerie finished for him instead. Danny nodded, stillfrowning. “They were… supposed to be a gift. To make up for thebreakup.” Andto start their relationship anew, but she didn’t dare to say that.Not with how he had reacted.
“Oh.”Danny started tolookincreasingly distraught. “I- Thanks. I appreciate the gesture.”But he didn’t move to pick them up.Just stared at them. “Where’d you get them, anyway?”
“Uh.That’s… complicated?” She wasn’t sure how to explain, and shewasn’t sure why he cared, either. Did he… have something againstBlood Blossoms? Was it because of his family? “Do you not… likethem?” She tried not to sound hurt, but she was sure he could tellregardless.His face was an open book.
“I-No, sorry. It’s, um.” He made a face, then started to rub theback of his neck. A gesture of nerves, one she easily recognized.“I’m kind of… allergic. Sorry.”
“Oh.Sorry, I didn’t… didn’t know.” She hadn’t thought that itwas even possibleforhumans to be allergic to Blood Blossoms. She thought they only hurtghosts!
“Youcouldn’t have known,” Danny reassured her, smiling awkwardly.“It’s fine. I appreciate the gesture.”
Shereached for the fallen bouquet, kicking it further away from her andDanny. “Still, I should’ve asked. Could’ve saved both of us alot of trouble, huh?”
“Yeah,”Danny laughed. “I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble toget those.”
Valeriethought of the months of research and gardening she had spent onthose flowers. Then she grinned, and said, “Nah.”
#dark writes#danny phantom#prompt fill#phanfiction#dp fanfiction#phanfic#phantasmapurple9#i wasn't going to write blood blossoms but then i did#whoopsie daisy#its sort of gray ghost i guess? one-sided at least
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
Life at the end of the world Pt 12
Summary: Your life as a zombie apocalypse survivor. It starts with the Reader settling into the camp at the quarry, before s1 and then follows the show events and storyline, more or less, but with the Reader in it.
Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Reader
Warnings: Slow burn, violence, language.
Author’s note: I’ve been itching to write a fic like this for a long while and I write it for fun, I don’t claim to be a writer so if you find you dislike this fic, please be kind and just stop reading. English’s not my first language so maybe there’re some mistakes, I apologize in advance. For the same reason, I can’t write character’s accents and things like that. At any rate, I hope you enjoy it. There’d be several parts to this.
Slowly, seasons changed again.
You couldn’t even be sure in which month you were anymore, but you could feel the cold of winter gave way to a warm and humid spring that had you drenched in sweet whenever you’d to run from walkers or scavenge for supplies.
You weren’t going to complain though, you’d been so cold during winter you thought you might just freeze one night and never wake up, though you couldn’t deny you felt totally disgusting covered in sweet and dust more often than not.
Your cars, which had protected you from the cold and wind all winter, were now becoming ovens that you all resented. No matter you drove with the windows open, four or five people crammed inside it were a bit too much. Carol and you would draw lots anytime you had to hit the road to see who’d get to go with Daryl on his bike, the fresh and cold wind as he sped up the road a welcome change from the stuffy atmosphere of the cars.
Lori’s growing and growing belly was also a way for you to track the pass of time, but by this point it seemed it couldn’t get any bigger. You hadn’t imagined she would get that big and were honestly amazed she was able to keep up with everything without complaint.
You could see it in her face, though, how exhausted and scared she was. In Rick’s face too, in his desperate search for a place where she could be safe and his baby could be born. You all were afraid she would have to just deliver there, in the middle of the road or the woods, wherever you were staying, walkers not far.
It was a terrifying idea and you all took good care in never saying anything like that in front of the Grimes, but it was obvious they were worried about it too.
You stood silent, half hidden behind a tree, Daryl’s crossbow on hand, aiming at a rabbit that was oblivious to your presence, eating grass a couple of meters away. It was very cute and for a moment you felt a pang of sadness in your heart thinking about what you were about to do, about killing that beautiful living animal. Then your stomach growled, reminding you that your group was in desperate need of food, you hadn’t had much luck scavenging lately.
You tightened your jaw, took a deep breath, aimed and shot...Your arrow missed the target and the rabbit ran away startled.
“Shit, fuck.”
You grumbled under your breath and heard Daryl’s quiet chuckle from behind you. You shot him an angry look and he said nothing but still seemed amused at you.
“Give me that.” He took the crossbow back. “Gotta get us something to eat.”
“I’m still half asleep anyway...” You muttered grumpily.
Your group had made camp last night in a clearing in the woods, not far from the road, as night was starting to fall and you hadn’t found any place with a roof to stay. Next to it was a small creek, clear of walkers, which was a welcome sight to your dirty and sore group.
You hadn’t even bothered pinching your tents, when walkers appeared suddenly there wasn’t much time to dismantle them, so as the weather went milder you tried to camp only with your sleep bags and blankets.
You’d woken up when the sun was just a dim light at the east and had turned around hoping to fall asleep again, but then had seen Daryl already up and about, shouldering his crossbow, ready to go hunting. You had quickly got up, wanting to practice your aim and maybe catch a thing or two about tracking and hunting, knowing how valuable those skills were in this world.
It was hard, though, so hard you were starting to believe you would never learn, though every time you complained discouraged Daryl just shrugged telling you it wasn’t rocket science and that you’d get better.
He had stopped not far from the camp, totally silent as he pointed to you the rabbit. He had carefully handed over the crossbow to you, trying not to make any sound and you held your breath as you aimed.
And there you were now, shot failed, rabbit gone. Just great.
“Are you okay going back to the camp alone?”
You nodded, hand over the holster of your gun. “I’m way better with this than with that damn thing.”
You knew Daryl wanted to go hunting deeper into the woods and even though he didn’t say it, you were painfully aware that you’d slow him down and maybe scare the game away, and right now he couldn’t afford to waste any opportunities to bring food to your family.
“Be careful okay?”
Daryl went out hunting alone on a daily basis and even though he was one of your most skilled fighters, you worried every time. It wasn’t safe to be alone in this world, for anyone. He could be attacked by a sudden herd of walkers at any given moment...he always returned safe and sound, though.
He nodded before disappearing further into the woods.
Back at the camp, the others were starting to get up, besides Glenn and Maggie who’d been on watch when you left and were now curling up together for an early morning nap. Carol raised her hand in greeting while she put together some breakfast and you made your way to the creek.
You cursed under your breath as you slowly got into the freezing water. You hadn’t got any soap but you scrubbed yourself harshly anyway until the dusk stuck to your skin washed off and then you dipped your head under the water, rubbing your fingers through your hair, which reached past your jaw now, and scrubbing at your scalp until it felt less greasy.
By the time you got out of the water, you felt numb from the coldness but way more refreshed and rested than you had felt in a long while, not to mention clean. Greasy hair and dirty skin was something none of you minded anymore but it felt so good to be clean again.
Later that morning you were doing some laundry with Carol and Lori, taking advantage of the close creek and the sunny day that would dry the clothes, when you heard the sound of Carl’s laughter. It was something you hadn’t heard in long, too long, as the kid too felt the pressure of having to be always on the run, always scavenging and killing monsters, the desperate fight for survival stealing his childhood, turning him silent and sullen.
He looked like a kid now, though, laughing as he played-fought inside the water with Beth, Maggie, and Glenn, who’d just woken up from their nap, all of them squealing about the coldness of the water, trying to keep it quiet.
You couldn’t help your smile watching them and it grew bigger when you saw the glee in Lori’s eyes as he saw them. You knew she worried about Carl the most and that their relationship was strained.
Even Rick, as serious as he always was and as stressed as he always looked, was smiling softly at the sight while he kept watch over the camp.
Daryl didn’t come back until the evening and you gasped a little at the blood that spattered his arm. It wasn’t much but still, it was blood. Rick saw it too and made his way towards the archer to question him.
“Found two walkers in the woods, but there aren’t any close, I made sure as I came back.” He assured Rick who seemed to relax ever so slightly, considering he was always on edge.
“You are not getting any dinner until you wash off that blood,” Carol told Daryl as she took the couple rabbits he’d managed to hunt to skin them, and you chuckled softly when you heard him grumbling as he made his way towards the water.
He came back with his hair dripping water as he shook it and sat down to help Carol with the rabbits. He worked methodically but you could feel he was frustrated and you sat down next to him.
“We’re lucky we eat fresh meat instead of canned food so often...” You said casually, trying to talk him out of his bad mood.
“Not that these rabbits are gonna feed us much.” He grumbled.
“It’s something. I’m tired of those canned beans and we have barely any left...but you’re always bringing us meat...” You head-butted his arm and he scoffed but gave you a reluctant, small smile.
He wanted to bring bigger pieces, you knew, and anytime he didn’t manage he’d get angry with himself. Still, you ate thanks to him, food being scarce to find as you were always moving from place to place without much time to go on runs, and the places that hadn’t been raided already were bustling with walkers. It bothered you that Daryl didn’t seem to see how important he was for the group.
That night you weren’t able to sleep, a usual thing for you whenever you had to sleep in the woods, in the open air. You felt vulnerable, hearing imagining sounds of walkers when you were about to fall asleep. It had happened a few times before, a herd of walkers suddenly showing up and making their way through the trees towards your camp. You always had time to leave before they were on you, though, but you lived in fear of the day you might not realize it on time.
Daryl was on watch and you got up and tiptoed your way towards him, carefully as not to wake up those of you who’d managed to fall asleep.
“I can’t sleep.” You complained, sitting down next to him. “So I can keep watch if you want to sleep.”
“Nah, I’ll sleep when it’s T-Dog’s turn.”
You nodded and hugged your knees, resting your head on them as you closed your eyes, a headache beginning to form for the lack of sleep.
“There aren’t any geeks close.” You heard Daryl’s voice. “And if they come I’ll see them.”
“I know...” You assured in a whisper. “Can’t help but be scared tho...”
Neither of you said anything else for a moment, as Daryl kept watch over the camp and you tried to relax enough to sleep.
“Those cats we found must be young adults by now...” The image of the kittens had sprung to your mind while you were half-awake half-asleep. “I wonder if they still live in the house you made them.”
You smiled at the memory. You knew there was a big chance they’d ended up being walker’s food but you refused to acknowledge it. They were safe and sound in your mind and memory.
“If we keep going in circles maybe we’ll get close enough to check...” Daryl replied quietly.
You stood silent. You didn’t want to check in case you found evidence that the kittens had met a deadly end
Besides, you couldn’t just keep going in circles. There weren’t many places to find supplies that you hadn’t already cleaned of that weren’t full of geeks, and you hadn’t find any place where you could settle for long. The herds of walkers kept moving and cutting your paths, making you go in circles or backtrack all the time.
It was frustrating and you could see Rick growing more and more tired and irritated each day, everyone in the group tense and exhausted.
“Did you have any pets before?” You asked Daryl, wanting to take your mind away from your anxious thoughts for a moment.
He shook his head. “My father didn’t like them. You?”
“Not really, but the cats at the village were kind of everyone’s. Also, my best friend had a dog that I saw every day and I loved it as if he were mine...” You felt a pang of sadness thinking about them.
You knew by now that you would never see anyone of your life before again, no friend or family. It didn’t make you break down and cry as it used to anymore, but it hurt nonetheless. You always tried to keep up the fantasy in your head that they were all alive and safe somewhere, with a group maybe, even though you knew it was delusional.
“I don’t want to check on the cats, I want to pretend they’re alive and well...like I do with my friends, with mother and brother...” You explained to Daryl.
“They might be alive, you don’t know...”
It was sweet of him to say that, you though, but his words didn’t make you feel better.
“Daryl, you had seen how the world is now as much as me...” You gave him a sad smile. “I might be delusional but I’m not an idiot...if they are out there I know they’re most probably dead.
“We’re out here and we ain’t dead.” Daryl shrugged.
“Yeah...yeah, I guess you’re right...thanks.”
You smiled again, grateful for his words as he tried to lift your mood. You nudged his arm with your shoulder and he gave you a crocked, small smile that always made you feel better, before looking back at the forest. You stood silent now, taking comfort on his reassuring presence, trying to believe his words.
You didn’t realize you had fallen asleep sitting down there until you felt a shift of movement next to you when Daryl got up, and you opened your eyes to see T-Dog coming to keep watch now. He seemed amused at your half asleep self and you grumbled some nonsense, getting on your feet too and stumbling towards your sleeping bag, managing to sleep for a couple of hours before the sun went up and you had to move again.
Your group spent the following days on the go but still close to the creek so you could easily cool off, the weather growing warmer and warmer. The shelters were scarce and walkers found them after you were able to rest for just a few hours. Herds of walkers kept cutting roads and paths, blocking your way, forcing you to study maps all the time, trying to guess where you should go next.
You were washing clothes and cooling off in the creek, all of you in your lowest point, desperation, and exhaustion clear in everyone’s face. Lori was sitting down, resting against a tree, face pale and eyes closed, hand on her belly and you exchanged a worried glance with Carol.
Lori didn’t seem to be doing that good lately, she didn’t eat enough, didn’t get enough rest and was forced to move from place to place, running away from the dead. If things kept going like that, it seemed Lori might have to deliver her baby in the middle of nowhere and you knew the idea was hunting Rick.
He and Daryl had gone out hunting and when they came back Rick had a smile and a glimmer of hope in his eyes you hadn’t seen in a long time, maybe never, and that was at odds with the fact they were only bringing back a few squirrels. Daryl was bound to be pissed with such a scarce booty, but he didn’t look like it.
They explained they had found a prison nearby, fences still standing. The downside was that the perimeter was full of walkers, but Rick was positive you might be able to clear it. You could understand why Rick and Daryl seemed so hopeful about it, the idea of having fences separating you from the monsters was too good to ignore it, not to mention the potential safety of the strong walls of the prison. You were worried about clearing the walkers, though, it seemed they were more than what you were used to handling.
Still, it was your best chance so you all went there, wanting to see it by yourselves and see what could be done about it. r
You began by cleaning the walkers close to the first fence while Rick cut an opening in it, tying it close again with some wire after you all were safe inside. Just the feeling of having those fences around you, even if you hadn’t reached the yard yet, made you feel safer, though the walkers kept pushing at the fences dangerously, excited by your presence.
Rick wanted to take the field surrounding the yard of the prison, for which you needed to close the door that was getting the walkers in from the yard, and then kill all of the geeks that were inside already. It was dangerous but Rick seemed to already have a plan of action prepared and at that moment you felt totally proud of your leader. Now the plan had to work.
Rick would run to close the gate and you all had your part in the plan. Daryl, Carol and you’d climb to one of the watchtowers and Hershel and Carl to the other to cover him while T-Dog, Maggie, Glenn, and Beth tried to bring the walkers attention to them instead of Rick by making noise next to the safety of the fences.
“Sorry...”
Carol murmured when one of his bullets almost hit Rick’s feet and you chuckled nervously. It was hard, shooting from so far away but you did your best, and you howled with happiness when Rick managed to close the door and then quickly hide in another tower. With your combined efforts the field was soon clean of walkers.
“We did it!” You cheered, jumping and hugging Carol.
“Come here,” she giggled, pulling Daryl into a half hug with you both. He rolled his eyes, grumbling something and pulling away after a second but you could see his happy smile.
“Nice shooting,” he congratulated you both.
You rushed out of the watchtower, congratulating and hugging each other, running around the field. Even Rick had a big smile on his face, seeming to be rejuvenating by moments.
It was the best thing your group had come across since the farm.
Spirits were high as night fell and you were safe inside the fences, the walkers outside unable to get in. You roasted the squirrels Daryl had hunted for dinner and you felt totally content, safe and fed. Your smile just grew even bigger as T-Dog explained how you could dig a canal under the fence to have fresh water and Hershel assured the soil was good and you could grow crops in it. Yes, this was a place where you could live in. What all those months ago had seemed like Rick’s impossible dream was beginning to turn into reality.
Rick was keeping watch, patrolling the fence that separated you from the yard while Daryl kept watch at the other side, on top of the car that blocked the gates to the prison’s field.
Daryl hadn’t had any dinner and you saw Carol getting a plate ready for him before there wasn’t any food left. She winked at you, cracking a joke about him being unable to take care of himself unsupervised and made his way towards the car. She was right, most times Daryl would go without if he thought the others were hungry or Lori hadn’t had enough. It was sweet of him, sure, selfless and caring as he was, but still, he had to eat just as anyone and you worried about him. Carol wouldn’t have any of it, though, always reminding him to eat and winning any fight they might have about it.
You smiled warmly watching them joke around and chuckled softly when they made their way back to the group and you saw the blush that tainted Daryl’s cheeks. You smiled and raised your eyebrows at Carol, silently asking her what she had done to him this time.
“Don’t mind him, he wasn’t that shy two minutes ago... were you?” She teased Daryl who just blushed more and pushed her with his shoulder roughly.
“You are gonna have to tell me what was this about.” You giggled and Daryl seemed mortified so you let it go.
Beth and Maggie had started singing and you lied down, curling up on your blanket and resting your head on Carol’s thigh. The song and the voices of the Greenes were lovely and you closed your eyes, feeling more relaxed than you had been in a long, long while. You were about to fall asleep but your eyes snapped open when you heard Rick’s voice.
He explained how you had to do a last effort and clear the prison of walkers. It wasn’t only for the safety of the walls, which was a lot just on its own, but also he believed there must be supplies inside and an infirmary, commissary, armory...all the things you were in need of.
You knew he had a point, place was a gold mine, but it sounded too dangerous, especially having to go hand on hand as you were too low in ammo.
“After all we’ve been through...we can handle it, I know it. These assholes don’t stand a chance.”
Rick delivered, trying to lift the group’s spirits, and he sounded totally confident but he didn’t make you feel better about the plan. You were exhausted, all of you were, and it was a dangerous mission.
Before you realized it, though, you were falling asleep, your worries soon forgotten as you drifted into a peaceful sleep, finally feeling safe enough to let your guard down, protected by your family and the fences.
Next morning, Rick’s plan to take over the prison began. It was dangerous, sure, but you all knew the prison was your chance of surviving, your long sought haven, so there wasn’t much to discuss.
Rick, Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, and T-Dog, who were your best hand to hand fighters, would be the ones cleaning the first yard while Carol, Beth, Carl, Hershel and Lori stood outside, rattling the fences to bring walkers to them and killing them once they got close enough.
Your part in the plan was to stand on top of the watchtower with a rifle and your scarce ammo, shooting at any walker that might be a threat for the group inside the yard. They had deemed your aim good enough to help them like that, entrusting you with the remaining ammo you had, and you couldn’t be proudest. You were going to make sure you didn’t let Rick down.
It went smoother and better than you had expected, your group working in synchrony, all moving together in formation, bringing down walker after walker, and you couldn’t help but admire them, and be proud of them. There was a moment, when some walkers in riot gear attacked them, that you held your breath in fear, but they managed to put down those too.
“Yes!” You cheered when they managed to chain the door, stopping walkers from coming into that yard which was now clean of them.
You saw them talking and then they made their way towards a cellblock, disappearing inside. You rushed out of the watchtower, running down the stairs.
“Where are they going?” You asked Carol, short of breath, but she just shrugged.
They came back bringing good news. The cellblock of that yard had been almost clear of walkers and it was free of them now. It was full of corpses and rubbish, though, and the group spent the next few hours cleaning it and getting it ready. It was hard work but none of you could complain, you were all elated at having a roof and sturdy walls, also surrounded by several fences, that protected you against the monsters and served as a refuge...this could be a home, maybe...
“You were right,” you squeezed Rick’s arm gratefully when he walked past you and he gave you a tight smile and a nod, congratulating you for your shooting skills.
He was as glad as any of you, but you knew he wanted to keep cleaning the rest of the prison, it was necessary if you wanted to live there and be safe for long. You also were in need of food and supplies and Lori needed you to find the infirmary.
But that would be in the morning, for now, it was time to rest and enjoy your hard-earned price.
“Thought it was Rick who was keeping watch?”
You walked towards Daryl who was walking up and down the fence that separated you from the other yard, walkers snarling through it.
“I ain’t keeping watch, just trying to guess how many of them are there.” He frowned looking at the monsters.
“We’ll take care of them, little by little, we’ll secure this place, it’ll be a home.” You assured him, sounding confident. You couldn’t remember the last time you had felt that hopeful. “Rick reckons we’ll find weapons and ammo.”
“We better...”
“Come on, let’s get back inside.” You squeezed Daryl’s arm gingerly. “They just get worse when they see us close...”
The geeks were starting to push harshly at the fences and they were starting to worry you a bit.
“Wait, I wanted to show you something.” Daryl turned towards you. “Got your knife?”
“Yeah...” You were puzzled but took your knife from your belt as he did the same.
“I know you are always complaining you can’t reach half of the walkers’ heads...” He began and you blushed, embarrassed.
“It’s not my fault I’m short...” You mumbled.
“Look.”
He harshly grabbed one of the walkers from the other side of the fence, bringing it towards him and you recoiled a bit. You watched as Daryl stabbed his knife under the monster’s jaw and sank it up deeper until it reached the brain, the geek dropping dead as Daryl took back his knife and released it.
“Could be easier for you, stabbing them from below.”
“Maybe...” You weren’t very sure, you understood the theory but weren’t comfortable with the idea of being in such proximity to the monsters. Still, you knew you should better learn, it was a vital skill and if you wanted to help the group clear the prison, you couldn’t rely on guns always.
“Come, on, try.” Daryl was already holding a walker for you.
You were nervous about it but wanted to try and didn’t want to disappoint him so you stepped closer and sunk your knife under the monster’s head. It was hard, you had to push it up with strength, but you managed.
“That is.” Daryl encouraged you.
By the time Daryl and you went back into the prison you had managed to put down two more walkers, this time holding them yourself, and you were growing confident in yourself, even though you knew it would be a lot harder without the fence holding them away from you. At least you wouldn’t be so defenseless whenever you had to rely only on a knife.
Back inside everyone had already sorted their things into the cells. You had left your things inside the cell next to Lori’s and Carol’s, both of them sharing one in case Lori needed any help.
“You’re really gonna sleep on the floor instead of on a bed, with a soft mattress and all?” You shook your head in disbelieve at Daryl as he spread his sleeping bag and blankets over the perch.
“Ain’t sleeping in a cage.”
“It’s not a cage, it’s not even a cell anymore...”
You didn’t dare to call them ‘your rooms’ yet but that was almost what they were, what you hoped they’ll become as you made a home of that prison.
“Well, if you get tired of sleeping over concrete, top bunk of my cell is free...” You said, shrugging when Daryl remained silent, before making your way towards it.
You heard Carol and Lori talking inside hers and you joined them for a bit, chatting quietly in good-mood until you all went to sleep. You felt a bit strange, being alone there without Carol huddled next to you, without the others close, it was strange how silent everything was around you. But the bed was comfortable, the most comfortable you had had in so long, the walls sturdy making you feel safer than you ever had in this nightmarish world and soon you were fast asleep.
@momc95@jodiereedus22@osweetdevilo@sapphire1727@coffeebooksandfandom @the-destielr @checkintoreality @aislingsartistry
I never thought anyone’d like to be tag in any of my stories so thank you! It means the world! <3
If you want to be tagged please let me know.
#daryl dixon x reader#daryl dixon fanfiction#daryl dixon imagine#daryl dixon#the walking dead fanfiction#twd fanfiction#the walking dead imagine#twd imagine#daryl fanfiction#daryl x reader#daryl imagine#likes and reblogs mean the world...and also you can always come talk with me I'd love it...#life at the end of the world#lew
211 notes
·
View notes
Text
Have you ever felt a baby kick?
nope
What colour pants/shorts are you wearing?
black leggings
When is the last time you did something truly fun, and what was it?
recently listened to a vinyl my ex got for me and it just escalated to me listening to all my vinyl’s in my room!
What was the scariest moment of your life? June 2020, I had submitted my dissertation and it meant no more uni now it was real life.... and real life meant a global pandemic - safe to say I had some panicky moments
Have you ever heard of Leonard Cohen?
nope
Pancakes or flapjacks?
flapjacks
What kind of computer are you on?
dell Inspiron 15 3000 laptop (black)
Do you eat Chinese food? If so, what’s your favorite dish?
YES, chow mein usually chicken
What are you usually doing at midnight?
scrolling through twitter
Have you ever developed feelings for a friend, but you were already with someone?
yeah but I didn’t realise it had happened until after I moved away
If so, how did it turn out? we didn’t see each other since I left the place we worked at together
Give me your brief definition of love.
just pure bliss that feels like home
What is the most beautiful part of the human body, male or female?
eyes, they are the windows to the soul
What kind of shoes do you wear?
I like dad sneakers, very chunky
What is the worst thing you’ve ever done when you were really angry? told my ex boyfriend’s new girlfriend that he was still talking to me
Are there any pills you take on a daily basis? If so, what? birth control
Do you like the smell of coconuts?
yes
What is the heaviest you think you can lift?
ooof I don’t know really
Do you take Tums?
nope??? no idea what that is?
Have you ever walked on a pier at the beach?
yes, we have one in my home town
How about under one?
yes
At what age do you first remember feeling butterflies in your stomach around someone?
I guess I had crushes on a couple of guys in my class back in the day so I guess below the age of 10, maybe around 8 or 9
Do you feel that way around anyone now?
not right now
Do you ever talk to yourself or think deep thoughts while on the toilet?
yes
Do you ever sing to yourself?
sing along to music but never without - I am tone deaf
What is a sound that relaxes you?
hmmm I guess the sound of the beach, waves crashing the usual nature sounds
How hard has it been to reach your main goal in life? main goal is to be happy and it has been difficult in a pandemic
Do you remember the song about hoes in different area codes?
ummm? no? sounds like a bop haha
What is your main heritage?
British
What kind of pickles do you prefer, if you like pickles?
not for me
What kind of cheese do you prefer, if you like cheese?
mature cheddar is my daily go to but I like a lot of cheeses
If you could have a sea creature as a pet, what would you want?
dolphin
How about a farm animal?
horse
So, do you have hoes in different area codes?
I used to but they left me ;)
What is the most annoying song you can think of that came out recently?
tbh any song that has been ruined by tik tok
What is a song that you hate to admit you like?
rick astley never gonna give you up - before rick rolling was a thing I bopped to this song and still can
What inspires you to get off your bum and do something productive?
pinterest mood boards, e.g if I can get my room to look as good as they can then I’ll do something productive
Do you ever use Urban Dictionary?
yes
Do you find the definitions on there to be generally funny or stupid?
funny
What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘transformation’?
transformers movies
What was something you regularly played with as a child?
Barbies forever
Have you ever given in to peer pressure?
sure
What part of your body have you had the most problems with in your life?
feet!!! they just hate me
Do a lot of people check you out when you’re in public? not in a way that is annoying I guess
What is a good name for a turtle? Raphael
Can you imitate any accents well? If so, which one(s)?
american is pretty easy, maybe australian
Do you like having your ear nibbled on?
depends who is doing the nibbling
What makes a good kisser a good kisser?
soft lips, not too much tongue and can keep the teeth at bay
How many times a year do you have a family thing?
with extended family usually twice a year
What are the best things to put in a smoothie?
strawberries, bananas, yoghurt and milk (maybe I should branch out because that’s literally all I have)
Do you ever eat with your eyes closed and just focus on the taste?
chocolate for sure
What do you dislike most about where you live right now?
we are in lockdown and I can’t continue practicing my driving!!!
Has anyone ever given you a rose/roses?
yes, honestly you would think flowers are cliche but oh boy do I love receiving them
Are you watching your weight?
yup..... watching it GROW haha
Have you ever become really good friends with someone you found online? for my second and third year of uni I had to find flatmates online and yeah friendships were formed
What makes your best friend your best friend?
I can talk to them about anything and even tho life can take us to different places we’ll always have each other
Do you have a drunk uncle?
nah
Do you hear weird noises in your house at night?
I used to, it was only the old boiler kicking in the heating but recently we got a new one and it doesn’t make weird noises, I kinda miss them
What is something you do that is generally more like something the opposite sex does?
eh I don’t think I do anything ‘guy’ like
What is the girliest thing you do, if you’re a girl?
just girly things hahaha eh idk, I like getting my nails done every month or so
What is the coolest tattoo you’ve ever seen?
I think it was Rihanna that got a tattoo at the centre of her chest and I thought it was really cool with the placing and style
Have you ever created anything artistic that you’re proud of? If so, what?
nah
Do you only eat the middle of the oreo, if you eat oreos?
I eat all of it
Do you know anyone with a huge ego?
yes
If so, is there anything else about them you actually like?
they have moments of being humble too
Do you have any friends who are more like siblings to you?
hmmmm not yet
If so, what about them do you like most?
What do you like on your hotdogs, if you eat hotdogs?
ketchup!!
What is everyone else in your house doing right now?
sleeping
How long do you think it would take you to run a mile?
ah 15 mins maybe idk?????
Look down. What do you see?
my cute pjs - been really into pjs ever since moving back home and not living independently anymore
What is a subject that makes you uncomfortable?
homelessness
What is a subject you can talk on and on about and not get sick of it?
taylor swift (can’t guarantee whomever I am talking to about her will get sick of it haha)
What kind of mood were you in most of today?
not too bad, just a constant state of boredom waiting for the day for this pandemic to be over
Has anyone ever walked in on you naked?
yes but we were dating so nbd
Tell me an inside joke you have with someone.
my grandad was born in India and I used to go around saying that I was 1/4 Asian but ofc my friends knew I was joking now it’s a running joke
What is the worst thing you’ve ever done to someone emotionally?
I guess led someone on
How do you feel now about the first person you ever dated?
glad I had nice first dating experiences to reminisce about
How about the last person (your last ex)?
bit more painful since we were together longer and went through a lot but as time moves forward it gets easier
What is the best invention ever invented?
apple airpod pros(noise cancellation is a dream)
What is something that needs to be invented?
honestly up until a year ago it was noise cancelling bluetooth earphones
What always makes you burp?
I don’t usually burp tbh
What are you doing tomorrow?
going for a walk in the rain to try out my new raincoat, fixing my curtain and finally putting up my fairy lights
0 notes
Photo
Entry 49
Well, something kinda strange happened today.
Let’s see, as a recap… It’s been about five months since I became a sentry, four since I met my friend at the door, and eight since talking with Dadster. I promise that info is relevant. It also helps to see it written in front of me. Anyways, with those time frames in mind, today started out as a pretty regular thing. Thankfully Flowey hasn’t pulled any massively crazy resets on me so most of the things I’ve done within this time frame haven’t changed much, or I’ve been able to redo them so they still matter. That's always what I've been worried about, but from what I can tell, I've had a pretty good grip on what's happened and what “hasn't.”
About an hour into my shift, I left my post for the routinely scheduled door visit. Approaching the towering entryway, I gave the customary knock to let my friend know I was there.
It took a moment, but after a seconds pause I got my, “who is there?”
“mikey.”
“Mikey who?”
“mi’key doesn’t fit in the keyhole, ‘fraid i can’t come in today.”
I heard a quiet giggle from the other side and grinned, waiting for her to fire one back. While we usually take turns, I quickly noticed she wasn’t taking her turn. Maybe she was having trouble thinking of something, I thought. We did go through a lot of material on a daily basis, so it was bound to happen. Dry spells happen anywhere. So to make up for it, I knocked again.
“Who is there?”
“a herd.”
“A herd who,” she asked.
“a herd you were home, so i came to visit.”
Again she laughed quietly, and I tilted my head a little at the sound. While the laugh was true, it wasn’t loud and boisterous like it usually was. Instead it was sorta reserved. Humming in thought, I turned and slipped down the door, sitting in my usual spot and leaned against it. Raising a hand, I knocked the back of my knuckles against the door again.
“Who is there?”
“howl,” I said.
“Howl who?”
“howl are you doing today?”
It was an even quieter laugh that time, and it was then that I knew something was up. Like I’ve said before, we don’t really ever talk about anything beyond the smallest of small talk past our jokes and riddles. Hell, I didn’t even know her name. Still, to hear the smallest sounds of distress in her voice, even if it was hidden pretty well, it didn’t sit well with me. She’d cheered me up countless times, so it was time to return the favor. Or at least figure out a way to try.
“It is… just one of those days, my friend. I am sorry.”
I didn’t expect to hear her speak to the joke-question, but I found myself leaning the side of my face closer to the door so I could hear her.
“hey, snow worries,” I said, trying to make my grin pass softly into my voice, “i’m just glad it wasn’t something i sled, y’know?”
She laughed softly again and I caught the sound of shuffling. When she spoke again, her voice was a little closer, as if she were leaned close to the door like I was.
“No, no, you are fine. There has just been a lot on my mind today.”
Tucking my hands in my pockets, I tilted my head a little bit more toward where I could hear her best. I hadn’t ever really had a strong desire to teleport past the door, but it was in that moment that I wished I could. I’d never seen her face to face, and the idea almost felt like it was ruining what we had going on -- the whole “two mysterious strangers bonding through a barrier” kinda thing -- but I was willing to put that aside to help. If I had even been able to get past the door, I mean. Something about the very idea made my pulse pick up a little thought.
“anything i can do to help?”
“I… do not think so,” she murmured, keeping her voice just barely at the level I could hear it. “Just things I must work through on my own.”
I let out a soft laugh. It didn’t have much feeling, and I sighed immediately afterwards.
“hey, don’t worry. i know that feeling pretty darn well, actually.”
“I am sorry, my friend. You must know it is not the best thing to feel.”
“nah, but hey, s’life, isn’t it?” I shrugged, running a hand over my skull before tucking it back away. “things happen. you can’t change what happens. you can work to right it though and work through it. my brother reminds me of that a lot.”
“You are right,” she sighed deeply. “Your brother sounds like a wise soul too.”
“he’s good people,” I said softly, “keeps me on my feet a lot. gives me a good knock on the skull when i need it too.”
A breath of soft laughter passed through the door and I grinned gently. At least that got her to laugh a little, and it was true.
“There is… one thing you may be able to do to help,” she said after a moment. Blinking, I tilted my head and situated myself a bit more by the door.
“yeah?”
“Yes.” A pause. “Would you mind… staying with me for a little while?”
“‘course not,” I said with a shrug. Keeping my gentle grin, I added, “i’ve only been here a few minutes. i still got a little over an hour and a half of regular door actively left.”
“Thank you,” she said, and in it I could hear a bit of her smile. Relieved I could help a little, a settled in and nodded to myself. I wasn’t the best at comfort, but if there was anything I could do, it was at least be near the person that needed it. I was the perfect idle company, cracking jokes when needed to edge on a grin or a groan. Either way, a reaction meant I was getting somewhere.
A little bit of time passed, most of the time me just letting her have the silence she needed but being the company she could call on. I told a few jokes when they came to me, remarks about what I saw and little quips, and each time they got her to chuckle a little. So long as I could get her to laugh a bit, that was ok with me. There was a stretch of silence at one point, and then…
“You are a sentry, right?”
Pausing, I broke the stare I had through the fog and glanced back at the door curiously.
“yep.”
She was quiet again, a thoughtful silence I now realize, before she spoke again.
“Then may I ask something of you?”
“of course,” I said with a shrug. To me, a favor was nothing. I was really curious about what she had to say that had to do with me being a sentry.
“Well… Considering your position,” she started slowly, working herself to get her words out as she went on, “I know this is strange, especially coming from someone you do not really know, but…”
“hey, i’ve seen and heard some pretty strange things in my time,” I told her with a chuckle, leaning back. “whatever you gotta say, don’t worry. i’m not one to judge.”
“Hah… I appreciate it very much...”
I nodded again despite her being unable to see me, patiently waiting. The time between her speech almost made me nervous, trying to run through in my mind what she could possibly be asking for. Was she trapped in there? Did she think a sentry would be able to get her out? I wouldn’t put it past someone in that type of situation, but surely if she was trapped, then she would have asked for help long before then. It was just my mind picking around at that point.
When she asked her question, it hit me with a wave of shock, and I immediately understood why she had been hesitant.
“If a human ever comes through this door..,” she said softly, ”could you please, please promise something?”
I listened with anticipation, my soul pounding hard against my ribs.
“...Watch over them, and protect them, will you not?”
As her words sank in, I was left staring in surprise at a snow bank beside me. All of monsterkind down here had been taught one thing: fear humans, report them, they must be taken to Asgore. They must go to the king. They’ll be used to break us free. To find someone among the very few who didn’t want to harm them, but actually wanted to protect them left me completely off guard. I never would have expected her to ask that of all things.
I began to run over several things in my head. I considered for a moment that maybe she herself was a human, asking for protection should she ever make it past the doors. As I thought about it, the likelihood seemed less and less, but I also found myself wanting to agree if it was for her. We’d become friends, and I wasn’t about to smash that integrity just because we were different species. But again, I started to doubt that thought the moment it rose.
For another monster to ask that, especially of someone in my position, that took a lot of bravery. Not only was she risking her image to the one person she knew on the other side, but she risked that company too. If I had taken to the question badly, there goes her buddy by the door. A lot of things were at stake for such a simple question.
No, not just a question. A promise.
In that moment of many things going through my mind, there was another that stuck out. Gaster’s words when we were together.
“Time will pass. There is one more soul needed for Asgore’s goal. Another human will come through, and they will have greater Determination than we have yet to see. There are two possibilities on who it will be despite it looking like only one person. One is very dangerous, and one is kind. You will understand who you are dealing with in time by watching them. Be careful.”
How the hell was I supposed to know who I was promising to protect? A dangerous human, or a kind human. A human in general. Dadster’s right, this is the last one, and here I am faced with a request from the leftmost of left fields. Promise to protect them and forsake my position as a sentry, or do as everyone else would. It was a tough call, one I felt actually left me torn. Maybe. Maybe I could protect them until they get to Asgore. Make sure they get everything they can from the underground before their inevitable end at the palace. I could do that.
Besides, if everything resets at any point, none of this would even matter. The things I do for friends, heh. Boy… so much for that normalcy, Sansy.
Closing my eyes with a deep breath, I sighed it out slowly, taking a hand to run over my skull. Swallowing hard, I furrowed my brow and stared down at the snow. I didn’t like making promises to begin with. What I was doing was questionable by all standards, especially for someone charged with capturing humans.
Oh well. Might as well make the most of it.
“...yeah.” I paused. “yeah, i can do that.”
“What?” Her surprised voice snapped me out of my haze, blinking. “You… you would really do that? Truly?”
“heh, yeah,” I said back quietly, glancing up toward where my post was. “i mean, i’m pretty sick of how the whole thing has been handled myself, so… yeah. i promise to do what i can.”
“Thank you, my friend. Thank you so much.” The relief in her voice took me off guard as well as the sniffle in her voice, leaving me glancing over my shoulder in surprise. “I… do not know what to say. All I can do is thank you. Just… thank you.”
My shoulders fell, brows arching a little as I listened. Whether this was the thing that was on her mind earlier or not, this weighed heavily on her. Incredibly so. I’m not sure how she came to have such kindness and compassion for humans, but to have so much of it… I could respect that.
I had no idea where this was going to take me, but it put a chink in the chain. Spice it up a little. We’ll see where it goes I guess.
“y’know, there is one thing you could say.”
There was soft shuffling, then, “Oh? What is that?”
“close, but not quite.”
Grinning softly, I raised my hand and gave the door a knock. - Sans
29 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hope Idiotic | Part 14
By David Himmel
Hope Idiotic is a serialized novel. Catch each new part every week on Monday and Thursday.
CHUCK CLAIMED HE WAS ATTENDING AA MEETINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS. So each morning, Melvin stuck his nose right into Chuck’s open mouth and told him to breathe. These closed-door sessions were disguised as short, daily program meetings so as not to drum up any suspicion that something covert was going on. Not that anyone could have guessed that Chuck was allowing his superior to huff his morning breath.
“If he wasn’t such a weirdo, he’d buy a Breathalyzer,” Chuck told Lou over the phone one morning on his drive to work. “We can’t have beers at lunch anymore, and I try to have my last drink by ten so any trace of it is gone by the morning. I also sleep with three Life Saver in my mouth.”
“Aren’t you concerned you’ll choke?”
“Nah. Gina is spending the night pretty regularly. If I choke, she’s there to save me.”
“You could just brush your teeth, floss, use mouthwash. Not drink.”
“Nah.”
“Won’t you eventually have to show Melvin proof that you’re going to the meetings? Don’t they give you a chip or something?”
“I’m going to tell him that I don’t feel AA is right for me, but thanks to his faith and support I’ve been able to kick the bottle. All the guy wants is to be appreciated; feel like he saved someone. I’ll throw some of that bullshit his way.”
“You’re walking a thin line, man. How are things with Gina? Have you heard from Lexi at all?”
Lexi had asked him to lunch on a Saturday. He told her he was working on the magazine. She suggested Sunday. Same excuse. The truth was that he had plans to drive to Joshua Tree National Park with Gina. How about dinner at Bella’s next Monday might? she asked. He couldn’t avoid her forever, and he didn’t want to. There was a part of him that missed the dull sex and the Bible reading at bedtime.
Lexi was wearing new makeup and had a new hairstyle. He told her she looked pretty. She always looked pretty to him, but the makeup and hair, on top of not seeing her for a few months, made her seem like a new woman. It made her exciting to him again.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said.
“I’ve missed you.”
“If you want… we could… maybe we could see each other again. But take it slow, not rush into anything.”
It was what Chuck hoped she would say. But was it a good idea? What would he do about Gina? She was more or less living with him at the house, and he did not want to slow things down with her. Lexi still had her key and the garage code, and he had just made a key for Gina, who also knew the garage code. As nice as it was having both women around, there was a damn good chance that all of it could blow up in his face.
Maintaining a life of lies wasn’t easy. He had to watch the same romantic comedies twice. He had to regularly think of believable excuses about why either one couldn’t stay at the house. Gina began leaving her preferred groceries at the house, and Chuck would eat everything so that Lexi wouldn’t question why he had a box of Kashi cereal in the cabinet. Gina, then, was confused as to where her food went. She must have eaten it, he told her. Because he would never touch her food. That would be rude. Gina, worried she had developed a sleep-eating disorder, stopped buying groceries for his house. Chuck was, without malice, leading her toward a path of anorexia. But, hey, whatever kept the pantry clean.
Lexi traded the Bible for a libido, but what was even better was that she was still willing to help Chuck out with his finances. Even though his mother’s health was currently stable and wasn’t causing too many additional expenses at the moment, the interest rates on his credit cards and the outstanding medical bills were barely manageable. On top of that, the IRS began garnishing his wages. Because Liberty’s publisher didn’t deduct taxes from Chuck’s paychecks, Chuck chose to just not pay on what he earned. It was a proud stance of libertarianism. He ignored Lou’s and everyone else’s advice against it. “Screw the IRS,” he’d say. It didn’t matter to him that the publisher claimed the payroll and that the IRS would, at some point, come looking for what was due.
With the wage garnishment, Chuck’s take home from Tigris was little more than two-hundred bucks every two weeks. He obviously couldn’t pay any of his bills or rent with money like that. Lexi was giving him between five hundred and one thousand dollars every month. Most of that money went for his mom’s medical bills and to keep the utilities on in the house, put gas in his car and also to buy beer and pay for dates with Gina. He canceled the insurance on his car, stopped making the car-loan payment and quit paying Lou altogether.
Melvin was thrilled with the sobriety illusion Chuck created. Lexi was happy just to be with him and was confident he’d pay her back once his wages were returned to him in a few months. After Gina saw a text message from Lexi show up on Chuck’s phone, she knew the exes were talking again. But he assured her that the conversations were rare and that he wasn’t interested in dating Lexi. He even placated her with the idea of marriage when she brought it up one night over dinner.
He had built a sturdy fortress of bullshit, but cracks were starting to show.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]<Louis Bergman>
Subject: Rent
CK–
Like I’ve said before… Don’t worry about the rent. I told my grandparents that things are tight for you right now but that we’ll figure something out. They know about your mom and all that, so just pay the utilities and credit card companies. Those fuckers won’t give you a break. Michelle said I ought to evict you. Dad said I shouldn’t do that to a friend. And I never would. So don’t worry about it. Oh, Michelle… Sometimes I think she would have ratted out Anne Frank given the opportunity.
What you need to be worried about is this two-timing thing you’ve got going. Even If you’re not worried about it, I sure as hell am, and it’s not making things any easier for me out here. Don’t make me worry about you. I can only barely manage one life going to shit at a time, and I called dibs.
–LB
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]<Chuck Keller>
Subject: Re: Rent
Thanks, buddy. I feel terrible about not paying. I should write a letter to your dad and grandpaw. I don’t know what to tell you about Michelle. You love her, so figure it out. Maybe when we get our shit back in order, she’ll be more understanding. Though, I’m not sure that’s fair. Taking the good with the bad and all that.
I gotta get out of here. I’m about to fucking crack. This place is too hot for me right now. Nothing can go on the back burner because I’ve gone and set the goddamn kitchen on fire. Not your kitchen. You know what I mean. I need to figure this out. And I need to do it before I burn the whole fucking house down. And probably the block.
I’m sorry. That probably made you worry. I’m a terrible friend. Everything will be fine. Everything. Just need some time and space to cool out.
✶
HE LEFT WORK EARLY ON THURSDAY AND TOOK FRIDAY AS A VACATION DAY. He told Lexi and Gina that he would be working all weekend and couldn’t see them.
He swung by the house, changed clothes, packed a small bag with clean underwear, a toothbrush and half a dozen bottles of beer from the fridge, threw it in his car and took off up U.S. 95 northbound.
The only predetermined direction was straight. When he finished the six beers, he pulled into a gas station a few miles outside of the city limits and purchased a case of cans. He cracked the first one before pulling out of the parking lot. By the time he hit Tonopah, he was out of gas and nearly out of beer. While the BMW drank in the unleaded, Chuck purchased another case, a pack of cigarettes and a bag of beef jerky
“Are you sure you’re alright to be on the road tonight?” the clerk at the gas station asked.
“On the road is the only way to be alright.” Then he laughed. He took his change and handed it to the old woman with translucent blue hair sitting at the video slot machine near the door. “Take the change and flee!” He stormed out with the case under his arm and stuffed the pack of smokes and lighter into his mouth. He lit up before the gas finished pumping.
Chuck aimed the BMW to Highway 6 toward Warm Springs and onto the Extraterrestrial Highway. This stretch of road had long been his place of solace. Before heading north up to Hiko, he yanked the car onto the shoulder, threw it in park, grabbed the case of beer and climbed onto the roof. He lay on his back drinking while he looked for UFOs. The stars began to blur and spin in unusual patterns against the Earth’s rotation. Chuck’s beer-filled brain was in retrograde and to him, everything looked like a spaceship racing across the sky.
“E.T.!” he shouted into the blackness. “I see you. Can you see me? Come on down. I have a beer for you. You’ll like it. It’s from a place called Milwaukee.”
✶
HE WOKE UP ON A SMALL COT SHOVED INTO A CORNER INSIDE OF A SMALL, CIGARETTE-SMOKE-STAINED ROOM. His glasses were on a rickety nightstand. Someone entered the room; a woman. She handed his glasses to him.
She was a petite, but big-breasted, blond Asian. “Am I dead?” Chuck asked.
“Hardly,” she said. “But I thought we might have to have your stomach pumped.”
“Where am I?”
“Starlight Ranch, sweetie. Do you remember me?”
“Fuck.” The Starlight Ranch was a whorehouse in Lund, a small town just outside of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forrest. “I’m sure my wallet will.”
“Unfortunately not. You didn’t want to party last night. I thought maybe you’d be up for it this morning.”
“So we didn’t?”
“Not yet.” She took a seat next to him on the bed and stroked his thigh over his jeans. “You kept mumbling something about too many pussies.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“And you kept buying drinks for an imaginary alien you said you found on the highway. One of our regulars tried to drink one of the beers you bought, but you threatened to kill him and anyone else who touched the beers. There are about thirteen or so glasses of warm beer waiting for you out there on the bar.”
“That sounds about right, too. I’m impressed we didn’t screw last night. You’re the woman of my dreams. I love Asian women. And blondes. And tits.”
“You called me your Zipper-Eyed Angel last night.”
Chuck laughed. “Sorry about that.”
“I’ve been called worse. Other than that, you were a total gentleman. Even ran a good couple games of pool and had the whole place dancing to the jukebox.”
“Were there a lot of people here?”
“Maybe a dozen. Mostly us girls.”
She and Chuck moved out to the bar. He grabbed one of the alien’s beers and chugged it down. She sat on a stool.
“What did you say your name was?” Chuck said.
“Starla.”
“Your real name.”
“Dakota.”
“Your real name.”
“Dakota. I’m a first generation. My parents were living in Sioux Falls at the time.”
“Jesus, that’s awful. Chinese?”
“Yes.”
“What were two Chinese immigrants doing in Sioux Falls?”
“Laundry business. Only Asian dry cleaners in the whole state. The newspaper even did a story about it.”
“Asians in Sioux Falls. Can’t say I would run that story.”
“Are you a newspaper man?”
“I’m the editor of a magazine. Back in Vegas.”
“What brought you out here?”
“Escape.”
“What from?”
“I don’t think my alien friend is going to claim these beers,” he told the bartender, a grizzled older woman. “You can toss them. I would love a fresh one, though.” He turned back to the Asian in response to her question. “What from? Everything. The job. The girls. The boss. The family.”
“The big city life, huh?”
“All I’ve ever wanted was to be able to take care of the people I care about. And I can’t do that. I’m actually hurting them.”
“My mom is sick. Heart problems. I put myself in the poorhouse taking care of her medical bills, which I can’t afford anymore. Can’t afford rent to my best buddy whose house I’m living in, the IRS is taking my wages for back taxes, and I’m letting my ex-girlfriend pay for all of it right now. At the same time, I’m also dating this other girl. My boss demanded I go into AA, which I’m obviously not doing, and generally, I’ve just sort of fucked myself. Because on top of the magazine, which is probably going to shut down if I don’t actually get back to working on it and get it out on time each month, I have a full-time day gig at the Tigris. That’s the boss who wants me in AA. And that job: all the corporate nonsense, the micro-managing, the fluorescent lighting, the mandatory meetings that accomplish nothing… I’m just not doing anything right. And I don’t know why. But it all started out with the best of intentions.”
Dakota ordered a club soda.
“All I’ve ever wanted was to be able to take care of the people I care about. And I can’t do that. I’m actually hurting them. And that makes it worse. And I worry about my mom — both of my parents, really. And my brother… They’re so helpless and stupid. Just dull and shiftless. Wasting days in Indiana. My best pal, the one whose house I’m living in, is in Chicago living with a girl who he loves but is just so hard on him. And he’s unemployed and frustrated and not doing so hot either. And I know I’m making things worse for him by not paying him rent and… Ah, fuck it. It’s all a mess. Christ, I’m talking a lot. I must not be drunk enough to shut up.”
“So you ran away from it all.”
“I needed an escape. Don’t we all need to escape sometimes?”
“I suppose so. But blowing a thousand bucks on booze at a cathouse hundreds of miles from home isn’t helping.”
“It clears my mind.”
“Bullshit.”
“It is. But it’s something. It’s something else. A good long drive always does me good. Maybe I’ll figure it out on the drive back.” He signaled the bartender for another round. “Are you drinking?” he asked Dakota.
“No, thank you. You seem like a sweet guy. But intentions, well, they’re just that. I lived in Vegas for a few years after leaving Sioux Falls. I needed to get away from that life. It was too slow. There wasn’t enough action; I needed to make something of myself. But I always had every intention of going back home at some point. Then I met a guy, and things went bad, and I had to leave. And I ended up here. I haven’t seen or spoken to my family in years. I don’t even have any real friends. I made the real escape.”
“And are you okay with your life now?”
“I’m fine with it. I think that before I was always hurting. And I haven’t hurt since I’ve been here. No one knows me, and I don’t know anyone. These other girls, my boss, they’re just co-workers. I get paid to create human interaction. It’s all business; there are no real feelings attached to any of it. I make people happy, if only for an hour and for whatever reason they want to feel happy for. Maybe they’re tired of being by themselves in the cabs of their trucks. Maybe they’re not getting any physical affection at home. Maybe they’re too socially fucked up to meet women in their real life. Maybe they like the fantasy of a Chinese girl with big tits. But I escaped because I was hurting all of the time. And I was hurting my parents with my behavior. I’ve seen all the hurt I ever want to see. Personally, anyway. Now I just provide relief. Or that one thing every one of us wants.”
“And what’s that? Happiness?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Well, I never hurt my parents.”
“This isn’t a pissing contest. I’m just telling you that everybody hurts, and that this escape of yours, it’s not going to stop that.”
“‘Everybody hurts.’ Are you quoting R.E.M. now?”
“What’s R.E.M.?”
“The band. They had that song, ‘Everybody Hurts.’”
“Never heard of them. Don’t know it. Listen, why don’t you come back to my room with me.”
“I can’t. I have to draw the line somewhere.”
Dakota leaned in and whispered in his ear, “A blowjob on the house won’t hurt anything. As long as my boss doesn’t find out.”
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII
Part VIII
Part IX
Part X
Part 11
Part 12
#Hope Idiotic#David Himmel Author#David Himmel Novel#David Himmel Fiction#Fiction#Las Vegas Fiction#Dark Humor#Bildungsroman
1 note
·
View note
Last Seen Blogs
cellannie
Cellannie on Tour ...
beck2108-blog
Untitled
prossitove
Untitled
webmanarts-blog
WebManArts
kmlogistics12
KM Logistics Delivers LLC