#[ t: bulletproof angels ]

[xxadvictoriamxx]

selected companions as songs

(fair warning, mostly metal/rock because I can)

Danse

Soldiers; Otherwise

THE DAM; Daughtry

I Am Machine / Tell Me Why; Three Days Grace

Darkness Settles In; Five Finger Death Punch

Deacon

The Real You; Three Days Grace

World War Me / Panic Room; Theory of a Deadman

</c0de> / Voices; Motionless in White

I Am Bulletproof; Black Veil Brides

Gage

Just Like You; Three Days Grace

You’re Going Down; SICK PUPPIES

Heartache; From Ashes to New

Doing Time; Avenged Sevenfold

Hancock

Riot / Painkiller / Fallen Angel; Three Days Grace

Headstrong; Trapt

Freak On a Leash / Got The Life; KoЯn

Bad Guy / Popular Monster; Falling In Reverse

* This Is The New S**t (Marilyn Manson) gets an honorary mention

MacCready

Tell Me Why / Painkiller / Someone To Talk To; Three Days Grace

Three Six Five; Shinedown

You / Anthem Of The Angels; Breaking Benjamin

Another Life / Eternally Yours; Motionless in White

Nick

Africa; TOTO

Rocket Man; Elton John

Fly Me To The Moon; Frank Sinatra

I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire / Maybe; The Ink Spots

[shalom503]

Eyes in the dark

Aaron Hotchner x Famous!reader

When Hollywood star Lena Collins becomes the target of a psycho-stalker, she turns to the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit for protection. As Agent Hotchner works to unravel the twisted obsession threatening her life, a slow-burning connection ignites between them.

Trigger warnings: Stalking and invasion of privacy, cult activity and psychological abuse, threats of physical violence, implied kidnapping and imprisonment, themes of mental health, refences to death and violence, sexual tension and adult themes, media intrusion. I apologise if I missed any.

Chapter 2

Chapter 1: Unease

Los Angeles, California

The lights of Los Angeles blurred into a golden haze through the tinted windows of Lena’s black, bulletproof SUV. Towering billboards and glassy high-rises shimmered past in streaks of neon and shadow. She leaned her head against the cool glass, the vibration of the city humming through her bones. Her breath left little clouds of condensation on the window, and she absently traced shapes in them with the edge of her finger. Her driver maneuvered through the traffic with professional precision, but she barely noticed the smooth turns or the muffled sound of tires over pavement.

It was past 1 a.m. She hadn’t truly slept in weeks—only fragments of rest stolen here and there, but never deep enough to quiet her mind.

Her friends called it burnout. She called it something else. Unease. A constant, crawling awareness under her skin, like an invisible thread being tugged tighter by unseen hands. It wasn’t just exhaustion—it was a sense of being watched, of being hunted. Not by the public. That was something she’d long grown used to. The camera flashes, the whispers behind menus at restaurants, the heads turning when she walks by. But this—this was different. It felt personal. Intentional. Malicious.

She had grown up in the quiet edges of northern California—pine trees, gray fog, a small house tucked between mountains. Her childhood had been lonely but safe. Her mother was gentle, her father distant, and her little brother the only person in the world she’d ever felt truly tethered to. The city had never felt like home, but she’d learned to survive in it—learned how to draw her curtains just right, how to walk briskly and speak carefully. Over time, she’d mastered the art of vanishing in plain sight.

But someone had found her anyway.

It started with the usual—harmless, even forgettable. Online comments. Unsettling but standard. Remarks about her body, her walk, her smile. She had trained herself to scroll past them, to ignore the flicker of unease. But then came the letter. Slipped under the door of her private suite in a hotel no one was supposed to know she was staying in. No postage. No name. Just a single line in ragged ink:

The world sees the fake you. I see the real you every night. I know what you hide.

She didn’t tell anyone. Not her manager, not her family, not even her security team. At her level of visibility, obsessive fans came with the territory. But something about this one—this particular presence—felt wrong. Like it wasn’t admiration, but possession.

And then came the photos.

Delivered in a plain envelope to her assistant’s apartment, bypassing all the usual mail filters, all the layers of privacy. They weren’t paparazzi shots. They were intimate, invasive. Taken through windows, from rooftops, from angles no camera should have had access to. Her brushing her teeth in an oversized T-shirt. Her sitting cross-legged on the floor eating cereal at 2 a.m., face half-lit by the TV. Her back turned, unaware.

They weren’t looking at her. They were studying her.

Finally, she spoke up. Her assistant, pale-faced and wide-eyed, made the call. And now the BAU—an elite behavioral analysis unit—was involved. But even they couldn’t erase the deep, icy fear that had embedded itself into her.

Lena sat in the dim back seat, fingers trembling as she unfolded the latest photo. Taken just hours ago. She was standing by the back door of her home, bathed in the soft kitchen light. Her eyes were unfocused, unaware of the lens aimed at her from the darkness. It was the unknowing that frightened her most. That she had been so vulnerable, so unaware.

She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, steadying her breath. Her gaze darted to the shadows beyond the SUV windows. Every pedestrian looked suspicious. Every alleyway held possibilities. The silence inside the vehicle was almost unbearable.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from an unknown number:

you can’t run away from what I own

Her pulse quickened. She clenched her jaw to steady herself.

In the front seat, her assistant finally broke the silence. “Lena, the BAU… they’re the best. They’ll find this guy. They’ll stop him. Once we’re on the plane, you need to try and rest. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“I know,” Lena whispered. The words tasted like dust in her mouth.

But rest felt impossible. Her body might have been exhausted, but her thoughts were a storm she couldn’t outrun. The people she passed on the street might have called her charmed, even blessed. But they didn’t know the toll of constantly being on edge. Of never knowing if a doorbell ring was a delivery or something worse.

The SUV turned onto the highway, merging into a river of headlights. The city behind them softened into a glittering blur. Ahead was the private airstrip, the agents waiting, the unknown.

Could she trust them? Would they understand how personal this felt?

Her phone buzzed again.

Running won’t help

She turned the screen off, this time without flinching. She closed her eyes, focused on the rhythm of her breath. In. Out. In again.

She would not fall apart in the back seat of this car. Not tonight.

The photos still lay in her lap, a silent testament to how far this had gone. But for the first time in weeks, a fragile thread of hope tugged gently at the weight pressing on her chest. Someone believed her now. Someone capable. Someone who had seen monsters before—and hunted them.

The road ahead was long, and likely dangerous. But it was the first road that might lead her back to peace.

And Lena had always known how to survive.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, June 2

ANDREW: Does Buffy know? XANDER: She didn’t take her phone. ANDREW: Incommunicado. WILLOW: Well, we’ll tell her as soon as she gets back. DAWN: Let’s not. WILLOW: What? Dawn, she has to know. DAWN: I know. Just not right away. (beat) Guys, when Mom appeared to me she said— WILLOW: Dawnie… DAWN: No, please. She said something about Buffy and I’m thinking… I’m just not so sure Buffy will be happy for me.

~~Buffy Season 7 Episode #134: "Potential" ~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Let go (Buffy/Faith, T) by Jinxgirl

To the Victorian Go the Spoils (Buffy/Spike, E) by gwennie

Help You Do What? (Buffy/Spike, E) by gwennie

Things I Can’t Spell, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Cazzy

The Burning Wheel, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Ginger

[Chaptered Fiction]

Never Ch. 1-7/7 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, G) by Nixiet

Cupid’s Match Ch. 1/11 (Buffy/Faith, M) by Fictiongods

The Night We Met Ch. 13 (Spike/OC, M) by TheSadPoet

Faith No More Ch. 4 (Buffy/Faith, M) by QuillBard for Blazinwolve

Make It Stop Ch. 13/13 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, M) by TheSigyn

Arrive Before the Birds Ch. 16/16 (COMPLETE) (Buffy/Spike, M) by EverythingElse (CherryGlowSticks)

Double Date Ch. 15 (Buffy/Giles, E) by Rippertish

splinter Ch. 6 (Buffy/Kendra/Faith, M) by jetgrl

Shadow Over Hellmouth Ch. 134/194 (Buffy/Tara, E) by Tuxedo_Mark

Littered with pinholes, my skin still moves up and down with the shifting of my dreaming blood Ch. 1 (Angel/Giles, G) by willieverlearnbass

today doesn’t count Ch. 13 (Buffy/Spike, M) by modestlobster

Welcome to Hellmouthland Ch. 9 (Faith/Tara, M) by MalkMcJorma

Keep Me Here Ch. 10 (Buffy/Faith, E) by thisyearsgrrl

The Sunnydale Imp Ch. 39 (Ensemble, unrated) by Bloodredtiger

Hold Fast the Thread Ch. 21 (Faith/Giles, M) by SchrodingersKatInABox

First Day of My Life Ch. 1 (Buffy/Faith, E) by hayley128

Arrive Before the Birds Ch. 16 (Buffy/Spike, E) by EverythingElse

The Magic of Sunnydale Ch. 14 (Buffy, T, HP xover) by Buffyworldbuilder

Arrive Before the Birds, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, E) by EverythingElse

Scenes From a Session, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by In Mortal

Float, Chapter 17 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Grief Counseling

A New Dawn, A New Day, Chapter 1-5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by gwennie

Things I Can't Spell Ch. 8 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Cazzy

Scenes From a Session Ch. 15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by In Mortal

Dead Poet's Inheritance Ch 7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Soulburnt

The Zeppo In Time Ch. 18 (Buffy/Spike, E) by CheekyKitten

Strong Anthropic Principles Ch. 23 (Buffy/Spike, E) by acekoomboom

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Willow () by ell-doddles

Artwork: Buffy and Spike () by inkgioo

Artwork: Warren () by garscrucible

Artwork: Buffy () by zoecsarts

Video: Lilah Morgan | Bulletproof () by Lilah Morgan | Bulletproof

[Reviews & Recaps]

Welcome To The Hellmouth and The Harvest by coraniaid

Notes I jotted down while rewatching the Harvest. by badwolfwho1

I watched Welcome to the Hellmouth by badwolfwho1

finish “daddy issues,” Angel & Faith issues 6-10, and what a fun read by professeurm

PODCAST: ATS 318 - Double or Nothing by Another Buffy Podcast

[Community Announcements]

Tuesday Prompt: Shapes and Colors by comment_fic

Tuesday, June 3 - Promotion Day by fic_promptly

NB: Writing prompt‼ by buffyxgileswritingevent

[Fandom Discussions]

Essay: Incompetent Monks (aka Dawn’s Age and School Grade) by gwennie

Buffy Slays, Chapter 12: Prophecy Girl by violettathepiratequeen

here is a long list of buffyverse pairings that i believe to be either aunt and uncle or mom and dad: by socratesgirlnextdoor

Honestly I’ve never seen a good argument for Buffy not loving Spike. () by sayanrougshaban, no-resolution

kinda going insane over spike`s coat and not the usual oh no he is hot way, but in a oh god he reclaimed it way?? () by elverrie, eilowyn1, GiandujaKiss Smithee

love how buffy basically treats spike like her own reddit () by elverrie

I do not want a BTVS reboot by sayanrougshaban, the-viking-goddess

I do not believe in women characters existing for the benefit or progression of a male character but by blush-and-books

I am screaming and crying everytime I think about Merrick and Buffy in the TV show canon. by duckwnoeyes

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer vs. The Vampire Diaries, pt. 1 by fake-russian-chick

I’m on season 6 of buffy and buffy’s having all these money problems by mylittleballerinaalalala

nerd rambles on the new werewolf design in buffy episode ‘beauty and the beasts’ by deniouroboros

notice anything interesting about this take? by moistvonlipwig

“fool for love” is so good??? by balalaijka

sometimes I worry over the fact I’ve got about twelve episodes of btvs downloaded by camellcat

I of course remembered that YJ included “Wendy the Werewolf Stalker”, a parody of Buffy the Vampire slayer by ladyloveandjustice

putting it out there that Buffy felt like she had to race out of school and use her newly acquired mind reading powers to finally know what her boyfriend is thinking. by femmedefandom

I think it’s pretty neat how, even though obviously Buffy hasn’t hit the depression of late s5 through s7, you can still kinda see the seeds of it in s1. by badwolfwho1

spike is so jobless. by socratesgirlnextdoor

Just how dangerous is Sunnydale before Buffy arrives? by coraniaid

A lot of people talk about the first season of Buffy as if it were just a rough draft of what the show would later become by coraniaid

New Fanfiction Event by FivebyFiveB

I find it remarkable how much Boreanaz improved his acting over the years by GRRMandate_of_Heaven

Damn, maybe Clare really is an immortal god. by geekycynic83

What were the opinions on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel characters when the episodes were airing? by Big-Restaurant-2766

How often do you watch buffy and how many times would you say a year? by Royal-Tangelo-5895

"A Hole in the World" by Rajsroom

Unpopular opinion: I prefer the Buffy cast line up of Season 4-7 over the high school era line up by jdpm1991

Giles had no business being so HOT by Ecstatic_Party9788

Podcasts by Knight_Machiavelli

by

Question about Amy by Fancy_Injury_7800

one of my fave episodes by moonwalkinglitter

SMG supposed comment by negratengoelalma

Why do people like Faith but dislike Willow (+ vice versa)? by Taras_Willowverse

Seasons Change—So Do Opinions en sequel by sarynima

S5e16 shells by iemreal

Illyria by iemreal

Spike and angel by iemreal

Help! Which podcast is this? by Zestyclose-Quit4164

This thing is so weird by ghostrider1938

If there was an episode you could reasonably call a 'standard' episode of Buffy, which one would it be by InfiniteMehdiLove

Conspiracy Therories by Necronikki

Xander would have been easy to kidnap. by BuckTonka1988

Technical lore q by wonderpanther_k

bangel s3.. by Royal-Tangelo-5895

What would Buffy think of Cordelia's character if they reunited in "You're Welcome"? by jdpm1991

How Do You Think The New Show Will Handle Xander? by Doc-11th

Prophecy Girl: Did Xander really save Buffy? by Tuxedo_Mark

Buffy Reboot/Sequel: Should they? by Orsonwellwellwelles

What do you want the “Reboot era” to give us other than the obvious? by KENZOKHAOS

S3e7 Buffy x Faith ? I'm a believer (and other thoughts) by Tuna_96

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

[themculibrary]

Bodyguard AU Masterlist

A Political Affair (ao3) - star_after_dark bucky/zemo M, 2k

Summary: The Prime Minister of Sokovia, Helmut Zemo, and his Security Detail, Sergeant James Barnes, have a strictly professional relationship, nothing out of the ordinary

except for when they're behind closed doors.

a questionable client (ao3) - imposterhuman pre bucky/tony T, 6k

Summary: “Pep, Pepper, light of my life,” Bucky heard a voice from where he was standing in the foyer of his client’s frankly obscenely large mansion. “I don't need a bodyguard. Seriously.”

Another voice, who Bucky assumed was Pepper, responded, “Tell that to the seventeen separate death threats last week alone.”

Bucky almost whistled in surprise. He had known Stark was high profile, but seventeen was an awful lot of death threats. He caught himself, though, because he was a professional, thank you very much.

“It’s just hot air,” Stark grumbled. “You know that. I haven’t been kidnapped in months.”

“That shouldn’t be the standard, you idiot."

Blinding Lights (ao3) - NatRogers steve/natasha E, 19k

Summary: One time. One time to satiate the nagging curiosity they shared over what it would feel like to be wrapped in each other's arms. That's what Natasha Romanoff, heiress to the Red Guardian fortune, and her bodyguard, Steve Rogers, had told themselves when they agreed to a tryst in her office late one night. But knowledge, while illuminating, can also be a curse - making wanting the things you can't have all the more appealing.

Bodyguard (ao3) - hazel_lannister steve/tony, past pepper/tony E, 18k

Summary: After an attempted kidnapping, Pepper insists that Tony get better protection. Which is ridiculous because "attempted" is definitely the operative word, and he by no means needs a bodyguard/babysitter. Especially grumpy, stoic Steve with no sense of humor.

Captain Bodyguard (ao3) - darter_blue steve/bucky E, 37k

Summary: Bucky Barnes has been invited as a VIP to visit and present at Stark Expo by the billionaire CEO himself. And when he learns that part of the VIP package is a very attractive, very large bodyguard that may or may not be the spitting image of the man of his dreams, Bucky gets the feeling he's being deliberately blindsided.

But when events turn from dangerous to deadly, Bucky might be glad to have this big, blond, surly bodyguard to hang on to - even if he dresses like a ninety year old man, speaks like he stepped out of an old movie, and somehow appears to be… bulletproof?

Close Protection (ao3) - imnotbuck, TrishArgh steve/bucky E, 28k

Summary: After getting into one too many fights, Instagram sweetheart and adopted son of the Stark family Steve Rogers-Stark is given a bodyguard much to his displeasure. His bodyguard is unlike any other and Steve is determined to know what makes him tick.

falling in love with you (a process, layered, repeated) (ao3) - holistic_alcoholic bucky/tony T, 12k

Summary: After the threat of a stalker becomes more pronounced, Bucky's bodyguard job changes from part-time to full-time. The relationship he has with his client isn't a factor in this, not at all.

Bucky wouldn’t say that falling in love was one moment for him, one epiphany. It wasn’t an action, easily tracked, wasn’t anchored in time.

It was a process, layered, repeated; every second of time, spent together, every moment was a part of it.

Guardian Angel (ao3) - flyingorfalling pepper/tony G, 3k

Summary: Pepper Potts is assigned to protect Tony Collins, Howard Stark's illegitimate son. Tony has become the target of Amon Stark, his older half brother, who allegedly murdered his father to get millions in inheritance.

Knock Down The Hinges (ao3) - BurdenedWithPointlessPurpose kate/yelena E, 3k

Summary: In the beginning pissed off was an understatement. A drastic one. How else was Kate supposed to feel being assigned a bodyguard? Unfortunately for her mom, Yelena keeping her out of trouble doesn’t exactly pan out the way she had planned.

NFWMB (ao3) - grimeysociety darcy/steve E, 58k

Summary: At the beginning of another world tour, popstar Darcy Lewis gets a new bodyguard, Steve Rogers.

Old Endings, New Beginnings (ao3) - through_shadows_falling bucky/tony T, 1k

Summary: James was an excellent bodyguard—silent and looming, with a blank face but a focused gaze. He was an ever present shadow at Tony’s back through board meetings and charity events and even nights on the town, and no matter how many questions Tony asked him, his answers were always clipped and business-like.

That was a good quality in a bodyguard, but it made Tony want to unravel him from the inside out.

On One Condition (ao3) - elwenyere steve/tony T, 7k

Summary: When someone calls in a hit on billionaire Tony Stark, Steve Rogers is assigned to protect him.

Safest in His Hands (ao3) - iam93percentstardust bucky/tony T, 16k

Summary: Bucky Barnes has been Tony Stark's personal bodyguard for the last three years and hopelessly pining for him for almost as long. After Tony's unknown stalker takes it too far, however, Bucky is moved from the role of bodyguard to fake boyfriend to make sure Tony is kept safe at all times. It's the chance of a lifetime, a chance to prove to Tony just how good they'd be for each other, but one misstep and it isn't just Bucky's heart that's on the line, but his life - and Tony's too.

Something More to Protect (ao3) - Artemis_Egeria wanda/vision T, 6k

Summary: Wanda Maximoff has been protecting presidential candidate Steve Rogers for over two years. She is less than pleased when Steve's friend Tony Stark recommends an addition to Steve's security team. Time will change her mind.

The Bodyguard (ao3) - NachoDiablo sam/steve T, 1k

Summary: Singer Sam's always got bodyguard Steve on his left.

the bodyguard (ao3) - starkly tony/thor G, 1k

Summary: Tony’s not used to people trying to kill him. Yeah, he’s a celebrity, but he’s a movie star. He doesn’t do the kinds of things that normally get people killed, even when he ends up starring in a fantastically bad film. And he’d always thought having a bodyguard in his line of work was kind of cheesy, but there’s a first time for everything.

The Distance Between (You and Me) (ao3) - Sarah_Sandwich peter/harley T, 29k

Summary: When Pepper offered to begin training him to become CEO of Stark Industries, she warned Harley it would put a target on his back. He didn't take her seriously until after he'd been left chained and shivering in a dark hole for three days.

Rescued but with his kidnappers still at large, Tony recruits a bodyguard to shadow his every step and keep him safe until Tasha can hunt down his kidnappers. Harley isn't impressed. If he wasn't already at his wit's end muscling through nightmares, dissociative episodes, and pretending like he's handling everything like a champ then maybe he'd be able to figure out what exactly makes Peter Parker so special.

The Hardest Cut (ao3) - chamel loki/mobius T, 13k

Summary: “I’m Loki. I’ll be your new personal detail.”

Mobius figured as much, but it would have been nice to get some advance warning. Also: “Are you eating my toast?”

Loki looks down at the toast in his hand. “Guess so,” he answers nonchalantly before looking up at Mobius again. “I made coffee.”

(Preeminent author and criminal psychologist Dr. Mobius M. Mobius is a key witness in the trial of the century, which has put a substantial price on his head. When he ends up assigned a devastatingly attractive and fascinating personal bodyguard, he finds himself desperately trying to juggle his work, his growing and inconvenient feelings, and oh yeah, all those attempts on his life.)

the only ghost that matters (ao3) - cm (mumblemutter) sam/bucky, steve/sam M, 60k

Summary: Or: The one where Sam is Steve's widow (it is widower apparently!), and Bucky ends up as his mysterious, brooding bodyguard.

Up For Debate (ao3) - CapandCarter steve/peggy M, 46k

Summary: After a run in with Aim Agents who want her secret project, Howard hires bodyguards to ensure she stays safe.

But one of them, a rather grumpy individual, reminds her of a face from her past.

[helluvacity]

@angelic-stiletto-pointe

The imp overlord-to-be took a deep breath once her limo took her to the estate of Camilla Carmine. Alright, this was it. If everything went well she'd either finally be an overlord, or know what she needed to become such.

The limo was almost exclusively used for meetings such as this. Both stylish and practical, it was fully armored with bulletproof glass. While angelic weapons might get through, it did the job well enough of keeping her safe.

On the topic of angelic weapons though, the 7ft tall imp would pop the trunk of the vehicle once out, pulling out a large black sheath and putting it on her left hip so she can draw the weapon with her right hand.

The weapon was an angelic blade she got from Carmilla in the past. She figured carrying a reminder of past business couldn't hurt, and it wasn't like it made her a particularly dangerous threat, Carmilla had many more weapons at her disposal.

Lucille had forgone her coat today, going with just her usual lightning bolt t-shirt and jeans. Probably more casual then she should have for such a meeting, but if things did get violent for whatever reason, she'd rather have full movement, and a fancy suit or coat would get in the way.

[theuntoldoriginsoftheportmafia]

Part Ⅰ The War - Chapter 3.1

正 The 356th Infantry Division 正

5,704 Words

When dawn comes Fukuzawa whispers a goodbye like a prayer to Fukuchi. "Stay Alive. Stay Sane. Stay Yourself." it says. The man, only ever a friend to Fukuzawa, remains sleeping, he'll find the note when he wakes.

"Write to me." The note says

By the time Fukuchi finds it, Fukuzawa is gone.

-

The ancient truck rumbles along. They'd been assured it was bulletproof, but even still, anxious whispers fill the crowded vehicle. The new recruits unsure as Fukuzawa once was.

"Did you hear about that girl?"

"What girl?"

"There's this kid with the power to resurrect the dead."

"No way!"

"She can't bring back the dead! Just save the living!"

"Same thing."

"It's not."

"Whatever it is, it's true." The driver interrupts the gossip, all eyes and ears turning to him, "My arms were gone, then she used her gift, and here I am. She's an angel!"

Fukuzawa, not usually one for rumours or the divine, listens carefully to this. At the centre of all lies and rumours is the truth. What could be the truth here?

The vehicle stops abruptly. "Alright, we're here."

'Here' is a barrack. The concrete building shows visible repairs after attacks, yet still maintains an intimidating stature. If the island had been here for more than a handful of years then Fukuzawa would've assumed that the building had been repurposed. But the war has simply gone on long enough that the officials warranted the building of permanent structures, in anticipation of years more of fighting. 

Fukuzawa arrived on Tokoyami Island in the muggy spring but now cool fall is beginning to creep in. Still, the air should not feel this cold. It shouldn't, but it does.

Fukuzawa is relieved when he's split away from the new soldiers, their chatter and nervous energy. Bracing himself against the chill, he lets one of the soldiers lead him inside.

"You're that swordsman, aren't you? The man with the most successful squad in your last division?"

Fukuzawa doesn't feel like answering, so he doesn't.

"Damn, just like that surgeon. Creepy." the soldier mutters.

Their destination is a room at the end of the corridor. The Office of the Chief Surgeon.

The soldier knocks on the door and then departs quickly.

The door is opened by a man too young to have such a high ranking, he scans Fukuzawa, as if evaluating him. Seeming satisfied, he looks away.

"Ah, Mori-san, this is the man whose transfer you requested, Fukuzawa Yukichi, recently promoted to First Assistant Division Strategist."

'So this is the man then? The superiors acted as if the promotion was their idea, but my transfer had been requested all along. Someone else has been moving the pieces this entire time. When did they take notice of me? What does the surgical department want with me?'

The youngest man in the room, Mori-san, has a tall slim build with angular features, sharp shoulders and a defined jaw. His porcelain pale skin only serves to further emphasise his shining black hair and ruby-red eyes.

"Excellent, permission to take Fukuzawa-dono on a tour, sir?" from Mori-san's lips the phrase is only a request by technicality. His voice doesn't raise as it should at the end of a question. The way the words hang in the air for a second too long tells Fukuzawa that he isn't truly asking. Something trembles within the swordsman. Should he really be alone with this man? But he's never been afraid of strangers before. He isn't afraid now, no this is something else . . . so he'll cooperate, for now.

The Chief Surgeon nods. 

Mori-san opens the door, holding it gallantly for Fukuzawa.

The door clangs shut behind them, the sound reverberating through the corridor.

"Welcome, Fukuzawa-dono, to the 356th Infantry Division. I'm First Assistant Surgeon, Mori Ougai."

"Why am I here?" Fukuzawa asks, angry at having been moved like a pawn on a chessboard.

Mori-san laughs, the kind of sound Fukuzawa hasn't heard in a long time, but there's still a cold edge to it. Fukuzawa suspects that it's the kind of coldness that never truly leaves the Assistant Surgeon.

"You're here because I need you if I'm to execute my plans. You see, I'm not a soldier, I despise being ordered around, as you do. I am, to the officials, outside of the system, they believe I do not understand it and therefore refuse to enact my strategy. You, however," he halts, turning around to face his white-haired recruit, "are someone they believe to be one of them, whether or not you are truly a soldier, they see you as one. If the strategies come from you, they are sure to implement them immediately. A good thing, as I have little more time to waste."

"So you wish to use me?"

Mori-san had expected Fukuzawa's anger. He's prepared to defeat it. His weapon of choice? The truth.

"Not exactly. I was unaware of you until two months ago. When you showed your skills, an opportunity arose. All I did was take it. You are a gifted strategist, the only person who will be able to believably claim my plans are your own, that is why we must work together"

'He picked me because he felt I was the only one close to his intellect? He sees himself above us common men, how arrogant.' Fukuzawa thinks but doesn't let his distaste show. Mori-san sees it anyway.

"Face it, you are no common man, you will never be satisfied in such a blue-collar position. I believe you and I could become quite the team, strategists working in tandem for the peace of our nation. What do you say, Fukuzawa-dono?"

'This man . . . an aura so cold even Genichirou couldn't melt it . . . he will be the one to end this war, I can feel it. If I'm to bring peace to this nation, and to Genichirou, I must work with him.'

"Fine." Fukuzawa nods gruffly but he can't deny the relief at finding someone here, among the bureaucracy, who wants to end the war as he does. An alike mind, a fellow rose in a field of weeds, thorny perhaps, but again, not unlike himself.

"Good, the meeting where we are to present our strategy is at the end of the week. You are going to present my idea as one you've had for a while to explain its level of detail."

"I cannot no more present a strategy I am not familiar with than I could suddenly gain wings and fly," Fukuzawa remarks.

"Certainly not, but before I tell you I would like you to meet my student first. She's remarkable. I think it might clarify a few things." Mori-san appears to have changed topics rather abruptly, but as Fukuzawa will find out in a moment, that is not the case.

'His student? He just said we have little time to waste, why is he bothering with this?'

The two men turn down another corridor. When Mori-san opens the door at the end of it, the stench of death spills out . . . but there are no dead bodies, only live soldiers.

"HOW MUCH LONGER ARE YOU NO-GOOD BUMS GONNA LIE THERE?" a girl shouts, she can't be older than 12, but she wears a nurse's uniform.

"I-I CAN SEE AGAIN!"

"MY LEG! MY LEG'S BACK!"

"WOW!"

"IT'S A MIRACLE!"

The soldiers examine themselves in awe, tearing off bloodied bandages that look out of place now that the injuries they were meant to cover are gone. Fukuzawa looks upon them, the words of the soldiers from the truck returning to him, confusion turning so quickly to realisation it makes his head spin.

"Hmph! You got hurt because you're weak! Get your sorry hides back to the front lines!" She commands, snubbing them.

Still, the soldiers continue to fawn over the girl . . . until one comes too close. In a flash of silver, there's a gun to his head, the safety off.

"My Yosano-kun pleases you that much?"

The men cower, "Ah . . . N-no, Chief Medic Mori, um . . . we didn't mean that at all . . ."

Fukuzawa watches, amused. Then his eyes fall on a dark-haired boy reading in the corner. He says boy because he can't be more than 17, while Fukuzawa himself is 31.

A tap on his shoulder brings his attention back to the present as he watches the young girl march over to the soldier.

"Now do you see, Fukuzawa-dono, how we can end this war? She is the key." Mori-san's voice is calm and cool, not like a man who's just found a way to end the war. Fukuzawa isn't sure whether to be comforted or worried by his lack of crazed excitement.

"What is her name?" Fukuzawa asks. She is a human, she must have a name.

"Yosano Akiko." Mori-san gives no more information, a look of resignation on his face.

"How old is she?"

Mori-san sighs, "Eleven."

"Eleven?" Fukuzawa doesn't hide his judgement. 

"She's a student surgeon, she's never seen the battlefield. As long as I am her superior she never will. She is safe, Fukuzawa-dono, I have made sure of it. She will not be harmed, not when her gift can end this war. Not when she is the key," There's a sort of promise in Mori-san's words. He knows it is wrong to have a girl so young in a place like this, but she is the answer, what can he do? "And she is, I am sure of it. Do not think me a man who would doom a child simply for my own pleasure. I derive no pleasure from war or killing, but I will do what is necessary, what I must for my country. If we're in disagreement then you can leave . . . but I do hope we can work together." Mori-san's face is cold and hardened over, but Fukuzawa sees something that wasn't there before. 

He is Mori's rose as well.

"She's a child." Fukuzawa's words are no longer a protest, just tired, he knows Mori-san is right. This girl is the key. But he wishes she weren't, both of them do. 

'I may wish as much as anyone, but in times such as these, wishing does nothing and matters not.' Mori-san decided long ago to favour logic over unreliable emotions.

'Why must it be someone so young burdened with an ability? I've heard from many that abilities are more a curse than a gift, Genichirou always disagreed, but now I think the others may be right. . . . If only I could take some of the burden from her.' Fukuzawa looks over the scene.

The young soldier opens his book, something almost alive fluttering from between its pages towards Yosano-kun. A butterfly. It appears to be made of gold. It lands in her hair, ceasing movement. 

The two men watch the student surgeon accept the gift, for a moment, wondering what will become of her. They must ensure her safety to end the war, but what about after. She'll be a hero, what then?

"Come, Yosano-kun, there is more work to be done. Fukuzawa-dono will be accompanying us today."

-

Fukuzawa watches her heal dozens of soldiers, thinking of his old squad captain and the others. With an ability like hers, she could turn the tables of the entire war.

'I will design the best strategy yet. I will make the enemy's defeat swift, so she can go home.' Fukuzawa thinks as he begins taking notes of the numbers, asking the soldiers questions, and gathering data for the winning strategy. 

-

When the sun begins to slip behind the horizon and all the soldiers with heavy wounds have been healed and those with minor wounds treated, the three of them retire for the evening.

Yosano walks ahead, leading the way to Mori-san's office.

The space is for the most part what Fukuzawa had expected. Cold walls with maps of the island on them, a bookcase and an organised desk. But the corner farthest from the door is covered in sloppy crayon drawings, and under them is a cushy small armchair, with a blond girl curled up in it, asleep. In her arms is a rabbit plushie wearing a black dress with a white collar.

The sight makes Fukuzawa hesitate in the doorway, steps faltering so he has to catch himself on the doorframe.

'A man so cold . . . well, not cold, but logical, mechanical, is married? I suppose I should hardly judge.'

One might assume that a cold man such as Mori-san would loathe to show softness to someone he's only just met, and he does. But if he wishes for Fukuzawa to be his partner in his plans, he must gain his trust. 

'Fukuzawa-dono showed open distaste for the Immortal Regimen. If he thinks me cold and uncaring he will hesitate to work with me, and I can afford no hesitation. It would be folly to deny that he is also key to this plan, I won't find another like him so easily. . . . As much as I loathe to admit it . . . I must show him that I am human too. He can hardly use Elise against me if he decides to turn, but his record has shown that he's loyal to his colleagues, perhaps a little . . . faith, maybe what this needs. I hate leaving things to chance!'

Fukuzawa is sure the incredulity shows on his face, "Your daughter?"

"Yes, I couldn't bear to leave her alone at home."

"Ugh, such a sap! I still don't understand why you didn't just get a nanny." Yosano-kun jabs as she puts away her medical kit and heads off to her quarters.

Mori-san doesn't bother scolding her, in front of any other soldier he would, but this is different, and he doesn't truly mind the insult anyway.

"Here, my Immortal Regimen Treatise. Read it and learn it before the presentation on Friday."

Fukuzawa takes the thin binder of papers, pressing it close to his chest, but doesn't leave. Mori-san doesn't ask him to.

He opens his mouth and closes it a few times, trying to find the words, " . . . Why would you bring her here?"

Mori-san doesn't need clarification of who he's talking about. "I did not want to, but it was necessary. I have no wife to stay behind and care for her. This war is long. I didn't want her childhood years to be spent with someone else, anyway. It was this or I drop her in a care home and hope she's alright when I get her."

Fukuzawa's jaw drops, yet Mori-san continues. In truth, he feels the tiniest bit of relief at gushing to someone about Elise. "Obviously, the latter was never truly an option, I adore my Elise-chan far too much. And having her here keeps me focused, reminds me what we're fighting for."

'So, Yosano-kun's safety for his daughter's. I sneer as if I wouldn't do the same. But he seems to care for both of them. And Yosano-kun seems happy being here. It seems that I was wrong before, he has a reason to fight, just as I do, a motivation for his coldness. I will be his ally then. I will help him end this war, as I cannot do alone.'

—

~ A month after Fukuzawa's arrival the the 356th Infantry Division ~

The presentation was beyond successful. By the end of the month, the Immortal Regimen is in full effect. Yosano-kun heals soldiers, they return to the battle and fight to defeat the next round of enemy soldiers. 

Mori-san and Fukuzawa work together, spending night after night in the war rooms, forming strategy, two minds melding ideas together, a brilliance that would shock most anyone. But there is only so much they can do with so many soldiers already lost. 

Fukuchi has not yet written to Fukuzawa, worried Fukuzawa writes to him, telling him what he can of his new job.

Yosano-kun is a bold, daring girl, with a rather dark sense of humour for one so young, but Fukuzawa supposes that it comes with the job. Elise is a strange girl, almost robotic, answering Mori-san's words to her with "Yes, father." But even in all their oddness, both girls find a place in Fukuzawa's heart.

And then there is Mori-san, still a mystery even after these four weeks spent mostly in each other's company. Even now as yet another night has set in, the old-fashioned oil lamp casting a golden glow over the surgeon's face, making his red eyes look orange as if they are the lamps, containing each a small flame inside, no further details are given. Mori Ougai is a beautiful mystery.

-

~ Two months after Fukuzawa's arrival the the 356th Infantry Division ~

All the strategy in the world isn't enough when an army is outnumbered by over 50%.

An annihilation. That's what it's called when over half of an army's fighting forces are unable to fight. But this is not the case now, soldiers with even minor wounds are healed by Yosano and must keep returning to the battlefield, dragging their broken souls along with them.

Yosano sees more patients in a day than any mainland doctor. She is tired, too tired to sleep. And when her eyes do close she is met with the images of the soldiers, chopped to bits by her own hand, using the chainsaw Mori-san found in the storage closet. And so she does not sleep, she screams.

And Fukuzawa hears it, so does Mori-san.

"It's her, Mori-san, it's Yosano-kun."

Mori-san frowns, sighing in a way that makes him seem decades older, "I'll get her some sleeping pills."

"You cannot fix this by shoving pills down her throat! She is hurting!" It's the first time Fukuzawa has raised his voice to Mori-san.

"I am aware. How would you suggest I fix things?" Mori-san's calm is wavering as it only ever does around Fukuzawa.

"She needs companionship, affection, and understanding."

"I am her superior officer, not her parent. I cannot give her that." Mori-san declares, but there's something behind the statement, something scared.

Fukuzawa scowls "Why not?"

"Because I don't know how!" Mori-san's composure cracks, exploding with a loud bang until pieces of it lay on the floor and hang heavy in the air.

His words make Fukuzawa pause, the anger fading away. What can he say to this?

Mori shrinks back, sinking into a chair, ashamed at revealing something so personal. If it were anyone else he would have never broken like this. But he feels for the young girl, he wishes she weren't in pain, and the judgement of Fukuzawa, the only man in the military who understands and accepts his way of thinking, means more to him than it should. What is it about Fukuzawa Yukichi that makes him open up so easily? Is it that he's faced Mori's coldness, had the frost bite at his face, and still carried on through the storm of working with him.?

Yosano screams again, the grating, desperate sound causing both men to wince.

Fukuzawa approaches the seated surgeon, carefully. Afraid not of him, but for him. "Just . . . try and talk to her, show her that you care, that you know she is in pain and that you wish she wasn't."

Mori-san closes his eyes, breathing deeply to regain his composure. "How?" he asks so softly Fukuzawa almost doesn't hear it, "Tell me how, Fukuzawa-dono."

This confuses the older man, "Just comfort her in the same way you comfort Elise when she's upset."

But Mori-san can't. Because Elise isn't his daughter at all. She's a manifestation of his ability. She doesn't feel sadness, she doesn't feel anything at all.

"Can you do it?" A plea.

"You are her superior office, you brought her here, the words would mean more coming from you." seeing Mori-san's face, he stops, "But if you really cannot, then of course, I'll go," Fukuzawa says, a soft panic rising in him. He doesn't have much experience with children either.

"At least, accompany me, she has grown fond of you, I've seen it." Mori-san proposes.

"Alright."

The two men hurry to the young student surgeon's quarters just as she wrenches awake, a sleeping scream still on her lips. She pants, tears streaking her face, ragged breaths tearing out of her.

"Yos- Akiko, you're alright. Whatever it is that's scaring you can't hurt you now, you're awake." Mori-san tries his best at a fatherly tone.

She turns her head violently towards the chief medic, "I see them . . . everywhere! Sleep was all I had and now they're in my dreams too. They're like zombies, alive but not really. Why am I doing this, surely they can't be good like this anymore. Why do they have to go back to war? Why not to their families, and what about the ones who've gone? Huh? They would have never died if it wasn't because of me! They say I'm an Angel of Death, and they're right! I'm a MONSTER!"

Sobbing, she falls into his arms, no longer a student surgeon, no longer Yosano-kun, just Akiko, a girl on the verge of breaking. And in her, Mori-san sees himself. It terrifies him.

Watching the younger man's shoulders tense, Fukuzawa approaches. 

"It's not your fault Akiko, it's ours. Our strategy, our orders—"

She cuts the swordsman off, "But, if I didn't exist, they would still be here! No one can go because of me!"

"That may be true, Akiko, maybe they would have lived, but maybe not. We might never know, but none of this is your fault. Abilities are curses upon the owner, as much they are a fortune. We have used you for your ability because I believe that there is no other way to win this war. "

The girl can see the sincerity in Mori-san's eyes. He believes his every word in his very soul. And what else can she do but be drawn to such sincerity, such bravery to do what is necessary even at the expense of a child. A man so devoted to his country, with the selflessness to have given up his own emotions for the sake of others.

He continues, spilling his own truth from his lips, "Thus is the nature of ability users . . . to be used. If you want to avoid that, you must take charge. You know yourself better than any other ever could so tell us, Akiko, what do you wish to do? And if you say you wish to leave I'll have you sent on the next ship home and back to your beloved candy shop."

"I-I . . .?"

"It's okay not to know at this moment. Sleep, you'll have a better answer in the morning. For now, have peace."

Nodding, the girl lays down. Her gaze lingers on the door, then flickers back to the two men. She does not want to be alone.

So together, they sit at the foot of her bed, Fukuzawa patching together lines he heard in his long past childhood to form some sort of bedtime story. There is no coherent beginning, middle or end, but that hardly matters.

His voice soothes her, and within the hour she is again in safe sleep.

While she dreams, the men are very much awake.

"Putting all that on a child, do you truly think that wise, Mori-san?" Fukuzawa asks the ravenette.

"It is the only way. She has to see that this is necessary, she has to choose. Her will is strong, much stronger than mine, this must be her choice or this will never work."

"And what if she chooses to leave, go, as you said, back to her candy shop?"

"Then she would undoubtedly be much happier. . . . but she will not. She knows what part she has in this war and how essential she is. She came here to save, and so she will stay. You can count on that Fukuzawa-dono."

"So we're all your pawns? You ask her to choose as if you don't already know her choice, quite manipulative, and of a child too. I'll admit I'm impressed that you have the courage to put aside, at least on the face, the human instincts that tell us how very wrong this is, something I could never manage myself. I look up to you Mori-san, but I'll have you know again, I don't appreciate being used."

Mori-san shakes his head "I'm not using you. You're here because of a friend. He is the one who dragged you here. I simply offered you a position of use, and you accepted of your own volition because like me you can see that this is the only way. You're not a pawn at all, you're a knight."

'He is right, I am here out of my own choice, and of my own will I chose to join him. But she did not . . . and yet she seems not to want to leave. I will trust her decision. Either way, I'll stay. Perhaps we can win this war using only our strategies.'

Fukuzawa knows little of chess but from what he's heard he assigns Mori's piece, "And you're a bishop."

Mori laughs, nodding. Fukuzawa is relatively uninformed but accurate. "And she is a queen."

Both men look at the sleeping Akiko, her breaths rising and falling peacefully.

"Would it hurt to at least consider another strategy?"

Mori sighs heavily, he can see the faults in his plan, but it is still far better than any other, the only way they have a hope of proceeding forward. 'I'm hesitant to divert resources but . . .' 

"No, it would not. But you and I both know the truth, ugly as it may be." Mori stands, heading for the door.

'We will lose the war for sure if she goes home, but at least that would be an end. Would that not be better?'

"If she does agree to stay, isn't there anything else we can do for her, to make her more comfortable at least?"

Mori thinks for a moment, "Since the presence of others seems to abate her night terrors, I could have her quarters moved to the ones adjoining my office."

"But isn't that where your daughter sleeps?"

Elise doesn't need to sleep in a bed.

"Yes, but most of the time she ends up finding her way to my room anyway." Mori shrugs, "That's how it is with young children, I don't mind sharing."

"Of course. You should probably get back to Elise anyway. I'll stay."

Mori nods, he would gladly stay to give her a comfort he wishes he were more familiar with, but he can't appear to be neglecting his daughter. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

When Mori is gone Fukuzawa takes the letter from Fukuchi, which he has not yet had time to read, from his pocket.

It's brief and tells of new soldiers under Fukuchi's command, particularly a young man named Suehiro, who shows great promise. At the end, there is only a signature, but not a promise to write again.

Fukuzawa frowns, it had taken a long for his friend to reply to his last letter he feared he may have decided to stop writing back entirely, or worse, have died.

Still, he takes a sheet of paper and writes back a reply, trying to keep it brief in the interest of not boring his busy friend. He holds back his worries about the war in his letter, knowing Fukuchi must feel them as well.

-

When the morning comes and Akiko awakes from her most peaceful sleep in days, she smiles when she sees Fukuzawa, leaning against the wall asleep.

Even her small quiet footsteps rouse the swordsman, who smiles when he sees her.

"You stayed." She hopes her tone can communicate the amount of gratitude she feels.

"Of course, Mori-san would have as well, but he has his own daughter to attend to."

"Yeah, that's okay." She's touched. She finds it shocking that cold Chief Medic Mori would have stayed simply for her comfort, but coming from Fukuzawa, she believes it.

"I'll leave while you dress. Gather your things, we're moving your quarters to the ones adjoining Mori-san's office. That way you're close to assistance should you need it."

"The quarters by his office? Isn't that where Elise sleeps?"

"He said they'd be fine sharing a room. After all, you're not much older than Elise, he wants you to be comfortable. If you're choosing to stay?"

It's impulsive, but she runs up and hugs him. "Thank you, sir."

Fukuzawa sighs at the ranking, "Just Fukuzawa-san is fine."

"Then thank you, Fukuzawa-san." she says the name experimentally, smiling again. It's a yes. "And you can call me Akiko."

"See you at breakfast, Akiko-san."

Fukuzawa leaves, not seeing the gentle tears that fall as she dresses in her work uniform.

-

Akiko and Fukuzawa eat in the mess hall, they sit at a table by themselves avoiding the evil glares the soldiers give Akiko. She's the reason food doesn't taste right anymore, the reason their broken minds have trouble remembering the day of the week and the faces of their families.

A few minutes later Mori enters, followed by Elise.

"Forgive our tardiness, Akiko-san, we were setting up your new quarters. They'll be ready for you as soon as you move your things." Mori addresses the young girl as an equal.

"Thank you, Mori-san."

-

Akiko explores her new quarters, putting her things down with the help of Fukuzawa, who notices for the first time the absence of family photos. Mori had found her working in a candy store? He doesn't ask.

"Hey, Elise! You left your bunny in here."

The blond girl walks into the room, "I know, I didn't leave it. It's for you."

"What, no. You don't have to." Akiko tries to hand the rabbit plush back to the younger girl, but she doesn't take it.

"I don't have to, but it always helps me sleep. Father said you have nightmares, so I thought that you must need it more than I do."

"Oh. Okay, then. Does she have a name?" Akiko asks, wanting to take good care of the plushie she's been gifted.

Elise says nothing. She hadn't given it a name, in truth it's Mori who wanted to give the plushie to the young girl, seeing as Elise hardly needs it. But he isn't completely oblivious to his intimidating appearance and because of his position as Yosano's boss, he'd decided it was best to go through Elise.

Having heard the conversation, the surgeon walks into the room.

"Aww, don't be all shy now, Elise-chan."

Elise says nothing. It's odd for a child not to name their stuffed animals, Mori knows this.

"Her name is うさ, short for うさぎ."

"Aww, Usa, how cute!"

Elise doesn't smile, but says, "Thank you, Akiko-san."

Fukuzawa notes how robotic Elise is.

'With a cold father maybe it's just in her nature? Still, at such a young age . . .? And she uses words far more advanced than most children her age. Or maybe they're just learning quicker these days? After all, she does spend her days around adults and her father is the smartest person I've ever met.'

-

They're in the war room when the wounded squad comes in. They hurry to the med bay, watching the bodies carted out the door. All men mangled by grenades, all dead on arrival, save for one.

"Poet-san!" Akiko cries, running to him. 

"He's the one who gave her her hairpin. She cares for him. It's a good thing he's made it. He's had over 20 deaths and revivals." Fukuzawa thinks aloud, so quietly, that only Mori beside him can hear it.

"His arm is broken, he'll need to be healed."

Fukuzawa winces, remembering the last time he was healed. He thought he was going to die and he called out for his parents and brother. "Mori-san, he can stay out for a few months, no?"

Fukuzawa already knows the answer.

"No." But Mori is watching Akiko fret over the young man. If there's anything Fukuzawa has taught him it's how to be just a little bit kind. But kindness isn't something he can afford.

"Mori-san, he's been here so many times, survived so much . . . he means something to her, if he doesn't make it she may fall apart. Let him go home, for the sake of ending this war, if nothing else."

Mori looks upon the scene of death and gore. And at Fukuzawa. Mori isn't inhuman, he doesn't lack emotions. When the white-haired man looks at him like that, he can feel something he's kept hidden away inside him trying to force its way out. All the human emotion he tries his best to deny, the longing for a friend, an equal. Then he looks to Akiko, the worried girl, hurriedly patching up the soldier.

For the first time, she looks at Mori in fear. She does not want to heal this soldier, she wants him to go home.

He cares for Akiko, maybe if he spares this man he can spare her from becoming like him. Maybe if she doesn't have to suffer so much hurt he won't see himself every time he looks into her eyes. And Fukuzawa, the only person who he'd ever let convince him to use his emotions, is right. He can show her the love he was never shown. Would it hardly hurt to lose one soldier if it would help to end the war, spare a girl, and reunite a family.?

Mori walks over to the girl and the soldier. Akiko stands defiantly in front of him.

"Soldier, what is your name?"

"Tachihara, Shunzen Tachihara, sir."

"Tachihara-san, as soon as Akiko sets your arm, pack any belongings if you have them. I'm sending you home on the next boat."

Akiko's eyes go wide, and she scrambles to help Tachihara-san up.

"Thank you, sir."

He wants to know why he's being spared but is too tired, and too hurt to question it. All he registers is that there's something in Mori's eyes that looks less cold than usual. 

-

That night, Mori and Fukuzawa take Akiko to say goodbye to Tachihara-san as he gets on the boat. He waves as the ship leaves the dock. Something silver flutters back towards the shore. A silver butterfly. Smaller than Akiko's gold pin, but the perfect size for Elise.

She takes it in her hand, tracing the lines, turning it over and over.

"Thank you, Mori-san." Akiko's voice is so quiet it's almost lost to the windy night, almost, but not quite.

Mori tenses in surprise at Akiko's hug, a type of contact he's unfamiliar with, especially from someone so young.

He pats her head awkwardly, but the smiles come naturally. Fukuzawa, who finds his usually aloof expression handsome, thinks he's cute like this.

Akiko knows, even as she embraces Mori, that the sparing of Tachihara Shunzen is the exception, not the rule.

This war will go on and these feeble humans are useless to stop it.

[laresearchette]

Monday, April 01, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: VANDERPUMP VILLA (Disney + Star) THE SYNANON FIX (HBO Canada) 9:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: 2024 iHeartRadio MUSIC AWARDS (FOX Feed) LOVERS AND LIARS (CW Feed) ALL AMERICAN (Premiering on April 08 on Showcase at 8:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA ALLAN QUATERMAIN & THE LOST CITY OF GOLD AT CLOSE RANGE BLAME IT ON RIO BLOODSPORT BREATHLESS BULLETPROOF MONK CASINO CLASS DARK BLUE DARK ANGEL DR. SEUSS’ THE CAT IN THE HAT EYE OF THE NEEDLE FLAWLESS FLESH+BLOOD HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN KOYAANISQATSI THE LAST WALTZ LOL: CHI RIDE E FUORI (Season 4) MOBY DICK NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER THE PARTY ROLLING THUNDER TOP GEAR (Seasons 14-25) THE TRAIN VALLEY GIRL VAMPIRE’S KISS WARCRAFT WHITE NIGHT

CBC GEM DYLAN’S PLAYTIME ADVENTURES

CRAVE TV LITTLE JESUS THE SYNANON FIX (Season 1, Episode 1)

DISNEY + STAR VANDERPUMP VILLA (Three-Episode Premiere)

NETFLIX CANADA THE MAGIC PRANK SHOW WITH JUSTIN WILLMAN

CURLING (TSN/TSN5) 8:00am: LGT World Men's Curling Championship: Canada vs. Italy

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:00pm: Panthers vs. Leafs (SN Now) 9:00pm: Oilers vs. Blues (TSN3) 9:00pm: Kings vs. Jets

MLB BASEBALL (SN1) 8:00pm: Jays vs. Pirates (SN Now) 10:00pm: Giants vs. Dodgers

NBA BASKETBALL (SN Now) 8:00pm: Suns vs. Pelicans

MURDOCH MYSTERIES (CBC) 8:00pm: After a man dies in a drunken brawl at the Starbright Lounge, Murdoch's suspect is another detective.

WARDENS OF THE NORTH (Discovery Canada) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Conservation officers crack down on boaters not complying with the law; a routine fishing patrol has officers tracking down over-the-limit anglers; a kayaker is reminded that lifejackets work best when worn, even when close to home.

SOCIAL MEDIA MURDERS (T&E) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Alex Rodda, a 15-year-old teenager, is murdered by 18-year-old Matthew Mason in December 2019, six weeks after they first exchange messages via social media.

SECRETS IN THE ICE (Super Chanel Fuse) 8:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): A grim discovery in a Swedish lake reveals ancient practices; in the Canadian Arctic, the fossil of a previously unknown mammal is found; bizarre ice formations in the Antarctic Ocean; a discovery off the east coast of Canada.

BELGRAVIA: THE NEXT CHAPTER (CBC) 9:00pm (SEASON FINALE): As Frederick grieves the loss of Clara, Enright receives a letter that pushes Frederick to confront his past; Clara and Davison adapt to life in the North, as Clara grapples with happy memories of home.

OUTBACK OPAL HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): The Bushmen bring in an explosives expert to blast through the toughest rock in Grawin; plus, a brand-new team brings cutting edge technology to the opal fields.

SPOOKED IRELAND (DTour) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The team ventures to Charleville Castle, where they face a multitude of spirits who seem to have turned against the castle's current occupants by trapping them in cupboards and keeping them up at night with screams and singing.

EXPEDITION X (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Phil and Jess explore the world's most haunted forest near the site of the Dracula legend and where Josh Gates had his most terrifying experience; during a night investigation, Jess finds herself being watched by someone or something sinister.

THE PLAYBOY MURDERS (Investigation Discovery) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): In the late '90s, Playboy twins Sandy and Mandy Bentley's fame soars until an affair with a Vegas High Roller leads to a fall from fame, stolen jewels, a shadowy buyer and a brutal double murder in the Hollywood hills.

MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA (CTV Life) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): A group of 12 home cooks will compete with 12 former contestants.

MURDER AT MY DOOR WITH KYM MARSH (documentary) 10:00pm/11:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The story of 17-year-old Thomas Griffiths, who killed his girlfriend and arranged the crime scene to look like a suicide after she broke up with him. In Episode Two, 19-year-old Mundill Mahil lures a young TV executive to his death in an act of revenge following an attempted rape six months earlier.

[my-chaos-radio-00s-list]

The 2000s List

Update: Every Sunday

Last:       March 2, 2025

-

1, 2, 3, 4 - Plain White T’s

1973 - James Blunt

3 Words - Cheryl Cole feat. will.i.am

4 In The Morning - Gwen Stefani

4 Minutes - Madonna

-

A contre-courant - Alizée

A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley vs Junkie XL

A New Day Has Come - Céline Dion

A Night Like This - Caro Emerald

Absolutely Everybody - Vanessa Amorosi

Advertising Space - Robbie Williams

Again - Lenny Kravitz

Ain’t It Funny - Jennifer Lopez

Alejandro - Lady Gaga

All Good Things - Nelly Furtado

All Rise - Blue

All Summer Long - Kid Rock

All The Right Moves - One Republic

All These Things That I've Done - The Killers

All This Time (Pick-Me-Up Song) - Maria Mena

All You Wanted - Michelle Branch

Allez Ola Olé - Jessy Matador

Almost Here - Bryan McFadden, Delta Goodrem

Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy

Am I Dreaming - Kat DeLuna

Amazing - Seal

America - Razorlight

American Boy - Estelle, Kanye West

Angel - Shaggy feat. Rayvon

Angels (Love Is The Answer) - Morandi

Another Chance - Roger Sanchez

Anyone Of Us (Stupid Mistake) - Gareth Gates

Apologize - Timbaland, One Republic

Apprends-Moi - Superbus

Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Around The World (La La La La La) - A Touch Of Class

Axel F - Crazy Frog

Ayo Technoligy - Milow

-

Back To Black - Amy Winehouse

Back To The 80's - Aqua

Bad Boys - Alexandra Burke, Flo Rida

Bad Day - Daniel Powter

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

Bag It Up - Geri Halliwell

Be With You - Atomic Kitten

Beautiful - Christina Aguilera

Beautiful Lie - Jennifer Paige feat. Nick Carter

Because I Got High - Afroman

Because Of You - Kelly Clarkson

Because Of You - Ne-Yo

Behind Blue Eyes - Limp Bizkit

Bella Stella - Highland

Beverly Hills - Weezer

Big City Life - Mattafix

Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton

Black Coffee - All Saints

Bodies - Robbie Williams

Boten Anna - Basshunter

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Green Day

Break My Stride - Blue Lagoon

Break The Ice - Britney Spears

Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz, Ludacris

Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson

Breaking The Habit - Linkin Park

Breath - Blu Cantrell

Breate (2 AM) - Anna Nalick

Breathe Your Name - Sixpence Non The Richer

Breathless - The Corrs

Bring Me To Life - Evanesence

Bubblin' - Blue, L.A.D.É

Bulletproof - La Roux

Buttons - The Pussycat Dolls

By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers

By Your Side - Sade

Bye Bye Bye - *NSYNC

[xikyuu]

hey for no reason in particular can you send me some dallas references :3 either picrews or written descriptions or something

gnawing at the bars of my enclosure UH YEAH YEAHYEHAYEHA I CAN faoms at the mouth—

picrews of dally. ill dm photos of people’s at that look similar instead of showing bc i dont know the artists names 😭 same w the picrews but,.. yeah

one of those is from gacha life but shhh

a general written describes uhhh lemme look in my notes for this:

before we start imma just say that bc dallas is a self-insert, their general appearance before all the magic n lore n stuff kicks in,, he looks like me! which is something ive done when i got better self-esteem honestly. so i could dm a few photos of myself and you could tweak them around however you like

red/ginger hair. length and style depends on what stage of life hes at. if its wilds/walls/rebellion, its gonna be short but like.. shoulder-length short bc hair-styling was a big thing in kismá culture & also he likes it. after-death? it changes bc he can shape-shift but normally its long-ish and in a ponytail. not anime-long, like normal realistically long, maybe touches the middle or lower half of his back. sometimes there might be a white streak or several from stress that he doesnt get rid of

yellow/gold eyes

if he’s in his Guide/cryptid form, he also has multiple Eyes all over his body and wings (face examples in picrews, wing examples would be watcher!grian art, body examples could be tamari from song reckless battery burns).

there may also be Eyes floating around him in a halo if he actives those powers.. not common though

the more common halo! just a fancy spiky golden one tbh. not a boring circle, no he can shape-shift!! it can look so special and cool!!!

6 wings + the ear wings. thats the basic amount in the cryptid form but he can also yk. shape-shift. theyre normally angel wings but he will change them to different bird wings to fit in. they were originally going to he osprey wings but i decided to change it to angel wings which are really jist white wings.

cryptid form also has a demon tail thats gold bc its cool

many many scars even when disguised as human. he feels more connected to his past and his humanity that way.

he wears a bronze compass necklace that has lore implications from the wilds arc and the copperhead “gang”. i have this necklace if you wanna see the photo.

bc he can shape-shift, he can open up piercing holes and close them easily. however he only prefers piercings in his ears. most of the times its just the normal ear piercings,,, 2 of them like how some people get so he can have a pair of dangly earrings and them studs for complementary

for clothing, he normally wears a tight black undershirt for the pressure bc its a habit and relieves anxiety. like a weighted blanket. reminds him of a bulletproof vest.

he wears cargo pants often bc he likes pockets. its good to have pockets yes. you need to carry around stuff in case something happens.

he will also wear flow-y clothing sometimes like a big t-shirt or maybe a skirt if he feels pretty good that day. he loves dresses but sometimes has issues actually wearing them

loves wearing necklaces and bracelets,, especially when they jangle. reminds him of home. rings,,, they feel weird between his fingers so if he gets one as a gift, he’ll wear it on a chain instead.

i could send clothing examples if you want if you need more

hope that helps idk aaa

[iwannarunawayandbeapirate]

using my username, this is going to be so long...

I - infatuation by idkhow

W - westwood road by andy black

A - ambulance by mcr

N - novocaine by fall out boy

N - now by paramore

A - all the angels by mcr

R - redeemer by palaye royale

U - under pressure by queen

N - needle and a valentine by fabulous disaster

A - all animal by through fire

W - what love by idkhow

A - absinthe by idkhow

Y - you know what they do to guys like us in prison by mcr

A - after midnight by chappell roan

N - nasty man by doll skin

D - dead! by mcr

B - bulletproof heart by mcr

E - empty house by doll skin

A - anxiety by palaye royale

P - party poison by mcr

I - i/me/myself by will wood

R - rock it by queen

A - all my friends by palaye royale

T - tidal wave by fabulous disaster

E - eating my computer by elliotly

open tags!

bored so i thought id do a tag game :)

rules are you have to pick a song for each we letter of you name and/or username if you don’t wanna use ur real name :)

T: Two Pills by TX2

Y: You’re gonna go far by Noah Kahn

L: Loving You by Thomas Headon

E: Enchanted by Taylor Swift

R: Rise and Grind by Noahfinnce

tagging: @riceandcurry3 @newsies-lodging-house @st0rmyseas @nosuchthingasdeadlanguages @misha-misha @bigmack2go @paralleluniversesfan @apairofnewshoeswithmatchinglaces

no pressure :)

[ghxstwritten]

bulletproof angels.

starter for @streethxart​

"'Ey, yer that famous writer lady, huh... whatcha got in the bag?”

Had she anticipated being followed tonight, Shauntal would’ve indulged in a few less drinks at the bar prior. And yet, here she is, stumbling about the alleyways of Virbank, and immediately landing herself in the sour company of several street rats. Oh, how quickly a relaxing night out can spiral toward such undesirable depths...

“I-I don’t have to answer to any of you, you know that, right?” Ballsy, her voice is, each word slurring the further she speaks. It’s true that, as a member of the Elite Four, she could easily wipe through the three men cornering her now... when fully prepared, that is. However, seeing as she’s accompanied tonight solely by her Chandelure, Isobel, the chances of her being outnumbered are as apparent as the men’s growing hostility. The bespectacled author holds her ground as they zero in on her, their tones becoming all the more malicious behind their snarling catcalls.

"Oh, c’mon lil’ lady... do we scare ya? Just show us what ya got there...”

Clutching her possessions with a ferocity, Shauntal continues to stand firm. She takes a large gulp, however, as footsteps can be heard approaching from the shadows that linger in the back alley labyrinth. Quickly reaching for her sole capsule, she’s ready to put on a fight, even though she’s uncertain any good will come of it. Despite how powerful Isobel is, the odds are tipped terribly out of their favor, their chances of escape slimming with each passing second.

“I-I’m warning all of you to b-back off!” Her shouts ricochet between the acoustics of the alleyway, and yet, her threat falls upon deaf ears. The men each pull for their own capsules, their crooked grins gleaming beneath flickering neon signs. “T-This is your last chance...!”

[nvoirs]

I fricken love how you write!! I don’t read normally but been getting into these Leon x f!reader fics because.. well… I am more into the angst as in injured and bleeding. I was wondering if you were willing to write one?? I have been drawing scenes from fics I have asked for as practice to drawing Leon💖💖💖💖

Thank you so much for liking the way I write hehe I do appreciate It a lot! Has not been proofread I'll do that when I get home x

There was to much blood, It covered your hands, your torso and Leon's hands. Being shot in the stomach was unexpected knowing the fact you had a bulletproof vest on. But to your guessing, the one you were wearing was slightly faulty.

The pain was excruciating and you were becoming light headed by the second. Leon's voice just a mere whisper like that of an angel. You just admired his pretty face. The way his dark hair shone in the bedazzling light, and his sapphire orbs were just to die for. Realisation hit you that you were not going to make it. You wouldn't be able to live a life with Leon, marry Leon, start a family with Leon. You internally cried when you thought about Leon sitting by your grave everyday, but one day he'd leave forever, leave you behind and never look back. He'd probably find another beautiful woman to settle down with. Marry her and have his children with her. It was a selfish thought but you couldn't help it.

Salty tears pricked at your lash line as you quietly sobbed. "Hey! Don't cry baby your going to be fine, listen to me."

Leon cupped your frail face in his rough hands, years of practice with an assort of weapons but they felt at home to you. He teared of a piece of his t-shirt he was wearing underneath and began pressing on your bullet wound. You wailed in pain, and gripped his arm tightly.

Whispering under your breath, Leon couldn't hear so he leaned in closer to hear your beloved request. "Leon forget It, you can't save me I'm losing to much blood."

Leon looked at you shocked, one hand still pressing against your gaping wound the other clasping your sweaty, clammy one.

"Are you crazy?" His voice was surprisingly quiet, he sounded scared. Leon S. Kennedy never sounded scared, he was the bravest person you knew, fighting bioweapon after bioweapon the DSO's golden boy that everyone looked up to. That's why you fell for him, the love of your life you loved him to bits and you didn't want to leave him alone in this cruel, god forsaken world.

"Leon please." You pleaded. Your warm blood trickled down Leon's trembling hands the rag he made fully soaked in your crimson blood.

"Please kiss me one last time." Leon stared at you tears silently falling down his cheeks but he complied. Leaning down to your collapsed body and pressing a sweet kiss to your lips. You could feel the scratch of his stubble, and you couldn't help but smile within the kiss. Even through all the pain, Leon was still a remedy to you. You felt the pain ease when he kissed you.

"I fucking love you, you aren't dying." His gruff voice was one of sorrow. He already knew he couldn't save you. Medics were arriving on the scene soon, but they were to late. By the time they had arrived Leon held your body in silence, dried blood covering his hands his eyes puffy and raw from crying so much.

"You're to late."

Leon did attend your funeral but he was an absolute mess. A flask of alcohol clutched in his hand, you hated when he drank telling him of saying he'd hurt his liver. But you, you'd hurt his heart the vital organ that beated just for you. His face red and raw from crying privately, but no one said anything. Leon was mourning you, his tousled, unkempt hair a mess on his head and he had gone days without shaving.

After everyone had left the service Leon sat in front of your grave and just spoke. "I bought the house we were going to live in." He swallowed thickly as if he was expecting an answer. He imagined what you would have said, "I'm so happy for you Leon." He blinked twice when he imagined your voice in his ears. It was like you were really here sat beside him head on his shoulder.

Leon didn't really believe in God, he was never the religious type. But now that you were gone he just knew a place called heaven is where you live now. You would have sought it out like the angel you were, and he closed his eyes as he imagined you living peacefully up there. You adorned a long white dress, and you smiled and waved at him when you caught each others eyes.

"Yeah thanks." His small smile would be a start to his journey to heal.

[mistyresolve]

| Sunder - Simon “Ghost” Riley x Reader (Edited)

Word Count - 2.2k 

Summary - Y/n is caught of guard when they discover a stray soldier had stuck around after his mission. Curiosity piqued, they decide to stay and talk with Ghost to figure out why he never went home.

Warnings/Tags - Fluff, Angst, Explicit language and description, Mentions of death (including a child and his family), Ghost is morally grey in this one

A/N - sometimes writing about Ghost makes me sad :( also i don’t know if this is fluff or angst my apologies 

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You hadn’t expected anyone to be lingering in the 141 barracks with most of them having left for home after their recent assignment. You expected all of them to return home actually. But Simon Riley was slouched on the couch in the common area. 

He was still in his gear, save his bulletproof vest and gun. The zipper to his black tactical shirt was undone, the chain to his dog tags peeking out from beneath the fabric. His mask was lying on the couch beside him, and he had yet to wipe off the black paint, faded from wear and time. It still lined his eyes and smeared down his cheeks. Not a single light was on but you could still make out enough to recognize it as him with the help of the moonlight leaking in through the windows.

“Oh,” you jumped, the stack of mail in your hand flying up to cover your eyes. The mail you collected for both Price and Gaz as they requested, and you came here intending to just leave it on the table in the commons room for when they return. You were a close friend of Gaz’s and spent every Friday night at their barracks playing pool or cards with him and whatever other member wished to join in that night. You’ve met Ghost a couple of times and played a game of cards with him a handful of times. He won poker every single time, his ability to bluff and lie always floored you. He’s taken hundreds of dollars from you. 

Not a single one of those interactions has he ever removed his mask. 

You waved the envelopes in front of your face, your eyes squeezed shut for added reassurance, “I’m just dropping off some mail for Gaz and Price,” you told him. If only to make sure he didn’t think you were trying to sneak in thinking everyone was gone and snoop. This time when you dropped the mail from your face, your eyes were on the floor. 

He huffed a laugh, the sound deep and reverberating. There wasn’t a hint of humour in it, “You can look up. I’m not going to bite,” he lilted. He sounded exhausted like he was latching onto consciousness with a death grip, forcing it to remain with him. 

You hesitated, turning the thought over in your head. He knew that you knew if you so much as thought about revealing his identity he would hunt you down and string you up to use as an example. 

You dragged your gaze up the length of his body. He was pure muscle and long limbs. He wasn’t built with cosmetics in mind but with the need for unbridled strength and power. His broad shoulders and chest were on display as he rested his arms on the back of the couch. He devoured the space. He looked like he was made too big for this world. 

You lingered on his face for longer than you’d like to admit. He’s always caught your attention but you had your reservations as to why you never actively pursue him. He didn’t seem like the kind of man you’d take home to meet your parents for Christmas. He didn’t seem like a man capable of something like love. He always left you with the impression that he was a ticking time bomb. His humanity held together by sheer will and spite. 

But looking at him now, nil the mask, he looked so mundane. He wasn’t at all like his many nicknames and reputations. He wasn’t Azrael, an angel of death. He wasn’t the Grim Reaper. The scars on his skin were evidence enough that he was capable of pain, injury, and eventually death. 

He wasn’t Death because it was Death that stalked him; It followed him into his sleep and it hovered over his shoulders as both his ally and foe. 

Without the mask, he was just like everyone else. He was also handsome. The type of handsome someone has to grow into. Hard lines and dark features. The oily black paint and dark room made it harder to distinguish every one of his features but you didn’t need to see them. Now, a small part of you wished you had tried your shot with him. 

“I thought everyone went home?” you placed the mail on the table, sorting through them by person so you had somewhere other than him to look at. 

“They did,” he quipped. His patience was evidently thinned, not by you, but by something else. 

The inquisitive side of you perked up, ears turning in on him. You eyed him from your spot at the table and your attention snagged on the glass in his hand, the amber liquid inside tilted to one side, “Everyone including you,” you specified. 

He leaned his head all the way back on the cushions, his face pointed to the ceiling, “No. Not me. I usually don’t.”

“Hmm,” you moved the kitchen and opened the fridge to find the sparkling water you left at the bottom. The can cracked and fizzed and the faint smell of strawberries and pomegranates wafted up, “No one you want to see back home?” it wasn’t that uncommon for someone to not want to return home, some people joined just to get away from it. Maybe he was one of those people.

“Nope,” he popped the p, his head rising back up to look at you. He wasn’t much of a talker to begin with but this was different.      

“No movies at the theatre you were looking forward to?” Since there wasn’t any source of entertainment at the base most of the soldiers raved about the movie theatres once they got back from leave. Although, the thought of the man sitting in front of you going to a theatre and eating popcorn was laughable. 

“I’m more of a show kind of guy,” he followed you with his eyes as you made your way to the couch opposite him. 

“How was the mission?” you went for the elephant in the room. Gaz had stopped by your office on his way to the air stripe, he sat with you for an hour to discuss the mission. You knew the result of the mission, but you had a feeling that even Gaz was leaving bits and pieces out. Leading you the conclusion that something had gone awry.  

“A success.”

Okay. Not really what you were looking for.

“I would expect nothing less from you and the 141, and you don’t usually come back to base until you’ve done your job. That’s why I didn’t ask if it was a success,” you tilted your head at him, “And if it was a success why are you not celebrating? Instead, you’re sitting in an empty barracks, in the dark, drunk. So, tell me, How was the mission?” 

“I’m not drunk. I’m drinking,” he pulled at the syllables with his tongue, emphasizing each one. 

Temper.  

“Hang me on a technicality,” you deadpanned, he needed a little pushing, you just had to be careful not to poke any bruises when doing so.   

“I don’t need a psychologist to be psychoanalyzing me and writing ‘unfit for work’ all over my file,” His teeth flashed white in the dark as he snarled. He was never this volatile, not that you’ve ever witnessed anyway. He was like an injured animal back into a corner.

“I was a counsellor, not a psychologist. I didn’t make diagnoses, I just listen and give advice where it’s wanted,” you reply, referring to your old civilian job before joining the force and working with the soldiers here. You had shifted career paths to health promotion and providing resources to anyone who came and asked for them. You were passionate about it, and wanted to help every last one of these soldiers. The only issue was that not many of them wanted the help, and Ghost fell into that category, “Whatever is going on in that head of yours, I can assure you I’ve heard it before. If not worse. Besides, I’m off the clock. Nothing you say will be repeated or recorded. Nothing anyone ever says is.”   

“Have you cornered anyone else from the 141?” he looked at you from beneath his brows, suspicion creeping in on him. 

You shrugged. The truth was that every member of the 141 has visited your office at one point or the other. All except him. He was on your radar but you were going to wait until he came to you. For now, you were extending a hand towards him. Whether he took it now, later or not at all was entirely up to him and you’d back down the moment he expressed that he had no desire to open up.   

You waited, folding your legs underneath in a show of, I can wait for you all night.  

He was completely still, his gaze glazing over in thought, in remembrance. There was a long moment of silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that was making room for something else, something heavier, “They killed a little girl. She couldn’t have been older than eight,” he finished the last of his drink, “Didn’t want her to talk, so they shot her in the head and left her body for us to find. I stepped right over her and I still couldn’t even look at her face. Seems like the world’s greatest sin, right? Killing a child like that,” his gaze dropped to his feet, “But I’ve been thinking…I would have done the same if it meant protecting a mission. Seems like a pretty good trade to me, a single life to protect the rest,” He poured himself another half glass of whiskey in preparation to nullify whatever feelings were bubbling up, “I’m really, uhh,” he cleared his throat, “I’m really no different from the men and woman I’ve killed. We go out there and believe we’re doing the world a favour, but who’s to say we aren’t the villain in their story?”      

“You have to make some of the hardest decisions a single human has to make, and no, it’s not fair. Sometimes there is no right answer, no better option. You sacrifice every part of yourself for the sake of peace. So of course you’re going to lose in the end. Even if the mission was a success, you still lose. There are no winners in war, Ghost,” You pulled one of the decorative pillows to your chest. It was a harsh truth, but it was one that you wholeheartedly believed, and he didn’t need pretty or sugar-coated words. 

Devastation rang as you noticed his expression. He had been expecting you to hate him for his confession. Be disgusted with him. This man thinks he’s fighting this war by himself, that’s he’d completely alone in this world. To think he’s been dealing with these thoughts and feelings by himself. Ruminating over them till there is nothing left but self-loathing and abhorrence. 

“You’re not the monster you think you are. Maybe a little fucked up, yes, but who isn’t in this line of work?” 

He was quiet, his mouth a thin line as he contemplated your words. You could see he was listening, hearing you, but he didn’t necessarily believe you. That was okay though, you weren’t expecting him to. He’s tormenting himself for so long that cracking through that kind of damage would take time. Either way, you formed a metaphoric bridge to him, and gave him an alternative. 

His shoulders loosened after a long while, “I’m not going to become a regular,” he stated, meaning this kind of conversation was not something he planned on making a norm for himself and he wasn’t going to be showing up at my office anytime soon or very often.  

“That’s a real shame, I quite like your company,” you tossed the pillow to the side, stretching out your legs before standing up to leave. 

You were just picking up your can of sparkling water when he said, “Stay.”

It wasn’t a question or a demand, but rather a submission. He didn’t want to be alone right now. Knew that he needed someone else's voice to drone out his thoughts. 

You slowly slid back into the couch, understanding what he was needing at this moment. Inside your head, you jumped into the air and clicked your heels together, “And do what?” 

He sighed and his eyes fluttered shut, “Just talk. About anything. Not this, but anything else.”  

You pondered for a second, “You know, I’ve always wanted to see what you looked like under that mask. It’s been one of life's greatest mysteries.”

His eyes popped back open, a smile tugging at his lips, the hint of a dimple appearing, “Not a word to anyone else, you hear me?” 

“A word about what?” you feigned ignorance.

His smile grew the slightest bit, “Exactly.”

Masterlist  ❤︎  Tag List Form 

A/N - I used Ghosts Azrael skin religiously on MW 2019 

Tag List - @thychuvaluswife ❤︎  @shuttlelauncher81 ❤︎ @lostinsideourminds​ ❤︎ @purplefishingline​ ❤︎ @v1naco  

[mo0nfairy]

Yandere leon kennedy headcannons? I am in love with this boy and it is becoming a small issue

Also I love love love your blogs aesthetic ❤

🪷 ִ ° ⋆ 𝐣𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 ˚ ｡ . 🪺

𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 . . .

♫ 𝐣𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 ⸺ 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞

˚ ✩ 💼 ｡ ˚ ✧ * ｡ 🧩

( 📁 ) . . .  𝗧𝗪! 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀. 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱.

( 📁 ) . . .  𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲! <𝟯

𝗹𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆’𝘀 𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 . . .

𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛, 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎, & 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚢

your expedition with a certain member of the R.P.D. began when crisis struck raccoon city

through a tsunami of the undead, you managed to find the police station and bang on the back gate, praying something at least semi-human will save you before you're someone's dinner

luckily for you, a certain boy with ash-blonde hair and heavy azure eyes was first to greet you

thanks to matilda, leon shoots the padlock blocking you away and welcomes you into the safe abode of the police station

you turn to thank the man once inside, watching as his eyes shimmer in awe once seeing you beneath a clear light, instead of the shattered street lamps

you only assume it's because you’re the only creature he’s seen that wasn’t growling for brains

after a rather awkward silence of his eyes dead-set on you, you point out the gash on his shoulder, where blood was oozing through the swiftly wrapped cloth

you’re no medical professional, but have had enough cuts and scrapes to know the severity of his wound and how to treat such

he flashes you the famous leon-kennedy smile and brushes off your concern, guiding you to the main hall to tend to the one cat scratch you got from hopping a rotting fence

however, with your stubborn nature, you insist on playing doctor and manage to get the boy to swallow his pride

efficiently, you attend to his laceration and use fresh gauze instead of some ripped t-shirt to protect him

and you tried your very best to ignore the uncomfortable environment and how he nearly fell asleep to your soft humming

the rest of the night was… boring, you hate to say

“you’re the reason i’m still alive! i need to protect you in case of emergency” leon disputes, locking you in a boiler room and giving you his bulletproof vest to wear

you then spend the rest of the evening doodling on the whiteboard and fidgeting with a mr. raccoon toy

there were even a few instances where you succumb to your boredom and lied sprawled out on the filthy ground

but soon enough, dawn blossoms and you’re heart shoots into your throat when leon bursts through the door

he almost punts you to the ground in a bone-crushing hug, the embrace nearly fracturing your poor ribs beneath his weight

his rushed pants die down to soothing breaths and his tensed muscles ease, to where he feels like jelly in your arms

he clutches your face in your hands, scanning you for any injuries, eyes blown with panic and distraught

you escaped the horrors of the g-virus without a scratch, but this wouldn't be the last you see of leon kennedy

ever since the night with the walking dead, your very own rick grimes has grown quite attached to you

you’re struck ambivalent as you watch him call you “angel” or “sunshine” with sheer devotion within his tone

you once even caught the heartthrob of R.P.D. mumbling nonsense about his love for you when he fell asleep at his desk

yet again, you excuse his behavior as some playful inside joke and go about your day, ignoring the way his mood falters when you both depart

and also, that adoring nature of his is shattered within an instant if any other soul dares to interrupt a conversation between the two of you

you can only imagine the things he’s said to his coworkers as they quiver like a bunny beneath the stare of a rookie

and if there’s anything leon hates more than zombies and sewer monsters, it’s being touched by anyone or anything that isn’t his y/n

whether it was an officer congratulating him with a pat to the shoulder or a citizen tucking themselves behind him for safety, he feels disgusted with them and himself

although others and yourself included describe your relationship as merely platonic, leon sees it as so, so much more

so when people put their hands on him, he feels as if he had betrayed your relationship in a way

their touch feels like a disease festering upon his skin and only you can be the one to purify him again

whether it’s with a quick tap on the shoulder or the lingering sensation on his hand after a high-five, it never fails to make his head spin

your affection and attention is paradisiacal, and he would love nothing more than to drown in the bliss of you

ever since raccoon city's downfall, leon kennedy seemed to had fallen down with it

that protective nature and those obsessive tendencies of his seemed to emerge most around you, but you only assume is due to the trauma he experienced

it’s impossible for a human to care for another to such an extent after only knowing each other for a single night… right?

you both went through something traumatic and his behavior towards you is merely at the reason of pstd… right?

much to your dismay, your denial became crystal clear when his necklace that he always kept tucked beneath his shirt slipped out, and you saw a locket containing strands of your hair swung upon the chain

you try and excuse it as his girlfriend's hair or something, but the way his cheeks flush, the way he stutters over his words and how the shades of the lock match perfectly with yours, it hard to keep finding lies to protect yourself from the reality

but he’s the leon kennedy, a trustworthy rookie whose job is to protect and to serve

and he would never do such a thing…

right…?

[chaos-vulpix]

Rockshot Rave: Tox

This has been... a few months in the making...

Inspired by my initial Atershock playlist, I've put together my largest playlist so far, all to create the most Clubbing Vibe that only Tox could facilitate

Enjoy :)

1, 2 Step - Ciara ft. Missy Elliott

4ÆM - Grimes

AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM - Beyoncé

Anaconda - Nicki Minaj

Anything I Do - CLiQ ft. Ms Banks & Alika

Automatic - Nicki Minaj

Bangarang - Skrillex ft. Sirah

Birthday Cake (Extended Solo Version by GYAs) - Rihanna

Black Mamba - aespa

Body to Body - Electric Valentine

Bon Appétit (3LAU Remix) - Katy Perry ft. Migos

Boy's a liar - PinkPantheress

Bulletproof - La Roux

Buscando - GTA & Jenn Morel

Carousel - Slushii ft. Kiesza

Changa - PNAU ft. Kira Divine

Colder (Syn Cole Remix) - Nina Nesbitt

Come On Back - Shungudzo | Fifty Shades Freed

Commander - Kelly Rowland ft. David Guetta

Control Your Body - PNAU ft. Kira Divine

Cool for the Summer - Demi Lovato

Cool Girl - Tove Lo

DDU-DU DDU-DU - BLACKPINK

Diamonds - Megan Thee Stallion & Normani | Birds of Prey

Dinero - Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled & Cardi B

Dip It Low - Christina Milian

Dirrty - Christina Aguilera ft. Redman

Dirty Picture - Taio Cruz ft. Kesha

Disco Tits (KREAM Remix) - Tove Lo

Do It Again - Röyksopp & Robyn

Dollar Menu - Two Friends ft. Dani Poppitt

Down On Me - Jeremih ft. 50 Cent

Drinking from the Bottle - Calvin Harris ft. Tinie Tempah

(Drop Dead) Beautiful - Britney Spears ft. Sabi

Dumb Litty - KARD

Enjoy the Ride - Krewella

Eyes Off You - M22, Arlissa & Kiana Ledé | Charlie's Angels (2019)

For Your Entertainment - Adam Lambert

Freak - Estelle ft. Kardinal Offishall

Freak (Boy Sim Remix) - Theia

Get Low - Lil Jon ft. The Eastside Boyz

Get Outta My Way - Kylie Minogue

Gimme More - Britney Spears

Goodies - Ciara ft. Petey Pablo

Google Me - CLiQ ft. Alika & Ms Banks

Habits (Stay High) (The Chainsmokers Remix) - Tove Lo

Have Mercy - Chlöe

Hey Baby (Drop It to The Floor) - Pitbull ft. T-Pain

Hollywood Angel - SACHI ft. E^ST

Home (Elephante Remix) - Deluka

I Can't Stop Drinking About You (The Chainsmokers Remix) - Bebe Rexha

I Got You Dancing - Lady Sovereign

I Wanna Go - Britney Spears

If You Seek Amy - Britney Spears

In The Dark - DEV

Karaoke - Big Freedia ft. Lizzo

Let Me Think About It - Fedde Le Grand ft. Ida Corr

Live For The Night - Krewella

Love Sex Magic - Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake

Low - Flo Rida ft. T-Pain

Mad Love - Sean Paul & David Guetta ft. Becky G

Milkshake - Kelis

Mo Bounce - Iggy Azalea

Not My Job - FLO

Phone - Lizzo

Poison - Nicole Scherzinger

Policeman - Eva Simons ft. Konshens

Pookie - Aya Nakamura

Pretty Hurts (R3HAB Remix) - Beyoncé

Professional - SAMAHTA ft. Hail Luna

Push It - Salt-N-Pepa

Rain Over Me - Pitbull ft. Marc Anthony

Rude Boy - Rihanna

Satisfaction - Benny Benassi

Satisfy - Nero

Saturday - Basshunter

Secrets - Tiësto & KSHMR ft. Vassy

Scandalous - Mis-Teeq

Shinigami Eyes - Grimes

Slow Down - Selena Gomez

Sour Candy - Lady Gaga & BLACKPINK

STARSTRUKK - 3OH!3 ft. Katy Perry

Sua Cara - Major Lazer ft. Anitta & Pabllo Vittar

Sweat - Snoop Dogg & David Guetta

Take Over Control - Afrojack ft. Eva Simons

The Night Is Still Young - Nicki Minaj

Titanium - David Guetta ft. Sia

Titi Me Preguntó - Bad Bunny

Tongue Twister - Cash Cash ft. Bim

Toxic - Britney Spears

Tuesday - Burak Yeter ft. Danelle Sandoval

We Can't Stop - Miley Cyrus

We Flood The Night - FEMM

What You Waiting For? (Let's Be Friends Remix) - Gwen Stefani

When Will I See You Again? - Nytrix ft. Neon Hitch

Whip It - Nicki Minaj

Work - Ciara ft. Missy Elliott

YES - Louisa ft. 2 Chainz

You Know You Like It - DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge

Your Body - Christina Aguilera