( much better. oliver reaches below the front counter, grabs onto a bag of joints he'd stashed under it. pulls one out and raises it to his lips, lighting it with a snap of his fingers. weed improves everything. )

So like, when I first got here I contracted to a Dominant who was bad news. Right? Now he's gone and all that shit's over, but before he made his exit, he wrapped his fingers around my throat and didn't. let up. Like not in a kinky context, in a I'm going to kill you kind of way. Branded my fucking eye in the process, too. Only reason I didn't die is because someone came around and pulled me back before death set in.

( three seconds later and it would have been too late; he'd have been gone just like william, and oliver really doesn't want to know what'd happen if he died and just. came back here. how the corruption would taint him. that's a nightmare for another day. )

No big deal, whatever. ( except it is a big deal. he still has nightmares about it. wakes up in a cold sweat sometimes, gasping for air before he remembers he's in his own stupid bed and not on the floor in william's apartment anymore. ) I made it out. Except now whenever someone puts their fingers even close to my neck I freak out. Last time it happened, I nearly killed the guy who did it. ( actually did kill him, but tate's a ghost. oliver feels bad about it, but less bad than he would feel if tate legitimately didn't come back from it. )

I need to like, stop that? Because neck touches are totally normal and getting fucked over because someone's caressing my neck is stupid.