#ashes writing corner

[kisstheashes]

Testing my new idea

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"Gators, kid, fuckin gators!" Seth grabbed Marvin's arm and hauled him back onto dry land, out of the water. "Even standing here can be dangerous kid! Ya don't go into the water like that!! They'll fucking eat you alive."

Marvin stared at Seth, bewildered. "Gators? Really?"

"It's Louisiana!! Yes there's fucking gators kid!! Motherfuck!" Seth kicked a stick into the water, growling. "Ain't just the fucking people you gotta watch for kid!" Seth screeched, pacing with long quick strides. "Gators! Snakes! Bears! Fuckin berries! Everything out here wants to kill ya!!"

Marvin stayed quiet, watching Seth pace back and forth, flexing his hands and taking quick glances at the water. "...sorry," he muttered. "Grew up in a room..."

Seth cursed, clawing a cigarette and lighter out of his pocket and lit it, taking quick inhales. "Fuckin kill ya kid. They're worse than people, they won't hesitate."

Marvin let him chatter, unease flipping his stomach.

[kisstheashes]

Kiss Me Goodbye

TW: drugs, suicidal ideation, partner abuse

She tasted as if strawberry candy burst and left your mouth alight with tingling, fizzling aftermath, your lips cracked and pained from the juice. His fingers tangled into her freshly washed thick hair, disappearing into the locks. The pair gasped between kisses, their tongues tracing each other and drool starting to fall down their chins. They refused to part, until their soft gasps didn't allow them enough extra air to survive. Heavy panting splattered the air as they parted, her excited grin being met with his own; shier and half hidden behind his own hair.

Their eyes turned to the fire in front of them- made with termite-broken wood and scraps of fabric. Embers danced high into the sky, alerting anyone who cared to look where the couple might be. After a few minutes the boy stood up, grabbing his bag and pulling out an old, beat up aluminum tray, starting to cut a line of cocaine on the solid surface.

The girl frowned. "Crisis, is that necessary...?" She watched his starved body move, pacing and prowling like a feral dog. Even the way he rifled through his own bag reminded her of a dog, pawing through a pile of trash. She didn't remember him acting like that before.

Crisis paused for only a second to glance at her from under his hair. He continued preparing the cocaine, voice flat. "If you want to be my girlfriend, don't worry about me. I've already told you that." He picked up his straw and did the line before she could protest. Crisis stood taller and squared his shoulders, glaring at her. "Well?"

She opened her mouth to speak, and only sputtered for a few long moments before finding some footing. "You don't need to be high every second of the day to not go through withdrawal, Crisis," she spoke softly. Her frown only deepened as he stood unmoving, staring at her. She hesitated and bit her lip before letting her words spill out. "I don't like seeing you hurt..."

He paused.

Crisis grabbed the tray and slammed it on the piece of concrete they'd been sitting on. The clang ricocheted off the nearby buildings. She jumped and scampered to find more cover. Crisis grabbed her arm in a death grip before she could, an animalistic growl leaving him. "If you don't want to see me hurt so bad, fucking kill me!" He yanked her close enough she could feel his breath on her face. She cowered, tugging uselessly on his arm. She whimpered, tensing to protect herself. Crisis growled again. "If you care that much, you'd kill me. But no one fucking cares enough to kill me. The only way I'm staying sober is if I'm dead." He shoved her away, not looking at her.

She yelped as she tried to catch herself and fell over the concrete barrier, landing on her ass with a grunt. "You asshole!" she yelled. Her body shook with fight-ready adrenaline, trying to find the threat. She reminded herself she didn't need her knife. She stood and dusted her hands off on her torn jeans, scowling. "You can't tell me you love me then tell me to kill you! That's fucking bullshit Crisis! You don't ask people you love to kill you!"

His sharp eyes never left her, glaring the whole time. "I don't know where you come from baby, but where I come from, you might have to kill your blood so you can live. You should be fucking happy about it! I'd even let you kiss me goodbye." Crisis scowled and stormed off, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Don't fucking follow me. Find Axis."

She stood next to the fire, body frozen. She could not will her feet to chase after him, to catch up, say she's sorry. She opened her mouth, unable to speak for a few moments, before ripping the words out of her throat. "Will you kiss me goodbye now?" The question came out softer than expected, she didn't know if he would even hear it.

Crisis paused, her question barely whispering on the wind. He turned, staring her down, eyes alight with chaos. He strode towards her and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her into a passionate, hard kiss, his teeth breaking the skin on her lips. He gripped her hair and forced her on him, his surprise assault continuing until he couldn't breathe.

She gasped as he grabbed her, not having enough time to take a breath before his lips were on hers. The familiar feeling sent waves through her, relaxing her tense muscles and leaning into his lips. Once relaxed she returned the assault with just as much fervor, tugging on his lips whenever she could. She clung to his shoulders, refusing to let go.

They both gasped for air as they parted, and his grin split his face wide, showing off his oddly sharp canines. "Put out the fire and I'll carry you for a bit."

She giggled like a schoolgirl with a crush and started stepping out the fire like she was playing in a puddle.

Crisis's grin didn't break as he leaned against a broken building and watched her. "That's my girl."

[kisstheashes]

The forest should have been quiet, save for the birds, bugs, and other natives. No one should be traveling this far out except for trail workers. But those footsteps were heavy, heavier than hiking boots would make them.

Hero slumped in their cave, the entrance low to the ground and hidden by a fallen tree Hero had moved. If they stayed quiet enough, maybe—

"I know you're out here, Hero." The deep voice broke the quiet of nature. Hero closed their eyes, trying to stay silent.

Villain stepped on a branch and snapped it, surveying the clearing they found themselves in. They grinned, wandering around the area, steps slow and deliberate, voice loud. "You ran from me, Hero," they chuckled. "I know you're scared. Tout yourself as fearless, but I scare you. You're more scared of me than anything I could do to you, or your loved ones." Villain stepped in front of the fallen tree, looking past it, to see the crack in the ground. They laughed, propping a boot up on the tree, leaning forward. "Death, trauma, witness protection...that is all final. It's an easy outcome, isn't it? An easy escape, an easy ending. But you don't get the easy ending. You don't get what everyone else can call an ending."

Light filtered through the cave opening, Hero watching wide-eyed as the tree moved farther and farther from the entrance. They backed themselves as far as they could into the cave, tears pricking their eyes.

"For you it's personal. What you get is what I decide you get." Villain dropped down into the cave, their wicked grin and matching eyes the first thing Hero took in.

"Don't..." Hero's voice choked, tears starting to fall, their back pressed into the end of the cave.

Villain chuckled, stepping over to them. Their footsteps muffled in the dirt, slowly approaching. Their grin never faltered, and their eyes looked over Hero as if hungry. "I can't follow such vague instructions, Hero. I don't know what you want me to not do," they teased, stopping only when they were chest to chest with their prey.

Hero's heart hammered in their ribcage, body trembling as they trying to disappear into the walls of the cave. "I-" Their voice caught in their throat.

Villain kissed a falling tear, lips soft against their face.

Hero whimpered, looking past Villain to see if they could make a break for it.

Villain pinned them to the wall by their shoulders, deep voice rumbling against their ear. "You can't escape me, Hero." They pressed Hero against the wall, rocks digging into Hero's back. "Your self righteous bullshit tells you you can, but we both know you've already lost. You have to accept it, Hero..." Villain chuckled, one of their hands gripping Hero's throat. "You only break more every time you run."

Villain's voice filled Hero's head, the liquid death crawling over their brain. They openly started crying, gasping for air and coughing before wheezing. Hero glanced down through blurry eyes, Villain's hand tight around their throat.

Hero mustered up the strength to rip their hand off their throat.

Villain laughed again, watching Hero uselessly tug on their hand. "You're so cute...you still don't want to admit you lost, hm?" Villain let go of their shoulder to grip their jaw, kissing them with enough force to bruise.

Hero whined, finding themself reciprocating, dizzy. Villain pushed them farther into the wall, aggressive as they kissed the hero. Their nemeses tasted so sweet.

Hero's resolve dissolved, sobbing as they kissed Villain.

[kisstheashes]

"You never understood what I've been here for, have you?" Villain paced around Hero, holding their sword low, scraping the ground with it as they walked. "You never understood why we were on opposite sides, have you?"

Villain stopped in front of Hero, gaze raking over Hero's body. Hero took a deep breath, keeping attention on where the sword was. "It doesn't matter when you're killing innocent people. Cops only use motive so they can prove who did it through working backwards and convincing a jury to convict someone."

Villain laughed, stepping closer, to be chest to chest with Hero. They smiled, their free hand slowly caressing Hero's jaw. "But it does matter, Hero. It always matters." Villain used a steel grip on Hero's jaw, forcing Hero to look into their eyes; cold, cutting, and something akin to blackened honey hiding underneath.

Hero stood up straighter, building brick walls in their own mind.

Villain's mouth split open in a wretched smile, canines seemingly too sharp. "Because you're powerless against me, Hero," they cooed, stroking Hero's jaw with their thumb. "You could twist out of my hands at any time. You don't have to stand here, listening to me..." Villain kissed Hero's cheek; chaste and more akin to a flutter of wings near Hero's skin than a proper touch. "But you're weak, Hero. You're weak, and you need someone to feel powerful against."

Hero's heart hammered in their chest, and they swallowed around their dry throat as Villain's presence enveloped them. Hero couldn't remember why they came here.

Villain smirked, pressing a firmer kiss to Hero's cheek, and moving to whisper in their ear. "You need me, Hero. You'll always come crawling back for more."

Hero's walls shook from the power trying to take them down.

[kisstheashes]

I've Changed

Alice crossed her arms in front of her body, the mirror in front of her reflecting a ghost.

Lithe, with shaggy deep brown hair, black whenever there was no sun. A black widow silhouette tattooed onto her forearm, peeking out from under rolled-up sleeves. The masculine body in the mirror was bony, invisible, and hers.

Alice swallowed, turning back on the mirror.

This isn't a good idea.

She moved to her bathroom, trying to not look at herself as she washed her face. This wasn't for her. This wasn't for her eyes.

[Current Location: Stevia's Coffee House]

Alice slipped her phone into her back pocket and grabbed her wallet out of her purse, shoving it into her pocket as well. "The only good thing about being a man..." she mumbled, before teleporting to the cafe.

She stood outside the coffee house, hesitating. She played with her phone a little, hacking into the cameras of the business, locating who she was looking for.

Selina Maxx, 46 years old, in her second year of computer science at the California Institute of Technology.

Her sister.

Alice knew that if she went in there she'd be breaking multiple demonic laws. She took a deep breath and entered the cafe, going up and ordering something. She gave her human deadname to the server and sat at an empty table where her sister could see her face.

Selina was working on homework- a complex code assignment that she'd been struggling with for weeks. During her struggles, she'd vocally wished her brother was still around. Or their dad. But dear dad went to heaven, where he couldn't come out of the clouds.

Being a demon had its perks sometimes. Even if they were illegal ones.

A barista brought her her order, and as the barista turned to walk away, an ear-splitting shriek followed by a crack that made everyone standstill.

Selina's laptop had busted on the ground, lying broken in half. She stared directly at Alice, face white. An extraordinary shade for her to reach. Someone rushed to make sure she was okay, and Alice slipped to the bathroom after eye contact was broken. She stepped into a stall and took a knife out of her boot, cutting herself, and dripping it over her own body, cringing a little.

Alice's body shifted to something more androgynous, less bony, and with caramel brunette hair. She teleported in a longer skirt to wear, and got rid of the jeans, but kept the boots. She left the bathroom and went back to her table, sipping her drink.

She caught Selina's eyes again and raised an eyebrow. She looked similar enough to her human body she could be mistaken, she supposed.

It took several more minutes before Alice reached for her phone, sending a text.

I'm not dead.

Selina stared at the message on her phone from across the cafe, trembling. The number only had a series of 5 numbers, with a letter at the end. She looked back to where she saw her brother, the person she saw now someone she couldn't place. Familiar, yet not. But the text...

I've changed.

Don't tell anyone what you saw.

Selina looked back up to an empty seat.

[kisstheashes]

Ooh,say,would you like to do “How can I trust you?” with Anti and Marvin? :D

TW: drug mention

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The couch faced the TV, set in the middle of the open living area with a coffee table in front of it and small stands on both sides. The TV mounted on the wall was off, the room quiet except for the buzz of electronics filling the air. Marvin glanced down at his clothes; far too big for his frame, too soft, too well taken care of.

He moved over to the couch, curling up in a corner, keeping his hands tucked into the sleeves of the sweater and into fists- just in case. The man on the opposite end of the couch looked like him- but too well kept, too clean, too kind.

Dopplegangers were the only option that made sense. Dopplegangers.

"One or two, maybe....not five of us..." Marvin muttered, staring at the other man who's eyes were too kind.

Jack pressed his lips together, nodding. "I know. But the evidence is right here...all 5 of us. I don't really get it either..." He smiled and shrugged, watching the kid in front of him. Someone so small, despite their height. So hardened, with his gaze constantly flikering around the room, looking for something Jack couldn't place. "Hey...your name is Marvin, right?"

Marvin nodded once, keeping the sleeves down on his sweater. His skin prickled, feeling like small daggers or sparks of white noise. He kept his gaze moving, trying to find the source. No one in sight except for the man in front of him. Still too kind.

"I'm Jack. I uh, met Henrik first, he's kinda weird but I love him 'cause of it, you know? He really just wants to help people, hes just brash, is all. He'd also really like to look you over, if you'd let him..."

Marvin shook his head. "No. I'll end up hurting him." These people were fucking idiots.

"I don't think so, but I won't push you, if you're uncomfortable with it. I just want you safe." He shook his head, still keeping a gentle smile. Marvin glanced at him, watching him twitch before recovering like nothing happened. Jack kept moving his hands as he talked. "You know Jackie now, he brought you home, yeah? He's really cool, I didn't think I'd meet a real live superhero." He chuckled, watching Marvin, trying to bring a smile to his face.

Marvin stared at him, rubbing his arm, the pinpricks starting to get on his nerves. "I don't care," he snapped, mouth turning into a scowl. Jack startled, jumping slightly and opening his mouth to speak before closing it again. "I don't fucking care! Why should I care about how you met?? Or who you fucking are?? I don't give a rat's ass!" Bright blue flames licked out the sides of his balled up hands and he stood, getting away from the couch. He kept his eyes fixated on Jack, though he felt the pinpricks intensify as he stood. "Are any of you drug dealers?"

"I-" Jack's eyes were wide as he pressed himself a bit into the couch. "No-"

Marvin bit the inside of his cheek then laughed, bitter. "Then how does that doctor get the fucking meds." He clicked his tongue. "No liscened doctor acts like him. Only the black market ones do that. Are you stupid? How the fuck does a man like him get medical grade drugs? Because it's fucking obvious he's not a doctor." Flames coiled up his arms, hot and ready to attack. The pinpricks settled for a moment, as if enjoying the show.

"He- I met him while he was practicing in a hospital." Jack watched the flames, entranced in their nature. They danced and sparked like normal flames, though they colored bright and dark blue, like a science experiment.

Marvin laughed again, shaking his head. "You have no idea what's out there. You're a fucking idiot."

Jack opened his mouth to speak, shell shocked. He closed his mouth a few moments later, not sure what to say to defend his friend. "I am not-"

"Shut up. Just shut up!" Flames flared around him, singing the floor black. "I was told I could trust you!" White-blue sparks flew, nearly setting the furniture on fire. "I should have known better! You're fucking lying out the gate! How could I trust you?? You're an idiot who doesn't know illegal drugs when it's in your own goddamn house!"

Jack laughed, the sound unnatural, doubled over, and piercing. "You're smart. I like you."

Flames concentrated around his hands, flaring around his fists like angry tentacles. "...don't touch me." The common signs of being manipulated.

"I don't think I can, with that kind of flame." He grinned, teeth shark-like and eyes glowing neon green. "But you're smart. No one else has asked that."

"They're fucking stupid." Marvin felt himself shaking, the pinpricks on his body attacking him like needles stabbing through fabric.

"̴T̴he͝y̸ ͏wo͞n't̷ ͢be̛ a҉s ͘fu̵n as ̶you͜." His voice had an undertoned whirr in it, like a VCR being rewound.

Marvin glared, flames growing. "Name. Now."

"̛Yo̡u ́d҉o͘n̨'́t̸ ̨carȩ ab͡out na͠m͠es.̀"

Before he could retort, Jack coughed, doubling over and holding his head. "Fuck me, mate..."

Marvin took another step back, flames rescinding to a safer level, flicking around his body like a blanket. "I'll get the doctor." He turned and stormed away, pinpricks still following in his tracks.

[kisstheashes]

Sound of Silence

TW: Hitman Activities

Summary: Lucky prided himself on having the best laid plans for his jobs- even if that meant dealing with the worst consequences.

Shrouded in darkness, he kept his sniper close, listening to the party below him. The vent he'd been stationed in was expansive, leaving him plenty of room to move around. Part of him wished it had been too small to use.

Lucky watched the party below him, as he had for hours. Demons dripping in jewels and sparkling gowns and tailored suits danced in and out of his sight, whirls of color and assets threatening to distract him.

A couple in matching silver gowns glittering with encrusted diamonds played at the edge of his vision like pillars of ridged metal. He watched them for a moment, his vision flickering into past moments washing over him like cool water.

Lucky closed his eyes, taking a few breaths before readjusting, fitting the tip of his sniper through the slots in the vent. "Focus..." he whispered.

"If you get distracted now we'll lose the whole mission."

Lucky cringed as the mission coordinator came through the earpiece, their high, near squeaky voice with a Boston accent piercing his ears. He spoke low and steady, peering through the scope. "I won't. I know who I'm looking for. There'll be collateral; nothing major, but necessary. My plans don't fail." He paused for a moment, considering. "And you're still paying for my surgery."

"It's in the contract, I remember. All medical needs will be payed for by me." Pure silence echoed through the earpiece as the coordinator switched to speak to another hitman for a moment before returning. "Surgeries. Your stomach needs more than gauze."

He snorted, adjusting the sniper again. "I'd disagree but my doc would fix me up before I can protest. If you weren't payin for my medical I wouldn't be in this vent."

He hoped his doctor wouldn't mind the interruption.

A few more beats of silence strung out the darkness, Lucky cursing himself for nearly getting distracted again. "Are you sure you don't want to join my team? We could use a man like you," his mission coordinator rang in.

"A lot of people could, mate. I ain't doin' bosses no more. Too much trouble." His eyes flickered to a man with bright red hair walking into the scope's vision. "Eyes on the target."

A beat of silence. "Pull the trigger." He heard the coordinator key into other members of the team, speaking to all of them at once. "I repeat, pull the trigger. Everyone is in position, go. The longer this is dragged out the longer it takes to go home."

"None of us want that..." he muttered. Lucky adjusted his sniper, locking onto his target. "He's moving right. I'll fire when able."

"Lucky."

He hissed under his breath. "I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

The coordinator growled, and Lucky turned off the earpiece, slipping it into his pocket and taking out earplugs. He kept his eyes on the target as he moved across the floor, greeting people and acting holier than thou. His suit dazzled with jeweled and glittering moons and stars against black as night fabric. "Focus, focus, focus..."

He timed how the man walked, counting under his breath, watching as the man went to approach the couple in silver. Lucky took a deep breath, and fired.

The explosion from the gun left Lucky's ears ringing and his vision blurry, the sound traveling along the metal vents like a banshee. Hot blood poured down to his neck in skinny rivulets, the ringing intensifying until it was all that he could hear. He dragged his gun away from the vent looked out, fighting through blurry vision. Bright ladybug red blood splattering the wall, the silver dresses stained and caked with it. He heaved his breaths as chaos ensued, shaking as he dug the earpiece out of his pocket and struggled to turn it on, holding it to his mouth, the ringing never stopping. "Get me out of here."

He couldn't hear his own voice.

[kisstheashes]

Goretober Day 11- Broken Bones

TW: Domestic violence, suicide attempt

Summary: Self hate never showed itself when the mundane happened. He always only refound it’s toxic relationship when his sanity fell off the face of the earth.

A/N: It’s not as gorey as I wanted, and ended up with a lot of context I didn’t expect it to have, but uh...here ya go. Have...fun?

I don't love you.

He grabbed his gun, which always sat on his nightstand.

You're disgusting!

For a second he thought about blowing his brains out.

She shoved him outside, hair unbrushed and eyes filled with so much fury they turned electric green. "How could you do this to me??" Tears were falling, though he tried to not register that. He had no response, except to curl his hands into fists.

Lucky growled and kicked his nightstand, splitting the wood with the force. He needed that gun to his head. Maybe it would kill him this time.

She noticed his hands. "Do you wanna hit me?? Then fucking do it, instead of hiding everything like a coward!" Her voice rang in his ears like metal on metal, ripping apart his brain, stabbing itself into the dips of the tissue like broken glass. His vision grew red until he went blind to anything but the color of blood. He felt his muscles twitch, aiming for her gut. She groaned, he felt her grasp onto his forearm to stop him from doing it again.

He kept a hold on his gun, storming out to his car- One of the newer mustangs of the time, pure steel and painted black as the void he kept. He ripped the keys off the wall and slammed the door shut behind him as he got in. He kept his gun in his lap, starting the engine.

Lucky growled, ripping his arm out of his now ex's grip. "Fuck off!" he yelled, shoving her back inside the entrance of the house. "Fuck seeing you! Fuck loving you! You're a cunt."

Too fast, too hard. He almost got into accidents finding the rural road he always drove on. The honking of the horns and angry drivers didn't deter him.

Fuck them.

They knew what he was, so it didn't matter.

She slammed the door shut on him, the wood cracking with the force. He stood on the doorstep for a few moments longer, red slowly leaving his vision, replaced with a dark oak door that cracked on the door handle. He heard her slam into the door and start crying. "Go away!" Her screams shrieked and high pitched, not unlike a baby left on its own.

Lucky vanished, her crying and sound of pain haunting his ears.

The road curved and swerved like a driving practice course, giving him too many opportunities to fly off the edge of the cliff and hit the bottom.

That would be too easy though. Too simple. Someone like him? He deserved to die as painfully as he could.

He rounded another sharp corner, slowing down only to prolong what he desired until he found the spot he wanted.

A strong, weather-worn tree sprouted near the edge of the cliff a few hundred feet away.

He sped up.

At the last second, he turned the wheel, slamming the car into the tree at an angle instead of head-on. His body moved with the impact, his head forced into the steering wheel at a speed high enough for him to bleed. The car fell down the cliff at the angle, passenger side hitting the ground first as the car tumbled. Through his haze and cloudy vision, Lucky took off his seatbelt, throwing him into the top of the car mercilessly. He groaned, feeling his neck snap on contact, leaving him to the fate of the steel death he'd put himself in.

Bones snapped hard enough they broke the skin, blood spraying in quick bursts and off white covered in red, skin inflamed and reddened with blood under it.

Shards of broken glass impaled his body, one dangerously close to his heart that refused to stop working.

The black interior of the Mustang slowly turned red, blood seeping into every crack and crevice, splashing the glass plated odometers and obscuring them.

The car landed on top of him, the tons wishing to crush him under the weight.

He could stay at the bottom of that hill for days and wait to die, no one would notice.

No one would care.

And so he waited.

@mihaela-tbg @redangel201 @cutewarmachine