Discover Top Posts Tagged with #campsite rule - leave it better than you found it | Tumgag (2024)

Which ship has the worst fans in your opinion - C@ryl or Jons@????

Hmmm... I've only heard the horror stories involved with the c@ryl fans, but I've had my fair share of dealing with jons@ fans so I'm going to have to say jons@ has the worst fans. Apologies to anyone on here that ships them, I'm generally a ship and let ship person, but there are some members of your ship that always cause drama and make the fandom very toxic. Either way let me cleanse this post with some Jonerys and Bethyl.

Chance Encounter

Chapter 7

Chapter 1 // Chapter 6

warning: Micah's nasty advances, hinting at sexual abuse in the past, drinking, long chapter but cuddles!!!

summary: After an unpleasant experience at camp (Micah), Arthur proposes to take you on a trip up Dakota River.

5200 words, 26 minutes reading time

Arthur walked you through camp and explained the most important rules with precise words. If you earned money, you must share it with the camp. There were those who leave camp regularly to seek out people, stagecoaches, shops, and trains to rob, to collect bounties (keeping in mind that most of them had a price on their head too) or hunt and there were the others, who stay in camp, prepare food, do laundry and dishes.

"'Course", Arthur explained while you stepped over a sleeping man, "there are a bunch of people who do nothin'. This is Uncle. If ya ever talk to him...prepare to waste some time." Aside from Uncle, you were also introduced to the camp cook, Mr. Pearson, who was pouring himself a cup of coffee at the moment you passed him with Arthur.

"I'll leave ya to the girls in a minute, they’ll find somethin’ for you to do for sure. Just...there", Arthur put his hand on your shoulder, which took you by surprise, but immediately proved it had to be done to shove you a bit to the right, revealing a man with long blond hair and a red shirt slouching through the grass a bit further off, "Micah Bell. Don't talk to him. Ignore him if he talks to you, he can be a nasty fellow. Same goes for this man over there." Now he directed your attention to a man who was just carrying a plate with breakfast in one and a cup of coffee in the other hand...and then stumbled over a root, spilling half of his cup on the ground. You found it amusing and it got even more innocent and harmless, as you saw how flustered he got when a man with huge scars on his face started scolding him for his clumsiness. "He ran with the O'Driscolls. Our....rivalry gang, so to say", Arthur tried to explain, finding it a difficult to keep things uncomplicated and light-hearted. Though he still wasn't a huge fan of making you a member of this gang and binding you to all the troubles that probably were to come sooner or later, he didn't want to scare you away either.

This said, Arthur walked you over to three girls, Tilly, Karen and Mary-Beth as you soon found out, and left them to explain the rest to you. And explain they did. In the next three days you were pretty much filled in with who is who and who is what. Mrs. Grimshaw was determined to make you earn your place in the gang by scrubbing blood stains out of the men's clothes, but you didn't complain, since this monotonous work which didn't need a lot of thinking was perfect for listening to camp talk and chatter.

It was Lenny who introduced you to Hosea who in turn sat you down the same evening to check your reading skills. You shared the lesson with Jack, which you found quiet embarrassing, though you were relieved to find your reading better than the one of a four-year-old child.

Arthur was hardly ever on campsite. You had seen him on your first day at camp and it was only after almost a week had passed, when you decided to get up earlier, that you ran into him again. But before you had realized he was at camp, you just left your sleeping mat, which was positioned under the open sky, next to the tent of the other ladies, and strolled towards the lake. Dipping your feet into cold water had proved to be the most effective way to get you going in the morning. Days were long for you, since you wanted to give it your best, you tried cramming in as much as possible every day. The morning usually started with chores, some time in the afternoon you'd get on your horse and ride to the fence in Rhodes to continue your work for him. (You had only done this after you got the approval of Hosea, who was the next person in charge to look out for you, if Arthur wasn't around.) In the evening, if it wasn't too late, you still had a couple of minutes with Hosea, who made you read to him. Since Arthur hadn't been there, you convinced Lenny to continue your shooting practice, which took place whenever you and Lenny had some free time to spare.

Now, only a week had passed and you were proud of the routine you had built for yourself. If anything, you knew how to work hard and you were keen to win over a couple of people who still looked at you dismissingly, as if you were only an additional mouth to feed. Still with bare feet, you sat down at the table. An apple in one hand, you watched Kieran, who had just risen and stumbled over to the horses. You kept your distance, as you had promised Arthur, but you weren't really sure if this was necessary. Kieran seemed like one of the softest and kindest men in the gang. Unlike Arthur, who, according to Mary-Beth, ‘can surely be an affectionate human-being who just craves to be understood but decides to hide this very side of him, as it makes him vulnerable; but rather displays his rough and distant manners’. Kieran, it appeared to you, didn't even have rough manners. He was just a shy, friendly, horse-loving man who was as nice as possible to everyone.

"Got ya, finally! Can't run away now, doll", with your eyes and thoughts fixed on Kieran, you hadn't noticed Micah, who had come closer and was now seated next to you. After Arthur's first warning, you had only heard shady things about this Micah and were glad to put as much distance between you two as possible, or at least being surrounded by others when he was close. But now, the camp was still asleep and you were right next to him. "Good morning, Mr. Bell", you greeted, trying to sound as friendly and unbothered as possible, though this man was way too close for you to feel even remotely comfortable.

"So you do have manners, Miss y/n. I thought I would have to teach you some", Micah's voice was dark and low, you weren't sure if he was trying to charm or threaten you, though it could be a mixture of both. "Now, why would a beautiful girl like you keep avoiding me, hm? It’s a real shame…", Micah came even closer. You almost jumped when his leg touched yours. "I haven't been avoiding you, Mr. Bell. I'm just very busy. I’m trying to keep my place in this gang", you quickly answered, your eyes wandering off, trying to find a more pleasant sight than this man's face way to close to yours. You wanted to run, but you didn't know where to. He'd just follow you and it would get way uglier real fast, you thought.

Suddenly, you felt rough hands on your chin, pushing it up and towards the man who those hands belonged to, forcing you to look at him. "Look at me when I'm talking to you", came the demand. At this point you were scared sh*tless. You told yourself that it was not the same. You are not in an abandoned barn. You are not alone. There are many people around. It's not one against three, it's one against one and all you had to do was scream and he'd be running off.

"If you wanna do the camp a favor, stop wearing pants. It's not very lady like. You should take what you can get before it's too late for you. Women get undesirable really easily, really fast", Micah growled. You knew that if you didn't fight back now, there wouldn't be any point in trying to do so later, but you were frozen in place. Micah's slick smile sent shivers down your spine and if you weren't so concentrated on keeping a straight face that didn't reveal you'd rather die on the spot then have this continue any longer, you would have felt another hand on your thigh earlier.

"Leave her alone, Micah", Arthur threatened in a menacing voice. The grip on your chin loosened but only fully disappeared after Arthur added a "or I'll put a bullet through your f*cking head right here, right now." Micah looked to the man who had just left his tent with a hand resting on his belt, close to his holster. When Micah finally stood up and left your side, you felt like you could breathe again.

"Mr. Morgan, didn't realize you were here", Micah sneered. To which Arthur didn't answer but only looked at Micah disgusted. "I was just welcoming our new-" "If I see ya close to her, ever again, I'll make sure you can never bother anyone in this gang again by putting ya out of yer misery", Arthur interrupted. Micah raised his hands in defense: "Yeah. Sure. Sorry, didn't know she was yours, big fella." And with this said, he was gone.

"Yer alright?", Arthur asked concerned, taking the wooden chest Micah had sat on and putting it at a reasonable distance, before he sat down.

"Yea-...no, no I don't think I am", you breathed out, quickly wiping tears off your face. You looked at the table in front of you, knowing you wouldn't be able to hold another eye contact like that without completely breaking down, even if it was just Arthur. There was silence between you for a while. Arthur was the one who broke it: "I'll take you out for a trip, if yer want. Leave camp for a while...I know it can be a lot sometimes. It's just an offer. Think about it." You nodded and Arthur took off to give you some space.

You had already decided the moment he had finished speaking, but you sat still until your knees had stopped shaking and you could walk to your sleeping mat where you kept all your belongings. In your satchel you had hidden a revolver. It had been bought yesterday in Rhodes, but you knew neither Arthur nor Lenny would be too happy about you carrying a gun already. You packed a couple of things, stowed them away on your horse, got dressed and then looked for Arthur who sat on the jetty, scribbling something in his notebook and occasionally taking a sip from his coffee. He turned his head when he heard you approach. "I'd love a little trip", you said. He smiled sympathetically, closing his book and standing up. "Ya can go mount yer horse, I'll tell Hosea where we are off to."

Not five minutes later, you were on the open road.

"Where are we actually going?", you asked after both of your horses had reached a comfortable trot.

"Up north, past the Donner Falls, to the spring of the Dakota River", when Arthur searched your face and found a questioning expression, he added "it's close to the Wapiti Indian Reservation" as if that'd help. But you didn't mind where he'd take you, as long as you are away from camp and with Arthur...

"How long is the ride?", you asked, pressing your hat deeper in your face to protect you from the morning sun which was slowly becoming more powerful.

"Depends on…how fast can ya ride yer horse?", he looked at you, all innocent and gentle, though you know there was a challenge hidden away behind those words. A big smiled formed on your face: "I won't race someone who has decades more riding experience than I have, but I promise you I've become better since our last ride." This being said, you gave your horse a "Heya!" and off you ran, savoring your head start for ten seconds, before Arthur caught up.

When you rode past Dewberry Creek you pulled y/h/n back into a trot to win more time taking in the scenery. Morning dew had made the air misty, and the low sun was hitting the droplets in the right angle to produce a little rainbow. Arthur too slowed his horse down, observing you silently as you watched the scenery in awe. When you turned your head, your eyes met Arthur's. You had wanted to make a comment on the rainbow, but something about finding Arthur's eyes fixed on you rather than the nature made your cheeks burn up and forget your intention of saying something. So without anything being said, you looked back to the rainbow, which had started to fade. You knew Arthur wasn't the most talkative, but you really wished he had eased the tension by saying something. It was only after the rainbow was fully gone and the Heartlands started to stretch out in front of you when he suggested: "What d'ya say? Another race through the Heartlands."

You sighed: "I don't know...", trying to keep Arthur's attention on your words rather than your actions, as you started to speed up your horse, "I really don't feel like- let's go!" You shouted the let's go only after you had started to sprint off. This time your head start lasted longer and you believed he let you lead deliberately before he passed you quickly, laughingly shouting a: "Too slow!"

You and your horse were both out of breath when you caught up with Arthur. The road was now going slightly uphill. To your right you could see the mountain tops of the East Grizzlies. The temperature dropped significantly, you were surprised to find out you could still shiver, after having sweated so much the last few weeks in Lemoyne. Careful not to fall off you rolled down your sleeves and took a jacket from your horse's back. It turned out quite a stunt - doing all that while trying to keep up with Arthur (you, of course, not wanting to ask him to slow down) and staying on your horse.

Only a couple of minutes later, Arthur turned around: "Ya alright? It's getting a bit fresh." You noticed his surprise, already seeing you wrapped in a jacket, also with a bandana tightly knotted around your neck to keep the cool entering from there. The bandana was Lenny's old one, he had offered it to you a couple of days ago and you had gladly accepted. "I'm fine", you nodded and rode up next to Arthur.

"Ya can already hear the waterfall if ya listen. But we ride farther north, around the lake. There are some nice rocks you can climb and watch over the whole country", Arthur explained.

"Can't wait", you smiled and took the lead. The road got narrower and Arthur warned you to slow down to keep your horse from slipping on gravel. There as a huge rock that was about two meters tall, standing proud and solid next to the trail. You looked at Arthur who nodded to affirm that this was indeed one of the rocks he had talked about. You hopped off your horse and examined the rock. It felt sandy, red earth coloring your hands as you searched for some grip, that you easily found.

"Whoa", was all you could say. There was the spring of Dakota River, deep blue in front of you. Reddish brown rocks covered with grass and trees were everywhere as far as your eyes could see, only in the west you could distinguish the snowy mountain tops of the Grizzlies. You only realized that Arthur was next to you, when he lightly poked you with his binoculars and oh boy, the view got only better! You traced eagles and watched the water bubble and splash when a fish jumped above surface. A few minutes passed and you were still not tired of exploring the valley with the binoculars, when you heard the man next to you chewing on something, which reminded you how starved you felt.

Finally, you lowered the binoculars and took some biscuits and a pear out of your satchel.

"We'll be camping there", Arthur pointed to a flat space next to the river, "see if we can catch ourselves a fish for dinner." Without hesitation you looked through the binoculars again, examining the location Arthur had pointed at. "Alright", you mumbled, mouth full of food, and shot a quick glance at Arthur who was fiddling pineapples out of a can. The rock wasn't big enough to allow much space between you, but you didn't mind at all. Maybe it was only then when you truly caught on what you were doing...spending time with Arthur, alone, in nature. The two of you had never spent so much time together before, well, maybe when he rode from Valentine to Rhodes with you, more hours had passed on the clock than had passed now, but this trip wasn't over and this time you had talked more than last time.

After you had finished your meals, you mounted your horses and rode on until you could leave the track and approach the little cove Arthur had pointed out. The horses gladly settled down in the grass as they came to understand that this will be a longer break.

"If ya get a fire started I'll cast out the fishing rod. There should be some big fish in here", Arthur gave the instructions. On a grassy patch you rolled out the sleeping mats and blankets, put up a tent (you had one tent, which technically could fit two people...you were not yet sure how this will work, but you figured it was too early to worry about that), collected firewood and made a camp fire, afterwards looking for herbs that could give the fish better taste. All of this took you about an hour, but still, Arthur was standing there, rod in hand, waiting.

"Nothing yet?", you asked.

"No", Arthur wailed, "Fish don't like me today. Ever fished before?"

"Can't say that I have...", you admitted.

"C'mere then. You do that."

"You sure? If I do something wrong, we might end up without dinner", you asked with raised eyebrows.

"It can only get better", Arthur joked and gave you the fishing rod. There was a moment of silence between you before you looked at Arthur: "So basically...you just want me to stand here for the next hour." Arthur shrugged, gave you a smile and a pat on the shoulder: "Yeah."

Arthur threw some more sticks into the fire and checked if the tent was put up properly, then curiously examined the herbs you had found. When he saw a pile of berries you had collected, he raised his head. He pointed at the berries and looked at you, asking for approval to take some. You nodded: "Be my guest." You chuckled to yourself, finding it...cute he had asked for an okay. Standing still, rod in hand, you found enough time to let your thoughts roam freely. They lingered on the happenings of the morning, which made your hair stand up. But soon, they were fully occupied with the man who was sitting in the sun, only a few meters behind you. His eyes were covered by his hat, and you weren't sure if he was asleep or just resting...sleeping...yeah, will you share the tent with Arthur? It's his tent so the proper thing to do is offer to sleep under the sky, though you knew it would get freezing at night.

You were still trying to figure out the sleeping issue, when you felt a fish nibbling on the line, you hooked it, tried to reel it in when you realized the resistance was way too much for you to manage.

"A-Arthur!?", you yelled, trying to stay on two feet while the fish pulled and fought at the end of line, "Arthur! Help!" Arthur was behind you before you could say one more word, pushing you aside slightly and taking the fishing rod: "Christ, ya didn't have the rod for ten minutes and something bites. Ya a lucky charm or smthing?!"

It took another ten minutes of pure, sweat-inducing fighting for Arthur to reel the fish in. Occasionally Arthur would yell out a "Don't fight too much!" or "You're mine!" which made you chuckle; glad your job was done. "How big is this fellow?", you got curious as Arthur got closer to reeling the fish in and you noticed a huge shadow underneath the water surface. Arthur didn't bother to answer but instead pulled the fish out with a loud grunt. In front of you lay a muskie about as long as you were tall. You had never seen such a huge fish much less seeing someone be strong and skilled enough to get such a beast out of the water.

Arthur laughed proudly, lifting the fish off the ground: "That's a fine fish and he’s heavy- wanna try?" He smiled cheekily, knowing you wouldn't dare lifting a fish that probably weighted as much as a dog.

The fish was gutted and pieces of meat laid out on the little grill grid construction, where you had the more pleasant job of seasoning them. When you said that there was much more conversation between you and Arthur than the last time, this still meant that there were times where both of you didn't talk at all. The whole cooking process was done in silence, except for occasional instructions. When you started to eat, though, and you not only shared a loaf of bread but also a bottle of whiskey, you both seemed more ready to talk. Fishing and cooking, traveling around the country, herbs, berries and hunting were the most common topics discussed.

The sun faded behind the mountains and the temperatures dropped significantly. Next to the fire, it was warm enough, but you still rolled yourself into an extra blanket.

"That jacket of yours is not made for mountain coldness", Arthur remarked.

"Yeah...didn’t think I'd need it for something like that", you said, chewing on a piece of bread. The fire and the whiskey did a decent job of keeping your warm anyways. Still, Arthur stood up, loosened a big blue coat from his bundle of traveling utensils and dropped it over you. "You don't need it?", you asked surprised as well as a bit worried you'd steal his coat.

"I'm used to the cold. And the trip was my idea, so I'd feel damn bad to return you dead frozen to camp", Arthur snigg*red.

"Well, thanks", you smiled somewhat embarrassed, using the blanket to keep your legs warm instead after you had slipped on the coat. It was way too big for you, you had to fight to see the fingertips through the sleeve, but it was well worth it. A smell of cigarettes and forest hit you after you had turned up the collar. You smiled at yourself stupidly as you look down on yourself, thinking you must look like a pile of clothes. A satisfied pile of clothes. Well fed, warm and close to the man that you…- no. You stopped your thoughts there and looked up for distraction, only to find Arthur smiling at you: "I gotta say, you look like a pile of laundry."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Morgan. Your words are quite charming", immediately after you had said those words you wondered if the alcohol in your system made it easier to say something like this.

"Hah", Arthur teased, "Why would I try charm someone who looks like they hidin' in a laundry basket?"

"You tell me", you shot back laughingly. Both of your laughs faded away and all that remained was eye contact that resulted in you blushing. Almost at the same time, you decided to break this staring duel. You could have sworn the tension in the air was thick enough to slice with a knife. "But no- that's my imagination. How much did I have to drink?", you thought. Before you could check how much was still in the bottle and calculating how much each of you had to find out if your conclusions have any legitimacy, you were brought back to reality.

"It's gettin' late. Why don't ya go lie down, you'll need energy for the ride tomorrow", Arthur nodded at the tent.

"You don't mind sharing the tent with me?", you asked.

"Sharin'? Nah, don't worry. Ya got it all for yerself."

"What? Hell no, Arthur. There's no way I'm stealing your coat and your tent. I'll sleep next to the fire then, I'll be alright", you stood up and kneeled next to your sleeping mat, readjusting it closer to the fire.

"God damn the wind will kill ya woman", Arthur yelled, showing frustration at your stubbornness. You pretended not to hear him, laying down on the mat and readying it for sleep.

"Okay then! I'll...I'll also sleep in the tent. Is that really alright though y/n? I don't wanna-", the big man stuttered helplessly. It was clear to you that he simply didn't want to make you uncomfortable by sharing a tent with a man. "Yes!" Satisfied with the outcome of your discussion, you took your mat and blanket and took them to the tent, doing the same with Arthur's while he watched you.

"You coming?" you tried really hard acting casual, but you had to bend down to take the bottle of whiskey to gulp down another sip, hoping it would calm you down.

"Y-yeah, in a second. You go ahead", Arthur waved you off. You handed the bottle to Arthur: "I swear I won't close an eye before you are in the tent."

You decided against keeping your eyes open almost seconds after you had said it. Maybe Arthur wouldn't be comfortable with that...you'd just...lie down as far in the corner as possible so you wouldn't take up too much space and then...your consciousness faded before you had even decided on what to do when Arthur would lie down next to you. You had failed to acknowledge how exhausted you felt and just like that you had fallen asleep.

You remembered freezing that night when you woke up and fell asleep again minutes later. When you slowly started to wake up the next morning you weren't cold anymore. What had changed? You were too tired to open your eyes just yet but when you tried to turn you encountered a resistance that made it impossible. There was slow but heavy breathing that could be heard, probably coming from Arthur. So he did lay down in the tent! ...But the breathing was closer than you expected it be. Opening your eyes slowly, you found yourself lying in Arthur's arms, his face was somewhere above your head, based on the breathing and the light breeze on your forehead. Carefully you moved your head, feeling Arthur's chin right on top of it. If you hadn't been dead tired and could have woken Arthur, you would have screamed.

Like on his horseback or in the hotel room, you felt drowsy...sleepy, perfectly safe and warm. You wanted to force yourself to stay awake to savor the moment a bit longer, but you drove back to sleep quickly. You were woken by movement and by the cold that hit you as Arthur left your side. Though you were awake, you decided to lie there for a while, pretending you were still asleep, thinking about the night. It was only when you heard the fire spit that you sat up and glanced outside.

Arthur was sitting in front of the fire, back turned to you. You heard the water boiling in the coffee pot and looking up to the mountaintops you saw the first sunshine hitting the white snow. What a beautiful scene, you thought. But the cold, damn. The grass around your tent had frozen crystals on it and by opening the tent you were hit by cool air that had you awake in an instant. No point in laying down again, so you stood up and walked next to Arthur.

"Pretty cold, huh?", was the first thing you said after you two had wished each other a good morning. Arthur's answer was a low murmur.

"I always see you with this little book...", you said, as if you had caught him a hundred times before. But this was only the third time or so. "What are you...writing in it?"

"'m drawing...", Arthur mumbled.

"You can draw?!", excitedly you got closer to Arthur to look over his shoulder.

"A bit", he nervously closed his journal, "it's not really good though...just a hobby of mine..."

"Can I see it? Please", you begged. Arthur looked up to you, considering for a moment before he opened the page he had been drawing on. "Be gentle with your criticism", he joked. Your jaw dropped when you saw an almost finished sketch of the scenery before you. There was the lake, the rocks, the crooked pine trees, the campfire and even the coffee pot.

"No, that's amazing", you whispered, comparing his sketch with the view in front of you, "and so detailed. I didn't think you could draw like that."

"Yeah", Arthur chuckled embarrassed and closed his journal again, "the coffee should be ready. Oh yeah- here." He handed you a book, it took you a moment to decipher it, but it was about forest animals. "Hosea made me promise to listen to you readin'."

"That's really not necessary", you stuttered. No way you would make a fool of yourself in front of Arthur by stumbling over words.

"It is! Come on, Hosea's gonna kill me!", he pressed the book into your hands.

"Can't I just read for myself?", you tried to argue.

"No! I won't even be listenin'. I got the drawing to finish. Two pages."

You gave in. Every time you struggled with a word your cheeks would burn and you would have to take a deep breath to calm your nervousness. But soon you realized Arthur wouldn't be interrupting or correcting you, so you relaxed a bit. After that was done, the coffee had been drunk and a hurried breakfast of oatcakes, biscuits and canned peaches had been devoured, you packed your things and mounted your horses. You had handed Arthur back his coat, though you enjoyed disappearing in its comfortable vastness and smell, you wouldn't be able to ride in it.

The horses slowly trotted along the path, Arthur rode in front of you. It was very quiet, and you almost couldn't hear it at first, but Arthur started humming a song. You weren't sure if he knew you could hear him, nor if he had realized that you had noticed you had slept in his arms. This was more or less all you could think about the whole time. Since you didn't want this trip to end, you didn't bother to ask why you were riding so slowly. Even in the Heartlands you didn't quicken your pace.

Arthur had stopped humming and occasionally jumped off his horse to pluck some herbs. It was in one of those breaks when you heard shouts from far away: "That must be him!"

Arthur's head shot in the direction of the yell. Five men on horses were speeding in your direction. You were confused, but when you looked to Arthur for answers, he was back on his horse already.

"God damn bounty hunters! Y/N, ride as fast as ya can", Arthur hastily commanded and off you went, "no matter what happens, you don't stop! They ain't here for you!"

This was it. Your first ever chase by the law. There was this terrible feeling in your stomach that someone will get hurt.

-----x

looks like I'm aiming for about 10 chapters, so three more! It gets harder and harder to not make Arthur and y/n kiss at every god damn opportunity, I swear I'm trying so hard to hold back.

next chapter

could i request for the dbd killers pig, huntress, death slinger and whoever else you see fit with the idea of reader suddenly disappearing in a trial? like one minute they’re fixing gens and running round the map then the next minute they somehow end up back at the campfire or something and the killers had no idea? mistakenly thinking the entity took them or something. thank you !!!

Woo! This one was really fun to do, I absolutely LOVE this idea, thank you for requesting!

The Pig (Amanda Young):

Something was wrong...you were here just a minute ago…

She saw it with her own eyes

She was stalking behind you, ready to grab and hook you but…

A dark mist encircled you and then you were just...gone

A feral yell made its way up her throat and she began stabbing into the air

Were you...gone forever?

Maybe the entity didn’t approve of her and your relationship...and took you away

She screamed into the sky, and the three remaining survivors feared for their wellbeing

The rest of the trial was...brutal

She may have mercy at some points...but not with you gone

She resigned herself into thinking you were gone for good, and took her sweet time torturing the other survivors

If you were gone...there would be no holding back

She injures the others, letting them get just far away to think they’re safe before she jumps out of the shadows and takes them

She put their torture devices on quickly, and soon all of the survivors were running on borrowed time

She began hooking the others as soon as she could, just wanting this nightmare to be over

If she would be stuck in this loop eternally...she didn’t want to do it without you

Upon returning to the campsite and seeing you sitting there talking to your other survivor friends...she began crying under her mask

You ran up to her, knowing how frightened she must be

“Hey...it’s okay Amanda, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Those words and your warm embrace were enough to soothe her aching heart

The Huntress (Anna):

She was right behind you and you knew it

She had been chasing you for what felt like forever, and you were wearing out

You turned the corner quickly and hid in a locker, hoping to throw her off your trail

But she could see the red scratches that indicated you had entered the locker

“Oh my sweet little rabbit, you didn’t think that would work, did you?”

She swung the doors of the locker open to find...nothing

She was certain you were there...there’s no way you could have left the locker without hearing or even seeing it

The rest of the trial she spent looking for you

Forget the rules, where were you?

She didn’t even care about the other survivors, you were her main priority

After a while, she pinned a survivor down

It wasn’t her fault...he got in the way

“Where is y/n”

He looked confused “what do you mean? We haven’t seen them for a while...we figured you already mori’d them…”

So not even the other survivors knew where you had went…

She sighed and let him get up, continuing her search for you

By now, all of the generators had been repaired and the countdown had begun

She didn’t care

Where had you gone…? The entity wouldn’t have taken you in the middle of a trial...right?

As soon as she was back to the killer’s campsite she ran for the survivor’s campsite hoping with all of her being that you were there

You were there

She rushed over to you and picked you up into an embrace

“Don’t you ever leave me like that again, understand?” Her words were meant to sound firm but it came across as...frail

She was so terrified of losing you it hurt

“I’m sorry I worried you...I wish I knew what happened myself but...all I know is one minute I was in the locker and the next I was back at the camp.”

She refused to let go of you, and pressed her lips softly to your forehead

“I need you...that...that scared me so much” she spoke quietly, not wanting the other survivors to think she was weak

“I need you too...we’re together forever. No matter what stunts the entity pulls.”

Death Slinger (Caleb Quinn):

When he found out the entity took you...he was livid

All of the survivors remaining were absolutely horrified

He seemed...more vicious than usual

And that’s saying something

He aimed to make quick work of the survivors, not wasting any time hooking each and every one of them

There was...a dangerous look in his eyes that made the remaining survivors terrified to the core

He didn’t see it happen, but he assumed. One minute you were there, the next you weren’t. He even tried asking the survivors he hooked where you were but...they had no idea either

He reeled the last survivor in, and made quick work of placing him on the hook

You better be at the campsite...if you weren’t...he’d attack anyone and everyone who even looked at him

He couldn’t help it...he was beyond pissed

He didn’t want to admit it...but if you were really gone for good...there’d be no point in continuing the entity’s game

He would play the game...but he would lose all will to continue if you were gone for too long

So when he had finished with the trial, he immediately sprinted to the edge of the survivors camp

To say he was relieved when he saw you would be an understatement

You looked up to him with the eyes he so deeply loved and ran up to him

He pulled you into a hug immediately

He wasn’t one to show physical affection where the others could see...but this was an exception

“Leave me like that again and I’ll be sure to kill you in the most painful way possible.”

How comforting

At least you know he cares

The Shape (Michael Myers):

You were his primary target

Often, you were

In his mind...he was sparing you from continuing the game the entity had set up

He was saving you

He made sure it was as painless as possible...unless he was mad

Either about how the game had gone so far, or something else

But this time...when he was about to pull you from the generator, a dark mist enveloped your form and you were simply...gone

He stood still a moment, processing what he had just witnessed before his eyes narrowed and he kicked the generator with all the strength he had

The rest of the trial was...absolutely brutal

He made things as painful as he possibly could

It made him feel...a little better

Not enough though

If he could scream out, he would have

Instead, he settled on making the survivors remainder of the trial complete and utter hell

By the time he had hooked the last survivor they had less than half of the generators complete

He wasn’t wasting any time, that was for sure

When he appeared back at the campsite he stalked off into the dark between the two camps

You were there waiting for him…

“Michael! I was so worried, are you okay?” You placed your hands on the sides of his mask, something you did when you were trying to comfort him

It worked, and his demeanor changed

A small noise left his throat, and to you it sounded almost like...a whine

“I’m so sorry I scared you...but I’m here now and that's what matters!”

He placed his hands on your cheeks, mirroring your actions

You smiled up at him, and leaned up to press a kiss to his mask

“I’m here now...you don’t have to worry about me leaving anytime soon...okay?”

He nodded and pulled you closer into a warm hug

“I won’t leave you...I promise.”

The Obey Me Cast on a Camping Trip (Part Two: The Undateables)

This post is split in two due to length (I had too much fun again…) For the Brothers, please click HERE!

Intro:

Another day, another team building activity between the demons and the exchange students. It was Diavolo’s idea to go on a camping trip to the human world (because of course it was), and there were very… mixed responses. That sentiment wasn’t helped when he refused Lucifer’s insistent pleas to just purchase cabins for everyone to stay in. Oh no, the Demon Lord wanted to rough it out in the wilderness, and now everyone else was getting dragged along with him…

Wonder how that turned out?

Diavolo

He was soooo excited to get to experience camping! He had been asking the MC about human camping trips for about a week before making the announcement and he was pumped!!

Barbatos chauffeured him to the campsite in his own car (of course) but he insisted on taking every roadside, touristy stop they came across which doubled the drive time considerably…

He wanted to help everybody set up the camp but Barbatos and Lucifer were having none of it… So he took pictures and offered moral support instead! Good work everyone! 😁

He had his own tent about the size of a small house (ngl it took Barbs and Lucifer about a half hour to set the whole thing up). Barbs even somehow managed to pack a collapsible desk in there for him so he could still work… greeeat…. 🙄

Diavolo wanted to try everything. Literally everything. The man even traded his uniform out for full on outdoors gear, right down to one of those floppy fishing hats with the tackle stuck to it.

Politely insistently asks that Lucifer does things with him. The MC could come along as well (and in many cases Luci begs them to do so) but he wants to get some bonding time in with his best friend!

Unfortunately for Lucifer, Diavolo would get sidetracked quite a lot… Which is how he ended up having to physically steer his Lord out of harm's way more than once…

At one point while hiking, Diavolo was so distracted by taking pictures that he nearly walked right into the path of a passing bear and her cubs. Lucifer had to tackle him down into some bushes until they went away... His brothers teased him mercilessly when they heard about...

Dia also loved the camping food quite a bit. He's never gotten the chance to cook his own food before, even if it's just marshmallows over a fire, so it was all a brand new experience for him! S'mores are now declared a human world delicacy.

Man had the time of his life! He'd love to do it again, hell, maybe even make it a yearly event! (Few of the brothers share his sentiment, but hey, it pays to be King 😏)

Barbatos

If his Lord orders it, then he follows. He'll just have to double check that everyone is prepared for the occasion…

Drove Diavolo there with the patience of a saint (while also, like, being the exact opposite of that). Had it been anyone else in the car, they might have told him, "No, we can't stop for pictures of every moose you see," but Barbs is as accommodating as he is loyal.

It was pretty much all on his shoulders to direct the others when setting up camp. Lucifer would claim it was his, but let’s be completely honest here, Lucifer can't order Barbs to do sh*t.

Naturally, he had his own tent close to his Lord, more modest in comparison, but big enough to hold a majority of the belongings and gear Diavolo had requested.

He also managed to bring a almost fully functioning kitchen setup for him using magic, minus a working oven by Diavolo's instruction. If he wanted a heat source, he had to use the campfire and he found the challenge intriguing…

For once in his extended life, Barbs had to do some trial and error in the kitchen. As it would turn out, fireside cooking can be a little difficult to master, but by the end of the trip he could still somehow dish out four course meals without so much as a sweat (according to the MC the secret was tinfoil and cast-iron cookware… who knew?)

When he isn’t prepping their next meal (which let’s be honest, with Beel on the trip that’s a constant activity) he’s guarding the food from Beel and Solomon…

The sorcerer wanted to help, but Barbs has already learned the hard way that if he so much as pokes a dish its flavor is ruined… It’s enough to make him wonder if it was a curse laid on him at some point…

Watching Barbatos deny Solomon becomes a pretty funny routine in and of itself. He’s not above just smacking the man’s hand away with a wooden spoon if it gets too close. Barbs doesn’t play in his kitchen. Back off. 😠

Barbatos is happy with the trip so long as the young Lord enjoyed himself. If that’s the case, and it was, then he’d happily do it again if asked… not that he’d have much of a choice anyway.

Simeon

Simeon was familiar with the concept of camping, he’d written about it in his stories, but he’d never actually done it himself… He had hoped it'd be an interesting experience! And uh… it was that from the very start…

Purgatory Hall got its own car and Solomon was put in charge of driving… But no one mentioned that he drives like a complete maniac. Speed limits, stoplights, even the ROAD ITSELF be damned. Solomon drives in a straight line from point A to point B and if there’s anything in the way he’ll just use magic to get around it…

It’s safe to say that by the time he and the others got to the campsite (which was significantly quicker than the rest) the angels weren’t in the emotional state to pitch tents… He and Luke just waited for the others to catch up while praying and praising the solid ground beneath their feet…

He shared his tent with Luke and didn’t mind at all. It was probably for the best anyway because the little angel was scared of human world predators like bears and wolves coming for him in the night… Poor boy…

Simeon took to hiking quite a bit. Going out and exploring the area around the campsite made him feel invigorated! The forests were beautiful and it gave him ideas for a bit of a guilty pleasure he's been debating on writing, "The Tale of the Lonely Prince." 🤭

It was on one of those trips that Simeon discovered human world creatures love him. Pretty much all of the wildlife gravitates towards him like he's a Disney Princess.

At one point he came back to camp riding on a moose with birds chirping on his new friend's antlers. He offered to take the MC out for a ride, but the brothers threw a fit about it…

He WAS able to get a couple more wrangled for Diavolo, who naturally dragged Lucifer along (though he clearly didn't want to touch the thing).

The three ended up getting into a mooseback race because Diavolo wouldn't let Lucifer take the lead. He was glad to see Luci enjoy himself for a change! (It helped a lot that he won of course 🙄😏)

All and all, Simeon had a great time. Maybe he should ask the MC to show him more human places… But he's never getting in a car again. Pardon his language, but f*ck those things!!!

Luke

He doesn't know what's worse… being out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of demons or the absolute insanity that was the "drive" down… 😣

He spent the entirety of Solomon's Magical Ride of Nightmares clinging to Simeon or the armrests for dear life. He swore his entire life flashed before his eyes, can angels even have heart attacks???

Stayed right next to Simeon when they finally pulled themselves together enough to leave the car. He was so happy that Michael didn't see any of that… Who knew human transportation was so horrifying…???

His saving grace (literally) was getting to share his tent with Simeon… After Solomon told him that bears sometimes get curious and ransacked campsites, he clung onto the older angel like a protective charm.

...Whiiiich he wasn't too off about actually after he saw Simeon playing (yes PLAYING) with the human wildlife… Simeon had to introduce him to some of the nicer animals for him to eventually get over his fear and venture out past the campsite.

Luke loved to swim in the lake or river with MC and the others. The MC found a sturdy branch where they set up a rope swing and the little guy amused himself for hours!

Sometimes he'd watch Barbatos prep and cook using the campfire… He didn't even know you could make lasagna in a Dutch oven…

At one point the MC convinced him to go with them and the twins on a particularly long hike…

He got tired halfway through and Beel offered him a piggyback ride, but of course he'd NEVER let himself be that close to a demon!! (Just kidding, poor boy was so tired he climbed onto Beel's back and held on the a kola until they got back. Then he jumped off to save face)

He had a better time than he thought he would, but still doesn't want to go camping with demons ever again. (He and Simeon also begged Lucifer to drive them back instead of Solomon so the brothers' van was pretty much a clown car on the return trip).

Solomon

Solomon hasn't been camping (for enjoyment) in quite a while, so when the prospect came up to do it with the MC and the other students he was intrigued...

When Simeon asked he knew how to drive, he said yes. He knows how to start a car, put it into motion, steer, and then come to a stop. That's all driving is really. 🤷‍♀️ You can't blame him for not memorizing all the rules, he's been traveling by portal for decades!

Was pretty confused why his angel friends fled the car so quickly... He got them there in one piece, after all. 😕🤷‍♀️ He put up their tents himself since they were too busy thanking their father then made a magic barrier around the site for protection purposes.

He and the MC both have their own tents, of course his is enchanted to be a lot bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, but he's only let the MC in on that little secret in case they want to visit… 😏

When everyone else finally arrived, Solomon was happy to help the MC introduce the wonders of the human wilderness to their companions! Including the breathtaking vistas, beautiful flora, bitter temperatures, man-eating predators, waters filled with disease… Hm? Oh, Luke won't leave the tent now…? Whoopsie.

Solomon kept himself occupied on the trip the best way he knew how… relentless trolling (particularly of Asmo and Barbs because they're used to his sh*t).

He'd alternate between poking fun at Asmo for the almost ritual length routines he was going through to try and save his looks to genuinely trying to encourage him and downplay the severity of the downgrade...

Meanwhile he was bound and determined to serve at least one of his own dishes during the trip (but Barbatos had banned him from the "kitchen," the food tent, and even the spoons...)

Diavolo, nice guy that he is, eventually made Barbs relent and let Solomon cook for ONE night… It went as well as to be expected. (They sent Solomon to grab more supplies then everybody took turns washing their mouths out with lake water... Diavolo apologized profusely, he had no idea...).

Solomon was confused why the angels would rather squeeze themselves in with the brothers than ride with him back but he wasn’t upset about it. That meant he could make a few extra stops without anyone complaining! He knows a guy in New Orleans he’s been meaning to see again… Luke and Simeon can wait a little for their stuff, right?

Click HERE for Part One. Check out my Masterlist for more!

Could you please place my order but if it is too complicated you can disregard it.

Imagine that the Slachers (Michael, Jason, Brahms, Vincent and Bo) come home or something and see their beloved's best friend declaring that he misses her and that he loves her, then that friend gives him a kiss on the mouth {for demonstrate your love}.

What would be the boys' reaction to seeing this scene? And what will happen next?

thank you for the request! i’ve been wanting to write this request out ever since i got it, also a quick warning for non-consensual kissing

(gif credit: thepumpkin-queenn)

Michael Myers

Yet another quiet night spent waiting for Michael to return from his 'night job' and you were spending this lonely night watching horror movies like you usually did. The character wandered around in the dark helplessly trying to distance herself from the killer and just as the killer jumped out, there a knock on the front door. You jumped up and turned to the door and checked the time, Michael wasn't meant to be home for a few more hours. Suspicious, you grabbed the knife sitting on the coffee table - Michael taught you how to defend yourself although he still worries you'll end up stabbing yourself instead of any intruders - and creeped up to the door, you knew Michael wasn't one for knocking and usually just barged in since you always left the door unlocked for him.

As you got closer you could hear talking. "- sh*t what if I got the wrong address? Y/N? Hello? It's me, Y/F/N!" You froze and dropped the knife, you haven't heard from this guy in years, how did he find you? You quickly picked the knife back up and slid it into the waistband of your jeans just in case and opened the door, and yeah it was him alright. "Y/N? It's really you?" Without warning he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in for a hug which you returned, the two of you broke apart and your friend let himself past you into the house, you weren't planning on doing anything because you knew Michael wouldn't forgive you but you were still worried about what would happen if he came home to find this complete stranger in his house.

"Y/F/N, I hope I don't sound mean but what are you doing here?" "I wanted to do this" He pulled you in and kissed you, smiling as he pulled away but that smile faded as he realised you weren't even looking at him. "What is it, Y/N?" He said amusingly as he followed your eyes and turned around to see what you were looking at, only to be stabbed in the chest by the infamous Shape, Michael Myers. Michael removed the knife and watched Y/F/N fall to the ground, calling for your help before passing out. Michael slammed the door and stared back at you waiting for an explanation to what he just witnessed.

"I swear I didn't kiss him back. He just found out where I was living, came in and kissed me." The words felt like a lie as they passed your lips but you weren't lying. You were scared Michael was going to kill you as well but instead he just stood there and continued to stare. "I don't have feelings for him, he was just an old friend from school." You heard a grunt coming from behind the mask as he approached the body and picked it up before disappearing outside with it. You yourself decided to disappear upstairs and go to bed.

You waited and waited for Michael to join you but he never did. At one point you got tired of waiting and got tired in general and decided to just call it a night and fall asleep and if you got stabbed mid-dream then at least it would most likely hurt less. At one point you woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone shuffling into the room and the creaking of the floor. You lazily turned to just see Michael in your view and yawned as you sat up and switched on the lamp beside you, he was taking off his coveralls which looked a little more bloodier than usual which did raise a few questions that you were too tired and too concerned to ask, but there was one question you felt like you had to ask.

"Do you hate me?" Michael looked over at you and tilted his head in confusion as his bloody clothes fell to the floor and he slid on a different t-shirt. "I swear he just kissed me but I didn't kiss back. Do you hate me?" Michael didn't move for a few moments but eventually he removed his mask and shook his head, then he got into bed and pulled you into his body. You turned off the lamp as he lazily played with your hair. You felt like he was still mad at you to some extent, but knowing that he decided to let you live another day was a relief.

(gif credit: vhs-ninja)

Jason Voorhees

Sometimes it got very lonely at Camp Crystal Lake, as much as you loved Jason you also missed a lot of your friends and family who you never got to see since Jason hated being away from you and he also hated letting people leave the campsite alive. Sometimes you'd bring up letting a friend visit for just the day but Jason would always either shake his head or sign "No." at you. Jason felt a bit guilty for saying no but he was afraid of losing you and just knowing that there were people out there who were 1000% better than he was made him want to shrivel up at the bottom of the lake.

As worried as he is, he trusts you a lot so he waited until you were ready to ask the question and signed "Yes." before you could even say it. Your smile warmed his heart and he knew that you had no ill intentions with this friend of yours, the only thing that saddened Jason was that he couldn't meet this friend of yours and would have to hide - or in this case, lurk in the background just in case.

Jason couldn't help but feel a bad vibe from that friend of yours but he didn't want to ruin the moment so he just watched from behind a few trees. Everything was fine, you and your friend were sitting on the pier with your feet dangling over the lake, just talking about drama you missed in your hometown. "So, what's with you living on this campsite?" "Oh I don't live here. My house is through that forest-y area over there, I just like coming here to clear my mind."

"Can we go back to your place?" "Oh, I didn't finish cleaning. Lets just stay here for a while" you lied but your friend was already getting up and walking around so you followed him, hopping as you tried to keep up with him as you slipped your shoes back on. You were hesitant but guided him to the old cabin you and Jason were still revamping in the middle of the woods. You looked up and noticed Jason peaking out from behind a bush and subtly nodded at him as reassurance at everything was okay.

You were making lunch for the two of you when you noticed your friend sneaking looks at you through the reflection in the window in front of you but thought nothing of it. You looked past the reflection of your friend's face and out the window to see Jason was staring at you again, you smiled and signed "I am okay." at him, only seconds later your friend was behind you. He grabbed you and turned you around. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time." He paused before going in to kiss you softly.

Jason wasn't happy, watching the scene take place, he was at the cabin and before you knew it, Jason's machete's was lodged into your friend's skull and then he was dead. At that point you were worried that Jason had lost all trust in you and was probably going to kill you as he took a step closer to you and grabbed you but instead he pulled you in and enveloped your body into his and you began to cry and endlessly apologise.

A long night of cuddling and reassurance will fix it. Jason got rid of the body long ago and made you tea immediately after that. "I'm sorry." You signed at Jason. "For what? It was his fault and I know you'd never do that." It was comforting to know that Jason didn't hate you or blame you for it. Sure you were sad that one of your close friends was dead but you were also relieved that Jason was there to help.

(gif credit: prurientpuddlejumper)

Brahms Heelshire

"No, No guests allowed! That's the rules!" Brahms angrily growled. "Oh please Brahms, I haven't seen him in forever, he's just a friend from my hometown. We're strictly friends." Brahms stubbornly shook his head and stomped off leaving you alone. You groaned in annoyance and continued working on cooking dinner. A friend from your old town was in the UK for some business and wanted to come visit for a few hours but Brahms was very serious about his rules and his feelings for you - especially the rules. You knew Brahms wasn't going to follow through and let this stranger into his home but at least you tried.

During dinner Brahms spoke up, "Fine. But only for an hour." You looked up at Brahms who was clearly avoiding your gaze. "Really?" He nodded and you smiled, thanking him and going back to eating "- If you give me two goodnight kisses every night this month." You laughed and agreed to it, too excited to see Y/F/N. You called him immediately after dinner while Brahms quietly listened to the conversation through the phone, still very jealous but also trying to test you to see if you really were loyal enough to not cheat on him.

The day Y/F/N was supposed to be visiting, Brahms stayed hidden in the walls and watched as you nervously paced around near the front door waiting for Y/F/N's car to pull up. When he showed up, Brahms watched as you both excitedly hugged and talked about how much you both missed each other, you looked so happy. Usually Brahms loved seeing you smile but mostly when he was the reason you were smiling, not whoever this 'Y/F/N' is. Brahms stomping around could be heard from outside the walls where you and your friend were talking who was obviously curious about it. "There's rats in the walls, I have to clean the traps out every morning."

The hour came to an end before the three of you knew it and you were getting ready to say bye to Y/F/N. "Y/N? Before I leave I wanted to ask you something." You nodded and he put down his bag. "We've been friends for like what, 3 years, has it been? I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me. I know I have a girlfriend already but things haven't been going well for us and-" Y/F/N's voice was drowned out by your thoughts, you knew Brahms was listening and you were very worried that he was going to get the wrong idea very quickly.

"Uh Y/F/N I-" He cut you off by kissing you. It all happened so quickly that you didn't have time to process it before you pushed him off you and backed away from him by a few steps. "Y/F/N, I- I can't. I have a boyfriend." he looked confused and ran a hand through his hair. "I think you should leave." You muttered just loud enough for him to hear but he didn't move. "Y/N I thought we had something. I saw the way you used to look at me and-" "Yes, USED to. Just leave." Y/F/N looked like he was about to say something but instead he grabbed his bag and pushed past you. You waited a few seconds before hearing a scream coming from the parlour and ran over to see Brahms choking Y/F/N out on the floor.

"My Y/N! They are Mine! Not yours!" You watched as Brahms choked out your friend and waited for him to see you standing there. Y/F/N fell to the floor and Brahms turned to you. "Promise me that you don't love him." Brahms began making his way towards you. "I don't love him. I love you, Brahms." You couldn't see Brahms' real expression through that porcelain mask of his. "I promise I love you, so much more than I could ever love him." Brahms craned his neck to the side and tilted his head so he was almost at your level, pressing those porcelain lips against yours, which you kissed back in an instant.

(gif credit: thatmyerschick21)

Bo Sinclair

Bo is very possessive of you and will not let anybody else touch you, not even his brothers of course. When you came in contact with an old friend they were desperate to reunite with you and begged to see you but Bo never lets you leave Ambrose. Hell, he won't even let you out of his sight most of the time, so you had two more choices - you could either reject the idea of seeing your friend, or you could bring them to Ambrose and just pray that Bo doesn't get too jealous. When you finally built up the courage to ask Bo if a friend could visit and hopefully leave the town alive he happily obliged which was a surprise but you decided not to question it too much.

While Y/F/N is around, Bo is way more touchy. Bo will grab your ass out of nowhere and stand a little too close to you, sometimes he'll even pull you away from a conversation just to kiss you before going back to doing whatever he was doing. You knew Bo was definitely jealous and as fun as it could be to mess with him it was also dangerous. After some persuading, you finally managed to get Bo to leave the two of you alone at the house - he needed to work on his truck anyways.

Bo wasn't happy with leaving you with this random guy but he trusted that you wouldn't pull anything. You and your friend spent the rest of the day just talking and catching up, you weren't sure what Bo was so worried about - you began sneaking quick glances at the window to make sure that he wasn't standing there watching the two of you. The day was coming to an end and plans changed when Y/F/N decided to leave only to realise that his car wasn't starting and Bo was nowhere to be seen.

Having no other choice, Y/F/N decided to stay the night. You set up his makeshift bed on the couch and decided to watch a movie since Bo wasn't back yet. At first you two were just sitting together but eventually you found yourself resting your head on his shoulder as you began to get more and more tired. "Hey, Y/N?" Y/F/N whispered, not sure if you were still awake or not. You looked up at him and before you could process anything his lips were on yours. You tried to pull away but he was starting to get more aggressive, tugging at your shirt in a lousy attempt to rip the fabric as you continued trying to push him off of you.

"Hey what the f*ck is this?" Y/F/N jumped off the couch and Bo was standing there, he was so red you'd mistake him for the devil. It was quick but Bo managed to grab your friend and begin beating the crap out of him while you yelled and begged him to stop - which was useless. Once Bo was sure that your friend wasn't breathing he stopped and looked at you. "You're welcome." He said bluntly before giving your friend's body one last kick in the side and throwing it over his shoulder and taking it outside.

Obviously you were nervous, was Bo going to punish you? How much of that did he see? Did he see Y/F/N come onto you or did he just assume you were cheating on him? You were a little scared and tried to wait up for Bo but you were tired and thought about calling it a night but suddenly you weren't so tired. You wanted to melt into Bo's touch but you knew he was pissed at you so you decided that going to bed was a good idea, even if that meant not actually sleeping and just staring at the ceiling until the sun blinded you.

When you woke up the next morning you were expecting Bo to either start an argument or take you to one of the few buildings in town to admire Vincent's newest work, but then it came to your attention that he'd gotten his brother Lester to dump your friend's body in the pit outside of town. As inhumane as it sounded - ignoring the fact that your boyfriend is a murderer - you weren't upset, you were glad that Y/F/N got what he deserved and Bo was glad that you felt the same way. Yes, Bo was still very annoyed but he knew it wasn't your fault.

(gif credit: stabhappyslashers)

Vincent Sinclair

Vincent definitely wasn't thrilled about the idea of a friend visiting because he was scared of losing you. No matter how many times you told Vincent you'd never leave him he never fully believed you. Sure, you're a very open minded and friendly person who managed to love him for how he looks and his job but that didn't mean that you would stay with him forever - you were bound to find someone better than him.

After a lot of coaxing and promising, Vincent finally gave in and allowed you to let your friend visit as long as you told your friend that you were in a relationship and as long as Vincent didn't have to meet this friend of yours - but that didn't stop him from keeping an eye on the two of you. He watched as you both walked around town and visited the House of Wax. Vincent found himself peering at the two of you from one of the windows on the outside.

"This place is weird. Why would you want to live in an abandoned town, anyways?" Y/F/N said, obviously very creeped out as he poked at one of the wax figures. "You've always been into a lot of weird sh*t, I see you haven't changed since high school." He half joked causing you to playfully roll your eyes and look at him. You were very much aware that Vincent was watching. "I'm not alone. I live here with my boyfriend."

"What boyfriend? This entire time I've been here, he hasn't shown up. I'm starting to think you're just playing hard to get." You felt sick. "W-Well, he's busy, he works and stuff." Y/F/N got closer. "What does this boyfriend of yours do?" He placed his hand on yours and you swore you heard something coming from below the two of you but Y/F/N was too focused on you to even react.

"Y/F/N, I'm serious." "So am I." He tried to kiss you but you shoved him back, knocking him into one of the figures which shattered on the floor, broken wax and bone fragments dumped on the floor. Your friend saw this and widened his eyes as he looked back at you and began to crawl away from you. "What the f*ck is this? Is this a joke?" By now you were crying but your breath hitched in your throat as you saw Vincent creeping up behind Y/F/N holding two knives. You didn't speak as Y/F/N continued his rant and tried to get away from you while paying no attention to your boyfriend.

Long story short, somebody had to replace that broken wax figure and Y/F/N's visit couldn't have been anymore perfect. Vincent was upset about what'd happened but he was just glad that you were still with him even after all that. He didn't fully understand how you could still love him after that but you did and that was good enough for him.

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 5.1

Author’s Note: How’s everyone liking the story so far? Kinda getting into my head about how stiff the writing is. Maybe it just feels stiff to me, idk. Anyways, here’s an early chapter!

"So, why are your eyes different colors?" Childe caught you alone while you gathered firewood a few yards away from the camp. The sun had long set, leaving you to rely on a lantern and the dim light of the distant fire. He was limping from your sparring session earlier.

You had beat him.

And man, did it feel good.

"We crossed paths with a merchant that was traveling from Fontaine. He said they're 'contacts.' Basically little objects a person can put across their pupils and change their color," you repeated the rehearsed words a little too perfectly for Childe to believe.

"Oh? I've never heard of that invention before," he tested.

"I guess it's new? Like the kamera devices they recently developed? Aether has one of those." You watched as he kept his hands idle at his sides.

"Interesting. And Aether was the one who told you to say this to me?" He blocked your path to the fire by placing a hand against the tree that stood behind you. What a terrible liar you make, ojou-chan. His friendly smile never left his lips, but it never reached his eyes. They were cold and demeaning as they examined yours.

"I-I," you stumbled over your words. "Why are you acting so weird, Childe?" You tried to laugh him off and attempted to duck under his arm. What to say, what to say! Oh, maybe this'll work? "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're acting like a schoolboy crushing on one of his friends."

It might have been a wrong move.

He pinned your shoulders to the tree and made sure no one had their eyes on the two of you. "On the contrary, you began acting strangely the minute I found you today." Something in his gaze faltered as he replayed your words in his head. Perhaps I am acting like a schoolboy. But I can't help it if I'm infatuated with my target. His eyes fell to the shimmering necklace resting against your collarbone, and he gently touched it. "This is new."

"Don't touch that," you slapped his hand away.

"I don't recall you wearing such a genuine cor lapis charm before. Where'd you get this from?"

"It was my Granny's."

Childe scrunched his nose at the answer, a brief look of internal conflict passing over his face like a cloud. 'Was?' The woman passed? I made sure she wouldn't get hurt by my men. So then how did she-- He wanted to ask until the realization struck him. They went to Quince Village after my leaving. She saw the Fatui there--

You were too enraged to notice him visually fight himself and approached the campsite with an armful of branches. You made a point to sit next to Xiao and glared at the Harbinger as he returned.

He maintained eye contact with you, even after sitting across the fire from you and the yaksha. Your pupils seemed to glow from his perspective. The fire licked the air in between you until all he could make out was the anger in your eyes. She knows. He mentally kicked himself, but only partially because of the possible complications this could pose for Signora and her grand plan. If you were this angry, there was a chance you had told the yaksha. And if the yaksha saw the Fatui, or at least heard of what you thought happened, then there's a chance he told Mr. Zhongli. While he could not break the contract with the Tsaritsa, he'd find a way around the stated rules. He made a fool of Childe once; he could do it again.

Childe didn't care in the slightest about fighting the entire group--though he was a bit afraid of facing the yaksha despite his urge to fight every living thing on Teyvat. The only thing that mattered to him was you. And if you were angry enough to fight, vision or not, he'd have to take you by force. You may hold a special place in his heart, but his feelings for you meant nothing compared to his loyalty for the Tsaritsa.

One chance, the harbinger strengthened his resolve. I'll give her one chance to prove herself. If she fails, I won't hesitate to take that which will secure Snezhnaya's future.

...................................................................

Several days passed by without incident--

--Is what I'd like to say, but unfortunately, that didn't hold true for you.

Childe and his unrelenting pleas for battles continued to reach your ears day in and day out. He was the one that was attached to your hip, not Xiao. You had only realized today that Childe was around you more often than the yaksha ever since he greeted you with a jumpscare at Luhua Pool. To make matters worse, Xiao neglected to make a move towards him.

She can handle herself, he thought after witnessing the stunts you pulled on Childe. Xiao recognized that the movements you were using as his own; perhaps there was an upside to you unconsciously peeking in on his memories. He put himself on standby when he came to the realization. But make no mistake, he would and will protect you if things got out of hand with the harbinger. He just figured he'd take a step back and quietly observe his weak points, just like the old days. The days in which Childe did not pose a serious threat to the group; when all that was between you and the harbinger was harmless bickering.

It would seem like those old days were still fresh to an outsider, but as the days passed by, you were growing increasingly frustrated with Childe's behavior. After all, how could he continue to play the part of an oblivious comrade, when it was clear as day that the tensions within the group were growing? How could he even call you a comrade with a straight face? How was it that he felt no remorse for his actions toward Granny when he looked you in the eye?

How was it that he could be so carefree?

Maybe part of you envied him for it. Your inner grumblings did you no favor in the present moment though; the team had stepped into the western side of Dragonspine. Your four coats made almost no difference against the sheer cold, and your body shivered uncontrollably even though warmer weather was only a hundred yards behind you.

Everyone except Xiao and Aether wore warm clothes, and it looked like the poor outlander regretted his decision to forego the garments. Xiao appeared to be unbothered and more energetic than usual. Childe looked like he was right at home with the weather, his shirt still sloppily unbuttoned to reveal his toned body underneath. Bennet walked alongside you and was replacing Zhongli for the time being.

Snowflakes lazily floated their way down to earth, but they did nothing to grab your attention when the wind continued to howl against the team's direction. You caught Xiao letting snow collect in his hand with an almost childlike wonder, but he glared at you when he found you staring.

"I want to find some dragon teeth for a sword and since you haven't been here before I thought it'd be a good idea to show you around," Aether called out to you over his shoulder, his arms crossing over his bare stomach for an ounce of warmth.

"You're insane!"

Aether's laugh mixed with the clattering of his teeth. "You only live once, right?" You removed two of your coats and threw them over his head. "T-t-thanks."

You rolled your eyes despite the fact that you were smiling at him, only for your gaze to lock with Xiao's look of disapproval. 'Mortals are fragile,' you interpreted his frown and giggled.

"Here we go!" Bennet lit the firepit with his flaming sword and knelt down in front of it. Everyone joined him; Aether was especially close to the flames.

"It's kind of annoying to find fire every five minutes," you shivered violently. "And you practically go up here for fun?"

"It gets easier the more we do it," Paimon giggled with a nervous smile. "Besides, we get to mine starsilver and find cool dragon stuff that we can sell--"

"Don't lump me in with you," Aether piped up without moving away from the fire.

The distant sound of a conversation was carried over by a bone-chilling breeze. "Huh? Should we go check it out?" Paimon stared in the direction the vague voices were coming from.

"U-uh-huh," nodded Aether.

The group stumbled over a hill only to find the body cavity of Durin. While it threw you off, the sight around the remains was what chilled you to the bone. Of course there's Fatui here, you scoffed.

"I see a tooth over there too," Aether whined.

"What's everyone looking at me for?" Childe let out a nervous chuckle and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "These aren't my guys."

"We know," Paimon cooed.

"That's why we want you to go talk to them and let us pass," Aether held the smuggest expression you've ever seen him pull off.

"Uh...I'm not under any jurisdiction to--"

"Do it," you ordered with cold eyes. When he locked eyes with you, you stood on your tip-toes and spoke in his ear. "Prove your loyalty to the group."

"My loyalty, ojou-chan," his eyes narrowed significantly, "lies with Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa."

"Uh-oh," Paimon poofed out of existence.

"Uh, guys? Those Fatui agents are approaching us reeeaal fast," Bennett warned.

The two of you broke eye contact to find that he was right. One electro and two geo skirmishers were walking towards the group. Poofing would be a more accurate description. Childe gave you a final look before he hopped over a log to greet them.

"Greetings!" He didn't smile, and the skirmishers stopped in their tracks.

"Master Childe? We didn't realize you'd be joining us on the mountain." The three of them knelt out of respect.

"It's a surprise visit, really. I came to check on your progress--" The group made their way around the Fatui and Aether yanked the large tooth out of the ground while Childe chattered away with his subordinates.

DSMP Citizens POV 5: The L'Manburg Captain

DSMPsona created by anon

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DSMP Citizen POV Masterlist

DSMPsona Submission Rules

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Bones was, to say it simply, sick of fighting.

The Guard had been fighting other people’s battles for as long as he could remember. Being raised by two guards on Hypixel, he grew up around fighting. He would be there as his parents broke up violent fights in lobbies, as they enforced the server rules when the admins couldn’t, and he watched as they slowly turned to him to teach him to do the same.

He had become a guard himself, but he grew weary of the fast-paced life of Hypixel. The server was always updating, always changing, and with the highest and fastest-growing population of any server, it was hard to keep track of what was going on.

So, eventually, Bones picked up his things, went to the server hub, and left.

He bounced from one smaller survival server to another, eventually hearing about something called the ‘Dream SMP’ server. Knowing that he had nothing better to do, the Guard decided to join it.

He spawned in a spruce forest, walled in on every side. There were others around the server portal that he had just emerged from, all milling around.

“What’s going on?” Bones asked someone nearby.

The woman he had addressed sighed, and she sounded exhausted. “We’re all just waiting to be greeted.”

After another hour, Dream, a man famous for both his parkour and combat skills, appeared and greeted the newest members of the server. He hadn’t realized that the Dream was the Admin of this world.

Two others stood next to the Admin. One, dressed in regal apparel, wore dark sunglasses over their eyes, a crown resting over their brow. The other wore what looked to be a war uniform. His hands folded behind his back, his gaze steady as it swept over the crowd, he had a firm smile on his face.

The first introduced herself as King Eret, leader of the Greater SMP, while the second called himself President Wilbur Soot, the head of a newly-formed country known as L’Manburg.

The Guard, who considered himself to always be on the side of the people, heard that L’Manburg had recently gained independence after fighting a Revolution in order to “free themselves from tyranny.” The Guard moved into L’Manburg the next day.

He was given a free place to live for a month, giving him time to acclimate to the server, as well as get a job to be able to actually get his own place. Not knowing what else to do, Bones joined the L’Manburg army. He didn’t care for fighting, but it was the only thing that he was good at.

His reputation from Hypixel preceded him, apparently. Being a guard on the biggest server was a very respected career, and Bones found it easy to move up the ranks rather quickly. It probably helped that the L’Manburg forces were rather lacking in terms of officers with actual experience. Guard training on Hypixel was often more intense than many servers’ military training programs, as well, so Bones had no trouble dominating in L’Manburg’s program.

When the elections occurred, the Soldier proudly cast his vote for President Soot and VP Tommy. Bones voted for the people, and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit were for the people.

The election results, then, were upsetting, to say the least. Bones refused to listen as the new President Schlatt exiled the previous administration and called on the forces of L’Manburg to kill them. He stood in place, nails digging into his palm and screaming profanities as President Soot was bowed down and VP Tommy managed to just barely slip away.

That evening, while on patrol (which he had been demoted to for a month after his show during the inauguration), Bones spotted someone in the treeline.

“Who’s there?” The Soldier called. There was nothing for a moment and Bones aimed his crossbow at the forest. The bushes rustled and then TommyInnit stepped out, his hands raised above his head.

“Vice President?” Bones asked, lowering the crossbow. The leaves shifted again and another emerged. The Soldier blinked, shock holding him in place. “Technoblade?”

Technoblade raised an eyebrow and glanced down at VP Tommy. “Do I need to kill this guy?”

VP Tommy shook his head emphatically. “I don’t think so.” He turned back to Bones. “Do we need to kill you?”

“Are you starting a rebellion?” Bones asked, ignoring the question. A nod was given in response, and his shoulders sagged in relief. “Can I join?”

VP Tommy grinned up at Technoblade. “Told you!” The teenager looked back at the Soldier. “Go ask Niki! Wil said she’s making a rebellion inside Manburg, he sent her the Pogtopia coordinates!”

Bones nodded. “You best be going. I’m meant to be on patrol.”

VP Tommy lazily saluted and bolted off into the woods. Technoblade stared at Bones, gave him a curt nod, and then was gone as well.

The next day, after getting the location of the rebellionfrom Niki Nihachu, Bones gathered his valuables, his beloved dog Rosa, and ran. As he wove through the trees, following the beeping of the communicator to reach the correct coordinates, the Soldier wondered if he would be demoted for this.

He knocked on the rock wall the way that he had been shown to at the bakery, and it slid open to reveal an exhausted-looking President Soot.

The man’s eyes lit up when they landed on him.

“Captain Bones!” President Soot exclaimed, reaching out a hand to shake it firmly. Bones ignored how shaky the other’s fingers were. “What brings you here?” He paused. “Are you here to capture us? Because we’re not on L’Manburg land.”

Bones shook his head. “I heard you’re starting a rebellion?”

Soot’s eyes widened, and then he grinned and ushered the Captain inside.

Pogtopia was a ravine with grayed stones that reflected the mood of all who lived there. Bones started teaching a combat course for those who didn’t know how to fight, and the determination that shone in the eyes of teenagers who were just now choosing to pick up a weapon made him wonder when it had all come to this.

The Captain’s days in Pogtopia were not particularly memorable. He watched as President Soot slowly delved deeper and deeper in paranoia, to the point where he started accusing people like Bones, who had been in the rebellion since the beginning, of being spies all along.

Bones would dig his fingers in the fur of his dog on days like these and remember the inspiring leader that President Soot had once been.

Then, they won against Manburg on November 16th, and President Soot blew up the country before dying himself, and the Captain watched as President Tubbo stood in front of the people of L’Manburg and made promises of a brighter future.

And for a bit of time, it seemed like that could be true.

Then, though, as all good things do, the happiness came to an abrupt end as it was announced that VP Tommy had griefed the vacation home of GeorgeNotFound, the recently-crowned king of the Greater SMP. Dream, the Admin of the server himself, offered President Tubbo a choice: Exile TommyInnit, or their two factions would go to war.

The people of L’Manburg were all generally on the same page, screaming in the streets about how they were ready to fight again. TommyInnit was one of the founding members of the country, he had been there since the beginning. For Bones, though, above all else, it was about the fact that VP Tommy was a teenager. The Captain took to the streets with the others, calling out their readiness to go to war.

When VP Tommy was exiled, then, and sent off to some far-off island, Bones was back in the streets again, yelling at the top of his lungs about the injustice done against a child, thanks to the work of a foreign power.

“L’Manburg has never bowed down at the will of Dream before!” He exclaimed. “We aren’t going to start now!” His call was echoed by those around him, as the people called for justice to be served.

Weeks passed with the people of L’Manburg being tense and angry, the air stewing with conflict. On the eve of January 5th, the people were gathered and listened as President Tubbo, with VP Tommy somehow by his side, explained that the next day, their country would be destroyed.

That night, Bones moved Rosa and all the things that he actually cared about to his assigned tent at the campsite offered up to the L’Manburg residents. As people trickled into the camp, the Captain took anyone who wanted to try and fight the next day and continued the training sessions he’d led back in Pogtopia. There was a greater level of melancholy that had fallen over the people, but they listened nonetheless, and Bones taught and taught until his eyes were stinging from unshed tears and his muscles burned all through his body.

“Get some sleep,” President Tubbo said, joining Bones on the makeshift stage he had taken so that the whole crowd that he was training could see him. “You all are going to need it. Thank you for working so hard to fight for our country.” The teenager wiped at his eyes, and Bones realized through his exhaustion that the president was crying, too. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” President Tubbo nodded to the Captain, stepped off the stage, and was gone.

Doomsday was, to say the least, a disaster. L’Manburg was blown down to bedrock, there was nothing anyone could do, and by the end of it, Bones stood with the people of a ruined country and looked down at what remained of their home: A hole, one so deep and wide that nothing would ever be built there again.

King Eret stood next to President Tubbo and VP Tommy, overlooking the destruction.

“L’Manburg is gone,” President Tubbo finally said, addressing the crowd. “There will be no rebuilding from this. I’m so sorry, everyone.” Tears were streaming down his face. “L’Manburg was meant to be a safe place, somewhere that people could come to be happy and free. Maybe that was how it was in the beginning, but we lost our way. Maybe in another world, things could have been different.” The teenager laughed wetly, his eyes red as he turned to look at the people. “We did it wrong, but, hey, at least we tried.” He sniffed. “Maybe next time, we’ll do it better.” President Tubbo stopped talking, and everyone was silent for a moment. Then, King Eret began speaking.

“The campsite will remain set up for three more months. You may stay there while you search for a new place to live, whether that be somewhere on this server or on a different one entirely,” King Eret explained, her hands folded neatly behind her back. They glanced back at the crater, and Bones swore he saw a single tear trickle down their face. “L’Manburg was an inspiration to all of the server,” King Eret said. “It will be mourned for centuries.”

Bones, now a veteran of a fallen nation, stayed on the server. He found a piece of land, outside of the borders of the Greater SMP, and settled down there. He learned to farm from a family that lived within the Greater SMP’s territory, and purchased livestock and seeds so he could begin a new life.

The Veteran, with Rosa at his side, settled down for a quieter life. Maybe things would be better now, he supposed. Maybe here, in land that belonged to no one but himself, with no elections to worry about or wars to fight, Bones would be all right. Maybe now, finally, the server could begin to heal, to eventually rise up and fight against the tyranny of their Admin so that peace could finally reign.

(When the news came in on the communicators, then, that Dream had been captured and imprisoned within the maximum security cell of Pandora’s Vault, Bones joined the people in the street, cheering until his voice gave out and drinking until he passed out from happiness.

Then, he buried his face in Rosa’s fur and let out a genuine laugh for the first time in months.

Finally, finally, things could get better.)

girl u KNOW im a predictable bitch and need to know everything about Caden and Nameless-Giant-Whom-I-Already-Adore (plus uuuuhhhh caring prompt "let me take a look..." if that gets anything going for ya)

Bro you know I was so hype to get this ask! It seems a lot of people to read more about my bois, who are now officially Caden and Markus. :D

Part 1 | Part 2 (here) | Part 3 | Part 4 tbd

Summary: After being sacrificed by his people to the beasts of the village, Caden finds himself rescued by a giant and taken back to Markus’ campsite.

Word count: 1,604

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“Let’s have a look…” The giant murmured, and once again Caden found himself in front of his scrutinizing gaze. Caden squirmed, not liking the way the massive bonfire made the shadows dance across his captor’s face. He liked it even less when he caught the glint of a knife twice his size in the corner of his eye. “Oi! Sit still, would ‘ya?”

Caden whimpered, trying to do as instructed lest he be punished for disobedience. After all, the fingers curled around him could at any moment squeeze together and crush his ribs. That imagery was terrifying and did nothing to ease Caden’s internal panic.

“Good lords, your heart’s beating faster than a sprite.” The giant sighed, his thumb brushing atop Caden’s chest, taking in the younger boy’s pulse. “Settle down. I’m not going to harm you, alright?”

“Mhmm.” Caden gave a stiff nod, his eyes never leaving the blade clutched in the giant’s other hand, hovering nearby and pointed in Caden’s direction. “What uh… what’s that for, then?”

“Well, I imagine it’s not pleasant being all tied up.” The giant brought the knife closer, his gaze intense in his focus. “Now don’t move and I won’t nick ya.”

“Easy for you to say.” Caden murmured, stiffening as he imagined all the ways the tiniest slip of the giant’s wrist could lose Caden an entire arm; a blade that size was quite the formidable weapon. Nevertheless, Caden did as instructed, breathing as steadily as he could when he felt the steel tool come between his arms and glide along, cutting the thick ropes with ease.

“Told ya.” The giant gave a co*cky grin, repositioning to aim for Caden’s legs. This knife cut through the ropes as if they were nothing.

Caden cleared his throat, forcing himself to breathe as he brushed the scraps of rope together. The open palm Caden was cupped in shifted as the giant repositioned to put the knife away.

Of course, Caden wasn’t sure if he was any safer now that he was free of his bonds. After all, Caden was still in the hands of a gigantic stranger, alone in the dangerous woods with no way to defend himself if things turned ugly. What did this giant want with him, anyhow? He seemed… human, or human enough, but given Caden’s track record that didn’t mean he’d be granted any mercy.

The giant hummed, his attention fully on Caden once more, tilting the human back and forth before his eyes. Caden stumbled, grasping one of the nearby knuckles to keep himself balanced. After all, he was still mindful of the fact he was several dozen feet off the ground, even as the giant sat upon the ground. Caden rubbed his arm, unnerved by the sensation of Markus’ fingers occasionally brushing against his side, as if Markus himself wasn’t even fully aware he was doing it.

“You got a name, kid?” The giant asked, first to break the silence.

Caden blinked, not expecting the question. “Um, Caden. My,- my name’s Caden.”

The giant nodded. “I’m Markus.” With introductions out of the way, Markus lowered his palm to the ground, causing Caden to shoot him a confused glance.

“Are you… letting me go?” Caden questioned.

“Letting you go?” Markus raised a disapproving eyebrow, glancing between Caden and the darkened forest surrounding. “Kid, if you want to be torn to shreds, that’s between you and the banshees. The woods aren’t exactly friendly at the best of times, least of all when the sun goes down.”

“O-oh.” Caden flinched, looking to the trees with fright as if the shadows themselves would prove hostile. A loud sigh was heard above him, and Caden felt himself nudged in the back by Markus’ finger.

“I’m just setting ya down, need my hands free.” Markus instructed, watching the human hurriedly depart onto the ground with an amused smirk.

Caden shifted his weight, watching Markus take off his gigantic backpack and set it on the forest floor with a thud, the trembles in the ground making Caden stumble slightly.

“So… what are you doing out here? Do you live here?” Caden glanced around, taking in more of their surroundings. There was the roaring fire in the middle of the clearing (hard to miss, really), and the bag Markus was currently rustling through. And… that was it.

Markus shrugged. “‘For the time being.”

Caden frowned. What a depressing response, after all this clearing wasn’t exactly a home. But then Caden came to the horrible conclusion that even with Markus’ meager possessions and patch of dirt on the ground, Markus was still doing better than himself.

Caden had nothing. He owned nothing save for the clothes on his back, no tools to help him survive out in the wilderness. After all, Caden was never meant to survive. As far as his home was concerned, Caden was already dead. He wouldn’t be welcomed back. In fact, if he tried to return Caden didn’t doubt they would throw him to the beasts a second time, and the next creature to find him was likely to be more bloodthirsty.

It hurt, knowing everyone who had ever known Caden viewed him as a traitor and a liar. Caden had cried out for their sympathy and gotten nothing but blank stares. Who does that? What use were rules that could be exploited so readily? Caden shuddered, thinking of any individuals who were sacrificed before his time. Were they too innocent? How much unnecessary bloodshed was on the elder’s hands?

“Hungry?”

Caden blinked, broken out of his musings by the rumbling tones of Markus’ voice. “Pardon?”

Markus held a scrap of bread between his fingers, to the giant a miniscule portion but to Caden a loaf the size of his head. It was ripped off of a larger loaf still held in Markus’ other hand, clearly what he had been searching for in the bag. Markus offered the scrap in Caden’s direction.

The human paused, carefully considering the offer. He should probably eat, but with the events of the day still weighing heavily on his mind, Caden found himself without much of an appetite.

“Take it.” Markus advised. “It’ll help.” Caden gave him a confused glance, to which Markus only shrugged. “When your burden is heavy, I find it’s best to focus on surviving. Then the rest will follow.”

Caden blinked, surprised at the wisdom in Markus’ words. “Are you a mind reader?” He asked, stepping forward to carefully grasp the bread.

Markus chuckled, releasing the bread into Caden’s grasp. “You’re not exactly subtle with your brooding.” Markus teased, taking a bite of his own loaf almost as large as Caden himself (not a pleasant comparison). “Besides, it’s not hard to guess what you’re thinking with the day you’ve had. I’ve been there.”

Caden bristled, a bit peeved that Markus would pretend to understand his plight. “You’ve been kicked out of the only home you’ve ever known and sacrificed to beasts?”

Surprisingly, Markus gave a nod. “Something like that.”

Caden blinked, having not expected that response. He stammered for a moment, searching for the right words to reply, before settling on none and filling his mouth hesitantly with bread. It was a bit stale, and perhaps flavorless, but with nothing better to do, Caden diligently nibbled on his own loaf. At the same time, Caden tried to tune out the sounds of munching far above his head that did nothing to help Caden’s lack of an appetite.

“I’ve only got one blanket.” Markus spoke up again, drawing Caden’s attention upward to make eye contact. “But you could probably sleep in the bag tonight. Didn’t exactly think to bring tiny accommodations with me wherever I travel.”

“Oh, uh…” Caden glanced at the bag, having not even thought of something as trivial as sleeping arrangements. It hardly felt relevant in the grand scheme of Caden’s current miseries. “I’m not really tired.” He admitted, for despite the exhausting events of the day, Caden was still on edge with the fear of what might happen to him in the night outside the safety of familiar walls. There were the beasts prowling the forest, and Markus himself could still be a very real threat if Caden’s luck turned.

Markus squinted, considering Caden’s response for a moment. “You’re not gonna run off and get yourself killed in the night, are ya?”

Caden took the time to truly consider the question. Of course he didn’t want to get himself killed, but given the opportunity, would Caden run from Markus?

“No.” Caden shook his head with confidence. “Not tonight.”

Markus snorted. “Alright, the offer still stands. Stay near the fire at least, it keeps the rabble at bay.” Having given his last words of advice, Markus pulled the blanket out of his bag, setting the bag closer to the fire for easy access. It was a small detail that Caden appreciated, even if he still didn’t plan to take advantage of it. Markus himself curled slightly around the fire at a distance, almost as a barrier between Caden and the outside world.

Or a way to keep me in, Caden reminded himself. It was easy to forget that Markus was virtually a stranger. Caden knew nothing about this giant or his motives, only that Markus had spared him when it could’ve been so easy to abandon him entirely or kill Caden himself. What did Markus have to gain helping Caden? And what would Markus expect of Caden come morning?

“Goodnight, Caden.” Markus murmured, his eyes closed as he settled in.

Caden sat by the fire, giving his savior a contemplative glance. “...goodnight, Markus.”