#( it was all trying to pick up the pieces in the wake of an apocalypse )

[endawn]

ask pax if he regrets forcing himself back into his body and, therefore, coming back from the dead and he won’t answer. take his silence as his answer.

[anneapocalypse]

Not gonna lie, analysis of Minfilia that rests on a reading of her as some kind of hiring manager at a company really doesn't sit right with me, not just because it lends itself to some particularly uncharitable readings of Minfilia, but because it seems to me like a pretty inaccurate reading of what the Scions actually are in ARR.

The Scions of the Seventh Dawn are the union of the Circle of Knowing, a group of activist academics who accurately predicted the apocalypse but failed to prevent it and lost their beloved mentor in the process, and the Path of the Twelve, a group for Echo-bearers to help them better understand and make use of their gift--all doing their best to pick up the pieces and protect the realm in the wake of said apocalypse. Minfilia, formerly the leader of the Path of the Twelve, has now been thrust into the position of leadership over both at the late Louisoix's behest. The Scions in ARR aren't a company, they're an activist group, and in ARR still a very small one without the massive web of political connections they fall into later. They don't have a lot of financial resources. They're largely working quietly and behind the scenes. They have a secret code phrase to identify friends of the organization. Being recruited into this group in ARR is closer to being recruited into a resistance cell than being interviewed for a formal job.

Minfilia's role prior to the Calamity was as the leader of a support group for people experiencing a frightening, isolating, and as-yet poorly-understood phenomenon, a group where they could find others like them, understand what's happening to them, and learn how to use their gift for good. And to some extent, this is still a part of her role. The Warrior of Light is brought in because they were witnessed experiencing the Echo, and Minfilia is reaching out to them as a fellow Echo-bearer. I think it's a mistake to interpret her words and actions without that context, particularly her expressed hope that this most recent Echo-bearer she's invited into her group will find something like family there. I mean, listen to the joy with which she says, "I too possess the Echo." She's telling the WoL that they're not alone, that there is a name and an explanation for what they've been experiencing, that they can find others like themselves here. Yes, she's also asking for their help. But this is a pretty far cry from a job interview. However flawed the Scions may be as an organization, I can only see Minfilia's overtures here as offered in the spirit of friendship and camaraderie. And framing that as her trying to build loyalty she can exploit in a corporate manner feels extremely ungenerous given what we know of her character.

I don't want to sound like I'm here to defend the Scions in ARR against any and all criticism--I've discussed my own in the past, from their concerning tendency toward self-sacrifice to the attitude they develop toward the WoL (which is kind of up for interpretation based on your character's relationship to them but which can come across as a cavalier attitude toward the WoL's safety, taking advantage of their unique abilities, etc). In particular, the Scions' experience as a small activist organization, and Minfilia's particular experience as Echo support group leader, has ill-prepared any of them to be thrust into an international spotlight following the defeat of the Ultima Weapon. The attack on the Waking Sands has already revealed the weaknesses in their opsec, and certain scenes in the ARR patch quests reveal something of a power struggle between Minfilia and Alphinaud--one which Alphinaud ultimately wins, because Minfilia lacks the kind of confidence in her position to stand against the force of his personality, and she, like most of the other Scions, starts to fall into the trap of seeing Alphinaud as the second coming of Louisoix and lets him push her around accordingly. Minfilia is simply not equipped or prepared to lead the kind of organization the Scions are turning into. (Urianger, incidentally is one of the few who seems to notice this and remark on it, but also seems to feel that he can't directly object.) The cracks begin to show, and then it all falls apart, and when the Scions finally begin to put themselves back together post-Heavensward, I think they all understand that they can't go back, that what they rebuild will be something new. Over the next few expacs I think we see them developing a new group identity, recognizing that that old model no longer serves them and doing their best to adapt to constantly changing circumstances.

The Scions in ARR have plenty of problems, but they're not a for-profit company and they're also not the same organization as the Scions of later expacs. I think that context needs to be taken into account when interpreting their actions, especially those of their leader.

[icarusredwings]

I dont CARE that it's November 9th and "Halloweens over" ITS MY BIRTHDAY MONTH ILL POST IF I WANT TOO

Anyway.

Thinking about apocolpse au.

Wade getting bitten by a zombie, Logan freaking out, Wade dying, and him coming back (Again)

"Didn't you just die?? I literally fucking burried you!!"

And wades like:

"Of course. Man, God REALLY hates you dosn't he?"

And he's bassically the same person except just saying, "Rahhah har ran re" (translation: I think the devil doesn't want me either)

"What?? Oh for fucks sake... tell me you're kidding.."

"Rah?" 🤔

"Great so now you stink more and you can't talk. Fucking lovely."

"Mmmmh..." 🥺 (would you still love me if I was a zombie?)

"*sighs, blushes and grumbles how insane this is and how much of a bad idea this is* Fine! Come on...."

"Raah!!" 😄

And sometimes his limbs fall off because I think it would be funny if you just saw him stop, turn around, pick up his arm and shove it back into place like a dislocated shoulder. (Marvel Magic)

But its very obvious that Wade is still consious and so logan leads him around, puts a leash on him, ties him up when he goes to sleep the first few nights so wade dosn't eat him, sometimes luring him with a piece of his thigh or telling him he'll feed him soon to make him behave.

The only thing about this resource wise is that it seems Wade is a bottomless pit, not ever able to get enough. It's like all the nutrients just pass right through him, so he can't get fed meals daily, but Logan will share at least one bite of his food. It makes Wade so happy and way more "wade like" than zombie.

Logan has learned that the hungrier Wade gets the worse it would be, snapping at logan a few times.

"Grr-"

"Aye! That's enough outta ya"

"GggRah!"

"Hey!! I said no! Bad! Bad wade!"

"Mmmh??"

"Bad!!"

"Mmh....rahah.."

"I forgive you. But stop trying to bite me. I feed you, don't I? I hold your hand and tell you that I love you?"

Wade is actually extremely friendly for a zombie (duh) and still yaps at logan except its nonsense. Logan tries hard to understand him and talk back.

He holds his hand sometimes, even lays next to him only to scold him if he gets too bitey. This is hard because wade already had a biting issue and seeing as he practically ate anything or anybody now it was more difficult.

"...aahh-"

"Wade- No."

"Ggr.. raahh"

"Wade! No! Bad."

"Mmmh..."

"Ill feed you tomarrow. Don't bite me mkay? You wanna hurt me?"

He shakes his head like a dog shaking off from a bath, or that ate a bee.

"Then don't bite me."

"Mmh? Mrah?"

"No. No kisses right now. Im still not even sure if thats safe.."

"Mmmh...🥺 ahrrah?"

"No, not even a tiny one."

"Mm...😔"

Until Logan grunts and pecks his hand. "There. Happy?"

"🙂‍↕️mh"

"Good."

Honestly Logan felt bad, pitited him. No matter what food he ate it wasnt enough substance to sustain him and sometimes Logan would wake up to find him eating a different zombie that made the mistake of trying to eat Logan.

You ever wake up in the morning, lose your zombie boyfriend, call for him only to walk outside and see him knawing on some poor chaps arm like a happy puppy who found a chicken leg? Logan has. Many times. And he wishes his phone would charge so he could take a picture of it but unfortunately theres no electricity in the post apocalypse world.

This being said Logan is like- THE perfect guy for apocalypse au because he can smell everything and hear anyone before they even get to you, he has better wilderness survival skills then anyone I know and he'll never NOT have a weapon on him because of his claws. The only downside is that he's tired easily, needs a lot of food, and would lowkey be withdrawing from his tabccao and alchool, therefore very moody.

"Stupid fucking apocalypse having to happen when im fucking alive!! Why can't I just NOT live through ONE major historical event! Is that too fucking much to ask? One damn decade where everything is fine and dandy and- WADE! Get your ass away from that!! It's radioactive!! For fucks sake!"

"Rahahrah?"

"NO!! You can not become Spiderman! That's not how that works!"

"Aawr..😔"

The whole thing is they're on a quest to find Laura and Gabby, because when everything went to shit, they were on a cabin trip and now Logans brain is itching because he dosn't know where his babies are and its driving him insane. Once he finds them, they're gonna shack up somewhere with food and animals to hunt, and hes gonna make a little shed outside for Wade to sleep because he'll kill him if he bites one of the girls.

He dosnt care that much about himself really and he hates himself deep down for not being able to trust wade anymore but even wade dosnt trust wade, sometimes wandering off on purpose, staying about 30 feet away from him at all times, growling and giving Logan that glazed over look of unconsiousness. The only good thing about this, though, is after he removes himself from the idea of hurting Logan (because if logaj were to become infected - HA! Your all fucked. Utterly fucked. The whole humanoid species would go extinct because he'd kill anything that moved) he feels more trusting of him and it's not uncommon for them to hug after either. Afterall Wade- Some how???- is still wade and is very affectionate and sensitive when its not returned.

This whole thing also makes him think worse about himself, kicking reflective objects or staring at himself in a shop window in utter shock and disgust with a face of 'thats me..?' While logans raiding the place for supplies.

Did you know zombies can cry? Well, Wade could. Not a lot, only able to get a bit of liquid from dehydration, but sometimes Logan will catch him just... sitting there.. crying. Upset with himself for being bit. Upset with himself for trying to bite logan all the time. Upset at how ugly he is. Upset that he's starving all the time. Upset that he can't even talk to anyone, and Logan just has to guess what he's saying 90% of the time. Bro is literally

When they DO find Laura and Gabby, the girls are doing great. Laura was going to blow wades head off until Gabby ran in the shot, hugging him instantly, only to be ripped away.

"Of course my dad is the weirdo married to a zombie." Laura grunts, but is secrelty happy that wade is still 'alive'

Gabby, being as young as she is, thinks it's so SICK that her dad is a zombie now, giggling when he talks to her and holding his hand. She's not allowed near him for long, and not at all by herself, but Gabby bassically becomes Wades number one supporter, defending him when he messes up and snaps at laura.

"He's just hungry!! He's not bad! It's not bad to be hungry!" She'll say. "You wouldn't kill me if I was hungry.." she tells her bigger, more survival oriented sister whos suggested putting wade out of his misery, for his own sake. "I tried that... he found me again 3 days later." Logan tells her with a pang in his chest. It had taken everything in him to kill him the first time, and sobbed himself to sleep the next 2 days. By the third when he noticed Wade following him from a distance he couldn't believe it.

Not even the apocalypse could keep them away from each other..

[dixons-sunshine]

Accidents Happen | Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Summary: It wasn’t supposed to happen. Daryl was only picking you up from work. He didn’t want the night to end with the both of you in the hospital with no clue if you’d be okay.

Genre: Hurt/comfort.

Era: Pre Apocalypse.

Part of the Shopping Spree, Hangout Dreams AU.

Warnings: Blood, injuries, allusions to drunk driving, car accident.

Word count: 2.4k.

A/N: A few facts surrounding the rescue is probably not accurate. I didn’t have any internet while writing this so I winged it. Just a quick warning before you read! There are more than likely inaccuracies in this!

“Hey, Dar,” you greeted your husband with a smile, hopping into the old truck Daryl had taken to work for the day. You settled back into the worn leather, letting out a big sigh of relief. You were relieved that the day was over. Being at work at past seven pm should be illegal, you thought to yourself.

Daryl gave you a small smile. “Hey, Peach.” He started up the truck once he saw you were settled and pulled out of the parking lot. “Long day, huh?”

“God, you don’t even know the half of it,” you groaned. It had indeed been a long day; from parent-teacher conferences to meetings you couldn’t care less about, on top of having to break up multiple fights throughout the day, it was safe to say that you were exhausted.

Daryl chuckled and absentmindedly started chewing on his thumbnail as he pulled onto the back road that would make for a faster route back to your apartment than braving the traffic on the highway. “‘Least s’Friday. Two days’a freedom, huh?”

You scoffed and shook your head. “Nope. I need to work on some stupid report. All the teachers have to. We need to have it done by Monday.” You sighed and reached for your husband’s hand and interlaced you fingers through his, something you subconsciously did whenever you noticed him chewing on his thumbnail.

Daryl rubbed his thumb over your knuckles affectionately. “Ya’ll be alright. I don’ have anythin’ planned for the weekend anyways so I’mma be at yer beck and call. Anythin’ ya need, okay?”

You smiled at him. However, before you could say anything, the flashing of another car’s lights caught your attention. The car was in the wrong lane; it was beelining straight for Daryl’s truck. “Shit! Daryl, look out!”

Your words barely registered in the air before Daryl was gripping the steering wheel, trying to swerve out of the maniac’s way. However, by doing so, Daryl lost control of the vehicle, and the car swerved away from the road and into the treeline.

The last thing that you remember was an immense feeling of dread. And then...

It all went black.

Daryl gasped as he regained consciousness. His mind was hazy. His head was pounding. His body was aching, and he very quickly became extremely aware of the fact that he was pinned beneath a piece of debris. What had happened? Why the hell wasn’t he at home? Why was he still in his truck? Why was he pinned beneath his truck’s dashboard?

However, as his mind started to catch up with him, he became acutely aware of what had happened. Another car had been driving on the wrong side of the road, forcing him to have to swerve his truck. The same truck Merle had given to him years ago. The same truck he had used to pick you up from work.

Daryl’s eyes widened and he quickly looked over to his right, praying for the first time in his life. However, he had no idea if his prayers were answered when he saw the state you, the love of his life, were in. You were unconscious, with blood noticably gushing in rivers from your head.

“Shit, Y/N!” Daryl called to you hoarsely, a sharp pain shooting through his upper body when he tried to turn and reach you. He probably had a broken rib. A bruised one, if he was that lucky. “Y/N, oh my god. Darlin’? Peach, please wake up,” he called desperately. He tried his hardest to get to you, but with his body being pinned beneath the dashboard, his attempts were proven to be futile.

To say Daryl was terrified would be an understatement. Other than the pain shooting from his ribcage when he tried to move and the incessant pounding in his head, he was relatively fine. You, on the other hand, looked terrible. He didn’t know what to make of the fact that he couldn’t seem to wake you. His mind was wandering to places he didn’t like. He wouldn’t let his mind accept that you were dead. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t survive if you passed away. The mere thought of having to bury you sent his mind into a spiral, and he started hyperventilating. “Oh god, Peach, please talk to me. Please!”

“Sir, please calm down. Everything is going to be alright.”

The sound of someone’s voice had Daryl snapping his head back to look to his left. His cerulean eyes locked with what appeared to be a police officer, two firemen standing next to him. As Daryl’s mind started to process this new bit of information, he realized that a bunch of police vehicles and an ambulance surrounded the area, as well as a few news reporters. Fucking vultures, Daryl thought about the reporters as his eyes flickered back to the police officer. However, in his place, he found two paramedics, carrying a stretcher. Daryl had barely even realized that the dashboard had been lifted from him. However, before the paramedics could lift him onto the stretcher, Daryl was resisting.

“Nah, get her first,” Daryl basically pleaded with the men in front of him. “Get her first. Please. Take care’a her first.”

“Sir, please remain calm. Just focus on your breathing, okay?”

“Get her first!” Daryl exclaimed as he felt his breathing become more erratic. He was pushing the hands of the men off of him. “God, please. Don’ let her die. Please.”

One of the paramedics signalled something over his shoulder, and soon, the door to your side was being pried open and two other paramedics were tending to you and lifting you out of the car and onto a separate stretcher. Daryl let out a sigh of relief. Good. You were being taken care of. He could relax somewhat. However, his relief was short-lived when the paramedics started moving at a more frantic pace, his worry reappeared.

“What? What’s wrong?!” Daryl exclaimed in a panicked tone. Please don’t let her die, Daryl silently begged to whatever higher power was willing to listen to him.

“Sir, please remain calm. We’ll do everything in our power to ensure your wife’s well-being,” one of the paramedics reassured him. He then beckoned the other paramedic closer and together, began to lift Daryl onto his own stretcher.

Daryl didn’t fight back this time. There was no use to do so. You weren’t in the car anymore. You were being wheeled away to the ambulance. His only option at that moment in time was to co-operate. You’d want him to. He knew that.

As he was wheeled into the ambulance—thankfully the same one that you were in—he turned his head to look at you. The sight that beheld him made him want to burst into tears, but he didn’t. He needed to be strong and hope that your stubbornness prevailed in the face of death, that you’d flip death the bird and live to see another few decades.

You had to be fine. You just had to.

“M’not sure. I think it was a blue car? Was definitely a blueish-black car. One’a the headlights had this weird ass green colourin’ to it and the hood had its paint scraped off. Was white underneath, I think. M’sorry. S’all I remember.”

“It’s okay. Every bit of information helps. We’ll try our best to track the perpetrator down,” a police officer—Deputy Henderson or Hallmark or something—told Daryl, sending him his version of a reassuring smile.

To be quite honest, Daryl could hardly believe that he had retained even that slightest bit of information on the asshole that had caused the car wreck. Everything had happened so fast. Everything had gone to hell in a mere second.

Daryl nodded at the officer and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “S’it alright if I go now?”

The deputy nodded in understanding. “We’ll be sure to keep you updated. Go be with your wife.”

With that, Daryl turned around and walked back towards room 207—the room where you were laying unconscious. As Daryl slowly lowered himself into the chair next to your bed, an action he had done since late the previous evening, ever mindful of his bruised ribs—one lucky thing that had come from the accident, a mere bruised rib—and leaned forward to gingerly take your hand in his, and that was the position he stayed in for nearly two hours. According to the doctors, you would be alright. You suffered from a broken leg, a really horrible concussion, multiple bruises and two deep cuts that needed stitches, but you were otherwise okay.

Daryl didn’t believe in miracles, but in that moment, there was no other word that could describe it. You had looked terrible when the paramedics had rolled you into the ambulance, and Daryl had been convinced that the injuries you had sustained would be far more lethal. It was truly a miracle that you had gotten of relatively okay. However, Daryl still got off better than you, and he felt terrible about that. He would much rather have been suffering in that bed in your place than have to witness you he hurt ever again.

“If you think any harder, you’ll burn a hole right through your head.”

Daryl’s head snapped up at the sound of your voice. A wave of relief crashed over him, and had it not been for the state you were in, he would have crushed you to him in a hug. However, he settled on tightening his grip on your hand, his cerulean blue eyes staring deeply into your own. “Yer awake,” he whispered, almost disbelievingly.

You nodded and sent him a small smile, albeit a little strained due to the pain that shot through your body when you tried to move. The drugs pumping through your system helped numb most of the pain, but not all of it, however. “I’m awake,” you confirmed, lacing your fingers through his, just like you had done the night before. However, once your eyes focused more, you could see the very prominent bruising on his face and around his eye, making you gasp. “Oh my god, Daryl... What happened?”

Daryl sighed and looked down at the bed, intentionally shielding his injury from you as to not make you worry more. “Car accident,” he began to explain in a quiet tone of voice. “Some asshole was drivin’ in the wrong lane. I had to swerve and then lost control’a the truck. We crashed into a tree.”

You frowned and looked at Daryl in concern. “Are you okay? That bruise—”

Daryl involuntarily let out a small chuckle at your concern. Leave it to you to worry more about other people than yourself, even when you were supposed to worry about yourself. Some things never change. “Yeah, m’fine, Princess. I promise.” Daryl stopped for a moment, swallowing at the lump that formed in his throat, before continuing. “M’so goddamn sorry, Sweetheart. I didn’t mean to cause all’a this.” He gestured to your battered and bruised body for added emphasis. “I was an idiot. I should’a jus’ drove into the other lane. I shouldn’t’a swerved into the fuckin’ treeline. M’so sorry. I—”

“Stop apologizing,” you cut him off with a stern yet gentle voice. “It’s not your fault, you hear me?” Daryl went to protest, but you continued before he could. “It is not your fault. You were placed in an impossible situation and you didn’t have time to think of a plan. You had to act fast, and you did. Imagine if you hadn’t swerved and we collided with that car. We would’ve been worse off. Sure, I’m a little broken and bruised in some places, but I’m fine. I’m alive. There’s absolutely nothing to feel guilty over. You understand?”

Daryl understood. He just didn’t really believe it. However, he wasn’t about to start an argument with you when you were in such a fragile condition. Besides, deep down, Daryl could admit that there was some truth to your words. But he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself until that asshole that caused this was caught for his crimes.

Daryl brought your hand up to his mouth, pressing a soft, tender kiss to your knuckles. “Okay,” he finally conceded. “M’jus’ real glad yer alive. When I woke up in the truck and saw ya passed out and ya wouldn’t wake up... I thought I had lost ya.” Unwillingly, a few tears fell from your husband’s eyes. He didn’t even notice.

Your heart ached for Daryl. Had the roles been reversed, and he was the one laying in that bed, you’d probably have reacted the same way. You gently rubbed your thumb over his knuckles, silently willing the man to look at you. “I’m here. It’s gonna take a whole lot more than that to take me away from you, I promise.” When Daryl didn’t respond, you took it upon yourself to attempt to lighten up the air. You could tell your husband needed a distraction. “You think they’ll give me an extension on that report? I’m not gonna have it done by Monday.”

By some stroke of luck, that had managed to get a small smile from Daryl. He shook his head and looked at you affectionately. “If they don’t give ya that extension, m’personally gonna shoot each and every one’a ‘em.”

You chuckled and sent him a small smile. “I love you so much, you know that?”

Daryl’s smile turned more genuine at your words. “I love ya more, Sunshine.” Before you could respond with your typical “impossible” or “I love you the most”, Daryl’s phone rang. It was the deputy from earlier. Frowning, he answered the phone. “Hello?”

You couldn’t hear what the other person was saying, but if Daryl’s suddenly relieved facial expression was anything to go off of, it was good news. The conversation was short and to the point, and when the call ended, you spoke up. “Who was that?”

“Was the deputy,” Daryl explained, a small smile on his face. “They got the son of a bitch.”

You smiled at him and beckoned him over for a hug. Daryl complied and very gently, almost as if you’d break under any sort of pressure, hugged you. Sure, the two of you would have to go and identify the man they had captured’s car, but there was no doubt in Daryl’s mind that the man responsible would soon be behind bars. For once, the legal system hadn’t failed him. You’d get the justice you deserve.

And for the first time since everything had gone down, Daryl was at peace.

[kingkatsuki]

Kaji in an apocalyptic setting where he takes extra risks in order to get his hands on lollipop bags

@katsukikitten sent me this ask ages ago, and I finally finished it Ilysm thank you🥺😭

Pairing: Kaji Ren x f!reader.

Warnings: Apocalypse AU, profanity. Not proofread!

Word Count: 1.3k.

“I don’t know how anyone can be so fucking stupid.”

You heard Sakura before you saw him, looking up from an old copy of Seventeen magazine you’d found inside the house you were currently staying in. Kotoha jolted awake beside you from the loud noise as the front door swung open.

“That’s it, just walk away.” He continued as he arguably became louder.

Kaji stormed in first, followed by an irate looking Hiragi and an exhausted Sugishita. Sakura was bringing up the rear as he continued shouting at his old senpai.

“What the hell happened?” You dropped the magazine onto the coffee table as you slipped out from beneath the blanket you were sharing with Kotoha, noticing Kaji avoiding all eye contact.

“You need to keep your voices down, you’ll wake the dead.” Nirei trembled at the same time, while Suo looked up from his book with a twinkle of amusement in the eye you could see.

“I think that already happened.” Kiryu offered with a wide smile on his face.

“Shut up.” Sakura bit back, dropping down into the seat you’d just vacated moments earlier as he slouched back against the soft cushion.

“Is someone going to tell me what the fuck happened?” You looked back at them with worry in your eyes as Kaji stormed past you.

“I don’t know, ask your boyfriend.” Kaji had already disappeared beneath the makeshift curtain to your bedroom, “Clearly he’s got a fucking death wish.”

“What?”

“Did you get the supplies?” Kotoha chanced asking from behind you, “Ume and Tsubaki are in the kitchen.”

“Yeah, we got ‘em—“ Hiragi started before being cut off by Sakura.

“No thanks to Kaji.” He pouted from his position on the couch, “If I wanted to die I’d take my chances with the undead.”

“What did he do?” You looked at Hiragi nervously.

“Just go and talk to him.” Hiragi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose to try and calm himself down.

You raised a brow before turning on your heels to make your way back to the small room you shared with Kaji, hearing the tail end of the conversation from the living room.

“Ren, what happened out there?” You fixed the curtain before walking towards him.

Kaji slumped against your makeshift bed — your sleeping bags nestled on the floor — his nose scrunched in irritation as a you noticed something between his lips. His back propped against the wall.

“Nothin.” He replied bluntly, his voice muffled by the sucker that now sat positioned in his left cheek, causing it to bulge slightly as you raised a brow in confusion.

“Is that a lollipop?”

Kaji gave a shrug in response as you came closer, planting yourself on his lap with your legs on either side of him. Gentle fingers tentively reaching out to brush back the greasy hair that sat on his forehead to check the small red gash that now crossed his eyebrow.

“I need to get the first aid kit,” You murmured, “It might get infected.”

“S’fine.” He mumbled, catching you by surprise as he circled his arms around your waist to stop you from getting up.

“So are you gonna tell me what happened or am I gonna have to force it out of Hiragi?”

“We picked up everything we needed from the pharmacy,” Kaji mumbled, suddenly finding a stray piece of cotton on your worn jeans more interesting as he began to pick at the fabric, “And we were getting ready to leave.”

“Okay.” You tried to coax him, wrapping youe arms around his shoulders comfortably as you continued to listen.

“And it’s not like I meant for it to happen, it wasn’t my fault—”

You waited patiently for him to continue as he found the words, clinking the lollipop to sit on the flat of his tongue as he sucked hard before continuing.

“A shelf fell, and then another one and I got my leg trapped under it,” He scoffed, “I could’a got out of it myself.”

You frowned as he told the story, wondering whether that was why he’d come back covered in dirt with a cut on his face.

“But they tried to help me anyway, and the noise woke bunch of the undead and they blocked the exit.”

“Jesus, Ren.” You exhaled, your heart hammered against your ribcage at the thought as you imagined them fighting off a small hoard, “But Hiragi wouldn’t have been mad at you for that— accidents happen.”

“It’s because I went back for these.” He sighed, pulling out three lollipops from the front of his hoodie pocket and holding them out to you.

The only thing that kept him from exploding on all his friends on the walk home, and the main constant in his life before the world went to shit.

“Ren.” You wanted to hit him for risking his life for something so meaningless, but deep down you could understand it from his point of view.

You’d seen Kaji at some of his lowest points since the world had changed, having to find new and experimental ways to try and manage the beast inside him when you couldn’t just open Spotify and find a playlist or grab a pack of lollipops from the local konbini.

It was difficult for him to adjust, and you knew the random outbursts left him feeling shameful and guilty despite them never being his fault. You knew Kaji better than anyone, and you knew he’d never purposely endanger you or his friends. He’d do whatever it took to protect you, but it didn’t mean he wasnt still terrified of the old him coming out in this new world order.

“You should’ve left them,” You shook your head, “Your life is way more important than candy.”

“But I’m still here, ain’t I?” Kaji scoffed, “Dunno why they’re so mad, I would’ve been fine.”

“They’re mad because they worry about you,” You hum, dropping down onto his lap as he instinctively wrapped his arms around you, seeking out the warm comfort your touch provides.

“Yeah but if something went wrong they could’ve just left me there.” He rolled his eyes, “I’d rather die than survive on cough sweets another day.”

“Don’t say shit like that,” You glared at him, “They’d never do that, and if they did I’d go and find you myself.”

“You shouldn’t risk your life for me.” He shook his head.

“Well, I would.” You glared, “You better not risk your life like that again or I’ll kill you myself.”

Kaji’s lips curled into a smile at that as he positioned the lollipop stick to the corner of his mouth so he could lean forward and kiss you, feeling his chapped lips brush against yours as you tasted the artificial candy on them.

“What flavour is it anyway?” You pulled back before moving your hand to tug at the bottom of the stick inside his mouth, hearing it clink against his teeth before he parted his lips enough for you to pull it out, “Cola?”

Kaji’s lips curled into a small smile as you held the brown spit-soaked ball up to the air with a frown, wanting to roll your eyes at the insanity of it all, “You risked your life for cola chupa chups?”

“Hiragi risked his life for a pack of gas-kun 10s last month and you didn’t say anything.” He replied defensively.

“You risk your life for a cola chupa chups again and I’m definitely killing you myself.”

Kaji’s warm fingers brushed yours as he took the lollipop from your hands, lifting it up to press the hard ball of candy against your mouth as he pushed it past your pouty lips to shush you.

“You think you can silence me with candy?” You spoke around the sweet, narrowing your eyes at him as Kaji broke into a grin.

“I can think of a few other ways,” He murmured, reaching out to grasp the back of your head as he pulled you into a languid kiss, his tongue lapping at the cola sucker as you matched his movements.

[chai-berries]

all my friends support palestine and know neil druckmann is a zionist

Decree # 13: No Scary Movies before Bed for Abby Anderson (#13)

abby’s voice is a whisper to match the darkness of the room. “hey, baby, are you asleep?”

“yeah” you respond in sleepy sarcasm. you shuffle deeper into your blanket.

“can i turn on the light?” this makes you peep open one bleary eye.

“uhm okay?”

the room is suddenly flooded with light from the bedside table.

the, open floor layout serves as a surprisingly large studio sized apartment, with a living, dining, and bedrooms in the same area as the kitchen. it’s wonderfully packed full of found books and pieces of art that took ages to collect. you and abby had lived here together for 17 months and each of you brought your own collections into one space. thanks to abby’s rank within the leaders of the WLF the apartment is big enough for you both to create a proper safe haven for yourselves.

however it’s not always as safe as you’d like it to be. especially tonight.

it’s been extremely stormy this winter and today has seattle bracing itself against wind coming through the bay and right against the stadium's walls. everyone was prepared for it. making sure the animals were inside and the crops were covered so everyone can hunker down for the big ocean storm. this storm has you and abby having a movie marathon. she found a bunch of intact dvds for the stadium collection and was rewarded with a functioning tv and dvd player for the storm. you picked out a romcom and a movie about found family while abby picked out two scary movies.

now four hours later, here you guys are, in bed, abby’s bedside lamp blinding you completely for a second.

“mmnph, you okay baby?” you mumble. your eyes are shut again, but you turn your body to face abby. the girl has moved to sit up against the headboard. she’s breathing deeply and clutching the blankets in her fists. when she doesn’t answer, you peek up at her with one eye. “baby?”

“yeah,” abby says when you sit up next to her. “i’m fine. i just couldn’t sleep. you can go back to sleep. i’m sorry.”

“no it’s fine!” you try to make eye contact with your girlfriend but it’s like she’s actively avoiding your eyes. “abby? did you have a bad dream?”

she looks at you from the corner of her eye. your face is earnest and full of love but abby knows what’s gonna happen next.

“i, uh, i had a dream about being sucked into a black hole. like, like the movie we watched.”

now, abby’s nightmares are rare. if she has them it’s either based on a book or movie she recently watched or the day at the hospital in salt lake. growing up in the apocalypse, your nightmares are usually the least of your worries.

still you did warn abby about the dreams. she already had a messed up schedule because in the three days leading up to it, isaac had everyone preparing for the storm. and when you warned her about the scary movies, she brushed you off and swore she’d be fine. now she was at the mercy of her know-it-all girlfriend.

your lips twitch upwards. you lay back down and shift under the blankets until you’re back in the warm spot. you look at abby.

“am i allowed to say ‘i told you so’?” you smirk up at her.

she rolls her eyes. “whatever.”

you pout. “hey! be nice to me! i tried to warn you, you big baby! now come here and let me cuddle you!” you open your arms and abby eagerly falls into them. she snuggles into your chest. your hands go up to her loose hair and comb through the waves.

“i got you. go back to sleep, baby” is all abby hears before she lets sleep take her.

when you wake up, it’s to a giant tree limb slamming itself against the large stadium window. you jump in fear before you recognize the noise for what it is, taking a breath. abby has tucked you against her chest with your head under her chin, so she feels you wake up. her warm hands run up your back and she lets out a groan when you pull away from her. “i gotta go pee!” you apologize, practically running for the bathroom to keep the warmth in your body. abby’s watches out the window until you return with a sleepy smile and arms open. all of your responsibilities have been put on hold until the storm is over and you're going to take advantage of being able to lay in bed a bit longer than usual.

“did you sleep okay?” you mumble against abby’s collarbone. abby’s midnight worries are gone now that the sun is up. well it’s up there, behind the clouds somewhere.

“yeah,” she sighs. “sorry about that”

“you don’t have to apologize. you remember when i had nightmares for a week after we watched that killer doll movie?”

“yeahhh, that movie was fucked up”

“it was! and the black hole movie was also fucked. you don’t have to apologize… But am i allowed to say i told you so?”

abby playfully squeezes you tight to make you giggle.

“yeah,” she grins down at you. “you can”

“okay… I Told You Watching that Movie would Give You Nightmares.”

“why’d you say it like that? are you decreeing it?”

“yeah. you know i like being right. and besides, when you get scared i get to protect you so honestly it’s a win for me.”

“glad my misery brings you happiness”

you respond to her grumble with a kiss on the lips.

“my sweet scaredy-cat,” you say against her mouth. “i’ll always protect you. don’t worry” you promise into another, deeper kiss.

[pasta-in-the-pudding]

Hello, I have a scenario request <3 your an infected but you still have normal brain functions [ie you aren’t feral/completely gone in the head and can still sorts function. Your body is partially decayed and you can’t speak, but you can still partially function] Brian, Tim and Toby find you and bring you back, without knowing your partially infected, and realize that you can still sort-of function normally and won’t attack them.

So sorry this took me so long!

TW: Gorey depictions of your body!

Thank you so much for requesting!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brian, Tim and Toby with an Infected!Reader

Wandering the woods in an apocalypse was both very stupid, and very resourceful. On one hand, you could end up finding a hoard of the undead. On the other hand, you could find something useful, like first aid kits, ammo, food, etc.

Or, (like this time) you may just find some survivors. Which is what these three men had thought they found today. You lay there, in this pile of leaves, twigs and bugs, completely knocked out and unresponsive to anything they tried. And so, Tim picks you up and hauls you on his back, while Brian carries Tim's other things, trying to quickly get back to their cabin before sun down.

Once they get back, Toby is the first to point out that your leg is almost fully decayed, and that your skin has a purple-ish undertone to it. The trio gets to work, zip tying your hands, putting you in a room by yourself, and wedging a piece of wood into your mouth.

By the time you wake up, it is early in the morning. Maybe 1 or 2 at the latest. You begin to frantically hit the walls with your body, trying to bust your way out of the room you are in. This wakes the boys up, seeing various lights turn on in different rooms and hearing the heavy footsteps coming your way.

There is hushed argument outside the door about what they should do with you, before Tim slowly enters the room with a knife held in one had, and a makeshift pillow sheild in the other. He fully expects you to charge him, and when you do, Toby will shoot you so that this whole ordeal can be over and done with.

You instead, stand still, giving him a puzzled look. This confuses everyone, and they look to each other for what to do next. "Are you....infected?" Tim asks you finally. You look down to your body, before looking back up at him with a "duh" look. "Can you....understand me?" He asks again.

You nod. "Can you talk?" He asks, slowly placing the knife down on the ground to make himself appear less threatening. You shake your head in response.

The boys share another look with each other before Tim approaches you, and uses the pillow to carefully jab you. You, in turn, make a frustrated noise. "How rude!" You think to yourself. This makes everyone jump back, expecting the worst.

When you dont do anything else, Tim begins to approach you again, after grabbing his knife off the floor. "Im gonna untie you, but you can't hurt us, ok?" You nod and hold up your wrists. He cuts the ties off and takes the wood out of your mouth. You rub your wrists and move your jaw out of habit from when you were living, expecting to be sore.

Since then, you have grown in relationship with all three of the boys, even working alongside them. You are able to get past other infected people in order to get things that they need. In turn, you get shelter and easy access to your fair share of nutrients (living people) through looking at who's wronged your friends in the past...

[songoftrillium]

so I've been considering running a W5 game for some friends of mine who have been having a blast with our V5 campaign. We'd have to use a *severely long* list of houserules and lore to make it anything other than a massive trash fire of...well, everything that W5 is now. Unfortunately it's likely to be W5 instead of W20 due to the players bouncing off the x20 rules HARD. Any suggestions as to what gaping holes I should focus on first, rules-and-lore-wise?

I apologize for this essay of a response. In terms of the major mechanics holes to focus on, a friend of mine, Kaidan, was a game playtester that ran a number of games at Gencon, and has done the emotional labor of reading through the entire W5 corebook and identifying ways to make the game playable. For house rules, I'd start there.

The rest of this post is LONG, so buckle up and get a drink before reading on under the cut.

Regarding Gaia's Howl, which isn't addressed in the book, I'd look to the Mind's Eye Theater: Werewolf: the Apocalypse, the last corebook in OWoD that furthers the world metaplot. I believe the mark that was missed in a big way in w5 was that the Age of Apocalypse in that book more or less encompasses exactly what they were trying to achieve in terms of the worldwide destruction of caerns, the death of many old canon NPCs, and the Last Words of Gaia, which was a prophecy laid out by King Albrecht in his final moments of life while destroying the Storm Eater:

“Hope is not sundered; wake me, and a new age of harmony shall begin.”

Nuff said there. You shouldn't really need this corebook to play, but if you can find any information on the Age of Apocalypse online, I recommend using that as your kickoff point to explain how we got here.

Now, on to lore.

As the Storyteller, there are few ways around it; you'll have to read some old materials to construct your own chronicle. A little-known piece of information is that no one edition of Legacy Werewolf was ever meant to supersede the other. All the editions contain uniquely valuable information and were meant to build upon each other, requiring a holistic approach to the old materials: take what matters and use it.

I don't blame your players for balking at the old materials. The first editor that volunteered to help with my big project had never picked up a WoD book in xis life, and when he signed up I asked xim to read enough of the W20 corebook to grasp how to make a character. After struggling with the material for a week, they returned and said, "I'll be honest. That's almost a hundred pages. I'm not reading all that." And I don't blame them. And I don't know if you noticed, but W20 also includes no tools for Storytellers to construct game chronicles. Indeed, no 20th-anniversary edition book across all the splats really does. Since the writing team at PDX didn't use any book other than x20 to construct W5, that only further deepened the reality that Storytellers have been completely forgotten. All Meat, no Potatoes. For all the good content W20 includes, a broad number of items would be decidedly unfair to force players to wade through if you wanted to, and there's also so much of it. If you have yet to notice, the old books have laughably useless indexes, so researching and knowing which books to research to create a good game is incredibly complicated. So, you're right that your players shouldn't have to read any of the old stuff, and you shouldn't necessarily have to run a legacy game to provide a game of meaning.

Now, on to the stuff, you, the Storyteller, need to put together a bombastic chronicle. I have a bibliography of books across multiple editions that really get to the heart of the deepest lore and covers the full width and breadth of what the game has to offer. You don't need to read all these books, but having them gives you all the reference material to have a top-down overview of lore you can pull into your game world that you see fit.

Werewolf: the Apocalypse Storytellers Handbook (1994)This edition was published during a time when White Wolf was still establishing what the World of Darkness represented. It was drafted during 1st edition and came out shortly after the 2nd edition core rulebook came out, making it a hybrid that shares stats between both editions, including renown conversion guidelines between 1st and 2nd editions. You’ll find three essays and a section from it reprinted in this very book, but even those are just a fraction of the value this book offers Storytellers. Beyond what I carry over here, this book includes expanded Garou culture, setting, and enemies, dedicated sections on kinfolk and kami,  and a dedicated chapter on making talismans (fetishes). It even includes a dedicated section for 1st edition to 2nd edition renown conversion and a chapter dedicated to building a custom chronicle suited to your tabletop! Definite must-have and must-read.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse Storytellers Vault Style Guide (2018)Beyond a collection of well-written tales, this book includes a chapter devoted entirely to metaplot. In that way, this section serves as a roadmap towards getting a good feel on which books across which edition may best serve you. It breaks down three different approaches to Metaplot (Passive, Reactive, and Proactive), the pathos driving each edition, and following those threads, one can more easily find which books and editions are best suited to each purpose and tailor their own Storytelling library to best suit their style accordingly.

A World of Rage (2000)

This book is indispensable for learning about the world at large where the game is set. It covers every region published and really cuts out the fat in terms of delivering setting information and systems just about anywhere you’d like to set your game.

Players Guide to Garou (2003)This one’s a home run for any table. Expanded tribe societies and unique gifts? Check. Merits and flaws and expanded fetishes? Check. MOOT MECHANICS? That’s right, check. Moots are the lifeblood of Garou society, and there are structures for this! If you ever wondered what the typical phases of a moot look like, what roles different auspices play, and what your pack of players may be doing during any given time, it’s all laid out here in plain words. Even the Ragabash has (arguably the best) role to play during these events.

Guardians of the Caerns (2000)Ever wondered what exactly werewolves do all day? Wonder no longer. Guardians of the Caerns is the sourcebook of septs and caerns, detailing the sacred places and the Garou communities that guard them. It contains information on sept offices, tribal septs, caern logistics, defensive tactics--even an in-depth look at those who must grow up strictly as Garou, the crinos-born. This is the book for anyone who wants to understand what they're fighting for. 

Book of the Wyrm (1st Edition, 1993)While acknowledging the latest edition of this book, this gives a lot more specific insight into the ins-and-outs of the Urge Wyrms and Maejlin Incarna, who have taken a faceless investment in this chronicle. Understanding the ubiquity of their influence helps to understand not just these entities themselves but also their hierarchies, as they are mirrored across each of the many heads of the Wyrm.

Book of the Wyld (2001)It includes information on the naming of spirits, stats on the Nameless, information on caern abscession, and the not-so-subtle recommendation to write a chronicle surrounding the final days of an ancient caern. It offers insights into this not-understood aspect of the Triat, including many that aren’t in print in the 20th Anniversary Edition. Some enemies come from the woods, after all.

Rage Across the Heavens (1999)

Meet the Gaian Pantheon, all the celestial incarnae to be found across the Tellurian may be found across this book, including unique powers associated with them. This also includes a chronicle encompassing the emergence of the red star Anthelios, believed to be a portent of the end times.

Hearthbound (2023)

That's right, ya girl wrote a cross-edition book this year, and I highly recommend it! This is a good answer for players looking for a drop-in solution to confront the systemic issues in the lore directly in-game. The problematic features of the Garou nation were always meant to be confronted by the tabletop, and this sourcebook offers a turnkey approach to doing just that. It details many of those issues up-front and lays bare many of the not-so-pleasant aspects of the Garou Nation in plain English, including several story seeds on how to work this new tribe into any chronicle.

Lastly, on language and tabletop terminology. It's best to treat U****a and W*****o as tribes separate from the Galestalkers and Ghost Council. They are different enough that you can't easily move the names over and call them such. That said, they are named after things considered extremely inappropriate to use in a tabletop setting, so I recommend presenting them using two Conlang terms I constructed for my games. For U****a I recommend Hapil, and to rename their patron to The River Serpent. For W*****o, I recommend Kalaril, and to rename their patron to Old Windtooth.

Lastly, if you'd like to know how to scare the piss out of your players' characters, I wrote an essay on how to do just that. Good luck!

[crybaby-bkg]

potential angst fic where the world just….collapses in on itself right before your very eyes. the sky is deep red in color, clouds gone, night doesn’t fall behind the horizon of your trees anymore. land is splitting into millions of pieces, people are falling into the ocean by the thousands. there’s chaos everywhere, and you’re sure that this is the official end of the world.

only thing is—you can’t die yet. not because you haven’t fulfilled your life’s destiny or whatever bullshit, no. you refuse to die a virgin. but luckily, so does your childhood best friend Bakugou.

the earth is still shifting and rocking when you both agree to it, sure that by tomorrow the house shattering storms will have moved to your region, that you’ll be dead by sunrise. so you spend the entire night encased in his arms, tangled in his bed sheets. you wish you had more time to try more positions, but you tick off most on your bucket list.

he’s surprisingly shy the whole time, a little huffy when he tries to stick it in and misses your hole because he’s so nervous, and also, there’s another earthquake happening at this very moment. he kisses you gentle, and breaths hotly against your neck whenever you squeeze down on him. it’s not enough time in the remainder of the world to make fun of him for being a one pump chump, and you can only hook your leg around his waist to make him keep going so you can experience your first orgasm with another person.

and the night is heavenly, blissful, full of sweet moans and tender touches. it all goes well, and you expect to wake up in some afterlife by the time ‘night’ is over.

….only thing is; you wake up the next day. in bed. beside Bakugou who looks at you just as confusedly.

“I thought we were supposed to be dead by now?” He asks you, turning on your tv that hasn’t worked since the birds fell out of the sky. but miraculously—the tv works. and it’s broadcasting extremely important news, a headline that makes you swallow.

apocalypse seemingly over: or are we being fooled by an angry god?

“What the fuck are we gonna do now?” You can hear Bakugou mutter, but you’re still stuck on the paler sky that’s starting to look more blue and the one bird on the branch outside your window and the people who’ve stopped wielding axes and started picking up shattered pieces of their homes. but you’re still even more so stuck on the fact that you just fucked your childhood best friend in his too big and expensive bed and lost your virginity for nothing. what the fuck are you gonna do now?

[teenageyouthwitch]

( Daryl x femalereader)

Storyline: when reader was just a little girl she always helped her father out in the garage working on trucks and cars so it's not surprise that when the apocalypse happens reader becomes a mechanic for Alexandria year go by reader is now a mechanic in Alexandria working on the vehicles and other things but when the group comes to Alexandria reader catches the eye of a certain archer,

Story name: like father like daughter

Words: somewhere around one thousand and five hundred ( i tried counting but I lost count so many times so I gave up but I promise it's worth it or at least I hope )

Warnings: death, dying, knives, guns, smoking, blood, and drinking....but If you guess want in part two I might do smut idk

This is my first one so sorry if it's not what y'all were hoping for or expecting, I hope you guess do like it tho

When I was a very young girl maybe around the age of 3 my dad started bringing me to help him work even if it was as simple as getting his rag of the tool table or handing him a wrench, or even just to give my mom a break and spend time with my dad, it was easy to say I was a daddy's girl.

As I grew up always around him my first and only job was working with him, it didn't pay much but I was okay with that because I got to spend all day with my favorite person.

When the apocalypse hits the fan and everything goes bullshit me and my father run for it sadly getting home too late to save Mom, now on the run my dad starts slowing down from age I try and urge him with simple words like " come on we can't stop in the middle of the woods " or " just five more minutes than we can take a break okay Dad? " It wasn't easy on either of us, him because he was dying and me because I was watching my favorite person's light fade. When we finally come across an abandoned cabin in the woods I tell him " rest and keep watch while I look around inside " I walk inside my heavy black boots making a clomp, clomp, clomp sound as I walk cautiously inside with my gun in one hand and my knife in the other. After looking over everything I call my dad in and we set down our backpacks and look for supplies after barricadeing the door and windows. We find some not too expired canned food and eat it with our bare hands laughing at the mess we made when we finish, after throwing halfway cleaning ourselves up we make our bed and camp out on the floor, I fall asleep listening to the loud snoring from my dad.

I wake up to the same snoring, I pack up my things and help him pack up his then we set out, hunting a couple squirrels here and there for road snacks. As a few hours go by my dad starts to slow down but when I say " come on just give more minutes" or " we can't stop here " he doesn't listen he just sits down leaning against a tree and throws his backpack at my feet. I look up at him puzzled but when I do my face drops and tears start to fall as I see his head leaning off to the side at a weird angle, when I call his name through my shaky voice he doesn't respond, I fall to my knees and slowly crawl to him I pull out my hunting knife and plunge the blade into the back of his head causing blood to coat my hands and my blade then lay his head onto the tree, I stand up and kiss his already cold forehead and pick up his backpack and start walking again.

I've lost count of how many days or even weeks have gone by before I'm found by a nice man named arron he takes me under his wing like a father and brings me to Alexandria where I tell them what I'm good at and get a job as the mechanic, working day after day on, under, around and in cars, trucks, and motorcycle of all kinds.

Today was no different than any other I got dressed into my work overalls and I put on a black sleeveless crop top, with my combat boots I always wear and my now shoulder length hair in two French braids with a black bandana over my head with two pieces on the side hanging down as I head to work I bump into Arron on his way to go look for more people to bring in, we exchanged quick hellos as we continue walking to our jobs. I get to my garage and open the bay door and walk in smelling the familiar smell of oil and grease from the vehicles. I put on the small slightly broken radio one of the people from Alexandria found on a run, my heart aches when an old Nirvana song comes on over the radio as I get flashbacks from my dad and me at only 5 years old rocking out in his garage as the same song plays. I hum to myself the lyrics as I get to work, as it hits lunch time I go back to my house and make myself a sandwich and grab a bottle of water and sit on my front steps as I take a break to eat half my sandwich and drinking all of my water, I refill my water and put my sandwich in the fridge of my house and head back to work, I start working but not even a half hour in and someone's calling my name, I slide out from under a car and stand up dusting of my overalls and walking to see why I was being called. As I walk out I'm immediately met with a large group of survivors that Arron has brought back. I smile and shake hands with most of them, as arron shows them around I head back to work completely unaware of the eyes that have been watching my every move from when I came out of the mechanic garage to when I shook hands with everyone to now when I'm walking back, those eyes belonged to none other than thee Daryl Dixon.

An hour or so into working one of the cars breaks I'm called again and nearly walk into a man's chest I let out a slight gasp as I step back looking up at the tall man with long brown shaggy hair and beautiful blue ish green eyes, his clothes were torn and ragged but that's part of what catches my eye, the fact that he's a real survivor. " Y/n this is Daryl, Daryl this is y/n " Arron says as he stands slightly behind this Daryl fellow. I hold out my hand as I'm met with his rough hand as he shakes my hand in return " alright, y/n do you still have that extra bedroom in your house? " Arron again breaks the awkward silence " yes I do why? " Y/n asks breaking eye contact with Daryl. " The other houses are full and Daryl was willing to give up his spot so I was curious if you stay in that bedroom while we work on building more houses for them?" " Oh ummm yeah no problem " y/n strutters slightly cursing herself for being so easily distracted by his broad shoulders and soft eyes.

As I show Daryl the smaller extra room he enters with a grunt as he sets his things down and lays across the bed with a deep sigh. I take that as my leaving signal and I walk downstairs and start making dinner, something simple, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce , and meat balls. Once everything is done I call up to Daryl " dinners ready if you want to eat!" To which I get in response a huff and the squeak of the bedframe and his loud footsteps as he walks downstairs, I set out everything and pull out a bottle of whiskey I had found on one of my runs and pour each of us a glass and start eating, I try and make conversation but it extremely difficult with someone that only responds with " mhm" or soft grunts or nods. After dinner I clean up the table and put the leftovers away, as I start dishes Daryl helps much to my surprise, after dishes are done I was walked out onto the front porch where there was a porch swing my dad would have loved to sit in and people watch, I sit down causing it to squeak quietly as I light a cigarette i look out onto the streets of Alexandria, I'm so zoned out I don't feel the weight on the other end of the swing until a hand comes up to where I'm holding the cigarette causing me to gasp then laugh at the expression on Daryl's face, I apologize and hand him the cigarette and lighter. We spend the rest of the night passing the cigarette back and forth, becoming more comfortable with each other's presence in our lives. Little did I know the effects I was having on the man next to me.

Part 2 anyone???

[niphredil-14]

Your work is inspiring in a way. I don’t know who else you write for, but I know for sure that Leo is definitely one of them. And since this is the case, I will also choose it. I would like to know what will happen if he has a partner who is very affectionate and caring. Like Hey, he probably has a lot of nightmares after the Kraang incident. And just imagine how the reader cuddles Leo after another nightmare and either hums a lullaby or just listens to what he says. The dude will really feel bad, and then his man who was sleeping next to him woke up and gives him hugs and calms him down while Leo is in this vulnerable state.

sorry this took so long. Life's been crazy, word count: 1k warnings: nightmares reader is referred to as leo's partner, but if you squint this could be seen as platonic, if you think of them as roommates

THE WEIGHT WE CARRY

The only lighting in the room was a harsh blue light creeping in from underneath the crack below the door. It was small. But more than enough to cast haunting shadows throughout the room. The bed was just large enough for the two of them, and the only other things in the room were a dirty, cracked mirror, a small desk, and a trunk filled with clothes, gear, and weapons. A single pair of shoes were placed by the door. They laid awake for some time, listening to their partner’s breathing. It had been more even than it usually was during his slumber, an oddity only matched by the fact that while the leader beside them slept soundly, they were left awake. It was normally the other way around, with Leonardo never getting quite enough rest, while they would retire early and rise late, usually sleeping soundly unless awoken by their partner. Leonardo despised waking them, and never would while he was in his right mind, but “right mind” are hardly words fitting for his post-nightmare states. Ripped from his terrors, unable to shake the memories replayed, he would gently shake them awake, just so that he could confirm that they were not yet dead, that he hadn’t failed them too.

But tonight was different, and they wanted little more than to shake Leon awake, and beg for some attention. They refused to cave to their desires, however, knowing that their love never got the sleep that he deserved, and after acknowledging how selfish of an act it would be to wake him, they contented themselves with turning onto their side to gaze upon him. Time had been cruel to him, and the years showed on the wrinkled skin over his browbone, and the crow’s feet jutting out from his eyes, but it never made him any less handsome than when the two of them were younger. They were sure that they were no easier on the eyes after the atrocities that the apocalypse had brought. They both carried weights of their own, and it showed, though there was a beauty and a romance to the ability to acknowledge having experienced hardship.

It must have been hours that they laid there, unmoving out of fear of waking the light-sleeper beside them. His breathing was consistent, until it wasn’t. All of a sudden, the pattern of steady ins-and-outs broke, and he inhaled sharply, letting it out quickly, and all at once, pushing a large gust out. And they watched the skin over his browbones wrinkle and pucker as his breathing became more and more unsteady. It was hard for them to believe as they thought about it, but they had never actually seen him have a nightmare. They always slept through it, only being awoken after he was. It was a heartbreaking sight, such a strong, resilient man, crying in his sleep over things that they could not fight off. He was always the protector, and the most that they had ever been able to do was pick up the shattered and scattered pieces of him, and try to tape them back together. In watching, they debated what to do, and after some inner conflict, came to a conclusion. This time, they would do more than comfort him after he had fought through his terrors, this time, they would rescue him, and pull him from the depths of his torment. He would not need to pull himself out of hell alone this time. They swore to themselves as the placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and began to shake. They were leaning up, resting on one of their forearms, as they continued to shake, softly calling out to him.

“Leon? Leon?” They voice, though gentle, was slightly raspy from lack of sleep. “Leo, wake up!” Their calls became a chant, until, moments later, Leon shot up, eyes wild and shoulders raising up and falling down, rushed and frantically, with his breath. They sat, ready, beside him, a hand on his shoulder as he realized where he was, safe in their room. Upon realizing, his head whipped to them, his body not falling far behind. He grabbed them, pulling them close, and checking them all over. In the midst of being lovingly manhandled, they managed to get their hands beside his neck. They gently cupped the nape with one hand, and his jaw with the other, pulling his attention away from checking them for nonexistent injuries.

Their name rushed from his lips in one large exhale, the aftermath of a hard punch to the gut. The pain was absent, but the fear and adrenaline stood, their heavy, cruel claws keeping a grasp on him from the shadows, the only place their dastardly grip couldn’t reach were the places covered by his partner’s hands.

“Leo,” They spoke, voice just barely above a whisper. He nodded slowly at them, signaling that they had his attention. “We are in our room, at the base, we are okay.” His eyes never left theirs, and they could see his irises shaking. They waited a moment to let their words sink in before speaking again. “We are safe.” Their voice was still soft, but there was a force there, that said that every word that left their mouth was fact, that nothing they said could be disputed. They grabbed his hand, and moved it to their chest, right over their heart. “We are alive.” He applied slight force, pushing on their chest, as if trying to hold their heart, as his eyes left theirs to rake all along their form, trying to confirm the validity of their statements.

“Yeah.” He breathed out. “Yeah, we’re okay. Okay.” He visibly calmed, though was still a bit jittery. Sensing that he was a little better, they began to slowly move, much like one would move around a frightened animal, so as not to make him think that they were leaving. With microscopic movements, they reclined, laying down, and softly pulling him with them. The caring part of them wanted nothing more then to pull him to their chest and hold him there, to be his shield, but they knew him better than that. It was always in moments of panic that he put others first. And so, they let him curl around them, shielding them, and resigned themselves to rubbing large circles on his shell, and peppering kisses anywhere on him that they could reach. Quite some time passed, without either of them falling back to sleep, simply laying there, confirming one another’s presence.

“Leon?” They called out, their voice, though hushed, ringing throughout the room.

“Hmm?” He responded, lazily.

“I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me. Forever.”

[vivisols]

Sooooo... this new fic -tell me something about it (so much or so less you want to share) ;P

EHEHE GLADLY IM SO GLAD YA ASKED!!!! you dont understand how excited i am to talk about it lmao :DDDDDD

so my newest fic is.... a post apocalypse mer au!

ehehe!!! :3c i mentioned it in some of the author notes of claw at the stars and im soooo excited to actually finish chapter 1 of it!!! its only like. 30% done so far bc im playing video games non-stop on my writing break but im chugging along xD

the basic summary is that after a meteor strikes the earth (again), humanity has had to rapidly evolve to survive the harsh conditions of rising sea levels and much harsher temperatures. (id elaborate more on some science and biology stuff ive been brainstorming too but that's SPOILERS </3) more under the cut!

long story short, theres evolved people and creatures evolved from people on land and merfolk evolved from people in the sea! plus theres new languages thanks to evolving and changing vocal chords! (reallyyyy i just wanna get wacky with humanoid designs xD can you tell i like doing that yet???)

as for the fic, here's a quick summary of the very basic plot :3

a few decades after this meteor hits, the daycare attendant wakes up from an emergency shutdown in the ruins of the pizzaplex. with no telling of how many years its been, they have to pick up the pieces of where they left off and navigate this new world. with the help of y/n (dats YOU!!!), a mer who ended up on land, they slowly get their bearings and try to settle in to their new life, scrounging for parts to repair themselves in the overgrown remains of cities.

y/n has never even thought about going on land, but of course, the one time they do they have to drag around a robot that doesn't even understand what they're saying. sun and moon, meanwhile, latch onto you like a lost puppy as they try their best to learn the new language and figure out what you keep signaling to them.

(why were you on land? can't say! since, well, it would be spoilers...)

theres gonna be tons and tons of fluff and mystery and adventure and romance and LOREEEEE! all the tropes im obsessed with! and of course vanessa is here too because i love herrrr :3

anyways, i cant share toooo much besides the basic summary since i love being vague and mysterious hehehe but! im nearly done with the first chapter :3 it will likely be out sometime in january, IF not january 1st! im super motivated :3c

as a reward for listening to my way too long ramble, have this super quick concept sketch i did the other day!

again, really just a quick sketch but! you can kinda see what im going for maybe?? XD

i hope this was sufficient for now! feel free to ask for more if ya want! i LOVE talking about my ideas ;D

[tragedygroupie]

more aaron/roy stampler smut please?? i read your other one and it absolutely had me kicking my feet omg.. also what’s your ao3?

hiyaaaa. so this one is a little different, i wrote it when i was feeling sappy. i actually have a whole aaron stampler psych hospital au that im constantly debating publishing, so this is like a piece of that.

also my ao3 is missrubysparks !

boy, interrupted

“shhhh you’re gonna wake up the nurse,” i whisper.

aaron lightly chuckles as he pushes me against the wall, his mouth wandering with his hands.

“that bitch could sleep through the apocalypse,” he counters.

i stifle my laughter behind my hand as he tries to kiss me.

since aaron had come to claymoore, we’d developed a schedule. every night when nurse owens was on shift she fell asleep exactly at 2:00 in the morning. he’d sneak out of his room and come into mine, and we’d have our fun. i don’t know how many nights it had been before he finally told me that there was no roy, but i do know by the time he told me i was so hopelessly, incontrovertibly in love that it didn’t matter.

“i wanna try something different tonight,” he murmurs, his mouth hot against my neck.

“yeah? what do you wanna try?” i breathe out as his hands grope my chest, massaging my breasts and rolling my nipples.

he looks up at me, a devilish grin on his face, and suddenly he’s bending down to try to pick me up.

i stifle a squeal as i wrap my legs around his waist.

“aaron, what the fuck are you doing?” i squeak.

he grins up at me, before he walks a few paces and lies me down on my bed.

“you wanna fuck on the bed tonight?” i ask, confused.

he shakes his head as he starts kissing down my body.

it’s only when he gets to my stomach that i realize what he wants to do.

“oh baby you don’t have to do that,” i say, trying to get up before i feel a firm hand on my abdomen.

“i want to do it.” he mutters as his finger snags on my underwear line.

i look down at him and smile. i grab his face in my hands and kiss him, hard. he seems a little taken aback, before responding to the kiss.

“jesus christ baby, you act like no one’s ever given you head before,” he jokes.

i look away and that’s when it seems to hit him.

“well that raises the bar,” he responds.

he goes back down between my thighs, kissing and sucking on the exposed flesh.

when he finally reaches my cunt i’m like a bundle of exposed nerves, desperate for his touch but also jolting at the slightest hint of contact.

when he finally starts lapping at the slickness pooled between my thighs, it’s like salvation. he swipes his tongue over my clit and i have to bite my lip to keep from crying out.

“i wanna hear you, pretty thing,” he mumbles against my skin before he flattens his tongue against me.

i let out a quiet whimper as he works his way up to my clit, his tongue lazily swirling over it as i try to maintain some composure.

“good girl,” he whispers and when i look down part of me is ready to cum just at the sight of him staring up at me.

he’s never this vulnerable. this is just for me. everyone else is so afraid of him, but in the hours when nighttime and morning bleed together, he gets on his knees for me.

when he starts to suck on my clit my fingers tangle in his hair, pulling on it in an effort to keep him close as i let out barely audible whines.

he groans into my cunt, sending vibrations up my body.

he pins my hips beneath his arm and slides a finger inside me, and i moan as he curls it.

i feel the coil in my stomach constrict, and i’m whispering his name like a prayer.

“aaron aaron aaron please please please,” i cry out softly.

he looks up at me and nods, and just like that my cunt is spasming around him and i’m gripping the sheets.

as soon as i’m done, he’s all over me, kissing me as i pull his boxers down.

when he enters me, he gives me time to adjust and kisses my forehead before starting to set a brutal pace.

“you already fucked dumb?” he grunts as i pant desperately.

his hand is wrapped around my throat, lightly squeezing every so often.

“squeezing me so tight” he mutters as he delivers a particularly harsh thrust.

im whimpering, the overstimulation clouding my senses and leaving me incoherent.

his hips are snapping frantically, and when he reaches between us to start rubbing my clit i have to bite my lip so i don’t wake everyone up.

“you wanna cum?” he sneers at me as i nod frantically.

“well go on then,” he says as another orgasm overtakes me.

my cunt spasming around him triggers his own release, and he’s pulling out and cumming all over my stomach and thighs.

he rolls off of me and i curl into his side. he cautiously puts an arm around me.

“you make me wish i really was aaron.” he says quietly.

i tilt my head to look up at him.

“i know who i am and i know that i cant change. but you make me wanna try.”

i kiss him softly.

“i love you the way you are.”

he chuckles darkly.

“you’re a fool for that.”

[erstwhilesparrow]

a couple of title options for the ask game! choose one or some or all :-)

blood and blood and replay

if i have to die, please let it be for nothing

liquid poured from a kaleidoscope

change (a condition of loss)

a particularly small piece of it

[loud delighted gasp] what a series of delightful puzzles you've given me!! thank you!!

blood and blood and replay

"None of this is right," Jimmy mutters. "Geez," Tango says. It's hard to tell if he looks offended or not, after seeing that face so many times. "I know I'm not your first pick, but I thought we were at least gonna pretend? You bring home cows, I build up a house, we die first and never talk about it again?" Little grin. Jimmy swallows. It's not Tango's fault. Right? - or: Jimmy's heart thuds in his chest. It breaks. It restarts. He thinks, Aren't timeloops only meant to be for unhappy people?

if i have to die, please let it be for nothing

Cleo laughs, but it doesn't really sound like their heart's in it. "Look, we all know what they do to you if you win." Grian wrinkles his nose. "Don't tell me you too--" "Not like that. I mean it's like-- Oh, I'm not supposed to know that on this server, am I?" - or: Grian and Cleo try to have a chat about Lizzie's death away from prying eyes.

liquid poured from a kaleidoscope

"I've never seen-- No, hang on, what do you mean after?" There is a strange smile playing on the stranger's face, like he's about to start laughing and he doesn't know why either. "After... Well. After the apocalypse, I suppose." Pixlriffs -- Oli's Pixlriffs, the one he knows, the one with the same voice and face and manner as this new ghost -- shrugs a little apologetically. "We don't really know what it was, but 'apocalypse' seems fitting." "Pix!" Oli shouts, and two ghosts turn to look at him at once. - or: Pix is a ghost. He also has a ghost. Look, no one else is having a great time with this either.

change (a condition of loss)

Owen wakes up and he's not cold, but he tenses anyway, waiting for the chill to come in. Instead, it's Scott at the door, who says to him first, "There's blood in the freezer," and second, "You know it's done now, right? You don't have to look at me like I'm going to bite you again." - or: Everything there is to be afraid of has already happened.

a particularly small piece of it

It's a cold night, and fWhip is warmer than he probably should be, bare and flushed, but he's not warm enough. Pix thinks about the story a retired diplomat once carried into a circle of them, back in Pixandria. A tiny bird, eaten while hiding your face under a cloth. fWhip's hands on Pix are wanting, leaving the scrape of nails in their wake. The blankets, thick. Because, the old diplomat said, you have to hide your shame from the gods. - or: fWhip and Pix do something inadvisable. Tomorrow, fWhip will leave before dawn, and they will both pretend not to be spitting up bones.

[wandabear]

Hello how are you? I'd like to ask for something like Y/n and Wanda in a zombie apocalypse. I'm not very good at summarizing but I hope you can write, thanks 🤗😊

WHERE ARE YOU NOW? - WANDA MAXIMOFF X F!READER Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - chapter 3

Thank you for giving me this one! It was really cool, some time ago I wrote something about this and it was good to do it again. I hope you like it or enjoy it. 🌻

The noise of the pen hitting that paper again and again, with some anxiety. The woman sighed, thinking how silly this idea was, but she still kept going town after town, city after city searching for her…Even if she wasn’t there. She was never there. ㅤㅤㅤ   

She carried a list of cities that Wanda might have fled to after the 'catastrophe'. Boston Providence New Heaven New York New Jersey Pennsylvania?

ㅤㅤㅤ   

The idea was to leave a letter in each place. One where only she knew where to find, a little code between them in their past. A clue to follow. A little hope.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

Everytime, Wanda and Y/N always used to play a little game where they had to guess where they might be. Only that time… they were separated forever.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Are we talking about something apocalyptic like… zombies, alien invasion or a climatic catastrophe?” Y/N asked, curious as she cut up some cheese so they could enjoy while dinner was in the oven.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Zombies?” Wanda wrinkled her nose.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Okay but… ‘I am Legend’ zombie style or just dumb zombies like ‘The Walking dead’?” She frowned at Wanda, offering some pieces of cheese to her.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Well...”  Wanda took a piece of cheese and ate it. Delicious. Those warm moments together, the good times. “The first ones are like mutated, they're really wild… and the second ones are zombies. So I would say more like 'the walking dead'... Slow ones but dangerous.”

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Okay, okay. That’s good, I have big chances to survive. Zombie outbreak, virus thing. Big deal.” Y/N nodded.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“You wake up and you’re in this big place, a big city. What’s the first thing you would do? Think about it, your life depends on it.” Wanda asked as she washed some dishes. They used to play that game every time one of them cooked or washed the dishes, it was fun.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Maybe try to get away from the city?”  Y/N shrugged, staying a little thoughtful until then looking back at her beloved girlfriend. “But definitely, I would always be with you. I woudn't know what to do without you.”

ㅤㅤㅤ   

Wanda looked at her for a moment, trying not to smile but it was impossible.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“You’re so whipped, detka.”

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Oh, shut up!”

ㅤㅤㅤ 

 

Y/N sighed deeply at that memory and opened her eyes again, coming back to the cold reality, back to life. Picking up the pen again, she began to write on the paper.

ㅤㅤㅤ 

« Wanda... It’s me again. I know, I must look really crazy writing letters to someone who will never read them. Who keeps writing letters in times like this, right? Maybe that’s the answer, you know me, I’ve always been somewhat like a pro for these cheesy dumb stuff. I’m not good at expressing myself, but at loving… well... I try.

A friend told me that maybe the way to find you it's trying something else. Anyway, there are days like today when I can’t stop thinking about you. We recently came to New York. Yelena, Kate, Jules and me.

They help me everyday… to not lose my mind, of course.  You wouldn't recognize me right now. How long have we stopped talking to each other? That day, yes…

I don’t know what to say. Before, I knew what to say to you, I had so many beautiful words to say to you, until you left. You left. But that doesn’t matter now, right? Because I know you were saving yourself. I saw him.  He seemed nice. It seemed like he made you happy.

All these years I have been… I’m no longer the same person I was before.  I've killed people… I needed to survive, I didn't have another option. I’m not the same… but there’s something that would never change and is that I would never stop loving you.

I know we were so damn stupid, enough to let us go.

Please, I just wanna know, are you still alive? Tell me, does it make sense that I’m still looking for you? Should I give up as everyone says? Please, give me a sign. Please, be alive.

Hope to see you again. I love you.

Y/N.»

ㅤㅤㅤ   

For a moment, Y/N wondered if she was doing the right thing, the reflection in the mirror showing that she was a completely different woman. Not only physically, but also inside. Was she right to look for her?

ㅤㅤㅤ   

Y/N sighed once more and then folded that letter slowly and carefully. She got up from her seat and looked in that house for the perfect place to hide it, she ended up doing it behind some nice painting. A beautiful beach and a purple sunset, something that made her smile slightly with melancholy and nostalgia.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

After putting away the letter, Y/N took one of her paint spray cans and began to write on the wall, something that only Wanda could understand and big enough for her to see, pointing to that painting. A date.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

‘JULY 8, 2022’ - Y/N.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

"You're still doing it, huh?"  A voice behind her made Y/N turn around. She could easily recognize Yelena's accent everywhere. The blonde finished adjusting her backpack and a machete on her waist when she approached to see that graffiti. "Do you think they'll ever see it?"

ㅤㅤㅤ   

"I hope so." Y/N looked down at her, leaning down to grab her own. To one side her ax was waiting for her, with which she was in charge of freeing the path of the zombies that got in their way.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

"Is Kate ready?" The taller woman asked her as they left that room, they found refuge in an old bar in Little Italy. Although Y/N had completely refused to visit Manhattan as she felt there would be too much danger, the three of them managed to avoid all the hordes of zombies surrounding that city.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

"She was able to get some arrows from an old gun shop, we make others… with my amazing and  skillful help. You know? I'm good at that." The blonde said with a smug smile. Yelena was finally getting into a good mood after eating something other than beans.

They found some things to eat, some rice and some cans of tuna. Sadly though, no macaroni.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

"I'm ready!" Kate smiled, as always. Sometimes Y/N was surprised by that, Kate always tried to see the positive in all the chaos that surrounded her. So unlike Yelena, who was completely in love with Kate.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

Beside Kate was Jules, who had red eyes for almost an entire week. Her jaw and headaches were getting worse and they couldn't find any drugstore, not even a damn painkiller. What was the point of being a doctor if she couldn't even help her best friend?

ㅤㅤㅤ   

"We’re ready." Jules barely whisper, gently rubbing the side of her face.

ㅤㅤㅤ    The four women left that place carefully and very quietly, somewhat sad to leave such a pleasant place, but it was too exposed. Danger was always around the corner.

They got far enough from the main streets, daylight was not the best idea to travel, but the night used to be quite dangerous in that area.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

"Where are we going now?" Kate asked wincing, trying to block out the sun that was shining directly into her eyes. She put on black glasses that Yelena gave her a few weeks ago. The glasses were her favorite color, purple.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

They just walked stealthily through that uninhabited part of the city. Y/N looked over Yelena's shoulder, who was sniffing around one of the maps they stole from an old newsstand.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“New Jersey.”  Y/N whispered, Yelena simply nodded knowing that she was the best choice before traveling, start the road to the center of the country, maybe they could find some nice farm... maybe.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

Find a nice and lonely place in the center of the country. Wooded areas, maybe. Where the land was fertile and they could harvest, try to find a quiet life after the tragedy.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Y/N... You know that it’s possible that you may not find her… after so much chaos… she may even be a Biter. Why do you keep trying?” Yelena asked, looking at Y/N, knowing that it might hurt but it was the truth. In front of them, Kate and Jules chatted about how wonderful the city was before the 'incident'. New York lights left anyone dazed.

ㅤㅤㅤ   

“Have you stopped looking for Natasha?” Y/N answered in the same way, noticing how the blonde was now facing forward. A quiet Yelena meant a battle won. “You can't fool me, Yelena. 'Cause, just as I leave letters everywhere, I know you don't stop trying again and again on all those radio frequencies and channels. Searching, asking, calling her. Every channel possible.”

ㅤㅤㅤ   

Yelena was quiet, she knew that Y/N was right.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

"There you have, that's the same answer to the question you're asking me now. Now, can we go on?" The brunette swallowed hard, watching as little by little they approached the Hudson River. Some cars were abandoned, completely destroyed or burned. The girls took some time trying to remove as much fuel as possible from one of the cars and some stuff that could be useful.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

"What now?" Kate asked, looking at the river, knowing that nothing good would come of them swimming across the water. They hadn't seen the Biters swim, but there were other kinds of dangers they couldn't expose themselves to.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“We must cross the river.”  Y/N wrinkled her nose, looking both ways. “We can find a boat, we can walk to the George Washington Bridge or we can go through the tunnels. Lincoln tunnel is the closest I think.”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“We don't know if there will be a boat nearby.” Yelena shook her head, trying to block the sunlight from hitting her face. She hated the weather lately, the sun was hotter and the night was colder.  “The tunnels will definitely be dark and full of biters… But we don't know if it will be safe to cross the bridge, it's full of abandoned cars… there could be biters there too.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Geez.” Jules whispered.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“I'm not going to lie to you, there probably are biters there. Less than the dark tunnels, we have a better chance of getting out alive if we go across the bridge.” The tallest brunette began to walk, noting that the bridge was about two kilometers away. Y/N turned to see one of her best friends, the one who could save them. “I trust Kate's aim and her bow.  I trust you'll have our backs, but do you think you can do it?”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

The gaze of the three women was fixed on the younger girl, who nodded quickly, although Kate wasn't going to deny that she was feeling quite nervous.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Perfect then. Kate will watch our backs from distant threats and we must protect her…” Y/N finally said. The four took their backpacks and walked around that river, praying that no threat would appear to them.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

And yes, although several Biters appeared, none were difficult to kill. From distance, Kate managed to take down some Biters with her arrows while Yelena and Y/N finished off those caught between the cars.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

They walked about seven hours, getting far enough from the city. By going through the bridge, they avoided a huge horde of biters who apparently had taken refuge in the tunnels.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

Seven hours, maybe 22 miles, plus another hour, because one of the roads was destroyed. According to Kate who was reading the map, they arrived at a town called ‘Westview’ in New Jersey. Although it wasn't what Y/N expected, it wasn't too bad to be able to find a small town to spend the night away from the city.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

It was a pretty quiet place, kind of nice. Those where you can hear the birds in the morning and listen to the crickets at night.  Perhaps, if that terrible tragedy had not happened, it wouldn’t been bad to live in such a place. Or at least that's what Y/N thought.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

Wanda would be in love with a place like this…

ㅤㅤㅤ    

Some empty buildings and abandoned houses in the suburbs. What appeared to be a huge building with a huge clock that reminded her of 'Back to the future'. A nice gazebo too.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

Spent about forty minutes looking for a place to rest and make something to eat. They were about to give up when finally, the girls found some luck in their pockets.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

They reached a huge abandoned supermarket, that made them feel a bit excited, but not everything was good news. To their bad luck, they found nothing but leftovers and garbage. The shelves were down and broken, a completely desolate place.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“This place really sucks!” Yelena yelled really annoyed, throwing an empty box of macaroni and cheese.  Clearly someone took ALL those boxes and that made her so damn furious.

ㅤㅤㅤ     “Don't worry, we'll find others boxes somewhere.” Kate said looking at her from one of the shelves. Feeling really lucky, the archer found some bottles of water and some gunpowder in the hardware store.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

The Russian just kept growling under her breath some words in russian that none of them could understand. Y/N stuffed a few things into her backpack as she watched Jules, who seemed somewhat down. Really down.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Are you okay, chicken?” Y/N asked a little worried, noticing how Jules simply nodded slowly with a small friendly smile.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

"Peachy."

ㅤㅤㅤ    

It definitely wasn't and Y/N knew it.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“I promise we'll find something, really.” She tried, but Jules just shrugged, she completely lost all hope some time ago.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“If the infection progresses, there will be no going back and you know it. We need painkillers, antibiotics right now…” Jules simply tried to say something, but her voice cracked. “I'm fine for now...”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

"We'll find it and you'll be fine, I'll be able to take it off."

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“What do you want me to say? That I'm fine, but I'm not, I'm just waiting for me to get sepsis and die horribly? Just because of a stupid infection!”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Jules…” Y/N whispered and reached out to pat her shoulder when Yelena's voice caught their attention.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“You have to come to see this, right now.” The blonde said, seemed quite excited and that caught the attention of both women, who looked at each other a bit confused.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

They followed Yelena to one of the rear warehouses, a huge door that had previously seemed to be locked with various objects, was now open showing the amount of boxes they had stored.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Kate found it after pushing two of the fallen shelves against the door.” Yelena said with a proud smile, pointing to some boxes of macaroni and cheese, although some seemed to have broken they were in good condition. “I can't believe they left all this behind!”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“It’s just one box of macaroni…”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“IT’S NOT JUST MACARONI! IT'S HEAVEN.”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

A huge smile and a hopeful look appeared on the faces of those four women. They were soon taking it upon themselves to collect a few things like they were kids at a candy store, trying to grab as much food as possible - and find medicine for Jules - when Y/N stopped.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

A huge smile and a hopeful look appeared on the faces of those women.

They were soon taking it upon themselves to collect a few things like they were kids at a candy store, trying to grab as much food as possible - and find medicine for Jules - when Y/N stopped.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

She heard a strange sound that came from some hidden doors, covered by boxes in the back of the warehouse. Even some coming from what appeared to be a huge freezer.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

Y/N looked at that door for a moment, somewhat doubtful not knowing if she heard a noise or maybe it had been her mind, playing tricks on her.

She waited a few seconds but heard just hopeful silence. Yes, surely it was her mind.

The brunette smiled and shook her head, she went back to taking some cans of corned beef when she heard some knocks again, this time more insistent and perhaps more terrifying.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Girls… Who got in first?” Y/N asked, a little hesitant.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Kate.” Said the blonde one, who was busy putting things in her bag. Yelena and Kate approached Y/N, now the three of them seemed a bit hesitant to move forward.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“Then I want to assume that you know what's behind that door...” the doctor murmured, but again, new knocks were heard again. This time, stronger and even more.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“I didn't even know there was a door there.” Kate swallowed, a little embarrassed and scared.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

The knocks became stronger, so much so that the door began to shake, ready to break, and the chains that locked it began to give up.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“We have to go.”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“But we have stuff...”

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“We must go now!” Y/N yelled taking her backpack and backing away. Her friends did the same and went out the door, as soon as they managed to do so that huge door fell hard, letting through a horde of completely hungry and outraged zombies.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

The girls ran as fast as they could, avoiding some fallen furniture and jumping over it with agility. Y/N managed to grab Jules and get her out of there as fast as she could, saving her life from being eaten by the horde.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

"Wait, I couldn't get medicine!"

ㅤㅤㅤ    

"If you go back YOU'RE GOING TO DIE ANYWAY!" Yelena said seeing how Kate turned to shoot some arrows, making the zombies closer to fall and delay the others.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

"COME OOON! I'M GONNA KILL YOU BOTH!" Y/N yelled as they ran through the uninhabited streets of that town, trying to lose the horde of zombies, but it seemed quite difficult. They seemed too hungry. How long have they been trapped? No wonder no one had dared to look for all that food.

ㅤㅤㅤ    

“SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW!” She heard Kate say, who was shooting her arrows at the fastest biters now.

They managed to kill a bunch of them, but to their bad luck, the noises they made had caught the attention of more biters in that town. The brunette looked for some explosive bottles and threw them at the horde, thanks to Kate's arrows they ended up catching fire but they didn't seem to stop. Yelena managed to spot a large building guarded by huge iron fences that could help.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

"this way!" She exclaimed pointing to that building, the public library. The girls ran over and threw their bags on the other side before climb the fences, which looked pretty sharp but was much better than siding with the zombies.ㅤ    

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

Between the three of them they managed to help Jules through it, who seemed quite sore and tired.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“You okay?” Y/N asked looking at the girl who only nodded slowly, closing her eyes for a few seconds to hide the stabbing pain in her head. “We must hide now, these bars will not help us forever.”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

They approached the huge doors that seemed completely sealed from the inside so it was best to go around the building. The windows were boarded up and covered, there was nothing but an old outside entrance to a basement. The door was locked with a chain and a huge padlock.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

Y/N searched through her stuff until she found her tools to sneak it open, when Yelena just rolled her eyes at her.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“Step aside.”  The blonde came over and took Y/N's axe, starting to hack the chain until it broke, just like the padlock. The door swung open, letting the women through.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“I was going to do it quietly and not call another horde of hungry zombies!” Y/N complained, shaking her head and taking her axe from Yelena, ready to attack any threat that came near.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“Yes, yes. No problem.” Yelena muttered wryly as they entered the huge library. The place was locked from the inside by various pieces of furniture and bookcases, the windows were sealed or at least the first and only room they reached.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“Not bad, huh.” Kate said with a huge smile. They all nodded somewhat hopefully, happy to find a good place to spend the night when the sound of a gun charging alerted them.

Not just one weapon, but many. Two women were watching them from many meters away, two men from the second floor who were aiming at them too.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

"Did you have to say it, Kate?"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“You have three seconds to turn around and leave with the horde you all brought from the supermarket!” growled a redhead with a husky voice. She seemed like a badass, because everyone seemed to pay attention to her.  “How stupid you can be to get into…”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

The redhead woman stopped, approaching slowly to see their faces in a better light.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

Yelena Belova couldn't believe it, neither could Y/N. Natasha Romanoff was in front of them, keeping her gun behind her pants. She wasted no more time and jumped on both of them, hugging them so tight to never let them go again. She looked different, well, not as much as they expected. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

"Sestra?"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“Yelena?… Y/N?” Natasha lowered her gun and took a few steps towards them, completely surprised and excited to see them again.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ     Yelena stammered a few words and just hugged her sister so tightly, fearing that she would disappear again.

Y/N just smiled as she walked away from that hug, letting both sisters meet again, who kept telling each other how much they had missed each other and shedding some tears of happiness.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

But her heart skipped a beat, a huge leap that she thought her heart would escape from her chest.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

“Y/N?” The brunette heard behind her. That voice, that angelic, soft, lovely voice. That voice that carried a certain shyness, a slight Sokovian accent that made her world shake completely. Her. Was it really her?

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    

As soon as Y/N turned around, she saw her… finally saw her. She looked so different, so…beautiful. Her red hair was left behind, now had her natural brown hair. Wanda.

But before they could say anything, a loud noise was heard and they all watched as Jules ended up on the ground, blacking out.

  

As you know, Jules is portrayed by the amazing Adelaide Kane. link

forever taglist? Yes. Here goes some amazing and lovely people tags ✨ : @wandsmxmff, @bluesimps-world, @oh-thats-cute, @sleepilysworld

If you want to be tagged, just ask! Thanks you so muuuuch to the people who leave a ❤️ , 🔁 and leave comments -even as an anon on my mystery box of questions and requests-, you make me keep writing. 🐻ㅤㅤㅤ     ㅤㅤㅤ   

[sortasirius]

Dean Winchester be like:

I hate myself because it’s what my father taught me to do.  I hate myself because it’s a defense mechanism.  I use sarcasm to cover up the fact that I believe I am worthless.  I raised my brother into a good man, that’s the only good I’ve ever done.  I’ve saved some people, they don’t say thank you, but that’s okay.  I wish I could have been the man my father wanted me to be.  I break everything I touch.  All the people I love I end up killing or leaving me.  I am broken.  I don’t do romantic love, it’s asking for me to get my heart broken, more broken than it already is.  I sold my soul to a demon so I could save my brother, because he’s the best thing I ever did, the only good thing.  I’m afraid to go to Hell, but I pretend I’m not, because what’s the alternative? 

Hell proved that I was the person I always knew I was, a bad person, willing to torture to get out of pain.  I met an angel, he’s not like I thought.  He’s a soldier, like me, he’s taking orders from a father he can’t see.  He starts out as an ally, but he’s different than the others, they say he likes me.  He’s awkward, he stands too close to me sometimes.  I started the Apocalypse because I wasn’t strong enough.  My brother is going down the wrong path, and I don’t know how to stop it.  The angels tell me Lucifer has to rise, but the one that pulled me out of Hell disobeys to help me stop it.  I think I should consider him a friend.  Lucifer rises anyway. 

The angel is on the run from Heaven, he’s a good guy, I like him a lot, more than I think I should.  I don’t know what to do, if I say yes to Michael, we can save some people.  Maybe I’ll get to know peace, maybe my father will be proud of me then.  The angel and my brother are angry at me, but I’ve always been a coward, they just don’t know it.  But they know me best, I can’t say yes to Michael if it means disappointing them. 

My brother goes to the cage with Lucifer and Michael, the angel disappears, and I’m left to pick up the pieces, living a life I feel like I stole from somebody else.  I always sleep with a gun and holy water under the bed, even though I know every entrance is secure.  My brother comes back, but he’s different now, he’s not the same, I should have looked for him.  I feel guilty.  We found out his soul is gone, his soul, his soul.  The angel is back, but he’s no real help.  I kill myself to speak to Death, who brings back his soul in exchange for me playing Death, where I learn a few hard lessons. 

I find out the angel has been working with our enemies.  Why does it feel like my heart is broken when he won’t meet my eyes?  I leave him to the demons, but not before one last look.  I’m not sure why.  The idiot, he ends up dying trying to get souls from Purgatory, desperate to win his war in Heaven.  Why does everyone leave me?  The Leviathan are out there, a new threat.  At least I know how to kill, so I won’t have to think about the muddy trenchcoat in the trunk of my car.  I lose the closest thing I have to a father with a bullet to the brain.  I feel like I’m spinning out of control.  My brother loses his mind.  The angel comes back, he doesn’t recognize me, that hurts.  When he does remember me, I tell him we need him, but I really mean that I do. 

I get sent to Purgatory, I meet a vampire turned ally turned new best friend, but I won’t leave without the angel, I can’t leave without the angel.  We find him, he was running from me, why does everyone run from me?  We make it out of Purgatory, the angel gets left behind.  It turns out my brother didn’t look for me.  Why am I so dispensable?  The vampire is the only one I can trust now.  I dream about the angel, about the way I couldn’t save him.  I feel like I can’t save anyone these days.  I see the angel in the air around me, am I going crazy?  But then he shows up behind me, why do I care so much about him?  I don’t even care where he came from, as long as he’s here.  My brother takes on trials, they start to hurt him.  We find a place to call home.  I’ve never had my own bedroom before.  The angel is distant, I wish I could reach him.  He doesn’t answer my prayers.  He and I find the angel tablet, he hits me.  I tell him I need him, never able to tell him that I think I might love him too.  He snaps out of it then walks out of my life again.  I wish I was lovable.  I almost lose my brother to the trials, he has to know I can’t lose him, he’s all I’ve got.  The angels fall, I wonder about my angel, if he’s alright. 

My brother is dying, and I make a deal with an angel to save him.  My angel says he’s a good guy, and I’m too desperate to vet him properly.  I watch my angel, now a human, die in front of me, the angel in my brother saves him, it’s one of the only times I’ve ever put someone else over my brother.  I feel guilty about that.  I have to kick my angel out, it tears me in half to do it, but I have to protect my brother.  I watch the angel from a gas station window, I try to find the courage to go see him.  I use humor to hide how much I miss him.  My brother finds out about the angel, which cost the life of a kid I was supposed to protect, he’s so angry at me.  Well, I deserve it this time.  I take the Mark of Cain to defeat Abaddon, it can’t be all that bad.  I start to lose my grip on myself.  My angel gives up an army for me, and it’s the closest I feel to being me in months. My brother and my angel try to stop it, but it’s too late.  I die in my brother’s arms.

I wake up with black eyes.  I don’t care about anyone, anything.  There’s a tiny part of me that’s screaming to wake up, but I drown him out easily enough.  My brother finds me, says he wants to cure me.  I don’t want it, I don’t want to be me, not feeling is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.  They do cure me though, my brother and my angel, and waking up from the blackness is like surfacing from deep water.  For a while, I feel loved.  But after what I did, I don’t feel like I deserve it.  I’m still not me, and when my friend, who I loved like a sister is taken, I go off the deep end again. It’s too easy, but violence is all I know.  The angel tries to stop me.  I have him where I want him, a blade to the heart and this is all over.  But I still can’t kill him, I still can’t kill the angel.  Death tells me I have to kill my brother.  I almost do it.  But killing Death releases me, and I’m me again.  Sometimes I still wish I wasn’t.

I have this connection to this Darkness.  It scares the hell out of me.  I wish I understood it, I wish I could stop it.  Am I pulled towards the Darkness because I, myself, am darkness?  Is it because I am, because I’ve always been bad?  I lose the angel to Lucifer himself, how did I not notice until it was too late?  Why would he leave me like this?  Will I ever get him back?  My head is foggy around the Darkness, but not when it comes to him.  I just wish I could get through to him.  Lucifer taunts me, my heart rips in half.  We get the angel back, but nothing good can last in this life, can it?  God himself returns, I have to sacrifice myself to stop the Darkness.  I’ll do it, because of course I will, if I have an opportunity to do some good, I’ll take it.  The Darkness doesn’t kill me.  She thanks me.

My mother is alive.  It’s everything I’ve always wanted.  I have to learn fast that she’s not what I thought.  That’s hard.  Me and my brother end up in prison for trying to kill Lucifer, and we find out this girl is going to have his kid.  How will we kill someone innocent?  I can’t think about that, I’m a killer, I’ll kill if i have to.   The angel kills a reaper to save me, but what will happen to him?  We start looking for this kid, but do we even want to find it?  The angel nearly dies for me, he tells me, my family he loves us.  I wish I could tell him the same, but the words won’t work right in my brain, so I do what I always do, I look away.  The angel finds the girl, but the kid inside her gets to him, and he runs away from me.  Why does everyone run from me?  We find them just in time to find a rift to another world, and my brother has to drag me away from the angel, who is going to sacrifice himself to kill Lucifer.  He comes back, but before I can say the words I’ve been holding onto for so long, he dies in front of me, only this time, it’s real.  My mom is taken from me too, and I’m left by the angel’s side, staring up at the sky, wondering why, why me?

I bury the angel, my brother insists we can’t kill the kid, even though it’s his fault my mom is gone and the angel is...  I beg God to bring him back, please, bring him back.  You owe me this, please bring him back.  He doesn’t listen.  I’m alone.  We burn the angel, and I try to learn to live with regret and grief and crippling pain all at once.  I hate the kid, this is his fault.  I kill myself again to save some souls, but also because I want to die this time.  I can’t take it anymore.  Death tells me I have work to do, but how much more work can there be?  How much more can I take?  It’s like the Universe reads my mind, because my angel comes back, and it’s like the last few weeks haven’t happened.  I still can’t say the words, but maybe this time I’ll get there.  Maybe this time.  We go to the other world, we save some people, I find my mom.  I let another Michael from the other world possess me to defeat Lucifer, but then I can’t expel him.  Before he shuts me in my memories, I am desperately afraid.

My brother and the angel find me in my own head, the snap me out of it.  I should have known this bar was too good for me, I knew I didn’t deserve it.  I shut Michael in there, but I know I won’t last long. I think I’m too weak to hold him, so I build a box designed to hold me forever.  I dream about it, claw the sides of the wall until my nails are bloody, but if it’s my eternity or Michael’s rule?  I’ll take the ocean every time.  The angel will always try to save me, I still can’t say the words.  The kid, my kid, he destroys Michael, but something is wrong, and I don;t realize until it’s too late.  My mother is dead, at the hands of the kid, and I have never been angrier.  I hate the kid again, I hate the angel too, I hate myself more.  I pull a gun on the kid, but I still can’t pull the trigger.  Sometimes I wish I could put it to my own head.  God comes back, turns out he was the villain all along.  Typical.  He kills our kid.  I can’t let myself feel.

The angel tries to convince me that we’re real.  How can I believe that?  Is everything I am just a story?  Have I ever chosen anything?  Does the angel really care about me?  Do I really care about him?  Another one of our friends dies.  I blame the angel, I push him away, because I can’t look at him if I think what I feel for him might not be real.  I meet up with someone I loved.  He’s a monster now, I have to kill him.  He dies holding me.  I wish I was dead sometimes too.  My brother is sick, he gets kidnapped by God.  I’m spinning in circles.  Me and the angel end up in Purgatory again.  He gets taken from me.  I’m so alone, so scared, I break down in the one place I could get lost in forever searching for the angel, I don’t want to leave him, please, don’t make me leave him.  I have to keep looking, get back to the real world to save my brother.  How will I choose?  Thank god, or, whatever, I find the angel.  I’ll tell him this time, but he stops me.  He must know.  He doesn’t want me, no one wants me.  Why would they?  Chuck has taken everything from me.  I have to kill him, no matter the cost.  The cost is gonna be our kid, raised from the dead by Death.  I guess the one thing we have going for us is we don’t stay dead for long.  I’m ready to let my kid die for my freedom.  My brother stands in the way, I pull a gun on him.  He talks me down, he’s the only one that can.  I decide to take it out on Death, my pain, my anger, my rage.  I take the angel and we find her, she chases us.  Another trap.  I realize that I’ve trapped us both.  Why am I so worthless?

The angel looks at me.  He smiles.  He tells me how worthy I am, that I’m good, that I changed him.  How can I tell him how he changed me.  He tells me he’ll die for loving me.  Then he shouldn’t, I’m not worth his life.  Don’t leave me, please, I can’t lose you, you don’t know what it does it me when you leave me.  He tells me he loves me.  I try to tell him a fraction of the things I feel for him, but it’s too late.  He’s taken before my eyes, and this time I know there’s no getting him back.

I’m left on the floor, unable to move.

This time I know, I’ll never let myself love again, because my heart is so shattered that it’s powdered, there’s no repairing it now.  I’ve always been broken, but this time I’m not just broken: I’m destroyed.