#[ holding it up and the others around them and they’re all arguing about their location and direction ]

[spiderwarden]

ONE MORE THING BEFORE MY NEXT POSTS ARE ONLY IC! The fact Minthara is the ONE companion with all the maps suggests she’s the one who keeps the player map updated and marked and detailed after visiting and helps the group refocus their directions.

[ashonheavenscloud]

the duke and i || k. sunwoo

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ contents: duke!kim sunwoo x lady!reader, bridgerton-esque au, flirting and TENSIONNNN

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ word count: 1.1k

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ warnings: none they’re just down bad KSJDJDJ

⋆｡𖦹°⭒˚｡⋆ a/n: wrote this with mi amor @lixiesfreckless on a train ride lol🤪 we also watched season 2 of bridgerton in 24 hours earlier this week so this is 100% born of brainrot. ENJOYYYY

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Sunwoo is a gentleman, by all standards. Well-spoken, well-dressed; polite, prim and proper. Everything about the tuxedo-clad son of the duke screams elegant society. His posture, the careful grip on his flute of champagne, the subtle nods to the other respectable men in society, the way his hair is styled just-so at his eyebrows. No one would ever argue anything different at a first or second glance.

No one, except you of course.

The Sunwoo you had come to know has said, or rather, whispered words to you that cannot even be alluded to in polite society. The careful grip on his champagne flute translates rather misguidedly. He’s certainly not so cautious in the way he eyes you, the barest hint of a smirk on his lips. And his hold on the glass is certainly not as delicate as the way he holds you.

Holds your gaze. Holds your thoughts. Holds your waist when you dance and you can barely breathe as his hands tease your lower back, like they are right now.

"Something on your mind, m'lady?" he whispers into your ear, and you curse your bloodstream for coloring your skin with the most flustered tint of cherry at his proximity.

"Just counting my steps, so that I do not tarnish your shoes, your grace," you lie, not wanting to reveal what dangerous waters your mind had wandered into.

"You jest," he smirks, looking at you sideways as he pulls you into a spin, "surely my lady has no problem keeping up with me."

Sunwoo guides you to twist around, following the careful steps of the dance with your back pressed to his chest. Your heart stumbling at the feeling of his breath on your ear, you concentrate harder to not let your feet clumsily follow suit. “It is not a question of skill, but a question of maintaining both of our pride. There are eyes on us, maybe even that of the Queen-”

“Their eyes do not matter.” Sunwoo murmurs, taking your hands and guiding them over your head, into a twist, before pulling you back to face him. There’s a gleam in his irises. “Just keep yours on me.”

Somewhat reluctantly, you follow his instruction, and a shiver runs up your spine as you finally notice how intently he's gazing at you.

In the depths of your mind, there is a voice that reasons that no one knows him quite like you do. So perhaps it is not just a dance to him, similar to how multiple dances in a row have greater meaning to the trained eye.

And just like that, the touch of your hands, although gloved, becomes charged with something indescribable, something that travels to your fingertips to your stomach, eliciting that feeling that you've only ever read of.

It is not the first time it had ever happened with him, either.

Which is why when the song ends, and the two of you quit the dance floor, your eyes linger. Far too long, especially in a place so public, because despite Sunwoo’s words, there are eyes on you. But you can’t help it, not when he also keeps his eyes on yours, watching you take your place to the side several paces away.

The room feels hot, and you’re not sure if it’s the crowd, exertion from dancing, or something else entirely.

And Sunwoo’s eyes, never leaving your gaze, hold sparks that set you ablaze.

You need some air.

Excusing yourself quickly, you locate the nearest exit and duck through, hoping the next set of waltzing couples distracts enough that no one sees you disappear. The hallway leads you further into the estate, where you find a small room, perhaps an office or parlour, with floor to ceiling bookshelves and several pieces of furniture. The noise of the party is muffled, and you’re allowed silence to think- not that that’s easy, even with the respite.

Because despite being in solitude, your mind is stuck on Sunwoo’s hands trailing up your back and down your sides, Sunwoo's breath against your cheek, Sunwoo's voice in your ears-

Your reveries are halted by the sound of the door opening, that cursed head of dark brown hair peeking around the opening and sending your stomach into a tailspin again.

"I was wondering where you had run off to," he chuckles as he steps into the study, not understanding that you came there to essentially escape him.

"You should not be here," you suddenly say, breath coming out a little more breathless than you would have liked.

"Why not?" He clicks the door shut behind him as he surveys the room, perhaps checking for indecencies.

"Because...it's improper!"

Perfect, now you sound juvenile. In front of the only person who genuinely sees you as a lady at that.

“Are you feeling well m'lady? You're starting to sound like my mother.”

You huff, frustrated he doesn’t seem to understand the unreasonable state of mind you're in. Out of habit, you raise a gloved hand to your temple, as if that will quiet your thoughts.

Sunwoo does not take this lightly however; he crosses the room in a flash, a worried look crossing his face as he notices your posture and your flushed cheeks.

"Are you quite alright?" He asks, soft voice now laden with concern as he removes his glove, and raises his bare hand to your cheek, the coolness of his fingers doing little to calm the erratic beating of your heart.

In fact, you jump slightly at his touch, and this doesn't go unnoticed by him, a remark already tumbling out of his plush lips.

"Don't appear so troubled, it is only me."

"That is precisely the problem," you exhale, nearly throwing yourself into his arms as your lips crash into his.

A muffled, maybe even surprised sound escapes his lips upon first contact, and his free hand lands upon your hip to steady the both of you. At least at first.

What was truly surprising was how his grip subtly tightened around your dress, bunching in the beading and embroidery as he holds you impossibly close to him. He moves his lips against yours, and there is where you find the reasoning for all of the flowery depictions of this embrace you had read about all these years.

You collect your restraint and pull away slightly, only to find a flustered and smiling duke staring back at you.

“Well-” he pauses, just barely catching his breath, “I would hardly call that a problem.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

the boyz masterlist

navigation

[steddiealltheway]

Part Six of Six of Meddling :( I'm so sad. Part One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Ao3 Link.

And I would once again like to dedicate this story to Cass (@henderdads). I hope it's as fluffy as you like <3

Eddie's location shows that he's back at his apartment like Robin had said. Steve isn’t sure why he thought he would be somewhere dramatic like on some random hill overlooking the city – especially since Eddie doesn’t like heights.  

So, Steve makes the quick drive over to his tiny apartment and sits in the parking lot. It’s going to be okay. It’s all going to be okay.  

They’re finally going to talk.  

Steve makes the familiar walk up to Eddie’s place and hesitates outside. There’s the loud sound of Eddie playing his electric guitar on the other side of the door. He sighs when he realizes it’s “Master of Puppets” which is his so called “battle song” whenever he’s about to face something really bad.  

Well, this isn’t good.  

Steve sits in front of the door and waits for the song to play out. He isn’t going to interrupt Eddie mid verse and piss him off any more than he already has.  

Two people end up passing him in the hall and giving him weird looks, but Steve just smiles up at them tightly and waves. He eventually closes his eyes and leans his head back against the door.  

He’s always enjoyed listening to Eddie play, but he’s never listened when he’s been the source of Eddie’s inspiration. He just wishes it was a good type of inspiration.  

As the song comes to an end, Steve tries to prepare himself to stand up and knock before Eddie starts another one. But he lingers when he hears Eddie curse under his breath and unplug his amp. He hears the muffled, “Goddamnit... lying... son of a... bitch. Oh, this is so stupid, this is so stupid. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.”  

And Steve is too busy feeling sorry for himself that he doesn’t register the words are growing louder as the sound of footsteps approach the door. Then, the door opens and Steve falls back against the ground.  

“Steve?” Eddie asks above him.  

Steve groans and grabs his head. He hopes this doesn’t trigger another concussion or migraine.  

“Shit,” Eddie says. He steps over Steve and holds his hand out to help him up. Steve grabs it and lets himself be pulled up and led to the couch. “I’ll be right back,” Eddie promises.  

Next thing he knows, Steve has an ice pack wrapped in a towel placed in his hand. He glances up at Eddie. “I’m fine. I don’t need this.”  

Eddie crosses his arms and looks down at him. “My apartment, my rules. Put the ice pack on your head.”  

Steve feels around for anywhere tender and hisses at one spot he touches a little too hard. It’s not raised or anything, plus he usually has too much adrenaline to feel pain after he’s gotten a concussion, so Steve is pretty sure it’s just a bruise. He puts the ice pack on it anyways, not wanting to argue with Eddie. “Can we talk?” Steve asks.  

Eddie shrugs and sits in the worn leather chair in his living room. “About what?”  

Steve tries not to roll his eyes. “About the fact that everything was going so well today, and we were supposed to talk until you saw that text from Jordan.”  

He watches as Eddie shifts uncomfortably in the chair and starts picking at his nails. He sighs and looks at Steve. “It’s fine. We were just doing a favor for Robin. We don’t have to make a big deal out of it. There was always a deadline for this whole relationship thing, and I just cut it off sooner than planned. But if she needs me there to make Veronica comfortable, then I don’t think she should date her.”  

Steve sighs and puts his head in his hand. He’ll have to touch on the whole Veronica thing later so Eddie doesn’t get sidetracked. He puts the ice pack on Eddie’s wobbly coffee table then rubs his hands up and down his legs nervously and asks, “What if I wanted to make a big deal out of it?”  

“What?”  

Steve runs a hand through his hair, trying to settle his nerves. “What if I wanted to make a big deal out of it because Jordan means nothing to me? I wasn’t lying earlier when I said I wasn’t seeing anyone. I hooked up with her three weeks ago and haven’t talked to her since.”  

Eddie just laughs and shakes his head. “You don’t get it, do you?”  

“What?” Steve asks exasperated because he would really love if Eddie explained things to him.  

But he isn’t prepared for Eddie to look him in the eye with so much hurt as he asks, “Steve, over the past three years since you’ve met me, do you remember me going out with anyone? Mentioning anyone?”  

Steve shakes his head. Honestly, it was just never something Eddie brought up. He just thought he wasn’t comfortable talking about those things.  

“I wasn’t lying tonight,” Eddie says. “Since the moment I met you, I have fallen for you so damn hard, but every single time I’ve thought the timing was finally right and I was about to confess my feelings, you’ve mentioned someone new. It’s been three years, Steve. Why did you never consider me?” Eddie’s voice breaks at the end.  

Steve shakes his head. “I just didn’t let myself think I had a chance with you.”  

“Bullshit,” Eddie says.  

Steve points at him. “Don’t use that word. You know what it means to me.”  

Eddie leans forward in his chair and slowly says, “I do, and that’s why I call bullshit.”  

It hurts hearing it from Eddie, so Steve stands up and starts heading to the door.

He stops in his tracks.

Maybe Eddie’s right. Maybe Steve needs to be honest with himself. He’s always thought of Eddie as a fantasy out of reach, and in the process, he’s set himself up on so many pointless dates that he knew wouldn’t go anywhere. He was honestly self-sabotaging since the moment he met Eddie because...  

He walks back to Eddie and stops in front of his chair. “I was scared, Eddie.”  

Eddie scoffs.  

This only makes Steve upset. He throws out his arms. “In the past three years, when have you ever seen me have a serious relationship?”  

Eddie is silent for a moment, considering before he answers, “Never.”  

“And why do you think that is?”  

Eddie shrugs. “Because you’re not a relationship guy?”  

“Bullshit,” Steve says. “It’s because I was scared of getting hurt again. You remember what I said today at the bar. The whole reason we were supposed to talk.” Eddie looks down. Steve swallows hard and drops to his knees in front of the chair, forcing Eddie to look at him. “I have been scared of you since the moment I laid eyes on you because I knew you could so easily break my heart.”  

Steve hesitantly puts his hands on Eddie’s knees and squeezes. “And I was scared of hurting you, too.” He pauses and adds, “Then, Dustin would kill me.”  

Eddie lightly laughs at that, and Steve’s heart soars. He laughs with him. “You know it’s true! He would kill the both of us if we hurt each other. God, he’s probably already going to kill me.”  

Eddie softly cups Steve’s cheek and says, “I wouldn’t let him do that to you.”  

Steve leans into his hand and turns to press a soft kiss against it. “Today was one of the best days of my life, and I don’t want to spend another second pretending that I would be okay not reliving it every day. So, can we please finally get the timing right, and will you please go out with me?”  

Eddie stares at him hesitantly and sighs with a smile. “Well, I feel obligated now that you’re on your knees practically begging for me to say yes.”  

Steve laughs and shoves his shoulder. “Shut up.”  

Eddie mimes zipping his mouth closed and throwing the key away.  

“Oh my gosh, Eddie, just say yes.”  

Eddie smiles with his lips still closed and gestures to his mouth then shrugs.  

Steve puts his head in his hands and asks, “Are you going to make me humiliate myself by trying to find the key?”  

He gets a tap on his shoulder, and he looks up to find Eddie nodding with an evil smile.  

Steve sighs and stands up. “Why can’t I just have a normal boyfriend?”  

“Can’t call me your boyfriend when I haven’t said yes,” Eddie argues then slams his hand over his mouth.  

Steve just laughs as Eddie’s hand slowly slides down to reveal his big smile. Steve grabs both of his hands and pulls him up into a hug. He holds on tight as Eddie slowly wraps his arms around him.  

“Yes, by the way,” Eddie whispers into his ear.  

Steve pulls back. “Yes?” he asks.  

Eddie nods with a breathtaking smile. “Yes.”  

Steve lets out a sigh of relief before pulling Eddie into a kiss - their first kiss as a real couple.  

They both smile into the kiss, pulling away every so often to laugh and whisper things like, “I can’t believe this is finally happening,” and “I’m your boyfriend,” and “You’re my boyfriend.”  

And yes, all of those comments end up being Eddie as Steve confirms each with another kiss. But they both end up smiling so hard that they have to pull away and rest their heads against each other.  

“Jesus H. Christ,” Eddie says, “How long are we going to have to lie to Veronica about when our relationship started.”  

Oh no.  

Steve sighs and pulls Eddie to the couch. “You might want to sit down for this...”  

He recalls what Robin and Nancy told him, and Eddie ends up nodding and saying, “Yeah, I was wondering how Veronica would feel about Nancy and Robin being so weirdly close. But this makes way more sense.” Steve finds his reaction to be way more tame than his until he asks, “Want to go over there and make them pay?”  

Steve shakes his head with a smile. “I think making them wait in suspense is the best way to torture them.”  

“And how long do we want to make them wait?”  

Steve shrugs. “A few hours, maybe longer.”  

Eddie smiles. “And what should we do during those hours?”  

Steve presses a kiss against Eddie’s cheek and says, “I have a few ideas.”  

“Me too,” Eddie says as he moves to capture Steve’s lips with his own.  

Steve can’t believe that this could’ve been his life for the past three years, but luckily, they have all the time in the world to make up for lost time.  

But they still should’ve done this way sooner.  

-:-:-:-:-:-

One year later...  

“Come on, Steve. We’re going to be late!” Robin yells.  

Steve stares at his reflection and fixes his hair a few more times before he pulls back to stare at his outfit. He laughs at the yellow sweater that Eddie insisted he had to wear on their one-year anniversary before running off to help Nancy with some emergency.  

He’s not sure why Robin didn’t leave instead of him considering that the two girls now live together, but he doesn’t question it too much. Eddie was ready, and Robin said she wasn’t.  

He’s also not sure why Robin is fussing so much about getting to the bar on time when the four of them could celebrate both their anniversaries at any time of the day.  

“Come on, Steve. We can’t keep Nancy and Eddie waiting for too long or else they’re going to have to keep stalling and insisting that two other people are coming. But what if they don’t believe them? What if they get kicked out for loitering, huh? Then, where are we going to celebrate at? There’s no fair this year, and I think Eddie would die if we made him ride the Ferris wheel again. So, hurry up!”  

Steve stops staring at himself and turns to face Robin who has been pacing in the doorway and frantically texting on her phone for the past five minutes. As far as Steve knows, they’re both going to be right on time and probably early if they leave in the next few minutes, He crosses his arms. “What are you hiding?”  

Robin looks at him with wide eyes, very much giving away that she is hiding something. “Nothing!” she squeals.  

Steve raises his eyebrows.  

Robin stutters a bit then sighs. “Fine, I’m just nervous about the gift I got for Nancy for our anniversary.”  

“I thought you already gave her it?”  

Robin’s eyes flicker to the left. Another giveaway that she’s lying. “It’s another gift.”  

Steve rolls his eyes and walks past her. “I know you’re hiding something from me, but you’re right. We’re going to be late if we don’t leave soon. So, let’s go, Buckley.”  

He keeps pressing it during the car ride over until Robin launches off on a rant about the new lingerie she bought for their anniversary that she doesn’t think Nancy will like and goes into far too much detail about it. So much so that she only finishes her rant once they’ve pulled into the parking of the bar.  

“Steve,” Robin says.  

Steve stops and turns to her.  

She says nothing.  

“What?” he asks.  

Then, he gets concerned as tears fill her eyes and she smiles wider. “Nothing, I’m just so happy.”  

Steve stares in horror and confusion as Robin gets weirdly emotional. “Yeah, okay, let’s get you to Nancy,” Steve says, stepping out of his car and following as Robin practically skips to the bar.  

He stares as she proudly holds the door open. Yeah, things are starting to get weird-  

He stops in the entrance to the bar and stares at the rose petals on the floor. What?  

There’s a guitar strum, and Steve watches as Eddie starts to play on the stage with the horrible acoustics. He recognizes the song from the first night they met, and stops in his place, as mesmerized as he was when he first saw him.  

He plays it the whole way through before he puts his guitar back in his case and comes back to the mic. “Hey, everyone, and especially you Steve.”  

Steve smiles but then startles as he notices there are definitely more people than just him and Eddie in the place. In fact, it’s... everyone he knows. Dustin... the rest of the party... even Eddie’s uncle Wayne is there.  

“A year ago, Steve and I finally got together after I pined after him since the first night we met here in this very bar. Now, the song I just played wasn’t romantic at all, but it’s the song I was playing when I first laid eyes on Steve. And I have never been the same,” Eddie says resting his hands over his heart in a mixture of sincerity and just for the dramatics. “But, a year ago, when we lied to the waiter about our anniversary and scored Robin here some free cake-”  

“Hey!” Robin interjects.  

Everyone laughs, but Steve, Eddie, and Nancy know it’s true.  

“Well, I told the waiter that in one year, I would be back to propose to Steve.”  

Steve’s heart skips a beat as it all connects. He feels tears fill his eyes much like Robin as Eddie gets off the shitty stage and makes his way to Steve. He takes his hands. “Steve, I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. And I can’t imagine a life where you’re not in it forever. And with that being said, I think it’s only fair that I get to be the one that goes down on one knee since you went down on two to ask me out.”  

“Gross,” Dustin says.  

“Not like that!” Eddie yells at him. He mumbles, “Christ, kid is going to ruin the damn moment.”  

Steve can’t help but think that nothing could ever ruin this moment.  

Eddie then pulls a ring box out of his back pocket and gets down on one knee. “Steve, will you marry me?”  

Steve feels a tear slip down his face as he nods and happily laughs out, “Yes.”  

He tugs Eddie up and hugs him tight, as everyone starts cheering and flooding around the two.  

Later, Dustin, Nancy, and Robin start arguing about who is the reason they got together, but the couple is quick to humble Robin and Nancy reminding them that they’re both the reason they almost ruined their relationship forever.  

Nancy apologizes as Robin argues that it still worked out in the end, but Dustin takes it as a victory.  

Eddie just laughs through it all, insisting that it was actually his impeccable guitar skills that got the two of them together, and they would be nowhere without it.  

But Steve knows deep down that no matter what universe they are in, he and Eddie would somehow end up together.

Thank you to my dear tag list and everyone for sticking around for this story and leaving such kind comments <3 I hope you enjoyed

Tag List:

@henderdads @little-gae-shit @dreamingtheimpossibe @leethegay @lazyavenuewhispers @olibxr @thegayestpersonever @heartsforhawke @estrellami-1 @messrs-weasley @evillitteguy @miss-hit @infrogulous @romanticdestruction @liz5100 @evix-syne666 @bebe07011 @corrodedseraphine @meganwinchester @manda-panda-monium @heartdinosblog @ellietheasexylibrarian @newtstabber @irregular-child @turboprops69 @envyadams-vs-me @dude-as-in-i-love-u @slv-333 @jillfriend @goodolefashionedloverboi @steady-delusional-moonlover @scheodingers-muppet @sleepyboosstuff @cyranyx @bestwifehaver @marvel-ous-m @chaosgoblinreblogsthings @vampiregirl1797 @moltenchocolatelavacake

[hotwaterandmilk]

Just a reminder that the first volume of Nanao Tomo's The Hachioji Speciality: Tengu's Love comes out in English from Yen Press this week. I already double-dipped on the Japanese volumes, but I'm going back for more with the English volume too.

While a lot of series captivate me with their plot, Hachioji Meibutsu: Tengu no Koi grabbed my attention with its beautiful retro-tinged art and has continued to hold my interest with its atmosphere.

So why is this series such a highlight in the current ASUKA magazine lineup? I've tried to breakdown my thoughts (albeit sleepily) on why I like this title and why other readers might be keen to give it a shot now that it's enjoying an English-language release.

The series description from Yen Press describes the series as follows:

"Can a determined tengu bride change a lonesome bachelor’s ways? Well, it’s not like he’s got much of a choice— ’cos she’s already moving in! Young systems engineer Kotarou has had to make his own way in life. Nothing remains of his early childhood before he was orphaned—nothing except his grandparents’ antique house in Hachioji and memories of Hime, the winged spirit girl he’s come to dismiss as a youthful flight of fancy. But after his return to Hachioji and reunion with Hime, it becomes impossible to deny the existence of his fine, feathery friend—especially given that she’s declared they’re getting married at second sight!"

Which makes it sound like you're signing up for a typical 90s-style magical girlfriend series and, well, to an extent you are. Hime is beautiful, powerful and innocent in the ways of the human world. Kotarou on the other hand is somewhat average, cynical human who now finds himself saddled with an otherworldly bride. Hijinks ensue!

What I think helps Tenkoi differentiate itself from other series with similar setups (aside from the stunning art) is that it gives both the reader and the characters time to breathe, to be in each other's company, and exist without needing constant jokes. There's this ancient peace to Hime's village and a gentleness in her exchanges with Kotarou, even as a gaggle of her relatives argues around them.

Even the gag moments have a beauty and sense of pacing about them that's hard to find these days. We actually get the space to see Hime interact with the vacuum, for example. What so many titles might have condensed into 3 panels at best is expanded here, allowed to sit, presented to us for enjoyment. I just love that about Tenkoi, there is no real rush even when the series is moving Hime and Kotarou's relationship forward.

There's a willingness in Tenkoi to sit with difficult moments, mundane moments, humorous moments and moments of affection. To let each have its time to unfurl, to let us savour them all.

There's also an appreciation of the Hachioji region and the way the local population interact with the natural and spiritual world despite being in a suburban location (though this comes up a bit more by the second volume).

Another thing I like is that while there are a few gags about Kotarou being entranced by and touching Hime's wings (which she says are off-limits) overall Kotarou is a decent guy. While initially unsure about the situation he supports Hime in leaving the village for her own sake, aiming to empower her rather than to score himself a tengu bride. While at one point in the first volume he gets frustrated by just how hard it is to hide a lively tengu from the world, he soon sees the error in his ways and again pledges to support Hime in whatever she chooses to do.

It's just nice to see a male lead who can be wrong, admit he was wrong, and strive to make things right with the people around him in such a mature way? He sleeps on it and is like fuck, I was an asshole my life is better with her in it and immediately gets his shit together. Some leads can go dozens of volumes without figuring out that much so it was nice to see that corner turned early on in the series.

I should mention that food is an important part of how love is expressed in this series and a big part of how Hime begins to learn about the human world, so if food is a major trigger for you then Tenkoi might be best avoided. However, there are minimal other warnings I can think of for those considering starting the series (aside from consent being established regarding Hime's wings).

Tenkoi is still ongoing in ASUKA (which is published bi-monthly these days) so there's only two print volumes right now. There's enough little moments in this lushly rendered and atmospheric supernatural love story that it could go for many years at its current clip, but whether that happens remains to be seen.

Right now though I enjoy Tenkoi for being a simple story told well and with heart. If you're not looking for major plot innovation and are happy to just spend time in the presence of these characters experiencing simple joys in Hachioji, then this is a title I recommend.

(Also Hime is super cute, I adore her.)

[nonenoticedmvo]

Ordinary Scholar Simulator

prologue

How to ruin someone’s day

Dottore x gn / gender neutral reader smau

He is so annoying.

A common sentiment thought by the med student.

Dottore hates Baizhu. If that isn't obvious from the way he is currently glaring holes into the back of his head. Waiting for the lecture to start. Well, maybe hates a strong word for it… Dottore would argue that he doesn’t care about Baizhu. That he just thinks Baizhu is annoying for the way he's so unserious.

How can he always be helping others like that? He should just focus on his studies. The noise of chattering coming from the people surrounding the green-haired man makes him grind his teeth.

Ugh, His brows furrowed, why can’t they shut up and save this for later? He’s never able to get a second of peace, is he?

No, it definitely isn’t exaggerative to say he hates Baizhu. But how can he not hate him? Dottore works hard. Whether it is at his part-time job or with his studies. He spends all of his time working! He has to be at the top of his classes!

So there's no room for pointless discussions with complete strangers. Or the ridiculous outings Pantalone is always trying to invite him to. He can’t have distractions if he wants to be the very best. He has to be the best. He IS the very best.

So how, pray tell, is Baizhu always at the top, when all he does is have and create distractions? Always helping others around him with explanations and tips. Always socializing with pea-brained individuals.

He saw his Instagram story of him at a party last night even! ..What? Why was he looking at Baizhu's account? Shut up! That's beside the point!

Does the man never study? He obviously isn’t serious about being a doctor. So why are his grades impeccable?! Managing to surpass Dottore. He swears that the professors have something out for him. Giving him lower scores on purpose.

He must be cheating. Or maybe he's close with the professors? He does talk to lots of people.

Wait…

His hand stops tapping angrily against the table. Why is he thinking about this so hard? This is exactly what he means when he says Baizhu creates distractions!

With a clenched jaw, he picks up his phone and earbuds and starts looking for something to drown out the noisy room.

Maybe he should do something to ruin Baizhu’s day later. Yeah.. that sounds good.

Another thing Dottore hates is his job.

Having to interact with all these people. Standing there and listening to angry customers. Cleaning up the mess people make in the cafe. It’s all so draining.

Unfortunately, the job is necessary. His roommate Pantalone always offers to pay for everything but he doesn’t want to owe him anything.

He's getting ready to start his shift when he spots a few people walking in. Wait, he froze, Why the hell is he here?

He stares for a little before realizing he should be taking orders right now.

It’s late when he notices that Baizhu has now fallen asleep on top of the table. The people still in the cafe are either studying or friends quietly talking.

He walks over to the table Baizhu is at to pick up the plate and glass sitting on the table. Located in the back corner of the cafe further away from the others.

There were papers scattered with a laptop opened up and sat to the side. Baizhus's hair sprawled out on the table as he rested his head on his folded arms.

He's finally studying, yet he let himself fall asleep. Tch Dottore huffs as he looks down on the sleeping man. Getting an idea, he looks around at the cafe.

Nobody’s looking, they’re all distracted.

He reaches into his mouth and takes the gum out. Reaching for a lock of the green hair he rubs the minty gum into it. This will definitely ruin his day.

Dottore reaches over, picks up the dishes, and walks away.

If you’re shocked right now, don’t be. This isn’t the first time he’s done this. From bumping into him while holding drinks, asking to barrow things and “losing them” or always interrupting him. Dottore is always trying to mess up Baizhus day.

Just earlier that day Dottore had to hold himself back from laughing because he saw the person sitting near Baizhu accidentally spill their drink all over his notes.

Dottore happily left work that day. Maybe it isn’t too bad.

The next day, he notices Baizhu fidgeting by the door. As if he’s waiting for someone to come. And someone does.

Who is that?

Dottores's eyebrows are drawn together, eyes squinting as he tries to figure out who the person is. They brought Baizhu a bag filled with some stuff, and he smiled once he saw them. Not one of those fake pleasant ones. They must know each other.

Oh, that’s right, he has seen some posts on Baizhu's account of the two together. With the way he hugs them and is drawn closer to them, they must be close. Giggling like that and grabbing their arm.

Does he have a crush on them or something? How pathetic.

Sitting quietly he tries to listen in on their conversation. But a sudden thought comes to mind. Could he ruin this for Baizhu too?

Notes:

Listened to bored by Deftones while writing this

It also wasnt until i started writing the prologue that i realized this kinda sounds like an enemies to lovers between Dottore and Baizhu but i swear its not hes just a freak like that (Freak? 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 dottore…)

Please let me know your thoughts and make sure to reblog and all that!

. . . taglist @0ct4nian @nikkrispy @2realim @silly-gh0st3 @dontmindtheevie @el-lise @ladylee @bloodofthesaintss

[lostdrarryfics]

lostdrarryfics monthly roundup! February 2024

Below you will find the requests we could not locate in the month of February. Please let us know if you recognize any!

You can also browse our lengthy lost fic masterlist, where we have compiled every request we have been unable to find over the past few years. We're always hoping someone will recognize a fic so we can let the asker know what it was!

1. looking for a fic that came out maybe between 2003-2009 on fanfiction.net. In it, Sirius and Remus are alive and dating, and they are Harry’s gay godfathers. They might give Harry a makeover. Harry and Draco fall in love, and I think that they’re still at school. Lucius and Voldemort are dating at Malfoy Manor and one of them has a thing for purses. Lucius swishes his hair a lot.

2. fic on ao3. It was a pre war drarry. Draco-centric where he befriended harry. I think it was time travel fix it, but im not very sure. Lucius and draco are arguing about Draco’s behavior and lucius smacks draco in the face. his ring cuts dracos cheek and he bleeds. Both him, narcissa, and draco are shocked over this since its not like lucius to hit draco. Narcissa yells at lucius and then tries to talk with draco in his room. Im pretty sure draco ran off to 12 grimmauld place after that and sirius and harry where there when he arrived. I think he arrives at hogwarts train with a bandage in his face. pretty sure draco was the one to get sirius out of Azkaban early

Found! 3. I read this fic a pretty long time ago, at least 5 years and I've been looking everywhere for it but can't find it. I think it was on ao3, eighth year, where Harry gets turned into a kid (around 7years maybe? Definitely under 10) and McGonagle makes Draco take care of him. Harry has big scars on his back from the Dursleys and they cause him to have seizures (? Or something like spasms maybe that are painful) fic is not The Dragon and The Golden Baby by jolly_love

Found! 4. looking for a fic I read in the past couple months on Ao3 where Harry has a menial job at Gringotts as a form of repayment. He knows his goblin co-workers pretty well but he’s not allowed to do any important work. He and Draco are tasked with opening a box that hold’s a witch’s will and the key turns out be a pendant his goblin boss is wearing and it’s revealed that he and the witch had a relationship. It was not part of a larger series and it was probably under 15k words. fic is not Reparations by Lomonaaeren

5. it’s years post war and Harry has been an auror abroad. I think maybe France? But he comes back for a case and is surprised to be working with Draco. Then he learns Draco is friends with all his friends, especially Luna and Neville. There’s a scene where Luna asks him to model for her cuz her model dropped out last min and Harry loses his mind over the photo the next day.

6. slowburn drarry fic! unfortunately all I remember is that Draco had been sorted into a house other than Slytherin, and Hermione often helped him with his anxiety being around crowds

7. Draco asked harry what would happen if the aurors come to take him to Azkaban for the use of his wand, and Harry answers that he would kill them all and them do it with Draco right there, I know that harry was morally grey but not dark harry

Found! 8. It’s an eventual Tom/Draco/Harry story. Good dark side. Harry ends up kidnapped/captive and they realise he is abused and start taking care of him. He is kept in a hotel in France I think. Dumbledore gets him back and uses a ritual to turn him into a puppet. Ginny and hermione support this. Ron eventually regrets and helps Draco let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. They reverse the ritual on Harry. Dark side wins.

Found! 9. I don’t know which year, but it’s one of the fanfictions where Harry is the Heir to like 8 different families, and Narcissa teaches him etiquette. The thing that is stuck in my head is that he uses a special knot for his tie, which represents all the families. I think he was actually introduced to the Wizengamot and voting on stuff, but I might mix that up with other similar fanfictions. fic is not Birth of the Serpent King by Keira Marcos

10. post-war fic I read on Ao3 probably in 2021 or 2022. All I remember is that Harry accidentally travels through time and wants to again (for Draco obvs) but Hermione says even his small trip caused big changes and now there's this thing called Brexit.

[8bitscarlet]

Winter Solstice

Summary: When the sun was taken without notice, your world was plunged into a darkness you almost didn't recognize. But as you sunk deeper into the shadows, you remembered why you'd given it up.

Pairing: Wanda x Reader

Genre/Warnings: Angst (mention of blood, canon fighting, use of knife, mention of torture)

Word Count: 4.1k

A/N: AOU Wanda here because there's no Wanda in this story, since you know ehehe. Here’s chapter 18 of AOP. 😂 Happy Reading everyone! 💕

*please do not repost or translate my material or claim as yours. reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated!*

_________________________

“I’m having your vest checked before you leave!”

You watch as Stark grabs the tablet from his suit jacket hanging on the coat rack near the door. He came around as soon as the alarms started to blare. What he came home to nearly doubled him over. It took him some time to get back to his joking ways, along with everyone else. Trying to deal with what happened only hours ago. 

Everyone except you. 

“Whatever,” Yelena rolls her eyes but points towards a gadget on one of the tables she walks past, “Your stuff isn’t even cool, Playboy.”

Her green eyes watching Nat nod that she’ll steal the parts for her. Yel looks over at you, sliding a granola bar across the table. You glance down at the wrapper, a chocolate chip granola bar. She looks at you with a hopeful grin but you don’t eat it. You just spin it around as you wait for her to tell you who you’re not allowed to kill. 

“Four mercenaries checked in at that checkpoint,” your eyes wash over the map with numbered outposts scattered around the landscape, “They’re heading to a resting place, assigned to the General’s protection unit. This restaurant,”

Yelena slides all the information she got from her contact casing the business, “It’s a front. A place to grab gear and weapons before they switch positions.”

“They’ll know where that asshole is,” you grumble, smashing the granola bar into the table with every slow stab of your thumb. 

“I’m just waiting on Rick to give us information on where they're stopping next. We'll swing in after them and steal some uniforms and codewords,” Yelena gives Natasha a look, ensuring that you see it but you don’t give it a second thought. They can see exactly what you want to do to every one of these soldier's wearing this patch.

They could think whatever they wanted about you now. They knew your true colors. If they’re surprised, it should be over that you’ve hidden them for so long. 

Natasha sees how you grind your teeth and turns to Yelena, “What that cost you? Five cases of Stoli?”

“Only four. I’m his favorite Russian spy.”

You ignore their arguing as you flip through the file further. It’s a simple plan. Corner some soldiers and work your way up the pay grades. Eventually someone would know where the General was and he worked closely with Strucker. 

“We’ll call you guys when we’ve got a location,” you stand up abruptly and look towards Steve, “Just make sure you have Clint by then,”

The door behind you opens and Stark rushes inside, not bothering to hold it open behind him as you see how wide his eyes are. 

“I tried to stall,” he turns on his heels and all of you watch as a greying and mustached man in a crisp suit steps through the door that closed on his face. 

Ross clears his throat as he pulls against his sleeves and carefully looks over everyone. Half of the people in the room are weary and exhausted from the mission. The other half stare cautiously, collecting papers behind their backs. Only one stares with a fury that the man has never seen before and because of this, speaks to you .

“You’re not operating.”

Your jaw clenches so tightly, you’re surprised it doesn’t completely shatter. Each paused stare along the politician’s body are places you know would completely ruin the rest of his life. Steve sees the way you roll your wrists, your breath elevating. Your fingers crack beneath his iron vice grip and you grimace as Stark attempts to negotiate with Ross. The words buzz around your head. 

Treaties. Agreements. Violations. War. 

You chuckle, drawing some attention your way but Stark quickly draws it back to him. You’ve been at war longer than Ross could know. At war with Strucker. With your own mind. But he couldn’t care less about those wars. They weren’t important. Finding and killing Strucker wasn’t important compared to the obscure agreements he had pulled up by an assistant. 

They wouldn’t be important to him until it was too late for everyone else. 

You didn’t utter a word as you moved past him, your shoulder cracking against his. He slammed into the door with a grunt. One of his guards stepped in front of you and he flew across the room into the railing of the staircase, not realizing how quickly you could move. The second guard half steps away from you as the pistol that was printing against his jacket comes out. 

Holding out your hands, you wave your fingers towards yourself, “Go ahead, buddy. Make my day.”

The trigger depresses just slightly and you grin, you just need a reason. There’s movement from your side and Nat stands in front of you, looking at you like you’ve lost your mind. And you can’t deny to her that you haven’t.

“Stop being stupid,” she whispers harshly, grabbing your wrist and whirling you around. 

Your face slams into the floor but you don’t struggle. You just watch your breath fog up the tile as your body contorts to Nat’s will. Her apologies to Ross don’t make it past the ringing in your ears. There’s a pressure in your shoulder and your knees come up beneath you, your feet following behind them. 

Stumbling towards the back room, you remember this route. It was the walk you made every day back to the holding cells. The cells you tried so hard to convince yourself that the enemy surrounded you. That any day your meal brought by a redheaded witch would be sedated and you’d be taken within inches of your life. 

“Don’t be mad,” Nat tells you as you stare down at the same bed you sat and watched Wanda chew on her pens, “This is just for show. Ross is out of his mind, we’re going. I’ll exhaust my Rolodex. I’ve got favors to use up.”

There isn’t much warning and even less for Natasha when the dull numbness subsides. You sink down onto the floor, your back pressing against the frame of the bed and exhale sharply. Pressing your stinging eyes against your knees, you let out an uncharacteristic noise. A wailing sob that burns your throat. Your body shivering with shaking breaths that used to only wake you from nightmares. 

And then you realized. Your nightmares had become your life. 

_______________________

Your fingers play with the corners of the menu in front of you, eyes scanning words that you don’t comprehend. The only thing on your mind is the number of people inside, the paths around the tables and exits around you. Leaning against the wall behind you, you watch the waitstaff exit the kitchen from your right. 

“You know I hate eating out with you. Do you know why?” You pull your eyes away from a man sitting alone at the bartop and glare at the blonde in front of you, “Because you always want to sit next to the kitchen and anytime a plate comes out, I think it’s mine.”

Your grimace grows into a scowl, “You don’t know what you ordered?”

“Of course I know what I ordered,” she almost looks offended, as she crosses a leg over her thigh, “I just think it smells good and I’m starving and you’re making me sit here when you made me rush out of the hotel breakfast.”

You stare in silence before glancing back down at the menu, taking a sip of the odd tasting tap water in your glass. A slow breath gets pulled in across the table and you brace yourself for more complaints. 

“Do you ever realize how grumpy you get?”

She’s met with more silence. 

“Okay, I’m sorry. You’re not grumpy, you’re pissed off,”

You cock an eyebrow and watch her grumble down into her menu, “Times a million.”

The waiter makes their rounds again, oddly bypassing your table once again. Your brows clench slightly when he stops at the bartop and talks to the lonesome man. 

“I’m sorry,”

The words catch you off guard and you look back across the table, “What?”

Yelena fiddles around with the bag on her lap, drawing your attention but holding the conversation with ease, “That you actually listened to my advice. About being vulnerable.”

You sigh and adjust the piece of metal digging into your stomach, “She’s part of the team, Yel. I’d be worried either way.”

She hums and you sigh before looking her way again, “When are you going to stop lying to yourself? You wouldn’t be a part of this team right now if it wasn’t -,”

“We’ve been made,” you stop her from psychoanalyzing you any further and carefully watch more suited men enter the building. 

The waiter isn’t as subtle as they keep glancing your way, practically pointing at you. You push your shoulders back, it was inevitable. You weren’t regulars here. The two of you were bound to be noticed. And at least you could say now that you didn’t start the fight. 

Yelena stands up, stopping the waiter who just decided to walk out of the kitchen. You hiss at her to stop as she pokes and prods at the food. The three suited men are walking towards you, two already have their hands tucked inside their suits while the other has their knuckles lined with metal. 

“Yel!” you whisper at her. 

“Don’t bother taking this back to the kitchen, it’s trash!” she yells and whips the tray from his hands and slams it into the group behind her. 

You yell, punting the table away from you, knocking a few of the suited men on the floor. A few start stumbling to their feet amongst the shattered plates and sauces. Yel wraps her legs around the unsteady man who was knocked in the head with a ramekin. As she flips him to the ground, your breath is rushed from your lungs as you’re bulldozed back into the kitchen. 

Slamming your elbow into the top of his shoulder, you try to loosen the tight hug the man has on you. It loosens. After you back clangs against one of the many stoves in the kitchen. You grunt, shoving yourself down to the floor and frantically slapping your arm. 

Your shirt smokes after pressing directly against one of the burners. Your back throbs as you hold up a hand, 

“One second,”

The man waves his hand at you, “Thought you were supposed to be a problem. Don’t know why people are so scared,” His knee slams into your face and you’re knocked back onto the ground as the stove door slams between your shoulders, “Get up!”

“Careful,” you cough, trying to move the arm you swear you heard a crack from, “You’ll ruin your dinner,”

Reaching back, you pull yourself up with the help of the stove. Your eyes catch the sight of scallops cooking in oil. With a grunt, you swing your arm and throw the hot oil behind you, feeling it slightly burn your neck with some flyaway droplets. 

The man screams, holding his hands against his face as you smack the pan against the top of his head. His screams end as he collapses to the floor. The pan clangs next to him, 

“You got something in your eyes,” you say before you grimace from the unyielding pain in your shoulder. 

The kitchen door swings open and you see another man walk in. He doesn’t wear a suit like the other men. It’s a dark uniform and you can see the patch on his shoulder. His belt is lined with different knives and you let out a sigh, you really didn’t want to have to shoot anyone today. 

He pulls one of the long blades from its sheath and tosses it with a quiet grin from hand to hand. The blade reflects the light in every direction as it spins and flips through the air. You sigh, going to lift up your shirt but stop as the emergency door is cracked open. The talent show in front of you pauses for a moment as Yel waltzes inside, rubbing her reddened knuckles. 

“Room for dessert?” she asks, and eyes the man take out another knife with a grin.

“You’re the one who was starving,” you remind her, trying to get feeling down into your numbed fingers. 

She sighs, walking forward without hesitation towards the clanking blades. She grabs a simple chef’s knife from a counter she passes, not slowing her pace. The man swings his arm around, going in for a backhanded stab and is only met with air as Yelena sidesteps without a thought. Her foot slides around gracefully as she ends up behind him. 

She leans forward as the blade slices underneath his arm, pulling a yelp from his throat and the knife in that hand clattering to the floor. She ducks between his frantic swings, making it look like a dance as you look around for where they keep the ice. Spinning on her knee, Yelena presses the blade to his upper thigh and pulls her arms up without much resistance. 

Standing up, she steps around the shocked man and places the knife back where she found it, now dirtied with blood. The man collapses to the floor with grunts, trying to press his hands against the cuts that are profusely bleeding. 

“Hit the arteries. He’s got twenty seconds.” she says as she pulls out a bag of frozen peas, “They said always fresh, never frozen. This place sucks,”

Pressing the cold vegetables to your shoulder, you follow her out into the dining area. You see that she fought more than the two suited men that came for you both. The Hydra soldiers you two were waiting for finally arrived and their uniforms were now ripe for the taking. Tearing some of the unneeded clothes, you make a makeshift wrap to keep the frozen peas in place. 

As you folded up the uniform you’d be taking, you handed over one of the shirts that would fit Yelena better. She goes to take it but you hold onto it for one second longer,

“Thank you,” you say, watching as her eyes look at you with her mouth slightly agape, “I listened to you and stopped lying to myself. Now I’ve got three people to worry about.”

“We’re going to get her back. Alive and safe. And we’ll make sure Strucker draws his last breath, too.” she tells you, wiping off a mustard stain before looking up at you, “Wait, you worry about me? You know sweets ruin your dinner.”

You grin, “Speaking of, I saw some macaroni in the kitchen,”

“You ever dine and dash? That dude is definitely dead in there, we won’t get caught.” Yelena excitedly jogs back into the kitchen to get some road trip snacks and leave you alone to the thoughts that fill your head as the sham of a smile falls from your face. 

You hope both of her promises come true but you know you’ll be lucky to have only one come true. And this unending cycle will continue. Tapping the boots against your thigh as you walk, you wonder how much collateral you have to your name.

________________________

Your fist slams forward, over and over again. Making contact with a fury that leaves his nose cracked and blood to pour from split brows. With a grunt and one more crack, you whip your arm down and extend your fingers. They practically groan from being clenched for so long. You stare at the reddening of your skin, wiping away the blood that isn’t yours. You glance over to the soldier’s friend, waiting patiently in their chair as they stare at the wall. There’s soft mutterings coming from them and you wonder if they’re practicing their lies. 

With a sigh, you turn back to the soldier in front of you, his face bleeding and his left eye already swollen shut. You glance down at his dirtied name tag, Fisher.

“Tell me where they are, Fisher. Come on, you were there being a good little soldier. Where is Strucker?” you squat down in front of him, resting your arms on your thighs and attempt to hold onto your patience a little longer this time. 

He huffs and puffs but doesn’t give an answer, you grin at how loyal he is to this madman. You sigh, picking up the pipe you had previously ripped from the wall and used to make his arm slightly crooked. 

“Listen, I don’t have all this precious time and you’re not the only one I need to talk to so,” you swing the pipe with a strong twist of your hips right into his shin, watching as he conceals his screaming into his shoulder. 

“Okay! They, goddamit! I only know where the General is.”

“Keep it coming,” you say, pacing in front of him and manipulating the cold metal between your hands. 

You listen to his directions, the description of the hideaway the General uses for all of his vices. You grunt, knowing you’re sure to find the worst bachelor pad of your life. Fisher continues to babble on, telling you where you can find mounds of cash in the walls and all kinds of classified documents. You’re bareilly paying attention until he brings up a certain scientist. 

“Strucker… he’s trying to do something. Brainwashing or some crazy magic from this staff. I don’t know, please let me go.”

His voice cracks as he leans as far forward as his tied up body lets him. You stop your pacing and look at his miserable face, his lip now starting to swell. The blood mixes with his sweat and you feel a whole new level of hatred. You know what he’s talking about but you wish you didn’t.

“What?” you ask, making sure you heard him right.

He swallows roughly and you watch his Adam’s apple bob up and down, “You can’t save her.”

You clench your jaw, the metal creaking in your hands as he stares in fear, “What is he doing to her,”

Fisher grimaces and stares past you. He shakes his head, he’s done talking to you. He’s looked into your eyes and knows he’s not getting out of here alive no matter how much he tells you. You wish you could lie to him, stroke his ego that he’ll heal from his wounds and live a normal life. All you do though is shake your head at his decision. He’ll recover from his wounds but his face’s natural color is going to be blue from this day forward. Pulling back, your joints practically creak as you clench your fingers into a fist. 

“I’m a nice person,” you whisper and watch him shiver away from your breath, “I’m going to let you think about what you’ve done. And when I come back, we better be on the same page.”

Turning, you replace the pipe with a glass of water and take a sip from it. You realize how thirsty you’ve become and you wonder how much longer you’ll be upright. You’re exhausted and starving but every hour you waste, is another hour Wanda is subjected to hell. You remember clearly what happened when you both were captured. You know it’s only worse with that scientific madman. 

Wiping your bloody knuckles against your pants, you walk to the other soldier. They’ve been having a nice time relaxing and dreaming but they forgot to set their alarm. You toss the glass of water at them, shocking them awake. You watch them cough out the water they inhaled with their gasp and casually grab a chair. Pulling it in front of them, they shake at their binds, probably having gotten lost in their happy dreams. Sitting down casually, you’re hoping that this will be a nicer chat. 

Price has nothing more to say to you than their pal Fisher over there. They spit at you, your jaw clenching when you feel the wetness smack you on the face. She chuckles as you slowly wipe it from your face, flicking it down to your boot. You don’t let the rage show on your face as you look up at her calmly. 

“You feel like talking while your friend takes a rest?” you ask her quietly, crossing your foot on top of your knee.

She stays silent, glaring at you. 

“Tell me where the woman is,” you give her one more chance to offer you something useful.

“What woman, asshole? There’s only some freak of nature,” she sneers at you, thinking she can play games. 

You look Price dead in the eyes. Your graciousness continues, you won’t kill her just yet, “One last time. Where?”

“Fuck you,” she spats out once again and you groan. 

You nod with a smile and don’t blink as you slide the knife from your belt and slam it into her shoulder in one fluid motion. As soon as the blade cuts, her scream fills the cabin and the front door opens. You grab the handle tightly and quickly shake her, 

“You tell me where she is or so help me, you’ll never use this arm again!”

“I don’t know!” she screams, gritting her teeth against the pain, “I don’t know!”

Before you can twist the blade, your arm is twisted behind you as you’re shoved towards the front door. You don’t fight against them but you stop your feet to grab the jacket you left on the coat rack. 

“She knows. She knows where Strucker is,” you tell Nat, sliding your arms into your coat. Looking up, you see the worry in her green eyes and for a second you freeze. 

“Reign it in,” she tells you harshly, “You know how this works. You’re just finding an excuse now.”

You slowly button your jacket, “We need to find her.”

“And you’re not finding her if you’re becoming that,” she slaps the patch on your shoulder roughly, “Again. Go get some air, now.”

Stepping through the door, you slide your hands into the uniform jacket and glance down at yourself. The uniform is filthy, covered in dirt and food from the scuffle you had when you ambushed the place. Dried blood and sweat from the conversation you were having with the two survivors. You climb into the car with a sigh, what the hell was Natasha talking about. She knew as well as you that some things required certain tactics. Maybe you were right all along. She had gotten soft.

Yelena peers back at you from the front seat. She shakes a box of granola bars in front of you but you wave her away, listening to her mumbling about how you’re going to pass out. You run your fingers along your knuckles, feeling a stinging pain you hadn’t felt in a long time. A time you always told yourself you wanted to forget. But here you were, purposely living in the past. 

Glancing up, you see green eyes carefully watching you through the rearview. You raise your brows. 

“You okay?”

You stare at the front door you were pushed out of, “I’m fine.”

“Y/N,” Yelena sighs. 

“What do you want me to say?” you snap, watching the green eyes stare one moment longer and then look away. 

There’s a prolonged silence until a noise has you jumping out of your skin, “That you’re scared.”

Nat’s voice carried in from the open window and you watch her climb into the passenger seat, gently closing the car door. You look her over, she doesn’t have a single drop of blood on her and her face isn’t flushed from exertion. She nods quietly to her sister, the car starting to reverse and leaving dust behind all of you. 

You stare out the window, not giving her the answer she already knows. 

“We’ll find her. The General will know where she is and if he doesn’t, the files on his desk will.”

“Are we going to find her alive?” the real question you’ve been thinking of explodes from your mouth and it’s met with the exact answer you knew it. A heavy silence. “You promise me that and I’ll stand aside.”

“You know we’re doing everything to make that happen. So trust us, she's coming home.”

The car ride quiets until you hear the rumbling of your stomach. With a sigh, you lean forward and grab a few bars out of the box that Yelena had offered you. 

“When we get to the General’s safe house,” Nat peers over her shoulder to look at you properly, “Come in after we clear it. Please.”

You look at her, her eyes flashing down to your split knuckles. How hard they shake as you try to open the simple packaging of the granola bar. You think back to what she said to you in the house and realize the night is lasting much longer than you intended. You let yourself hide back into the darkness and you see that there isn’t always a light to rely on. You’d have to be ready for the light. 

If it came down to it and only one of you made it out, you wouldn't want Wanda to remember you with the things you did to find her. You didn't want her to remember the person that she met for the first time but the one she ended up loving.

Biting into the chocolate chip, you give a small nod, “Fine.”

______________Ch. 19

[kfkr1ze]

[002-A02] Welcome to the Mammoth School

Summary — ✈︎ Kaede enters Hama Asunaro High School. When entering the school, he stumbles upon students arguing with a rough atmosphere around them. Then, he sees a familiar face…

Characters— ✈︎ Sakujiro

Location: Hama Asunaro High School

Kaede: This is Hama Asunaro High School huh…

As you would expect from a mammoth school[1]… It’s big.

Umm, Kafka’s message saidーー

Kaede: He still has me left on delivered…

He’s probably purposefully ignoring the messages.

(The school’s already been informed I’m coming… right?

First, let me find a security guard or a receptionist robot. )

Student A: You guys should get lost already!

Kaede: (Hm…?)

Student A: We of “The Weavers of Light and Shadow using Ptolemaic Theory[2] Club” already reserved the time slot for this spot!

Student B: Hah? I haven’t heard anything about that though.

ーーWell, it’s not like whatever you’re saying matters in this situation. You know what this is, don’t you?

Student A: That’s…!

Student B: Yuuup～. That’s a Class 3 badge～.

Everyone on the soccer team here is a Class 3 or higher. Aren’t you guys Class 2 or lower? You sure are acting all high and mighty.

Why don’t you and your lower Class club go play around in the Old Building?

…Ah wait, that just exploded the other day though.

Student A: Guh…!

Kaede: (The atmosphere’s kinda rough over there…

That conversation had a bunch of dangerous words like Classes[3] and explosions too…)

(I’ll just stop eavesdropping and leaveーー)

Wah…!

Student B: Uwah…!? What’s that, all of a sudden!?

Kaede: (A volleyball got spiked from above…)

Student B: Hey, watch it, Volleyball Club!

You have some nerve underestimating people from Class 3… Come out already!

???: It is not just the “Volleyball Club”.

It is “The Liberated Volleyball Club with Liberated Bodies”.

Kaede: Sa-Sakujiro-san!? Wow, that was a sharp spike considering how close to the edge of the roof you areーー Wait no, what are you doing here!?

Student B: Karigane-sensei…!

Kaede: Huh? S-Sensei…?

Sakujiro: Hup!

Kaede: Wow, what a beautiful jump and landing… I mean! Why is he being called Sensei…?

Sakujiro: I could hear your conversation all the way from the roof.

That Class badge, did you obtain it for the sole purpose of belittling the people around you?

Student B: Uu…!

Sakujiro: You did not, correct? Thenーー

Both of you, please put your hands together and make up with a handshake.

Student B: M… My bad.

Student A: Nah, I was going a bit too far.

Kaede: (Seems the issue got settled… somehow. But, calling him Senseiーー)

Sakujiro: Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend. I hope you’re able to get along well with each other.

Now! Members of the The Liberated Volleyball Club with Liberated Bodies, I shall return back to the rooftop, so please wait for me!

Kaede: (As expected of Sakujiro-san. Dashing right back to the sceneーー)

No, hold on a second. Sakujiro-san, don’t leave!

Kaede: So in other words, you’ve been working as a part-time undercover teacher for the past 3 months?

And Kafka didn’t order you to, you chose to on your own?

Sakujiro: Correct. I’ve been preparing for a situation such as this to occur.

After knowing the Young Master for so long, I’ve developed something of a sixth sense for these types of situations.

Kaede: Amazing… Even though they’re happening separately from each other, everything ends up connecting back to Kafka.

Sakujiro: Much obliged. 

ーーWell then, this way if you please. Let us make haste to the principal’s office.

While en route, I shall tell you more about this school.

Sakujiro: Hama Asunaro High Schoolーー Currently, there are 10,000 students currently enrolled.

It is a very big mammoth high school, with around 83 classes per grade level.

As society develops at a high paced rate in technology, the school prides itself in believing that human value is found in “spontaneous individuality”. Therefore, in the early stages, it focused on developing this through professional education in club activities.

Kaede: “Spontaneous individuality”...

Sakujiro: It is the individuality one gets from honing themselves while receiving guidance from their teacher.

Sakujiro: In Asu High, there is a system in place where that motivation is channeled into club activities and thus evaluated.

Various results were received, and thus a variety of different students with a range of personalities gathered all over the country to attend here.

The enrollment rate is said to be 80:1 compared to other schools.

Kaede: It’s a pretty difficult high school huh…

(Now that I think about it, didn’t Yuki-nii and the others graduate from Asu High? As I thought, they’re amazing…)

Sakujiro: After graduation, you can pursue many different careers. Such as politics, baseball, academics, and a variety of others.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that earning a degree at this school is synonymous to a better life.

And the person who’s at the foundation of the school of such a unique system isーー

Sakujiro: Please excuse me.

The man who runs such a school has worked in HRD[4] jobs at widely renowned IT companies across the globe. He has been described as a coaching god and a prophet in human resources.

Sakujiro: He has a background that can only be described as one of the best in human research development. That is our principalーー Principal Naoe.

Principal Naoe: … Please excuse me, due to various circumstances, we will only be able to talk via audio. Thank you for meeting with me. I’m sorry for making you come all the way over here.

Kaede: Please don’t worry about it. …Nice to meet you, my name is Kaede Hamasaki.

(His icon in the call says “love”...)

Principal Naoe: Hahaha… There’s no need to be so worried. Let’s talk casually as people who share the same ideas.

Kaede: Ah, yes…

Principal Naoe: I received a call from the president at the place you workーー Kafka-kun. It seems he wants to select the next ward mayors for HAMA tourism from the younger generation.

That is a brilliant idea. I strongly agree with that decision.

After all, I believe the future lies with the younger generation.

Young people should want to shape the world that they live in. It falls on us as adults to lend them the support to do so.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Kaede: Yes, I believe that’s true.

Principal Naoe: Haha, that’s good. As long as you share the same feelings, it’s more than enough. I have high hopes when it comes to what you can do.

Then, as for students who may be candidates for ward mayors, we established a club called the Community Revitalization Club and have gathered potential students already.

As for you, you will be enrolled as the club’s outside club instructor.

Kaede: In-Instructor!? That’s a big role…

Principal Naoe: What of it? You have Karigane-sensei to lend you a hand as well, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

I’ve already told you, haven't I?  As long as you share the same feelings, it’s more than enough.

Kaede: …

Sakujiro: Principal, if I may?

Principal Naoe: Go ahead, Karigane-sensei.

Sakujiro: If I’m not mistaken, the students who are enrolled in the Community Revitalization Club were Class 1 students, were they not?

Kaede: (Class 1 students? Oh right, the kids outside were also saying something about Classes…)

Sakujiro: Although Kaede-san is someone with strong ambitions, and I hope I am not being frank when I say this, he is still an amateur at teaching.

I fear that if he were to be put in charge of Class 1 students, he would become overwhelmed.

Principal Naoe: Ah, now that you mention it, you’re right. Butーー

Here’s what I think. The Class 1 students are diamonds in the rough.

Kaede: …

Principal Naoe: From here, they could become gemstones which shine a variety of different colors. To put it in another way, there are endless possibilities with them.

When you see the possibilities they hold, the lovelier they are. I’m sure that Kaede-san will come to realize this. 

Kaede: Yes…

Principal Naoe: By the way, Karigane-sensei.

What do you say? Will you finally accept my offer of the position to be a full time teacher?

Sakujiro: I thank you for the opportunity, but I’m afraid I will have to refuse that offer yet again.

Principal Naoe: Hahaha! You’re as cold as ever aren’t you?

Well then, as I recover from the heartbreak of getting rejected for the 67th time, feel free to show him around.

Please excuse me.

Kaede: Yes! Um… Thank you very much!

Principal Naoe: Good luck, young man.

Kaede: (He left… He was a little strange…)

Sakujiro: Let’s hurry to the club room, shall we?

Previous — ✈︎ Masterlist — ✈︎ Next

Notes — ✈︎

A mammoth school is a huge school that has an enormous amount of students and classrooms. Sakujiro explains the size of Asu High, but “mammoth school” isn’t the most common phrase ever so I thought I should explain

Ptolemaic theory is the theory that Earth is at the center of the universe while everything else revolves around it. “The Weavers of Light and Shadow using Ptolemaic Theory” is a fancy way of saying they’re just using the shadows and sunlight to test this theory.

Sure you’re aware by now but just in case you're not! Classes in this case are basically referring to social classes. In Asu High, there are Classes 1-5, 5 being the highest of the Classes. I’ll always capitalize Classes when I’m talking about the hierarchical system as opposed to the regular school classes.

HRD - Human Resource Development, IT - Information Technologies

The chat image has a description in case you can't read it! I'm not sure how that looks like on tumblr so I hope you're able to access it! If needed, I can add the transcript here as well.

[ejzah]

Ain’t It a Kick in the Head, Part 15

***

“Eric, can you track them?” Sam demanded.

“Kensi’s tracker isn’t coming up. Give me a couple minutes.”

“Dammit, if he gets Kensi killed,” Sam said, breaking off as he shook his head, jaw set. He’d known there was something fishy about Deeks from day one; he should have trusted his gut.

“Hey, easy partner. We’ll get Kensi back and handle Deeks, but we have to stay calm.”

“Right.” Sam drew in a calming breath. Despite how annoying Deeks had been in their short acquaintance, Sam had recognized his skill and even started to respect him. He’d enjoy being the one to cuff Deeks given the chance.

Nodding at the empty room, he said, “Let’s do one more sweep of the building.”

“Guys, I just got Kensi’s tracker back online,” Eric exclaimed. “She’s sending out a message in Morse code. She’s saying…‘I’m si—‘ No, “I’m fine. Wait signal.”

“She wants us to wait for her signal,” Callen interpreted. “Do you think we can trust it? Deeks could have taken her tracker and be luring us in for the kill.”

“Guys, there’s one more word. Twinkie.”

“She’s ok,” Sam sighed in relief. “For the record, I still hate that code word.”

“Where are they headed?” Callen asked

“Coordinates are on your phones,” Nell answered. “And based on the traffic footage, they’re driving a stolen car.”

“Maybe Marty Deeks isn’t a traitor after all,” Sam muttered.

***

“Did you get a response?” Deeks murmured, his head dipped towards Kensi’s.

He’d been beyond impressed when she’d used her tracker to send out a message in Morse code. Unfortunately, that was twenty minutes ago, and they were running out of time.

The secondary location the Kaisers took them too was a much larger and more elaborate complex and clearly their headquarters. Deeks had a distinct sense that the Kaisers wouldn’t have brought them here if they weren’t shaken by losing most of their guards.

Paul and Dimitri stood on the other side of the room, engaged in furious conversation while their two remaining guards hovered nearby. Even without hearing them, they were clearly arguing.

“No,” Kensi whispered back. “Too risky.”

Deeks nodded, leaning against a pallet of drugs ready to be shipped, hoping it looked casual and not like he needed the support to keep standing. There were several chairs available, but that seemed too vulnerable. Plus, he wasn’t sure he could stand up without collapsing. His pain had reached an excruciating level and while his latest round of bandages seemed to be holding up, he felt overheated and vaguely nauseas.

Since abandoning their original plan, he and Kensi had been trying to find a way to isolate the Kaisers. If needed, they could take on the brother plus the two guards, but he’d prefer not to risk it.

He shifted forward slightly, brushing his hair back to cover his next words.

“Can you tell what they’re saying?”

“They’re talking about someone named Novikov. Dimitri wants to call him, Paul doesn’t.”

Deeks straightened at that, instantly recognizing the name of a drug king LAPD had been chasing for longer than the Kaisers.

“Who’s winning?” he asked, quickly recalculating.

“I can’t tell. Paul wants to take a plane…I didn’t catch were,” Kensi answered.

“Alright. New plan.” He pushed off the crate, taking a few extra seconds to find his balance as the world tilted around him

“What are you doing, Max?” Kensi hissed, grabbing at his forearm.

“Oh, probably something incredibly stupid,” he answered, then leaned close enough to whisper in her ear. “If this goes south, don’t worry about me. Just run.”

***

A/N: I just can’t seem to get these guys out of trouble.

[mel-ixa]

Drarry Fic Idea (curse artefact x senses)

This idea won’t leave my mind but I can’t write a full fic so please take this and run guys!!

Harry and Draco are Aurors partners (better if it’s already been a while)

Their next case consist of a retrieval of a cursed artefact

It’s not known what the curse is yet but it’s highly sought after and have been passed from dark mages to dark mages so they know it’s highly dangerous

They got hold of the location but so did others and as things tend to go when Harry is involved, it’s turned into a full battle between them and other dark mages after it

Curses, counter curses fly around and Draco and Harry are quite a formidable pair but someone managed to snag the artefact, muttered some arcane chants and a bolt shoots out to Harry

Draco jumps in the way and took the curse

He’s sent flying back and passes out

Harry loses it and obliterates the rest

Artefact is recovered and Draco is sent to St Mungo

Draco wakes after a day seemingly without any major injuries

It threw him off a little at first because he woke up at St Mungo’s a couple of times before and something seems missing. He can’t quite put his finger on it yet.

Another day passes, and he notes the porridge is quite tasteless but doesn’t think much of it.

Until he realised everything has been bland the whole day. He tried eating a sugar cube and it tasted like nothing.

He tries to chuck it aside to probably a flu but then he realised he felt off in the hospital when he woke cause he couldn’t smell the usual disinfectant and antiseptic.

He has lost his sense of smell and taste in 2 days.

A curse-breaker task force is set up - Harmoine included. They’re pulling all resources to find out about the artefact and how to reverse it.

He loses his sight the next day. Harry guides him around - cue Draco’s insecurity in having to rely on someone. They argued a lot but whenever Draco reaches out in the dark in fear, Harry is always there as an unwavering pillar of support.

Draco ‘I’ll be difficult and lash out because it’s been ingrained in me that asking for help is a sign of weakness and I will not and cannot be seen as weak’ Malfoy x Harry ‘I’m not leaving. I know you and I see through your mask and I’m not leaving you alone to deal with this’ Potter.

I think it’ll be especially sweet if Draco lashes out with some very vicious insults to get Harry to leave (he still has poor coping mechanisms) and when he succeeds and hear the door slams, he sobs. (Harry hears him outside the door) Much later when he reaches out to pour himself some water (while blind!!), he knocks over the glass which shatters. He accidentally cuts himself on the glass and Harry rushes in. He fixes the glass and Draco’s bleeding hand and Draco finally stops resisting. He admits he’s scared and Harry promise he won’t leave again.

Nothing happens on the 4th day and the curse breaker makes a break through, although it’s not good news. They find out that Draco will lose all 5 senses in 7 days. If they don’t reverse the curse by the 7th day, Draco is essentially a breathing corpse having lost all senses.

He loses his sense of hearing on Day 5. He will never admit how much he misses hearing Harry’s voice but the silence is damning. Harry communicates mostly by writing on his arm and squeezing his hands to signal that he’s still there. If they end up holding hands the whole day, no one says anything.

It’s day 6. They’re fearing for the worse now. By the end of the day, he can barely feel Harry’s touch. (Sense of touch is the last to go)

Like a deadman walking with nothing to lose, Draco decided to be selfish and confesses to Harry, although he knows it’ll be a burden to Harry if he doesn’t make it but Malfoys’ aren’t known for their kindness and he’s not going to start now. (But lord knows he tried he just couldn’t hold it in, not anymore and what’s the worse that could happen if he was going to die anyway)

They kiss (!!) and Harry makes silent promises that he will take Draco out for a date after this so he better survive this!!

Day 7 comes and Draco doesn’t wake. He’s still breathing but he doesn’t stir.

Harry has a massive breakdown but eventually picks himself to throw into the counter curse research.

It took a few more days but something about love being the most powerful magic there is, Harry managed to break it (more at the end)

The artefact emits a light and Draco wakes!

They go for their date and live happily every after!!

To make this even longer, since I love TSOA’s

I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.

To incorporate this in, to break the curse, Harry is sent to a limbo world (similar to the train station when he died the first time) where he has to find Draco based on his senses to bring him back! There’s a few stages and each round he’s tested based on the senses

e.g. Hearing - he has to find Draco’s voice amidst a thousand but of course he’s so attuned to it it’s almost embarrassingly easy for him

Sight + touch - Harry can’t see and has to find Draco based on his touch.

Smell - Harry knows Draco smells like Apples and cinnamon. Don’t ask him why.

Taste - This is a bit tricky but maybe to pick up Draco’s favourite food?

All in all, Harry passed the tests because he’s obsessed with Draco so of course he knows these things!!

[howtowhumpyourhiccup]

Hallowtober 2024 Day 4

Rip Those Stitches

Summary: Set in a Modern AU, Sci-fi AU. Mind Full AU. With Mala still incapacitated after the attack, Throk has been pushed into her position and he made a decision that Astrid doesn't agree with. Still in the hospital, she pushes herself to try and make it right.

Warnings: Hospital, Ripped Stitched, Blood and Injury

Rating: Mature

Dead Dove: No

Words: 754

Prompts: Stitches

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon

Characters: Astrid, Heather

Pairing: Heathstrid, Hiccstrid

Author's Notes: Did you think this AU had ended? Well, you thought wrooooong~ 😉

Enjoy!

-XOXOX-

“Astrid, please, be careful!” Heather pleads with her girlfriend to mind herself.

She had the talons of a Nadder impale her when she tried to sneak a baby Nadder out of Valka’s warehouse the day she disappeared. One on her right side, two on her left. She needed surgery in order to live, there was damage done to organs and she’s lucky she didn’t lose any. When Minden brought her to the hospital, she was almost septic. The last thing Astrid should be doing is pushing herself.

“I am careful!” She argues, fighting the pain as she lowers her legs off the side of the bed. Heather stands on the opposite end and watches in worry, her love’s face contorts and she represses her whines and whimpers. She’s in terrible pain despite her last dose of painkillers.

“Astrid, please!” Heather runs to the other side. A good decision on her end, Astrid cries out and her legs give out beneath her. Heather catches her and they both fall to the ground. Clinging onto her like her life depends on it, Astrid tries not to make a sound, though tears do still slip free.

Heather holds her closed, pulling her shirt up to watch one side grow red. She tore some of her stitches with her stunt. She reaches for the button to call for help.

“Astrid, why would you be so reckless? You almost died, it’s barely been a week!” Her voice shakes as she pleads for an explanation. There are tears in her eyes.

“They’re not going to get him. You heard Throk, right? I gave them the location of Valka’s Sanctuary and they’re not going to save him,” Astrid sobs.

After her life was saved, she found herself back amongst friends, back with Heather, and Stoick had apparently been informed of her disappearance. She was so sure that it was time to get Hiccup back, she knew exactly where to look and Minden could back her up, knowing she could never go back. But no, Throk decided against saving Hiccup.

Heather doesn’t know what to say. She could tell her what Throk told them as Mala’s second-in-command. That they need to be prepared, Valka is dangerous. That Astrid needs to heal and Mala is still adjusting to her wheelchair as the attack on her life caused damage to her spine, which left her legs severely weakened. Dagur has been surprisingly helpful in that regard, pushing her onwards towards recovery. Not to mention the investigation into the Defenders of the Wing after the attack and Astrid’s disappearance. Unfortunately, with all of this going on, Hiccup is very, very low on their list of priorities.

“She’s going to hurt him,” Astrid sobs. “I know she is, we have to get him back!”

“Shh,” Heather wraps her arms around her girlfriend and holds her tight to her chest even as blood soaks through her own clothes. “Valka would never risk him, he’s too useful to her.”

They are cruel words, admitting that a mother wouldn’t hurt her own son simply because he’s of some kind of use, but Astrid needs to hear them. Hiccup isn’t in any more danger than he already was before and Valka wouldn’t want to lose the ease that he continues to give her. So long as he does what she wants, he’ll be safe.

Astrid doesn’t believe her. Hiccup is in the enemy’s base surrounded by people who didn’t care enough about him to worry for his life, health or personhood to at least question what Valka was doing to her own son and then he risked everything to save her life after they got him so far as to take someone’s life for her.

Something is about to happen, she fears for a countdown she has no proof of and these injuries are stopping her from saving him like he saved her.

Stoick went. Throk told him his son could wait and so he went and he has no idea what he’s walking into. If he meets the same Hiccup she did when three of Stormfly’s claws impaled her almost all the way through, he will get hurt. He might get killed, Valka will only be getting rid of a loose end, he won’t be valuable like Astrid potentially was. And Hiccup, he will not survive losing his father.

Again, Astrid tries to get up, feeling lightheaded from the blood loss just as a nurse comes in to see what’s wrong. All she does, is rip one more stitch.

[pianocat939]

Hi I just read your trust is broken" trope with the Yandere turtles it was so good ! I was wondering would it be ok to do a reverse card on the turtles instead . Imagine the reader works for big mama this whole time , only something happens (maybe big mama spilled the beans or Donnie connected the dots ) while she/the reader didn’t know the boys were yanderes this whole time please HCs please for Yandere Leo , yandere Donnie and yandere Raph please thank u 🌺

Betrayal? Now that is quite something to see. I changed the request a tiny bit, just some of the background things.

Poor Mikey Wazowski…But I suppose I created a sociopath.

Another name on the list - 🌺 Anon

Tw: betrayal obv, murder, Leo is possessive this time, feral turtles, Raph is poor bby, they’re all kinda delusional, mention of arson, slight depression

MC Betrays Yandere Turtles (No Mikey ;-;)

Background Scenario:

As a close worker of Big Mama, you had quite the reputation in the Yokai World, but no one ever dared to whisper your name, for they feared you would come for their souls.

To be fair you were known to cut out any rivals or enemies of Big Mama. Some called you assassin, while others named you spy.

Either way, you were sent to investigate the turtles and bring them to the Battle Nexus; which meant you had to earn their trust.

After reviewing a few files over them, you head to Baron Draxum's place (when he's living in the human world) in hopes of knowing their location.

You two argue until behold your luck one of them arrives: it was Mikey Mouse. He carried a box of pizza in his hands, eyes sparkling a little when he notices you.

He interjects the bickering and shoves the food into Draxum's hands, turning around to face you.

He asks for your name, introduces himself, and soon enough he drags you to the lair. He was chipper, talking about his brothers nonstop.

Looks like your job is going to be easier.

After a few months of meeting and becoming friends with the family, you strike, holding them hostage in the underground dungeons of the Battle Nexus Arena.

Only to realize what hell you brought among Big Mama’s facility.

Raph

The definition of a kicked puppy.

He stares at you with the saddest eyes enough to make Baron Draxum cry.

He’s so confused and scared that he lashes out at the guards around the bars.

If left alone (+ with his bros) for too long, he’ll manage to break himself out. His emotions are wild, and he can’t think rationally at all; barbaric even.

He’ll run off trying to find you, not focusing on anything except clues that could lead him to you.

The worst part is if anyone tries to stop him he’ll punch/shove them so much that they have to let him go of how beaten they are.

Once he sees you he’s immediately going to pounce, clinging onto your legs like a needy child. He whimpers about how he missed you so much and questions why you left him.

You can’t pry him off you no matter what, and his Alligator snapping turtle features don’t make it easier either (he a big boy).

His clinginess is tenfold now that you've broken his trust. You can't tell him to let go, what if you leave him alone again?!

"I was so scared all alone, I wanted to cry."

Leo

(He's just as bad as Mikey with this)

Two words: he breaks.

He screams and starts yelling out profanity, his arms reaching out for you in his cage. The guards try to stop him but he ends up hurting them, even without his sword.

He'll get out using his clever tricks, retrieving his weapon in the process.

Once he reclaims his weapon he'll kill everything in his path, including other Battle Nexus contestants.

He tries to prove his usefulness as a way to draw your attention. Which it does, considering all the corpses that decorate the ground.

He'll walk up to you with his arms wide open, and he'll embrace you, laughing as he does so.

He blabbers on and on about why he should be the only one you kidnap; it's his duty, or it's because he's useful.

From that day on you're stuck with the undefeatable Battle Nexus champion whose hands are stained with blood, yet at night he holds you tight with a grin that brings fear to your heart.

He basically gets possessive over his role and doesn't want anyone but him to be the one you kidnap to be in the Battle Nexus arena.

"You haven't captured anyone else, right? Only I can be your champion~"

Donnie Duck

Heartbroken but also assumes the wrong thing.

He's in pain that you betrayed him but believes Big Mama forced you to do this, not because of your willingness to work for her.

He doesn't get out of his cage, instead acts super disinterested. It’s his tactic to draw attention and also because he’s a little depressed.

If you come down due to the reports of him pulling the “Lou Jitsu” move he’s shoving his face against the bars; asking if you’re ok.

He's worried sick that something's happened to you. Especially since it's Big Mama. He's reaching for your ankles, searching for injuries (trying to grab the grippers).

I know all of them are completely unhinged after this betrayal but D'Nello has no thoughts going through his head except for injuries and that Big Mama is a bitch.

If you ever find yourself distracted for even a second (ADHD ppl we're in trouble-) he's pulling you forward commanding you to stay. He's not letting you go until the two of you can escape from this hell Big Mama has put you in.

If Big Mama comes in he's basically a feral dog trying to kill her. He's pulling out everything he has in his battle shell.

He basically kidnaps you home at that point.

"I dare you to duel with me, Big Mama. I DARE YOU."

Michelle

Commits arson-

——————————————————

Sorry I haven't written anything for the last couple of days. I've had a few music performances so I've been tired/have no time.

And now I lay in bed in pain from carrying 5 drums for half an hour ;-;.

- Celina

[zoedaw-time]

Ocverse infodump👀???

OHOHOHI GLAD YOU ASKED CAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN

General Gist: They’re for a game I’m planning that has both a story mode and a free play mode. A roguelite with multiple playable characters but it’s gay and you fight hordes of angels. You unlock the characters via the story mode!

Story modes plot is how their town is slowly being invaded and colonized by hordes of white missionaries seeking to take advantage of the towns location being in a spot where the barriers between the spirit and mortal worlds are weak enough to open rifts between the two.

The main theme I’m exploring is love. How love changes and inspires. With characters love for each other, love for home, even love in faith can inspire them to stand up against tyranny. That love isn’t the same as aimless pacifism or inaction.

There’s quite a lot of them so hope you don’t get lost in it. I can always send you a script over in DMs if you want to read the whole story so far! (It will be subjected to change).

Achilles (any): They’re the ones who spark the domino effect that’s in the story. She’s a recent move in to the town and is an extremely curious kid who is strong and skilled enough with a shovel to take down a several hundred pound angel.

He is determined as hell, though is able to recognize when she needs to stop. Feeling guilty when the trail she was following was a dead end and a hurt person. Also she’s intersex bigender so he’s gender fuckery.

They’re so special to me because we never see intersex characters in media. I wanted to represent so many people I knew and know (I’m questioning intersex!), and they’re the original main character before I turned every teen playable!

Eli (she/they): Achilles online partner before she moved into the town. Unlike Achilles who is patient waiting to strike, she goes all out with a baseball bat. With her motto being “I’m fucking taken them down with me.”

She’s a brutally honest scrappy girl. Willing to argue and stand up to those who she knows is wrong. Standing right next to her friends no matter what. She’s part of the Navajo tribe and is a femby (femme enby!).

Orginally was meant to be a dead partner Achilles grieved, she become so interesting alive that she gets to be in the story alive and well to love.

Stig (they/them): They’re the resident fashion monarch! If anyone knows a thing about fashion it’s them. The want to be stylish also extends to their weapon which is a yo-yo! Fighting with a yo-yo is always impressive and they’re quite a master at it.

They’re understanding and empathetic but can go too far and if they think something is going on, they’re willing to break boundaries. Though always making sure to apologize if they’re wrong. They’re AMAB enby cause we need more of them in fiction. (They also get a romance arc with Achilles and Eli hehe).

Honestly? Wanted to see a lot more AMAB enbies in media and Stig was perfect for it! Fun fact: Stig means owl and with those big shades it’s not hard to see why!

Rook (he/they): A DnD history nerd incarnate, he’s even got a sword he carries around casually. Fighting wise he’s not fast but he’s a wall, knowing exactly to apply pressure with his sword and blocks with it well.

Though you’d think he’d be a meek spineless nerd, he’s very well spoken and knows when to stand up. With bravery being a value he holds close. He does get irritated at times and can snap but makes sure he lets his anger out without hurting anyone. He’s aroace (closest is QP for him), and is Jewish! As well as being adopted by two gay dads, one of them being muslim the other being buddhist.

Originally was one of my most forgettable characters, giving him his current design just hits oomf. Plus is an exercise to writing different faiths and of course we need an aroace character who’s happy about being aroace and can kick serious ass.

Bit (he): He’s all guy! Just with a better coat of paint. A gamer with an ancestral magical spear. Unlike the others who are fast or careful, Bit likes to just go all out stabbing even using it to pierce through multiple angels.

He’s a rough boy, participating in wrestling with his brother. Extremely passionate as well exerting himself 100%. Though he does get blind sighted and the passion he puts in can have colaterral damage. Still he loves those around him. GNC Irish-Scottish transmasc lesbian (he is part of a giant polycule that grows in the story).

A lot of onscreen transmasc representation is all about trying to go masculine heavily. So having a transmasc character who’s genuinely just a boy with breasts is something refreshing to see. (And yes he is inspired by Wally Darling).

Lupi (she/paw): Werewolf time! She’s a werewolf and is connected to the rifts in the town. She fights like a wild animal, grappling onto her foes and crushing their necks to repeatedly biting them.

She’s true to herself and incredibly crafty, able to think outsmart her way through tough situations. Though she’s also highly affectionate, she isn’t above pranking people. Paw is an agender sapphic wolf (and is part of the polycule!).

One of the ones I had so much fun designing, wanted to strike a balance between feral wolf like fake and humanoid in my style was a challenge. However taking the usual bubble mouth in cartoons and interpreting it as a snout did favors!

Harley (she): You’d think she’d be all edge but she’s just a teenage girl trying to make it. Unlike all the others, she fights with genuinely magic! Using a glove she moves her hands to form glyphs on the floor that explode or do other moves!

She’s a goth kid who loves her friend, family and husband*(boyfriend but she and Mit’sa pretend to be married). Though she says unsettling things, it’s all for good show. Behind it all she’s just a sweet devious jokester! But she’s not perfect as she often views herself disconnected from culture and tries too hard to connect at times.

Honestly she’s the character with the most me in it. Story wise she and her sister ran away with their grandpa from the Philippines so that Harley can transition safely and her sister Skyler can be open as a lesbian. Struggling with transness and culture, shes me when I was 13 in the most raw and real ways.

Mit’saidl (he/they): Diego the Explorer as a teenage boy haha! He loves to keep distance and quick on his feet. Equipped with a compound bow he uses rapidly to deliver hard hitting arrows!

He’s an adventurous kind-hearted boy. Though this comes at a fault when it comes to hurting people and not angels. He also loves sharing himself and his culture, often practicing braiding with Harley’s hair as well as teaching her phrases in his language.

While Harley is meant to reflect not being sure culturally, Mit’saidl is the opposite to her in that regards. He knows very well his culture! Infact he’s trans and used the name Mit’saidl as a sort of pun. As he’s Kwakiutl and speaks kwak’wala! It’s a language defined by suffixes for tone and etc. Mit’sa is the word for kiss while idl is the suffix meaning astonished! Meaning when he kisses Harley and she says his name, he smiles knowing how clever and cheeky he is. (Also yes they’re T4T!!! We need more POC T4T!!!)

Sam(he/any): Violinist little guy!! Like his brother he has an incredible passion for music! It also plays into his fighting as the world freezes and he plays a tune and affects all the enemies around him with anything. Plus he’s brothers with Bit!

They’re a bit too optimistic, often believing in the power of authority to help. However he quickly learns that he has to do it himself. He’s a bit hardheaded and stubborn, but it helps him stand by his beliefs.

Not much extra commentary on him. He’s also intersex like Achilles but overall he’s been a character who I love because he’s a little guy.

Victoria(she/pretty): A The pretty princess of the group! And like every pretty princess she gets a big ass sniper rifle! She’s fast and hits hard from distance with it.

Though she is definitely self-absorbed, she knows what to fight for. She is actually incredibly keen and logistic. Able to deduce when shit is up. She values her achievements and awards, but when face with the choice to give her friends up or her awards. She’d pick her friends

She’s canonically NPD (I got NPD!) Don’t have a set gender or sexuality but she’s like “I’m so fucking cool.” However story wise she’s grieving her dad, with her and her sister in the story being exploration of different grief types.

That’s the main introductory gang!! I’ll post for the others! I can always send you the script if you want fnfmfm

[szagaloree]

His wife…

Chapter 7

Contains: angst/blood/ then fluff/smut

Quaritch slowly woke up with his arms wrapped around gwen, he sighs staring down at her sleeping state, he cannot lie, he wants her back he really wants her back that’s why he’s trying to chang but something is holding him back like a drug. He kiss the top of her before getting out of bed and dressed, he stretched cracking some of his bones before leaving. “Aye Quaritch they’re at it again,” Lyle said “what are you talking about?” Quaritch raised a brow “they’re testing on the kid,” he said and that’s when Quaritch jaw clenched in anger, he couldn’t believe she was doing it again! Testing on his son.

He sprints in to see him in that machine again, he nearly was going to have seizure from that with blood running down his nose, he slams the button “what the fuck are you doing?!” He exclaims, “we need answers I’m not waiting for you to play daddy,” she said not caring at all, “take him out” Quaritch said “excuse me?” She questions “take.him.out!” Quaritch growled, “I’m afraid not,” she said, Quaritch tilts his head with chest pumping hardly before grabs at the machine pulling one of the systems off making the scientists sprint up “hey!” They yelled, “get him out of each and every one of you are gonna be eating alive,” he threatens coldly, Lyle, z-dog, ha and mansk pull out their guns.

One of them ends up pressing the button releasing but he was so weak he couldn’t stand up so Quaritch caught him Lyle while walks over to carry the boy, “why do you care about the boy so much he’s not even your son,” that made his fists ball up, “that’s because you erased my memories of my wife and my son, that’s why,” her eyes widen so did the others, “you think I didn’t know? Huh… I see why sully switched sides because even your own people be so twisted,” Quaritch said leaving.

“Wait he’s your son?”?z-dog asks in shock “mhm there’s videos to prove he is,” Quaritch spiel, “I mean… he does look like him,” mansk shrugs, gwen was awake now and she was walking through the hallway to look for spider, “spider?!” She gasps “what the hell happened?” She asks “Carmella was testing on the boy trying to get him to spill the beans on sully,” Lyle answered. “I’m gonna fuck that bitch up!” She grunted “this I want to see,” mansk smirked along with a-dog and ja but Quaritch grabs her waist stopping “woah there, I handled it, she won’t be doing that again,” he said “I don’t care Imma handle her, I’m sick of her,” she tries to get out of his grip but he only tightened it telling she was not going to literally kill Carmella. “I handled it okay, I’m gonna get him check alright he’ll be fine,” Quaritch says, gwen huffs crossing her arms ,“she got one more time,” Gwen said, spider got checked and he’s thankfully okay and just needs to rest for the day it was to the point gwen had him in his aunties quarters so he can have multiple eyes on him. They were pissed off themselves when they were told what happened, “I want him out of here! It’s getting to damn dangerous! I’m not finna test on my son like he’s a animals! It’s disgusting and inhuman!” She argues, “I know I know, where are we gonna take him? We can’t just leave,” Quaritch said, “I’m gonna find a way! I’m sick of sticking here, I’m not finna loose my son,” she says “our son, we’ll figure something out okay,”he comforts her.

She looks up at him, she was worried for her son, the way he was easily taken from them just to try and get a word out of him by torturing him like that scares her, “I’m going to go I need some air,” she said leaving, she walks to the quarters “everything alright?” Allen asks “no they did it again! You still got location on the others who stood back?” I ask “yea why?” She tilts her head “I need to talk to them… I.. spider can’t stay here it’s getting worser Carmella is only going to torture him more if he doesn’t tell her shit,” gwen huffs. “You want me to come with you?” Allen asks, “I don’t know, they’re probably not going to trust us,” gwen says hesitantly “well, what if we bring spider?” She sighed “alright let’s go,” Allen and gwen walked inside spider’s room to wake him up “what’s going on?” He asks “we’re going to see some old friends, I bet you know them,” gwen smirks, “who?” He asks rubbing his eyes “you’ll see but don’t tell anyone,” he nods he follows and they were able to sneak out, and fly on their ikran’s with Allen leading the way.

“Hey max! Check this out!” Norm jogs over to max kneeling down to show him something, “wait! They’re here!” One shouted norm grabs his gun along with the others when they spot us, gwen flies down hoping down “spider?” Norm calls in disbelief “norm!” Spider sprints to him smiling, “gwen?” Max stares at her trying to figure her out, “yea” they gasp, “what? I-it-it really worked?!” He says nervously she nods “yea on few of us,” Allen said, “how did you come back, I thought you died from giving birth?” Samantha asks “yea I did, but they store our memories for this specific reason to bring us back.. as their damn puppets,” gwen said, “are you alone?” Norm asks we both nodded “yea it’s just them,” spider said, “I’m trying to figure out how I can get spider out of this if not me and the rest, they were literally testing on him just to try and get a word out on where Jake sully is… and I’m not gonna let that happen,” I said, “he can stay with us, he’s been staying with us ever since jake and the omaticaya sent them back to earth,” max said, “we can’t let him stay right now we have to think this through, it’s not easy because the rest will be after him too and they’ll suspicious of us and put us down for good,” Allen said.

“If Jake ever gives you word on anything let him know he got his on recoms in their for him and we’ll try to give out every word we get,” gwen says sternly, max and norm nodded, “you knows it going to take sometimes for them to trust you, I know Jake probably would trust since he was trying to reach out to you for help against them but you ended passing away before he could,” norm says, gwen sighs “yea I know.. Jake knows I’m not them, nothing like them but he knows i was Quaritch’s wife even though I am I couldn’t even get him to change when I myself wanted him too,” she said, “let’s go spider, we gotta head back before they start looking for us,” she sighed.

A day later norm and max was already heading to the metkayina clan to find out what’s going on with kiri, “Jake umm there’s something we found and need to know,” norm says “what?” He asks scared, “you remember gwen?” Max asks his eyebrows twitches in confusion “gwen?” Jake says quietly “uhh no I don’t remember,” he said, “so umm it comes to find out that… spider’s mother is alive,” he raises a brow “she was alive this whole time? Where the hell was she?!” Jake asks getting angry because there’s no way his mother could be alive and didn’t bother to look for son?! “No no, the thing is gwen was brought back to life by the rda,” max explains “gwen who is gwen I don’t… oh shit, gwen?! Wait gwen!” Max nods “quaritch’s wife; she’s his mother,” Jake eyes widen, “gwen is brought back to life? How?” He asks “they have a memory card so that way they can be made and brought back to life with their memories,” max explains, “it’s creepy but she came to us yesterday because she’s trying to figure a way out for her and spider,” norm said, “she’s one of them?” Jake huffs shaking his head “if she was she wouldn’t be coming to us she already they were trying to test on the kid to try and get him to talk basically, torture him.. Jake you know she isn’t, you even tried to reach out to her before she died,” norms says.

“How did she die?” Jake asks.

“Giving birth to spider,” Jake eyes slowly widen, the guilt and sadness he felt “damn man, that’s fucked up, man!” He shakes his head sighing, “she said you got recoms on the inside that’s willing to give you their next move,” Jake puts out a smirk “yea she’s Quaritch wife alright she’s known for recom missions, whatever she can give send it to me, I’ll try to figure out how I can get her and spider out,” they nodded.

[nobodywritingao3]

Shameful Company [ch 2]

masterpost | previous | next

The village Tommy grew up in was located in a beast's territory, a man eating serpent's. Isolated from the world, all he's ever known is loneliness. When he's forced outside the safety of the town walls he meets a stranger who claims to live beyond the village. They become fast friends despite the fact that the man is clearly hiding something - but can you really blame Tommy? He's never had a friend before.

CW for entire fic: - Wilbur eats people lol - swearing title taken from 'Shameful Company' by Rainbow Kitten Surprise inspired by the talented @beckyu and her story 'My Monster to Slay' (tumblr) (AO3)

word count: 3.5k 🐍 read it on AO3

The routine keeps up for little more than a week.

Tommy is always sent out the same day he comes back. He and Wilbur dick around the forest or relax in the cave until sunset, which they watch from the entrance with warm mugs of tea. They stay up talking and the next morning, they wake up slowly, lounging around until well past noon. Wilbur insists he return to the village and Tommy argues it’s a waste of time since he’ll just get kicked out again. They go back and he’s proven right. Wilbur waits in the clearing and they spend the rest of the day in each other’s company.

It’s actually really fun. It’s the most connection he’s ever felt in his memory, and as far as he can tell, Wilbur appreciates the friendship as much as Tommy does.

Which is why he’s confused (and yeah, okay, a little hurt) that Wilbur sends him back, over and over and over again. Not to be clingy but - for fuck’s sake - at the very least, Wilbur could be a bit less vehement about it.

It’s disorienting too - Wilbur has admitted that he spends around three hours waiting for Tommy, and everytime they meet, his eyes light up and he smiles. The mixed signals are confusing. It’s a complicated layer to the friendship Tommy can’t help trying to mentally untangle.

Like - why is it such a big deal that he leave each day?

The villagers don’t want him - they’re still holding out hope he’ll get eaten in the woods for goodness’ sake. Not only is it pointless to send him ‘home,’ but - Tommy wants to stay, as embarrassing as it is to admit. Not that he’d ever dream of asking to live in the cave, Tommy’s man enough to admit he doesn’t have the balls. Truthfully, he wishes Wilbur would offer.

He hates the village. Everything about it, from the way the citizens are terrified and brainwashed and revere Dream like he’s a fucking god, to its deep and unwavering hostility. People have always regarded him as an outcast, but the shunning has worsened dramatically now that he’s a repeat survivor of the Outside.

He just wants to stay with Wilbur, in the cave in the woods.

There’s a part of him, a self loathing little piece of his brain that tells him there’s something wrong with him. The village sees it, the council sees it. Either Wilbur’s already seen it and he’s too good a person to reject Tommy directly, or he’ll see it soon and he’ll cast him away then.

He tries to shrug it off.

Normally, he can say with clarity where he stands with someone. The townsfolk don’t care for his wellbeing. No matter how convincing they are, or how convinced of their own lies they are, he can see through them. But Wilbur is confusing. He’s nothing like the villagers. He has his own interests at heart, while they’ve had their self preservation and agency stamped out by Dream and the rest of the council. Wilbur’s got his own agenda and his secrets, and he’s a bad liar. He acts like he cares about Tommy, but he does things to contradict that. Like sending him away everyday.

He mulls over these thoughts as he sits on the ground next to the gates, doodling in a little pad of paper Wilbur had gifted him. Tommy’s got another twenty minutes until he’ll be released, and the man is undoubtedly waiting for him in the clearing.

Gravel crunches to his left - footsteps - and he looks up. Dream approaches him, smiling friendly in a way that doesn’t reach his eyes.

Tommy’s stomach starts to twist into knots. “Hello,” he greets casually, “are you here to see me off?”

He reminds himself that Dream can’t hurt him directly, not until he’s eighteen.

He’s safe. He’s safe. He’s safe.

(He’s not.)

Dream looks at him with something appraising and cold in his eyes, though he’s still giving his best smile. “Unfortunately not, I’m afraid I have a meeting in ten minutes with the council, though I wish you luck,” he laughs. It’s soft, and a little dark. But in a way that only Tommy ever seems to notice. He continues affectedly, “but it seems I don’t need to! You’ve shown to be very… lucky.”

There’s a million things Tommy could say. He could tell Dream to shut up with the villain monologue, to just cut to the chase. Or he could go bigger, and scream at him. Tell him he’s a manipulative sadist who feeds on the attention, fearful and loving, of two hundred people because he’s empty and cold and knows no one would ever love him if they saw him for what he is.

But he won’t say those things. It’s pointless. And Dream would just feed on it and use it to fuck with him even more. Honestly, even thinking of comebacks makes him tired.

So he smiles instead. “Indeed sir,” he responds plainly. “I’ve been fortunate.”

Something changes in Dream’s demeanor.

Tommy instantly knows he said the wrong thing.

After a gap of silence, he coolly responds, “Don’t be coy.”

Tommy blinks. He has no idea what to say. Hesitantly, he asks, “Excuse me?”

Dream ignores him. “How did you do it?”

Terror works itself under his skin. Dream holds all the cards. It’s his town, his people. If he’s being openly hostile and not just passive aggressive, then the only way this ends is after he’s gotten what he wants from Tommy, scaring and humiliating him in the process.

He just needs to comply - he just has to let it happen. And then in twenty minutes, he can go. He can see Wilbur. He can leave this behind and pretend it didn’t happen and it’ll be like it didn’t.

“Sir,” he begins softly, “I’m not sure what you mean - ”

“Yes. You do.”

Tommy falls silent, paralyzed in fear.

“How did you survive?” Dream begins. He’s using that voice that Tommy’s learned means he already knows the answer, and is only prying for a confession for the sake of feeling powerful. To knock someone down and rip their dignity and worth and personhood to shreds.

Tommy would let him. He’d offer up whatever he’s looking for if it meant this interrogation would end. He always wins, so why draw it out? But he doesn’t know what Dream wants to hear. He doesn’t know what Dream thinks he did. Tears gather in his eyes.

Dream grows impatient. And he starts talking. “How did you avoid being eaten up by that thing? And after that - how did you avoid the hundreds of other beasts in the forest?”

Tommy brings his knees to his chest and curls his hands protectively around his legs. He doesn’t want Dream to see him shaking. He needs to say something, admit to something. But he doesn’t know what to say, and there’s no way in hell he’s dragging Wilbur into this.

“Come on, Tommy, it’s not that fucking difficult,” Dream insists, “just tell me the truth - I won’t be mad.”

Nothing. There’s nothing.

His tears spill over. All he can do is cry.

Dream heaves a sigh above him. “I gave you a chance.”

Tommy’s shoulders shake with the effort of holding back sobs.

“Seriously? Nothing?”

He desperately swings his head from side to side. He wants Dream to believe him, to just show a little mercy, but he knows that he won’t. He wants to apologize but he doesn’t trust himself to speak.

“You met the serpent,” Dream finally supplies.

Tommy’s too distraught to even process the words. He gulps down the sobs and wipes at his face, he needs to respond, he needs to respond before Dream gets impatient -

“Answer me.”

Through sharp sobs, Tommy chokes out, “N - no. I didn’t, of - of course I didn’t, I’d be dead if I - ”

“For fuck’s sake, Tommy, cut the shit,” he curls his upper lip in disgust, “I can smell it - I can smell him - all over you.”

What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the -

“Your little friend, or - ” he chuckles humorlessly, turning away in agitation, “big friend, I suppose - he thinks he can just claim you? Protect you? That isn’t this this works,” he spits resentfully, “you’d do good to tell him that. You are mine, you belong to me. I gifted you to him as a meal - not as a pet! You tell him that - you better fucking tell him that.”

Tommy’s mouth hangs open, crying halted in favor of shock. Dream’s always been a bit… loose, but it looks like he’s finally lost his shit completely.

Irritated at his silence, Dream faces Tommy. Rather than get angrier or rant more to fill the silence, it’s like he lights up. And that’s possibly the scariest thing he’s done so far.

“Oh…” he says softly. “That’s beautiful - that’s fucking rich. You didn’t know, did you?” His mouth curls up in a cruel smile and he starts to laugh, wheezes building louder and louder. “Oh - that is too fucking good!” He collects himself. “Well in that case,” he says between giggles, “just forget we talked, yeah? If he wants to play with his food for a bit, I suppose I can’t judge -” he gestures to the town with wide arms, “- I set up camp here, didn’t I?” Dream turns and leaves, still laughing to himself.

Twelve minutes later, the gates open and Tommy is set free.

~

Sitting on one of the beds in the cave, Tommy gives Wilbur a grateful smile as he wraps a warm quilt around his shoulders.  

When Tommy had met him in the clearing, eyes red and cheeks blotchy, Wilbur had hugged him hard and pried for details, listening to Tommy recount the events as they traveled back to the cave. He’d made up warm teas and sweet foods for Tommy to snack on, and he’d practically buried him in the softest bedding around the little home. He promised they were safe here.

Sinking into the spot next to him, Wilbur gently asks, “Did he say anything else?”

Tommy shrugs hopelessly. “No, that was it.” He idly stirs his tea. “I think - I think there’s something wrong with him. Like, medically,” he emphasizes.

Wilbur wears a troubled expression. “And you’re sure he said - ”

“Yes, I am,” Tommy says exasperatedly. “Trust me, he fully thinks that I’m friends with the serpent or something.”

Wilbur nods in acknowledgement and sips at his tea with a funny look on his face. “And he’s your mayor?”

He gesticulates vaguely. “Basically. We’ve got a bit of a weird system in place - I don’t know how much I’ve told you, but we’ve got a council of town leaders, and Dream is the boss.”

Wilbur suddenly gets an odd look on his face, like he realized something. “Tommy…” he asks carefully, “what’s the history of your village? Like - this isn’t exactly a welcoming environment for civilization.”

Tommy smiles emptily. “Yeah, it really isn’t,” he agrees.

He taps the rim of his mug, thinking over the things he’d heard as a child. “From my understanding, the original settlers had been fleeing from something when their navigator took a wrong turn. By the time the group realized, it had wandered into a basilisks's territory and it was too late to turn around. A bunch of people were attacked and eaten. Fights broke out about what to do, if leaving the forest was a viable option or not, that kind of thing. Eventually the navigator took responsibility and promised to start a fortified town in the forest to protect the remaining survivors. He founded the council, we claimed a bit of land, the walls were built up,” Tommy concludes. “Wil, how is this relevant?”

That look crosses his face - the stupid one he gets whenever he’s keeping secrets or about to tell the shittiest lie in history, and Tommy feels a spike of irritation.

He bites down his frustration and looks away. “Nevermind,” he mutters, a little harsher than he meant it. He feels Wilbur look at him in concern, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. He clears his throat. “Do you need to know anything else?” he tries to ask as neutrally as possible.

He can tell Wilbur wants to ask what’s bothering him. He bites the inside of his cheek and takes a long sip of tea, hoping he gets the message.

Wilbur eyes him worriedly, but thankfully he doesn’t probe. Instead he asks, “Who was the navigator?”

It catches him off guard. “What?”

“The person who got the group lost, who founded the council. What was his name? Do you know anything about him?”

He searches his memory. That’s so strange. It’s a detail that no one’s ever mentioned or asked for. But it’s also a very central thing - to the story, to the town’s history.

Wilbur takes his silence as some kind of answer, mumbling to himself, “Right, well this complicates some things.”

They’re silent for a few seconds, Wilbur solving a mystery while Tommy finds the first clues. He’s tempted to ask what’s going on. It’s unnerving, and something is clearly wrong, but he dismisses the thought out of hand. If it’s connected to the bullshit Wilbur is so secretive about - which Tommy is entirely sure it is - then he wouldn’t share if pressed.

Wilbur breaks him from his thoughts. “Tommy, you said that after the original settlers came in, they couldn’t leave because of a basilisk? Are you sure about that?”

Tommy nods. “Yeah… it’s the one I was worried about when we met, the same one that ate Jared?”

Wilbur falls silent, that guilty look on his face again. Tommy stares at him, trying to pick him apart with his eyes. He’s hiding something again.

He takes a shot in the dark and guesses, feigning surprise -  “Holy shit, it’s a different serpent, isn’t it?”

Wilbur looks up in panic. “What?!”

“You saw Jared being eaten - what species of serpent was it?”

Wilbur stares at Tommy.

“Was it not a basilisk?”

Wilbur breaks eye contact and looks away. “Tommy, that’s - that’s fucking ridiculous mate, I don’t know what you’re - ”

Something breaks inside of him. Maybe years of mistreatment at the hands of his village, or days of Wilbur’s dogshit lying - possibly the confrontation with Dream earlier that day - in any case, it pushes him over the edge and he snaps. “Would it actually fucking kill you to tell me the truth?”

Wilbur moves back in surprise, a hurt look flashing across his face.

“You’re not even a good liar, and I know because you’ve been lying to me since we met. Every day we’ve known each other, you’ve lied to me, or deflected, or avoided answering some basic fucking question about your life. I thought maybe I was the problem, but no - the truth is you’re just a liar,” Tommy rants, breathing hard and blinking back tears.

Wilbur stares at him with a stunned look on his face. “Tommy, I’m… I’m sorry. ” He’s bleedingly sincere.

Fucking good, Tommy miserably thinks to himself.

He sniffles. “If you want to lie about your life - then fine. Maybe it’s traumatic, and maybe it’s personal. I wouldn’t know, and I don’t have to. But this is different, ‘cause it’s a fucked up situation, and I am as in it as you are.”

They sit in uncomfortable, tense silence for a few seconds, punctuated only by Tommy’s quiet crying.

After a moment, Wilbur says softly, “I’ve been a bit of an ass, haven’ t I?”

“Yeah, you have been,” Tommy bitterly agrees.

He seems to physically wilt. “There’s nothing wrong with you, and I’m sorry that I made you feel that way. I’m really, really sorry, Sunshine.”

Tommy’s chin trembles. He can feel tears start to spill over.

Wilbur loops an arm around his torso and gently pulls him in for a side hug. “To tell you the truth - I want to share. A lot more than I do. And I also feel upset that I keep secrets from you.”

“Then why?” Tommy barely chokes out.

Wilbur sighs and presses a kiss to the crown of his head. “Because it’s better that way.” He readjusts the quilt around Tommy’s shoulders. “It’s better for everyone if you just don’t know some things about me.”

Tommy rubs at his face miserably. He knew it would go like this.

“That said, I see where you’re coming from.” Tommy looks up in surprise and Wilbur offers him a sheepish smile. “You’re right about this. This is a deeply fucked up situation and for your own safety, there are things you deserve to know.”

He looks away, thinking. “You were right, there are two serpents… I shouldn’t have lied about that.”

Damn. He wasn’t actually expecting to be right.

“Your village is about four decades old, right?”

He nods.

Wilbur goes quiet for a second. Resignation creeping into his voice, he says, “The second serpent - it’s only twenty-two years old.” He starts to fidget with the ends of his sweater sleeves anxiously. “That’s the one that’s been eating all the volunteers for the past two decades. It’s not the basilisk that trapped the original settlers in this forest - honestly, I didn’t even know of a basilisk having territory here until you’d said something. And I don’t know what happened to it exactly - ”

“But you have a suspicion?” Tommy finishes, voice still a little raspy from crying.

Wilbur nods, a little perturbed.

“Is it a suspicion you’ll tell me?”

Wilbur smiles sadly at him. Tommy knows the answer before he has a chance to say it. “Sorry mate.”

Trying to move past the disappointment, Tommy changes the subject. “How do you know all that about the second serpent? You’re only twenty-something yourself, so it’s not like you could have been around the whole time to see it - ”

“Tommy,” Wilbur cuts in, exhaustion audible in his voice, “please just trust me on this, alright?” He shakes his head slowly, a fond but heartbroken look on his face. “I swear - you’re too clever for your own good.”

Despite everything, the comment starts a warm feeling in his chest. Tommy relents. “Fine, fine. You somehow have all this information - I won’t question how.”

He nods gratefully.

“But I do want to know - what species is the second serpent?”

He figured Wilbur would be a bit cagey about answering, but he didn’t expect - this. 

It’s like he’s imploding before Tommy’s eyes. A look of panic flashes across his face before he has a chance to school it into something more neutral.

Wilbur looks at him. His expression is conflicted. It’s full of barely concealed loss, and guilt, and pity, and it is so, so guarded.

Wordlessly, Wilbur pulls him in for a solid, warm hug. He does nothing but breathe and hold Tommy for ten seconds.

When he pulls away, his eyes are glassy and he’s forcing a smile. “Do you remember what I said to you when I was bringing you back to the village that first day? When you asked me how I’ve survived this long in the forest?”

Tommy nods, confused and a little worried. “You said you’d… ‘tell me your secrets’ when I’m older.”

Wilbur affectionately rubs his shoulder. “And I will.” He clears his throat and stands up.

“To answer your question, the second serpent is… It’s nothing you have to worry about, okay?” He offers Tommy a sincere, pleading look. “Believe me - to you, it’s harmless. Completely harmless.”

~

The next morning Wilbur is in an uncharacteristically good mood. He gives Tommy a soft smile and ruffles his hair before tugging him out of bed and leading him to the dining table for breakfast.

Tommy takes a seat and begins to cut his portions while watching Wilbur curiously. “Wake up on the right side of the bed?”

He laughs lightly. “Something like that. Um - actually, I need to talk to you about something.”

Tommy tries not to let his concern show. “Yeah?”

Wilbur nervously takes a sip of water. “After everything we talked about yesterday, particularly what you said about Dream, the basilisk - I don’t think it’s safe for you to go back home.” He gesticulates nervously and starts to ramble, “For right now, I mean - ! You might be able to go back soon, I’m just worried about you for right now, and I wouldn’t feel very comfortable if I knew you were anywhere near - ”

“Wilbur,” Tommy cuts in, “are you asking if I’ll stay at the cave for a while?”

He nods shakily, a fear of rejection written plainly across his face.

Tommy smiles at him widely. “That sounds great. Thank you.”

~

That afternoon, they don’t send Tommy back to the village.

~ ~ ~

it is simply a staple of my writing that everything i start ends up four times longer than i originally intended...

hope you guys enjoyed

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 231

Everyone, please thank @baelpenrose for reminding me it was Tuesday and that I needed to post a chapter.  I had a few days off, and that made me think today was Monday, as it does sometimes.

Before I do reader shout-outs, I want to mention: I will update the master list on Thursday. It’s almost bed time here, so that’s going to be a bit delayed.

Reader shout outs! @dinension has been making their way through, @van-ina is making some serious progress... give me your feedback in my comments, asks, or DMs! I love it! @mimicofaperson, @themightywookie, and @nube-de-lluvia, i hope you are still enjoying!

“All hands, this is Xiomara Kalloe speaking. Prepare for armed and dangerous boarding parties. Further instructions will come from… Sophia Reid, Parvati Fletcher, and Charly Harper.”

Alice’s head snapped around. “What about Hannah? Did something - “

Xiomara held up one palm with regal calm, despite her fingers trembling. “We need Hannah coordinating parties and supplies to the life pods.”

Alice’s eyes darted toward me, and I nodded. Hannah was great with people, but had definitely missed her calling coordinating cargo on long supply drives.

“Ivan, the cafeteria six meters ahead on your left is secure,” I snapped as calmly as possible.

“No, Jokul,” I heard Parvati argue. “I need you and a blunt or sharp object near that last hit to starboard. It’s weak and Huynh has it mapped as potential boarding. Sending HUD map location. Yes, I know they’re cute, but they’re more likely to survive this than we are. Any that ride along with you are fine, but stop pausing for them!”

“ - oil sprayers are in Engineering Five, Level Twenty,” Charly shouted, sitting up and hooking her heels together around a bench so she could use both hands. “Everyone in secure location fourteen, you’re closest. Grab two each, three if you can carry that many, and hand them out to anyone who can hold one.”

“Simon!” I shouted as I hit my datapad again. “Get the arrows. Grab as many as you can think you’ll need that are sharp, and then as many as you can carry of the Charly Special. Find people with long arms, and hand out what you can.” 

“Location Thirteen, whatever Fourteen doesn’t grab, distribute by the food stalls and stay put. It’s flammable as hell.”

Parvati took a deep breath and forced a smile. “This message is for anyone designated for secure locations one through six and thirty through thirty seven. Please distribute as evenly as possible in locations thirteen through twenty three. Combat medic cleared personnel are reassigned to even-numbered locations.”

“Sophia,” A deep voice rumbled in my ear. “This is.. Coffey. Nixe is demanding to be allowed in combat.”

I glanced at Charly, not missing that I had gotten the call and she had not. “Both of you are approved combatants, so I can’t stop either of you. But remember: half of Derek, Sam, and Teeth’s family are confined to Level One, the other half are going to be in combat. Who sits shit out?”

His laugh was the last thing I was expecting. “Phee. Derek and Sam survived together before any of us knew them, and if they make it out of this, they’ll be fine.”

“But what if both - “

“Ix’al and Brol aren’t just going to take in Teeth,” he reprimanded. “The Ark took them in, the S’crirs will return the favor, over and over.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, even though I knew he couldn’t see my face. “I get that. I just… I worry.”

“Then we must live,” he assured before ending the communication.

It took a total of three seconds before I called out. “Charly! Coffey just contacted me.”

She shook her head furiously. “Tell me when we’re out of this.”

“Char - “

“When. We. Are. Out.”

I blinked a couple times before slowly mouthing “okay then”. For all that Coffey had contacted me out of fear of reprimand, clearly they were both of the same mindset. “Then we must live,” he had said. “When,” had been her statement. Neither had even taken ‘if’ into consideration.

Well, okay then, I decided. When. Signalling Ivan again, I started speaking as soon as it connected. “How hot is your forge?”

“Not very?”

I didn’t even hide my disappointment. “As safely as you can manage while getting it done, open the doors. Grab something heavy, and start finding people to grab other heavy things.”

Noah interjected. “Sophia Reid, humanitarian voyages do not allow armed persons - “

“Ivan didn’t make weapons,” I cut off. “Ivan was in the process of making interior needs. Torches, holders, drinking vessels, cooking equipment…”

“Terran media archives indicate that cooking equipment is frequently used as armament.”

I gestured in irritation. “I refuse to be held accountable or delayed by the fact that people forget about cooking pans and cooking knives.  Probably the second human tool ever was a sharp rock to cut things, and the other runner is a flat rock to cook things on.”

“I am terribly concerned what the first tool humans used would have been.”

“A rock,” I ground out in irritation as I started checking for anyone who hadn’t answered my or Parvati’s call already. “A blunt one, to beat things with. You said it yourself - we’re Deathworlders. The only unarmed one is a dead one.”

“Then treaties are satisfied,” Noah confirmed in approval. “This is still a humanitarian vessel.”

Just as that was said, the Ark rocked hard to one side, a new bruise in the waistband I was rapidly collecting. “We’re under fire! Why does that even matter now!?”

Xiomara started to answer, exposing that all of Level One had been tapped into my conversation, before Noah buzzed proudly, drowning anyone out.

“If this is a humanitarian vessel, the Eko-mari cannot fire upon us directly and it restricts their movements.”

Arthur grunted, rubbing a sore spot on his head with one hand. “Yeah? Tell that to…” For once. One time, in our entire acquaintance, he trailed off. “Well, fuck me sideways…”

“You aren’t that pretty,” Evan growled from the pilots’ seats. “But I’ll make sure to tell Worthington you asked. Brace for impact!”

This time, I managed to avoid another injury simply by virtue of the fact that the ship tossed to the same side I was leaning against. “Why the fuck don’t these tables have harnesses underneath!?”

“Fuck. You.” Tyche growled at me while she sat herself up, crossed her legs, and adjusted the leggings-slash-harness she was tied in.

“Don’t be mad,” Maverick instructed before grabbing one of her ankles and yanking her flat. “Almost done…” He repositioned blindly, grabbing her knee on the same leg and yanking.

“OW! Mother fu-”

“You should be jammed against the deck at your hips,” he panted. “That’s as far as I could pull before you stopped, so it should keep you pretty tight.”

I twisted my head around to see, and sure enough, she was blinking and trying to bounce herself. A quick test of arms showed that she could easily brace her shoulders without locking her elbows. “Huh.”

“Just don’t kick the screens,” Evan directed sternly before seeming to think and pinning Tyche’s ankles loosely with one calf. “There. I’ll help hold your feet down.”

“If we’re done flirting…” Arthur droned, “Trajectory needs to change to avoid impact to planet, sending coordinates.”

Flat on her back, Tyche stared up at the ceiling and started rattling off numbers. This time, instead of slamming to one side, the Ark listed calmly.

“All hands,” Maverick announced. “Reminder that rotational gravity ends in fifteen minutes. Repeat, rotational gravity ending in fifteen minutes.” A second later. “Conor, where are we at with the engines and being ready for evasive maneuvers?”

“What the fuck did you call those!?” Huynh shouted. “The ship can’t take a lot more of whatever it was!”

“Getting shot,” came the clipped response. As aware as I was that Maverick was incredibly blunt, this was the first time I had seen him in an actual combat situation, and a lot of things suddenly started making sense. “Conor.”

“Sub luminal engines are ready,” came the response. “Avoid moving drastically on your positive Y as much as you can. We need to evacuate Levels Fifteen through Twenty Two before we can do that.”

“Negative, Engines,” Maverick clipped. “We already evacuated fourteen levels, majority of which are currently in that area.”

“Then fly smart.”

“All I know how to do. Be safe.” Maverick nodded to Evan.

Three taps later, she was on ship wide communication. “People of the Ark. You have ten minutes, maximum, to secure yourselves for maneuvers. Gravity is still standing down, but if there is a need to move sooner, no warning will be given past ten minutes from my mark.” One nod. Two. Five. “Mark!”

A soreness radiating from my left hip jolted me into my body, and I realized no one on Level One was secured other than the pilots.

Fuck.

“Noah, what are we supposed to do!?”

“There is insufficient time to provide restraints…”

“He means hold the fuck on,” Xiomara shouted, gesturing to herself as she wrapped her legs around the pillar of a seat and hooked her arm over the table leg.

There was a scramble as anyone with layers started shedding them and trying to secure themselves to supports, taking Tyche’s previous example.  After a couple of minutes trying various positions, Arthur took Charly’s example and simply sat on the bench beside the table he had been under, hooking his legs around it. “Ribs over head,” he shrugged when I quirked an eyebrow.

“Patching through the S’crirs primary vessel,” Odvub advised.

“Ark, the nuisances are targeting us more precisely. How quickly can you get out of combat?”

“They have our destination coordinates,” Xiomara reminded sharply. “And apparently the Ark is a century overdue for an oil change.”

Noah sounded mortally offended. “There is no oil - Oh.” They were catching up with our thoughts faster, that was a good sign.

“Can you get your ships between us and them? They won’t be able to shoot as freely then, at least,” Arthur suggested.

“They will also have very little need to do so.” Ix’al sounded less reproachful than disappointed when she corrected him. “We cannot even hide our smallest ship at that range.”

“Dammit.”

Maverick jumped in. “Keep firing at them. It will give us excuses to maneuver more dangerously.”

“No!” Tyche, Arthur, and Huynh shouted at the same time. Arthur rushed to explain. “The Eko-mari are gathering around the most damaged points on the Ark.  Any stray fire will breach the hull.”

Parvati, still crammed in with me, brought her databand close enough to her face that I couldn’t even see her mouth when she spoke. “All personnel located on decks - Levels - Fifteen through Twenty-Two, bivouac suits are now mandatory. Repeat: all personnel located on Levels Fifteen through Twenty-Two, bivouac suits are mandatory. Boarding is likely, breach is imminent, and you will be exposed to vacuum.” She muted herself before placing her hands over my ears. “CHARLY! Are the oil sprayers pressurized?”

“No, they use a spring plate!”

“Thank you!” Hands came down and she unmuted herself. “Anyone armed with a sprayer - keep it. They are mechanically pushed, not pressurized, so they’ll still work in vacuum. Better part, they won’t explode in your hands. The oil is still corrosive as hell.”

Corrosive. “Noah! Odvub!” I hissed into my own wrist. “What will corrode the bivouac suits?”

“Anything that will corrode the suits would also be lethal to whoever wore it,” Noah responded without answering.

“Not what I asked.”

“Fluoroantimonic acid,” Odvub supplied. “A superacid which is prohibited from any humanitarian vessel by Galactic Law.”

“Unfortunately, that is what I asked, but still doesn’t help,” I sighed quietly while chaos rang in the background.  It sounded like another one of the ships in the pirate fleet had been destroyed. Grunting briefly when I was slammed against the table again, I started wheezing. “What else can do it?”

“Dual application of a hypersaline solution and electrical current in excess of four thousand volts at a specific voltage,” Odvub added, as calmly as if I had asked for the weather.

And they thought humans were weird…

“Neither of those need oxygen,” I coughed, rubbing my newest sore spot. “Send it to me, please. And thank you.” Turning my head, I tried to shout and got a coughing attack for my efforts.

Yeah, that was definitely a fractured rib.

Clearing my throat, I applied pressure to the side in question and tried again. “Charly! If the Eko-mari board, we need to hit them with brine and a cattle prod. At the same time! Sending you the specs now.”

“Pickle fried Eko-mari, got it! What’s that going to do?”

I twisted my head at the specifications before sending them. “Denature the bivouac suits, I think. That’s what it sounds like.”

“So no assing about with the tasers!” Xiomara shouted. “Last thing we need is to expose ourselves to vacuum while fucking around.”

“Councilor Kalloe, at that amperage, the electricity alone is fatal to humans,” Noah attempted to correct her.

“Only across the heart,” Grey explained offhandedly. “Otherwise it will only leave severe burns and lead to potential amputation.”

“There’s a reason we clarify that we risk ‘life and limb’ for shit,” Huynh grunted as he updated his hot-spot map. “You can survive without several of those last ones.” To prove his point, he shook his left hand - which was notably missing two fingers, and which he had stubbornly refused to have the fingers grown back on.

“I am raising my appendages rapidly in frustration.” Noah buzzed harshly. “Why must humans persist in activities that shorten their lifespans or cause permanent damage?”

No one answered. No one felt the need to, apparently, because as I scanned Level One, anyone who was reacting had simply started gesturing to themselves or blinking sarcastically at the ceiling.

“BRACE - !”

Maverick couldn’t even finish before we were hit.  This hadn’t been a stray shot or evasive maneuver - my legs shot painfully out from under me, and the pants holding me to the bench forced the air out my lungs even as I could hear threads popping.  Charly and Arthur were both thrown from their perches and made it a good couple of feet before they hit the decking and went rolling.

“Damage report!” Evan demanded, grunting. I twisted to see the pilot area, only to see her pulling with both legs to keep Tyche in place, one hand scrambling to grab anything that would give her purchase to untangle them both.

“Injuries to me, single channel,” Grey insisted. “Don’t clog up the comms with medical reports.”

“You were hit from the other side,” Brol’s voice reported. “Not where you had been hit recently, same vicinity.”

“Level Eighteen has vented from the inside!” Conor’s shout broke through. “That hit pushed her too hard!”

“Levels Seventeen through Nineteen have been sealed,” Noah confirmed. “Recommend all human personnel to shelter and secure entries so the Ark can provide oxygen.”

Arthur relayed the order and paused before shaking his head. “All able-bodied humans on those levels have refused to stand down. How long will the suits last?”

“If sealed properly and in vacuum, they will recycle water and oxygen nearly indefinitely.”

“That gives us fourteen days minimum, thirty days at the outside,” Antoine advised, hands flying as he tried to triage injuries that only he could see. “We only have four breached suits in that area, pressure currently applied to minimize loss of atmosphere.”

“Get those four, plus any injured, to a secure shelter. And a medic if there isn’t already one in there,” Xiomara demanded. “All in one, so we have others to use if anyone else needs one.”

Arthur started relaying the order, and seemed to get everyone to play along nicely at first.  Suddenly, he started shouting. “Kimberly Mitchell, you get your ass in that shelter, now!” Pause. “I don’t care, you can thump me later. Your suit reports a broken leg and a leak at the knee.” Pause again. “Gods DAMMIT, I can’t throw my headset, but if I could, I would. Don’t make me send Miys down there to forcibly carry you, they don’t deserve that!”

Parvati cut a glance to me. “Who is he talking to like that?”

I shrugged and kept watching.

“G - Kimberly. Miz Mitchell. I am begging you, please. I am trying to respect your wishes, but right now, I need to be able to tell everyone - Yes. I know. I know it’s hard. But we need you more than you need to do that.” Pause. “Thank you. Thank you. I’m tracking for confirmation.”

“Arthur, who - “

“SHHHHH!” he hissed, holding up a finger. “Two, one… sealing Shelter Eighteen.” Both his hands fell to the decking he was still laying on before he exhaled. “Grandma Kim confirmed alive and secure.”

<<Prev       Masterlist     Next>>