#29 chapters and three extras to go

[ouremperorssmugsmile]

⚠ MISVIL SPOILERS!! BEWARE!! ⚠

Shenjun of the Inextinguishable Peak...

[going-to-ikea-for-the-fries]

It's a Match! || poly!141 x Reader

[Chapter 29] || [Chapter 31]

Pairing: 141 x gn!Reader Words: 1.4K~ cw: injuries + recovery Summary: While overcoming recent heartbreak, you decide to join Tinder in search of a rebound. Your friends advise to just Swipe Right indiscriminately... What happens when 4 soldiers from the same squad match with you? a/n: johnny is a filthy man :) but also we love him so is that a problem? no, it's not.

Chapter 30: Playing House

It took a while, but, Simon got healthy, and John and Kyle got their soreness’ settled enough to be able to go back to work.

Johnny, however, needed a little extra TLC. Being shot in the shoulder involved a longer period of medical leave, paired with a long while of physical therapy…

And that means that he decided to make himself your problem.

The rest of the lads left on a mission a few days after being cleared and, as such, left Johnny with you. Not because the lad is incapable of looking after himself, but more so because he, himself, decided he didn’t want to be away from you.

And so, whenever you leave for work, Johnny leaves for PT, then, goes to base for a bit, mostly doing work on things that he can feasibly do without straining his left shoulder/arm… Like doing paperwork and reports, going to the gym for cardio, crunches, and leg and hip workouts… Then he comes home to you.

He goes shopping for you, cooks you dinner, cleans after the two of you, despite your insistence that he rest… But, as it turns out, Johnny isn’t good at that.

Nonetheless, the flat is cleaner than ever before, Johnny’s drawing supplies are permanently stationed on the dining room table, next to your laptop, and some of his clothes have taken a permanent spot in your closet.

And, of course, he spends every night in your bed, spooning you from behind and hiding his face in your neck while you watch tiktoks, talk, or he regale you with the most ridiculous of puns.

In a way, it’s like Johnny MacTavish is your live-in boyfriend. Or, rather, that you’re playing house with him.

You wouldn’t say you hate it. In fact, it’s quite nice to have someone staying with you all night… Johnny is a good partner, he’s helpful and chill and provides wonderful cuddles…

Though you’ve jokingly started calling him ‘Johnny Price’, because, since he hasn’t been working for a month now, he’s let his beard grow out. And he looks like Price more often than he does not.

It’s on week three of your new routine with Johnny when you’re at work, that you get a text from him:

Johnny: guess what bonnie. Johnny: [1 Video Attachment]

You definitely should’ve put on some headphones before you watched that video during work… His grunting and groaning was almost pornographic and definitely earned you a few confused/worried looks from your coworkers…

But all you could think of was how he was finally easing back into his arm/shoulder workouts, which meant he finally got cleared by his PT to do as such!

you: did you finally get cleared johnny? 🥺 Johnny: cleared at 50%. Johnny: not there yet. but soon. you: I’M SO PROUD OF YOU! 🫶🫶🫶 Johnny: thank ye bonnie  you: this calls for a celebration! Johnny: i like how ye think bonnie but im not cleared yet to be able to manhandle ye 😏 you: get ur mind out of the gutter johnny price!!!!!!!! Johnny: oof not ye still calling me that! you: ur beard is looking like his what do u expect of me! 🙄 Johnny: yer right idk what i expected. Johnny: so about this celebration. you: i was thinking we go out for dinner? Johnny: are we going to dress up nice? you: i wasn’t thinking we’d go somewhere super fancy because i do not have money johnnyyyy Johnny: oh good because i dont think i can button up a shirt my shoulder is sore 😖 you: okay then! nando’s!!! 🫶  you: and i’ll give you a shoulder rub when we get home Johnny: speaking my language bonnie.

And so that’s what you did. You went home in a hurry to shower and change, and, for once, Johnny wasn’t there, having chosen to shower and change at base.

You met up in front of the Nando’s closest to your flat and you immediately chuckled at the sight of him. Sure, he had changed, but he was still very much wearing a pair of jeans, sneakers and a grey zip-up hoodie… Although you could very obviously tell he was naked beneath the hoodie.

“Mo leannan.” He murmured in an exaggeratedly polite tone as he popped the door open for you with his good arm.

“Thank you, my good sir…” You joked, which caused you both to chuckle and shake your head.

You got inside, ordered your food and, as you talked, you site adjacent to him, right on his left side, so you could gently rub his arm with your hand.

“Do you miss the lads?” You ended up asking him as you caressed his bicep and shoulder with your hand, watching him wince a bit at it, because he felt so sore from his first workout.

“A little.” Johnny admitted as he looked toward you. “Do you miss ‘em?” He returned the question. You found yourself nodding in reply.

“Having you here is wonderful though… I… quite miss you lot when you’re all gone together. Not to mention I worry sick for you.” You admitted and pressed your lips together a bit awkwardly.

“You do?” He asked you, to which you nodded. So, he continued. “Well.. I guess I understand. I imagine my mam and sisters worry about me too… As do the Kyle and the Captain’s families.” He conceded.

“That’s actually…” You found yourself trailing off as the waiter brought you your orders and you thanked him, unboxing your food so you could dig in.

“As I was saying…” You trailed off. “That’s actually an interesting point… I feel like I know very little about you and the guys’ when it comes to your personal lives… Outside of hobbies and what you do with me.” You mused as you glanced at him as he dug into his double chicken burger one-handed.

“I don’t know much about the others myself to be honest with you.” Johnny admitted as he stole one of your chips off your plate.

“Really?” You asked softly as you ate your own sandwich yourself, nodding along as he continued speaking.

“We try to keep our… ‘outside’ lives under wraps. Even being a team… what we talk about is always very superficial.” He trailed off.

“So you don’t know anything about the rest of them, nor them about you?” You cocked a brow in confusion.

“Oh, no, bonnie, I talk about myself a whole lot, I’m a blabber mouth, me.” He joked and winked at you. “But family is one of those topics that’s best kept under wraps in our line of work.” He told you as he leaned in, rubbing his thumb on the corner of your mouth to wipe it clean of peri-peri sauce. Then, he sucked his own thumb clean.

“What about me? Do I get to know about you?” You asked him playfully as you leaned forward, setting your elbow on the table as you lean in to him, eyebrows raised in intrigue.

“Tell ye what, bonnie.” Johnny leaned toward you too, licking his fingers clean and then wiping them on a napkin before he set a hand on your thigh under the table. “Anything I tell ye about my family is not going to do them justice… So how about I take ye up to meet my family over the summer… And ye meet them directly? Could even take the Captain, Simon and Kyle with us.” He offered.

Your eyes widened a bit and you blinked away the surprise, staring at him like he had grown a second head.

“Meeting your family? Really? Isn’t it a bit early for that…?” You chuckled a bit sheepishly.

“Aye, maybe it is…” He trailed off. “But at this point, I’m basically livin’ wit ye and ye’ve looked after me in sickness, haven’t ye?” He joked. “And I’ve fended off yer ex… so I’ve looked after ye in health, haven’t I?”

Rolling your eyes in amusement, you shook your head. You knew he was just joking, the look in his eyes showed it… “Are you implying that we’re married, Johnny?” You teased him playfully.

“I’m just saying…” He trailed off playfully, a playful smirk on his lips. “And, if we were married, not saying that we are,… I’d make sure to take ye home tonight and rearrange yer guts if ye let me, mo leannan.”

Looking away and biting your lip, you couldn’t help but chuckle. “Shut it…” You trailed off. “You need to rest, your shoulder’s bad still.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t use my mouth on ye… and that you can’t be on top.” He added before he grabbed another one of your chips and popped it in his mouth.

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If the video doesn't work: TUMBLR LINK

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taglist (CLOSED! not adding anyone else, sorry!):

@daisychainsinknots , @bunnysdaydreams , @iite-cool , @lahniu , @pagesfalling ,

@tapioca-milktea1978 , @live-love-be-unique , @thelaisydazy , @littleghosthunter , @bossva ,

@emotion-no-hot-yes-hotel-trivago , @chamomiletealeaf , @ghosts-hoe , @kariiiel , @ltbarnes ,

@irregulardongyoung , @spacelia , @hayleybarnesx , @cod-z , @frescoisnotinthemilitary ,

@leeeenistop , @lucienbarkbark , @xxshadowbabexx , @severenswife , @enarien ,

@agoodmoviekiss , @l0lziez , @whos-fran , @greatstormcat , @openup-yourmind ,

@neoarchipelago , @sodavrr , @cutiecusp , @lilliumrorum , @c-nstantine ,

@kneelforloki , @comeonatmebruh , @codsunshine , @waiting-so-long , @captainquake42 ,

@gazspookiebear , @mynameismisty , @reap3erslov3 , @reaper-chan666 , @poohkie90 ,

@kitwithnokat , @stick-the-dumbass , @mothsdrabbles , @justanerd1 , @thesinsoflust ,

@thriving-n-jiving , @blckbrrybasket

[dfortrafalgar]

I'm Losing You... (But We're Filling the Cracks)

Having a family isn't always as easy as fairy tales make it seem. But sometimes, you just need a little bit of love... and a little bit of science.

Warnings: read chapter 1 for warnings.

Taglist: @phsycochan | @mirillua | @augustanna | @chaixsherlock | @whore-of-many-hot-men | @nerdisthenewcool | @lilypadmomentum | @1dkneo | @kitsunechan707

Chapter 29

[Prev] [Next]

The last thing you and Law were able to fully enjoy together to prepare for the arrival of your babies was setting up the nursery in the second bedroom, after having your friends assist with clearing it out and cleaning up the carpet, that was.  Once completed, Law was now hunkered down to a strict schedule of meetings with almost hundreds of people in preparation for the biggest, longest, and most daunting surgery of his life.

But prior to that, he was able to spend an entire day with you, putting together cribs, assembling toys, installing two small dresser sets and changing tables, and organizing all of the baby clothing and supplies you received from your generous friends.  You had never seen Law more delighted, except maybe on your wedding day.  The way he carefully assembled one of the mobiles and hung it delicately over the top of one of the cribs brought a warm smile to your face.  As the days grew closer and closer, the thought of Law holding your babies made your heart flutter more and more.

The room was much smaller than your master bedroom, but it still had ample room as a nursery for two babies.  You had taken the opportunity (thanks in part to your lenient lease) to paint both of the walls a simple, muted mint-green color, calming to the eyes and yet still allowing the room to glow with light when the blinds were open.  Law had even bought a paper trim decorated with animal prints to place on the highest points of the wall, surrounding the corner where it touched the ceiling.  Both cribs were situated in opposite corners of the room, separated by a small window.  At the ends of both cribs sat their small dressers where their respective clothing, bedding, and supplies were stored, and above the dressers sat their changing tables and changing mats.  The rest of the room was dedicated to storing their plethora of toys until they were old enough to begin playing and exploring their world.  In your kitchen, two high chairs were placed against the wall, ready to be used at your table.  Two car seats with sturdy handles and foldable sun covers were ready and waiting in your extra closet, along with the folded up double stroller.  In your bathroom, Law had installed a small additional storage container for you to keep your unused breastfeeding supplies in, which he insisted on sterilizing three times a week despite not being touched yet.  Everything was ready to go, now the only thing left to do was wait.

But now, Law was spending more and more time at the hospital, which you completely understood, but that he lamented over.  Before he left every single day, and the second he returned home from however long his shift was, he kissed you on the lips before traveling down and planting two tender kisses against your bump.  The bump of which had become quite the hindrance as you approached the 36 week mark.  You were at 34 now, and according to Robin, your twins’ organs were fully developed and they’d be able to breathe on their own once born… whenever that was.

And while you were happy to have made it to 34, overjoyed even, the Braxton Hicks contractions were incredibly annoying.

“They are not indicative of labor,” your doctor had said.  “Trust me, you’ll know when your contractions go from false alarms to actual labor.”

You took her word for it.  But that didn’t make the 30 second increments of sudden cramping rippling across your belly at all hours of the day any better.  Sometimes, the pain would subside for an hour or two before coming back in full.  And they weren’t agonizingly painful, but they were prevalent enough that it was near impossible to ignore them.

While Law was at work more and more frequently in preparation for the surgery, Shachi and Penguin basically moved in with you.  They were walking Bepo, feeding Bepo, playing with Bepo, kissing Bepo, all while you were laying on your couch like a log.  A log with a huge belly and spontaneous Braxton Hicks contractions.

“What does Mama want?” Penguin asked from your kitchen, rifling through your pantry.

“Please don’t call me ‘Mama,’” you groaned.  It was endearing when Law did it, and very awkward when anyone else did.

“Got it.  What does the fat woman on the couch want?” he called back.

“Don’t make me come over there and stab you,” you yelled.  “I’m cranky enough as it is.”

Shachi emerged from the bathroom down the hall.  “Penguin quit bugging her.  That’s my job.”

“You guys are going to make me deliver early,” you snipped.

“Give the poor woman some food,” Shachi demanded, driving a harsh spank against Penguin’s ass through the man’s cargo shorts, resulting in a high-pitched yelp.  That finally forced a smile to break out on your face.

“I’m glad to see you two finally came to your senses,” you chided, trying to push yourself up against the armrest of your couch where a pillow was situated against your back to support you.  “What’s it like having graduated from roommates to sex?”

“It’s the exact same, but way hotter,” Shachi replied with a mischievous, toothy smile.

“Okay, I’m sorry for calling you fat, please stop talking about my sex with this lunatic,” Penguin groaned, emerging from your pantry with a few unopened boxes of pasta while you and Shachi giggled over his modesty.  “How does a simple baked ziti sound?”

You moaned from the couch.  “That sounds heavenly.”

Shachi left the kitchen to enter the main living space with you, sitting on the floor with his legs spread and allowing Bepo to crawl onto his lap.  “Nervous?” he asked, looking up at you.

Your hands soothed over your belly as another false contraction rippled through you in waves.  “More than nervous.  But I’ve been trying not to think about it.  I’m worried that too much stress will induce labor.”  After a brief pause, you added, “I’m worried that everything out of the ordinary will induce labor.”

The redhead hummed beside you, idly stroking the soft fur of Bepo’s head as the dog began to fall asleep on his lap.  “Do you have a hospital bag packed?”

You nodded.  “Law packed one for me a week ago.  It has all of our stuff in it… it’s pretty heavy.  He said, ‘If anything happens while I’m away and you have to go into L&D, have either Shachi or Penguin take this to the hospital.’”

“What’s ‘L&D’?” asked Penguin from the kitchen as he dumped two boxes of pasta into a large pot of boiling water.

“Labor and Delivery,” you clarified.  “We’re all assuming a lot of this is going to be spontaneous, so there’s no real indication of when I’ll have to go in because… well, we don’t know when I’ll give birth,” you explained.  “Most moms with one baby give birth at around 40 weeks, give or take.  But with twins, the average is apparently 36.  And I’m at 34.”

Shachi whistled through his lips.  “So it really could be at any moment.”

“Great time for Law to have to replace a man’s organs, huh?” Penguin piped up from the kitchen.

You laughed.  “The timing couldn’t have been better!”

The smell of baked ziti very slowly began to permeate your apartment as Penguin cooked, Shachi doted on Bepo, and you lounged on the couch, standing intermittently to continue to stretch your legs.  The contractions didn’t stop, if anything they increased in frequency as time slowly ticked away.  And every once in a while, one of your babies would kick against your muscle.

—

Law was fighting with every fiber in his body to stay awake.  He was leading his surgical team, for crying out loud.  He needed to be front and center for this meeting.  He drove the tip of his pencil through his pant leg into the flesh of his thigh to snap him out of his dozed state.  God, he needed coffee.

At the front of the conference room, directly in front of where Law sat, was the head of the hospital’s Transplant Transport team, which Law’s team joked was a very humorous name.  He was quite a stocky older man with a distended belly that barely fit into the gray dress shirt he had tucked into his slacks.  He was going through an itinerary on a pulled-down projector screen.  

“The patient, to remind those of you who just arrived, is a 51 year old man with a history of cardiopulmonary failure.  He has had two open heart surgeries in the past, and suffered a collapsed lung in his youth.  Both he and his family have been willing to try every treatment possible, and that is why we are meeting here today.  As far as I am aware, this hospital has never performed a double heart-lung transplant before, am I correct?”  He turned his attention to Law, who crossed on leg over his knee, asking silently for the lead surgeon’s approval.

“Correct,” Law affirmed, nodding his head.

“Dr. Trafalgar, would you mind walking your team through the procedure step-by-step?” the man asked, stepping aside to allow Law room to stand up in front of the packed conference room.

With a silenced grunt, Law stood up and smoothed his white doctor’s coat over his chest.  He took a deep breath and turned to face the room.  In front of him, every seat at the table and scattered chairs against the wall were filled by his surgery team, ICU nurses and doctors, hospital technicians involved with the case, and members of the Transplant Transport team.  “The surgery is scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM on May 12th.  That morning, a helicopter will be arriving with the heart and lungs from the donor patient, where they will then be transported by the transplant team to our operating room and hooked up to an artificial body where they’ll be kept living while we remove the damaged tissue from our recipient.  A coronary bypass machine will be used to keep the patient alive while his organs are removed and replaced.  This is the simple explanation, whenever everyone’s ready, I will begin discussing the more heavy aspects of the procedure.”

A few nods and curt words of consent were shared amongst the room.  Law took a deep breath and began speaking once more.

—

You were sitting naked on your bed, having just gotten out of the shower, when your phone started buzzing on your bedside table.  Your husband’s name popped up, immediately making you smile.

“Hey, baby!” you called into the receiver.  “How’d the presentation meeting go?”

A long, pent up sigh was heard through the speaker, making your heart pang with sympathy.  [About as good as it could’ve.  It’s hard explaining a 15 hour surgery to a group of 50-some-odd people.]

“Do you think your team is ready for it?” you asked, using one hand to slather moisturizing lotion onto your knees and calves.

[I think so.  I mean, I damn hope so.  I’ve had a lot of my nurses and team members review the same materials I’ve been studying to make sure everyone is on the same page.  As the day gets closer, I’m having my assistants complete simulated operations on their down time.]

“You can do that?”

[It’s a teaching hospital, we’ve got plenty of equipment.]

You grinned, dropping your legs and falling backward onto your bed, rubbing your belly with one hand while your other held your phone to your ear.  “Well, that’s good.”

Law’s voice hummed in agreement.  You heard him take another deep breath.  [I miss you.]

A part of you wanted to joke that he was only about five minutes away, but you knew what he meant.  He was missing the last few weeks of your pregnancy, something he had wanted to avoid since the two of you started trying for a baby.  It was vital to him that he was there to support you, to protect you, but once again, he wasn’t.  He was kept away from you by his taxing job, a job that he loved with a deep passion, but one that fought with his unwavering commitment to you.

Instead of commenting something witty in response, you replied with, “I know… I do too.”  A thought came into your mind, something you had read earlier in the day while your friends were out with your dog.  “Hey… Law?”

[Yeah, baby?]

“I know it’s hard to ask this over the phone but… I read online that parents with twins are more likely to suffer relationship breakdown.”

Law seemed to know what you were alluding to immediately, even without you having to explicitly state your worry.  [Remember everything I’ve been telling you?  About how much I love you and how that’s not going to change at any point?]

A smile tugged to your lips.  “Yeah…”

[Relationships break down because of stress.  But we’re good at working things out together.  We jump through hurdles at the same time because we communicate and we love each other.  That’s not going to change with babies.  Even with two new mouths to feed instead of one.]

“Your words always help me feel better,” you sighed into the receiver.  “I love you.”

[Get some rest, sleeping beauty.  I love you, too, always.]

—

34 weeks turned into 35.

The waiting was starting to take years off of your life, you thought.

Shachi and Penguin had bunked up in your living room.  You only saw your husband about three times while he prepared religiously for the operation.

Somewhere at another hospital, a comatose man was being prepped and signed off to be removed from life support and have his organs harvested.  And ten minutes from your apartment, a middle-aged man with his own family was getting ready to receive them.

And you were carrying two babies in your womb.  Two babies who, according to your very last ultrasound, were both facing head-first toward your cervix.  It was looking like a completely natural birth would be possible, as long as no complications arose in the moment.

Hopefully, according to your latest health workup, everything would be fine.  Your blood pressure had remained steady throughout your pregnancy, all of your blood panel conditions had been very healthy.  Your body felt ready, if the constant Braxton Hicks contractions were anything to go off of.

It was just.  The.  Waiting.

Your journal was almost completed.  You only had two more pages before your prompts switched to journaling the post-birthing experience.

You uncapped your pen and began writing.

[cetaitlaverite]

Why All This Music? - MASTERLIST

Masters of the Air - Rosie Rosenthal x OC

"To be alive: not just the carcass But the spark. That's crudely put, but… If we're not supposed to dance, Why all this music?" - To Be Alive by Gregory Orr

You can also read on AO3 here!

01. Hotshot Wireless Operators

02. You Were Going to Fall

03. Tell Me About Vienna

04. To Look After Pilots

05. Throw the Guy A Rope

06. Down in Flames

07. Out of Luck

08. Street Race in A Tank

09. Up for A Vote

10. Lost Puppies

11. The Idea of Romance

12. A Drop in the Ocean

13. Pyjamas and All

14. Kind of Hoping

15. Best and Worst

16. Lots of Things

17. What Other Reason

18. Nothing to Write Home About

19. The Magic of Tonight

BONUS CHAPTER: 19.5. What, exactly, went down in the plane?

DELETED SCENE: Freddie and Rosie return to the club

20. All My Life

21. The Very Least of It

22. The One Left Behind

23. Aren't We Protective?

24. Familiarity and Nostalgia

25. The Same Pain

BONUS CHAPTER: 25.5. What did Freddie and Rosie get up to in the kitchen?

26. Bärchen

27. An End to That Debate

28. Just As Much As You Are

29. A Head Start

30. One Day

BONUS CHAPTER: 30.25. So what happened in London?

31. The Hard Part

32. God and the Law

33. Different

34. Two Swans in A Pond

35. The Simple Pleasure

BONUS CHAPTER: 35.25. Keeping Quiet

36. All the Way Back

BONUS CHAPTER: 36.5. What happened that night?

37. Hanging on the Phone

DELETED SCENE: Rosie returns to Thorpe Abbotts alone

38. Make Us Fly

39. Their Fair Share

40. A Life to Start

41. How to Exist

42. Epilogue

A Final Note from Your Author

BONUS CHAPTER: Freddie Arrives in New York

DELETED SCENE: Freddie and Rosie's First Meeting From Rosie's POV

Exclusive Extras

AU: What if Daniel never died?

Freddie and Rosie between chapters 19 and 20

NSFW: Freddie wears Rosie’s jacket

Rosie gets jealous

Freddie gets jealous (during the war edition)

Post-War:

Freddie gets jealous

NSFW: Freddie tries on lingerie for Rosie

Freddie gets in trouble

Freddie and Rosie’s second wedding

NSFW: Freddie writes a song for Rosie

Freddie is pregnant and has sickening cravings

Freddie and Rosie’s first baby meets Meatball

WATM: Millie and Brady's Version

Millie and Brady’s Cut

Call It What You Want: The Three Times They Lied to Each Other and the One Time They Told the Truth

Into the Dark: The Last Time They Saw Each Other for A Long, Long Time

Brady Gets A Letter From Millie in the Stalag

[anxious-acorn]

Black Coffee 🔞

Chapter 16: The Show Must Go- Oh Fuck You! This Show Ain’t Gotta Do Shit! 🔞

Summary: The finale has arrived. Raise the curtain and cue the orchestra!

(This boy is a monster chapter: over 14k words adding to 29 pages. I can’t express how nice it feels to actually finish something!)

“And so I told Rita that Georgie had never tried a blowjob before, and she plops one right in her lap for him! You should’a seen the look on his face! It was positively adorable!”

“Mistress!” George pouted and whined cutely as you laughed with Flora and Angel. The six of you had been enjoying your time as “camp cooks” over the past week and a half, your submissive clients easily falling for Angel and his cheeky attitude.

“He took it like a champ though! Only had a little whipped cream left on his cheek,” you praised as your chuckles died down, booping the cannibal’s nose as he blushed. Angel smirked and ruffled the man’s hair before washing his hands and heading to the meat locker.

The dimensional freezer was separated into three sections: the largest holding Rosie’s sinner meat for the residents of Cannibal Town, the second largest housing “normal” meat for the hotel residents, and a third smaller area for Alastor’s personal collection. You felt rather spoiled, as he had procured some more of his father’s flesh and bones when you had mentioned dreaming about that creamy marrow. You had such a thoughtful mate.

“Angie, can you grab an extra boar while you’re in there?” Sarah called out as she worked on butchering the pig in front of her. You heard Angel grunt in confirmation before he disappeared inside the locker.

Cooking together had become seamless after the first couple of days, Angel helping to break the ice with his jokes and flair. The sweet little spider was really starting to open up and come out of his shell, and you couldn’t be more pleased. He actually seemed to be hitting it off with Gabriel after the cannibal mentioned he cleaned pools for one of his doms.

Out of all your clients, Gabe was the thirstiest, and Angel ate it up. The cannibal had even offered to clean anything Angel wanted, as his favorite kink was housekeeping in a cute little spandex maid outfit. You had to admit, he pulled it off flawlessly too. You had wondered if maybe Angel might go after Husk, but he’d looked away when you asked, saying he wouldn’t want to ruin their friendship. Which was completely understandable- he definitely needed friends more than anything- supportive friends.

Pointing a stool into existence next to your work station, you sat down and began peeling the potatoes you’d washed. Tonight’s dinner would be suidae sinner, paired with a grimberry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, cornbread and pickled pinkie fingers. All of the ovens would be working their hardest, but thankfully your team was more than up to task.

After only half an hour the kitchen was smelling like pure heaven, and you excused yourself for a break, leaving your shade to watch your station. Walking through the kitchen door, you padded down the hall to find Alastor.

“Darling, are you around?” Poking your head in his office, you didn’t see him, but as you turned around you were met with his broad chest. Craning your neck, you smiled up at your mate. “There he is- my magic man!” With a flourish of your hand, you stepped back and bowed. You heard him chuckle at your antics before a claw tucked under your chin to raise your head for a kiss.

Alastor was apparently feeling some type of way, pushing you back into his office and against the door once closed. “Well,” kiss, “this is,” another series of dragging kisses before he bit your bottom lip and you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. “Mmm, unexpected.” Your back slid against the wood as he lifted you to wrap your legs around his waist. “Very nice unexpected, though,” you finished, groaning as his lips traveled down your jaw to your throat.

“I’ve missed you, mon cœur…” came his soft reply as he nuzzled his nose at your throat, breathing you in. “We’ve both been far too busy for my tastes.” His hands ran up your sides as your legs tightened around him. Sharp teeth nipped at your shoulder, eliciting a small cry of passion as you rubbed yourself against his stomach. How you craved for your darling mate to take you right there, against his office door where anyone walking by could hear him staking his claim.

“Would you like to come over tonight? I’m finishing up my potion work, so I’ll be free at night from now on.” Your words seemed to please him, the soft fizzle of radio static filled the air around you. “Would you want to stay with me? Until Extermination Day… I wish to spend every free minute I have with my charming little mate, if she wouldn’t be opposed.”

Your heart swelled. You’d never tire of hearing Alastor tell you he wanted you near. You certainly enjoyed having your own space, but spending time with him was the highlight of any day. “I suppose I could be persuaded, if the incentive is enticing enough,” you purred, pressing your nose to his in affection.

Alastor chuckled at that, his forehead dropping to your shoulder, and you pet his hair. “I believe I can think of a few things to entertain you, ma chér,” he breathed against your chest, his tongue gliding lightly along your clavicle. You moaned and wriggled against him, arching your back at the sensation.

You felt more than heard Alastor growl, before a knock came at the door. “Hey, boss! Charlie was wanting to go over some stuff before combat training.”

Alastor sighed against your chest and set you down gently, before calming himself to open the door with a chipper smile. “Husker, my good man! Inform dear Charlie I’ll be there in but a moment,” he curtly dismissed the other man, shutting the door before he could protest.

“Well, it was nice while it lasted,” you said, laughing at the dejected knit of his brow and reached to rub small circles at the crease. Alastor sighed in resignation, taking your hand to kiss the knuckles. “I suppose I’ll see you at dinner?”

Your smile went watery at the gesture, tail wagging happily. “You will. And you can just shadow over whenever you’re done for the day. I have a surprise for you,” you said, pulling his hand close to kiss the palm.

Alastor’s ears drooped, eyes glowing and smile softening as a small bleat escaped. You knew that look- he wanted nothing more than to hug you close and cuddle until existence faded and time ended. You wanted the exact same.

Stepping close, you wrapped your arms around his torso, rubbing your face against his coat. “I can’t wait to hold you again, my love,” you sighed out. You felt his arms wrap around you as he kissed the top of your head. “I’ll see you tonight, mon cœur,” you heard him say, before his shadows stole him away. With a heavy sigh, you walked back to finish up dinner.

——-///////————/////////————-///////———

The day had been busy and exhausting once again, and you’d been unable to see Alastor at dinner- the poor man was kept very busy himself with all the extra guests. As you made your way home, you felt a tinge of a familiar aura the closer you got. Uh oh… You knew that aura very well, and it did not feel happy. Taking a deep breath, you steeled yourself with a pleasant smile.

“Darling! How have you been doi-“

Your body went flying from the punch that met your face. Well, you deserved that one. Rising from the bushes you’d flown into, you dusted yourself off and tried to speak before Velvette was on you again. You dodged as best you could, trying to get as many apologies out as her fists and feet would allow. The doll demon was almost as fast as you on a good day, and today she was furious.

“Extermination anxiety, was it?”

Her demonic tenor rumbled through your chest as you ducked a swinging leg, yelping when caught by her heel as it swung back around.

“Well, if it helps, I am anxious about extermination,” you gave a small chuckle, doing your best to appease your angry friend. You received another punch for your effort, your tail curling as you sailed through the air. Landing roughly on a hip, you were grateful for the extra cushioning- otherwise that could have been much more painful.

“Were you just gonna let me find out on Sinstagram about my best friend gettin’ killed? over her stupid boy toy?! I knew you were a horny bitch, but who joins a war over a little DICK?! What the fuck are you thinking, Y/N?! How stupid can you be?! How am

I supposed to handle that?” Velvette’s voice lowered as angry tears poured from her eyes.

Rising slowly from the grass you’d landed in, you crept towards the angry overlord cautiously. “Well, I was more hoping not to die, but I’m sorry for not telling you, Vel. It wasn’t something I was at liberty to talk about at the time. But Vel, I’m not just doing this for Alastor- I believe in Princess Morningstar. While the very idea of redemption is completely absurd to me, I believe she can make a better Hell. I’m fighting for her- for a better future, where we won’t have to worry about exterminations anymore. Isn’t that worth fighting for?”

You were trying your best not to cry with Velvette- you could never handle seeing your loved ones crying very well. You were an arms length away when the doll rushed into your arms and crushed you in her embrace. “I could spit, I’m so mad at you!” Velvette sobbed into your neck and you cooed, wrapping your arms around her and kissing her forehead. A grunt and hiss left your lips when she gave one last halfhearted punch to your tit, right in the nipple- she did know how to hit a woman where it hurts.

“I love you Vel,” you said, rubbing your nose against her cheek. The other demon deflated and hugged you back, her slight weight falling into you.

Bending down, you picked your friend up bridal style and carried her the rest of the way to your home. You’d had to point the door open, refusing to let Velvette go in her state, before bringing her up the narrow staircase and into your bathroom to clean up. You were the dirtier party, of course- your darling doll never pulled her punches.

Pointing to your shower, it transformed into your large tub and filled itself. You chose to add a bit of lavender and eucalyptus before adding blood bubbles- a favorite of Velvette’s from Snatch and Bawdy Works. The other demon didn’t move from your arms once, her face cradled in your neck.

“Hey, little Miss, let’s get us cleaned up and pretty again, and then we can make some popcorn and cuddle up to a movie. What do ya say?” Your offer made the demon in your arms chuckle and tighten her hold around your neck.

“Sometimes I wish I was gay, cause you really are the best girlfriend,” she said, kissing your cheek before moving herself out of your hold. You laughed at her comment. “Darling, even if you were gay, you’re not really my type, and I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t be yours.”

Velvette grinned at that, giving a soft punch to your arm as she zapped out of her clothes and got in the tub, a contented sigh leaving her lips. You brushed the debris from your hair before zapping yourself out of your clothes to join Velvette.

You both soaked for a while, letting your muscles and wounds rest and heal from the short fight. Fight really wouldn’t be an accurate description- utter ass kicking is more like it.

“You really think Princess Sunshine and Rainbows has a shot at winning this?” Velvette’s voice was soft, almost childlike in her vulnerability. You looked her in the eye, hoping to convey what little confidence you had. “I do. She has the entirety of Cannibal town behind her, and with the weapons she’s procured, I have reason to believe it will be quite a sound victory.”

Velvette regarded you, searching for any sign of falsehood, before sighing. She rose to get out of the tub while you dipped your head under the water to rinse out your conditioner.

You were wrapping yourself in a fluffy towel when Velvette walked back in, carrying a package that was about a third of the size of her, and set it down on your vanity bench. “If you’re going to throw yourself into a war, you’re gonna be dressed for it,” she said, her lips turning up in a wicked grin.

Your ears pricked and tail wagged in interest as you walked to open your gift. Sitting on top of a deep purple material was a pair of sharp, pointed metal ballet slippers- your eyes flew up to look at Velvette’s grinning face. “Is this…”

“Angelic steel battle shoes, courtesy of the weapons queen herself. I had to apologize to the old windbag for a little misunderstanding to get the design and steel, but now we’re almost friendly- which is good for business at least.” Velvette pulled out the purple fabric- a full bodysuit with short sleeves, draping it over your vanity to reach for what was underneath. “This,” she pulled out a black under-bust corset with thick shoulder straps and an inverted pentagram across the chest. “Is your new best friend. Dragon leather for flexibility, the pentagram is spelled to keep the twins in place, and this,” she ran her hand over the shining silver tiles that made up the hourglass front panel, “is angelic kevlar. Designed it myself,” she said proudly.

You couldn’t help the tears that fell at your friend’s thoughtfulness. “Oh Vel, this is just… It’s beautiful, sweetie! Thank you so much,” you said, wrapping her in your arms and rubbing your cheek against hers in affection. The doll demon laughed and hugged you back, rubbing at an ear and earning a happy yelp with wagging tail.

“Let’s try it on to make sure everything is right. I might need to adjust the spell on the shoes. I know I’ve put you in some crazy shit before, but these bad boys look like hell on heels,” Velvette said, chuckling a bit at your excited face.

It had been a few years since you’d danced any ballet, and it took a moment to regain your posture. You stumbled a couple of times from the sheer weight of the weapons, but as the metal clanked against the wood of your floor, you gained confidence. The battle suit made you feel powerful. Absolutely lethal and unbelievably sexy.

You danced and spun around Velvette as she laughed at your antics. “I’m not gonna lie, I can see why Carmilla wears these all the time. I feel like a tall goddess in these things!” With one last twirl, you leaned over and kissed Velvette’s cheek, throwing your arms around her in a warm embrace. She laughed and kissed your hair before resting her forehead on yours, her eyes soft.

“I love you, you weird, antiquated, masochistic puppy dog. I don’t want to lose you,” she spoke quietly.

Ears drooping and tail wagging, you nuzzled your cheek against hers. “I feel so spoiled, my sweet Velvette! Clothes, cuddles, and an ‘I love you’? I should go off to battle more often,” you teased.

Velvette let out an annoyed huff, her eyes looking away as a light blush dusted her cheeks. “Yeah, well don’t go getting yourself killed. I swear on Satan’s abs, if you die I’ll find a way to bring you back and kick your ass.”

You couldn’t help the laughter that spilled forth at that, leaning on your friend to keep yourself upright in your new weapons. “Well, if it’s on Satan’s abs, I know you mean business.” Your chuckles died down and you zapped yourself out of your battle outfit and into a loose lavender nightie that fell just below the thigh.

Settling onto the bed, the two of you flipped through channels in search of something good to watch. Velvette perked up and gestured for you to scroll down.

““Ghostfuckers: The Musical!”” You both squealed together, and the night was decided.

——-//////———-////////////————————-//////////

When saying goodnight, Velvette gave you one last tight hug, reminding you of her promise to kick your ass if you got yourself killed, before kissing your cheek and walking away. You watched her disappear in the distance, leaning on the dilapidated doorframe with a sentimental sigh. That demon liked to act like tough shit, but when she gave her rare love, it was given completely.

You walked up the stairs and through the bedroom to open your realm of darkness- it was turning out to be quite a long day. But it was worth it.

Your potions were almost complete; all that was left was to add your venom. Your shade pulled away from you, your favorite blade in their hand, and you lifted your nightie for them. A scream tore from your throat as your shade cut a one inch thick strip of flesh from your rump- you would need fresh flesh in order to milk your fangs properly, and what better flesh to use than your own?

Panting and purring, you took your meat from your shade with grateful thanks, receiving an amorous chirp and nuzzling before they zoomed off to play and gossip with your little darklings. You weren’t entirely sure if they understood what your shadow said to them, but they enjoyed being around their matriarch nonetheless.

You felt your mate shadowing in to your abode, and paused your work to greet him. Your shade zoomed out as you closed your realm, and you couldn’t help but chuckle at their eagerness. If someone had told you not a year ago that you’d be excitedly greeting a mate (the radio demon no less), and your shade would be on board, you’d laugh in their face and run away as fast as you could.

“Good evening, my darling! Are you hungry?” You asked as you moved to walk down your stairs.

You were caught by surprise when Alastor bellowed his mating call and shadowed up to kiss you, his body pushing you into the wall beside you. His hands roamed and squeezed at any fat they found, his cock pressing into your stomach.

“Oh I hunger, my Vixen, but my appetite is for a different delicacy at the moment,” he growled and nipped at your ear, his hands still roaming- seeking.

You yelped when his claws found your fresh wound, and his smile grew sinister. “Why are you bleeding, mon cœur?” He hunched to lick along your jawline and you moaned low, thighs clenching against the slick pooling in your underwear.

“Ahh… there’s that sweet spice,” Alastor sighed, practically purring as he nuzzled against your throat.

“Mmm… Just a bit of flesh to help with my work. Did my darling miss his mate?” You cooed at your lover’s display and raised a leg to rub along his frame. His hand caught your thigh, and static filled the air around you as he lowered himself to his knees, his glowing eyes never leaving yours.

“Allow me to demonstrate just how much, my demoness?”

Oh how badly you wanted to let him, but alas.

“Fuck… I very much want you to continue, my love, but I’m in the midst of finishing my potions.”

A screech left your throat as your mate bit into your thigh, taking a chunk of meat with a groan. His eyes closed and he sighed as he chewed, leaning his head beside the wound. He planted a soft kiss to it before running his nose up your thigh and over your soaked panties, taking in the scent of your arousal with a low growl of static. Oh how evil this demon could be… Or perhaps it was you being the cruel one. Well, in all truth, you were both true demons.

“Do you happen to have any venison in the fridge? I am actually rather famished,” Alastor said, chuckling as he released you and stood to give you a gentle, grateful kiss. How you loved to see and taste your blood on his lips; how badly you wanted to spirit him away, surprise him with his new little bayou and keep him trapped forever.

“I do. There’s plenty, and I also brought home some leftover cornbread if you like.” Alastor’s face lit up (you’d have to remember that recipe) and he kissed you once more before heading downstairs.

With a contented hum, you went back to your work, opening your realm and settling your shadows from the disturbance. Your shade must have joined Alastor and his own- your violent little darlings missed them, swirling around you and sniffing. Thankfully only two kept growling at Alastor’s scent- they’d learn to accept him (eventually). You wondered idly if they would get along with his shadow any easier if yours helped introduce them.

Gathering your thoughts, you built up your venom- using all those moments of desire for a death. The death of the one at the end of your fangs. It took several minutes of concentration, and when finally you felt you had the right sensation, you bent over the bowl on the workbench, bringing your cooling flesh to your lips, and sank your fangs into the thin layer. There. It was an odd sensation- almost like a condom during intercourse. You spent several doses of venom, pushing for more, but yielding nothing more.

After pulling your fangs from the spent flesh, you checked the amount of liquid gathered. You may need to try again later- it may not be quite enough, but you would deal with that if you needed to.

You went to work processing the venom, spending a bit too much magick as you infused it with each poultice, salve and potion. Thank Satan you had enough for everything; you weren’t sure you had enough energy to do any more.

Your little darlings went to work packing up everything and you thanked them for their effort before heading to your bedroom.

Alastor was already sitting up on the extended mattress, legs stretched out as he read a book. You felt so warm and content when you saw this domestic side of your mate. He was home.

He looked up when you finished sealing your realm and walked over to flop onto the bed with a tired huff. Chuckling, he carded his claws through your hair in a slow and gentle rhythm as soft jazz filled the air.

“Come here, mon cœur,” you heard him say as he pulled the blankets back, laying himself down, and you crawled lazily under them. Curling and wriggling into his side, you gave a contented purr. As you drifted into sleep, he dragged his claws through your hair and rested his chin between your ears. You felt so safe and warm; you never wanted to lose this- lose him.

Your dreams were filled with music, dancing and blood rain. When you woke, you felt much better- milking your venom and potion infusion took a lot of energy out of you, but your recovery was much like recovery from injury; it would heal within a couple of hours. You were surprised to be waking so early after such a long day though.

“How are you feeling, mon cœur?” Alastor’s soft voice caught your attention, his fingers combing through your hair. You were so incredibly comfortable.

“Mmm… very happy to wake up to such a sweet face. Did you sleep at all?” You leaned in to brush your lips against his, and he groaned as he pulled you closer.

“I don’t require regular sleep cycles, but resting with my beautiful mate in my arms is incredibly energizing,” he said, brushing the back of his fingers along the side of your face.

Leaning in to his touch, you gently nipped at his fingers, and static buzzed around you. Alastor’s eyes glowed down at you as his smile quirked. “You know exactly what you do to me, don’t you, my little Vixen,” he purred, pushing his hips into yours to let you know just how you were making him feel.

Your predators eyes flashed up to his, and you made a show of sticking your tongue out to glide its way up and off a finger. “You’re not the only one able to read people, my darling, deadly overlord,” you replied, a wicked grin streaking across your face.

Alastor’s eyes began to bleed into black, and your grin grew wider. “I believe I remember someone saying he was hungry, and this chef has her oven all warmed up,” you spoke low, running your foot over his leg to hook your thigh over his hip.

With a low growl, your lover wrapped his arms around you to squeeze your ass and pull you against his rigid erection. “I want to tear into you and breed you until all you can say is my name.”

His words had you whining and wriggling against him, rubbing your soaked pussy along his length. Your panties were drenched, the fabric rubbing against your clit felt just delightful. Judging from the low growling moans your mate was producing, and the way he rolled his hips into you, he was enjoying himself as well.

A tentacle slid from behind him to glide up your leg, and Alastor used a claw to carefully slice down the center of your panties before you felt the limb rub up the length of your slit. The moan that poured from your throat would have won you an award if you’d been filming. Satan, he knew exactly what to do to make you lose control. Your body was blissfully alight, sparking with pleasure.

“Would you like me to use this on you, my little Vixen?”

His voice was deep, almost demonic as he opened his drooling maw and bit a chunk of meat from your bicep, a lascivious moan leaving his throat as he chewed.

You screeched and bucked your hips; the mixture of pain, pleasure and love had your head reeling in infernal ecstasy!

“Fuck… Yes Ala- haaah!” Your words were cut short as the tentacle slithered its way into your cunt, the texture odd but incredibly stimulating. Oh, how this demon set your very soul ablaze!

“Say my name, Y/N… Let me hear that sweet voice of yours,”

came the demonic tenor. Alastor drug his long tongue along your shoulder and up your neck as he fucked you with his tentacle, slowly widening the girth of the appendage until you were screaming for him. His deft fingers slid over, around and against your clit as your hips rolled into his limbs.

“Alastor… Alastor Alastor Aaahh! Darling, I want to- Please, my buck… Please pleasepleaseplease- hah!” Your mind was reeling in ecstasy- you couldn’t think straight even if you wanted to. You were so close!

You felt the tentacle leave you, and you cried out in frustration, your claws raking down your cruel mate’s arms as desperation filled you. Tears pricked in your eyes, and Alastor cooed down at you. He seemed to be really enjoying himself, his eyes deep black pits, smile wide and sinister as black blood dripped down his lips.

He ripped your nightgown down the middle and you felt him line himself up before his teeth clamped down on your throat as he thrust forcefully into your wet, pulsing heat. You screamed as he took you, that delicious burning stretch his cock provided sent you whirling over the edge. Squirting over him, your back arched as you spasmed around him, and he gave a distorted, rumbling snarl into your throat as he pounded relentlessly into you.

Your body went limp as he moved within you, your overstimulated cries fueling the speed of his hips.

“My sweet little Vixen…”

Hips stuttering, he licked at the wound on your throat before rising to look down at your flushed face.

One hand gripped your shoulder, the other pressing flat over your womb- holding your twitching body in place as he slowed his pace with powerful, controlled thrusts. Vaguely you felt glad he held you so, otherwise your head would be half way through the headboard by now. Your mind began coming back to blissful reality and you moaned out your lover’s name- that wonderful pressure was building again.

Unable to move your torso, you circled and ground your hips as best you could to eagerly meet his thrusts. Alastor leaned to cover you as he bottomed out, grinding into you and roaring in pleasure as his seed spurt, molten hot within you. Your mouth fell open from all the sensations coursing through your being, your hips wriggling to try and gain just a little more friction- just a bit more... Almost…

You both growled and whined all at once, your cunt pulsing and clenching in a final orgasm as you bit into Alastor’s shoulder. Your entire body curled and clenched around his, your claws piercing into his back as you pulled him as close as possible.

Sighing moans slid from your throat as you released your fangs, purring and nuzzling into his neck as he held your body against his.

“I had a surprise all planned out to reveal, but I suppose it’s better late than never,” you chuckled out lightly against his skin, breathing in his heady scent as you both worked to catch your breath.

“I had rather thought this was the surprise,” came the sly reply. “There’s no welcome quite like your lovely mate walking down the stairs in her negligee, the enticing scent of her blood on the air. Oh, and how cruel she was to make me wait. Truly a challenging game of testing one’s self control! Why, you have given me the greatest of erotic surprises, ma chér,” he purred, peppering sweet kisses along the marks on your heated flesh.

You laughed at that, cupping a soft ear in your hand to bring to your lips in a gentle kiss. “My darling, if you thought I was just gonna surprise you with a sexy outfit, well… yeah, actually, you’d be right there, but this was just a throw on for some girl time with Vel earlier. I had something a bit more to your tastes arranged. In fact, if you’re feeling up to moving, we still have time for what I had hoped to enjoy with you.” You finished your proposal with a rubbing of noses. “If you’d rather rest, it will keep.”

Alastor’s eyes grew excited, his smile turning almost boyish in his anticipation. “Surprise, please!” He exclaimed, nibbling at your cheek in affection, and you giggled at the adorable display. “But that being said, you could wear a paper bag and it would be the loveliest outfit- because it was draped over this lovely flesh.” He leaned up to nip at an ear as his claws ran down your arm and you gave a yelp, blushing in joy.

Rising from the huge bed, you draped your sheer black dressing gown around yourself and grabbed the new red silk robe you’d gotten for him. His ears pricked when you held it up for him to curl into, kissing your cheek in gratitude before brushing his lips against yours. You hummed into the kiss before grabbing a large hand, leading him through the bathroom to a green drawn door on the wall behind your shower.

His lovely crimson eyes widened in glee. As you went over how to use the hidden realm door, he listened attentively and when you held your hand out to show him the correct flow of energy, he held his out to mirror the action, and your energies mingled. The feel of your demonic tendrils intertwining, dancing with and around each other was one of the most beautiful sensations you’d been lucky enough to experience. Your heart swelled with love- while you were certain you could live without this demon beside and around you, you never wanted to have to. You’d never felt so wanted- so loved and safe. You wanted to stay like that forever, your mate holding you in one arm as your energy swirled together. It just felt so… intimate…

When Alastor successfully unlocked the realm door, a whooping cheering crowd sounded, and you laughed at just how cute such a dangerous demon could be. The door popped and creaked open for him to walk curiously through. “I’ll be through in a moment, my darling,” you spoke, running your fingers over his back through the fine silk of his robe. You noticed him hesitate a moment, before devious understanding flashed in his heated gaze, and he nodded before walking through.

You took a moment to straighten yourself up and zap on the cute new corset set you’d bought down in Lust awhile back, making sure to keep your mate’s seed right where he’d left it. It was perfect for your darling demon! Crimson and coral pinstripes formed a gorgeous silhouette, little black bows with coral gems gradually grew in size up the center seam, leading to the largest bow at the center of the sweetheart top. Black panties and coral garter accents attached to your sheer black stockings- thin black strips down the back of your legs accentuated the tall black stilettos. You thought the shoes were fucking adorable- they had little red hoof prints on the bottom! The whole ensemble just screamed, ‘This dame belongs to the Radio Demon.’

Pulling your sheer dressing gown over your outfit, you zapped your hair back to only semi bedraggled- a little bed head goes a long way! Knocking gently on the door before walking in, your heart melted when you saw Alastor laying in the simulated moonlight, eyes closed as he rested. You noticed his ears flicking in your direction and his eyes opened to take you in.

Rising to sit up, his eyes glowed as he held his hand out to beckon you to him, and you obeyed with a soft, warm smile. You stepped in front of him, your fluffy tail swishing as you let the dressing gown slide slowly off your form.

You heard his breath hitch as he took in every inch of your body, lingering on the wetness between your thighs and swallowing hard when your eyes met, his ears drooping cutely. “Oh, mon cœur…” his face was beet red, but he reached out, and you stepped close to him- close enough for those sharp claws to drag over the coral garter fasteners.

“I must admit I was wrong, mon cœur. This is most definitely a superior surprise… All of this; the bayou, the fireflies, the moonlight…” His hands reached for your hips and pulled you down to straddle his lap. Those lovely eyes shone with romance as he leaned in, just begging for those soft lips to be captured. Who were you to deny such a sweet face?

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you felt his hands brush your hair behind a shoulder, fingers lightly tracing down the exposed skin of your back. His lips captured yours and your aura flared in a call to his, and he responded with a contented sigh. His aura flared around you and wrapped you in his very essence, and you felt your shade split from you to dance off with his own. ‘My sweet mate…’ Your thoughts were of nothing but him- his eyes, his nose, those soft lips and sharp teeth. The sweet sounds he released brought you such an aching joy! How could love hurt so sweetly?

“Thank you, Y/N… For this, for… for loving me. This… I never would have expected to desire a sexually intimate relationship, much less a romantic one, but here you are… My murderous, moonlit belle…”

Was he tearing up? Oh, how sweet your darling was! You smiled softly to him and kissed him gently, your hands stroking his cheeks, his ears, his hair and neck.

“I have one more gift for you tonight, my darling. If you wish to receive it, that is,” you spoke softly, nuzzling into his throat. You heard a happy bleat and giggled- he was just too cute for your own good. “I can’t imagine anything better than this,” he replied, his fingers playing with the little miniature bows of the corset. “Short of covering you in my seed, this is the loveliest outward signal that you belong to me,” he purred, nuzzling and kissing into your hair.

“I’d like to give you my pelt,” you said, your smile buttery as you watched him melt before you. You were met with a crushing embrace and happy bleats as Alastor rubbed his cheek over your hair. You laughed happily as he snuggled you, your tail thumping in joy from all the affection you were receiving.

“May I be selfish and ask for two?” Alastor rubbed his nose over yours, and you quirked a curious brow. “Of course, my darling. One for the hotel, and one for your house?” You cocked your head in question, and he blushed before he answered.

“One for my home, and one for… personal use.”

Your smile grew wicked. “Oh?”

You felt your buck tense just a bit as he fought to push through his embarrassment, and your heart melted. “My season will be coming up in a few months, and while it’s never been anything more than a foul mood before, I am… uncertain how I may react now that I have someone I wish to be with… intimately. I would like to be able to surround myself with the scent of my mate without worrying about… ruining your lovely gift… should that be how my body reacts,” he explained, his eyes focusing on the top bow of your corset as he fidgeted with it.

“You really do have a scent kink, my beautiful mate.” You laughed and hugged Alastor close.

“Oh you have no idea, my Vixen. Why, remember our first night together?” You nodded, eyes half-lidded as you regarded him. “Just the scent of your arousal in your undergarments made me want to forget all about flaying in favor of breeding you into the dirt once I’d caught hold of you. I will confess, I even felt the need to relieve myself with the scent of your clothing as you recovered, but thankfully self control won out. Oh, but it was difficult…” His eyes were closed as he reminisced.

“When I saw you, so graceful, strong and proud- leaping through the branches, so sure of foot. Why, I just had to worship this lovely hell bound goddess of Wrath! Anything she may ask of me, I would endeavor to deliver.”

You were certain you were beet red at the confession- Satan damn it all, you could never get enough of this demon!

Alastor opened his eyes, his smile soft as he took in your drooping, lovestruck features. Cupping your cheek, he brought you in for a series of small dragging kisses before you pulled away to grin up at him.

“We don’t have the whole day this time, but would you like an encore of that fun little chase before flaying, my darling?”

He didn’t need to answer, his antlers doing that for him. Sliding off his lap to rise slowly in a show, you zapped a quick ‘stay put’ spell to your tall stilettos and swished your tail for him, wicked grin spread wide on your poison lips. Oh you definitely had his attention.

“Come and get me, my lovely buck…”

And you sped off.

———-/////////———////////———-

The Eve of Extermination

“Well, I think that’s all of the nursing stations filled. Has everyone received their weapons?”

You watched Husk nod to Charlie and the group grew silent. This was the worst part of preparing- the waiting. Not having a single clue as to whether or not everything you’d been working for would have any effect over the outcome. Whether tomorrow would be your last day of existence, whether the friends you’d made would exist after the battle or…

‘Fuck, this is not helping, Vix. Just try to calm down.’ This had become almost a mantra for you as the day came closer, and the buzzing dread that invaded your being just seemed to only grow. You subtly pinched at your wrist, the slight pain helping to ground you in your spiral.

“Perhaps you should give a speech, Charlie dear. Rally the troops, so to say!” Alastor’s jovial suggestion broke the silence, and Charlie turned nervous. Vaggie placed a reassuring hand on her forearm, and the taller demon softened as their eyes met before she set her jaw and straightened her shoulders.

When the crowd was gathered, Alastor tapped on Charlie’s shoulder, offering her his microphone cane with a soft smile. With grateful eyes, she took it and stepped up, every inch the future queen of Hell.

“Hello, I want to thank everyone for coming. Even people who aren’t staying here yet. Cherri…” she glanced over to the smirking woman.

“Look, I can’t resist a fight, OK? Especially when I get to tag team with this fuckhead!” She wrapped an arm around Angel, and the spider smiled warmly as he held her back. Charlie smiled at the sweet gesture before continuing.

“Tomorrow, the exorcist angels will face a Hell ready to defend itself and win!”

“Yeah! Yeah we will! Tell ‘em, baby!” Vaggie cheered excitedly for Charlie, and your heart swelled at the adorable way she gushed over her partner. They were just so cute!

Charlie perked up, gaining confidence knowing her love was there to encourage her. “Yes! And we are going to- - we are going to win! But… innn case we don’t… I want you all to know that getting to know you has been the biggest honor of my life. Whatever redemption really means, I know you all tried. I have seen the good in all of you, and it’s… and I… I’m just.. I love you all, so much… and- and live tonight however you want, because-“

“We’re all gonna die! Hahahahaha!” Niffty declared gleefully, and you snorted. How that little demon could make you laugh! That’s right… If you were going to die, you would at least get to have some fun along the way! Your smile grew sinister as you began imagining all the ways you could cut down your enemies with your new weapons. You’d received two angelic short blades, and combined with your battle shoes (that you’d been practicing with while in Alastor’s room), you would be absolutely lethal to your adversaries.

Everyone else seemed more disturbed by Niffty’s hilarious interruption, and Vaggie worked to release the tension, clapping her hands together.

“Alright! Let’s give it up for not dying! Love not dying!” Her attempt was falling a bit flat, but you couldn’t help but love her for it.

“…Drinks?”

That got everyone cheered up and moving back in to party in the hotel.

Charlie handed Alastor back his cane with a thank you, and he patted her head fondly as he took it back. You watched everyone walking into the hotel, feeling a bit outside of your body, before Alastor turned his lovely eyes to you. He stretched his arm out, warm hand open and inviting, and you took it- the sensation of him, of something real… something to hold on to… it helped.

The crowd had already dispersed, and your mate pulled you into his warm embrace. Soft jazz began playing, and you melted into his hold, rubbing your face into his coat as your ears pinned.

“Would you like to go home, mon cœur?” His soft voice helped to ground you further, and you focused on just breathing. His warm scent filled your senses as he just held you. A practice in patience, you were certain, but oh how wonderful he was. Claws dragged down your back in a light scratch and you sighed at the sensation.

“Just a little harder, please.”

How glad you felt to have a mate who knew you so well. He could have made a crude joke (which could be okay sometimes), made any number of unwanted advances, but not your darling. He immediately obeyed, rubbing his cheek against your hair as he pulled you closer and increased the pressure of his slow scratches.

You focused on your breathing, on the feeling of your mate surrounding you and the feel of his claws digging and dragging. “Would you mind very much if I retired early tonight? I still very much want to stay with you, and I will make a short appearance in the festivities, but I’m afraid my brain is being a brat,” you chuckled out, resting your forehead against the inverted cross at his chest.

Alastor hummed, pausing his scratching to manifest a lit blunt for you to take. You took the offering with a grateful smile and began working on it as he went back to his scratching.

“Darling, you don’t need to push yourself. If you would rather just retire, then you should. Perhaps a nice swim would feel good?”

How you loved your darling demon. “How do you know exactly how to set me right?” The question was more to yourself, and your overlord knew it. He just watched you with a soft smile, scratching and petting your long hair as his aura wrapped you in that wonderful feeling of safety. “I’d like to say goodnight to everyone, maybe grab a drink with Angie and Cherri before I retire,” you said, handing the significantly smaller blunt back to Alastor. He finished it off and vanished the ashes before offering his arm.

Smiling to your love, you took his arm, and the two of you disappeared into the lobby.

“I mean, personally I’m excited. It’s been a long time since I stabbed anyone and really meant it, you know what I mean?” Vaggie was cheerfully talking to Charlie, and you gave them both a pat on their shoulders before heading to the bar. It looked like the group had already begun working on the liquor supply.

“Cheers, bitches!” Cherri handed you a drink, and you accepted with a wide grin.

“Cheers, darling!” You raised your glass to clink with the others. “Yeah!” Even Husk was feeling spirited, it would seem. Angel raised his cup to join, contributing a jovial, “here’s to us!”

Sir Pentious rose to tower slightly over your small group and raised his cup to cheer out, “here’ss to being alive today, and not dying tomorrow!”

Well, that you had to agree with. Laughing at the snake demon’s cheerful bravado, you clinked his glass with the others and roamed over to take a seat at the far end of the bar. Giving a soft kiss to your hair, Alastor left to take care of whatever he needed to take care of, and you sighed, finally relaxing a bit more. You wanted to just take in the moment and try to think of the camaraderie, instead of the constant aching dread.

“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!”

You watched as the small family mingled, and worked on your drink. It tasted like a mix of tequila, gin and some sort of syrup- perhaps strawberry? It was definitely strong, and you flagged Husk down to order another two before downing it. Husk gave you a look, and gave you your order, patting your shoulder in an attempt at reassurance, and you gave him a grateful nod and smile. Ears flicking, you listened to your friends as they talked around you.

“Last day of afterlife and you’re not off snortin’ a line off some hunk’s abs?” Husk genuinely seemed impressed.

“Ehh, ya fucked one cannibal pool boy, you fucked ‘em all,” he replied, and you snorted, trying to keep yourself from spitting out your second drink. Angel chuckled at your reaction, and Husk gave him a soft smile.

“I guess you have changed,” he said, his eyes proud, and was there a hint of attraction in there? Your inner matchmaker was squirming to play, but this relationship, be it platonic or romantic, would evolve just fine on its own. The two men obviously cared for each other.

Angel softened before an almost wicked grin overtook his features. “Hey, Charlie said live tonight however we wanted… so pour me a fresh one, and let’s get ta livin’!”

Oh what a sweet soul he was. Seeing Angel genuinely open up and allow himself vulnerability with his cherished ones warmed your heart in a way that was almost healing to your own soft parts.

Turning your attention to Cherri, you noticed a very nervous looking Pentious slithering up to shoot his shot. Oh, now this would be good.

“Misss Bomb…?” He started, his eyes darting as he did his best to overcome that crippling shyness. “Cherri?”

“Yeah?” She seemed almost bored, and you smirked. She was a hard egg to crack, for sure. You were certain Pentious would never try anything untoward, but Cherri would kick his ass into another life if he ever did. That woman was a powerhouse.

“I want to tell you… that I…”

Oh, this poor little danger noodle. He was down bad for the beauty. You locked eyes with Charlie as Vaggie began dragging her off. You could practically see little hearts floating out of the sweet princess as she eagerly watched Pentious attempt his confession.

“I love… I’d love to wish you good luck in the battle ahead.” Well, it was a step at least. He was trying, and he was being respectful while doing so. It was honestly quite striking to you- the change in him. You’d been witness to many turf wars over the decades, constantly moving your dimensional home in order to keep away from all that drama.

What you had seen of the Victorian demon was an angry man-child with an inferiority complex that reached violent heights. He’d treated everyone and everything as an enemy- a threat. The demon standing before Cherri now was a completely different person. His energy, albeit very nervous, was open, seeking as he tried to connect with the others around him.

Cherri regarded the snake demon, deciding he was being honest in his approach. “Okay.”

Pentious blushed, looking down to gather his courage before raising his gaze to meet hers. “You are… Have always been… a mosst worthy opponent. With the mosst… brilliant explosssive contraptions I’ve ever sseen.”

‘Awww’ Now this was just absolutely adorable! Whether or not Cherri decided to go for it, you would be secretly shipping it.

Taken aback, Cherri slowly softened into an almost sweet smile. “Uh… thanks?”

Oh, that snake was done for. “Anyway, I guesss- … please don’t die tomorrow okay bye!”

The poor panicking demon quickly made his exit, quite obviously overwhelmed from the interaction. Fucking cute as fuck!

You saw Angel sidle up next to the woman, a sly yet nonchalant expression on his features. You knew that look. Someone was in matchmaker mode.

“Ya know, you could totally tap that,” he commented, his face a vision of neutrality.

Cherri snorted at that, looking after the retreating snake demon. “Tss, don’t be gross,” she replied.

The two of them slurped at their drinks, and you gave Husk a gesture of cheers in the air before you both finished your drinks together. You ordered another one and began working on your third. The alcohol was beginning to hit and you felt a pleasant release in your shoulders as your body further relaxed.

Angel was completely undeterred by the shorter demon’s comment, used to her crass manner of speaking- it was part of her charm.

“Cuz, you know, I hear he’s got two dicks.”

Damn, talk about hook, line and sinker. You couldn’t help but wonder how he’d gotten Alastor to approach you, because fuck that spider knew how to sell a date!

That had certainly caught Cherri’s attention. You could see the gears turning in her head as her aversion turned to fascination.

“Huh…” A smirk crept its way up her lips as she turned to look at the retreating snake. Oh Angel, that sly devil. You caught his eye and you shared a knowing, wicked grin.

When finished with your drink, you waved goodbye to everyone and walked away from the bar. You made sure to say short goodbyes to Flora and Ethel, and made your way to the kitchen. Your team had pre-made sandwiches and desserts that morning- you had a large stock for the next few days. You doubted anyone would feel like fixing food while trying to fight or heal.

As you walked down the hall, you allowed yourself to exhale that final breath you’d been holding. Alone at last. You loved your friends, but you definitely required a battery recharge after a lot of social interaction- and a month long battle camp assignment counted double, maybe triple social interaction.

Humming a soft tune, you grabbed a couple of sandwiches and a slice of pecan pie. You would offer your flesh tonight, but it was always good to have other options. As you turned to leave, you bumped into the broad chest of your mate. He really enjoyed sneaking up on people.

Looking up, you noticed what looked to be a delightfully macabre crown of roaches atop his head.

“Your majesty,” you chuckled out, giving a small bow. “I adore the new jewelry, my love. Is that a gift from dear Niffty?”

With a sentimental huff, Alastor shrugged his shoulders. “I have been dubbed King Roach,” he said, a small hint of pride in his tone, and you couldn’t help the warm smile. Such a teddy bear…

“May I request my queen’s company?” Those crimson eyes glowed down at you, and you melted.

“I love you, you big goofball,” you replied, reaching your free hand to cup his cheek. He leaned into the touch, covering your hand with his.

“Before we go, how hungry are you? I was thinking that, should you desire, you may eat your fill of my flesh. It’s a special occasion, after all. Sure, the world’s not ending, but we’ve got a big day tomorrow and-“

Soft lips silenced your offer as Alastor kissed you- a gentle reassurance. “Tonight, ma chér, I want to take care of you. There is no tomorrow…”

Alastor snapped your food into stasis and you felt his shadows swallow you up, taking you to his room. Such a convenient power- you’d been attempting it for several weeks with no luck, but who knows, maybe someday.

“What do you need, mon cœur?” His soft voice at your ear soothed your frazzled nerves. You could never tell just how tense you’d been until given the opportunity and space to decompress.

You took a moment to take stock of your body; there were a few areas that felt almost numb, and you sighed as you deflated. There was no hiding or masking around your darling, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Can we just lay down and rest?”

Shadows surrounded you and you found yourself in his bed, cradled in the strong arms of your mate. Nuzzling and snuffling into your hair, your darling carded his claws through the long strands, down your arms.

It was pure comfort Alastor was offering. His hands just kept running through your hair in gentle motions, scraping his claws down your back as he went- grounding you. He silently watched you as soft, crackling jazz played. His aura folded around you, his shadow wrapping you completely in their embrace.

Cocooned in his essence, the soft pressure of his body and shade brought such comfort. Your own shadow split to curl around you all, chirping as they wriggled and snuggled in. Alastor chuckled at their antics and kissed their cheek.

You tried to sleep, honest you did. As the hours passed you watched each other, your thoughts swirled in dread of the what ifs. Alastor stayed right next to you, his presence an anchor for you to hold on to. He was so patient with you, and you would spend an eternity showing him just how grateful you were to him for his gentle manner.

“Would you like breakfast, my dearest?” He pet your hair as you stretched yourself out, a few bones cracking as you moaned.

“I don’t feel hungry, but I would like to have something to occupy my hands. Would you want to join me in baking something? I think I’d like to knead some dough,” you said, offering a soft smile as you moved to get out of bed.

Alastor’s smile softened on you and he moved to follow. He zapped himself into his usual suit as you wrapped your sheer red dressing gown over your black nightgown. You worked on brushing the tangles from your hair to tie it back, and Alastor took over the task as he hummed along to the soft music he played while you relaxed under his touch. He braided your long hair, planting a gentle kiss to your shoulder when finished.

You spent the morning baking an army’s worth of danish pastries, the scent of almond and vanilla drawing in early risers who roamed the halls. You felt so at home like this, working alongside your darling in the charming antique kitchen he’d magicked, exchanging light jabs and kisses, gentle touches and nuzzles.

When finished, Alastor snapped the pastries packed and in the lobby for guests to take when coming down, and you made your way back to his room to get ready. The warm water of the shower helped to clear away the cobwebs in your mind; the stream beating against your skin brought a focus to you that worked to wake your senses.

Alastor had gone to speak with Charlie and finalize any last minute arrangements. You zapped your battle suit on, bending down to double check the shoes were secured before you heard speaker interference from behind you, a smirk tugging on your lips.

“Do you like my present from Velvette? My darling doll made this for me, and I’ve been refreshing my ballet skills.”

You felt his hands gliding over the stretched fabric as you rose and turned to meet his glowing gaze. The way Alastor stared at you made you feel like the very Goddess of Wrath he’d spoken of. His eyes roamed over your form appreciatively before stepping closer to hug you to him, taking a deep breath against your hair, and your ear flicked as you giggled at the ticklish sensation.

“Do thank her for me, my goddess,” he chuckled low, kissing the top of your head before stepping back to gaze down at you. He dragged his fingers over the corset, “she’s melded spell work and angelic steel together quite beautifully. I can tell she truly cares for you and your safety,” he said, his smile soft. “And I would love to know how she made amends with Carmilla after her faux pas at the last overlord meeting.”

Alastor laughed, and you cocked your head with a smirk. “She did mention something about having to apologize for a little misunderstanding, but now I’m quite curious as to just what this “little misunderstanding” was.”

“My dear, you know your friend well; would you care to hazard a guess?” He bent down to your eye level, crimson orbs narrowing slyly.

“Stuck her foot in it, didn’t she. Was there singing?” His wide smile was answer enough, and you laughed together for a moment before settling.

Alastor pulled you into him, capturing your lips in a breathtaking kiss. This was it…

As you separated, his eyes told you everything you needed to know. “I’m ready,” you said, and his shadows swallowed you up.

He deposited you close to Angel, and you noticed the two exchange a glance and smile, before Alastor took your hand to kiss, and his shadows spirited him to his post on the hotel roof. Oh, how you wished for those stupid angels to just come down already so you could fight, instead of think… and worry.

Suddenly, the Heaven portal opened and the exorcists sped through, war cries on the wind. Vaggie turned to look at you all, “Here they come. Get ready, everyone! We fight together!”

Niffty bounced excitedly beside you, and you shared a wicked grin with Cherri as the angels grew closer.

Vaggie’s booming voice soared over the large crowd. “Now! For your souls!” As the fighters around you began yelling their own war cries, you heard the princess add her own, “Let’s fuck. Them. Up!!!”

You heard a roaring bellow as a protective shadow barrier rose to form around the entire area around the hotel. You’d never seen such a thing- he truly was in a league of his own. It was actually stopping the exorcists in their tracks once a certain amount had been let through. Maybe he actually could take on Adam.

There was no more time to think. A body split in half as you flung yourself through the legs of your careless first victim. Oh, you’d definitely be thanking Velvette for your favorite new toys! Blood sprayed over your form and you sped through the crowd, slicing off wings, legs, heads- any part of an angel that caught your notice was a potential target.

Maniacal laughter boomed from your chest as you flew through your enemies, one by one. Why, if it weren’t for their afterlife-ending weapons, you might even feel bad for how easily you slaughtered them. These birds acted as though they’d never even faced a real fight before- and they probably hadn’t, always holding death in their grasp. They’d probably never needed to properly fight!

Angel had his tommy guns out, laughing along with you and Cherri. “Yeah! Come and get some!”

“Eat shrapnel, fuckers!” Cherri threw her new angelic bombs, hitting each target with perfect precision.

‘General’ Pentious pointed towards a cluster of exorcists and called to his egg bois, “all angelic weapons fire at will!” Loud booms sounded as his minions followed his order, and Husk looked to you all.

“Hey! Yelling while fighting doesn’t help!”

You smirked as you slashed through another body, “It does if he’s calling out battle orders, ya goober!”

“You kids shut the fuck up and get to killing! Nobody gives a shit what you gotta say!”

“Susan, darling! How have you been?” Using a short blade, you decapitated an angel aimed at the old demon. “I figured you’d be cannikid-sitting!”

Susan gave you an unimpressed glower and slammed her cane sword over and through an exorcist’s skull; you gave a low whistle. “I can still cut a rug!” She grinned in pride, and you watched as Niffty stabbed her felled angel several times, laughing maniacally as she made her way through corpses on the ground. Well, at least you wouldn’t need to worry about any attacks from angels playing dead; you laughed with the little demon and went back to your own proverbial dance card.

“Alastor’s shield is working!” Charlie’s excited voice sounded as you weaved through your allies and struck down enemies.

“Trying to focus, sweetie!” Vaggie replied.

“We might actually have a chance!” Oh how adorable was the princess of Hell!

“Love the optimism. Still trying to focus.”

That was when you heard the cracking boom, and Alastor’s barrier fell. ‘Fuck,’ you thought, taking in the sheer number of exorcists left. A thrum of fear pulsed in your chest, but you tamped it down. Alastor was a big boy, and could look after himself. You just hoped that he would honor his promise to escape if things got too hairy, and not fall to that excessive pride that filled him.

You saw the first man chuckle as he panted from the energy expelled. You’d had to run from him several times over the decades, and he never failed to make your bloodlust boil over. Watching the large angel, you couldn’t help but notice something- he was winded. Alastor could win!

There was no more time to think- you dodged a swinging axe and a long sword as two exorcists worked together to get you. A decent strategy, but it wouldn’t work.

Your feet swept quickly, and you leapt into a grand jeté en tourant, decapitating one angel, and slicing a wing from the other before landing in a spin. Niffty quickly overtook the angel and killed her- she was actually quite good at her job. More angels came, and you moved to work your way through them, slicing and stabbing any enemy flesh you could get your hands on.

The battle was exhausting, yet exhilarating! As several angels flew towards you, your wicked grin grew wide. Time to let your violent little darklings out to play.

Releasing your aura, your predators eyes flashed as you directed your little pack to the group speeding towards you, and they attacked with a ferocity that made your heart swell with pride. The angels all fell as your shadows broke their wings and swirled around them to distract, all while you played your own little demented game of duck, duck, goose- slicing each throat as you hummed a jaunty tune.

All of a sudden, you saw a bright blast of light burst over the hotel. ‘Oh no…’

You didn’t have time to worry right now, you had to have faith in your partner, but fuck if it wasn’t swimming through your mind. ‘Please take care of yourself, my heart,’ you sent your thought on the wind and imagined your darling receiving it. ‘I love you oh so very much.’

“Right flank advance! Left flank, watch your six! Ladies! There are more coming up on your right! Get ready for them Vagatha!” Pentious had retreated to the hotel and was expertly using a tablet to help spot danger as it came.

“Not my name! But, got it!”

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry- Sorry, sorry!” Sweet Charlie was doing her best to block attacks with her angelic shield- that sweet little cinnamon roll shouldn’t have to be fighting a war.

“Now’s not the time for that, babe!” Vaggie yelled as she tangled with yet another exorcist.

Charlie looked abashed as she tried to psych herself up. “Oh, right. Die, motherfuckers!” Fireworks shot from her finger as she pointed to the group of angels charging Vaggie. They all exploded on contact, and you paused your fight in awe of the sheer power the little darling possessed. If only she had the desire to cultivate it; perhaps you could help with that. If you survived, that is. The princess was once again squatting under her shield, glancing sheepishly to her partner.

Another angel threw themself into you, and you were sent flying to the ground in your distraction. ‘Damnit Vix, focus!’ You told yourself, stabbing the angel in their carotid artery.

“These fuckin’ angels won’t stop comin’!”

You couldn’t help the snort of laughter that fell from your throat at Husk’s comment. “”Haah!”” You and Angel both exclaimed at the same time, and Husk gave a quirking, defeated smile.

“Okay, I walked right into that one,” he conceded, waving you both off with a huff.

Angel’s head turned, his eyes hardening. “Hold that thought,” he said, leaping to strike down an angel cornering a trembling Frank. The big ol’ softie.

There was a brilliant explosion that knocked you all off your feet, and you looked up to see Adam throwing his holy light every which direction. “Suck my holy light, fuckaaazzz! Yeeeaah!”

“What? Alastor was supposed to handle him,” Charlie exclaimed in confusion, before dreading realization hit, and she covered her mouth as her eyes widened. “Oh no, he must be-“

“Don’t finish that sentence. Alastor is a cunning demon. He will have escaped if things got too hairy. He is more than likely just injured,” you yelled, more to reassure yourself than the princess. ‘Please, my heart…’

Niffty had been thrown by a blast and lay face down in the dirt, but gave a thumbs up when you called to her. Was this it? Was the angelic army going to kill you all one by one? You could already see cannibals making their way to nursing stations. You’d left your shade in charge of the front most station, as while they couldn’t speak, they were incredibly quick at assessing damage and figuring out which healing aid would best suit the situation.

Another blast sent you roughly to the ground, and you glared up at the manic angel. Oh now he would have to go, and you would damn well find a way to make it happen before you found your permadeath.

“We aren’t gonna last long unless we do something about him,” Vaggie yelled, and you couldn’t agree more.

“Pentious?” Your attention turned to Charlie watching something, and you turned to see that giant monstrosity of a war ship sail past towards Adam.

“That crazy mothafucka,” Angel said; the entire group turned to watch as a bright light formed at the front of the vessel. Could that actually work?

Your eyes widened when Adam seemed to notice the war ship behind him, and he blasted the entire vessel out of existence. ‘No…’ Oh Satan, if he still had that much power after fighting Alastor…

“Fuck… Ya did good, buddy,” Angel said quietly, his head bowing.

“No, no no no,” Charlie fell to her knees, shaking in grief as she worked to gather herself. Vaggie stepped close to her, moving to hold her love as angry tears filled the princess’s eyes.

“Charlie, I’m so sorry…”

The demon princess growled as she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood, her body going up in flame as she unleashed her demonic fury. Horns sprouted as she screeched out a hawk’s cry, a trident forming in her hand. Her red eyes glowed with a wrath that sent shivers down to your tail.

“Razzle! Dazzle!”

The two now very large dragons flew to crouch for their riders, and Charlie and Vaggie each mounted to fly.

“Let’s ride!” Charlie yelled, and the two giant beasts leapt into the air, their large wings sending your group stumbling from the wind.

Husk was first to recover, excitedly cheering the two on. “Yeah! Get ‘em!” As your small army cheered and watched the two fly to meet their opponents, you noticed many of the exorcists hanging back, not sure as what to do. You could take advantage of the situation. Or you could go help your shade treat angelic injuries. With an annoyed growl, you chose to zip over and begin shortening the line of injured cannibals.

Your shade greeted you with a chirp and happy nuzzling before zooming back to their current patient, and you set to work on the next demon waiting for treatment. It kept you occupied as booms and screams sounded around you. You felt well and truly in a war zone.

You had to pop several patients into a pocket dimension in order to quickly move everyone out of the way when a particularly vicious blast split the entire hotel clean in half. Holy fucking shitballs! The sheer power being thrown around was absolutely insane!

Once safely away from a brand new Adam-shaped crater, you deposited your stored patients gently on the ground, looking up to see none other than Lucifer fucking Morningstar. In all his infernal angelic glory. The sweet little bouncy man had completely transformed into a true visage of the devil you’d heard stories of up top. Damn, and he pulled. it. off! You could hear his demonic tone as he roared at Adam, holding his darling demon daughter in one arm.

“You come at me, and my daughter, don’t forget- you’re in my house, bitch!”

The demon king had set his daughter down, and now landed punch after bone crushing punch as he laughed maniacally. Oh how you wished Alastor were here to enjoy this wonderful show of wrath! Perhaps he was lingering in the shadows, enjoying the entertainment. The very thought helped to calm your raving heart.

Dear Charlie ran to her raging father and set a calming hand on his shoulder. “Woah, woah, Dad,” she soothed, “he’s had enough.”

The little devil put the giant ball of flame he’d been forming away and leapt out of the crater with Charlie, his breath heavy as he worked to contain himself. “Alright,” he said to his daughter, before glaring cockily down at the (surprisingly handsome) beaten angel. “How’s mercy taste, you little bitch?”

Well, fuck. Now you had a boner.

Panting as he crawled his way out of his crater, Adam growled his fury. “No. You don’t get to end this. I’m fucking Adam. I’m the fucking man and you’re just some fuckin’ clown or something! I started everything on Earth. All of mankind came from these fucking nuts. You all should be worshipping me, you ungrateful, disgusting, fucking losers! Aaaahh!”

Your eyes widened as the tip of a blade shot through the Angel’s gut.

“Woahohoah!” Vaggie was beside herself with joy, cupping her face in her hands.

“Hey, you got something… stickin’ outta your… your thing there…” Lucifer said, looking thoroughly confused.

As the large angel fell on his face, you saw none other than little Niffty holding the killing blade. Oh, how proud you were! What a splendid, darling demon!

“Niffty!?” Charlie was aghast.

The little demon began stabbing the fallen angel with a renewed, maniacal vigor. “Stab! Stab! Stab!” She laughed, the cackling a delightful music to your ears. “Blood! Hahahahaha!”

The first man’s lieutenant cried out and ran to her superior. “Noooo! Sir! Sir! Stay with me, sir!” You noticed a small smile play on the fallen Angel’s lips as he looked up at her. “Adam!”

Charlie stepped forward, eyes firm as she glared down at the lieutenant. “It’s over.”

Lucifer stepped up beside his daughter, his crimson gaze hard. “Take your little friends and

Go home!!

… Please.”

My, he could change his demonic features so quickly! The small devil had changed from hellhound to cherub in a matter of seconds.

The lieutenant glared up at the two, grabbing the fallen Adam’s halo as she rose to her feet. “Retreat. All exorcists fall back!”

Her call was answered, and you watched in delighted disbelief as the angelic army rustled their wings and flew away to disappear back to Heaven.

Fucking shit! Did you actually survive? You were in utter shock at the fact. You survived! Your thoughts were interrupted when Lucifer offered an awkward, lighthearted, “Sooo… who’s up for pancakes?”

Little Niffty excitedly raised her hand and you giggled at the adorable demon. You couldn’t believe it- you had fucking survived! Where was your darling? Surely he would be waiting in the shadows to meet you.

As the group mourned for Sir Pentious, you wandered through the rubble. Where was Alastor?

“Darling?” You called softly. You waited for a sign- any signal or flare of aura to let you know your mate was okay.

“Alastor? Please answer me, my love,” your voice wavered, your throat tightening as your chest constricted. Why wasn’t he answering? Where did he go?!

Your shade split from you to zoom over the debris, chirping calls of both their special language, and the chittering they used for the demon himself. You were doing your best to stay calm, thankful for the battle shoes pointed toe as you leapt over slabs of concrete to search. You could hear the group singing together- a song of hope for a better future.

“Alastor!!” You screamed out for your mate, the panic giving way to a trembling grief as your shadows all searched. Your legs were shaking as you tried to hold your tears at bay. He was okay. He was okay. He had to be okay!!!

“Al… my love. Please…” ‘Don’t fall… You won’t get back up if you fall… He needs us,’ you told yourself, forcing yourself to take another step. One painful step at a time. The more ground you covered with no hint of his aura, his shadow, not even a poppet, the heavier your body felt. How long had you been searching? The group sang in the background, cheering themselves up as best they could with the loss of Pentious. Why weren’t they helping you look for Alastor? You knew Alastor had been there on orders, but surely they felt some sort of kinship with the overlord.

That’s when you felt it. Your head turned at the small flare of his aura, and that’s all you needed. Your feet flew you towards the broken radio tower, looking entirely uninhabitable. ‘Please be okay…’ Your speed would rival any sin or god. You zipped over to the wrecked tower and scented the air, your relief palpable when you caught his musk.

Looking around the structure, you found some of the rubble moved, and you dug your way in. It took a long while, but as you got closer to the trap door you heard his booming angry voice, muffled through the remaining debris. He was at least healthy enough to angrily sing, so hopefully that meant he was reasonably unharmed.

When finally you got to the trap door, you gingerly lifted it up to see your mate laughing like the big bad demon he was. Your shade shook and chittered in warning. You would need to approach with extreme caution.

“Darling?” Your voice was weak, cracking under the un shed tears. Rising from the trap door, you stood still as you worked to catch his attention. “Alastor?”

His head turned, and you saw a cornered animal within those crimson orbs. Your shadow warbled, holding your little darklings in check as they fought to neutralize the very real threat in front of you.

“Y/N! My dear!” He called you by your earth name, and your heart clenched. It was rare he used that name, usually using your preferred name or a pet name. It felt… off.

“My sweet mate, you are injured…” you gave a whine, your eyes trying to call him back to you. “May I treat your wounds, my heart?” You stepped closer to him, and his wild eyes widened to match that manic smile.

“Come dance with me, little pup,” he held out his large hand, and you took it without question. Whatever it took to touch him. To make sure. Make sure that he would survive this. Any mental wounds you would handle. After you were certain his body was safe.

A sweeping love song played, and you stepped in time with Alastor as he twirled you around the ruins of his radio tower. How you wished to just allow him to dance you into the night. Perhaps he would forgive you, and you could dance once again. When all of this was over. When he was safe.

The song drifted as it ended, and you saw your opportunity. You fluttered your lashes and cocked your head slightly, sending every signal you had in your arsenal. If you could just get him to take your bait.

As those crimson eyes narrowed and his lips quirked, your lips began to heat. With one last sweeping dip, Alastor pulled you back up to crash his lips against yours, and his body jolted.

And he fell into your arms.

You saw the second he understood what you had done to him, and it broke your heart. Laying him gently down, you placed your hand gently over the gaping wound covering his chest.

Tears poured unbidden, and you let them. How close had you come to truly losing him? You could live with him hating you after this. At least he would live.

Closing your eyes, you felt for any lingering holy energy. There was fucking plenty. How was he still alive? This was the worst wound you’d seen where the patient still had energy to fucking dance! But then again, he was strong. Stronger than any sinner you’d met before, and that’s saying something.

You weren’t certain you could heal this… Maybe Lucifer…

‘No, for now let’s get him stable and comfortable. We’ll observe his progress, and if it doesn’t get better, then we bring in the arch rival.’ Cupping his face, you let your tears fall as you willed him to feel how much you loved him.

“Please forgive me, my heart. I will take care of you,” you said, before pointing him into your pocket dimension.

———-////////————/////////————-////////——-

After three days, you decided it would be safe to let the poison leave Alastor’s system. You sat at the side of the bed you’d manifested in his little bayou you’d created, waiting for the signs of his movement. Waiting for the repercussions of your betrayal. You had at least snapped your outfit clean (thank you, darling mate, for helping you figure out blood), but you hadn’t showered or eaten. You’d just sat next him, telling stories of life, friends, murders. Anything you could think of to distract him from the helplessness he almost certainly felt. You sang when you couldn’t think of anything to say, and the days had passed oh so slowly. You were fairly certain you looked like a hot mess, puffy eyes and mussed up hair.

As Alastor slowly began moving his fingers, your ears pricked as you searched his eyes for what his next move would be. “Move slowly, Al. If you take it easy, you should recover fully. You do have a lovely new scar, but I think it only adds to your charm,” you said, a soft nervous smile playing on your lips.

Your shadows were back in your realm of darkness, and as Alastor’s form began contorting, you faintly wished you had kept them in yourself.

Those lovely eyes bled into black, and his irises flared into red radio dials, a bright green ‘X’ at his forehead. His body lengthened and antlers grew gnarled, his neck cracking and cocking as he sat up and stared you down.

With a grunt, you found yourself sprawled under the intimidating demon, and your heart clenched as you met his fierce gaze.

“You know, I could rip your soul apart, ma chér,”

came the demonic tenor. Your heart was pounding in your ears, and you were terrified.

“Please don’t rip your stitches, my heart,” you pled, your eyes beginning to well up once again. “You can hate me, but you can’t die.”

A whimper fell from your throat, and you saw Alastor’s eyes widen for a moment as he leaned back and away. That monstrous visage regarded you, and for a long moment you watched each other. Cautious. Reading.

“I could devour you right now,”

he said after the long silence, and the tears fell as you smiled for him.

“Take what you need, my heart,” came your wavering reply.

And he was on you.

As his lips met yours, his aura flared, wild and chaotic, and you responded to the call. Wrapping your arms around his long, crooked neck, you moaned as his kiss stole your breath away. He was hungry and messy as he fisted your hair, pulling roughly before his fangs ripped into your shoulder.

Screeching and bucking against his crooked form, you panted as he began feasting. You screamed when his teeth cracked your collarbone, and he growled against you, grinding his teeth into it. Fuck, he was a cruel demon. You saw the sadistic pleasure in his eyes as he watched you writhe in pain.

He took every piece of flesh he could find, and you loved him so very much. He was so very lovely covered in your blood. Your heart felt like it could give out any moment, and you fought through the blinding pain.

“I don’t know how to deal with you…”

His soft words broke through the throbbing pain, and you turned your eyes to his demonic form. You couldn’t answer even if you had one. Your vocal chords were shredded. Idly, you supposed this was quite the role reversal, but you doubted he was feeling nursely. The monster beside you was every inch the Radio Demon of legend, and you loved him so very much.

“I thought I was stronger than this. Better than this. Oh, mon cœur…”

You watched your darling break, his form going back to normal as he shook. How you wanted to hold him, tell him it was okay. Tell him he could take more- take your heart and crush it under his hoofs, if only it would help. Time passed as he shook and sobbed.

When you felt strong enough to speak, you cleared your throat, catching his attention as a cute ear swiveled in your direction.

“I love you,” you croaked out, trying to move your hand to hold his, but you had more healing to do.

That started the sobbing anew, and you could only watch as the man you loved ripped at his hair, growling as radio static filled the air. Your heart ached for the broken man.

Another hour and you could finally move, your hand resting gently on his shoulder and he flinched, before deflating, and those lovely eyes turned to you.

“I love you,” you repeated, braving to move your hand to cup his cheek. You saw more tears well, and you felt your own throat tighten.

“You shouldn’t. I hurt you.”

“I gave my permission, Alastor,” you said, rubbing your thumb to catch a stray tear.

“I would have attacked you even without it. I wanted nothing more than to hurt you… in that moment. I’m just like my fucking father.”

Hardening your eyes, you sent your hand flying to slap Alastor. “Say that again, and I’ll pull your guts out with a barbed wire crank wheel.”

That had the desired effect, shocking the demon to stillness. He stared at you and you glared back.

Finally, his head fell and his shoulders shook as he began to laugh.

“You’re the only person in this wide universe that would survive being mauled by the Radio Demon and slap him like a naughty child afterward.”

Your heart lightened when his smile softened on you, and you smiled back. “Well, if I smell bullshit, I gotta wipe it off,” you replied.

He laughed and you joined him, feeling at ease for the first time in a month. He was alive. He was safe. He was sane… well, the Alastor type of sane. You would be okay.

A week passed as you nursed your mate to mostly health, and you decided you would ask Lucifer for help once Alastor felt ready to go back to the hotel. He was gaining strength, but the angry gash you’d stitched wasn’t healing at all. It worried you, but at least it wasn’t infected.

When finally your darling felt he could rest no longer, you sent him off with a kiss, making him promise to take it easy and telling him you’d be checking on him every day. He just chuckled and kissed you before leaving.

Maybe that song of hope Charlie sang would come to fruition. Maybe, with a bit of elbow grease and a lot of patience, there could one day be…

A happy day in Hell.

The End.

Author’s Note:

Holy fucking shitballs! I cannot believe I’m actually finishing a project, much less a writing one! A little about me- I’ve been struggling with trauma disorders and chronic pain for years and this right here is the first thing in at least 6 years that I’ve started and completed. I know it’s just a smutty indulgent fanfic, but I feel proud of it, and that’s the first time in a long time I’ve been able to say that about anything. This show and community have been such a wonderful experience, and I can’t wait for season 2. Plus all of the wonderful art and fics! HH has been such a comfort, Alastor being my favorite comfort character, because to me he’s a safe person. Don’t get me wrong he’ll eat the shit outta you, but that’s all. He’s the bear I choose over the creep yelling his frustration over women preferring to run into a bear when alone in the woods. Granted, that’s if his comic is canon. Pretty sure it is. Basically the guy sees rape as distasteful as bad meat and I feel that.

Thank you so much for reading and encouraging me to keep going. It really means the world to me. I think I’ll be trying to finish up I Turned the Corner next, and am currently working on a plot line for my own little season two, so until next time- Stay Tuned… 🖤

[rickmymanrick]

one rule | the walking dead

[ rick grimes x original female character! ]

there's only one rule in the new world… survive.

In which best friends Daphne Ayala and Glenn Rhee form a ring of survivors that would pave the way for the new world.

** This story will eventually have a Rick Grimes romance (SLOW BURN) but focuses on Daphne's story after the fall. It may deviate from the events of the tv show and at times won't follow a specific script or season. There will be switching POVs (Characters/1st/3rd Person).

chapters!

prologue —

in the present time, rick grimes experiences what hell on earth truly is.

chapter one ; partners —

unbeknownst to them, best friends glenn rhee and daphne ayala spend the last 48 hours of normalcy they’ll ever have before their lives are changed forever.

chapter two ; the evacuation —

the statewide evacuation is underway and it goes terribly wrong terribly fast. daphne and glenn undergo an impromptu rescue mission and soon their group of two becomes a group of 5.

chapter three ; the group —

it's been a month since the complete collapse of civilization. when daphne and glenn realize this is their new way of life, they begin to strategize the best ways of survival. along with the new members of the group, they fall into a steady routine, until a one-sided fight breaks out and everything is knocked out of order.

chapter four ; the idiot in the tank —

a supply run goes wrong and daphne finds herself reunited with an old acquaintance. old feelings unwillingly resurface but she forgets one big glaring problem back at camp.

chapter five ; maneater --

glenn and rick try out a new technique in order to survive and reunite with the rest of the group. back at camp, daphne and shane reach an understanding.

chapter six ; love rectangle —

rick confides in daphne for reasons unknown to her. as she offers him counsel, daphne is also grappling with conflicting feelings of her own.

chapter seven ; chef boyardee —

the plan goes wrong. daphne and glenn find themselves in a precarious situation but at least they have each other, right?

chapter eight ; the attack —

in a rush to deescalate what they presumed was merle's fury on camp, daphne and the crew arrive to something terrifyingly different.

extras;

rick’s pov (chapter six)

Important Character Info:

Daphne Ayala. She's a 23-year-old Latina woman who's working towards becoming a detective (hopefully for the FBI or some higher agency one day). As part of her training, she has to complete a few years of service in whatever local police department has an opening. You can see where this is going right? Her best friend is Glenn Rhee, with whom she shares an apartment with, and they're practically attached at the hip.

Rick Grimes has been aged down a bit though his actual age was never mentioned in the show. I imagine he's around 29, nearing 30 at the beginning of season 1. That would make Carl 9 years old (rather than 12 as he was in the show).

Hello AO3/Tumblr! I write under the pseudonym, Elle (She/Her)! I'm a Caribbean, South American brown writer who loves wayyy too many universes/fandoms lol. Current hyperfixation-- you guessed it: The Walking Dead. I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to comment anything that comes to mind while reading. I absolutely love reading what you all have to say (I have previously written for Wattpad and Tumblr).

ORIGINALLY TITLED THE TRAIL OF ANNIHILATION

[fullscoreshenanigans]

What ages do you think each GP member was shipped out?

I have a headcanon that the older members (Oliver, zack, Paula) are neurodivergent because they were shipped at a young age and probably didn’t do well at standardized testing of grand valley because they have been at goldy pond for years

(rather than months compared to some newer members. I think Pepe was the most recent?)

You're right about Pepe!

(Chapter 69 & 70 Extras | Mystic Code Book Chapter 3 Q&A)

He's the only one whose shipment age is officially confirmed.

My guesses:

1. Adam: 14 at most, but probably younger (shipped in late 2045) 2. Gillian: 7 (2037) 3. Nigel: 8 (2037) 4. Oliver: 7/8 (2036; confirmed to have been at GP the longest) 5. Paula: 8 (2036) 6. Pepe: 16 (2045) 7. Sandy: 12 (2040) 8. Sonya: 8 (Early 2037) 9. Theo: 12 (Late 2045/January 2046) 10. Violet: 10-12 (2042-2044) 11. Zack: 9 (2036)

Without exact dates, the ages and years might be a bit off because I'm mostly focusing on their birth years, but within a year of error hopefully for everyone except Sandy and Violet, for whom I have the least amount of information to go off of so it's just personal vibes.

Reasoning under the cut:

Oliver, Paula, and Zack have been a part of the most recent incarnation of the Goldy Pond Resistance the longest, with Oliver being there the longest out of the three per the chapter 69 extra. We also see flashbacks of them together.

(Chapter 85 | Chapter 95)

From here, all we have to go on is the "Two Wills" story of the third light novel that focuses on Gillian and Nigel.

In this conversation with Emma on January 29, 2046, Nigel says it took him eight years to create one of the guns they use in their plan.

I'm assuming the ages provided in the extras are their ages on the day they met Emma, so a few months later on March 27 of that year Nigel turns seventeen. 2045 (when he's sixteen) minus eight is 2037, when he's eight years old.

Depending on how long it took Oliver and companions to recognize his technical knowledge, which probably wasn't more than a few hunts in.

Similar to how it didn't take long for Gillian's sister to be recruited for the cause.

Gillian and Nigel arrived at Goldy Pond within a few days of each other, if not on the same day, for the two of them, Nigel's younger sister Lala, and Emilia to all experience their first hunt together. Gillian is a year younger than Nigel, so she's shipped to Goldy Pond when she's seven.

"A boy a little older than [Nigel]" is referring to Oliver, who's already shown an aptitude for leadership for him to start taking on the duty of announcements to the new arrivals, couldn't have been there for too much longer than Nigel, so my guess is he arrived at Goldy Pond in 2036 prior to his October 25 birthday when he turned eight.

Sonya is also shown to have arrived before Nigel and Gillian, yet she arrived after Oliver, Paula, and Zack, as she's not featured in any of those early flashbacks with them, so my guess is she also arrived in the first half of 2037 before she turned nine on June 3 of that year.

This only thing that throws me off with all this is this page from chapter 77 because of how small and young Lala looks at the time of her death while Nigel looks like he's the same as he does in the present.

And shortly after she's murdered is when Gillian and Nigel go off on their own to try and kill Luce with an unfinished gun and fail, but the description makes it sound like it's near completion with the damage it's able to do to Luce's mask. It's hard to say, but with the light novel being published in October 2020 and the Goldy Pond arc being published in 2018, it's possible they retconned Lala into being older, or that there was actually a much larger gap between then and Nigel finally perfecting the weapon and ammunition.

But whenever this incident occurs, Sandy has also been around long enough to be integrated into the Resistance.

As this is the only time he's mentioned throughout the entire light novel. Violet's only mentioned during the conversations in the present day when Emma's talking to Gillian and Nigel about their pasts, so it seems safe to say she's the newest member of the Resistance after Pepe and has probably been with them for at least a year, so she was shipped out in 2044 at the latest.

My arbitrary designation for her shipment is sometime between 2042 and 2044 because of my personal headcanon that she only realized she was a trans girl after being shipped out, but she's had enough time to settle into her identity in her new environment surrounded by the new friends who support her. With the farms being symbols of oppression, I like the symbolism of kids coming into themselves once they've been removed from the farm environments they grew up in when they were unaware of the reality of their world.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 3)

Your headcanon of neurodivergence being a factor in determining which kids are shipped out early before 17 at Grand Valley could also fall into this, which I think is cool. Thrown away due to narrow, arbitrary metrics of success, and becoming the menace that dismantles them thanks to the very reasons they were discarded.

Back to Sandy, he has to arrive sometime before Violet, so 2040 when he's 12. Just because.

Finally, there's Adam, who was at Lambda at least until November 2045 because he sees Norman there.

(Chapter 75)

But he has to have been at Goldy Pond for a bit for him to become the doorman for the resistance, so he was probably sent there in November or December of 2045.

(Chapter 72 | Chapter 73 | Mystic Code Book Chapter 3 Q&A)

Lambda 7214 did not exist fifteen years ago when James left this message, and the timeline in the mystic code book doesn't provide us with a date for when it was completed, though it's probably in the 2030s.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 5)

With the experiments that take place at Lambda resulting in Hayato and Jin being born two days before Conny's shipment on October 12, 2045, and having them look as old as teenagers in October 2047 when Emma's group meets them, Adam could be anywhere from one to fourteen when he arrives at Goldy Pond. I go with eleven if I'm indulging in the Adam and Norman are twins theory.

[tomtenadia]

Detours to You - 29

Hello all, Here we are with another chapter. Two more and we have our end. This chapter has a bit of drama but it's just related to Rowan's job.

Hope you will enjoy it.

MASTERLIST

The seasons had slowly turned once more and autumn was in full swing bringing a chill in the air and painting the streets and parks of Orynth in hues of oranges and reds. Rowan had been really busy at work. During the previous months he had started some of the project that were important to him, with the blessing of the commissioner, a few of his firehouses, had a bit of a shakedown after he made changes and got rid of the Perringtons in an attempt to make the job even safer. The man had been found guilty and had been removed from the TFD after the death of the three firefighters. The investigation had assessed that he had been the cause of the death of those men. It had been like they had lost them again. But the changes had been welcomed across all of his firehouses. It was still not a perfect system but he had seen great progress in the TFD. They had also opened a new station in a more remote area of the city that had been suffering from lack of proper coverage. The station was north and his house was now in that jurisdiction. Because of the location, and the fact that the land was under the Rangers dominion, the firefighters appointed had to undergo very specific training in dealing with forests and they had had to train in fighting wildfires to the highest level. Station 20 had a unique status and Fenrys had become its captain. It had been a no brainer for Rowan. The man had always loved challenges, he was the one who had taken all the extra training courses in hazmat and other specific activities. He had been captain only for a few months but he was doing a grand job. He hoped they would not have to deal with any wildfires, mostly because his house was on forest land and he selfishly loved it.

In the past few months his house had become his safe haven with Aelin and Maya. His mum had moved to a house down in the village but as she promised she had been extra helpful, especially when Aelin needed help. 

Aelin, who was now almost at full term and still working, notwithstanding her parents and his mum adding to his protest to go on maternity leave.

Rhoe would apologise for passing his stubbornness to his daughter.

Maya as promised had been helping him and he and Aelin had involved their daughter in every step of the pregnancy. They had bought her a book for her age to explain about what was happing to her mum, they had taken her to some of the checkups and the girl had been excited at seeing her brother on the black and white screen. She was a proud big sister and loved to tell everyone.

Their lives had slowly settled down and he and Aelin had decided to wait until their child was born to get married. He had thought about eloping but then decided against it. He wanted his parents and his friends on the day. But both he and Aelin had agreed on a low key event.

On that crispy autumn day he was in his car back to his office when his radio became alive with a call. Rowan switched on the sirens and went to the fire site.

*

Aelin was done being pregnant. Tired of her swollen feet, aching back and useless bladder. She probably should start listen to Rowan and actually stay at home but the idea horrified her. She wanted to be in her shop with her friends. Plus Samhain was getting closer and they were getting ready to host and event. This was the last one she kept repeating herself as she collapsed on her chair in her office. Her belly had felt tight all day and had felt contractions all day. She was positive it had been Braxton Hicks since they had been still quite spread out. With Maya had all happened so fast that she had not gone through the slowly labour progression described in the books. No, once her daughter had decides she was done staying inside her she had forced her way out. 

“You are going to behave better than your sister, yes? You still have two weeks.” She caressed her bump and her son kicked in reply. He had been really active that day.

Aelin went to the loo for the millionth time that day and then decided to join Lys and Elide at the front.

“Hey fatso! Miss us?”

Aelin groaned. Her back was screaming.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” she breathed out heavily “baby here is quite active today.” In that instant a much stronger contraction hit her and Aelin froze. That was definitely not Braxton Hicks. It had been far too long.

She followed Lysandra and sat down at the counter.

“Do you have your bag in your car?”

“Lys, it’s not time yet.”

His friends scoffed “that’s what you said with Maya. Five hours later you were in hospital with a baby girl in your arms.”

“I am—” another powerful contraction. Aelin counted the time. Another long one. She was okay. It was not labour.

“You are what?”

“I am fine.”

“You stay put and are on till duty only.”

Aelin looked at Elide “I wonder if Aedion knows how bossy she is.”

“Oh your dear cousin loves me bossy.”

“Ewww, Lys.”

The woman walked away laughing and leaving her with Elide.

“I bet all of this is putting you off from being pregnant.”

Elide’s stare darkened “not really.” She said quietly “Lor and I have been seeing a fertility specialist. We have been trying for months but nothing happens. According to the doctor we are both fine I just…” her friend paused and Aelin extended her arms for a hug “why is it so hard?”

“El, it will happen. Are you guys trying any treatments?”

The woman nodded “We have the first appointment in a week.”

“Good. Now go and be with Lys, I have the till under control. I will place some orders from here.”

It was an hour later when Aelin had started to feel worse. And it was when her last contraction lasted far too long that she had started to think that maybe, maybe she was in labour.

“El?”

“What?”

“I think…” she breathed through the pain “I think I am in labour.”

“Holy shit. Lys!” She shouted looking for the friend.

“What’s happening.”

“The baby is coming.”

They both stared at Aelin holding her bump.

“You two,” ordered Lys “go to the hospital, I close the shop and follow.”

Elide nodded and started walking with Aelin when she stopped “what is it?”

Aelin looked down and saw a puddle at her feet “I guess that was my water…”

At the hospital they got Aelin admitted and settled. The doctor had confirmed that she was in active labour but was only two centimetres dilated. It was still a long road.

“Have you tried calling Rowan?”

“He is not answering.”

Aelin swore. Whether it was from the pain of the frustration she did not know. 

“I’ll try Lor.” When her husband failed to answer too she suspected they were working “Lorcan is not answering either, I guess they are on a call.”

“Of course, I am in labour and there’s a friggin emergency.”

“I have a friend at dispatch.” Elide dialled the number and spoke to her friend at the centre that allocated emergencies to first responders. “Ok, thank you, Evangeline.”

“What?” Asked Aelin at her friend’s face.

“One of the tunnels of the metro has collapsed on top a train in a spot in-between stations.”

Aelin froze “put the tv on” and Rowan’s face appeared on the screen. He was in his bunker gear with his white helmet on. She knew he hated talking to the press.

“We still don’t know what caused it. Our main priority now is to rescue the passengers and put out the fire.”

The reporters asked him why the rescue had taken so long and she saw him restrain his anger “the collapse has happened between Market and South End stations. It’s quite a long tunnel and the metro was in the central part,” he explained “we had to wait for the power to be cut off and we also had to carry all of our equipment down here and create a bridgehead as quickly as humanly possible. My men are making progress inside and fighting the fire at the same time.”

“What do you expect to find inside?”

Rowan remained silent and excused himself saying that he had to go back to work.

In that instant Lysandra stormed inside the room “did you see?”

Both nodded and Lysandra sat down on a chair “I was about to take the metro to avoid rush hour traffic…” a pause “I… I could have been on that train.”

All the afternoon they kept the tv on for updates. Aelin battled through her labour slowly progressing. She had called her parents and Eiddwen but told them to stay put for the time being as nothing was happening and Lys and Elide were already doing a great job at fussing. Eiddwen was due to pick up Maya from hockey practice and she hoped by that time her brother would be born and Rowan back with them.

She followed the disaster with his two friends and the three of them had fun insulting the reporters making stupid suggestions and theories. The whole situation seemed to develop slowly and as Rowan had said in his brief interview, getting access was very hard and they had a fire to battle too. The situation got worse when the ground above started to crack. The traffic had been stopped, and the buildings in the surrounding area evacuated. The commissioner had also joined the scene to help while Rowan was down below dealing with one emergency.

“You have chosen the worst day ever to come out, baby.” She patted her bump “your dad is over there trying to help as many people as possible.”

*

It was many hours later when Rowan finally emerged from underground. His men had fought the fire and then it had started the gruelling and slow process of trying and find some survivors. It had been one of the worst call of his career. The first two cars had been heavily buried under tons of cement, leaving no survivors. The end cars had fared better and a lot of them manage to get to safety thanks to a metro employee on his day off. He had opened the door of his car and had started guiding the passengers to the escape exits the had built along the tunnels. While he was ferrying the people in his car he had started using his phone torch to attract the attention of the passengers of other cars. He had saved two cars before the explosion engulfed the tunnel. Rowan had joined in in the rescue mission as soon as they finally managed to advance but as they progressed they knew they would find no survivors. It was when the call came about the road above at risk of collapse that he called for the retreat but as he was about to walk away, his head-torch illuminated a section under the metro carriage where he saw a group of people huddled together and alive. Lorcan had called his team and quickly they had evacuated them. Not long after they had reached safety the rest of the tunnel collapsed and a few cars plunged in the darkness. The rescue had been conducted from above and the passengers saved.

He was exhausted, his soul aching at all the lives that they had lost on that day. It had a been a fucking disaster. Every first responder’s nightmare.

Once outside he took a deep breath of fresh air until Asterin grabbed him and showed a mask on his face “no complaints, chief. It’s protocol. You all breathed shit for hours down there.”

“Victims.”

“Chief, you deployed mass casualty protocol. We have all the ambulances in the city deployed. We can use two to treat the first responders.”

He sat on the ambulance in silence until Asterin was happy and let him go. He reached the commissioner and saw the sinkhole that had opened in the middle of a busy intersection.

“Rowan,” the man patted his shoulder “terrible day.”

“We tried…” he apologised.

“I know. You and your men have done a fantastic job.”

Rowan felt they had not done enough.

“I know what you are thinking and I need you to stop feeling guilty.” The commissioner turned him to a group of people just as dirty as they all were “that man was a metro employee. He managed to evacuate two cars via the safety exits built in the tunnels.”

Rowan gasped “only two.”

Commissioner Darrow nodded “it’s all he managed. He ran out of time.” He added with sorrow in his voice “it was just before the fire hit.”

Rowan went to the man and shook his hand, then removed the ribbon with insignia of the the medal of valour that he had been given and pinned it on the man “this is a medal of valour that I have been given a while ago. I think that you deserve it more than me for what you have done today.”

“I am a train conductor, I used to drive the metro before the safety tunnels were built. I lost friends and colleagues in the massive fire of fifteen years ago.” The man explained with deep grief in his voice “I never thought that I would end up using them. I am just sorry I could not save more.”

Rowan placed his hands on his shoulders “you saved two cars. Fifty odd people will be able to go home tonight to their families because of you.”

He spent a good half an hour walking around the survivors and talk to them. Then he paused and looked around. That section of the city looked like a mess, with the big hole in the middle, blue lights flashing, police tape everywhere, as many fire trucks and engines that could be squeezed and a few ambulances left behind to treat the survivors that had not needed the hospital.

It was another two hours later when the commissioner sent them all packing, saying that now was in the hand of the transport commission to ascertain what happened. Rowan threw his bunker gear in his pick up and then emptied a water bottle on his head. His face was verging on black. He sat in his car and saw his personal phone dead and cursed. Then he grabbed his work phone and found a scary amount of missed call. From Aelin, from Lys and Elide.

With shaky hands he grabbed the phone. Not another tragedy. He had enough for one day.

“Ae?”

“Rowan!” She screamed.

“Where are you? What happened?”

“Our son, he is coming.”

taglist

@rowaelinismyotp @swankii-art-teacher @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity  @mis-lil-red @thegreyj @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn  @susumaus98  @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love  @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @lovely-dove-zee @athena127 @mariaofdoranelle

[thirdeyeblue]

Think about a “fuck or die” situation for 10Rose but it’s set right before Doomsday. So the Doctor avoids the whole subject immediately after because I def agree that 10 would not have sex in a romantic setting without telling Rose he loved her. And it’s ROSE, of course it’s not going to “mean nothing” to him, even if it is to strictly save her life. So he panics and they have an adventure as a distraction. Or they go back to Earth. Idk the timeline is whatever, I’m too high to remember. Then they accidentally kidnap Jackie, which is like, extra awkward. And then Rose is gone.

Angst.

Okay, so, I’m a slut for the Fuck-or-Die; it may be my favorite smut trope — but I’ve already got three WIPs for two different ships beneath that trope, and as you can imagine, it’s a lot. I love this suggestion, though!

My dear friend @bronzeagepizzeria wrote a one-shot with ALMOST that exact premise for my birthday a couple of years ago (sans the last couple of sentences) — I’d love it if you checked it out! I’ll throw it right here, right beneath…

✨My Favorite Shag/Fuck-or-Die Fics:✨

These are true shag-or-dies — they’re not “we have to look like we’re shagging — whoops, we’re aroused, might as well fuck” fics, nor “this aphrodisiac will make you want to die if we don’t fuck” fics (though I do have recs that fit both of those categories — that’s for a different list)

You may notice it’s a pretty short list — that’s because there’s a horrific shortage of these stories! Apologies if you’ve read them all already.

The Surrender by @bronzeagepizzeria (3k; one-shot)

Marked by banana_daiquiri (20k; three chapters)

Love Don’t Roam by @megabadbunny (6k; one-shot)

Desperate Measures by @demdifferentstories-29 (27k; four chapters)

Syngenesis by neonheartbeat (16k; three chapters)

✨Self-rec:✨

Bloodstream (200k; 27 chapters; it’s only that long because I didn’t skip one second of smut)

(I’ve also got this WIP and this WIP that may look abandoned, but they’re not, I swear 😂)

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

WIP Weekend

Weekly WIP update:

Got a bit side-tracked this week with a tiny extra project that I'll be posting on Sunday, so I haven't actually made significant progress on anything else, whoops! 😅

Chapter 3 of the King's Gift should be finished some time soon.

Chapter 3 of by Big Bang fic is about one third to half done, but I might have to alter the outline a bit because I'm not quite happy with how it flows. That might mean having to add another chapter, but I'll worry about that some time next week. Also, oh God, how are claims next weekend??? I'm freaking out!

14 out of 29 ficlet requests are filled, and I'll start working on the next this weekend.

Send me an emoji, and I'll write and share three sentences from that project (sentences from the Big Bang fic will be blurred, as I'm not allowed to talk about them yet).

🏰The King's Gift

❓Steddie Big Bang Fic 2024

🥳 1k follower celebration ficlets

Nothing new to share from anything else, so here's more King's Gift for the snippet:

“What the hell is going on here?” 

Steve’s stomach plummets to somewhere near his knees. When he whips his head up, it is to see Eddie storming out of the castle, Wayne and Chrissy hot on his heels. From somewhere to the side, Robin is hurrying towards them, nearly tripping over her billowy robes in her haste. But that's not what makes Steve groan in annoyance. 

Because none of them just spoke. That was Gareth, who is already halfway across the yard, flanked by his two ill-tempered friends. 

“You again,” he says when he reaches their little crowd and spots Mike and Erica. “We've been over this, what part of no more fighting didn't you get? We have a million bigger problems to worry about, I don't have time to deal with your- … Oh, look at that. If it isn't our magnificent champion, right in the middle of the fray. You're supposed to get us out of trouble, y’know, not stir more of it.”

Steve feels his temper flare and his jaw clench, but before he can spit out a reply, Max has shouldered past him, orange braids whipping with the movement. 

“What's your problem, you dickwad? He doesn’t have anything to do with this.” 

“Steve was just showing us how the camera works,” Will agrees, voice quieter, but firm. His eyes are trained on Robin, who is just stumbling to a halt in front of them. “He really didn't do anything.” 

“Yeah,” Gareth drawls, and trades meaningful glances with his two friends. “Why doesn't that surprise me? Not doing anything seems to be what he does best.”

[walkingintheheartbreaksatellite]

Through the Dark (1)

(Harry Styles x Miller!Fem!reader)

(The Last Of Us AU)

(If you haven't seen the show or played the game, it's fine. But I definitely recommend it. This follows the timeline of the show.)

Joel Miller knew one thing. To survive. Protect his little girl. Keep her close, keep her safe and keep himself going. With Ellie in tow, the three of them in pursuit of the Fireflies, they meet a man. And whether Joel liked it or not, that man would change everything.

Character intro

Chapter warnings: Blood, suicide(brief),strong language .

Bill and Frank's-Lincoln, Massachusetts. 2023

With a slam of the hood of the truck, dad wipes his hands with a nearby rag. He sighs as he rests up against the truck, his eyes sullen as he avoids my line of sight.

I can't blame him. I'm the same way. The pain from losing Tess is still fresh, but now Bill and Frank? I know he just wants to get rid of Ellie quick and find Uncle Tommy, and it's killing him that he hasn't heard from him.

"Truck's ready to go. Grab what ya can, baby girl. We.. We won't be comin' back."

I open my mouth to respond when Ellie walks into the garage, hair wet with a smile on her face.

"There's hot water. You guys should shower, 'cause you smell baaad. Like you could wake the dead-."

Dad growls and glares at her before he stomps off towards the house. Ellie frowns, her face practically screaming an apology.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't-."

I force a small smile and shake my head as I throw a bag in the cab of the truck.

"Don't mind him. He's always like that. You're fine, Ellie."

She nods as she walks over to the gun wall, tracing her hand over a small pistol.

"Don't you even think about it!"

Ellie and I turn our attention to my dad, his hair wet and wreaking of Old Spice as he glares at the young girl. She mumbles something under her breath before walking over to the truck and leans against it. I sigh and head inside the house to take a shower myself.

I keep close to the guest room, not daring to go anywhere near the master. I try to take a bit of extra time to enjoy the peaceful silence as I'm done washing myself, but my peace is interrupted by a pounding on the bathroom door.

"Y/N! Hurry up! Joel is being an asshole and I can't handle him much longer on my own!"

Ellie bangs on the door again and I let out a heavy sigh.

"Give me a minute, will ya Ellie?"

She mumbles through the door and I turn off the shower and push open the curtain, reaching for the clean towel I had found. I quickly dry off and change into some clothes I had found.

I slip on my boots and run my fingers through my wet hair before throwing it back up in it's usual ponytail. I let out one more sigh before opening the door to see Ellie, opposite the doorway as she leans against the wall.

She looks up and gives me a small huff. She tosses me a stick of deodorant and I nod on thanks, applying it as we walk back to the truck. I hop in the front passenger side with Ellie in the back and dad in the drivers seat.

We drive on and on, only stopping to refuel and stopping once to sleep, since dad insisted that I couldn’t drive. We drive until we can’t, and with no way around the dozens of cars blocking the way, dad parks the truck and gets out. I start to get out but he snaps and glares at me.

“Stay in the truck. Both of you.”

I scoff and start to get out anyways when he comes over to my side and shuts my door.

“I’m not gonna tell ya again, Y/N. Stay. I mean it.”

I groan and fall into my seat as he goes looking around. He comes back a few minutes later, getting back in and starting the truck. He turns us around and I start looking at the map, trying to find another way.

After about 30 minutes of driving, dad gets pissed of and begins to snap.

“Y/N, I swear. You’re fuckin’ 29, you should be able to read a map!”

“I am reading it but it’s smudged! Not my fault! It’s hard to see clearly!”

“That’s some lame bull-.”

“Holy shit guys! Is that the QZ?”

Dad slams on the brakes and we turn our attention to where Ellie is pointing.

“Where the fuck is FEDRA?”

Before either of us can respond, we hear a shouting from outside the car.

Holy shit there’s a guy! Joel stop! We have to help him-.”

I force myself to look away, knowing full well we won’t be stopping to help him.

Don’t trust anyone but family. That’s what he always says..

Dad drives off, a little faster, ignoring Ellie as she complains.

“Seriously! He was hurt! You can’t just-.”

She is cut off by something falling into the windshield, smashing the glass. Dad lets out a string of curses and with no clear sight, we crash into a building.

“You two okay? Not hurt or nothin’?”

“ ‘M fine, dad.”

“I think I’m okay..”

He starts to say something but is interrupted by the sound of gun shots hitting the truck. We duck down and unbuckle, getting out the passenger door as the gun shots continue to pour through.

Dad grabs his gun and ducks, waiting to fire back, when he’s tackled by a man. The man starts to choke him and with every fiber in me, I try not to freak out as I grab my gun. I attempt to pull the trigger but my gun jams, sending me into a full on panic attack.

Before I can tackle the guy, I hear another gun click and I see Ellie is the one holding it. She hesitates only for a minute before she shoots him in the leg and he groans in pain. He gets off of dad, crying as Ellie continues to hold the gun to him.

I rush over to dad, coughing to catch his breath, but he only pushes me away. The guy continues to cry, spitting out apologies and saying that he doesn’t want to die.

Dad gets up and takes the gun from Ellie before turning back to the idiot who attacked him. He then turns to look at us again and with a stern clear voice, he mutters instructions.

“Back behind the wall. Both of you. Now.”

Knowing it’s better not to argue, I grab Ellie’s hand and drag her through the hole in the wall before pulling her off to the side. She lets out a long, trembling sigh as we wait for what’s coming.

“No.. No please no..!”

She squeezes my hand, though her eyes remain trained on the wall in front of us. It’s quiet for another moment for dad speaks up through the hole in the wall.

“Y/N, I gotta get in there, I can’t get through.”

I look around and Ellie pipes up.

“There’s some stuff against the door.”

“Well, hurry up and move it.”

Working together, we pull the desk back as dad continues to slam the door, before he hurries in and pushes the desk back against the door. He looks at me for a minute, worry in his eyes, but I shake my head. He then nods at Ellie and she shrugs, slinging her backpack.

“I’m okay. I’m good. I- uh.. got some food in here still and I got your light.”

He takes the flashlight from her and we head through a door, carefully treading outside, quietly making our way across the alleyway and into another building.

We quietly make our way through and settle by a window that’s covered in newspapers.

“Dad-.”

He shakes his head at me and I sigh. It’s quiet for a minute before Ellie quietly speaks up.

“Will we be okay in here?”

“For a Little bit maybe. Looks like they’re lookin’ through apartment buildin’s first. But they’ll be comin’ through these places soon enough.”

Ellie stands up and starts looking through the window, and that’s when I start to zone out. I can hear their voices, but not enough to comprehend what they’re saying clearly.

I feel dad take a seat next to me and he lets out a sigh. I continue to zone out until I hear Ellie call my name.

“Y/N.. Y/N!”

I look up and she looks worried. Dad lightly shoves me and I turn my head to him.

“Y’ okay, babygirl?”

I quietly nod, letting out a sigh as I plop my head against the wall. They continue to talk quietly, my eyes drooping before I suddenly lose consciousness.

The next thing I know, I’m being kicked, rather hard as I begin to come to.

“N-Y/N! Wake up! Come one! We’re leaving!”

Ellie pulls on my arm and I sigh as I get up and grab my bag, slinging it on my shoulder. I wait at the door by dad and he looks at the both of us, his face filled with worry.

“We’re gonna get through this, ‘kay?”

Ellie and I nod and he gives us one more look before opening the door slowly, with Ellie and I following him outside. We move quietly through the streets, somehow not running into any more problems by dark. We find an abandoned building and dad hoists Ellie up to one of the vents outside so she can get it.

“Okay, I’m in.”

“Take a look around first..Ellie? Goddamn it..”

Dad grumbles and before he can say anything, the door opens.

“Where would you be without me, huh?”

Dad groans and I laugh.

“By now, Wyoming.”

“Oh..yeah.Walking into that one.”

I let out another quiet laugh as I close the door behind me, following them inside. I pull out my flashlight, turning it on as I follow close.

“We’ll make our way up, and come morning, I’ll take a look at the city and find our way out.”

Dad pushes open the door to the stairwell, and as soon I see the number of flights of stairs, I let out a snort.

“Dad,there ain’t no fuckin’ way you’re makin’ 45 flights of stairs with your knees.”

I can see him glare at me briefly from the flashlight and Ellie and I chuckle.

“No, smart ass. Just like you’re uncle Tommy sometimes I swear. We’re not goin’ all the way.”

Ellie and I share a mischievous look.

“How far then, Joel?”

He’s quiet for a moment before he responds in a grumble.

“..As far as I can make it…”

We make it up about 15 flights before we start to pant from exhaustion.

“Hey.. That guy that said he was hurt.. how did you know it was an ambush?”

Dad hesitates before answering her.

“I’ve been on both sides..It was a long time ago. We did what we needed to survive..”

I frown, thinking back of some of the darkest days.

Seeing him like that.. I couldn’t look him in the eyes for a while back then.

He glances at me and I just shake my head.

“You two? And Tess?”

My dad shakes his head.

“Not Y/N. My brother was there.. And some other people that we were with.”

Ellie is quiet for another moment so I keep moving up the stairs, when her next question causes me to stop again.

“Did you kill innocent people?”

Dad looks at her before looking up at me. I avoid eye contact and start walking up again when I hear him mumble.

“c’mon.”

Ellie finally drops the topic and at about the 33rd floor, we enter the nearby door, all of us collapsing against the wall out of breath. Not even giving us much of a minute to catch our breath, Ellie kicks dad’s shoe and holds a hand out to him.

“Gimme a minute, will ya?”

Ellie shakes her head and kicks his boot again.

“Get up, you lazy ass.”

He growls under his breath before taking her hand, allowing her to help him up.He then walks over to me and pulls me up without breaking a sweat.

“Lazy ass.. I’m 56 years old, you little shit.”

Ellie and I share a small laugh as we follow behind him.We enter a vacant room and dad shatters the glass of the door, spreading it around the entrance of the room.

“What the hell..?”

She looks at me in confusion and I just shake my head.

“Don’t argue with him. Bill gave him a bunch of survival 101 tips and he uses them like he’s a fuckin’ Boy Scout. He’s spreadin’ the glass so no one sneaks up on us while we’re sleepin’.”

She nods and lays on one of the cushions she found. I toss one over to dad and he nods but raises a brow when he sees me sitting up still.

“I’m keepin’ watch Daddy, it’s fine.You need the sleep.”

He shakes his head and throws his jacket to me.

“Darlin’, you more than anyone needs some shut eye. Sleep. We’ll be fine. I’ll hear the glass. Promise.”

I sigh and lay down on the spare cushion, in between the two of them.

Dad’s back is to me and it’s quiet for a minute until Ellie breaks the silence.

“Joel?”

He hums as a response.

“Did you know that diarrhea is hereditary?”

Dad turns over a little to look at her.

“What?”

She nods with a straight face.

“Yeah.. It runs in your jeans.”

He looks at her all the way and she begins to snicker, while I have to hold in my laugh.He turns back over but I catch a faint smile on his face before I start to snicker.

“Jesus..”

He lets out a small snicker as Ellie begins to laugh.

“That is so goddamn stupid.”

“You laughed, motherfucker.”

I snort as they bicker.

“I did not-.”

“Yes you did!”

He snickers and shakes his head.

“Jesus, I’m losin’ it.”

I snort as I curl up with his jacket.

“Yeah, kinda known that for years, daddy. Glad you’re startin’ to notice though. Acceptance is the first step to recovery.”

Ellie and I snort as dad lets out a breathy laugh.

“Go to sleep. The both of you. Stop pickin’ on me.”

I smile and close my eyes, drifting off to sleep. The next thing I wake up to, I hear Ellie shouting.

“Y/N.. Y/N! Joel!”

My vision clears and I’m face to face with a gun pointed at my head. I advert my eyes and see a little boy pointing a gun at dad, and a different man pointing one at Ellie. The man by Ellie is stern and snaps at dad when he looks at the little boy.

“Eyes on me. You don’t have to worry about what to say. We don’t want to hurt you, we want to help you.”

I roll my eyes and bite back at him.

“Oh sure, because what you’re doing right now is all sunshine and rainbows.”

The man pointed the gun at me growls and pushes the tip of the gun straight against my forehead, before speaking in a think British accent.

“We’ll kill you if we have to, so shut up and listen.”

I look him in the eyes, ready to send him a glare when I see his face.

He’s terrified, and I can tell by the shaking of his hands that he doesn’t want to be doing this. I sigh and give in, lowering my hands before the other man begins to speak again.

“I don’t know what the next step is with something like this, but if I lower my gun, we didn’t hurt you, so you don’t hurt us, right?”

Dad turns to glare at me, silently telling me to keep my mouth shut before he turns back to respond.

“That’s right.”

The man grows panicked, his voice shaking.

“That’s a weird fuckin’ tone, man”

Before I can respond, Ellie pipes up and I have to fight to hold back my laughter.

“That’s just the way he sounds. He has an asshole voice. Joel, tell him he’s okay.”

All attention turns to dad as he, once again, responds in the same tone.

“Everything is great.”

“Dude!”

The man hesitates before letting out a sigh.

“Okay, I’m gonna trust him.”

The man holding a gun to my head begins to argue.

“Henry, we can’t just-.”

“We don’t have a fuckin’ choice, Harry! Now drop your gun before you shoot her in the head!”

The British man huffs but lowers his gun, freeing me from the uncertainty. The man by Ellie then starts to sign to the little boy. They begin to converse before the little boy nods.

“But if any of you try anything, we won’t hesitate! Yeah?”

Dad slowly gets up, gun still pointed at him.

“Who are you?”

The man stares at dad, his gun moving away from Ellie and now to dad.

“My name’s Henry. That’s Harry and my brother Sam. I’m the most wanted man in Kansas City. Although right now, my guess is you’re running a close second.”

All the guns are then dropped and put away. Henry pulls out a light and places it in the middle of the room, and we all gather around it, Ellie sticking close to my side. I pull out some of my cans from my bag and we all eat, though Ellie starts to nod off as she eats.

Henry looks at us, firing away with a question.

“Where’d you get these?”

Before dad or I can answer, Ellie sleepily pipes up.

“From Bill. He’s dead.”

Dad rolls his eyes and I sneer and snap at her.

“Ellie!”

She raises her hands up and I sigh. We stay quiet for the most part, but as I’ve learned, Ellie hates the silence and always feels the need to fill it with conversation.

“How old is he? Your brother?”

Henry looks at Sam, who signs to him before turning back to the curious teen.

“He’s eight.”

She nods and smiles.

“Cool! I’m Ellie.”

They continue to talk, Henry signing to Sam as Ellie speaks. The other man, Harry, sits quietly on the other side of Sam, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

“Psst. Y/N. Introduce yourself.”

I roll my eyes and turn my back to the group, leaning on dad as I close my eyes, until dad nudges me.

“Thought I taught you some manners, Y/N Miller.”

My mouth gapes from disbelief.

“Okay that’s it! A. We’re in an apocalypse right now, those don’t matter much and B. When the fuck have you ever used manners?! Sarah was the one that-.”

He only glares, angry at me for bringing up my sister. I swat at him and scoot away from him, my back still to the rest of the group.

“I’m Joel. This here is my daughter, Y/N.”

It’s quiet for a minute until Ellie pipes up.

“Psst. Dude. In the corner, Mr. antisocial. Are you gonna introduce yourself or-.”

I hear her whine and let out a small complaint, meaning dad must have done something to correct her.

“He doesn’t really-.”

“It’s fine, Henry. Fine, ‘m Harry.”

“Cool, okay. But why do you sound weird?”

I turn back around to enthralled in the current conversation to look away anymore.

Harry gives Ellie a small glare and I can’t help but chuckle.

“You’ll have to forgive her. We don’t come across many Brits and you’re probably the first one she’s met. He’s from a different country Ellie, he doesn’t sound weird, it’s just the way they sound there.”

His expression softens and he gives me a faint smile, and I can’t help but blush.

“Okay, well if you’re not from here, how’d you end up here?”

“Ellie-!”

Harry shakes his head, his expression turning sad.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind. I was on a trip with my mum and my sister. Mum had a friend in California that was sick and she wanted to see her. Then the-.. Everything happened and we were separated. And that was 20 years ago…”

I frown and feel the need to grab dad’s hand. He squeezes mine and just gives me a nod.

We know what that’s like. Dad is real worried about Tommy, and I can’t even bring myself to think about where he might be…

“Look, you ate, we didn’t kill each other, let’s just call this a win-win and move on.”

Henry nods and clears his throat.

“You came up here to get a better view of this city, find a way out right? I can help you.”

Dad nods.

“We’ll get some rest. Wait ‘till the mornin’ to get a better look. But I swear if you-.”

I roll my eyes.

“Dad, shut up and get some sleep.”

He shakes his head and finds a comfortable spot, leaning back and closing his eyes. Everyone else falls asleep, leaving me and Harry the only ones awake. He crawls over to me and starts to whisper.

“Hey, it’s Y/N, right?”

I give him a small smile and nod.

“Yeah. Y/N Miller. Not that surnames matter much anymore.”

He gives me a small smile and nods.

“ ‘M Harry. Harry Styles.”

Before I can respond, I hear a snicker come from nearby. Ellie.

“Styles. That’s funny! What kind of name is that?!”

I turn my head, taking my sweater off before chucking it at her.

“Shut it, Ellie! Go to sleep!”

She snickers once more and I sigh before turning back around.

“Sorry about her. You know how kids are- But her especially.. She’s a special case..”

He shrugs and gives me a small yet comforting smile.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind. She seems like a thrill to be around. Haven’t had much of that lately…”

I give him a small smile and hesitantly lay a hand on top of his, to which he gives me a bigger smile on return.

Before I can respond to him, I hear my dad’s deep, tired voice.

“If y’all don’t shut up and get some fuckin’ sleep, we’re gonna have some problems.”

We hold back a laugh and we get in our own sleeping positions.

“Sorry dad”

“Err, sorry.”

I give Harry one more smile before falling asleep, and for the first time in a very long time, I dreamed of a brighter future.

Daylight

Waking up bright and early per usual, we walk up a few more flights of stairs to get a better view of the city. Dad and Henry walk towards the large windows but instructs everyone else to sit at the large table in the room.

“Dad, c’mon-!”

He shakes his head and points to the table once more, responding with a stern voice.

“I ain’t arguin’ with you about this Y/N. Sit your ass down and stay there. And you too Brit boy. Don’t need to make it any more obvious that there’s people hidin’ in this buildin’. We clear?”

Harry and I roll our eyes but join Sam and Ellie at the table. And of course, Ellie has her book open.

“Hey, you guys ready for this one? I heard about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda. He is lucky it was a soft drink.”

I groan and Ellie bursts into laughter, as does Sam.

“Please god no. I can’t take it. I’m gonna burn that damn book of yours!”

She holds the book protectively to her chest and flips me off.

“I’ve told you, Y/N. You can never escape Will Livingston. You’ll have to face it.”

I sigh and Harry lets out a small laugh. I see my dad looking at us and nod to him.

“So how the hell are gettin’ outta here?”

They walk over to the table and Henry takes a piece of paper from Sam, and he begins to draw on it.

“The highways. Downtown. Us. This whole area belongs to Kathleen.”

He circles his fingers in certain areas on the paper and I narrow my eyes.

“And Kathleen is-?”

Harry pipes finally and has his arms folded as he speaks.

“She’s the leader of the resistance, and a hardcore bitch at that. She’s got guards posted everywhere, and she’s determined to make it impossible to escape.”

Ellie looks worried and let’s put a sigh.

“So how do we get across?”

Henry knocks on the table and Sam looks up at him. He signs to Sam before the little boy looks back down, writing on his pad before putting the pad up. Tunnels.

I furrow my brows.

“Kansas City has a subway?”

Henry shakes his head.

“No, but they do have maintenance tunnels. There’s a bunch of buildings all put up by the same developers. And they share these tunnels, including- a bank building here.”

He points to the paper again and I fold my arms in frustration. That is, until Harry speaks up, now pointing to the paper just as Henry was.

“So we enter the tunnels here, travel underground, and pop up here.”

Henry writes as Harry points on the paper and dad lets out a sigh.

“Okay, sounds like a good plan, but what do you need me for?”

Dad folds his arm and Harry speaks up again, dad glaring at him.

“What’s one thing that you’ve noticed is missing here?”

I think for a minute when it hits me.

“There’s no infected.”

Harry shakes his head.

“Yes and no. There are, just not on the surface. FEDRA drove ‘em out 15 years ago. Best thing those fascist motherfuckers did.”

Dad only growls.

“What, so you want us goin’ into a tunnel full of infected? Have you lost your fuckin’ mind?!”

Harry growls and before he can respond, Henry interrupts him.Everyone thinks that it’s full of infected, including Kathleen. Which means that we won’t be running into any of her people. But you see- What I know.. it’s empty.”

I raise my brows.

“And.. You know this how?!”

Henry hesitates before responding.

“No- but the FEDRA guy that I worked with told me that it’s clean, completely clean. They cleared it out. All of it.”

Ellie looks a bit hesitant as she finally pipes up.

“When..?”

Harry shrugs and hesitates before answering for Henry.

“About three years give or take?”

Dad and I scoff, shaking our heads as Henry begins to stammer.

“Okay- Maybe there’s one or two, but you handle it.”

I can’t hold it in anymore and I snap.

“And what if there’s more?”

Ellie grabs my arm, fear in her eyes and I feel her trembling.

“Or one of those blind ones that sees like a bat?”

Harry lays a hand on her shoulder to comfort the teen.

“There won’t be clickers down there, that’s for sure. But if you’ve run into them before and you’re still alive, that means that we’re all gonna be fine. So don’t worry so much.”

Dad sighs and shakes his head.

“So do we have a deal?”

Dad and I share a look and I let out a sigh before nodding. We grab our things and make our way down the stairs and out of the building. We tread through the alleyways before we reach another building. Harry makes sure the coast is clear before nodding, so we quickly head inside.

We jog through the building and reach the door to the access tunnels.

“This should be it. Are you guys ready?”

Dad looks at Henry before turning to Ellie.

“Get your gun out.”

She pulls the gun out of her jacket pocket and he rolls his eyes, obviously making note in his head to yell at her for it when we get out of the city.

The tunnels are drippy as we start to walk, and Henry joyfully pipes up.

���See? What did I tell you! It’s fine!”

I shush him and dad growls.

“We’ve been down here two seconds, keep your damn mouth shut. We ain’t seen shit yet.”

Henry sighs and looks at Ellie.

“Your dad’s kind of a pessimist.”

Ellie growls, as does dad.

“He’s not my dad-.”

“I’m not her dad.”

Henry holds his hands up in self defense and dad only sighs and shakes his head.

“Just point your damn light forward. And be ready to run(🤭).”

We continue to make our way down the tunnels, but in complete silence. That is until we reach what looks a mural. Dad slowly opens the door and we walk inside. Tables and chairs surround the room, as do more murals.

“I’ve heard about places like this. After outbreak day, people built settlements and went underground.”

“What happened to them?”

Dad shrugs and continues to ramble on as we look around. Ellie and Sam sit down at one of the tables and begin to laugh amongst themselves as they look at something Sam had pulled from his bag.

“Hey, you two. Keep it down, we’re not out yet.”

Ellie groans at dad and he huffs.

“Oh come on! Can’t we just rest here for a while? There’s like actually shit to do here.”

Henry shrugs and looks at dad.

“Wouldn’t be so bad to wait the light out a bit. Safer in shadows when we pop back out on the other side.”

It’s quiet for a minute before dad takes a seat in one of the empty chairs. Ellie and Sam decide to kick a ball around with the makeshift goal on the wall, leaving the rest of us to talk. After a while, we decide to keep going and eventually we reach the exit point.

As expected, it’s pitch black outside. As we walk through the streets, Ellie strikes up a conversation with Henry.

“So what’s next for you guys after this? We’re going to Wyoming!”

Dad turns his head to Ellie, glaring at her, but Harry lets out a small laugh and shakes his head.

“Yeah, maybe we’ll just call this a success and say our fond farewells.”

Ellie shakes her head as we continue to walk.

“No, he’ll change his mind. Trust me. This is how he goes. He’s like ‘No,Ellie. Never ever ever ever happening.’ And then I’m like ‘I’m gonna ask you a million more times and’-.”

She is quietly interrupted by the sound of gun fire.We quickly shoot down to the ground, rushing to the nearest car.

“Where the fuck is that coming fro-.”

“Shut up!”

Gunshots continue to fly through the air, and suddenly, Henry takes off with Sam in the other direction, surprising Harry.

“Henry, what the fuck are you doing?!”

“Getting Sam ou-Oh shit!”

They run back to the car and we’re all quiet for a minute. Dad looks over his should before turning back to us.

“All right. Stay here.”

“What?!”

“Dad!”

He shakes his head at Ellie and I, refusing to give in.

“If you don’t move, he’s not gonna hit you. I’m gonna go around, try to get in the house through the back, and then I’ll take him out.”

Ellie shakes here head, her body starting to shake in fear as she grips my hand.

“But if you go out there, he’s gonna kill you-.”

“It’s dark and he has shit aim, nobody’s gonna kill me.”

“Then he’s gonna kill us!”

Dad looks at her as she continues to shake.

“You trust me?”

She gives him a small nod and he pats her shoulder before he gets up. We share a look and I know he can see the worry in my eyes. He trails around the car and slowly begins to tread as bullets fly through the air again.

It’s quiet for a couple minutes before we hear one more gunshot, and Ellie starts to freak out a little. I pull her in close, burying her head in my neck to keep her quiet.

“I gotcha. Promise. Nothin’s gonna happen. He’s gonna be fine.”

It’s faint but I hear someone that sounds like dad yell, but it becomes clearer.

“Run!”

Lights head our direction and take off fast, running from the oncoming vehicles, bullets flying through the air. One of the drivers is shot and the truck crashes into a building, catching everything on fire. Harry grabs Ellie as we run towards a stray car to take cover.

It’s quiet, minus the sound of guns clicking, when a feminine voice pops up from the other side of the cars.

“Dead end, Henry. Gonna step on out? Save us some time?…No? That’s alright.. Doesn’t matter.”

Henry looks at Sam before hesitantly shouting to the woman, who I assume to be Kathleen.

“I’ll come out! Just let the kids go!”

“No. Sorry.. The girl is with the man who killed Bryan, And Sam..Well-Sam’s with you.”

Henry gets frustrated and Harry and I share a look, trying to plot an escape as Henry buys us some time.

“You don’t understand!”

“But I do. I know why you did what you did. But did you ever stop to think maybe he was supposed to die?”

“He’s just a fucking kid, Kathleen!”

She’s quiet for a minute before she responds again.

“Well, kids die Henry. They die all the time. You think the whole world revolves around him? That he’s worth.. everything?..Well this is what happens when you fuck with fate.”

Henry turns to Harry and I, a stern expression on his face.

“Get ready to take them and run.”

Harry shakes his head quickly, and he opens his mouth to argue, but Henry gives him another look.

“H. Please, don’t argue with me. Do it.”

Harry sighs and takes Sam’s hand while Ellie grabs mine.

“It’s time, Henry. Enough!”

Henry takes a couple deep breaths before he stands up, his hands up and his back now to us as he walks to Kathleen.

“It ends the way it ends.”

I hear a gun click but before it can be fired, the destruction from the fire begins to escalate as the truck starts to fall into what very well may be a sinkhole. It’s quiet for a minute but then the screeching sound of infected echos the area. They come running out in a stampede, so Harry and I quickly grab the kids and make a run for it, Henry running after us.

Ellie falls to the ground and begins to army crawl to a nearby car. Henry and Sam are surrounded by clickers, shouting as I hear Sam cry. Ellie looks at Harry and I and before I can pull her back, she starts to run towards them, clickers getting shot down left and right as she runs.

I sigh and Harry and I make a run after her, quickly catching up. I quickly stab the surrounding clickers before we pull Sam and Henry out from under the car before we all make a run for it. We continue to run before we’re stopped by Kathleen, who points a gun at us.

“Stop!”

Before she can say anything else, she’s tackled by a clicker and she is quickly ripped to shreds and she screams.

“Don’t look, let’s go, c’mon.”

We starting running again and we meet up with dad, running to an abandoned warehouse.

We eat what we have, and dad tries to catch his breath. Ellie and Sam sit on a bed, looking at the book from Sam’s bag. Harry gazes over at his brother in worry.

“You think they’ll be okay?”

I give him a small nod as I look at the kids.

“It’s easier when you’re a kid anyway.”

I frown at dad and he’s quiet for a minute before he looks towards the rest of us.

“You don’t have anybody else relying on you. That’s the hard part..”

We’re all quiet for a minute before Harry responds, giving me a small smile.

“Well, I guess that means we’re doing a good job, then.”

Dads quiet and looks at the kids, nodding to them.

“What’s that comic book say, ‘Endure and survive’?

Henry only nods.

“Shits pretty redundant..”

Dad let’s out a small laugh and I chuckle.

“Yeah.. It’s not great..”

It’s quiet for a minute until dad speaks up, and he surprises me.

“Look. I don’t know how I’m gettin’ to Wyoming-I’m probably walkin’.. But..you know if ya’ll want to.”

Harry and Henry nod, and Harry subtly laces his fingers through mine.

“Yeah. I think it’d be nice for Sam to have a friend. And Harry seems pretty taken with Y/N..”

Dad furrows his brows and his eyes land on our conjoined hand.

“You get your-“

“Daddy, stop. I ain’t havin’ this conversation with you. Deal with it and shut the fuck up.”

He growls and looks away, and Harry just squeezes my hand.

“I’ll tell him in the morning. New day, new start.”

Dad nods. We send the kids off to bed and head there ourselves. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m out like a light.

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

I’m woken up by a blinding light and what feels like someone nudging my leg. I open my eyes, allowing myself to adjust to the light for a moment before looking at my attacker.

“You know.. as your daughter, I feel like you could’ve woken me up a lot nicer.”

Dad shakes his head with a chuckles and walks away. Harry walks over to me and holds a hand out to me with a smile. I take it with a small thank you, and it only takes me a second to gain my footing. I open my mouth to say something but before I can, I hear a scream. Ellie.

We all rush into the room to see Sam attacking Ellie, and by the looks of it, he was infected. Before Dad or I can try to help her, Henry shoots at the ground, preventing us from helping. Harry looks at him in shock.

“Henry! Stop! You can’t-!”

Ellie continues to scream and finally, Henry shoots Sam, who falls off of Ellie and onto the floor. Sam remains unmoving, blood pouring out onto the hardwood floors. Dad looks at Ellie, his eyes full of worry as he starts to approach her.

“Ellie, you okay?”

Before she can respond, Henry points his gun right at dad.

“Henry-.”

Dad tries to calm him down but nothing he says is getting through to him.

“What.. W-What did I do?..Sam…”

Dad walks closer to him, trying to take the gun from him.

“Henry, give me the gun-.”

Henry shakes his head, and shaking my raises the gun to his head. Harry’s eyes widen and he begins to shout.

“Henry- no!”

BANG

Ellie lets out a scream as Henry falls to the ground, and Harry falls to his knees as tears begin to fall down his cheeks. I quietly move over to Ellie, laying on hand on her shoulder.

“I need you to stay with Harry, ‘kay? Dad and I will take care of them..”

“But-.”

I give her a sad look and she nods. She crawls over to where Harry is on the floor and hesitantly hugs him. Dad and I exchange silent glances and we nod at one another before getting to work.

We bury them together, and I have to hold back the tears as I fill the hole. Ellie flattens it and leaves Sam’s writing board on top, a look of sadness on her face. I give Harry a hug and he lets out a shaky sigh.

Ellie stands up and looks at dad.

“Which way is west?”

Dad looks around before he nudges his head to the west.

Ellie looks at Harry and I hear him let out a sniffle.

“What’s next for you then?”

Before he can respond, I answer.

“With us. If he wants to..”

Dad scoffs and shakes his head.

“Y/N!”

“Daddy, stop! He’s comin’ with us if he wants and that’s all I’m gonna hear about it.”

I look at Harry and he gives me a small nod. Dad lets out a sigh and starts walking off, Ellie quickly following him. I look at Harry again and he just shakes his head, walking close to my side as we jog to catch up with dad and Ellie.

“Are you.. gonna be okay?”

He looks up for a minute before he looks back at me.

“Will you stay close to me..?”

I nod, giving him a small smile as I hesitantly hold a hand out to him.

He takes my hand and squeezes it, pulling me to his side.

“Then yeah. ‘M gonna be alright.”

END OF PART 1.

Please let me know what you guys thought of this! I poured my blood, sweat and tears into this so I hope you enjoy! If you enjoyed, please feel free to check out my masterlist!

WC 6834

Tag list Join the tag list-here

@be-with-me-so-happily @swiftmendeshoran @babyiamperfectforyou @freedomfireflies @kaminokatiee @harrysmimi @rafaaoli@violetsandfluff @fruitmans @fruitmansrecs @strwbrrydaydreams @kimmi-kat @mvaldez7821 @davyllastyles (Let me know if you don’t want to be tagged. If I tagged you and you did not ask, it is because you expressed interest in this💗).

[billythenightguard]

Run Away: Detention (2011) & FNAF Movie Crossover - Chapter Three

Masterlist

Mentions: math

Word Count: 1265

Warnings: fluff, math homework

Older!Clapton/Mike x GN!Reader

You and Mike had been coworkers for two weeks now, always chatting and getting to know each other in the thirty minutes of shift change. You had noticed that the snacks often went out fast, but you never complained, you just brought extra.

“I sort of have a favor I was wondering I could ask of you.” Mike said, looking down sheepishly almost.

“You know you can ask me anything.” You said sweetly to him, setting your things into the locker that was now yours, Mike still sitting in the swivel chair.

“Could you babysit Abby tonight… I… I can’t afford a babysitter and I’m willing to work a double as payment.” He quickly stammered out, it was a big deal to him, asking for help like this. But Max bailed on him, and he didn’t trust anyone else.

“I’ll be glad to watch her, and no worries about that double, okay? I’ll babysit her for the next five years until she’s old enough to be home alone if need be.”

“But what about-”

“Do not worry about paying me.” You interrupted, seeing how the worry in his big brown eyes melted away… almost like how Clapton’s would. “I like Abby, she’s sweet and kind. I’d happily watch her everyday for you okay?”

Mike nodded, trying not to tear up in front of you. Maybe you didn't know who he was yet, but you were still so kind to him. Still the sweetheart neighbor he adored. Once he hit the age of 12, he had tried harder than ever to get over the childhood crush, it wasn’t appropriate. He knew that. But now, he’s 29 and you’re 24, no one would even bat an eye at that. He wished desperately he could have stayed.

“Hey, uh, this’ll sound silly, but did you ever go to prom? Abby heard some kid talking about their big sister going and she’s asking me. But I never went.” He said honestly.

“No,” you spoke softly, looking down, “I was meant to. When I was 14, that best friend I mentioned before, I was gonna go to his senior prom with him. His ex was this annoying skank, she kept wanting him to get into fights for her so he broke it off and asked me, just as friends, but truth be told I felt myself falling for him.”

Mike felt his heart catch in his chest and a lump form in his throat, you were in love with him? All this time, “what would you do, if he ever came back?” He asked, hoping you couldn’t detect the eager nervousness in his voice.

“First, I’d slap him, then I’d kiss him.” You said, smiling with a hint of a blush.

“I’m here for Abby Schmidt.” You said to the car line worker, showing her the piece of paper Mike gave you for pickup, along with the note he had written to inform them that you were meant to grab Abby and for them to please add you to her emergency contact form.

You watched as they turned and went to go get her, music softly humming in your car as you daydreamed slightly about what prom with Clapton would have been like, Mike’s question was innocent but it certainly got your mind thinking. You were interrupted by a squeal of your name and your back door nearly tearing open from excitement.

“Hey there, Abs!” You smiled, turning to her to make sure she was buckled in.

“Are you my babysitter?!” Straight to the point, but happy, you loved her already.

“For only the next five years, sweet girl.” You laughed as she let out an insane amount of giggles, looking forward and driving out of the line. “Alright, so I was thinking we will do some grocery shopping for both of our houses. Will you help me and tell me what you guys usually eat?”

“Spaghetti and pizza!” You laughed and looked l into the rearview mirror to see her.

“Yeah? That’s a good combination, alright we will get spaghetti and pizza, and what else?” You asked, smiling in adoration and making a list of everything Abby rattled off.

You had gotten everything both your home and the Schmidt home needed, as a teenager when you babysat for money, you always would buy your own ingredients to cook with, hating the idea of using other people’s food without knowing if they may already have plans for it. Abby helped you to bring in your own bags and groceries first, it turned out you lived just down the road from them.

“Alright,” you smiled, rubbing your hands to alleviate the slight ache from carrying in heavy bags of groceries, you and Abby just finished putting away the groceries in her home, “spaghetti and pizza for dinner?”

“Yes, please!”

“Okay, go do your homework for me, and I’ll check it when you’re done.” Abby gave a mock salute which made you both giggle, but nonetheless she went to do as she was asked.

You didn’t know exactly how big her appetite was, but you still played it safe by making a smaller portion of spaghetti, you hoped she’d like it, the sauce was homemade versus that of in a jar, call it old habits, you hadn’t bought jarred sauce… well ever.

“Abby!” You called as the timer for the pizza went off just a little after the spaghetti finished, “dinner is ready!” She came out of her room with her homework in hand, “trade.” You said with a smile, taking her homework and giving her a plate of food.

“Oh, no… math.” You groaned a little as you looked it over. You were never one for any sort of mathematics, but Clapton was, he could quickly solve any equation in his head like it was nothing, and he never shamed you for taking a little longer to solve it.

“It’s okay if you’re not good at math, Mike is!” Abby piped up after chewing and swallowing her food.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah! He’s like a math genius!”

You smiled and chuckled, you knew this had to be turned in the next day, maybe you should call him and see if he could help you on the ones you didn’t know for sure.

“Hello?” Mike spoke through the phone, hoping he didn’t sound like he had just woken up, although you’d already caught him sleeping a few times.

“Hey, Mike!” He immediately perked up at your voice, “everything is good here, Abby ate dinner and got washed up, I just had a couple questions about her math homework… I wasn’t sure if you’d have time to check it in the morning and I didn’t want her to possibly turn it in wrong. I’ve been told you’re a math genius.” You giggled albeit nervously, hoping he wouldn’t be mad at you.

“Oh, oh, that’s good. I’m glad she’s not giving you trouble.” He said, rubbing his eyes. “Let’s hear it.”

“Sounds like she got them right, so no need for you to worry.” He smiled, chuckling quietly at the sigh of relief on the other end of the phone.

“Thank god, because I’m not the person to come to for math.” You said, putting her homework neatly into her backpack. “I’m sorry to bother you at work for that.”

“Don’t be, it’s boring here otherwise.” He almost didn’t want you to hang up, well scratch that. He didn’t want you to.

“Goodnight Mike, I’ll see you in the morning.” You said after a few minutes of a blissful silence.

“Goodnight…” click “firecracker.”

Tag List: @na-is-salty @thegirlwholoveslivesfanfiction @mad-die45 @cancelledkaley @mschmidt @dessxoxsworld @earphonejack09

[ambrossart]

Writing Update 6/29/2024

Paper Men

I'm still working on Ch. 32!

I know it's been a while, but I promise I have not forgotten or abandoned this story. I'm working on it every single day, even if it's only for ten minutes. I'm just really busy right now, and I'm doing the best I can.

These are the last chapters of Season 1 (that's what I'm calling it now—it's official), and I always get extra stressed whenever I'm ending something. I feel a lot of pressure to end it well, to end it strongly. I know I can do it, which is I'm very critical of myself.

That being said, I'll have something up within the next week or two. I'm not sure if I'm going to do a full-length preview for this chapter. It may just be a short teaser. I don't want to release the full Evelyn-Henry scene until it's 100% polished. It's such an important scene, and I wanna make sure I'm hitting all the emotional beats I have planned.

It's gonna be worth the wait. I know that.

DWM

I know it's been a while since I've released new Eddie content.

I apologize for that, and to make up for it, I'll release multiple fics once I'm back.

Usually, I do like one or two, but this time I'll do three or four, maybe even five.

My return date is still TBD, especially with this move coming up, but I'll let you know once that changes.

Other News

I'm moving to Tennesee!

I don't know if that's good or bad, honestly.

I've never lived in the South (unless you count Florida, which I don't)

[midnightraine131]

Introduction

If you see @100reasons2live following or replying to you, that's me! 🤣 . Midnightraine131 is just my secondary blog that I created 10 years ago. I don't want to start a new blog because I don't want to lose 10 years' worth of blog posts.

Please don't be creeped out if I reply on my other account. 😭

Hiding in Plain Sight (On Going)

| Ao3 | Modern AU | Cover art by @petrichorpeacee on X |

Warnings: Mature, Major Character Death, Explicit 18++ Annie, a determined 31-year-old journalist, is assigned to cover the mysterious disappearance of Carly Stratman, an aspiring actress. She hopes that by solving this case, she will earn the approval of her father and establish herself as a successful columnist. However, as Annie delves deeper into the investigation, she realizes that the situation is more complex than she initially thought. On the other hand, Armin, a brilliant 29-year-old district attorney, is also involved in the Carly Stratman case as part of an elite team prosecuting high-profile homicides in New York. Coming from a family of well-known federal judges, Armin feels immense pressure to succeed in his career. Growing up in a divorced family has left him skeptical about finding love and commitment in marriage. As Annie and Armin collaborate to unravel the mystery behind Carly's disappearance, their professional relationship begins to blossom into something more. Chapters: | 1 - Hits Different | 2 - Midnight Stroll | 3- Longing Nights | 4 - You All Over Me | | 5 - Ribs | 6 - Whirlpool | 7 - False God (18++) | 8 - Bad Omen | 9-Borrowed Time | 10 - Bitter Pill | 11 - Ghost | 12 - Burgundy (18++) | 13- Part I: It's in the Girls I Bring to Bed | | 14- Part II: It's in the Girls I Bring to Bed | | 15- Part III: It's in the Girls I Bring to Bed | (18++) | 16 - Part I: Night in New Jersey | | 17 - Part II: Night in New Jersey | (18++) | 18 - Equilibrium | 19 - Part I: Women of Madness and Cigarette Breaks |

Love Letters from the Skies to the West Coast (On Going)

| Ao3 | HS Modern AU | Cover art by @klaradraws |

Warnings: Mature They say the most judgmental people are those who attend church on Sundays. Despite growing up in a Christian household, Armin Arlert felt overburdened by the pile of ministry activities assigned to him. So he made a pact with himself to never follow in his father's footsteps and become a pastor. With the goal of saving enough money to persuade his parents to let him move to another state after high school, he started accepting paid essay projects in school in secret. Everything in Armin's busy life seemed manageable until he met Annie Leonhart, a Californian girl whose parents had moved her against her will to Vermont. Upon discovering Armin's secret business, Annie approached him with a unique request: to write love letters for a long-distance lover. To craft the perfect love letters, she would help Armin embark on a journey of firsts— his first kiss, first hug, first date, and first everything in a relationship. Chapters: | 1 - Blind Sided | 2 - Falling into Disgrace | 3 - Word Play | 4 - Angel in Disguise | | 5 - Descendants | 6 - Leap of Faith | 7 - Sixteen & Wild |

Invisible Golden String (One-Shot)

| Ao3 | Modern AU | HiPS extra |

Contribution for Aruani day! Timeline took place after HiPS Chapter 15. Spoiler free!

Day One - Tangerine Skies and Muffled Cries (One-Shot)

| Ao3 | Canonverse (Cadets) | Day 1 of Aruani Week 2024 |

Armin and Annie sneaked out from their night duty for some...

Day Three - Her Last Wishes (One-Shot)

| Ao3 | Modern (HS Caste) | Day 3 of Aruani Week 2024 |

"...you'll find happiness after me."

IVY (On Going)

| Ao3 | Modern Au | A JeanPiku POV in Hiding in Plain Sight |

Pieck Finger, a shut-in artist who works as an editorial illustrator, has been emotionally stagnant for a decade after the death of her lover, Porco Galliard. She has isolated herself from the world and refuses to let anyone in until she crosses paths again with Jean Kirstein, a prosecutor who assists the District Attorney in various homicide cases in New York. They bond over shared experiences and find comfort in each other's company. As their relationship progresses, Pieck reflects on her past love and contemplates the possibility of finally moving on.

| Other Cover Arts |

It's in the Girls I Bring to Bed / Night in Vegas | Cover Art by @BLUEELI0N

Leap of Faith | Cover art by @klaradraws

[corporatefrog]

╰┈➤ Welcome Back to the Channel part 29; like and subscribe

✧.* featuring yn setting up for their newest youtube video when a few unexpected guests arrive : ̗̀➛ notes - this is the last chapter! thank you guys so much for joining me during the journey of this story. I haven't finished a fic in years so it feels so good to write that final line. I left it pretty open ended to be ready for extra chapters in the future!! I could say a bunch more about how thankful I am for people reading this story and how much it's help me work through the past month but i'll let the chapter do that :) tags - college au, superhero au, smau

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Okay. Let’s do this. 

“Hey guys! We’ve got a really special video today!” I greeted with a beaming grin, micking a high five with the camera. So far so good. “We’re going to be doing an interview I’ve been waiting to make for a long time…” I paused for effect before moving to the side, revealing today’s special guest. 

“Say hello to Mysterion!” I exclaimed with applause. I’d add some cheering effects while editing but without it, it sounded a bit empty. 

Looking back at Kenny, a laugh burst from my mouth at the expression on his face. He’d twisted his mouth into some semblance of a smirk but with the mask he looked cool and suave and more like he’d just smelled a three day old diaper. 

“Dude, what is that face? You look fucking stupid.” I said between laughs. Kenny frowned, giving me a side eye. 

“I’ve got a reputation to uphold!” He whined, gesturing to the dark hooded costume, “You don’t get it because you just started using your persona-”

“KENNY! Just say my social security number too why don’t you-” The frame shook as I lunged forward to stop the recording before any more secrets were shared on camera.

It had been about a few months since I’d started working with Butters and the guys would not let me forget they had seniority in the hero/villain world. Every chance Clyde had, he reminded me that he was there when they fought Cthulhu. Of course, Kyle was close behind to say that Clyde had done absolutely nothing during that fight. But that was followed by Kyle reminding me that he was sent to hell and was there during the eldritch battle.

I’d been worried when they found out that they’d stop talking to me altogether. I wasn’t quite sure why. They’ve known about Butters being Professor Chaos since they were children and I see him and Kenny hang out more than he hangs out with Kyle and Stan sometimes. He even hangs out with Craig and his group on the weekends. 

The only thing that’s been hurt by my employment at Chaos LLC is my intel source. Wendy stopped giving me insider details about hero movements if they related to Professor Chaos so I haven’t been able to cover as much of his antics but she was still queuing me into other run-ins with minor villains and typical South Park oddities. 

Last week, fucking Slenderman showed up. Like a tall faceless dude in a suit and tie Slenderman. Just standing in the park. He did kidnap Butters which led to an interesting rescue mission. And the video coverage was insane. Marble Hornets could never. 

I didn’t want to trust it at first. I’d spent a month waiting for things to suddenly change. For everyone to turn on me for being a minor inconvenience at best but Craig still asked me to help him with his stats homework at Tweek Bros and Stan still invited me to whatever random board game shop he was visiting that week. The only thing that changed was sometimes we ran around the city in (if I’m being honest) ridiculous costumes and blew off some of the steam that comes with being a college student at Garrison University. 

The entire college almost shut down last month due to Dean Garrison being convicted of tax fraud and publicly attempting to assassinate the President in order to avoid charges. Without anyone to lead the college and the name now permanently connected to an elementary school teacher turned assassin, the only option seemed to be shutting the place down. That was a rough month. The university was literally on the verge of closure and I still had to write a 10 page research paper. What kind of bullshit is that?

Yeah but it was a paper about The Bachelor so was it really work?

Anything that involves citing in APA is work. 

The routine of my new normal set in pretty quickly. Well, as ‘normal’ as things can be when you’re friends with superheroes in South Park. I went to my classes, made videos for my channel, then I’d meet up with Butters and ruin a few people’s day a few times a week. It was scary how easily I fell into the routine. I’d wake up and say good morning to Stan as though he weren’t shooting tranquilizer darts from a nail gun at me a few hours earlier. Certainly not a sentence I ever thought I’d say. 

Looking back on the past two years, I see all the chances I had to end up somewhere else. If I’d gone to a different university and never set foot in South Park or if I’d chosen a different apartment and never ran into Clyde on my first day there I could have led a completely different life. Even in the moments which dragged on my mind, they all led me here. And the feeling of comfort that comes along with that thought makes every struggle worthwhile. 

There’s nowhere I’d rather be and here. Attending a university with an idiot dean, living in an apartment building with my closest friends, and now helping someone I care about get the revenge he’s due. Oh, and making youtube videos about all the stupid shit that happens along the way.

I restarted the recording, giving Kenny a warning glare before saying the intro again. This time, he kept a normal face which made it much easier to not think about how just a few months ago, I was freaking out at the idea of talking to THE Mysterion. 

Granted, now we’ve seen THE Mysterion vomiting in a toilet at 2 am after eating his taco bell too fast so the shimmer has faded. 

“So, Mysterion,” I started, glancing at my list of questions I’d prepared for the interview, “You’ve been the longest running hero in South Park history! How does it feel to be coming up on 10 years as South Park’s Guardian Angel?”

Kenny hummed as he mulled over the question, “It’s not an easy job-” A knock on the door cut off his answer. I looked over at Kenny with a confused expression. He mirrored my confusion but couldn’t offer an idea on who was interrupting our interview for the second time. 

I paused the video before heading over to the door, looking through the peephole. Toolshed’s signature belt gave him away instantly. He shifted from foot to foot as he waited, tapping his hands against his thighs. 

What the fuck?

I opened the door, leaning against the frame while I deadpanned at my neighbor. 

“What’re you doing?” I asked, looking at him from under my eyebrows. 

Stan flashed a sheepish smile, “Well, I heard that you were interviewing Ken-” He paused, glancing down the hall both ways before correcting himself, “Mysterion today and I was thinking I could join? I haven’t gotten an interview yet after all.” 

“You haven’t gotten an interview because all you’ve done the past three fights is stand in the back with a power drill looking lost.” I pulled up my phone and held it up for Stan to see the footage from the past three hero conflicts. While Kenny and Craig dove into the fray, Stan could be seen in the background, searching through his utility belt for the right tool for the battle. By the time he held up his weapon of choice, Craig would be throwing the final punch.

“Okay those videos are rigged. You got those from the Craig fan accounts.” Stan protested. 

“You’re really reaching now bud-” 

“Is there still time for the interview?” A voice shouted from down the hall. Kyle’s door flew open with him rushing out soon after. The kite strapped to his back caught on the door frame, sending him tripping and falling into the wall across the hall from his door. I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face while the sound of Kyle cursing and tripping over his own stupid fucking costume filled the hallway. 

“Dude what are you doing?” Stan asked, crossing his arms as though he were the one being put upon by the appearance of the Human Kite. Kyle righted himself, brushing imaginary dust off his costume. 

“You said you were going to try and get in on the interview and after my last one-” He gave me a pointed look as though I were the one who chose his stupid name in the first place, “turned into me being berated for an hour and a half.” 

“Yeah but you already had one. It’s my turn now.” Stan whined. 

“Actually, it’s my turn right now.” Kenny said, suddenly appearing behind me at the door. I jumped to the side, holding a hand over my chest to keep my heart from jumping out at the shock. 

“Jesus fuck man. I need to put a bell on you.” I muttered to myself before addressing the slowly growing group of complaining superheroes, “None of you guys get to decide whose turn it is to be on my channel. I set up this interview with Kenny a month ago and we’re finally getting to filming so if you want to have ‘your turn’ you need to fill out the form and join the queue like everyone else. I’ve got Craig and Tweek lined up for next month then Tolkien-”

“How the fuck does Tolkien get to go before me-”

“Because he filled out the fucking form Stan? I literally just told you.” 

“Okay, well I just think it would be more interesting to have Toolshed on before Tupperware.” Stan looped his thumbs through his utility belt, kicking a foot at the ground with a frown tugging at his lips. He looked up at me with pouting eyes, blinking rapidly as he tried to change my mind.

No way this 20 year old is pouting in the hallway right now. 

I blew a breath out of the corner of my mouth, averting my eyes from the pouting college student. I better not regret this. 

“Okay, fine.” I started. Stan’s posture immediately improved as he straightened up and began to walk towards the door. Kyle followed suit with a borderline giddy smile of his own. I held up a hand to stop them, “But this is a one time thing, okay? Don’t go telling the others you can just bug me into doing a video with them because I know Clyde can and will be the most annoying motherfucker to ever exist until I do an entire series about him.” 

Kyle and Stan nodded rapidly, heads moving in sync as they agreed to whatever would get them in the video. I was about to move aside and let them in when Kenny sucked in a breath. 

“We weren’t supposed to tell other people about this?” He asked. When I turned to stare at him, he plastered an awkwardly large grin on his face. 

“Who did you tell?” I asked, holding my breath out of fear for what he’d say next. Kenny paused, eyes moving across the ceiling as he thought over the question. That’s never a good sign. Then he began counting on his fingers, mouth moving in silent words as he continued to tick off different unknown names. 

Letting his hands fall with a shrug, he looked back at me with the still incredibly awkward smile, “Only like a few of the guys-” 

“MUAHAHAHA, THIS IS WHERE YOU FALL MYSTERION!” Butters came barreling in through my balcony doors, fists raised to the sky as he posed in the living room. The four of us turned to look at the villain. 

“False alarm, Butters. Apparently this was a lowkey thing.” Kenny said, pointing to me with his thumb as though I were the buzzkill in the situation. My jaw dropped as I turned to Kenny, appalled that he had the audacity to claim I was ruining our private interview I’d spent a month planning. 

Butters’ arms fell back to his sides, tinfoil of his gauntlets scraping slightly against his belt, “Awe geez, and here I was ready for a scuffle.” He said, scuffing the toe of his boot against the floor in a similar pout to Stan’s from moments before. 

Why am I friends with a bunch of toddlers? 

Before I could address Butters’ appearance, my apartment was flooded with the rest of my friends all clad in their hero costumes. Tolkien waddled behind Tweek and Craig, turning sideways to get through the door with Clyde following close behind. Soon my apartment was filled with arguing superheroes and one very boisterous villain, all trying to figure out how to fit themselves into the frame. 

I squeezed myself onto the couch between Kenny and Clyde, feeling like I should at least have the original planned video guest in the middle of the frame. Voices overlapped as Stan tried to shove Kyle over, pushing Tweek and Craig further to the side. The cacophony of sound bounced off the walls and made the air buzz with the rambunctious energy. 

Normally the noise would send me spiraling, overstimulated by the different sounds all pulling me in different directions, but the noise around me calmed the normally racing thoughts in my mind. I’d spent so long sitting in front of this camera, reading off new stories of the people who now shouted my name to grab my attention from opposite ends of the couch I’d gotten off Facebook Marketplace. The once deafening silence which filled the moments between takes was replaced by shouts to move over and accusations of stepping on their kite string. 

It was the best noise I’d ever heard. 

“I’m starting now! Everyone shut up and follow me lead!” I announced, stabilizing the camera before returning to my spot with a smile.

I smiled for the camera. I smiled at the thought of the views a video with all of South Park’s heroes would get. But I also smiled from the overwhelming happiness that came from being surrounded by my closest friends. 

“Hey guys!” I greeted, raising a hand to mimic a high five with the lens,

“Welcome back to the channel!”

taglist [reply to be added]: @sula0kin @lacuna-at-dawn @anglettecolours @cocolena@sukisprettyface @feverish-dove @sweetadonisbutbetter @hand-writxen@mishstuff@sophtophie @triphovia  @lacunaanonymoused @inkedintothepaper @toodeepintofandoms@mmmaackerel @sillybilly-123@n0tangeliccc@sophtophie@inkedintothepaper 

[princesscolumbia]

Code of Ethics - Chapter 40 - Shock and Awe

...no, you forgot to keep posting CoE previews and notification posts to my blog from all the way back in Chapter 29 to today! Look, a demonic duck! *runs*

(gonna do an extra-long synopsis for people who may not be up-to-date on this...like the folks on my Discord server, now merged with @anne-is-ominous's server! More on this in another post)

The story so far...

Diane Somni'els may be the hero of the sector for rescuing slaves and shattering sentient trafficking organizations, but that's just in the game Galaxies Unlimited: Master and Commander. IRL, "she" is really Dylan Samuels, cyber-agent for the American Republic, establishing a foothold for the American Republic in the non-American parts of the Internet and in virtual reality. Prior to "her" current mission, she deleted a batch of rogue A.I. that were fleeing from their servers. After going undercover as an alien woman in GU:MC, she discovers that one of the "rogue" A.I. was a full Sentient A.I. and The Singularity had, indeed, happened...and she'd killed off a child. In the wake of her existential crisis of being a child murderer and knowing she'll never, ever be held accountable by her superiors, she meets a woman who she very quickly falls deeply in love with named Caitlynn.

Caitlynn is another player, 'just like' her (though not, Diane assumes, another undercover agent) and somehow makes it so Diane forgets the path of pain she's created for herself and Diane is able to start living again...even if 'living' means continuing her fake existence in a virtual reality game.

And then...she gets some news that threatens to shatter her fragile peace.

Preview below the cut:

Three ships had been built by the station so far, and when the first two were finished, Diane had been busy enough with other matters that she hadn’t been able to attend their launch. Today, however, Diane and members of her crew were gathered in the observation lounge as a bottle of wine, pitched at it by a space suited volunteer from one of the shipyard’s airlocks, crashed against the prow of the vessel and its running lights activated. Cheers rose from the crowd, mirrored by the crew still in ops, as the new cruiser’s engines kicked on and the ship pushed away from the safety of the shipyard unassisted for the first time.

More bottles of wine were broken out, these having been only recently received via the new, fully established trade route between Mortan and the Matron’s Aerie. Recordings of the event were going to be sent back, mostly via the social media streams that proliferated across the galaxy, but also via the two actual media outlets that established offices on the station.

Nobody was in anything resembling formalwear, but Norma wore something a bit nicer than her usual jeans and t-shirt combo under her father’s beaten-down old flight jacket, and Russe had actually consented to wear a button-up shirt. Diane, ever the sentimentalist, wore a blue tunic under her white jacket with a pair of red dress pants. The rest of the Ops crew that could be spared the time from their posts to attend the celebration in the observation lounge were there, as well as a handful of guests. The rest of the Morvucks were present, either having put in some time on the new ship or being personally invited by a crew member. Even Mr. Bendenson showed up, but his much-discussed wife that Diane had never seen remained back in their quarters for reasons the old salt wasn’t divulging.

Mess Attendants given the honor duty of serving snacks and beverages were circulating throughout both main Ops and the Observation Lounge. Diane’s plucking of a wineglass from Sani’s hands with a stern, “Nope, too young!” drew a round of laughter from the nearby revelers as Cynthy and Kymberlynn took their offered water glasses and snickered at their friend. All in all, it was a very good, happy atmosphere where a party was likely to break out and nobody was about to mind.

“So,” said Norma in an obviously louder than necessary voice, clearly intended to gather the attention of the room, “Have you decided what you’re going to name the ship, oh glorious commander?” The laughter that greeted this question from the assembled crew and staff made it clear she had succeeded; Diane was now the focus of everyone there.

“Way to put me on the spot, Norma,” Diane snarked back at her mayor, “And I happened to have given it at least a little thought, thank you very much.”

“I’m shocked!” Norma prodded.

“Shocked that I thought about this?”

“No, shocked that you thought, I figured you were all about just charging in and eating people, no thoughts, head empty.”

There wasn’t a single person on the crew or staff rosters that didn’t know what Diane had done for the former slaves (and continued to do, a few of the former slaves had even returned to the station, citing less than favorable receptions on their home worlds), so the good-natured ribbing drew companionable laughs while Diane rolled her eyes and did her best to bite back a smile.

“Well surprise, your commander has a brain,” she stuck her tongue out at Norma, letting it extend a good six inches before pulling it back into her mouth.

“Don’t threaten a girl with that if you’re not planning to use it!” Norma purred.

Diane blushed, “Russe, are you gonna let your girl flirt with me like that in front of you?”

Russe just chuckled, “Are you going to stop her? Since when has she let anyone tell her what to do?”

She rolled her eyes, “Okay, yeah, fair point.” She let the laughter die down a bit before she announced, “I decided to go simple, the ISS Athena.”

“‘ISS’? What’s that mean?” asked Russe.

“Well, we aren’t exactly part of a nation, so U.S.S. didn’t seem appropriate, but we are Independents, so the Independent Star Ship Athena.”

There were nods all around at her explanation when Koarla raised her glass and said, “Give us a toast, sister!”

The cry was joined by everyone else in the observation lounge and the voices chanting over the speakers thanks to the feed from Ops as everyone there raised their glasses of non-alcoholic drinks to the camera. Diane rolled her eyes again and raised her hand to issue a silencing gesture, “Okay, okay, shush, I gotta be heard if I’m going to offer a toast.” The crowd went quiet as she lidded her eyes in thought for a moment.

“We’re alone in the dark out here,” she finally began, “When the Branwell Consortium came along we were just another seed station that had unlocked her doors to the universe. They saw us as...freshly hatched, if you will, easy pickings for a predator that thought it was the biggest, meanest creature in the territory.”

She’d always loved watching the rousing speeches on Star Trek, especially when there was seemingly little to say but the person giving the speech revealed that there was, indeed, something that needed saying to remind the crew who they were. She always wondered if she’d be able to deliver such a speech, and even though this wasn’t a high-tension moment, she felt like this was a rare opportunity to step into the shoes of someone worthy of the command role and provide inspiration to her people.

“What the Branwell Consortium learned was that this wasn’t some helpless little bird that hatched, but a fire-breathing DRAGON!” a brief cheer met her words before dying down into an anticipatory silence, “We had one scout-class ship, a crew scraped from the bottom of the barrel, and a commander who’d never led troops into combat in her life, and we rose up and slew the monsters and rescued the damsels! And now with our newest cruiser, we’re declaring to the darkness, this is our territory, challenge us if you dare!” she raised her glass to the observation window, eyes on the ship slowly passing by.

Norma clinked her glass against Diane’s, “To the ISS Athena!”

Cheers and the clinking of glass filled the small space and was echoed by the crew in Ops.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Read the rest on Scribble Hub, where new chapters are released every Monday. You can also read chapters as soon as their completed (which, depending on how I've done on time and spoons management, could be up to weeks in advance) by joining the free tier of my Patreon.