#[Slaps roof of post] This bad boy can fit so many one-shots in it

[ninadove]

Would Feligami be the type of couple to sleep together? (in a non-sus way of course)

DID SOMEONE SAY FELIGAMI FLUFF

Yes, they absolutely would! No one is more surprised by this fact than Felix “I need my personal space” Graham de Vanily, who did not realise how touch-starved he was until he met Kagami. Very much like that meme of the cheetah getting a chin rub.

The first few times she would burrow into his shirt and he would not dare to move or breathe too heavily. He’s used to destroying beautiful things, after all.

But eventually he would learn to let go and hold her tight and rest his chin on top of her head and kiss her forehead when she mumbles in a half-asleep state. Which would be so healing for her.

And of course, there’s the fact that they’ve both been terribly abused. Letting your guard down enough to fall asleep next to someone is the ultimate show of trust — especially for Felix, especially after the Nightormentor debacle. Give the boy insomnia and night terrors and let him be the one to be cared for and gently rocked back to sleep…

Also for everyone’s consideration: they’re both early risers, and I don’t think this habit would disappear completely, but they should get to discover the joys of laying in bed idly sometimes. Just. Let them be kids I beg of you

Also also for your consideration: Felix sleeping much better during thunderstorms, since lightning is associated with Ryuko, to illustrate that he is not afraid of the way she loves! ❤️🐉💜🐉

[within-ur-intro-verse]

Favorite Complete Joongdok AU Fics

One-shots

Helpful Scenarios: What If by 16Wishes; 5,555 words, Rated: Teen; Modern AU - YJH & crew run an account where they post social experiment videos, dedicated to capturing and spreading human kindness and empathy towards one another. KDJ is their main subject.

In Continuation by 16Wishes; 8,888 words, Rated: Mature; Modern AU - how YJH met KDJ and conquered the gaming industry - completing life's checkpoints one at a time together.

a gaggle of sunfish bastards by Anonymous; 13,287 words, Rated: Teen; Hero/Villain AU - Top hero YJH volunteers to infiltrate the villain organization that was apparently attempting to clone him. What he finds instead is KDJ.

*slaps roof of car* this bad boy can fit so many misunderstandings in it by Anonymous; 7,605 words, Rated: Mature; Modern/SocMed/Mob AU - KDJ makes fanart for his webnovel based on his and his estranged friend YJH's appearances. When HSY wants permission to use his designs for a webcomic adaptation, he needs to reunite with YJH to give him a heads-up. YJH has become a Mob boss.

Manager Squid Supremacy by Arcanvas; 9,200 words, Rated: Teen; Modern/Idol/Social Media AU - Even after KDJ's 'resignation', his dear idols never fail to give him a headache. Only this time, it gets worse with his newfound fame on social media.

the siren's song by crispy_scoliosis; 1,960 words, Rated: Gen; Fantasy AU - Unseelie King YJH keeps hearing his people talk about hearing a siren singing a sad melody. He goes to investigate.

meow for me by dirtpellets; 5,222 words, Rated: Gen; Modern/Cat Cafe AU - KDJ becomes the object of affection for two local tsunderes: one human, one cat. A battle of great honor ensues.

how to stan my idol boyfriend by idlemurmurs; 2,349 words, Rated: Gen; Modern/Idol AU - The best way to show support to your idol boyfriend? Buying his merch.

home, an irrevocable condition by kero (tofuflower); 18,390 words, Rated: Teen; Modern/College AU - KDJ works at a maid cafe. He tries to keep his job a secret from YJH. Which works until it doesn't.

To Live With Dying by MatchaMochi; 3,416 words, Rated: Teen; Royalty/Isekai AU - YJH & KDJ live in 2 different worlds literally. They can only meet every time YJH dies.

Anemoia by pinkeque; 10,157 words, Rated: Teen; Modern AU - YJH (41st), a soldier, and KDJ, a war photographer, meet and grow closer during war times. Their story is told from the future from different points of view.

there's a thin line between boyfriend and boyfan by psychoguava; 7,322 words, Rated: Teen; Modern/Idol AU - Idol KDJ accidentally finds his bf's secret stash of his merch.

he said she said by quillifer; 3,288 words, Rated: Teen; Modern/College AU - Jihye has no idea why her taciturn advisor is so invested in the rumors about Professor Kim's love life.

the way to a man's heart by quillifer; 6,368 words, Rated: Teen; Modern/High School AU - YJH might anonymously make KDJ lunch three times a week, but he's not nursing a crush. Pinky promise.

All the Things My Hands Have Held by spoonks; 6,397 words, Rated: Teen; Modern/No Scenario AU - in a world where the apocalypse didn't start YJH, KDJ, & YMA are their own little family.

Given Life First by spoonks; 6,545 words, Rated: Gen; Modern with Magic AU - It wasn’t until a few months had passed that the public finally realized that the world was no longer how they remembered.

No More Snow in the Mountains by spoonks; 20,750 words, Rated: Teen; Fantasy AU - KDJ gets transported to a novel of a different genre.

tall tales and thick tails by zxrysky; 5,917 words, Rated: Teen; Magic AU - YJH needs a familiar. HSY sets up a summoning ritual to get him one. He ends up with a fox.

Multi-chapter/Series

vital signs by anemotions (realdefonge); Multi-chapter (10,702 words), Rated: Teen; Modern AU - Medical Intern KDJ keeps meeting CEO YJH during his monthly check-up.

love letters for your lips by Anonymous; Multi-chapter (29,771 words), Rated: Explicit; Modern AU - Chef Yoo tries to seduce an oblivious Kim Dokja using food, with little success.

Heart Signal AU by Anonymous; Series, Rated: Teen; Story 1 (Compete - 149,679 words) & Story 2 (Complete - 2,787 words); Modern AU - Long lost childhood friends reuniting on a dating show.

Surely It Was Fate by Anonymous; Multi-chapter (867,644 words), Rated: Teen; Modern AU - YJH and KDJ meet at the hospital as teens, than keep meeting over and over throughout their lives. Like it was fated.

@thereader has blocked you by AssassinOfChaos: Multi-chapter (14,364 words), Rated: Gen; Modern AU - Pro-Gamer YJH can't figure out why he's blocked by a fellow gamer on all socmed platforms.

The Story of Us by augustiamoon; Multi-chapter (73,514 words), Rated: Teen; Modern AU - Journalist KDJ is assigned to shadow Pro Gamer YJH for an article.

and i hope that one day, you will love yourself too. by dkdlel3; Multi-chapter (215,734 words), Rated: Teen; Modern/High School AU - YJH meets a boy with lifeless eyes and helps him live again.

He can't be real by erisky; Multi-chapter (4,853 words), Unrated; Modern AU - In which HSY has to give relationship advice to a dumbass who somehow doesn't understand why his boyfriend loves him.

in hindsight no one with an avatar that ugly could be an npc by exocara; Multi-chapter (Abandoned - 1,781 words), Rated: Teen; Modern AU - Pro gamer/streamer YJH realizes that the npc he's been fond of for years isn't what it seems.

killed those men by Frill; Multi-chapter (12,279 words), Rated: Teen; Modern AU - KDJ is good at covering up other people's murders.

picture you in my mind by glazing; Multi-chapter (11,266 words), Rated: Teen; Modern/Social Media fic - Pro-Gamer YJH and Book Youtuber KDJ face off in a FaceOff Poll and flirt with each on Twitter.

in each other's eyes, we are observers by idlemurmurs; Multi-chapter (14,193 words), Rated: Teen; Modern/College AU - Painter KDJ finds a muse in YJH.

not a round without romance by keijhi; Multi-chapter (4,027 words), Rated: Gen; Dating Sim AU - YJH & KDJ are NPCs in a dating sim.

from fact into fable by lilaclavenders; Series, Rated: Teen; Story 1 (8,232 words), Story 2 (7,892 words), Story 3 (3,069 words), Story 4 (11,425 words), Story 5 (6,169 words), Story 6 (4,041 words), Story 7 (3,738 words), & Story 8 (Ongoing); Modern AU - no scenarios au where everyone meets each other earlier in life

aren't we just inevitably going around in circles? by midothusiast; Multi-chapter (40,157 words), Rated: Teen; Modern AU - KDJ finds himself a brooding neighbor as he settles in his new apartment while being subjected with a proposal (in-game).

what is home? by ninidream; Multi-chapter (42,760 words), Rated: Teen; Instead of living in great affliction, KDJ decides to move out from his relatives. Coincidentally, YJH does, too.

Reincarnated As My Youngest Brother by NurikoEsuki; Modern/No Scenario AU - Multi-chapter (67,052 words), Rated: Teen; KDJ is murdered by his father and reincarnated into the body of his unborn brother.

and i hope that when you say forever, you want all the little things that come along with such a big promise by quillifer; Multi-chapter (19,979 words), Rated: Explicit; Modern AU - In which KDJ and YJH decide to start a family, documenting the frequently emotional and occasionally hilarious hijinks that ensue along the way.

prelude to a duet by rioseco; Multi-chapter (10,130 words), Rated: Gen; Modern/High School AU - KDJ has an encounter with the lead guitarist of his favorite local rock band.

Moving Out of the Closet by Sinnatious; Multi-chapter (21,411 words), Unrated; Modern AU - YJH meets his neighbour KDJ, who at first glance seems to be living in what he thought was the building's janitor's closet.

love in 144p by straycatmilkyway; Multi-chapter (12,085 words), Rated: Teen; Modern/Social Media AU - Popular Idol YJH becomes infatuated with down on his luck idol KDJ. KDJ has been YJH's fan for a decade. This is their developing romance through a socmed lens.

Filthy Acts at a Reasonable Price by threecrossings; Multi-chapter (5,065 words), Rated: Mature; Modern AU - KDJ had YJH meet his mom as his fake boyfriend to stop her from setting him up on dates.

[Rewrite] On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog by threecrossings; Multi-chapter (88,324 words), Rated: Teen; Modern AU - KDJ & YJH catfish each other in a MMORPG.

Mortifying Ordeal by WindsOfTime; Multi-chapter (85,978 words), Rated: Teen; Modern/Soulmate AU - Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are soulmates. KDJ has known for 20 years now. YJH thinks he doesn't have one because a "wall" is blocking his access to their bond.

To Kim Dokja by YukiSkyes; Multi-chapter (19,528 words), Rated: Gen; Modern/High School AU - KDJ gets a love letter in his locker. YJH is not happy.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 313: Deku VS Lady Nagant

Previously on BnHA: Hawks’s super-hot badass murder senpai Lady Nagant showed up to fire a cupid’s arrow into my heart, and a bunch of literal bullets into my son. Deku was all “oh shit it’s Hawks’s super-hot badass murder senpai, what do I do, let me think back to Hawks’s advice for a sec.” Flashback!Hawks was all “anyway Deku so if my super-hot badass murder senpai ever shows up you’re basically screwed so you’d better abscond the fuck out of there.” Present!Deku was all “lol idek why I flashed back to that conversation since I’m just going to do the exact opposite of what Hawks said” and charged directly toward Nagant because WHY NOT. Overhaul was all “waah I need to get back to my boss who I put in a coma out of love” and Nagant was all “jesus christ why did I even bring you here” and had a flashback to AFO who was all “ILU NAGANT IMMA GIVE YOU AN EXTRA QUIRK SO PLEASE CAPTURE DEKU FOR ME PLEASE AND THANKS” and yeah. Shit is all over the place right now and I love it.

Today on BnHA: All Might gets attacked by a pair of discount assassins and is all “Call an ambulance! ...BUT NOT FOR ME” and it’s really badass but also I really wish he would stop tempting fate like this. Lady Nagant is all “[casually flies around town shooting shit]” and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t read an entire chapter of just that. Deku is all, “[gets shot (≥_<)]” and releases a giant Smokescreen which prompts En to show up. En is all, “( •᷄⌓•᷅ ) (⌣̀ Δ⌣́) ( •̀_•́ )σ (¬､¬) (눈_눈)” which I consider to be a high point of both the chapter and of my life. The chapter ends with Deku using the Third’s quirk to launch a bunch of random objects at Nagant so that he can jump up and grab her arm all sneaky-like, and I’m sure this is going to prompt another week’s worth of discourse that I don’t care about at all, but fuck it, I’m having a good time.

OH WE’RE CUTTING BACK TO ALL MIGHT WELL THAT’S NICE I GUESS. CONGRATS ON NOT BEING DEAD

you named your car??

you named it Hercules??

I love you so much??

please marry me you giant fucking dork???

lmao speaking of huge fucking dorks

who the fuck are you clowns. la dee da we’re gonna murder All Might with our synchronized spear attack!! I mean... they’re clearly trying their best... maybe I should just be nice and politely hype them up like All Might is so clearly trying to do

like okay, but we all agree that this is actually the least intimidating attack any of us has ever seen, right?? these guys zipped up their hoodies all serious-like and are trying to attack All Might and Hercules with their Walmart tiki torches, but just, no?? right?? like the only way this could possibly be effective is if they were trying to kill All Might with secondhand embarrassment

“those are assassins” this is a VERY generous assessment, All Might

OH MY GOD THE TIKI TORCHES ACTUALLY KILLED THE FUCK OUT OF HERCULES

[slaps roof of car] this baby can fit so many weaponized festive backyard lighting solutions in it

and yet, even after watching this with my own two eyes, I still can’t take these dudes seriously. idek what it is. anyways r.i.p. Hercules, I loved you a lot but I guess you weren’t actually a very good armored car were you

omg they didn’t know it was All Might??

okay 1) for a moment there I was like “oh hey maybe they’re not so bad after all” but then a moment later it was like “ah nope, they are.” like, that was an interesting .06 second emotional journey there. anyways 2) All Might you have my permission to kick their asses for this disrespect, and 3) anyone else all of a sudden getting “wouldn’t this be an interesting time for Stain to suddenly show up” vibes?? no?? just me???

(ETA: hmm tbh I’ve still got those vibes and they haven’t gone away lol. Stain?? you out there buddy?? do you want to be cool for just once in your life. ball’s in your court pal.)

OH SNAP ALL MIGHT ARE YOU REALLY GONNA DO IT ARE YOU GONNA KICK THEIR ASSES

PROTECTIVE DAD MODE ACTIVATED?? BECAUSE YOU KNOW I’M HERE FOR THAT SHIT, SO YEAH, FEEL FREE

omg he’s shouting at them about how much Deku has suffered lmao and they’re just like falling over from being scolded

so they have absolutely no idea what he’s talking about though, right? “SIR THIS IS A WENDY’S” well whatever, you killed his pet car so he’s in a bad mood now

OH MY GOD

LIKE, JUST SO WE’RE ALL CLEAR, THESE FOUR PAGES SO FAR HAVE MADE ALMOST ZERO SENSE. LIKE MAYBE 2% SENSE TOPS. BUT ASK ME IF I CARE. GO AHEAD AND ASK. I SAID GO AHEAD, IT’S OKAY. ...NO I DON’T CARE AT ALL THANK YOU FOR ASKING

(ETA: also, the more I look at this panel, the more I’m just like, why the hell would you phrase it like that though, sob. way to doubly tempt fate?? are you trying to give Horikoshi a challenge??)

and now back to Deku who is randomly bouncing around the city and narrating it to himself just in case he was confused about why he was doing this

who are you talking to Deku. but thanks we appreciate it

man you gotta love that overconfidence. the smartest guy in the world warned you away from this lady, so SURE, LET’S RUN RIGHT UP TO HER. “I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT, FLASHBACK!HAWKS, BUT I’LL TAKE IT FROM HERE” well okay then!!

I think it would be funny if RHA.com put little Buzzfeed-style polls in between the chapter pages so they could survey people at random intervals as they read their way through the chapter. like, you finish this page and then there’s a little poll there asking “do you think Deku’s plan of catching up to Lady Nagant and finding out where Shigaraki is will work?”, and you click “no” just like everyone else and then nod as the results show that 97% of your fellow readers also picked “no”, and you chuckle to yourself wondering how many of the 3% accidentally clicked on the wrong option by mistake, and then you keep on reading

ANYWAY, SO

HOW’S THAT PLAN WORKING OUT FOR YOU SO FAR DEKU. nice kick, though!!

omggggggg

ouch

update: Deku’s plan not really working out. sources tell me my boy has been fucking shot. this is an ongoing story and we will keep you posted with the latest developments as they come in

wait what

feel free to explain to the rest of us what all of this “UNLESS...” and “THAT POSSIBILITY...” shit means anytime, Deku

oh lol did he realize she could fly??

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE, CNN’s John King reports that Deku is still fucked. eyewitness reports now coming in that Nagant is doing no-look shots and basically not even giving a fuck. sources described her mannerisms and expression as “sexy, but in like an effortless sort of way.” we will continue to bring you the latest

so now there’s basically an entire page of Deku being all “ah fuck so she’s basically closing in and she could already hit me with impossible accuracy even from Far Away, so if that’s the case then her being Up Close is probably going to be even worse!” making good use of that Big Hero Brain there, Deku

so now what, you’re doing some kind of spiraling kick thing?? how is that going to help

oh lol he’s using Smokescreen to create some cover. aww, good for you Deku you named one of your Smokescreen attacks

OH NO LADY DON’T TELL ME AFO DIDN’T EVEN FILL YOU IN ON THE BASICS

seriously, AFO?? you basically told her what Deku’s exact strategy was going to be but then couldn’t be assed to drop that little, small, barely notable piece of knowledge that Deku is rocking multiple quirks?? is it supposed to be a secret or something?? you dropped the ball here man

damn this is getting intense now

(ETA: the way En is poking Deku’s head in that first panel is fucking sending me, I love this guy so much omg.)

well then what are you planning, Deku?? I’m actually really curious!! I am genuinely starting to be invested in this fight scene not only in the “wanting to see who wins and how that impacts the plot” sense, but also in the “wanting to see how it happens because the choreography and strategy is actually pretty cool” sense, which honestly hasn’t happened for quite a while now! this is fun

anyway so what’s up Deku, are you going to use another quirk?? I’ve been speculating that he hasn’t actually unlocked the last two yet (since Two and Three didn’t exactly seem convinced when we last saw them), but maybe I’m about to be proven wrong

(ETA: well he clearly has Three’s obviously, but Two’s is still MIA, and that’s the one I am of course the most curious about. that’s the one we’re all curious about, let’s be real.)

OH SNAP???

AHHHH I’M HYPED LOL. ANOTHER SHINY NEW QUIRK LOL SHOULD I PUT UP THE USUAL DISCOURSE DISCLAIMER

(ETA: so yeah, after thinking on it, I’m not gonna say “please no Deku discourse on my blog” this week, but I probably will ignore any discourse that does come my way though, just because I don’t have much interest in getting involved in what would probably be a pretty repetitive discussion. like, I can just sum up my opinions (which is what they are) here instead. in fact here they are lol:

1) I like the SIXQUIRKS and I like seeing Deku be a badass.

2) I also don’t think Deku is too OP. more like he’s exactly as OP as he needs to be at the moment, given that we’re approaching the end of the series. I expect the other kids will also be pretty damn OP when we see them fight again. we’re just at that point now where they’re all badasses (as well they should be; they’ve grown a lot and they deserve it). it’s just that Deku’s the one we’re getting to see right now.

3) of course I miss Kacchan and the others, but for me this vibes much closer to the MVA arc where even though I missed them, I was still having a blast (as opposed to the dark days of the Basement arc where I was pretty much losing it lol). like, even though Kacchan’s my favorite, I still love Deku a lot and this arc has been amazing for him getting to shine on his own (for like the first time, really).

4) y’all know I love the OFA plot and I’ve never been shy about that lol. I like all of the Vestiges a lot. Banjou and his over the top personality; En and his “guy you thought would be serious and :| all the time but is actually hyper-animated and ALL OVER THE PLACE” energy; Shiro who actually is a :| sort of guy lol; Three who I still expect will be fleshed out in a more detailed flashback at some point; and of course Two, who, well. you know what I think about him lol. Bakuverse is still on the table and I’m still hyped. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we still have yet to see Two actually talk to Deku (as opposed to talking to the other Vestiges while Deku is distracted). did he lend him his power yet?? or is he still holding out?? either way it’s definitely going to be a Big Thing when it finally happens and I can’t wait to see it.

5) Lady Nagant is Everything and just because Deku grabbed her arm doesn’t mean the fight is over yet lol. Overhaul hasn’t come into play yet either. not to mention that even if the fight is over, the “where do we go from here” part still has me excited either way. her connection to Hawks and the HPSC is very intriguing and we’ve barely touched on that as of yet; she definitely has more of a role to play in this.

6) last but not least, I feel like every week the discussion is all about how much focus Deku’s getting, and how OP he is or isn’t, and OFA this and OFA that, but meanwhile I’m actually so invested in the character development here though?? the way Deku has distanced himself from everyone (except for the Vestiges, because of course they’re already dead so it’s not like they can die again lol)?? the way he’s pushing himself far too hard and we can see the shadows in and under his eyes, and the fact that he never smiles, and even All Might has remarked on how he isn’t taking care of himself at all?? the fact that he’s so single-mindedly obsessed with focused on stopping AFO?? the fact that he’s still the same sweet old Deku despite everything and was so kind to that fox lady with the umbrella, but there was also something so sad about that scene because it felt like a reminder of the type of hero that he wants to be, but that he’s not allowed to be right now?? because the stakes are too high and the world is falling apart?? and he feels like he’s the only one who can do something about it?? and that he has to be?? and that he is putting so much pressure on himself right now, and it’s absolutely too much pressure for any one person to bear, and I feel like no one is fucking talking about this lol goddammit.

anyway so yeah. I have feels about this, and every week that slow-burn angst is getting more and more intense behind the scenes, and I feel like it’s all going to hit a breaking point eventually. sooner rather than later. it really feels like a mirror of Katsuki’s post-Kamino arc. where all that angst was just churning below the surface for like twenty chapters and then it finally was like “okay it’s time” and it all came bursting out and we got the best five chapters of the fucking series (in my admittedly biased estimation lol).

basically, I know that most of fandom is billing this as either the “villain hunt” arc or the “solo Deku SIXQUIRKS fighting arc” or whatever. but for me, it’s always been and still is the Deku Angst arc lol. the cool fights are a sexy bonus (the worldbuilding less so because even though it’s interesting to see society at such a low point, it’s also very depressing and gets old pretty fast), but for me the thing that’s really keeping me engaged chapter after chapter is seeing Deku like we’ve never seen him before. seeing him all quiet and withdrawn and brooding and focused on AFO, AFO, AFO, and seeing that “he just doesn’t take himself into account” mentality taken to extremes. I am invested in that. I’m soaking up that angst each and every week, and I’m invested in seeing what comes of it. it’s a big picture thing. week to week this arc might just seem like a bunch of villain fight scenes, sure. but Deku’s emotional journey is the thread that’s going to carry this arc through from beginning to end, and for that I’m willing to be patient.

anyway that turned into a BIG OL’ RANT there but yeah! so those are my thoughts on the disk horse as it currently stands. and like I said, I’m open to discussion, but tbh I will probably just wind up repeating these same talking points endlessly so just a fair warning lol.)

anyway so Three says Deku has yet to use his quirk at ALL but now he’s trying to combine it with another quirk?? damn. also please check out En’s face here you guys

En launching a sneak attack up my favorite character list by the sheer power of his expressions alone. he really knows how to make the most of his screentime

OH DAMN DEKU

at this point the 3% from that hypothetical poll earlier are starting to feel prettttty damn smug, I’ll bet. well shit

what in the fuck

?? so like releasing his chi or whatnot?? isn’t that basically just like base OFA all over again?? also Deku did you seriously just apologize to Gran’s cape

update: Nagant has turned her eyeball into a gun

hm. hmmmmmmm. ...okay yep, still somehow sexy

anyway so she’s just floating up there building suspense, as one does. lord I sure hope she has good reflexes because something tells me she’s going to need them

OH SNAP HE THREW GRAN’S CAPE AS A DECOY WHAAAAT OKAY THAT’S SOME SMART SHIT DEKU

LOL SHE’S MAD NOW

JESUS CHRIST SHE JUST NEVER TAKES A GODDAMN BREAK FROM BEING AWESOME HUH

DEKU ARE YOU JUST THROWING EVERY DAMN THING IN YOUR INVENTORY

but without the cape and the hood how will you continue to look like an enigmatic badass. you really can’t. which means we might finally be moving on from the wandering nomad part of this arc, stay tuned

LOL YOU MANIAC

I hope he went full Kacchan with the dialogue there. his face sure looks like it lol. popped out of a building all mad fdskljlkj omg

well this was fun, shit. I still have basically no idea what Three’s quirk does though lol. like, can he use it to charge up objects with kinetic energy or something?? but then what was all of that talk about combining it with one of the other quirks?? or was that just because he was using Smokescreen at the same time??

(ETA: having seen and read an additional half-dozen explanations of Three’s quirk, I can say with confidence that I still have basically no idea what it is or does.)

anyway so!! Deku is a badasssssss but something tells me not to count Nagant out just yet even so. also I really enjoy seeing Deku flip out on people like he doesn’t have a fucking hole in his torso because it reminds me of A CERTAIN SOMEONE and I always love to see him channeling that feral energy; I feel like it’s been a while

anyways good luck to you both!! I truly wish that both of you could win. but if not, then maybe you can at least become friends instead. you have so much in common, you both can fly and have multiple quirks and you’re both badasses, and plus it would just be really funny to see the look on Hawks’s face lmao

[charlotte-balfours-garden]

more oc lore! a follow-up to whatever this is

(@artimator your tag about wanting more eli stories was enough to get me writing, so thank you! <3)

***

He wakes in a dark room that smells faintly of alcohol.

The muted sounds of drunk voices and lively music seep through the thin floorboards and - whenever a particularly gaudy chord is played - make the bed he’s lying in vibrate ever so slightly. He can painfully feel every heartbeat in his head, accompanied by a rhythmic throbbing somewhere in his stomach area, and is somehow aware of every damn bone in his body.

Stomach’s not a good body part to catch a bullet with. But at least his heart is still beating, that’s for sure.

He hazily remembers revenue agents, far too many, and a long night of riding. Riding where? The pillow is soft and he’s quite certain there are four walls around him, and a roof over his head.

Where?

Soon he falls into a troubled sleep again, plagued by dreams of wolves and dynamite, and when he wakes a second time, the throbbing has spread to his chest. Last time he felt like this (close to this, at least) was the morning after the grand opening of the moonshine bar, some months ago. Just like back then, the sound of early bird songs is now shrilling in his ears.

He opens his eyes.

The room is less dark now, and also less blurry than before. Groaning, he turns his head to determine his exact location. A chair in the corner, a wardrobe, flimsy curtains letting in the first light of a new day, a familiar coat on the coat rack by the door. Maggie’s coat. The moonshine shack. Explains the ungodly noises from the basement.

Without thinking much, he lifts the thin blanket to have a look at this aching torso. It’s a strange relief to see he’s still wearing his drawers, as if modesty was the thing that mattered most right now. He’s not exactly surprised by the cotton bandages wrapped tightly around his entire upper body, stained a grisly reddish-brown just below his left ribs. With a whispered oof he lets the merciful cover fall down again. Someone cared well for him. The thought hurts.

There’s a knock on the door and before Eli can say anything, Lem sticks his head into the room.

“Oh!” he exclaims and disappears again.

Water.

Eli carefully props himself up on his elbows. The pain isn’t as bad as he had feared, the headache on the other hand… Just when he has managed the arduous task of pushing back the blanket and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, the door opens again and Maggie bursts into the small room, followed closely by Lem.

“Finally! I sure thought we’d lost you for good.”

Eli shrugs and attempts a half-smile. “How long…?” His voice breaks.

“About three days, I believe. Here, put this on, it’s one of Lem’s old shirts. It’s going to be far too large for you, but I couldn’t get all the blood out of yours.

“‘s okay. Thanks.”

“Not to mention the hole. You’re lucky it was a clean shot and I could get the bullet out quickly.”

“Mh-mh.” Putting on the checkered flannel shirt surprisingly hurts worse than (half) getting out of bed, and it takes longer, too. As predicted, it’s a very loose fit, but the fabric is soft and dry and that’s all he could ever ask for.

“How do you feel?” Lem asks from behind Maggie.

“Okay. I’m-” He makes a vague gesture toward his bare shins.

Maggie nudges Lem with her elbow. “Get the boy his pants. They’re still by the fireplace.”

Lem nods and disappears again, and Maggie sits down on the chair. “Do you think you can walk? It’s easier to put on pants standing up.”

She hands him her cane and when he pushes himself up from the mattress, the world goes blurry again. He takes a deep breath and, when the dizziness is gone, manages to hobble all the way to the kitchen table where Lem already awaits him with his good black pants. Supported on both sides by the Fikes, dressing himself has never felt more humiliating, but it works. Maggie hands him his boots, and suddenly he feels whole again. Exhausted, he collapses on a chair. The kitchen is as cozy as ever, lit by the fireplace and the first sunrays, warmed by the stove, the smell of beans and meat in the air. He can see his duster coat still hanging to dry by the fire, good thing he’d chosen the black one, for it too was certainly stained quite badly.

“Well done,” Maggie smiles, “you’re back from the dead.”

Lem puts down a steaming bowl of stew and a glass of water on the table in front of him. It’s a simple gesture. Eli almost tears up.

He empties the glass in one go, and it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted.

He doesn’t particularly feel like eating, but he knows the wobbly feeling in his legs is most likely caused by three days of involuntary fasting and not the gunshot wound. The stew doesn’t taste like much. It does him good, though, and as the warmth spreads inside of him, he can feel the headache slowly ebb away.

Both Lem and Maggie watch him intently, and when he finishes the bowl and gives them what he hopes is a cheery smile, Lem clears his throat.

“So,” - he wrings his hands, barely able to contain his grin - “there’s actually a little surprise for you.”

“For me?” He doesn’t want any more surprises. He wants to go back to bed and sleep for another three days.

“Yeah. I know you mentioned a few times you had a dog back at your camp, and well, look who showed up yesterday.”

He slowly opens the door that leads to the stairway and all Eli can make out is a flash of brown and white fur, and then Alba is all over him, climbing into his lap, licking his face and neck, only to jump down again and repeat the process. “Alba!” Eli laughs, trying to get hold of her and failing, “Good girl! No! Not the face! My girl!”

Once or twice she pushes against his abdomen and it explodes with pain, but he doesn’t care. The dog’s energy is contagious, and when she finally comes to rest in his lap, limp from excitement, her nose in his face, he thinks it has never felt so good to hold a living, breathing thing. He has to strain his neck to look past the foxhound’s shoulder and over to Maggie and Lem. “How did she find us?”

Maggie shrugs. “No idea. But she sure as hell woke the whole house with her scratching on the front door yesterday.”

“Except for me.”

“Well, I think you’re sufficiently excused. Oh, before I forget. There’s another thing.” She walks over to her desk and returns with a letter. “Lem collected it at the Valentine post office.”

“For me?” he asks again, stupidly. The only letters he ever receives are from Madam Nazar or sometimes Cripps, but this one looks different. The envelope is shabbier than those by Nazar, and less shabbier than those by Cripps, and the paper inside of it seems to weigh quite heavy.

“Elijah Ira Flanagan. That’s your name, ain’t it?” Maggie long knows that reading isn’t exactly his strong suit, so she opens the envelope without hesitation and starts to read aloud.

Within seconds, Eli feels a nausea he had long thought overcome.

Gently, he pushes Alba off his legs and after some protesting, she comes to rest with her head on his knee, drenching his freshly washed pants in drool, looking up to him with her quiet, brown eyes. Eli doesn’t return the trusty gaze. He stares into the fire, transfixed by the dancing flames and the words he hears.

… found myself back in these parts of the country … heard you have made quite a name for yourself … a lot has happened since then, almost none of it good … doesn’t feel the same without you ...

Maggie’s steady voice and the crackling of the fire make for an intriguing background noise as Eli remembers:

A hand wrapped tightly around his own.

A gun to his head.

A knife to his face.

Fuck.

Maggie reads and reads, a smirk on her lips and an eyebrow slightly raised, and all he wants to do is to slap the letter out of her hands or better, toss it straight into the fire.

All he does is blush.

When she folds the letter again, the last words hang heavy in the room, always yours, and a name he’d never wanted to hear or read again. He knows exactly what it must look like on the paper - big, clumsy letters, slanted to the right.

“Well,” Lem says from where he stands leaning against a kitchen cupboard, but before he can continue voicing whatever pointless thought he wants to release into the world, Eli gets up and makes for the door, Alba at his heels, tail wagging. He ignores the screaming pain in his side, and the nausea, and when the world goes blurry again, he wipes away a tear. He hears Lem call after him, followed by a vigorous Let him from Maggie.

Once the front door is open, the cool morning air hits him like a brick wall.

A deep breath.

Another one.

Life returning to his bones.

Dawn. A new beginning.

It’s gonna be fine.

Deep breath.

It’s a beautiful day, probably the most wretched one of his life. So far.

He turns around the house’s corner and relief washes over him as he sees Pepper tied to the hitching rail, munching on tough grass, waiting to take him somewhere far, far away. Again.

It’s gonna be fine.

[whatissleepeven]

Evil Within Shitpost (Feat. Deanobeanoqueero)

It’s-...

It’s exactly what you think it is-

My bro @deanobeanoqueero is the one who got me into this series, and also finished streaming Evil Within 2 for me today. I had a lot of laughs and scares with you Dean, and I just want to say thank you for the wild ride!

(*Slaps roof of this post* this bad boi can fit so many JOKES)

Dean and Sleep’s Happy, Sunshine, Flowery Day With the Bois (Now Comes With Rainbows!)

“We’ve received a distress signal from Beacon Hospital. We’re en-route; ETA five minut-”

“Dean, bro, we’re almost there you can silently thirst for Joseph once we’re out of the car-”

The beginning cut-scene is supposed to be dramatic, but for the two rookies it’s just Sleep teasing Dean about simping for Joseph and Sebastian

Sebastian’s just trying to guess what might be happening so they can go in with a few ideas, and the absolute tomfoolery happening in the back is ruining the atmosphere

Sebastian sighs. “Can the peanut gallery pipe it down back there?”

Dean winks at him in the rear view mirror, not once missing a beat. “I don’t like peanuts, but there’s one half of that word that I certainly do like~”

Joseph nearly chokes at Dean’s words. Kidman turns to the side to stare out the window, raising a hand to hide the growing smile on her face.

“...Peas.” Dean clarifies, although the smug grin on his face spoke a thousand words. “I meant peas. I like peas. Get your heads out of the gutter, would you?”

They’ve all been working together for nearly a month, Sleep and Dean knowing each other for even longer (about three months). This sort of banter was familiar to the five of them, but-

“WE’RE HEREEE- Oh my good fuck.”

They all hop out of the car, staring up at the hospital. Dean’s scoping out the area, Kidman and Joseph are discussing something in hushed voices, Sebastian’s making his way towards the steps, and Sleep-

-is still by the car.

She laughs nervously. “With how hard this rain’s coming down, this place looks kinda...ominous, don’tcha think?”

Sebastian’s withering look makes her gulp. “It’s too late to turn back now.”

“Sleepus.” Dean says as he reappears, slapping her on the back and getting her to stumble forward. “All five of us are finally on a case together. Let’s just go in, hope nothing steals our toes, and get out so we can play that ghost game we bought.”

Sleep nods. “You’re right...FOR THE GAME!”

“Kidman, stay out here. You’re our backup.” Sebastian commands, removing his gun from its holster. “Joseph, Dean, Sleep, you’re with me. We watch each other’s backs in here.”

All three of them nod their heads, hands hovering over their respective weapons.

Sebastian opens the door. Suddenly, a high pitched noise reverberates throughout the hospital, and soon after darkness quickly overtakes them all...

Inside of STEM

Sebastian comes to with a groan, quickly finding that he’s hanging upside down.

He twists his head to either side of him, seeing the other (really, really dead) bodies tied up in the same manner. “What the-”

“-actual-”

“-fuuuuuck...”

Sebastian nearly yells once he hears the other voices. To his left hangs Dean, the rookie taking in his whereabouts with an equally analytical and disgusted look in his eyes. Further down is Sleep, swearing up a storm under her breath as she tries (and fails) to cut her rope.

“Oh this is not a vibe, bois.”

Sebastian shoots Dean an incredulous look. “Now’s not the time for-”

The butcher walks by them all, going for a- oh that’s a writhing body on a chain, how did they not notice that before, and now-

-Now it’s a non-writhing body on a chain, the sounds of a blade slicing flesh filling the air as something wet splatters against the floor. Heavy footsteps pass by them, and Sebastian tilts his head back to see a...a thing dressed as a butcher cutting up a slab of meat on the table.

Sleep swallows harshly. “Ahaha...yummm, ham...”

Dean chuckles weakly, a hand reaching for his combat knife. Sebastian would’ve smacked his own face if the sound wouldn’t alert the crazy monster in the next room.

Out of everyone he could’ve gotten stuck with...

He cuts himself free once the butcher leaves, dropping to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He staggers a bit as he stands up, the blood rush temporarily distorting his view, and quickly gets to work on Dean’s ropes.

Dean drops to the ground much like Sebastian did, except unlike the experienced detective he had someone to catch him. 

The rookie smiles up at him. “Thank you, Sebastian.”

“You’re welcome. Can you stand?” Sebastian sets Dean down once he’s sure he’s okay, cutting Sleep’s ropes with no remorse as she plummets to the floor.

She immediately stands back up, unfazed. She jabs a finger at Sebastian, eyes narrowed. “Is this payback for eating your gummy worms the other day?”

Sebastian moves past them with a crouch, swiping the key card from the other room. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The two also drop to a crouch, following him towards a red door to the left of the hanging bodies. Heavy footfalls start growing louder, prompting them to get through the doorway as quickly as they could and shut the door behind them.

“I was hungry! You were like “Sleep; don’t eat the packing peanuts!”, and I was digesting myself, what else was I supposed to do?!” She whispers harshly as he opens the door. Sebastian gets the sudden urge to bang his head against a wall.

They all ascend the staircase, unaware of the horrors they would face...

Dean would sometimes miss all of his shotgun shots. It didn’t happen often, but he always took a second to lament his gun afterwards while Sleep patted his back

Sebastian leads the way. If there’s danger, he’d rather run into it first than Dean or Sleep

Explosions are Sleep’s jam. Th-...That’s it, send tweet.

Dean is the master of sneaky-sneaking. He always finds hidden items and ammo, pointing out little gems like a Bioshock figurine. 

“My sneaky little gremlin hands are gonna steal all of your stuff~!”

The ragtag group’s first exposure to Ruvik begins (and ends) with Sleep insulting him. “Look, I get he wants to make like My Chemical Romance and join the Black Parade, but he clearly got the wrong memo with how much white he’s wearing.”

Long walks usually end up with Dean singing a song. A favorite is “Country roaddddd, take me homeeee, to a plaaaaace, I belonggg!”

“-WEST VIRGINIAAAAA”

The two hang onto each other like they’re in a drama film, extending their arms out towards an unseen sunset. It’s very wholesome and sweet and pure.

Sebastian wants to slam his head against a wall.

Sleep whispers the Mission: Impossible theme whenever they’re sneaking up on enemies

Dean starts singing in a panicked tone whenever there’s a high-stress situation. “AHH, I love running from zombies with my brooOOOOoOoOS..!!”

Code phrases

To release tension, Dean and Sleep say “Number 15: Burger King-”

“Don’t you dare,” Sebastian cuts them off with a hiss as they sneak around a zombie wrapped in barbed wire.

- They do it anyways

They get chased

Dean likes the Lady In Red. She’s terrifying, but she’s cool despite wanting to yoink your toes!

Sleep likes the Keeper the best. He has a safe for his head; that’s awesome!

Meeting up with Joseph = immediate simp on Dean’s end

Dean likes to share theories with Joseph, helping him work on opening doors and solving puzzles. Sleep wanders around the room in that time, poking fun at Sebastian.

Dean + Sleep = Lore Goblins, the Goblins of Lore

Dean really helps keep Joseph’s suicidal ass alive and in check; also calls him Jo Jo when he wants to get his attention

Sleep does her best to protect Leslie because he’s babey

Sleep repeatedly says “I will never financially recover from this” when something goes wrong

Dean counters with “I will never emotionally recover from this” once Kidman shoots Joseph

Oh look, Ruvik’s coming to attack them in his manor? Sebastian is tense as he dodges, but Dean and Sleep-

“No no, don’t touch me there; this is, my No No Square. No no-”

“Dean, Sleep, what the fuck are you two doing-”

Once they manage to defeat Ruvik, the trio stumbles out of the hospital and immediately go back to the office to play Mario Kart (Sebastian was forced to go)

They purchase a book called How To Deal With Trauma: For Dummies and sit in a circle and read it

[penultimateapogee]

hey dude for the music challenge u should do ALL OF EM

heh heh heh... such was my plan ALL ALONG. i will now use this ask as the place to do it (here’s the post btw)

1. A song that reminds you of your childhood: anything from Fiddler On The Roof (the original Broadway cast recording)... my dad loves Fiddler On The Roof and he used to play it all the time

2. A song to sleep to: heh, anything at 2am. but really New York And Back by Leanne & Naara

3. A song that your best friend loves: oh god, really? cmon i cant just know that...! ummmm mazie and i had a really in depth running conversation about her favorite music about two years ago but im forgetting it all. im PRETTY SURE Venus Ambassador by Bryan Scary & the Shredding Tears was the inspiration for her OC Stuart who we both love and occasionally develop

4. A song that hypes you the fuck up: HEH ANYTHING....! oh my god this is a haaaaard one because of how many options i have!!! but also: Awaken by Riot Games feat. Valerie Broussard, because WHEN THE DEVIL IS KNOCKINGGGGGGGGG... SO ALL YOU RESTLESS

5. A song you like to daydream to: i can only say “heh anything” so many times!! literally i daydream to basically every single song; its foundational to how i consume music. i’ll bring out the real heavy hitter now and say Follow You Down by Zedd feat. Bright Lights. ive got some REAL good daydreams for that one

6. A song that’s on at least 3 of your playlists: *breath in* no just kidding, i do my best to make sure my playlists arent too similar. the day you stop me from putting I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers on every character playlist is the day i die tho

7. A song that you love from a genre you don’t usually like: this should be easy; lemme just flip through my catalog of “songs i bought independent of their albums because i was building an 8tracks playlist in iTunes”... actually no, Planetary (GO!) by My Chemical Romance! i dont usually like whatever subgenre of rock MCR is all that much but this one GOES (fittingly shjfdis)

8. A song that you liked when you where 10 that still slaps: Der Kommissar by Falco. no fucking hesitation. i can thank my fluent-in-german mom for this one

9. A song that makes you want to go on an adventure: Zero by Imagine Dragons! ive daydreamed some poppin’ space adventures to that one

10. A song you’d want to dance with your partner to ( or future partner ): so, so much... NOT Jenny by Studio Killers because i just wanna make out to that one; maybe I Go Crazy by Paul Davis

11. A song to stomp around and pout to: difficult, because when i pout, i pout like grimbark jade, in that i go “actually im better than everyone and you can all smd.” then again, having made that clear, Roman Holiday by Nikki Minaj (shoutout: @floralmarsupial for killing me with that lyricstuck)

12. A song to listen to whilst you lie in a meadow: Folding Chair by Regina Spektor. TOO EASY

13. A song that reflects your views on love: uhhhhh. huh. polyam moments? no songs about polyamory moments? being polyamorous fundamentally affects my views on love in a way im not sure ive ever heard a song capture moments? Hot Air Balloon by Owl City because i’ll be out of my mind, and you’ll be out of ideas pretty soon, so let’s spend the afternoon in a cold hot air balloon

14. A song to sing to the sun: i feel like its probably not the intended spirit of this question, but Coming Over (feat. James Hersey) by Dillon Francis & Kygo. im usually more of a nighttime girl but honestly? call me xoxo

15. A song you like that sounds like its on the soundtrack to an indie coming of age film: ohhhh my gooooddddd literally any fucking Bastille song. any of them. thats like their whole angle and i LIVE for it. im picking Snakes because snakes are biting at my heels, the worries that refuse to let us go; ive been kicking them away and hoping not to let them take control

16. A song that you like that romanticises being a teenager: i would love to say Teen Idle by MARINA for the irony but i cant bring myself to. (ill still link it tho.) real answer is Centuries by Fall Out Boy, because whether or not it actually romanticises being a teen i just feel it yknow

17. A song that makes you want to grab your friends jump up and down dancing and screaming the lyrics: why did they write a question to which the only answer is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen? i dont get it. just kidding another acceptable answer is Toxic by Britney Spears (my white is showing im sure)

18. A song that you like that the lyrics are just so beautiful they’re practically poetry: well actually i have such good taste that every song i listen to is poetry. (trying to remember the lyrics i cried to out of nowhere yesterday. oh right it was The Draw by Bastille but most of it doesnt fit the question as much) ANY Hozier song. im linking his fucking artist page because im NOT KIDDING. ANY HOZIER SONG. i toyed with picking a specific song as an “also, it’s this one haha” but no, im dead serious. i cant pick just one

19. A song that you can imagine listening to in an abandoned church ( if it isn’t hozier im judging you, but whatever ): ironic! to pick a specific Hozier song this time (because op is right, he’s the only choice), Talk

20. A song from the soundtrack of a film that you like so much after the film finished you immediately looked for it: hm, i feel like i have done this before, but i cant recall when... well i didnt go “oh fuck bop [blacks out]” but Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin. remember Thor: Ragnarok? that was a good movie

21. A song for when the sun has gone down and you are feeling absolutely buck-wild with exhilaration!: Lost In Japan (Remix) by Shawn Mendes & Zedd, because no song hits my city-hotel aesthetic quite like this one does

22. A song that makes you feel like you’re strolling through Ancient Greece living your best life: ancient Greece...! that throws a fun twist in it; Don’t Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas) by Regina Spektor

23. A song that when you listen to it you’re transported to a liminal space, time is pointless and you must sit and wallow in the void that remains: Shots (Broiler Remix) by Imagine Dragons feat. Broiler. i glanced at this question early on and have been sitting on it the whole time. just LISTEN to it

23. A song to listen to on a long drive when you have the really strong urge to keep driving until you find somewhere to start a new life (preferably a europian city whose language you don’t speak): Evelyn by Kim Tillman & Silent Films. it just called to me here

im a little sad that i couldnt put every song ive ever listened to in here so heres some more good ones that i didnt choose: Citrine by Hayley Kiyoko (this is actually a whole EP), Lone Digger by Caravan Palace, Safe And Sound by Capital Cities, Absentee by Jack Campbell, River Flows In You by Yiruma, Instant Crush by Daft Punk, Link by Jim Yosef, Poke Bowl by Radiant Children, Optimistic by cehryl, Quiet by Lights, Superposition by Young the Giant, Far Too Young To Die by Panic! at the Disco, The Good, the Bad and the Dirty also by P!atD, Whatever It Takes by Hollywood Undead, LUNARIA (instrumental) by Chouchou. i know thats easily enough to make your eyes glaze over but mutuals especially it would mean a lot to me if you listened to at least a few of the songs i linked in this post because music means a lot to me and sharing it with other people is one of my favorite things :]

[tiny-maus-boots]

Wild West AU pt 4

A/N: I dunno why. Blame @lilhan. There is Bechloe and there is Staubrey. If you’re not into one or the other or either please run far away. Thank you. I own nothing. Generic disclaimers. Please enjoy.

A/N: Parts 1, 2 and 3 can be found on Ao3 and thank you to @chloes-yellow-cup for doing the thing with the posting and all that stuff.

Aubrey watched Beca and Chloe make their way toward the alcove where Katherine always kept something warm going for the road weary. Her gaze drifted over to Stacie who had slumped a little over the table. One pale brow rose and she sighed. “Really?”

Stacie shifted uncomfortably and gave a small grunt of annoyance. “I don’t see another way. And no one else is coming up with any brilliant plans either.” It was defensive and Aubrey’s first instinct was to start an argument but she knew they didn’t have time for it and this wasn’t the place. And truth be told she knew Stacie was right. Sort of. She just didn’t like the idea of it.

“Okay. I’ll grant you that, love. You just sometimes forget words can be bombs too.” Stacie’s eyes drifted up to hers and Aubrey shrugged and looped her rifle strap across her chest before rolling up her cleaning kit carefully in the thick canvas pouch. Long graceful fingers made quick work of tying the roll neatly with rough strings of jute. When she turned back to Stacie she could see that she was being carefully watched. “Beca cried for a week Stacie. She didn’t even cry that much when we had to pull buckshot out of her ass after El Paso.”

Stacie’s lips twitched at the memory of it and Aubrey sighed. Amusement right now wasn’t appreciated. “Okay okay. You’re right. I maybe could have said it better. We just…don’t have time to be delicate.”

Aubrey gave a slight nod and reached out to ghost a hand over Stacie’s shoulder. Her fingers squeezed gently in a show of comfort and support. It wasn’t like her to do often but Stacie made it hard not to reach out and touch, especially when the moment was so heavy. The taller woman tipped her head to the side, bumping her forearm in acknowledgement of the gesture. “I know. It’ll be okay.” Stacie nodded and let it go with a deep breath. “I’m gonna go check on those riders. Take my kit up when you go?”

Her partner gave another short nod but winked to show she was okay. Or would be anyway. Stacie was right, delicacy was not a luxury they could afford at the moment. It still didn’t make any of them feel any better about Jesse being back in Beca’s life even for a brief moment, much less that they suddenly needed his help. She gave another squeeze to Stacie’s shoulder and marched off to the back wall of the main cavern. Aubrey pulled her leather gloves on as she angled her path to the sturdy timber ladder that rested at the opening to the tower. Her rifle clinked comfortingly against her back as she climbed up and over the stone lip to a narrow rift between the walls. It was too tight to go through without taking off her holsters and rifle, an act that always made her feel so damned vulnerable even when alone on a thin stone ledge. She pushed her gear through the crevice then slid through with breath caught tight in her chest.

Jesse wasn’t a bad man exactly, at least not bad for a man in the business of stealing cattle and horses. But even moderately decent men do stupid and terrible things when pushed. Aubrey remembered his face when he had come to tell them that his last ride had been a disaster. Jesse had fair near crushed his hat in his hands, his shoulders shaking with sobs as he explained how many of his boys had died, how Beca was just as good as dead.

Chloe had slapped him then, so hard Jesse had stumbled back a few steps with the force of it. For several heart rending moments they had thought Beca was gone and dead like so many of the Swanson Boys and to find out that she was alive… But Jesse had given up the idea of getting her back, of being with her to the end whatever that may be. He had given up and ridden away as a posse dragged Beca through town behind their horses.

Aubrey picked up her weapons and settled them into place as she scanned the horizon carefully. She easily fitted one booted foot into small toe hold and reached up with an easy stretch of her body to a hand hold above. The climb was easy, foot hold, hand hold, reach and pull. The rhythm of it soothing some of the ache that came of thinking about what almost happened.

None of them lost any time, they saddled up and rode out from the Beale family ranch in a thunder of hooves and encouraging shouts to their horses. Jesse had stood by the side pleading for them not to make it a funeral of four but he may have well been speaking to the deaf for all the heed they paid him. By the time they’d gotten close enough to town two days later the sickening shouts of angry glee were rising to a fevered pitch. Beca had been pulled roughly onto a hastily erected gallows, a coarse noose wrapped around her neck and tightened. She’d fought them with a vicious head-butt even then and Aubrey had never been more proud to call someone her friend.

Aubrey had intended to spare Beca the suffering of a horrible choking death. It would break Chloe…it would break all of them for her to do it really, but a shot through the heart was a damn sight better than the suffocating panic of being strangled to death. Chloe’s quick inhale of breath and the sound of her revolver clearing its holster made Aubrey focus harder, reminding herself that there was still a chance. Her gaze narrowing to the most finite point in the distance until all she saw was the rope going taut as Beca’s weight pulled the slack. Her first shot would have severed the rope clean through if Beca hadn’t been so damned squirmy but she supposed given the situation it was understandable.

Needless to say they managed to get Beca back even if Chloe and Stacie had to take down half the town in their getaway. They hadn’t seen Jesse again, he’d been gone when they arrived back at the ranch. It was just as well because she was certain that Chloe would have emptied every single round she had left into his worthless cowardly carcass.

Aubrey reached the pinnacle of the ridge and leaned against a large bounder. Her sharp eyes immediately picking out the shapes of three riders in tight formation and a fourth man further behind walking his horse and stopping every now and again to look for tracks or check one of the shallow empty caves. It was clear that the three ahead were familiar and used to riding with each other. They rode with a lazy gait that suggested they spent long hours riding, probably herding. The other however walked with a clipped practiced gait of a military man.

They weren’t close to the entrance of the Caverns by any means but there was a familiar nagging in the back of her mind watching the solider move about. It was the curiosity really that caused her to find the edge and quickly pick her way around the ridge to a rocky outcropping just above the party’s heads. She was close enough to hear the rumble of masculine laughter and teasing.

“C’mon pretty boy, you gonna poke around in every cave and culvert? They ain’t here, hell, there hasn’t been a sign of anyone campin’ out here in months. We’re headin’ back, now you comin’ or not?”

Aubrey watched the tall broad shouldered man take a deep breath and sigh before nodding. “Yeah. Yeah I’m coming. G’wan ahead I’ll catch up, I just want to circle back one more time.” His voice made her lip curl and her hand instinctively hovered over the grip of her gun. The three other men scoffed but turned their horses east and cantered away at a good clip leaving the lone rider to mount his horse after kicking a loose rock to skitter across the ground. Once he was settled in his saddle he turned his head to survey his progress.

There wasn’t even a second of hesitation when she leapt lightly off the edge of the overhang with her camp knife in hand. Aubrey landed heavily behind him, the horse side stepping with a nervous grunt. When the solider would have turned she pressed the blade of her knife firmly to his neck and snarled in a low, rough voice. “If you turn around I swear to the Almighty that I will cut you a new mouth, Avery Posen.”

Her brother froze and swallowed thickly, the reins going slack in his grip. “Aubrey?” She could hear the incredulous wonder in his voice and it gave her a deep sense of satisfaction. “So it’s true…you’ve taken up with outlaws and thieves. I thought it was a mistake, you running off with that whore…” Her knife dug in just a little deeper, drawing a bead of blood and her brother stopped speaking.

“Careful. I’m partial to the pretty lady, and I don’t take kindly to people bad mouthing her.” She knew it was pushing him, throwing it in his face that she had made her choices but Aubrey didn’t care what he thought. She didn’t care what any of them thought. She had left the overbearing and more often than not heavy handed strict religious rule of her father’s home and never once regretted it. Avery had struggled under their father’s roof some but had left for the Army as soon as he was able. He’d missed the swift decline into madness that their father had fallen to but he had seen enough to know her life had been hell already.

But Aubrey had been there to patiently suffer it all. Until she could bear no more and fled for her life into the desert to the only sanctuary she could think of. If not for Chloe, Aubrey would surely be dead this very day. “Aubrey. This is serious business, the Army is taking a special interest. If you’re caught up in this you have to come clean. I’ll help you get out if you’re…if you’re being…forced into unnatural acts…”

She used her free hand to pull the pistol from his holster and toss it into a patch of cacti. His words gave her pause and she blinked at the back of his blonde head. “Are you asking if I was kidnapped or lured into this?” Avery didn’t have to answer, she could tell by the set of his jaw and the stiffness of his shoulders that he did think exactly that. That he still hoped she was somehow redeemable or at least not culpable. It made her tired all of a sudden and she sighed, pulling his Army bayonet free of it’s sheath to toss it a good bit away. “Why is the Army so interested in this?”

He didn’t answer and she pulled her fist back, landing a swift hard punch to his kidneys. She hadn’t always hated her brother but she had learned to over time when he did nothing to stop the way she was mistreated, even taking a sadistic pleasure In it from time to time. He sagged to the side a little with a grunt and a wheeze. “You think you can go around blowing up garrisons without the Army investigating? You’re wanted criminals and your time is up. We won’t stop until we have you. Then may God have mercy upon you because the United States government will not. Harlots and thieves will find their place in Hell. You know this Aubrey. Just do the right thing and come back as my prisoner. Let me help you.”

His words seemed right, or should have seemed right. Her gut told her otherwise and she scoffed softly. “You’ve never raised a hand to help me a day in our lives. Not even when Daddy took his best hunting knife to my face. If thine eye offends thee pluck it out. The memory of her father’s harsh voice as he cut her took the air from her lungs for a moment and she shook her head. “I hardly believe you want to help me now.”

He turned as much as he could with her knife still dangerously close to his neck though no longer pressed so tightly as to draw blood. “You’re my sister Aubrey. I want to help you. Just cooperate and we can work this out.” His eyes so like her own met her gaze. “Tell me where to find it and this can all be over.”

Aubrey’s fist came back harder than before and when he doubled over she brought the hilt of her knife down on the back of his head knocking him out cold. She slid from the back of his horse and tied his hands to the pommel. His body sagged dangerously to the side and she considered leaving him to his death but she found herself hesitating at the idea of letting him die. No matter what he’d done in the past or what he wanted from her now…she wasn’t there yet. Wasn’t ready to cross that her own line in the sand. Not yet at least. Aubrey looped the rope around his waist and tied it off quickly. She tipped her head up to look at him with a sad sigh. “I almost believed you. I wanted to. But you’re just here for the gold like everyone else. Bastard. Yaaah!” She gave the horse a solid slap to the haunch and sent it bolting away. She watched it go until Avery was just a speck in the distance. “Well. Shit.”

Whether they hated him or not, they were most definitely going to need Jesse’s help now. Angry townsfolk were one thing, but the United States Army was another affair altogether. It was looking like their time had finally run short.