#4708 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

asuyaka · 11 months ago

Note

Hello Arlan! I love you’re writing so much and was wondering if you could write someone with Aki from CSM since i see there isn’t a ton requested on here! What i was thinking was Aki and Reader(FtM or whatever feels best!) Having lots of little romantic moments together. Doing your chores everything like that and once they finish relaxing on the couch and they open up to one another about current life struggles and grow more and more intimate that Reader and Aki go into the bedroom and slowly but romantically have one another in the sheets. I love domestic like fics and i would love to see how you interpret this. I give you full reign to choose what happens but that’s just what i give to start an idea. I hope you are healthy and well!!

★ - m'was kinda strugglin' on if it should be FtM or cis... ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;)⁭ ⁭ also!! CSM hype Reze 's gettin animated ໒꒰ྀི >ヮ<꒱ྀི১

☆ - Aki Hayakawa x FtM! Reader!

♡ - m'cigarette addicted boyfie...໒꒰ྀི ๑>///<๑ ꒱ྀིა | slight manga spoilers but no names are dropped!! | wowie, this one took a lottt outta me! but, anythin' for you guys!! merry (late) christmas ૮₍｡´ᴖ ˔ ᴖ`｡₎ა

✪ - amab terminology, dom Aki/sub reader, praise, dacryphilia, nipple play, fingering, overstimulation, dirty talk, uses the term 'hole' and 'dick/cock' for readers genitals, slight degradation/mocking, creampie(s), n implied aftercare!!

Aki Hayakawa’s children are a handful. There is no other way to say it. However, you could say you enjoyed it whenever they got rowdy. After killing the Control and Gun Devil and everyone (surprisingly) making it out alive, Power and Denji have been inseparable ever since.

Constantly bickering about who’s getting the larger portion of juice, running around the house at fuck off O’clock yelling something about how Martians are going to invade Japan with tin foil shaped like a cone on their heads, or having… barf contests for some odd reason.

Then there was you Aki, and some girl Kishibe gave you after the control devil incident. Aki insisted on moving since the house was too big for five people and an absurd amount of dogs. He also pulled Denji and Power out of Public Safety and enrolled them in school when he figured out they were nowhere near the proper academic level for teenagers— and helped them with their homework whenever they got it.

The girl was always close to Denji or with the dogs. She was nice, a little freaky when you realized she was the new Control Devil, but you soon realized she was nothing like the past one.

She embodied a fresh new slate, a perfect addition to the family slowly building itself back together after almost losing important people in your lives.

“I’m back, I got groceries so we could make dinner when they’re back from Kishibe’s,” Aki says, accompanied by the automated chime that sounded through the house every time the door opened.

Donned in a plain apron jacket, Aki’s clothes, and house slippers, you greet him at the door with a kiss, an excited smile adorning your face. “Welcome back! I uh, wrote you something.”

Aki cocks an eyebrow slightly as his hands snake to settle on your waist, breathing in the scent of his shampoo on your hair. “What is it, baby?”

Walking towards the living room–albeit a bit awkwardly with the addition of your boyfriend behind you– you pick up a note from the table, an excited but shy look on your face as you hand him the paper.

Aki silently reads it behind you, remaining expressionless until he finishes. “You’re so sappy, you know that?” He breathes out, peppering kisses against your cheek.

A warm flush spreads through your body, slightly pushing his face away from yours. “I need to finish doing the dishes, wait on the couch?”

Aki kisses your cheek once more before nodding, the warmth around your waist leaving as he sits on the couch.

Immediately missing the added heat against your body, you do the dishes with added haste. Not too fast for Aki to pick up on what you were doing, but fast enough for your hands to gain slight ice burn.

You take your apron off and hold it, placing it next to Aki’s. It’s a slight, domestic feature that makes your heart swell up fondly. Aki’s blue eyes catch yours as he pats a seat next to him on the couch.

He wraps his arms around you, pushing your back against his chest and intertwining your legs. Moments like this make you feel lucky. Lucky to have Aki alive and your kids (?) alive too.

“What was it like being in public safety?” You ask absentmindedly, adjusting your position so you’re laying on top of him, chest against chest.

Aki’s eyes widened, his face slightly contorting in confusion. “What’s with the sudden question?”

“Well,” You shrug, intertwining his hands in yours. “You quit and I just got a little curious since you know… all that happened. I guess I was scared you and the kids wouldn’t come back to me.”

He stares at you and sighs, pulling you closer and putting your face in the crook of his neck. “I know, I’m sorry. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly good either. People died, a lot, and a part of me guessed that one day I’d die before I ever got a chance to find people to care about.”

“There was Himeno, of course, but that wasn’t the same.” Aki sighs, a vague image of his friend flashing through his face. “Ironically, it was when I met those two dumbasses and you that I think my life… turned around?”

“I was forced to take care of Denji and Power, obviously, but the added responsibility of taking care of two people who don’t know how to do long division made me care for them in a reverse psychological type way.”

Aki’s hands are under your shirt, drawing images on your bare back. “Then I met you and changed even more. I never thought I’d be able to have a significant other, not to talk about loving someone romantically.”

Aki isn’t good with expressing his emotions, and even though he’s millions of light years better than when you first met him, hearing him outright say that you changed him, for the better, makes something swell inside you.

“‘n I’m the sap.” You say in feigning annoyance, pressing a kiss on his neck. You feel his body shudder as the hands on your back dig into your skin. “Missed you.”

You move to straddle his waist, a warm flush spreading across your body. “Aki,” a shiver runs down your spine as you suck in a breath. Like a broken record, you repeat yourself. “Aki,”

Curling your fingers into his shirt, you pull him forward and push your lips into his.

You feel him move, his chest pressing against yours as he pushes you to lay your back on the couch. Your hand moves to the back of his neck, the smoothness of his topknot under your fingertips. He tastes tangy, addictive. His tongue swirls around yours, a tiny whine forces its way through your throat.

Pulling away, Aki plays with the bottom of your (his) shirt. “Can I take this off?”

“Yes, Aki please,” You whisper shakily, watching his eyes darken as he swiftly takes your shirt off, throwing it on the floor somewhere and burying his face in your neck.

Soft whines emit from your mouth, hands going to remove the hair tie holding his hair up. His dark blue hair cascaded past his neck and rested on his shoulders. Aki’s hands follow the soft arch of your back and leave indents of his teeth, accompanied by bruises forming on your neck.

Electricity pools in your stomach and flows straight to your dick. Aki spreads your legs with his big hands, his mouth nibbling on the tip of your nipple. “Bedroom?” You whisper breathlessly, remembering none of the people you and Aki are acquainted with know how to knock (except for Angel).

He groans and picks you up as if you weigh nothing, tossing you over his shoulder and opening the door to your shared bedroom with his foot. He puts you on the bed and readily restarts his ministrations.

You watch him play with the waistband of your boxers as his teeth graze the tip of your dick through the fabric. Your legs instinctively come to close, separated by his head. Aki grunts, his hands pressing into the flesh of your thighs, prying them apart and keeping you still. “Stay still.”

Sounds of protest bubble up but the second you feel him lick your cock, it shuts you up instantly. You won’t admit how hard seeing Aki between your legs makes you. Your hole clenches around nothing as slick pools between your thighs.

“Aki,” You mutter, your hands gripping the sheets. “Just take them off already.”

“Are you telling me what to do?” Aki tuts, feigning annoyance as he grabs your thigh so you’re focused on his face. There’s a bare hint of flush on his cheeks, pressing against the crease where your thigh and crotch meet.

It’s like a mental game. Aki knows what he’s doing, how to play with your body to get the exact reaction he needs, and you were dumb to think he wouldn’t use that against you. “No… m’sorry,” You sniffle, fighting back the tears that you weren’t aware of bubbling up.

It’s embarrassing, the hold he has on you. All it takes is a few kisses and some manhandling to have you whining under him like a slut.

Nonetheless, he hikes your hips up and finally takes your boxers. A small gasp leaves your lips as Aki forces your legs above his knees, now properly sitting on the bed. You can feel the swell of his bulge on your ass. There, so close to where you need it the most.

“Open,” Aki’s fingers slip into your mouth, pulling at the corners with a smile on his face. He plays with your tongue, obscene slurping sounds forcing their way into your ears.

It’s not like you’re trying to be loud, but it’s so quiet that you’re practically forced to hear it. Every shortened breath, every whine, words of encouragement every time Aki calls you a good boy, his good boy.

You whimper when his fingers leave your mouth, a messy trail of spit connecting them. His free hand spreads you apart as he scoots down, a glob of spit landing on your cock and sliding down onto your hole.

His fingers find your hole instantly, rubbing against your dick in slow circles. “Aki—ah!” There’s a steady heat building in your abdomen, tight and needy.

“Hm? Something you wanna tell me, baby?” He pushes in a knuckle at a time, just below where you need it. You bite your lip, from the slight burn and the tease of pleasure.

You try to speak– tell him what you need but another finger pushes in and you're interrupted by your hiss. It felt a bit premature, it has been a while since you and Aki had sex so you aren’t as open as you normally would be. Aki leans in for a kiss. It’s demanding, and greedy as he takes your breath away, biting at your lips. Aki’s fingers begin sissorcing, a tiny mewl of surprise leaving your throat.

It takes a minute for the pain to leave completely and the pleasure to take over, g-spot hit dead on. “Oh–” You sigh, fingers holding onto Aki’s shoulder as he breathes your air, foreheads pressed against each other.

“Aki,” You’re out of breath and he hasn’t even fucked you yet. It’s humiliating, embarrassing, yet it feels so good. Aki moves down, his teeth leaving a trail as he settles on your left nipple. He circles the areola. His teeth nip and bite the bud, sucking as his fingers move faster.

It’s good, mind-breakingly so, but it hurts. There’s too much stimulation at once and you’ve completely forgotten everything other than Aki. How Aki feels, what he tastes like, your entire mind is Aki, Aki, Aki.

“Feels good, right baby boy?” Aki coos, his thumb circling the tip of your cock with a newfound haste. “Feels– Aki, m’gonna–” You nod frantically, eyes rolling back and tears streaming down your face as you cum.

“Shh,” Aki kisses your cheek, licking the salt off your face. He pulls away and you hear the sound of clothes rustling. He’s still going?

You can’t bring yourself to move, not when your body feels so limp. So you sit there with your eyes closed and wait.

A beat passes, then two, three, and Aki still hasn’t slipped inside. You are forcing your eye to peek open. Aki stares back at you, eyes lidded and breathing heavy. “Y’look so pretty baby, all perfect f’me, right?”

Aki oozes confidence that he knows he has. The power he has over you, to break with merely his fingers evokes an emotion in you.

The head of his cock presses against your hole, using your cum to slide over your cock. Again, and again, and again, until you’re hard and whining for him to fuck you. “C’mon baby, where are your manners?”

You sniffle, swallowing down a whine. “Please, Aki.”

“Good boy.” He smiles, and the slow grinding of his cock against yours finally stops as he slips inside you. Aki is big, even with prep it takes a bit to get used to.

“Y’feel so good baby,” Aki says, his voice catching on a grunt. “So perfect f’me, so fuckin warm too… shit…” The sound of Aki bottoming out embarrassingly almost brings you over the edge.

“A-Aki—”

Aki’s cock hits your g-spot. Whatever you were about to say gets replaced by a whiny moan. Your eyes snap close and your toes curl, more tears falling down your cheeks.

Aki still doesn’t let up, his hips snapping against your ass hastily. You and Aki have never fucked like this, at least you two haven’t gone past one mutual orgasm before. It feels weird, good– but your body burns up and you physically can’t think.

Your cock stirs, pleasure building in your abdomen again. It sends jolts through your body, pleasure building up, and up, and up and—

Aki’s thumb rubs the tip of your cock and that’s all it takes for another orgasm to wash over you. Your whole body trembles and your back arches.

“That’s two,” Aki says, not showing any sign of slowing down. “I want you t’count okay? C’mon baby tell me how many that was.”

Your voice cracks, and Aki is still fucking you. “Two! s’two!”

Aki grins. “There’s my good boy.”

You’re sure you look stupid, crying on Aki’s cock, rambling about how it’s too much, that you can’t cum anymore. You’re still so sensitive but Aki doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t let up; his thrusts are deep, overwhelming.

Your body sags when you feel Aki’s hips stutter, thrusting once, twice, before spilling inside you with a ragged breath. Heat fills your hole, filling you up and leaking past your perineum.

“My boy, my good fuckin’ boy aren’t you?” Aki kisses you, his hand at the back of your neck that’s adorned with bruises. Everything seems to melt into each other as you try to kiss him back, even out your breathing but you just can’t.

Then, Aki’s cock rehardens inside you, even though it’s barely been a minute. Your eyes widen, trying to look down but all the wind is knocked out of you the second Aki moves his hips.

“Ah! Aki— s’too much too much too—”

Aki grabs your chin, squeezing your cheeks as he forces you to look at him through blurry vision. “T’aww, s’okay baby, just lay there n’take it, okay?” He says in a nasally, prissly voice.

In addition to Aki fucking your hole and still stroking your dick, he takes your nipple in his mouth. Licking around it, biting the bud and sucking the skin. Your throat hurts from all the whining and moaning you’re doing but you can’t help it. Not when he’s fucking you like there’s no tomorrow, pushing you well past overstimulation.

Aki’s mouth burns on your skin, raising your body temperature. Everything is hot, too much. Then, tugs on your nipple with his teeth, slightly increasing the arch in your back.

With the abuse of stimulating all your erogenous zones, you feel another knot forming inside you. Even though everything feels too good, your tears stain the sheets, and electricity zips down every bone in your body. You’re so close, so close—

“Remember to count,” Aki warns just as another orgasm washes over you. For a second, you think you blacked out. Your senses dull and your eyes see nothing but darkness. Your voice tethers over the edge of a sob, your body still convulsing.

“C’mon baby, what number are we at?”

“Three! It’s three— Aki, can’t anymore s’too much—”

He interrupts you with a harsh snap of his hips. His hand pauses just before it goes back to your weeping cock. The stretch of time physically hurts, because you don’t know what he might be thinking. “I think you can give me one more, hm baby?”

“Aki!” You try to shout, but your throat won’t let you speak over a whisper. “Can’t, won’t, it can’t, can’tcan’t—”

“Shhh, s’okay baby,” Aki kisses your cheek, using one of his hands to pull you down on his cock. “Just let me do all the work okay? I’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”

Realistically speaking he’s always been doing the work so his words don’t hold much value. You don’t think that if you’re thinking of anything at all.

Aki’s hips begin to move again, his mouth latches onto your nipple and you don’t think you can breathe anymore. Continuing to rub your cock, he takes two fingers and adds them into your hole, with his cock still inside.

“Aahh! A-Ak—”

“I know baby, shhh, s’okay…” Aki says, pleased. The noises coming from your mouth are absolutely filthy, they sound straight out of a porno, vulnerable and embarrassing. His fingers and his cock move at an uneven pace, making it hard to tell left from right and up from down.

There’s no way you can cum again, it’s impossible. Even then, Aki still keeps going. There’s an unforgivable assault on your g-spot, the tip of his thumb toying and playing with the slit of your cock.

The pleasure is there, unmistakably so, but it hurts. It’s too much but not enough, everything is hot, too hot and—

“Can’t can’t can’t—”

“S’why I’m here, baby.” Aki’s voice sounds so distant even though you know he’s right there.

You shake your head furiously. “It won’t– Aki it can’t,” you cry, snot dripping down your nose.

Your skull melts into nothing when you feel that knot swell up inside you, it hurts, it's too much, it can’t. “There we go, you’re close, right baby?”

You feel like reality splits the second you cum on Aki’s cock. It dribbles out pathetically, borderline dry. Aki’s hips stutter as he cums inside you, his second time.

Yet, he still has the stamina to force you to face him. “Number?’”

“F…four,” Your voice breaks as you sniffle. You missed Aki’s hands on you, even if it was something small like this.

He pulls out and immediately goes to cradle you when he sees the tears only increase in intensity. “Baby? Hey, did I do something wrong? Does anything hurt?”

You can’t find it in yourself to talk, but you have to reassure him somehow. So you shake your head, burying your face in the warmth of his chest. “Can you tell me anything? Color?” There’s worry in his voice and you can’t help but love him more. Even if he just fucked you and your brain stupid.

Weakly, you hold up one finger, hoping that is enough to get the message across. He looks confused for a brief moment before all the worry washes off his face. “But seriously, why are you crying?”

“L…love you, s’muh…” Your voice is nothing less than grainy like you’ve been a chain smoker for twenty years.

Aki’s expression softens as he places a kiss on your cheek, using his thumb (not soiled with your cum) to wipe the tears off your cheeks. You try to stay awake so Aki doesn’t have to clean up alone.

You’re sure you were awake, but you don’t exactly remember getting into the warm sheets with a fresh new set of clothes on as Aki spoons you.

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s3thwrit3sstuff · 7 months ago

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the people who are pressuring you are stupid. they don’t know the process of writing let alone making something that is as amazing as your writing. it really (excuse my language) just fucking pisses me off. writers have their process. if you’re looking for something fast it won’t be good but if you’re looking for something good it’ll take time. also i think you have an amazing schedule. as a writer myself i understand how much it can take and i just wish everyone understood that. you’re doing this for free! you’re too gracious and have an amazing writing style. i love it and don’t let anyone discourage because those people just don’t understand. i hope you are doing well! sorry for my rant it just really ticks me off when people act so entitled towards fanfic writers or any writer for that matter. hope you have a wonderful day/night!!:)

Aaah, you are so sweet (TT o TT) I’m so sorry I didn't reply to this sooner, but I appreciated this so much! 🥹

You’re absolutely right about people not understanding that work takes time. It especially stings when this is something that writers are doing out of their own passion and love for the source material 😭 It’s like, bro, just write your own fics then if you’re tired of waiting??? Smh.

Thank you so much for your understanding and kindness! 🥺 And I’d love to read your works someday! 👀

I hope you’re having a good day/night as well, friend!

#✩彡— 4708-11

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pesterloglog · 1 year ago

Text

Dave Strider, Rose Lalonde, Kanaya Maryam, Karkat Vantas

Act 6, page 4696-4721

DAVE: hey

ROSE: Sup.

DAVE: anyone seen terezi around

ROSE: No.

ROSE: Why?

DAVE: we were gonna do a thing

DAVE: but shes not around and not answering my messages

DAVE: on any one of the probably ten thousand computers lying around that they would show up on

ROSE: A thing?

DAVE: yes a thing

ROSE: I see.

DAVE: shut up

DAVE: what about you have you seen her

KANAYA: No

KANAYA: Have You Seen Gamzee

DAVE: are you serious

DAVE: of course not

DAVE: i havent seen that guy at all since the first day we got here

DAVE: not once

KANAYA: Yeah

KANAYA: I Know

DAVE: talk about an elusive juggalo

DAVE: probably like the shyest fuckin juggalo of all time

DAVE: im pretty sure only karkats seen him

DAVE: dont expect him to rat him out either because of the "morail" junk

DAVE: moirail?

DAVE: mwah rail...

DAVE: alien words

KANAYA: I Wouldnt Expect Him To

KANAYA: I Wouldnt Even Ask It Would Be Really Bad Form To Ask Him That

DAVE: yeah

DAVE: i mean i bet you think youre imparting some really obscure cultural fact about trolls

DAVE: but really if a human said to another human

DAVE: "hey man can you tell me where your best clown friend is hiding so i can go chainsaw him to death"

DAVE: just fyi that would probably be bad form too

KANAYA: Okay

DAVE: i dunno its been a year already i think hes really intent on hiding

DAVE: and hanging on to those dead bodies

DAVE: hes probably scared to death of you at this point anyway

DAVE: maybe you should just let it go

KANAYA: Hmm

DAVE: rose back me up

ROSE: I try to stay out of troll interpersonal politics.

DAVE: interpersonal

DAVE: wait

DAVE: are you saying this is like

DAVE: a spade quadrant thing

DAVE: is she trying to be his kismet fish

ROSE: I'm saying no such thing!

DAVE: well if she hates him isnt that what that means

ROSE: Dave, don't be a dick. You're embarrassing her.

DAVE: haha no im not shes cool

DAVE: look shes being cool about it

KANAYA: Im Being Cool About It

DAVE: see????

KANAYA: Its Not Like That

KANAYA: I Just Want To Find Him

KANAYA: And

KANAYA: At Least Wound Him Somewhat

DAVE: yeah see i knew there had to be a perfectly harmless and unerotic explanation

ROSE: (shh!)

KANAYA: No

KANAYA: See Im Explaining This Badly

KANAYA: All Im Saying Is Basically

KANAYA: Just

KANAYA: Fuck That Guy

DAVE: got it

DAVE: so what are you up to in here

DAVE: whats with all these books

ROSE: Research.

ROSE: We're trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

ROSE: You are aware this meteor has many secret rooms scattered throughout, including libraries, right?

DAVE: hell yeah

DAVE: we looted one of them for the can town project

ROSE: Can Town?

DAVE: i told you about can town didnt i

ROSE: No??

DAVE: well

DAVE: the thing about can town

DAVE: and all there really is to say about can town is

DAVE: its awesome

DAVE: the end???

ROSE: Wow.

ROSE: What a story.

DAVE: fu

DAVE: so

DAVE: what is the point of this research

ROSE: Primarily to gain a more thorough understanding of the situation we'll be entering when we arrive.

DAVE: i thought you pretty much already knew the situation

DAVE: since you can see the future

ROSE: Oh my God.

ROSE: I've told you. I can't see the future!

DAVE: yes you can

DAVE: you totally can

ROSE: Ok. But not all of it. Only certain relevant pieces.

ROSE: It's a bit frustrating when people make that presumption about you.

ROSE: For instance, you are a Knight of Time. Since you have such mastery over time, doesn't that mean you should know everything about the future too?

DAVE: no thats totally dumb

DAVE: i could know things about the future if i time traveled and found out first hand

DAVE: nobodys mistaking that about me im a time traveler not a fuckin fortune teller its simple as shit

ROSE: Right. So there are significant limitations on what you can know, governed by certain rules.

ROSE: That's how it is for a Seer too.

DAVE: ok whatever

ROSE: But I will say that I have been able to use these abilities to assist with research.

ROSE: I can treat my finite glimpses as an additional source of information.

ROSE: If you combine that with the knowledge we've gathered from these texts, and things we've learned from our various encounters with the deceased, with a bit of inference and deduction, a more detailed picture is coming into focus.

DAVE: nice

ROSE: Do you want to hear about it?

DAVE: uh

DAVE: now?

ROSE: Yes.

ROSE: Why not? It's been a year.

ROSE: It seems like all we've done on this trip so far is indulge in lavish interior decoration projects and screw around with mysterious "Can Town" initiatives, which may or may not be consuming valuable library resources as building materials.

ROSE: We could make at least some effort to squeeze in annual briefings on our objective.

DAVE: yeah that would be pretty legit of us

ROSE: I think you'll find that when it comes to striving for a reasonable approximation of legitimacy, we are simply the most barely adequate there is.

DAVE: ok i didnt really catch any of that bullshit cause i wasnt listening

DAVE: im gonna make myself a cup of coffee and get primed to listen to you saying a lot of stuff like that

DAVE: do you want some

ROSE: Um. Sure.

DAVE: kanaya?

KANAYA: No Thank You

DAVE: ok

DAVE: ...

DAVE: this fuckin thing

DAVE: where did you even unearth this piece of shit from

DAVE: oh ok there it goes

DAVE: two hot revitalizing cups of shitty coffee

DAVE: fresh out of the weird pod

DAVE: why do we even drink this shit

DAVE: i guess just cause this thing is here

DAVE: like somehow the temptation is even stronger because the coffee sucks?

DAVE: dunno how the fuck that works

DAVE: wish there was such a thing as apple juice on troll world

DAVE: could go for a bottle of aj

DAVE: i wonder if theres any booze squirreled away on this meteor

DAVE: kinda feels like we should be drinking our asses off here

DAVE: no adults nothing to do

DAVE: thats what you do without adults right

DAVE: get wasted all the time?

DAVE: wait what the fuck am i saying trolls dont even have adults

DAVE: well they do

DAVE: but theyre all in outer space being insane badasses

DAVE: i guess they do have the stupid nanny monsters

DAVE: do the monsters give a shit if they get wasted

ROSE: Are you talking to us?

DAVE: what

ROSE: We can't even hear you mumbling over there.

DAVE: oh

ROSE: How's that coffee coming?

DAVE: off the shit is how

DAVE: all being like

DAVE: in cups and everything

ROSE: Be sure it makes it to the table before it accumulates that strange unctuous film on the surface.

DAVE: so whats with the big book youre writing in

DAVE: is that more wizard fan fiction

ROSE: No, it's something like an extensive journal.

ROSE: I'm recording everything we've been through so far, and detailed notes on everything we know about the game.

ROSE: I'm also using it to document our research, and extrapolate on the new session and players.

DAVE: so its like

DAVE: your nigh unreadable gamefaq

DAVE: in tome form

ROSE: Somewhat.

DAVE: you sure like to write big game guides

ROSE: I don't look at it that way.

ROSE: I'm approaching it from a standpoint of responsible historical documentation.

ROSE: Don't you think people in the future will want to know about our story?

DAVE: i guess

ROSE: I think it could be a very useful resource some day.

ROSE: It could be helpful to others beginning their own quests.

DAVE: ehh

DAVE: chances of that seem pretty remote

KANAYA: I Really Wouldnt Rule It Out

DAVE: ok totally sold on that suddenly

DAVE: on account of not caring

DAVE: so tell me about the new session

DAVE: what is there to know

DAVE: and most importantly

DAVE: how is everything going to go wrong this time

ROSE: From what I understand, everything already has gone wrong before the game even started, in many different ways than ours did.

ROSE: There are indications of thicker political intrigue. Assassination attempts. And a usurpation of the throne more insidious than what we dealt with.

ROSE: But those examples still don't illustrate the fundamental fault with their session.

ROSE: Ours had a similar fault. It was a null session.

ROSE: Literature on the subject says null sessions are actually very common.

ROSE: It is any session resulting in failure, and as such, designed to result in failure from the start, due to Skaia's comprehensive "knowledge" of its own fate, and that of all it illumines.

ROSE: Biologically speaking, it's to be expected that null sessions far outnumber the successful ones. When it comes to reproductive systems, overwhelming redundancy is commonplace.

ROSE: A universe has a reproductive system that spreads many seeds, as it were, most of which never come to fruition. So we shouldn't feel too bad about our results, really. It was quite par for the course.

ROSE: But then, it would also seem that exceedingly few null sessions result in the birth of a massive green star fueled by two dead universes. For what it's worth.

DAVE: ok but i thought the whole point of this

DAVE: the scratch thing

DAVE: is it gave us a chance to still win

DAVE: but youre saying the new session has a fault too?

ROSE: Well, yes. There's more to it though.

ROSE: The new session is essentially our session, rebooted with different parameters which also affected the original conditions of our universe.

ROSE: And strangely, it seems the new one is a null session as well, but within a much less common subset of all null sessions.

ROSE: This one is referred to as a void session.

DAVE: ok

DAVE: which is what

ROSE: It's very simply a session in which nothing is prototyped before entry, at all.

ROSE: Hence, by Skaia's preemptive all-knowing and its influence on the rest of the incipisphere, there are not even any towers on Prospit or Derse built to receive the split kernels.

ROSE: See?

DAVE: weird

DAVE: why would these alt universe players fuck up in such an obvious and stupid way

ROSE: I don't know what specifically led to the failure to prototype anything.

ROSE: But it doesn't really matter. As I said, the session was designed this way before they began playing. Any efforts to prototype may have been in vain regardless. Possibly subject to sabotage.

DAVE: didnt you say at some point that not prototyping anything would be really bad

ROSE: Yes.

ROSE: It's just another way to create an infertile session. Though by a less catastrophic and bloody route we took to achieve the same result.

ROSE: By contrast, it leads to a rather harmless, uneventful session. Underlings remain unaugmented, and so does the royalty.

ROSE: And while this may sound advantageous to the players, it's a curse in disguise. The lack of prototypings which keeps adversaries unevolved has the same influence on the battlefield.

ROSE: Without successive prototypings, the battlefield will never reach its final form, which must be fertilized to grow a new universe.

ROSE: Instead, it remains in its most basic form, stuck in eternal stalemate.

ROSE: There is nothing players in a void session can do to change this. They are resigned to live out the rest of their days in a dead end session.

DAVE: still waiting to hear how this is in any way an improvement on all the shit we just escaped from

ROSE: It's a vast improvement.

ROSE: The new session is a blank slate, without a ridiculously short time limit for victory like ours had.

ROSE: There will be no time limit at all, in fact.

ROSE: Once we arrive, ostensibly that is when the nature of the session will change.

ROSE: It won't be classifiable as either a null or void session anymore. It will be something which, as far as I can tell, is unique.

ROSE: The fully matured battlefield from our session can be used to make the new one viable. The path to success will be made possible by a combination of efforts and assets from both iterations.

ROSE: Usually scratched sessions are absolute resets, and involve no direct influence from the first attempt at all. I can't find any precedent for our situation.

DAVE: jade has our battlefield right

ROSE: Yes.

DAVE: so she shows up and drops it in skaia

DAVE: and then we take the result of all that damn frog breeding we did and stick the thing in there somehow

DAVE: and we sit back and wait for it to do its huge ribbit or whatever

DAVE: and were golden

ROSE: Pretty much.

ROSE: As long as there is an actual vacancy in the center of Skaia when we get there.

DAVE: is that going to be a problem

ROSE: I don't think so.

ROSE: Even if it were, it would be a trivial obstacle.

ROSE: But as it is, I think the forces opposing these players are clandestinely working toward the same goal as we are.

ROSE: From what I can tell, gestures of antagonism, while certainly posing legitimate danger, have been factored in as critical stepping stones to one destination shared by all parties.

ROSE: I don't know why this is, or what the motives are yet.

ROSE: The appearance is one of clear sailing ahead, but traces of conspiracy are everywhere.

DAVE: ok but

DAVE: conspiracies aside

DAVE: did it ever really look like clear sailing to you

DAVE: thats not what i was seeing

DAVE: we are going to arrive and then soon after jack is going to show up

DAVE: and then we have to beat him right

DAVE: so there kind of is a time limit

ROSE: Yes, we will have to deal with Jack before all is said and done.

ROSE: And that will definitely be a major challenge.

ROSE: But it is not impossible. At least, not by design.

ROSE: When I said there would be no time limit in this session, I was talking about something more specific.

ROSE: There will be no reckoning.

DAVE: oh

DAVE: why not

ROSE: It's a logical consequence of any void session.

ROSE: The battlefield never evolves, and therefore the more extensive war between Prospit and Derse never takes shape.

ROSE: It is only when the Prospitian king falls in battle that the reckoning can be initiated by the forces of Derse.

ROSE: The meteors then rush to destroy the battlefield, while Skaia redirects them through defense portals for as long as it can.

ROSE: Thus, if there is no war, there is no reckoning, no meteors, and no imminent threat of failure.

ROSE: This is of course good news for Earth as well. During the reckoning, Skaia redirects all incoming meteors to the only place it can. Earth.

ROSE: So it turns out that players who initiate a void session are not actually condemning their home planet to an apocalyptic wasteland after they leave.

ROSE: In the new instance of our universe, Earth is just fine.

ROSE: Sort of.

DAVE: so

DAVE: no meteors came at all

DAVE: you mean by fucking up and having to scratch we also sort of saved earth in the process

ROSE: Again: sort of.

ROSE: And it's not that there were no meteors whatsoever.

ROSE: Just the vast majority of the destructive onslaught never showed up.

ROSE: But delivering the temple to the site of the forge is still integral to jumpstarting the session.

ROSE: That meteor however could have been propelled through a portal by any means, not just via the reckoning.

DAVE: i see

DAVE: what about the players themselves

DAVE: they had to arrive on meteors too didnt they

DAVE: i guess the baby meteors were some exceptions too right

ROSE: Yes.

ROSE: But they weren't flung through portals in their own session, nor will they be created there.

ROSE: They were created in our session, and sent back through our portals. Just like us.

DAVE: ................

ROSE: To understand what happened, it really helps to understand exactly what a scratch is.

ROSE: When John severely damaged the Beat Mesa on your planet, and sent it off to Skaia to release its temporal energy there, you could view it as a kind of "request."

ROSE: We were asking Skaia to change everything at a fundamental level, and we gave it the energy to do so.

ROSE: But Skaia is a very passive entity. It only "knows" and "sees," but it never quite "acts."

ROSE: When it is asked to change everything, there is only so much it has control over.

ROSE: In fact, it has control over exactly one thing. The defense portals.

ROSE: It can decide to send important meteors to different points in time than originally planned, thus creating alternate realities.

ROSE: Offshoots of promise, rather than futility.

ROSE: And it turns out the most important meteors of all tend to be the ones delivering the young players to their planet.

ROSE: So all it has to do to change everything is tweak their destination times a bit.

ROSE: All internally-prompted changes in the post-scratch universe are decided entirely by this modest adjustment to the parameters.

ROSE: It's a very simple concept, actually.

ROSE: Yet the consequences are dramatic. It results in not only a hard reset for the session, but a partial reset for the universe too, due to the many causal entanglements between a session and its originating universe.

DAVE: what do you mean tweak the destination times

DAVE: where did they get sent to

ROSE: A variety of different time periods.

ROSE: The simplest way to way to look at it is to picture the original destinations of our two groups of four ecto-babies...

ROSE: And switch them.

DAVE: what

ROSE: Though this is just a slight oversimplification.

ROSE: While it's roughly true, Skaia had some peculiar whims this time.

ROSE: While most landed in time periods corresponding with the original group,

ROSE: It seems that two of the new players arrived four centuries ahead of everyone else.

ROSE: For some bizarre reason.

DAVE: uh

ROSE: But they're still apparently able to communicate with their coplayers through I guess some Trollian-like technology, and they're still able to establish game connections with the others. So this stands as an odd but not otherwise terribly significant detail.

DAVE: so

DAVE: uh

DAVE: in this alt universe group of us and

DAVE: them

DAVE: which ones are the actual players

ROSE: I'll give you a hint.

ROSE: It isn't us.

DAVE: fuck

DAVE: why did i know that was gonna be the answer

ROSE: And to think that usually I'm the one accused of knowing the future.

DAVE: i dunno if im ready to process the ramifications of this bullshit

ROSE: You would find it less disconcerting if the players were alternate versions of us?

DAVE: man

DAVE: at least im used to dealing with alt daves

DAVE: ive been fuck deep in alt daves before

DAVE: its a goddamn delight if you want to know the truth

DAVE: but i dont even know what to think about...

ROSE: What?

ROSE: Meeting a deceased figure of authority as a peer?

DAVE: lets not even talk about it ok

DAVE: can we slow down this meteor

DAVE: delay the meetup

DAVE: maybe fight jack for a little while

ROSE: I honestly thought you would find the idea exciting.

ROSE: I know I'm looking forward to it.

DAVE: but your mom was just a nice alcoholic spinster who liked wizards who you complained about for no reason

DAVE: she wasnt anything like an untouchable master of irony who could replace the meat in your sandwich before it even occurred to you what the fuck you were chewing

DAVE: let me ask you this did your mom ever wiggle a puppet in your face even ONCE

ROSE: Not that I recall.

ROSE: But anecdotes like that just make me more curious to meet him, personally.

DAVE: fine well you can be on bro duty then

DAVE: ill be the ambassador to your mom

DAVE: and no that wasnt actually meant as the sick burn it sounded like

ROSE: She's your mom too, though.

DAVE: yeah i know

DAVE: ill be the ambassador to my mom then

DAVE: that sounds pretty stupid when i say it that way

DAVE: whatever

DAVE: ill be the fuckin one man welcome wagon for the john and jade teen old people and also our mom thats the plan

DAVE: so when we finally see them we can get our shit into formation like trained acrobats

DAVE: like ill blow a whistle and we make a human pyramid got it

DAVE: that way we can totally avoid anything awkward

ROSE: You do realize we've seen her already, right?

DAVE: what

DAVE: when

ROSE: Months ago.

ROSE: In a dream.

ROSE: She was floating along in Derse pajamas, asleep.

DAVE: wait that was her

ROSE: Yes.

DAVE: oh

DAVE: huh

DAVE: .....

ROSE: You're wondering why I didn't tell you?

DAVE: no

ROSE: You're specifically wondering why I wasn't forthcoming with an answer to your question at the time, "hey who was that choice babe in the pajamas?"

DAVE: god fucking dammit

ROSE: You don't find it nostalgic at all?

ROSE: Retracing the steps of some of our Freudian semi-blunders in conversations past?

DAVE: no what a load of shit

DAVE: stuff said between you and me before we knew we were related

DAVE: we both know that was a lot of horseplay bullfuckery between like smartass 10 year olds or whatever

DAVE: you cant seriously have taken any of that seriously

ROSE: ;)

DAVE: ugh dont ever do that

DAVE: all these fuckin

DAVE: momtraps and sistertraps

DAVE: what a joke i hope skaia gets to have a good laugh over shit like this

DAVE: wait i forgot skaia doesnt laugh it just "sees" and "knows"

DAVE: its like a huge blue perv thats mad jazzed for kidcest

KANAYA: What Are You People Even Talking About

ROSE: ;)

DAVE: dont you wink at her

DAVE: kanaya heres a protip that wink meant jack dick shes just being weird

KANAYA: I Feel As Though This Conversation Has Utterly Outmaneuvered My Constructive Involvement

KANAYA: Im Going To Go

DAVE: yeah im pretty much ollying outie too

DAVE: got some shit to attend to

DAVE: after you

KANAYA: Augh

KANAYA: Why Does That Always Happen

KARKAT: EVERYBODY OUT OF THE GODDAMN WAY.

KARKAT: I GOT A LAB FULL OF HUMANS, A MOUTH FULL OF YELLING, AND A TORTURED PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE FULL OF TOTALLY HYSTERICAL EMOTIONS AND UNAIRED GRIEVANCES AT PRACTICALLY EVERYBODY.

DAVE: karkat is broken guys

KARKAT: YEAH

KARKAT: OK HOLD ON

KARKAT: IF I CAN SETTLE DOWN A TICK I SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE MORE SENSE SHORTLY

KARKAT: JUST ONE...

KARKAT: *huff huff*

ROSE: Maybe you should lie down on the couch.

KARKAT: FUCK...

KARKAT: *wheeze*

KARKAT: NO

DAVE: dude what is the matter with you

KARKAT: WOW OK

KARKAT: THAT WAS A PRETTY TERRIBLE ENTRANCE.

KARKAT: ANYWAY

KARKAT: WHERE WAS I.

DAVE: dunno but i was just leaving

KARKAT: NOT SO FAST STRIDER, THIS HEAVILY CONCERNS YOU.

KARKAT: IT CONCERNS YOU EXCLUSIVELY IN FACT.

KARKAT: WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?

DAVE: just stepping out to do a thing

DAVE: which is not your business

KARKAT: LIKE MY INFLAMED QUAKING GALLSPHINCTER IT'S NOT.

KARKAT: TELL ME, ARE YOU BY ANY CHANCE GOING TO HAVE SOME COMPANY WHEN YOU STEP OUT TO DO THIS "THING?"

KARKAT: NOTICE THE TWO HEAVILY DRAMATIZED "ENCLOSURE TALONS" SURROUNDING THAT WORD, WHICH I AM SCORNFULLY PANTOMIMING WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS, AS PRESENTLY BEING DEMONSTRATED FOR YOU.

DAVE: yeah sure

KARKAT: OH??

KARKAT: WHO WOULD THAT BE MAY I ASK?

DAVE: well

DAVE: probably the mayor

DAVE: hes usually down for whatever

KARKAT: I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FUCKING MAYOR, AND YOU FUCKING KNOW IT.

DAVE: hey dont be saying shit about the mayor

DAVE: the mayor rules hes like my best fucking friend

KARKAT: HE'S NOT A MAYOR. HE'S THE MAYOR OF FUCKSTICK JUNCTION LOCATED SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF PRETEND ASS NOWHERE.

DAVE: hes a mayor you douche his thing says mayor

KARKAT: IT SAYS "MAYO" AND HE WROTE THE "R" HIMSELF.

KARKAT: HE'S AT BEST A MAYO. AND WHO EVER HEARD OF A MAYO? IT'S EVERY BIT AS IMAGINARY AS HIS IDENTITY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

DAVE: no mayo is like grub sauce but without grubs

KARKAT: WHO THE FUCK EVER HEARD OF GRUB SAUCE WITHOUT GRUBS??? WHAT'S IT MADE OF THEN GENIUS!

DAVE: like

DAVE: uh

DAVE: i dunno its white and it just sort of exists

DAVE: you dont ask about mayo thats not what you do with mayo

KARKAT: ISN'T IT FUNNY HOW QUICKLY YOUR BULLSHIT UNRAVELS WHEN SOMEONE INTELLIGENT ACTUALLY HOLDS YOU ACCOUNTABLE??

KARKAT: YOU ARE FUCKING BUSTED STRIDER.

KARKAT: YOU ARE BUSTED ABOUT "MAYO" AND YOU ARE BUSTED ABOUT TEREZI.

DAVE: hahaha you are pathetic

DAVE: this is why you all stormed in here out of breath

DAVE: what did you actually sprint all the way across the meteor to tell me this

KARKAT: WHAT I DO WITH MY LEGS AND HOW FAST I MOVE THEM IS MY BUSINESS YOU SHIT.

DAVE: yeah and what i do with mine is mine

DAVE: watch me make them make me leave

KARKAT: I SAID STAY YOUR ASS PUT, WE'RE TALKING HERE.

DAVE: dude dont touch my cape

DAVE: ...

DAVE: huh

KARKAT: WHAT

DAVE: i cant believe i seriously just said dude dont touch my cape to somebody and was serious about it

KARKAT: OK, LOOK I'M NOWHERE NEAR YOUR PRECIOUS STUPID CAPE. JUST LISTEN.

KARKAT: BEFORE YOU GO OFF TO SNOG TEREZI IN YOUR IDIOTIC LITTLE VILLAGE OF NUTRITION CYLINDERS, HEAR ME OUT.

DAVE: man

DAVE: you are so overblowing this

KARKAT: BUT I DON'T THINK THAT I AM!

DAVE: yeah you are

DAVE: you have some idea about us or what were getting up to

DAVE: so weve done a few things together to pass the time so what

DAVE: i dont even think you could call them dates or anything

DAVE: what the fuck would even qualify as a date on this gross dark meteor

KARKAT: DAVE, CAN WE JUST CUT THE SHIT?

KARKAT: I AM NOT AN IMBECILE. YOU ARE BOTH PLAINLY TIPPING INTO FLUSHED TERRITORY IRRESPECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS OR WHATEVER LAME CONDITIONS IT IS HUMANS BELIEVE TO BE OPTIMAL FOR PURSUING A MATESPRITSHIP.

KARKAT: ANYONE CAN SEE THAT, IT'S THE SHITTIEST KEPT SECRET ON THIS METEOR. PROBABLY EVEN THE FUCKING MAYOR GETS IT, AND LET'S FACE IT, HE'S A LITTLE SLOW.

KARKAT: DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD PULL THE WOOLBEAST MATERIAL OVER THE EYES OF A HARDENED VETERAN OF ROMANTIC STUDIES?

DAVE: we have one of those???

KARKAT: I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF TROLL ROMANCE FILMS, EACH DEALING WITH TOPICS FAR MORE SUBTLE AND COMPLEX THAN YOUR PEDESTRIAN HUMAN MIND COULD EVER GRASP.

KARKAT: AND IN CASE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN, I'VE ALREADY WATCHED HUNDREDS OF YOUR MORE PRIMITIVE BUT MODERATELY ENTERTAINING ROMANCE FILMS.

KARKAT: REMEMBER HOW I DOWNLOADED A FUCK TON OF THEM AFTER DISCOVERING YOUR SPECIES? I AM A CURIOUS MAN, DAVE, YOU COULD LEARN FROM ME.

DAVE: yeah i remember

DAVE: havent you only watched a bunch of shitty dane cook movies on infinite loop since we left

KARKAT: YOU'RE SEVERELY EXAGGERATING, BUT YES I HAVE SAMPLED HIS WORK.

DAVE: dude

DAVE: you know youre only pretending to be a huge fan of his bullshit to piss me off

KARKAT: AGAIN LOOK AT HOW SELF ABSORBED YOU'RE BEING!!!

KARKAT: I HAPPEN TO THINK HE HAS A BRILLIANT COMEDIC MIND, FOR A HUMAN.

DAVE: hrnngngnngghhhh

DAVE: it turns out that exact sentence is my one weakness

DAVE: you win bro you got your girl back

KARKAT: OH SHUT UP.

KARKAT: I AM NOT HERE TO DEBATE YOU ON THE FINER POINTS OF CINEMA, OR TO "GET MY GIRL BACK."

KARKAT: HOW DESPERATE DO YOU THINK I AM?

KARKAT: I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO DO THE OPPOSITE.

KARKAT: I WANTED TO TELL YOU I'M TOTALLY OK WITH IT.

DAVE: oh

DAVE: ok then

KARKAT: BUT JUST LISTEN, AND TRY TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND. I KNOW THAT'S HARD FOR YOU.

KARKAT: HERE, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

DAVE: oh no

DAVE: what the hot mess of fresh fuck am i looking at

KARKAT: IT'S AN ALTERNIAN ROMANCE NOVEL.

KARKAT: NOW LOOK, I'M NOT VOUCHING FOR THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF LITERATURE. IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY TRASHY AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED I COULD RECOMMEND MUCH BETTER THINGS TO YOU.

KARKAT: IT'S JUST THIS ONE ILLUSTRATES THE CONCEPT VERY CLEARLY.

DAVE: what...

DAVE: "concept"

KARKAT: IT'S A PRETTY TYPICAL CASE OF QUADRANT VACILLATION AS APPLIED TO AN OVERLAPPING GROUP OF ROMANTIC PAIRINGS.

DAVE: you lost me at quadrant

DAVE: for future reference thats the word that always lets me know its time to check out of a sentence

KARKAT: WILL YOU PIPE DOWN AND JUST HEAR ME OUT.

KARKAT: IT'S REALLY SIMPLE. THINK OF IT AS BEING SIMILAR TO ONE OF YOUR PRIMITIVE HUMAN LOVE TRIANGLES.

KARKAT: THOUGH THIS IS A QUADRANGLE. THOSE ARE MUCH MORE COMMON IN OUR SOCIETY AND ENTERTAINMENT, AND FOUR IS PRETTY MUCH THE MINIMUM VALUE FOR LOVE-HATE N-DRANGLES.

DAVE: n drangles

DAVE: god dammit

KARKAT: NOW HERE IS WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON WITH THIS GROUP OF CHARACTERS. PAY ATTENTION. HEY, LOOK AT ME. EYES OVER HERE. GOOD.

KARKAT: SEE THE TWO HEROES IN THE MIDDLE, PARTAKING IN THEIR FLUSHED EMBRACE? PRETTY MUCH YOUR TYPICAL LOWBLOOD REDROM PAIRING. THEIR DYNAMIC IS THE GRUBLOAF AND TUBER PASTE OF THE OVERALL ARC.

DAVE: .........

KARKAT: BUT WHAT HAVE WE HERE? THERE ARE SOME NEFARIOUS HIGHBLOODS IN THE PICTURE TOO. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING.

KARKAT: THE GUY ON THE LEFT IS AN OLD CALIGINOUS FLAME FROM THE MALE LOWBLOOD'S PAST, AND HAS REENTERED THE PICTURE. AGAIN, NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. HE CAN CONTINUE TO COURT HIS MATESPRIT AND KISMESIS WITHOUT CONFLICT. IT'S A PERFECTLY AMICABLE ARRANGEMENT THAT EVERYONE'S TOTALLY DOWN WITH.

DAVE: what is that huge beefcake troll even doing

DAVE: is he grinding against the little dudes shoulder what is even going on

DAVE: why the fuck is he nude

KARKAT: NO QUESTIONS YET.

KARKAT: SO THEN THAT'S ALL FINE, PRETTY BOILERPLATE CONDITIONS FOR UNFOLDING ROMDRAMA, BUT THERE'S A TWIST.

KARKAT: THE MALE HIGHBLOOD AND LOWBLOOD START TO HAVE FLUSHED FEELINGS FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND THIS RESULTS IN SOME RED INFIDELITY BETWEEN THE LOWBLOOD PAIR.

KARKAT: OBVIOUSLY THIS IS WHERE THE FIREWORKS START GOING OFF. THE RED FEELINGS BETWEEN THE LOWBLOODS TURN TO BLACK, AND THUS BEGINS WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS QUADRANT VACILLATION.

KARKAT: MEANWHILE THE TWO MALES ARE ALSO VACILLATING BETWEEN RED AND BLACK, BECAUSE YOU DON'T JUST LET GO OF A RIVALRY SO EASILY.

DAVE: what is going on with the other chick

DAVE: all grabbing at the other one down there in the corner

KARKAT: YEAH, WELL, IT GETS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, PROBABLY MORE THAN NEEDED FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING THE POINT.

KARKAT: IN THE HEAT OF THEIR VACILLATION, DURING AN ESPECIALLY BLACK PHASE, THE LOWBLOOD FEMALE WAXES RED FOR A NOTORIOUS AND ESPECIALLY BRUTAL HIGHBLOOD FEMALE.

KARKAT: SO THEY HAVE THEIR THING ON THE SIDE, BUT EVEN THAT STARTS VACILLATING TOO BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL PAIR JUST KEEP SPINNING LIKE A TOP.

KARKAT: WE DON'T NEED TO GET BOGGED DOWN IN THE QUADRANGLE DYNAMIC THOUGH, AND FOR OUR PURPOSES THE 4TH PARTY IS A DISTRACTION.

DAVE: our purposes

DAVE: what the fuck are our purposes

KARKAT: THE THING IS, VACILLATION ALWAYS ADDS A LOT OF DRAMA TO EVERYTHING, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE VIABLE.

KARKAT: IT CAN TOTALLY WORK, AND EVERYONE CAN BE REASONABLE ABOUT IT, IT REALLY JUST COMES DOWN TO A MATTER OF SENSIBLE SCHEDULING.

DAVE: you must be out of your fucking mind if you think i want to know where youre going with this

KARKAT: DAVE, PLEASE.

KARKAT: JUST READ THE BOOK, OK? IT'S ALL IN THE BOOK.

DAVE: im not reading that shit

DAVE: i cant even read your stupid troll language why would you think i can

KARKAT: I THINK YOU SHOULD RECONSIDER. I CAN TRANSLATE FOR YOU. I'LL READ THE WHOLE DAMN THING ALOUD IF YOU WANT.

KARKAT: SERIOUSLY, IT COULD REALLY EXPAND YOUR LIMITED HUMAN THINK PAN ON STUFF.

KARKAT: THERE'S A LOT HERE THAT'S APPLICABLE TO OUR SITUATION.

DAVE: there is nothing even slightly applicable about any of that bullshit to our situation

KARKAT: DON'T BE DENSE. OF COURSE THERE IS.

KARKAT: TEREZI AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE VERGE OF VACILLATING LIKE THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

KARKAT: IT'S ABOUT TIME WE KILLED THE SUSPENSE AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGED IT.

KARKAT: YOU AND SHE SEEM BENT ON DEVELOPING SOMETHING IN THE FLUSHED QUADRANT, AND LIKE I SAID, I'M FINE WITH THAT.

KARKAT: IF WE CAN JUST GET OUR SHIT STRAIGHTENED OUT, WE CAN BE LIKE THESE VACILLATING PAIRS THAT ALTERNATE BETWEEN RED AND BLACK, BUT IN A WAY THAT'S COMPLEMENTARY WITH EACH OTHER'S PATTERNS.

DAVE: oh my god

DAVE: why is this happening

KARKAT: LIKE WHILE SHE AND I ARE BLACK, YOU AND SHE ARE RED.

KARKAT: BUT THEN WHEN SHE AND I ARE RED, YOU AND SHE... I DON'T KNOW IF HUMANS ARE REALLY CAPABLE OF BLACK FEELINGS?

KARKAT: I GUESS THAT'S UP TO YOU. MAYBE YOU CAN JUST LIKE, SIT THOSE PERIODS OUT.

KARKAT: LIKE TAKE A BREAK, YOU KNOW?

DAVE: youve completely lost it dude

DAVE: i cant believe for a fucking second this is reasonable shit to propose even on troll world

DAVE: you just

DAVE: totally snapped

KARKAT: SNAPPED LIKE A FUCKING FOX. THIS MAKES PERFECT SENSE.

KARKAT: LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF RESPONSIBLE SCHEDULING.

KARKAT: HERE LET ME SHOW YOU.

KARKAT: I NEED SOME PAPER. WHERE'S SOME PAPER.

DAVE: hnnrrghh

KARKAT: LOOK, IT'S PERFECTLY SIMPLE.

KARKAT: HANG ON WHILE I DRAW THE GUIDELINES.

DAVE: oh no

DAVE: no you are NOT making another shipping grid dude

KARKAT: IT'S NOT A SHIPPING GRID.

KARKAT: JUST SOME ROWS AND COLUMNS FOR A SCHEDULE.

DAVE: its a grid youre drawing a goddamn grid

DAVE: im not letting you draw a grid for this stupid shit

KARKAT: COME ON, LOOK HERE. THESE ARE THE DAYS OF THE WEEK.

KARKAT: THEN WE EACH HAVE ROWS FOR THOSE DAYS AND WE CAN DRAW A HEART OR A SPADE FOR ANY GIVEN DAY.

KARKAT: THAT WAY WE KNOW WHAT'S UP IN ADVANCE, AND AVOID UNPLEASANT CONFLICTS.

DAVE: put the fucking pen down

KARKAT: HEY, CUT IT OUT. DON'T TOUCH ME.

DAVE: do not draw a shipping grid

DAVE: do not do it

KARKAT: IT'S NOT A SHIPPING GRID YOU OBTUSE FUCK.

DAVE: this is fucked up put it down

KARKAT: NO.

DAVE: you are not drawing a grid to organize our goddamn dating lives

DAVE: that is some straight up crackpot motherfuckin noise i will not abide

KARKAT: FUCK YOU. LET ME DRAW.

DAVE: stop drawing the shipping grid

KARKAT: *IT IS NOT A SHIPPING GRID*

KARKAT: THIS IS NOT SHIPPING YOU HEINOUS TOOL, THIS IS COMMON SENSE.

DAVE: you will not draw anything that even remotely resembles a grid

DAVE: do not draw an arrangement of squares or otherwise interlocking polygons

KARKAT: LET GO.

DAVE: you will not draw a spreadsheet for the purpose of allocating time spent with a mutual girlfriend you horses ass

DAVE: that is exactly the shit i do not want to see

KARKAT: LOOK, I JUST DREW A SQUARE.

KARKAT: GET READY TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THOSE!

DAVE: no

DAVE: stop

DAVE: do not draw any additional squares

DAVE: do not draw any quadrilaterals or trapezoids or rectangles or fucking n-drangles and especially as fuck not any god damned rhombuses

DAVE: i dont want to see your lines making any right angles do you understand

KARKAT: IN MY MIND'S EYE I AM PICTURING A BEAUTIFUL LATTICE OF LINES AND COMPARTMENTS, INTERLOCKING WITH SUBLIME PRECISION AT NINETY DEGREE ANGLES.

KARKAT: I IMAGINE THIS MODULAR RETICULATION AS AN ELEGANT VESSEL, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE GRAND SYNTHESIS OF OUR SHARED SHIPPING DREAMS.

DAVE: no

DAVE: that is the perfect example of what you shouldnt be drawing

KARKAT: YES

DAVE: no

KARKAT: FUCK YES

KARKAT: OOH LOOK, ANOTHER SQUARE, SORT OF.

KARKAT: KIND OF WOBBLY! IT'LL HAVE TO DO.

DAVE: no you fuck

KARKAT: WAIT, I THINK IT'S COMING.

KARKAT: HERE IT COMES, MY FIRST "SHIP", IT'S GOING IN THE SQUARE!

DAVE: put the goddamn pen down

DAVE: you piece of shit

KARKAT: HELL NO.

DAVE: yes

KARKAT: WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM??

KARKAT: OW, FUCK.

DAVE: this is so sick does she even know youre doing this

KARKAT: DOING WHAT??

DAVE: splitting up her time in a grid for your stupid rotating hate date plan

KARKAT: SHE WILL SOON ENOUGH.

DAVE: what a presumptuous sack of shit put the pen down

KARKAT: NO, I'M DRAWING.

DAVE: step away from your dumb ugly scribble grid

KARKAT: GET LOST.

DAVE: youre messing up roses book

KARKAT: YOU SMELL BAD.

DAVE: dont talk to me about rank smells

DAVE: you are the fuckin big man of smellin bad

DAVE: you dominate the paint with your stonk

KARKAT: MY LUSUS BROUGHT THINGS HOME THAT SMELLED MORE APPEALING THAN YOU.

KARKAT: IMPORTANT FACT: 100% OF WHAT HE BROUGHT HOME WAS EITHER A DEAD ANIMAL, OR LITERAL FECES.

DAVE: oh yeah well check it out:

DAVE: you smell like if someone took a dump on a butt

KARKAT: HOW CAN SHE STAND YOU WITH HER SENSITIVE NOSE?

KARKAT: HAVE YOU EVER EVEN WASHED THAT RIDICULOUS OUTFIT?

DAVE: theyre magic fucking pajamas they stay like perma clean or something

DAVE: theyre enchanted and comfy as fuck give me the pen

KARKAT: NO, IT'S MINE NOW. I'M KEEPING IT ON PRINCIPLE.

DAVE: karkat whoa man what are you doing

DAVE: why are you drawing all these human dicks

DAVE: how do you even know what they look like what have you been watching??

KARKAT: I'M NOT DRAWING THOSE!!!!!!!

KARKAT: YOU'RE MAKING ME DRAW THEM, STOP THAT.

DAVE: no way

DAVE: this book is now like

DAVE: our fight fueled ouija board of cock

KARKAT: ARGH... STOP!

KARKAT: DON'T

KARKAT: NO FUCK

KARKAT: OK NO

KARKAT: YOU DREW THAT ONE

KARKAT: YOU DREW THAT ONE!!!!

KARKAT: DON'T PRETEND YOU DIDN'T!

DAVE: are you sure man

DAVE: thats the spooky thing about penis ouija you can never be sure who did the dicks

DAVE: was it you or me or maybe a ghoooost???

KARKAT: FUUUUUUUCK LET GO OF ME!

DAVE: gimme the pen

KARKAT: NO

DAVE: yes

KARKAT: NO

DAVE: yes

KARKAT: FINE TAKE IT!

DAVE: no

KARKAT: WHAT??

DAVE: were still drawing

KARKAT: LET GO

DAVE: are you kidding this is a fucking masterpiece we have to see this through

KARKAT: I'M TRYING TO LET GO OF THE STUPID PEN BUT YOU WON'T LET ME

DAVE: we are in the shit now

DAVE: we are motherfuckin entrenched in this bitch

KARKAT: YOU CRAZY FUCK

DAVE: were running out of room rose can you turn the page for us

KARKAT: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

KARKAT: THIS ALTERCATION IS BECOMING UNCOMFORTABLY PHYSICAL, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME.

DAVE: what are you talking about

KARKAT: YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

DAVE: shut up and draw another penis

KARKAT: YOU DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF ALL THIS HOSTILE TOUCHING AND GRABBING DO YOU???

KARKAT: I DON'T FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT YOU STRIDER, JUST STEP OFF.

DAVE: man if you want to look at this that way then thats your business

DAVE: this is just an old fashioned beatdown where im from deal with it

KARKAT: WHY DON'T YOU OLD FASHIONED GO FUCK YOURSELF?

DAVE: stop biting my cape

KARKAT: FUFCK NYOUF.

KARKAT: RAAARARRAAUUUAAAAUUAGHGHGGHGGGGHHGH!

DAVE: shit!

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sasukimimochi · 1 year ago

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So many pornbots are following me...but i can't tell which are which sometimes...*hides behind the corner of a wall* who ARE U PEOPLE

#sasu speaks #also gom update: 4708 words and getting close

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gilded-ghosts · 2 years ago

Text

DEL SOL COLLECTION ✹ | gildedghosts

9 NEW MESHES. A small collection of pieces inspired by the early 1930s. BIG shout-out to the talented @moon-simmers who collaborated with me and created many of the lovely patterns specifically for this set.

DOWNLOAD NOW

#ts4cc #ts4 #ts4mm #IT IS FINISHED

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fandom-imagines-stories · 1 month ago

Text

The In Between

Season Three Episode Two

Dr. Spencer Reid x Reader (Aaron Hotchner’s Sister)

Words: 4708

Series Masterlist

Summary: Spencer tries to hold himself together while facing the unthinkable. Aaron waits helplessly at a different hospital. The reader finds herself in the space between life and death with a difficult choice.

Notes: You have no idea how cool I thought I was to use this title. Anyway, thank you guys so much for the support for season three coming out! I am currently working on part two, but all of part one will be posted in the next few weeks! Keep letting me know what you think! Lots of love- Erin

They tried to stop him. Every nurse and doctor on the floor had attempted to prevent him from leaving, as well as his co-workers, but even the bullet hole in his leg couldn’t slow him down.

Morgan drove while Prentiss directed them to the correct hospital.

They weren’t even sure it was you.

Female. Admitted for multiple stab wounds three hours after Hotch was admitted at Saint Sebastian.

But Spencer knew. Despite all of his logic and all of his reasoning, the feeling in his twisting gut told him that this was it.

According to what Garcia could find, the patient had been taken into surgery and had been there ever since, trying to repair the damage and loss of blood.

You could be flatlining right now and he was still limping his way out of the parking lot.

“Reid, slow down man,” Morgan warned. “If you bust that wound open-”

“I don’t care,” Reid snapped. “Just help me inside.” He put an arm around Morgan’s shoulders and the other agent lifted some of the weight off of Reid’s injured knee without arguing. Morgan wanted to find out just as badly as Reid did, but most of all, he was pissed.

Foyet had put his credentials on Hotch.

This was a message for the whole team.

It said none of them was untouchable.

“Sir what are you-” A nurse approached the struggling duo, but Prentiss cut her off.

“We’re looking for a woman admitted under the name Y/F/N Hotchner? She was taken to surgery for multiple stab wounds. We just need to know what’s going on,” she explained.

The nurse looked at them skeptically. “Are you family?”

“We’re with the FBI-” Prentiss started, but she cut her off.

“Miss Hotchner is in no state to be questioned.”

Spencer stepped forward, almost stumbling.

“I’m her fiance.”

Prentiss and Morgan glanced at each other in shock.

Spencer continued. “We work with her brother. He is unable to be here because he was a victim of the same attack, but was taken to a different hospital. Now please,” he begged. “Where is she?”

Looking into his frantic eyes, she believed him.

“Follow me.”

The tiled floor seemed to stretch on forever. Every step sent pain up his leg and every second felt like hours. Morgan helped him down the hall until they reached the room. Reid pushed away, using the door frame to hold himself up as his heart sank into his stomach.

Your skin had gone deathly pale, your eyes were closed, and the heart monitor droned its mocking song back at him.

“It’s been touch and go for a while now,” the nurse sighed. “She’d lost so much blood by the time anyone found her… the doctors have done everything they can.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Emily asked, eyes unable to tear away from the sight of you in that bed. She hardly even recognized you, the bruises on your face and the machines attached to your body.

The nurse gave them a small, but reassuring smile. “We’re doing everything we can.”

Spencer winced, forcing his feet forward to the chair beside the bed, allowing himself to collapse into it. His hand found yours, nearly pulling away from the shock of your cold skin.

“We were finally happy again,” he whispered, choking back the sobs threatening to spill over. Spencer let his head fall beside your hand as he cried.

He didn’t move after that.

You woke up gasping.

Phantom pains rattled your chest, the image of the knife piercing your stomach still lingering in your mind. But the longer you laid there, eyes slowly adjusting, you realized that you weren’t injured at all. Shapes came into focus. You weren’t in Aaron’s apartment. And you definitely weren’t in a hospital. Wherever you were it was… bright.

Light streamed in the double glass doors leading onto the back patio. Curtains swayed in the slight breeze coming in through the open window. Even as you blinked with blurred vision, you knew where you were from the cool tile beneath you- a feeling you’d committed to memory the last time you were here.

Home.

You bolted upward, kicking your legs to push yourself back into the nearest wall, a scream caught in your throat.

“This isn’t real. This isn’t real. I’m not here. I can’t be here,” you gasped.

You checked your torso again, expecting blood and sliced flesh, but there was nothing. Even your shirt was intact.

“Wait.” You tugged at the teal fabric. “This is what I was wearing when-”

“When you died?” A voice finished for you. “Well, almost.”

You lifted your gaze and felt like you were being stabbed all over again.

“T-Tabby?”

The blonde teenager winked at you. “Surprise.”

She stepped toward you and you tried to back away, pressing yourself against the wall as you started to hyperventilate.

“Okay, I knew you’d freak out, but I didn’t think it’d be this bad,” she scoffed. “Chill out Girlscout, it’s just me.”

Girlscout. She was the only person you ever let call you that. She always said it was because you always played by the rules, always worked so hard to prove to everyone you could do it. She teased you, but you knew she really meant it as a compliment. She always rooted for you. She was your best friend.

“Am I dead?” You asked, voice cracking.

She opened her mouth to answer, but another presence entered the room.

“No, sweetheart.” Your mother stood at the top of the stairs. “Not yet.”

Tabby rolled her eyes. “Could you have phrased that any creepier?��

Lydia was at the base of the stairs in a blink.

“Welcome home, Y/N.” She reached a hand out to you.

You leaped to your feet.

“Stay away from me.” Your eyes darted between them. “B-both of you.”

“Great,” Tabby said. “You’ve freaked her out.”

“How did I get here?” Your mind raced as everything came back to you. Every stab, every suppressed scream. Foyet’s laughter. You froze. “Where’s Aaron? Where’s my brother?”

The last thing you remembered was watching his eyes close, his blood coating the floor beside you.

“Your brother?” Lydia snapped. “You don’t have a brother. You have me. You only need me.”

“Seriously, enough with the crazy killer talk,” Tabby groaned, walking toward you. “Believe me, we get it.” She crossed her arms and gave you that look. The look that meant she knew something you didn’t but was dying to tell you. “Ignore her. She doesn’t want you to know.”

You eyed her, crossing your arms in a similar fashion. “Doesn’t want me to know what?”

“Tabitha-”

“You have a choice,” Tabby said. “You can wake up or… you can sleep. It’s up to you.”

Your throat went dry and your heart raced.

Only, no it didn’t.

You put a hand to your neck, looking for a pulse.

It wasn’t beating at all.

JJ hadn’t left Hotch’s side all night. She left only to receive updates from Prentiss and would return trying to keep her expression neutral.

You were alive. That’s what mattered.

“You don’t have to keep doing that,” Hotch sighed. He hated that he was stuck in this bed. He should be there, with you. “Pretending like nothing is going on.”

JJ swallowed. “The doctor said that you have to rest and that means staying calm.”

“Jennifer,” Hotch pleaded. “Please. I have to know what’s happening.”

I’m going to take my time with her, Aaron. I’ll gut her first and then I’ll find someone else to visit. The one that got away from you, huh?

“JJ,” Rossi stood in the doorway. He gave her a grim nod. “I’ll talk to him.”

The blonde agent gave Hotch a small smile and left to let his old friend be the bearer of bad news. One look at the older man’s face and Hotch knew.

“She’s hanging on,” Rossi said slowly, taking the chair beside the hospital bed. “Reid’s with her. He probably busted up his knee again, but even Morgan couldn’t stop him from going.”

“Where did they find her?”

Rossi blinked. “Foyet took her to the other side of town. Left her at a bus stop that isn’t part of any night routes so nobody found her until a few hours ago.” He kept his tone level like he was going over the details of any other case. That’s what Aaron needed. The facts. Facts he could hold onto.

“How many?” Aaron asked. He knew he didn’t have to elaborate.

Dave sighed. “Sixteen.”

Aaron didn’t say anything. He stared in front of him, outwardly numb but inwardly agonizing. You wouldn’t survive. You couldn’t. He stabbed you sixteen times and left you to rot. The Reaper left you to die. Aaron left you to die.

“It isn’t your fault, Aaron,” Dave said softly.

“Don’t.” Aaron shook his head, the image of his little sister gasping on her own blood lingering in his mind.

Dave pulled the chair up closer. “That’s what Foyet wants you to think. He wants to get in your head. He wants to make sure you never find him.”

“I know,” Hotch swallowed.

“We’re going to get him.”

“I know.”

The two sat for a while, as they often did, not saying anything. Dave knew there was nothing he could say to change the situation, no matter how much he wanted to. Aaron knew there was nothing he could do to save you.

They just had to wait.

“Great,” Tabby sighed. “Now she’s freaking out.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart.” Lydia held out her arms.

You stumbled away, fingers still pressed to your silent pulse. Your hand started to shake. “This isn’t real. This can’t be real.”

“Of course, it’s real, Y/N.” Your mother walked towards you. “This is what was always meant to happen.”

“Were you always this creepy?” Tabby scoffed. “I don’t remember you being this creepy.”

Lydia’s head snapped toward the younger woman. “That’s enough.” She held up her hand and Tabby disappeared.

You couldn’t help but scream.

The house started to shake.

“Y/N, you need to calm down,” Lydia said softly. “If you don’t, you won’t get much of a choice.” She took a seat on the couch and motioned for you to join her. “Come on, I want to talk to you.”

Breathing heavy, scream still lingering on your tongue, you stared at her.

“What could we possibly have to talk about?” You snapped, keeping to the other side of the room.

“Plenty, sweetheart.” Lydia motioned again to the seat across from her. “Plenty. Please.”

You stared at her. Your breath would have caught in your throat, had you really been breathing. She looked the same. Not the way the pictures had shown her on the news. Not the way she’d looked at the trial, all dressed in orange. She wore her favorite sundress and a smile that used to calm your nerves before every big test.

She looked like your mom.

You shook your head.

“No,” you said firmly. “No, I want to get out of here.”

“Y/N, I wouldn’t do that-” Your mother started, but you’d already grabbed onto the latch to the back door.

But when you swung it open, all you saw was light.

“Hey, kid.” Morgan’s voice pulled Spencer out of his trance. He held a pair of coffees. “Thought you could use some.”

“Thanks,” Spence muttered, rubbing his tired eyes. He turned back to you. “Did they say anything?”

Morgan took the chair across from him on the other side of the bed. “Not since you asked ten minutes ago.” He leaned forward. “She’ll be okay, Spencer.”

“She suffered lacerations to her kidneys, chest, and major arteries.” Spencer repeated the words the doctor had said with equal mechanical distance. “They said she’s lucky to still be alive.”

“Y/N’s a fighter.” Morgan glanced at your face. “She’ll get through this.” He took a long drink of his coffee, the tightness in his chest making it hard to swallow as he thought. She has to.

Spencer nodded, trying to internalize his team member’s words. “She’ll get through this,” he echoed, his voice holding more emotion now, on the verge of breaking.

That’s when the flatline hit.

Spencer’s blood ran cold, his heart sinking down, down, down.

“Y/N?” He said, gripping your arm tight enough to leave a mark. “Y/N!”

“We need a doctor in here!” Morgan called out.

Everything he’d ever learned, everything he’d studied left Spencer’s mind like a gushing wound. All that was left was panic.

“Please,” he begged. He brought your hands to his lips. “No.”

Morgan’s hands found his arms, pulling him back.

He fought against him, needing to stay by your side despite all of his logic telling him to let the doctors work. They were your chance. Not him.

“Y/N!” He cried out again.

His body went limp. Between the pain and the shock, everything just passed in a blur.

Morgan succeeded in dragging him back and the two stood in horror as the frenzy in front of them fought to keep you alive.

“Clear!”

You woke up in the same place. The place where you thought you were going to die.

Gasping, you shot up, eyes scanning the living room over and over again to try and find a change. Something that indicated that you were getting somewhere.

“I told you it wasn’t a good idea,” your mother chided, sitting in the same spot on the couch she was before. She held out her hand. “Come. Sit.”

You leaped to your feet and moved as far away as you could, bumping into the bookshelf on the back wall. You knocked over your old ice-skating trophy.

“I’m not going anywhere near you.”

“Please, don’t you think that’s a little immature, sweetheart?”

“Stop it.” You ran a hand down your face, pinching the bridge of your nose to try and wake up from this nightmare. “Stop acting like you’re my mother.” With your fists clenched at your sides and took a step forward. “None of this is real.”

“We talked about this already, Y/N. Of course, this is real.”

“You can’t be here. I can’t be here.” You searched for another escape, but all of the windows had the same bright light that consumed you before.

“You’re thinking about that man you met, aren’t you?” Lydia stood up. Brows drawn together, her lips formed a thin line. “The drug addict?”

You snapped your head around, eyes blazing. “Don’t you dare. You don’t get to talk about Spencer. You don’t get to talk about my life after you tried to destroy it.”

“I tried to save you. The same way I’m trying to save you now.” Her face softened. “And I think you know that.”

Lydia walked towards you.

This time, you didn’t back away.

“I know that you were a broken woman who almost broke me.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” She reached a hand toward your face. “Why do you think you’re here?”

You stared blankly at her, an icy chill passing up your spine. “What are you talking about?”

“What was it that you asked that Agent Morgan? To stop you from becoming me by any means, right?” She motioned around you. “This is your chance. This is your way out.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but found that you couldn’t.

Maybe this wasn’t about her trying to save you. Maybe this was about you saving everyone else.

Spencer sat at your side once again, looking more like a ghost than a person. He was bent over, holding your hand to his lips, his eyes switching between your face and the heart monitor. He kept hearing that sound. The horrible sound that meant your beautiful heart had stopped beating.

Derek and Emily stood outside, watching him grimly.

“They said she’s stable now?” Emily asked.

He shrugged. “For now. They didn’t tell Reid this, but one of her kidneys is apparently in bad shape. Between the wounds and her past with alcohol…” He trailed off. Just thinking about it made every part of him ache.

“Do they think she needs a transplant?”

“They’re checking to see how severe the issue is, but-” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It isn’t looking good.”

Emily nodded, looking through the glass at Reid’s huddled form.

He was a husk, the dark circles under his eyes competing with the redness of crying.

She couldn’t look anymore.

You didn’t know what to say. All of the fear and doubt and self-loathing filled your head like a tap turned on full. And your mother stood in front of you as the embodiment of it all.

“You don’t belong there, honey,” she said, her tone sweet and sympathetic. “You know that. Why else would you have run away? You don’t want to hurt Spencer or your father’s son.”

“His name is Aaron and he’s nothing like my father.”

Lydia flinched but continued her coaxing voice. “You want to protect them, right? I can help you. You just have to let me.”

“I don’t want your help.” Your voice shook, almost cracking. “I’m better now. I’m-” You looked down at your finger. It was bare.

You hadn’t even gotten the chance to get a ring.

“Can you marry a man you’re afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid of Spencer.”

“Maybe not.” Lydia’s hand covered yours. “But you’re afraid of what you’ll do.”

You could feel every word sinking into you like claws, raking across your brain until you couldn’t think of anything else, no matter how hard you tried.

“Alright,” Tabby’s voice returned. She sat on the kitchen counter. “My turn.”

Penelope didn’t know where to go first. Split between two hospitals, she decided to call Derek and check in on Y/N while she visited Hotch.

“I’ve never wished to be in two places so much in my life,” she said, finding JJ by the vending machine. “But with Morgan and Reid and Emily there, I thought-”

“I’m glad you made it.” JJ pulled her into a hug. To be honest, she was barely holding herself together.

“How is he?”

JJ sighed. “Worried.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “But the doctors say she’ll be okay.”

“Derek said that-” Penelope’s words caught in her throat. “He tried to be reassuring, but…”

“I know.” JJ checked around the doorway to make sure Hotch wasn’t listening. He was talking to Rossi. “I called earlier. Prentiss said it doesn’t look good.”

Penelope lifted a hand to her lips to cover a cry. “Who’s going to tell Hotch?”

Rossi turned his head and saw the grim expression on both women’s faces. He glanced at Hotch.

“I’ll be right back.”

He stood and walked over to JJ and Garcia, feeling the unit chief’s eyes burning into the back of his head.

“Please tell me there’s good news.”

JJ swallowed. “Not exactly.”

Tabby hopped off of the counter.

Your mother grimaced. “Tabitha…”

“No, you’ve said enough, lady.” She pointed at you. “Now it’s time for a little girl talk.” Tabby skipped over to you like this was just another slumber party, smiling that knowing smile she always did when she wanted you to spill a secret. “I want to hear all about this guy! You’re getting married.”

“I really don’t think now is the time for this,” Lydia said.

“And I really wanted to go to prom with Tony Bryan,” Tabby snapped, giving her the typical teenage eye roll. “I can’t believe you’re engaged.”

Her enthusiasm was like getting hit with ice water. It pulled you out of the depths Lydia had been dragging you into. As if blinking out of a trance, you smiled.

“Spencer is great.” For that moment, you almost felt like a kid again, eager to share the details with your best friend. “He’s brilliant and sweet, and… and perfect…” You looked out of that blinding window, realization watching over you. “And he’s waiting for me.”

“Waiting for a life you can never have together,” Lydia said, cutting in. “Not really. Between your jobs and the danger you’ve already been in since seeing him- how long before it catches up to you? Or to him?”

You lowered your head.

The Cunninghams.

The cult in Colorado.

The anthrax.

Foyet.

And those were just the more memorable ones. And then you had support. You had Spencer. You had the team. Now you just felt alone.

You froze.

You weren’t alone.

“Aaron,” you gasped. “Aaron was with me. Aaron was hurt. I have to find out what happened to him.”

Images of blood. The sound of him trying to reassure you. It was all coming back.

Foyet’s laughter.

“He let this happen to you. It’s his fault.” Lydia stood up, running her fingers through her hair. She stood rigid and began to pace. Just like she had when you came home cut from the hockey skates.

A surge of protective anger rushed through you.

“You don’t get to pin this on my brother. Aaron tried to save me.”

“He is just like his father.” She repeated it over and over again, her pacing seeming to make the whole house shake.

You turned to Tabby and gave her a small smile. “I know what I want now.”

The front door opened.

You’d gotten back from surgery nearly an hour ago.

They hadn’t told him much. Just that you needed a transplant and a doner had stepped forward. Now they just had to wait and see if it worked.

Spencer Reid did not believe in anything beyond the scope of his science and logic and knowledge. But in that moment, he pleaded to you- even though he knew you could hear- he prayed that you would come back.

“I left you a message, you know,” he whispered. Running his thumb across your knuckles, he memorized every detail, every line in your skin. “When I contracted the anthrax virus. I had Garcia record a message for my mom. And I had her record one for you.”

Your motionless form didn’t change, the shallow movement of your chest remaining just that. Slow. Short.

“I-” The words died on his tongue. He took a shaking breath. “I wanted you to know how much I loved you, even after everything happened.” Spencer tried to remember the exact message, but all he could think about was a knife cutting through you over and over again. But he knew what mattered from it. “I love you, Y/N. I knew that day that if I survived, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.” A tear slipped down his cheek. “Please don’t leave. Please.”

If he could have forced his words to heal you, he would have talked until he couldn’t anymore.

Instead, he cried.

“Don’t tell me those are for me.”

A soft touch wiped away the tears on his cheek.

Spencer looked up.

“Hey, handsome.” You gave him a small, weak smile. “I was hoping you’d be here when I woke up.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he beamed, leaning over to kiss your forehead.

Just the touch of his lips on your skin sent waves of relief through you.

You were here.

You were alive.

“I knew I had to come back,” you muttered. “I knew I had to get back to you.”

“And you did.” Tears fell down Spencer’s cheeks and into your hair. “You came back.” Spencer kissed his way down to your lips, every movement as gentle as possible. And despite his soft touch, he held you as if you’d slip away. Like he was praying to keep you this time.

“What happened?” You asked, finally noticing the crutches leaning against the wall.

Spencer shook his head. “It’s a long story. A lot happened this week.” He rested his forehead against yours.

You pulled back suddenly, eyes wide.

“Where’s Aaron?” You asked. “Where’s my brother?”

Several healing days later

It was too dangerous to move you. The doctors made that very clear and it took Spencer’s pleading to keep you in that bed. Aaron was in the same situation. While you were both stable, your separate care teams insisted that you would both have to wait to see each other. And, despite Spence and everyone's reassurances that you were both okay, it was something you needed to see to truly believe.

“Here, be careful,” Spence said, helping you into the wheelchair.

“Don’t you think this is a little ridiculous?”

“You know what’s more ridiculous? Opening your stitches because you can’t sit still.” He eased you down and kissed the top of your head. “It’s just until we get to the car, okay?”

“If I can walk after we get to the car, I can walk before we get to the car.”

Spencer put his hands on his hips, tucking his crutches under his arms. “Do you want me to take you to see Hotch or not?”

You glared up at him, but didn’t argue. You crooked your finger, beckoning him down to you, and pulled him into a kiss.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Emily stood in the doorway, her hand subconsciously resting behind her back over the large bandage on her side.

You beamed. “There’s my savior! I’ve been wondering if you’d stop by today.”

“Please,” she waved her hand, “what do I need two kidneys for anyway?”

Spencer looked at her over your head and mouthed ‘Thank you.’

When you’d both found out that she had been your mysterious donor, you didn’t know how to thank her.

She said avoiding any life-threatening situations in the near future would be thanks enough.

“Are you ready to get out of this place?” She asked.

You nodded, laughing. The motion made you wince.

Spencer immediately knelt at your side. “Are you okay? Do we need to stay a little longer? I’ll get the doctor.”

You grabbed his arm. “Don’t you dare. I’m not waiting any longer.”

“What’d I tell you?” Derek chuckled, appearing behind Emily. “She’s a fighter.”

“Someone has to keep you in line.”

He chuckled and rustled your hair. “Going to see Hotch then?”

You nodded.

“Well he’s been trying to get to you for days, so it’ll be nice for him to not be bossing everyone around for a minute.” Despite his teasing words, you knew he was being genuine.

They were all just glad you were okay.

“We should get going,” Spencer said, checking his watch.

You said goodbyes and thanks to both agents and headed on your way, still feeling ridiculous in that damn chair.

Derek wasn’t kidding.

When you looked through the window of Aaron’s room, he was pacing, despite Dave scolding him for doing so.

“She’ll be here any minute. You don’t want to collapse before then, huh?”

“Every minute she’s out there-” Aaron started. He stopped when he locked eyes with you.

You moved so fast Spencer called after you, worried you’d break a stitch.

Aaron met you halfway and took you in his arms. You held each other as tightly as your matching injuries would allow.

“I’m sorry,” he said into your hair. “I’m so sorry.”

You pulled back, putting your hands on his cheeks. “Don’t start. None of this was your fault.”

He stepped back, opening his mouth to argue.

“Aaron.” The tone of your voice stopped him.

He blinked back tears and pulled you back into his embrace.

After a moment, you parted, but he kept a hand on your arm like you’d vanish if he stopped holding some part of you.

“I have to ask,” Dave stepped forward with a grim expression. “What were you doing over at Aaron’s place when we got back? I thought you two were back on again.”

Aaron’s face morphed, wondering the same thing.

You gave both of them a small smile.

“That's what I was going to tell you.” You took Spence’s hand. “We’re getting married.”

Aaron’s eyes widened.

Dave cheered and pulled Reid into a fatherly hug.

“That’s…” Aaron’s eyes welled. “That’s amazing.”

He pulled you into another embrace and shook Spencer’s hand.

For a moment, it was alright again.

But then, you took a breath.

“Alright, gentlemen.” Crossing your arms, you remembered what Tabby said to you. The message she left you with before you stepped out of the door. “Let’s catch this bastard.”

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