#Ashley Shack

[abducted-cowz]

《 ACT 1: COLTER 》

| Chapter 3: Hoof in the Snow |

Word count: 3900

The air was brittle and dry. Breathing felt like inhaling powdered frost that caught at the back of one's throat. The ground was covered in blinding whiteness. It was as if Ullr himself had laid a thick blanket of snow over the rocky mountains of Ambarino. The snowflakes that fell on bare skin felt like fire or a sharp bite that seeped straight to the bone. It was snowing so heavily that even the lanterns were struggling to light the way, and the roads that were once there were engulfed and covered in snow.

The horses huffed and neighed, the snow too bothering them, but their thick skin gave warmth that humans did not have. Ashley's teeth clattered, his hands clutching the reins close to his body. The sharp wind made it hard to keep his eyelids open. Every gust of wind felt like sand in his eyes.

“Jesus, it's snowing like hell!” Ashley shouted over the howling wind and leaned forward, swiping away the buildup of snow that covered Noelle's mane and face.

“Yeah,” Arthur replied, “It’s only May too!”

The two of them were ahead on the trail the others were following, or at least they thought they were on the trail. The snow made it difficult to know where exactly they were going. Dutch sent them up to find, well, anything. The gang was desperate at this point, and the snow was slowly driving them insane.

“So, what happened back in Blackwater? You were there weren’t you?” Arthur rode Boadicea, his horse, closer to Ashley to have him in better hearing range.

Ashley's chest tightened at the mention of the incident. He bit at his inner lip as words got caught up in his throat. With a deep sigh, he nodded, “I was. It was going well. We got the money, no commotion, no nothin’ ‘til we stepped foot outside. Those Pinkertons and police were everywhere. Got Jenny killed. Mac and Sean got taken. John got shot too, but he's out scoutin’ with Micah, so he's fine,” Ashley explained. His voice was gruff, yet there was a gentle tone, one of mourning and regret.

“And Dutch-” Ashley started, but the memory of that awful action got his throat closing up on him. “He killed a girl, Arthur. This girl couldn’t have been - what, past twenty? Young she was.” Ashley shook his head to himself or more like towards Dutch.

He lifted his head and looked at Arthur, whose face was straight yet all the more concerned. “Dutch killed an innocent woman in cold blood,” Ashley said again, more sternly. More angry.

Arthur's eyes drifted away from Ashley to the powdered ground before him, too, speechless. The lack of words exchanged between them was a silent understanding of what was happening. An understanding that Dutch was changing.

The snow didn't become any less harsh as minutes passed. The crunch of snow beneath the two men’s horses and the roaring winds were the only sounds they heard. Ashley's eyes squinted as he began to see something emerge from the thick falling snow. “Hey,” Ashley called out to Arthur.

“Yeah, I see it.”

As they rode closer, Ashley's lips twitched into a smile when he recognized the shape of cabins and shacks. The two of them were quick to hitch their horses on a nearby post, grab their lanterns, and scope the place out. “Look at ‘em cabins over there, I'll check out the rest,” Arthur said.

Ashley nodded, ridding his coat of snow with a swipe of his glove-covered hands, and headed toward the direction Arthur had told him to go. His steel-tipped boots did little to keep his feet warm. He could barely feel his toes, yet the cold stung and burned with each step through the deep snow. He quickly skimmed over each cabin, his guard up in case of any surprises. One cabin had a couple of bunk beds, another had random pieces of furniture, and some didn't have any at all.

Once he was done, he made his way back towards the horses where he saw Arthur waiting, a burning cigarette in his hand. The sound of footsteps in the snow made him look over. As Ashley walked up, Arthur offered him a huff of his cigarette, which Ashley quickly declined. “Y’know, I don’t smoke.”

Arthur let out a snicker at Ashley's words, his lips curling into a smirk. “But you’ll down a bottle of whiskey in a minute if you had the chance.” Arthur took one last hit of his cigarette before dropping it into the snow and snuffing it out with his boot.

“Shut it, Morgan.” Ashley let out a low chuckle and attached his lantern back on Noelle's saddle. “Everything’s good, then?”

Arthur nodded and mounted his horse, Ashley doing the same. “Come on,” he pulled his reins to the left, “Gotta get back to Dutch and the others,” Arthur said.

The ride back down the trail was cold and grueling, but at last, the shining of light and the clamping and creaking of horses and wagons began to break through the dense snow. Arthur's horse neighed, alerting the others ahead.

“Boys! Any luck?” Shouted a familiar voice. The voice of the man who saved Ashley from his isolation. Dutch van der Linde.

“We found a place where we can get some shelter!” Arthur shouted back. As the two rode closer, it became easier to see Dutch's face. Next to him was Hosea, the co-leader and master con artist of the gang. He was always the more level-headed leader—the man who kept Dutch from jumping into situations like the Blackwater heist. Unfortunately, Hosea was too busy chasing a real lead then.

“It's an old mining camp. Should keep Davey and us warm enough to wait out the snow!” Ashley said over the howling wind. He pulled on the reins, making Noelle spin on her heel and face back up the trail. “It ain’t far.”

“Come on!” Dutch yelled at the rest of the gang, his voice echoing throughout the rocky mountains.

As the wagons followed the two men back up the trail, Ashley couldn’t help but feel this growing sense of unease in his stomach, like a flickering fire in the wind. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, nor could he figure out why it was brewing up, but he wasn’t going to entertain it any longer. He had more important things to worry about than himself.

Once they had arrived, everyone quickly got off their horses and parked the wagon to rush Davey and themselves inside. Ashley sped over to the largest cabin and swung open the door, allowing Bill and Arthur to carry Davey in.

“Get inside, hurry,” He urged as the women and men flooded in.

He closed the door behind him and Ms. Grimshaw began to ask to bring in blankets, get a fire lit, and check on food, but he suddenly heard two words from Abigail's mouth that made his stomach twist and his chest tighten.

“Davey’s dead.”

For a moment, Ashley couldn’t breathe. One second, two seconds, three, four, five… he let out a deep sigh. His heart beat in his ears, and the conversation became background noise. That familiar urge began to bubble up again. His jaw clenched, and a dull throbbing shot through his teeth that matched the ones in his temples.

He stared at the ground as if the bottle would appear. Davey is- was a good man, despite not knowing him too well, but his heart couldn’t help but add another crack to the many others that covered it, and that burning liquid seemed to be the only thing that could seal them, even if just for a moment.

Ashley blinked away his daze and looked up from the floor, his lips in a tight line. He forced himself to walk closer to Davey's cold body, silently paying his respects as Abigail placed coins over his eyes.

“Listen,” Dutch called out, pulling everyone's attention away from Davey, “Listen to me all of you, for a moment.”

Ashley listened as Dutch spoke about the loss of Davey and Jenny, how the Pinkertons had taken Sean and Mac, and the days that led up to this moment. His speeches were always something, never failing to resonate with folk. His words could twist and pull at your heartstrings, tying them in knots to make you forget about the bad and see the greener side.

Ashley remembered the day he met Dutch. It was the day he found something other than himself and Noelles to protect. If they hadn't robbed that bank then… he probably would've been three drinks past reason in that saloon. The man practically saved him from drowning in the bottle alone. So, he’ll always be glad he chose to try to rob Arthur three years ago.

Despite all of this, he's always been against how much Dutch sugar-coated things with his deliberate words, but he’s never had the guts to say anything to him about it.

“Now all of you…” Dutch started, “All of you get yourselves warm. Stay strong. Stay with me. We ain’t done yet!” He grabbed his lantern, beckoning Arthur to follow him to look for John and Micah Bell, who still weren't back from scouting.

Immediately after the two left the cabin, everyone scrambled to make the old mining camp a place to stay. The day was still new. The sun hadn’t even peeked through the mountains yet. So, there was a lot of time to do so.

Bill and some others went to bury Davey while Ashley helped Mr. Pearson and Tilly unload the wagons of supplies. It was only then that Ashley realized just how little food they had. There were only a few cans of beans and peas, some wrapped rabbit meat, and a dozen carrots, which were mainly for the horses rather than themselves. He took a mental note to go hunting with someone soon.

Ashley had some conversations with Tilly and Mr. Pearson before he moved on to unloading ammunition and weapons, which they were also in short supply of. Most of everybody's belongings were left behind at the Blackwater camp, including Ashley’s twin Schofield revolvers, which he would have to sadly replace as soon as they’re out of this snowy hell hole.

Ashley helped Mr. Pearson park the wagons once everything was unloaded, parking them just barely outside the camp before he excused himself to bring the women blankets. He noticed that the snow was getting worse. It was getting harder to walk in with the wind pushing Ashley back, and breathing without inhaling the dime-sized chunks of snow was impossible.

Ashley entered the cabin and quickly passed out blankets. The women tightly wrapped them around their shoulders and thanked him with a shiver in their voices.

“Ashley.” Ashley turned on his heels and let out a ‘humph’ as a sack was shoved into his arms. “Take these to the house out in front, that big one,” Ms. Grimshaw ordered. She gestured outside with a swing of her hand before walking away to nag at someone else.

“Yes ma’am,” Ashley sighed. He adjusted the bag in his hands and pushed the door open with his back. The wind blew through his hair and sang loudly into his ears as he stepped back out into the snowy hell.

The bag was heavy and bulky, and judging by where it was going, it must have been Dutch and Hosea's things. He opened the door to the larger cabin and carefully set the bag on the musty floor by the entrance.

He stepped out and closed the door behind him. His eyes scanned the area before he caught the sight of a familiar long-haired man by the wagons. He let out a sharp, shaky sigh, his breath visible in the air before he began to walk towards the man.

He and the man, Charles Smith, went to stable the horses. By then, the snowstorm had slowly begun to settle, and the creaking of trees went quieter.

They unbuckled the wagon straps from the Belgian horses and began to lead them to the stables. The horses nickered, their heads bobbing and fresh snow fell from their manes. Ashley peered at Charles over his shoulder.

The man joined about seven months ago, right after the other two new members, Micah Bell and Lenny Summers. He was quiet and reserved, much like Ashley, when he first joined, but he was a hard worker. He was an amazing hunter and tracker. It was thanks to him that they ever found a path here.

However, Micah has been giving him and Lenny hell because they're dark-skinned, calling them all sorts of offensive names. Ashley doesn’t know why Dutch even allowed the racist son of a bitch into the gang in the first place.

The horse Charles was leading began to huff and tug at the lead, pulling his arm with it. “That horse treatin’ you all right’?” Ashley called out. “He’s a newer one, still trying to get used to workin’ like he is.” He pushed open the tall stable doors.

“Yeah, just agitated is all-”

Suddenly, the flutter of wings flew past Charles, followed by a powerful cluster of crashes. The horse roared an ear-piercing scream, and its hooves kicked up a flurry of snow as it reared. Charles was forced to release the lead to avoid being pulled up with the horse. Despite his attempts to calm the horse, it continued to paw at the snow.

Ashley caught the stallion's fearful eyes, wide and round. He knew those eyes; he had seen them go dull one too many times when the riders mistook them for aggressive ones. He rushed his horse into the stable, giving no care to hitch it before making his way towards the panicked horse. He kept his steps slow and non-threatening. His hands were in front of him, his palm facing the horse as he hushed it, keeping his voice gentle and low.

“Easy now, big fella. ‘S alright.” He slowly extended his hand, his fingers brushing against the roan fur. The horse flinched but didn’t back away. Its tense muscles began to relax beneath Ashley’s hand. “That’s it,” he encouraged “Must’ve real scary, huh? We’re okay now, yeah?”

The horse huffed, nodding its head as Ashley gave it soft pats. He turned his body to face Charles, standing off to the side, observing Ashley’s skill. He beckoned the man over, keeping his palm against the horse. As Charles moved to grab the reins, Ashley slid his hand off and backed away. He watched Charles stable both of the horses into stalls before walking back towards Ashley.

“You’ve got one helluva nack for horses,” Charles complimented, his voice low and smooth.

Ashley chuckled, shaking his head. “Thanks, grew up with them animals, so…” he trailed off, his eyes drifting to the icey powder his feet sunk into. He shifted in his spot, a strange feeling bubbling up in his chest as the image of his mother brushing horses flashed in his mind. “Horses ain’t so hard to understand for me,” he sighed as he began to walk back towards the entrance of the old camp.

Charles hummed in acknowledgment, following Ashley's heel. The two walked in silence. The wind blew against them, breaking through the layers of clothes and thick coats, causing the men to shiver.

Charles broke away halfway to the entrance, having to do another chore Ms. Grimshaw had thrown at him. Ashley crossed his coat across his chest, his hands pulling it tight. The cold was grueling and unforgiving, but at least the snowflakes had slowed. Falling like weightless feathers before they landed on the warm fabric of Ashley's coat and melted.

Ashley looked up from the ground, and the fences that lined the property entered his vision. There stood Lenny, a rifle in hand. He was a good kid, only nineteen, but an amazing fighter. “Hey there, kid,” Ashley walked up to his side.

Lenny turned his head, a smile on his lips as he recognized the man. “Hey Ashley, what’chu doin’?”

“Ah, just takin’ watch.” Ashley held his hands out for the rifle, “Get inside and get yourself warm, kid. You’ve been out here long enough,” Ashley beckoned.

“You sure?” Lenny said, his voice unsure. Ashley nodded, his hand gesturing towards the houses. Lenny smiled again, thanking the man and giving him the rifle before heading inside. Ashley let out a shaky sigh, adjusting the gun in his hands. He leaned up against the fence and stared up ahead.

Thirty minutes of silence broke when Ashley began to hear the clopping of hooves. He tightened his grip on the gun, getting ready to hold it up, but the voice of Dutch cut through the tense air. Ashley called out, his gruff voice echoing into the mountains. He stepped to the side, allowing the men to ride in.

He immediately noticed the presence of the lady who sat at the butt of Dutch’s horse. She was covered with a thin blanket. Her blonde hair was messy and disheveled. Her back faced Ashley, but he could tell she wasn't just shivering from the cold.

His brows stitched together as he saw a certain blonde-haired man, Micah Bell. A fire flickered within his chest. One that made his teeth clench and his finger linger over the trigger of the rifle a little too close for comfort. The thought of the man half buried in snow, cold and blue, flickered in his mind.

Ashley walked with Dutch, and his steps were tedious to avoid getting his feet stepped on by his horse. Hosea and the others stumbled out of their cabins, curious if Dutch and Arthur had brought back either of the missing boys. “How’d you get on?” Hosea yelled, his voice dry and scratchy.

Dutch let out a deep sigh. “Micah found a homestead, but he weren’t the first.” Dutch held out his lantern for anyone to take, his eyes trained on wrapping the reins around the horn of his saddle. Ashley moved his gun to one hand and took the lantern in the other. “Colm O’driscoll and his scum beat us to it.”

The curious gang members quickly surrounded the men, watching Dutch hop off the saddle and helping the unfamiliar woman slide off the butt of the pure-white Arabian. “We found some of them there, but there is more about apparently,” Dutch grunted, “Scoutin’ a train.”

Dutch had a smirk on his face. Ashley knew what he was thinking, but it was too risky—robbing a train right after they finally got the Pinkertons off their tail? That’s a fool's game. He could tell by the looks on Hosea's face that he thought the same. The crinkle in his old eyes and the small frown twisting in his thin, cracked lips were a telltale sign of his disagreement with Dutch’s plan.

“That’s the last thing we need right now, Dutch,” Hosea sighed.

Dutch cocked his head to the side and shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Well, it is what it is…” Dutch muttered.

Ashley furrowed his eyebrows, and his jaw ticked at his impudence and narrow-mindedness.

“But we found some supplies, blankets, a little bit of food, and this…” He gestured towards the nervous woman, “Poor soul Mrs. Adler.”

Now Ashley could see her face. He caught her hazel eyes, wide and scared. Her lips quivered from the frosty air and fear. Her cheeks were peppered with freckles, and her blonde hair stuck to her face.

Dutch beckoned the women to warm Mrs. Adler up and take care of her, reassuring her that everything was okay and safe. He made his way towards Ashley as the women took Mrs. Adler away.

Ashley glanced at the man. His cheeks were flushed, and so were his ears, the cold nipping at them. His mustache caught specks of snow, and the rim of his hat was caked in the white powder. “Her husband?” Ashley asked. Dutch shook his head, his lips in a tight line.

“Nah, turned her into a widow,”

Ashley sighed heavily, his head shaking with pity. “Them O’driscolls need’a find a pit and hop in it already,” He growled. Dutch dipped his head in agreement before sending himself away for some rest while the day was still young.

He stood there in disbelief. His mind swirled with the current situation at hand. Dutch was already planning his next move. They had yet another mouth to feed, Davey and Jenny were dead, and John, Sean, and Mac were still missing.

“What a damn mess…” Ashley mumbled to himself.

His head turned towards the stables, and suddenly got a wave of weariness. As soon as the image of hunkering down with Noelle popped into his head, all the energy began to drain out of him. He realized he hadn't slept for days, and the exhaustion was hitting him like a ton of bricks.

He fought back a yawn as he made his way to Bill, who was standing by the small fire built in front of the men’s cabin. “‘S your turn, Williamson.” Ashley held out the rifle and lantern. Bill took it with a deep groaning sigh and a roll of his eyes before walking away.

The snow was thick, and being exhausted made it all the more difficult to plow through. Ashley’s feet dragged in the snow as he approached the large stable doors. His hand lazily pushed open a door, and he sauntered inside. As he stepped inside, his boots kicked in the snow, and the shuffling of old hay filled his ears.

Ashley felt the weights on his shoulders leave as he saw the large gray horse and her long off-white hair. Noelle’s ears twitched and twisted towards Ashley before her head turned to face him. Her hooves clopped against the ground, approaching the gate. Ashley's lips curled into a soft smile as he walked to Noelle. Her head dipped down so her nose lined up with his face, asking for a pet with a soft nicker.

Ashley chuckled, gently shushing her as he lifted his hand and rubbed his palm up and down the bridge of her nose. She let out a low groan, her eyes fluttering. Ashley let his hand fall to the gate before he opened it and stepped inside.

“Let’s get some sleep, girl,” Ashley said softly, his words slurred.

He kicked some hay away, creating a cleaner spot for him to sit. As he began to lower himself, he grunted as a familiar discomfort shot through his legs and abdomen, but he ignored it, further lowering himself until he sat.

Noelle’s knees bent, lowering herself to the ground, too. Her large body made it difficult to lay comfortably in the small stall, but they would have to make do with what they’ve got. Ashley sighed, leaning against Noelle.

He reached up and pulled his bandana off his face. The cold air sent a shiver down his spine, and his scars had a dull sting in them. He shifted slightly, placing his hands over his aching stomach. His eyes fluttered close, focusing on the warmth Noelle provided and the sound of her deep breathing, a rhythm that slowly lulled him to sleep.

[moonlessnight125]

Closed starter with @agent-ashley-graham

--------

Damn those bastards. Kelpie thought to themself as they darted between the trees. They'd been living at peace along in the forest for at least a month, judging from the cycle of the moon. She did her best to keep a low profile. Staying in deep parts, avoiding hikers, and disposing of any evidence that she was living there. But it wasn't enough.

She'd had return to her shack after checking one of her snare traps, only to be ambushed by those people. She didn't know who they were. But they always seemed to be after her.

Once Kelpie felt they were far away enough. She quickly climb the closest tree. She close her eyes and lets out a slow breathe, as her skin change color to match the bark and leaves of the tree. They look around from the vantage point up above. Watching to see who else was here.

[tuulikannel]

After a loooong while I decided to do another Hunger Games simulation, with a very varied cast (mainly AC and Danganronpa characters, plus Battler & Beato from Umineko, Hikaru & Sai from Hikago, Solar's Stag & Deshi, and Leon, Ashley and Ada from Resident Evil.) (We'll pretend everyone's young enough to take part.)

I'm not gonna copy/paste everything here. just the, uh, high points. So, let's get started!

Karma never does well in my games. He's off to an exceptionally bad start here:

Karma attacks Battler, but Leon protects him, killing Karma.

Sakakibara Ren, then? Got to say he surprised me:

Ren sets an explosive off, killing Rio, Deshi, Sonia and Sakura.

And I'm so sorry Solar, Deshi died right in the beginning and Stag's not starting this too strongly either….

Stag begs for Ada to kill him. She refuses, keeping Stag alive.

First night, we have some interesting groups forming. I especially like the Resident Umi alliance (and it makes sense, as Leon just saved Battler)

Hajime, Nagito, Stag, and Hazama sleep in shifts. Beato, Leon, Ashley, and Battler sleep in shifts.

Next day, things get quite violent again. The alliance did not last for long...

Battler sets Hajime on fire with a molotov. Beato, Nagisa, Ada, and Akari track down and kill Leon.

And while all this violence is going on, Hikaru picks flowers.

Second night, Shuu and Ada have a face-off. Look at my boy go! Impressive.

Shuu pushes Ada off a cliff during a knife fight.

Then we have a very uneventful third day, followed by an arena event, monkey mutts. Lot's of people are killed by them, not listing them all... Just, uh, Shuu. You fought off Ada… and now are injured by Ashley? For real??? And Solar, again, bad news about our boy :/

Ashley injures Shuu and leaves him for the monkey mutts. While running, Stag falls over and grabs Akari on the way down. The monkey mutts kill them.

Ren continues being savage! Ren uses Battler as a shield from the monkey mutts.

….but not as savage as Hikaru. What. the actual. fuck. Hikaru uses Sai as a shield from the monkey mutts.

Next night: Nagisa cries himself to sleep. I feel you. me too.

Now there's so few people left that I'll just put here everything. Oh, and, Ed from FMA and Fakir from Princess Tutu are there too. (Sorry boys, I totally forgot about you….)

Ed severely slices Beato with a sword. Ren and Fakir track down and kill Ashley. Nagisa decides not to go to The Feast. Hikaru falls into a pit and dies.

Hikaru must have been so distraught about what he did to Sai that he didn't even notice the pit…

And now things get pretty quiet.

Day 4 Ren tries to sleep through the entire day. Nagisa diverts Fakir's attention and runs away. Ed fishes.

Night 4 Ren and Nagisa sleep in shifts. Ed starts a fire. (to cook the fish, I bet!) Fakir sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Day 5 Ren picks flowers. Ed constructs a shack. Fakir picks flowers. Nagisa accidentally detonates a land mine while trying to arm it.

….Nagisa. My poor darling idiot. Why.

Night 5, Ed gets the victory by doing nothing.

Fakir dies from an infection. Ren falls into a frozen lake and drowns.

Ren. Killed six people. Only to walk on thin ice and drown. *sigh* He was the absolute menace of this round, no one else killed more than one person here, including the winner, whose only kill was Beato.

[aesopsharpmybeloved]

Tess' Sharpuary - 4. Firewhisky

A couple of teens too curious for their own good and a bottle of Firewhisky is a recipe for disaster, or: Aesop recalls the first few times he drank Firewhisky.

chapter specific tags: friendship, flashbacks, fluff

relationships: aesop sharp & aesop's auror partner, aesop sharp x reader

4. Firewhisky (1k)

tw: underage drinking (like one sip), alcohol

The amber liquid runs down his throat, leaving a sweet burn in its wake. Warmth spreads across his chest and he hums appreciatively. He remembered it like it was yesterday when he drank his first glass of Firewhisky. Well… drank… 

Half choked on, more like.

“Where on earth did you get this?” he asked in a hushed tone as Ashley proudly procured the bottle from below her jacket. “Pinched it from my dad and uncle!” she said, grinning, “they shared it yesterday as they talked, and both of them think the other took it, and don’t question it.” Aesop had to admit, that Ashley, despite being a  proud badger, was occasionally more of a Slytherin than he was, and she seemed to always get her way. 

“If your dad finds out about this, he’s going to toss me out, thinking I'm a bad influence on you. I’m surprised he even let me stay here with you…” he said, his voice still quiet, as if Ashley’s father could pop into their hiding spot any minute now. 

“Dad likes you, he wouldn’t throw you out. Besides, I’d admit it was my idea,” she comforted her friend, and Aesop of course believed her. Ashley wasn’t one to throw her friends under the bus. “Come on, Ace, don’t you want to see what all the fuss is about?” she then asked, swirling the liquid inside the bottle, and the lad sighed. He walked over to her and took the bottle out of her hand. 

He uncorked it and brought it to his nose, sniffing at the liquor. The smell was quite pleasant, rich, woody and slightly sweet. Before he could take a sip, however, Ashley stopped him: “Oi, you didn’t think we were just going to chug it straight from the bottle, did you? I don’t want your germs.” “Oh, piss off.”

She laughed and procured two goblets, placing them on a nearby crate. She then poured a fair amount of the alcohol for both of them. 

“Well,” the girl said as she took hold of her goblet, “to your good health, Ace.” He gave her a smile: “And to yours.” The two fifteen-year-olds took a deep sip. Which was a big mistake, as not a second later they turned into two coughing, heaving messes. The rest of the liquid in their goblets spilt around them as they dropped them. The Firewhisky burned their throats, and it took several minutes for them to get a hold of themselves.

“Fucking hell!” Aesop groaned, sitting down on the ground and leaning back against the wall of the abandoned mining shack they deemed their little hiding spot, “why in the name of Merlin would anyone drink this? It’s horrid!” “Is there a hole in my neck?” Ashley asked, her voice hoarse, “It feels like there’s a hole in my neck.” She sat next to him, breathing through the experience. “How, does anyone drink it? I saw Dad and Uncle sip on it like it was Pumpkin juice!”

At that moment the pair decided to never drink anything so foul again. 

And they didn't. Not until Aesop’s seventeenth birthday.

“Come on, Sharp, it’s tradition!” Roberts said, patting his shoulder. Aesop and Ashley exchanged a little grimace. “To receive a pocket watch, that’s a tradition, but drinking this? I don’t think so…” the freshly adult Aesop countered, observing the amber liquid in his glass apprehensively, “it’s foul, I almost choked the last time I tried it.” His classmate rolled his eyes: “Let me guess, you drank it like it was Butterbeer, didn’t you. Well, of course, that’s going to be nasty. You either take small individual sips or throw it all back! Come on, don’t be a wuss.” 

The Slytherin groaned, but lifted his glass anyway, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his peers. He raised the glass to his lips, and, as per Roberts’ advice, only took a tiny sip. He rolled the liquid in his mouth.

Once more, it burned, but now he also realised that it had a rather interesting taste. Kind of spicy, only slightly sweet, yet light and cool. He swallowed his sip and blew out of his mouth swiftly. 

“So?” his classmate inquired. “It’s… not as bad,” he replied truthfully. Ashley looked at him, then followed his example. Aesop drank again.

“Woah, slow down, mate! I’ve nothing against drinking myself under the table with you, but the night’s still young!” Aesop ignored him.

When he Flooed home the next day, his mother chanced one look at him. “Did you enjoy your evening, dear?” she asked. Aesop’s face was a Slytherin green, his stomach felt very unstable, and his head was killing him. “I am never drinking again,” he managed to rasp out, prompting his mother to laugh. Less than five minutes later, he was snoring away on the sofa in the living room, an empty cauldron conveniently ready next to him. 

Aesop chuckled at the memory. It both felt like it was yesterday and a lifetime ago. He remembered evenings spent with Ashley after their Auror training, sharing a single drink, and he remembered being there when Dinah too underwent this ‘rite of passage’. He remembered both the calm toasts and the wilder drunken nights. With a pang in his chest, he remembered the time all he wanted to do was drink and forget. And then the festivities on Christmas Eve.

These days, he usually remained with a single glass, sitting on the sofa by his fireplace, looking into the flames while his young lover rested her head on his shoulder. Her small hand came to take the drink from his hand.

“What are you doing,” he inquired with a smile, “you know you hate Firewhisky.” She shrugged her shoulders: “It’s a different brand, maybe it’ll be better.” She took a small sip, then made a face that prompted a laugh out of the potions master. “No. Still awful,” she said and gave the drink back to him. Aesop used his free hand to turn her face to him and stole a kiss from her lips. 

“Now that’s better,” she grinned at him, and he was forced to quickly deposit the glass upon the small table next to the sofa, as his attention was very much required elsewhere.

[AO3] - [Sharpuary 2024] - [Masterlist]

[sapphire-weapon]

eagleone prompt: During the rescue mission, Leon and Ashley take shelter from the rain and Ashley catches a glimpse of shirtless Leon. Because obviously he would have to take it off and squeeze out the excess water. 👀

Hey what if I took your cute prompt and put tension and some slight angst in it??? What if Leon is super insecure and self-conscious about the scar on his shoulder, and what if Ashley didn't realize it until too late??? oops.

I realized that the only time it rains when they're together is at the very start, before the two of them really know each other yet -- before Ashley even fully trusts him yet. So it was fun to explore that dynamic.

Enjoy.

~

It was with a puzzled look and her head cocked to the side that Ashley watched the merchant turn a corner on the distant path and disappear. She and Leon had been very lucky to find him waiting in a dilapidated shack after the terrifying ordeal that was their escape from the cabin, but the man's very existence baffled her in a way that she couldn't quite pin down into words.

The quiet sounds of clicking, sliding metal, and rustling fabric filled the air around her as Leon checked the condition of his weapons and took stock of his ammunition stores. Her eyes flickered over in his direction. He was focused entirely on the inventory check that he was doing, seemingly unconcerned with anything else.

"How does he keep arriving at places ahead of us, like he knows where we're going to be?" she asked.

"I try not to ask questions," he said, sounding distracted. "He's helping us. I don't want to give him a reason to stop."

Ashley shrugged and shook her head, unsatisfied with that response. It was the only one that he was going to give her, though, and she knew it. With a sigh, she turned her attention back to the open doorway to continue the sentinel duty that Leon had assigned her while he regained his bearings.

"I guess…"

With that, she let it drop. He may not have had questions, but she didn't want to argue about it. To a certain extent, Leon was right. It didn't really matter why or how the merchant did what he was doing — all that mattered was that he was doing it.

But still. Even then. Did it really not bother Leon at all…?

Ashley glanced back over in his direction just in time to watch him place his handgun on the wooden table beside him. His movements were fluid and purposeful — seemingly part of a process that Ashley couldn't quite predict the endgame of. As soon as his gun was settled, he shrugged his shoulder harness off and laid it down almost right on top of it. Then, with both hands, he reached back over his shoulders and curled his fingers in the fabric of his shirt in the spot right between his shoulder blades.

Ashley's brain only had a half-second to process what was happening before it actually happened. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat before she fully understood why.

He gave her no verbal warning. In one swift motion, Leon yanked his shirt up the length of his body and over his head, allowing it to gather in the bends of his elbows and drape across his forearms. Belatedly, Ashley noticed that it hung heavy from him — soaked with water near to the point of dripping. The rain had stopped at some point that she couldn't remember, but she was surprised to see that he was so completely saturated.

Distantly, she remembered him mentioning something about a lake. What the hell had he been doing before he found her in the church?

Though, when she was honest with herself, she didn't actually care much. 

Her attention was grabbed immediately by the contours of his body and the way that his spine carved a long groove down the center of his back, curving down along the muscles that lined either side. Her gaze followed that line all the way down to his belt and then all the way back up again. From there, it was easy to travel the road along his neck, then around his shoulder, and down his arm to the wrist of his still-gloved hand. He had a visible vein that hugged the bulging muscle of his bicep, and it was the perfect little guide for her eyes to follow.

She'd thought Leon was cute from the first second she laid eyes on him — but this was certainly, somehow, the first time she'd noticed just how hot he was, too.

Like, actually hot. Distractingly hot. "I-want-to-dig-my-fingernails-into-his-back-while-he-breathes-heavy-against-my-neck" hot.

It was on her way back up along that same path she'd traveled down his body that she finally noticed it — a dark discoloration on the front of his left shoulder that only seemed to become more noticeably grotesque the longer she looked at it. There was a very obvious center point to it — almost like a hollow circle that darkened at the edges and then spilled out an extra inch or two further across his skin. At a distance, she might have thought it was a birthmark or maybe even a botched tattoo — but, close as she was, it was easy to identify the scar tissue at that properly-colored heart of it.

A gunshot wound, maybe?

Weird. It was clearly old — just something that hadn't healed properly, or maybe had gone too long before getting cleaned out or treated. She'd never seen anything quite like it before, though.

But it was none of her business, and it did nothing to dissuade her from wanting to put her hands on him — if anything, it made her want to touch him even more. She found herself wanting to trace her fingertips along the dark edges of that circle and follow that not-quite-purple splash of skin up to the top of his shoulder, almost like fingerpainting, just to see what it felt like. Just to see how he'd react.

He rolled his shirt up with both hands and wrung a surprising amount of water out of it. It smacked against the ground with more of a series of thuds than a splash, but Ashley barely even heard it. She was mesmerized by the way that his muscles shifted visibly beneath his skin with every little movement he made. She couldn't help but wonder just how long those giant arms or strong back of his could support the entirety of her weight — or, maybe not all of it, maybe just most of it as he held her against a wall and —

He looked in her direction. Panic hit the back of her eyes. He'd caught her staring.

Ashley jumped and pulled her attention away from him, staring pointedly back at the doorway.

"Sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean to… I wasn't—"

"It's alright," he cut her off, saving her from herself. There was a strangeness to his tone that she couldn't quite place. He shook his shirt out with one thunderous snap and glanced at her only briefly. "Everyone stares the first time they see it."

Intellectually, she knew that he was referring to the scar on his shoulder. Emotionally, she couldn't help but feel like a voyeur who'd just gotten discovered in the bushes outside his window. Some part of her refused to believe that he honestly thought that some old scar tissue was what had caught and held her attention. He had to know, right? He had to know that she'd been in the process of grossly objectifying him — it had to have been all over her face.

Right?

She wasn't about to squander the opportunity for an out that he offered, though. She chewed apprehensively on her bottom lip and slowly turned her head to face him again. He was in the process of pushing his arms back through the sleeves of his shirt, and Ashley silently began mourning the soon-to-be loss of his bare back.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

Leon hesitated — but only for a second. Then, he shook his head only one time before offering her a sad smile that showed more in his eyes than on his lips.

"All the time."

Without another word, he pulled his shirt back up over his head and adjusted it down the length of his body. It was all Ashley could do to watch him with slightly parted lips left open and empty with words unspoken. His answer to her question slowly slid down the inside of her breastbone, leaving a trail of she-didn't-know-what in its wake. Sympathy, pity, sorrow, heartache — something cold and heavy, but something that she couldn't identify.

The open vulnerability of his answer was what had struck so deep. Leon was difficult to read at the best of times, so to hear him give a sincere and emotional response like that was downright shocking. He seemed nice enough, but he was a man of few words — stoic at best and downright joyless at worst. Ashley hadn't really known what to make of him. 

Now, she was even less sure.

Numbness followed. She mutely watched as Leon pulled his harness back on around his shoulders and collected his gun from the table. When he finally looked back at her, she had no idea what her face was doing expressively. It must have been doing something, though, because he gave her a puzzled look that slowly morphed into mild concern.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Are you?" she returned.

Her response left her mouth so immediately that she was shocked to hear herself say it. His reaction was physical in nature, as though she'd just startled him awake from a too-realistic dream. He half-jumped and blinked his way back into awareness, leaning back ever-so-slightly in order to better fully absorb her question. As he recovered, his eyes cleared and his face hardened. The muscle at his temple flexed as he clenched his jaw and forced a strained, close-lipped smile.

Ashley's heart rate kicked up. She'd somehow forgotten that the man who'd been butchering his way through an entire village of people was dangerous, but the look on his face suddenly reminded her. Clearly, she'd just seen something that she wasn't meant to have seen.

And it wasn't his goddamn scar.

"Oh, I'm just fine," he said venomously. "Not dead yet, anyway."

With that, he turned and walked right past her. His footfalls were heavy on the half-rotted wood floor, and they were louder than they ought to have been — at least, that's how it seemed. He stopped in the doorway just long enough to glance over his shoulder at her, and Ashley released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Let's keep moving," he said.

He didn't wait for her to respond. Leon headed back out into the night, wordlessly trusting that Ashley would follow.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

RE4 Remake Thoughts

Two years after it's highly anticipated release, I have finally played RE4 Remake. The reason why it took me so long to get this game was because I did not own (or could afford) a PS5. However, I got one for Christmas and was able to sit down and enjoy the game. And wow, did it go beyond my expectations and more.

The remake expands so much upon the original game, with beautiful graphics, updated game playing mechanics, and better writing for characters (this being the biggest standout imo). No more standing still to reload or having to open the menu to switch weapons. Even little things like not being able to use the tower during the opening ambush were really neat. This game also had so many new areas such as Ashley's revised game play section that actually gave me some chills or the entertaining mine cart ride with Luis.

Major sections of the game were either revised or cut completely which I honestly didn't mind. Although, I do miss the U-3 fight simply because I had a very, very memorable experience (aka scary) time when I did it the first time. The Bella sisters popping out through the shack wall rather than the arena was another neat change imo. Overall, I had a great time exploring the changes to the game and admiring the updated graphics. Additionally, I love how Saddler would speak to Leon repeatedly even though he doesn't meet him until the end of the game (a huge change since you meet him near the beginning in the OG).

Enemy AI was challenging (particularly on the island) and provided a decent challenge to me. Having the red robed zealots chant "gloria a las plagas!" while the parasite mutates and the room distorts has to be my favorite addition to the enemies because it was something unexpected.

I had a few minor things I do love about the original that I'm sad we didn't get in the remake, but that doesn't take away from my experience at all. OG Leon will always have a special place in my heart since his dialogue is super goofy. OG Salazar is still my favorite, again it's because of the camp. Lastly, I found the OG Krauser fight in the ruins to be more heart pounding than the remake but that could be my fondness for it talking. Overall, the remake takes everything the OG did and takes a step forward. My nitpicks don't impact the quality of the game at all.

Where this game really excels for me is the characters because oh my gosh did the remake succeed. Early Capcom did not know how to write natural sounding dialogue (much to all of our amusements). Leon in the OG was a guy who knew he was in a video game because man quipped like every other line. He was goofy, campy, and took no one's nonsense. In the remake, Leon acts much more serious. He feels more realistic and acts like a guy who went through a traumatic situation. He still has his moments of campy dialogue but the delivery is much more "I'm done with this and want to go home" rather than "I am the main character and I know it" energy.

Remake Ashley is a major improvement over her OG counterpart. She actually feels like a real young adult in her 20s. Her OG version looked like a high schooler. Ashely in the remake is also far less annoying and I love the little added dialogue options for her. Really loved how she was written in the game. By the end of the game, you could feel the friendship between her and Leon. They were a team and Ashley became more confident as the game progressed.

Finally, Luis. They gave his man a whole freaking makeover, not just design choices, but personality too. I'm playing through the OG right now for comparison and Luis had only like 4 scenes in the whole game. Leon then proceeds to wail dramatically over his body. It was kinda silly looking ngl. The remake, however, makes Luis a complex, tragic man who wanted to make up for his mistakes. He is kind hearted at his core and does what he can to help Ashely and Leon. I loved all the banter between him and Leon as well as the lasting impact on the narrative he leaves. Luis' new backstory connects to other RE games in a brilliant way that adds to the overall story. To top it all off, his death scene is both tragic and well executed. He saved Leon from Krauser while fatally wounded. He dies leaving Leon a poignant question: "people can change, right?" It's a good theme of the overall game, especially since Leon sees change in both Luis and Krauser. In my opinion, Luis does in the end become like his hero Don Quixote. A knight is portrayed as a protector of innocence, defeating the bad guy. Luis did save both Ashely and Leon's lives multiple times. Without him, Leon and Ashely might've succumbed to Las Plagas. Luis was the standout character of this game 100%.

Overall, RE4 Remake was a fantastic, beautiful game that improved upon the OG in so many ways. I do want to play Separate Ways at some point because Ada is always a queen and I love her. Capcom struck gold with this remake and I hope they continue to do so with future games.

[menthol--crush]

Glee ask game:

#14 & #16, please!

14: pick a glee cast song to play every time you enter a room - what's your glee cast entrance music?

Love Shack!!!! It's my favorite GCV song, it has my favorite character Blaine, it's super fun and upbeat and it just looks like it was so fun to film 😁

16: your friend has asked to watch one single episode of glee to convince them to watch the rest of the show - which do you pick and why?

Hm. Depends on the friend. I have two IRL friends that I see regularly, Ashley and Heather.

Ashley is a total Gemini and very girlypop so I would show her one of the fun ones, like when the glee club won nationals.

Heather is very very silly but also very intellectual (Pisces-Aries cusp 😅) and i would show her Prom Queen. She would sympathize with Kurt and be ecstatic when he owns the moment.

Thank you for asking!! ❤️❤️❤️

[quotes-from-diamond-city]

*after blowing up the river shack with their potions in the intro cutscene of Remix 1*

Ashley: Does this mean we're friends now?

Penny: Uh, best friends!

[venomvalley]

Your meeting is happenstance.

You’re some lucky survivor Leon found in his pursuit of Ashley. A backpacker. Maybe someone with a military background who wound up on the wrong side of Spain.

Whatever the case, Leon decides to take you with him. Don’t have to be told twice to keep up. You know your way around a pistol and a knife. How to lay low and when to fight versus when to run. He’s pleasantly surprised to discover you’re not the liability he initially presumed you would be.

After spending some time together, dodging dynamite and chainsaws, you get separated. Of course, you’re used to this. No telling how long you’ve been trapped in this village. But you’ve survived this long without relying on anyone but your instincts. Though, it does feel lonely not having a certain wise-cracking blond by your side.

You become surrounded after you duck off into a shack to find shelter from the storm. Otherworldly voices calling you an imposter, chanting for your demise. You check your mag. Fuck. Six rounds left. You fire what you can to ward off your attackers, dashing out a window and into the town’s center.

The rain is arctic. Vision’s blurry from the downpour. Your hair’s matted to your face, and the mud’s loose beneath your feet. You stumble about. Hiss at the telltale clank of a bear trap ensnaring your ankle. So careless. You bite back a scream, the rusted metal biting into your skin.

The villagers close in. You’ve got two rounds left. Despite your best efforts, you’re struggling to set yourself free. Fatigue and hunger settled in long ago, aiding in your downfall.

You fire two more clips into a man approaching with an axe. Throw your pistol at him in John Wick fashion, conceding to your fate. You’ve lived a decent life. Only wish you could say goodbye to the brooding blondie you met earlier today.

Seems like you’ll get your wish.

Gunshots ring against the inky clench of your eyelids, followed by the guttural groans of enemies falling around you. You turn to the source of the noise, eyes wide, surprised to see your impromptu partner. “Leon,” you breathe, relief washing over your features and warming your innards.

Your gazes interlock for the briefest second. A silent are you alright conveyed by his eyes. Blue and piercing through the downpour, urging you to get up. You need the call, clambering to your feet. Leon continues felling possessed villagers, giving you time to free yourself as he moves to your side.

The last enemy falls, crumbling to ash. Leon turns to you, alarm clinging to his visage. “Are you alright?” he pants, skimming over you for any signs of harm.

You’re not thinking. Just a panting, grinning fool. Wonder how you got to this point when you close the space between you, one palm flattening against the hard press of his chest, the other hooked around his neck. He barely has time to gasp before you’re on the tips of your toes, drawing him into a kiss, pouring your gratitude into his slack-jawed mouth.

Of course, you’re nonplussed when he relaxes under your lips. When he perches his hands on your hips, drawing you impossibly closer. As if he needs this just as much as you.

bestie just go ahead and write my fics for me pls ARE U KIDDING ME!!!! 🛐🛐🛐🛐🛐

[rainwaterapothecary]

A Certain Insecticidal Flower pt. 2

#serennedyprideweek prompt 6 - Flowers

[Part 1]

Well that answered that, Leon thought bitterly.

It hadn’t begun right away of course. Nobody got life-threatening flowers in their lungs after finding a man in a bag. At least he hoped they fucking didn’t. That would just be creepy.

And it couldn’t have been The Chain Situation, although he hadn’t been lying when he’d mentioned needing to go to confessional afterwards. Bless me Father for I have had unclean thoughts… he smirked to himself, catching his eyes trailing down the retreating Spaniard.

No, it wasn’t until that Gods-damned cabin.

His chest had felt so solid in a way that was just…fundamentally unfeminine. Obviously, but still. The man had no give. And he had still had the guts to smirk and flirt. Jesus.

Then he hid Ashley without asking questions and stood back-to-back with him, firing magnum rounds with a smirk and a quip.

Of course it was the quips.

No one understood one-liners under pressure like Leon S. Kennedy, so naturally he could appreciate a solid survival mechanism.

It was that the other man had made it almost fun. Sure they were penned in on all sides in a tiny shack that was two seconds and a hard wind away from flattening but he had a partner. He wasn’t alone.

Finally.

It was probably the loneliness that had done it, he tried to reason. Getting sent all over god’s green-and-BOW-infested earth with nobody but Hunnigan on a glorified cell phone left much to be desired, even though he didn’t really notice it until it was gone.

Replaced by a joking scientist with an artifact of a gun and a smile.

For once he didn’t have to protect a little girl all on his own.

“…trust me.” Leon tuned back in just as Luis was leaving them again.

He almost wanted to toss out a flirtatious barb himself to ask why he was leaving so soon, but he had no say over the man one way or the other.

Instead he nodded, one jerking motion of trust being placed and the weight of responsibility transferred at least in part.

He held in the tickle in his throat, assuming it was his own little passenger making him cough like Ashley. She didn’t need her protector showing weakness, it wasn’t his job.

So he swallowed his disappointment and the odd burning sensation, squared his shoulders, and moved forward.

Then he lost her again.

Twice more, forced to his knees and alone in a castle thousands of miles and an ocean away from home.

The first petal passed his lips at the reminder of Luis’ perky voice calling him Prince Charming and telling him not to be late.

He…he was going to be late.

Stumbling and shaking his head, Leon Kennedy got to his feet. A flicker of orange falling from his glove barely caught his attention in the torchlight.

And it had only gotten worse.

He had almost been caught once, when Luis had greeted him out of that fucking elevator with a grin and an offer to ‘make it cheap’ for him. Leon could think of a few other things he wouldn’t mind Luis giving him a discount on, but for the moment he accepted the suppressant with an eyeroll and a pat on the shoulder.

Then Luis had leaned into him.

Close.

Sure, the suppressant had hurt but holding back the hacking coughs that his throat spasmed for had hurt worse. The faint smell of cologne, choking wood smoke, and the heady scent of his cigarettes weighed down the agent’s tongue as the scientist held him and saved his life with a glorified Epipen. Orange petals like the brush of fingertips clogged his throat as he held his breath.

He could see Luis’ sparkling eyes wanting to poke fun at him for holding his breath during a shot, but the alternative would have been decidedly less pleasant.

Besides, he didn’t need this attractive man thinking his breath always smelled like blood and perfume.

He coughed into his elbow after the researcher capped the pen and revealed their lack of bought time.

Leon’s sigh was raspy.

*-*-*

A/N We're baaaaaack Up next, the mines and, well, y'know. :3c Still gonna cross-post all these once 'A Certain...Flower' is done~

[ichorlead]

﹡       ...                  𝒾𝒸𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓁𝑒𝒶𝒹      ,      dependent    muse  blog  affiliated  with  sinnersquarehq,  featuring  gwynn  '  faye  '  cassidy.  written  by  bowie,  twenty - eight,  she / they,  gmt  tmz.

MUSE // ♡ \\ DYNAMICS PINTEREST

gwynn makes you think of... pearlescent body shimmer glinting off of collarbones, applying concealer over bruises, riding the subway alone at four am, the cling of last night's mascara, being offered some of the perfume you complimented in the girls' bathroom, handfuls of bills spilling from your palm, eyelashes tickling your neck, smoking a cigarette in the snow, faded dreams, neat white lines on your compact mirror, a shade of lip gloss you don't own on the shirt of your man's collar, pinkie promises.

♡ the wasted years, the wasted youth

name: gwynn cassidy. nicknames: g, wynn, faye, angel. age: 26. date of birth: may 26th. gender: cis woman. pronouns: she/her. orientation: bisexual. status: married to the game. occupation: stripper, bottle girl @ seduction. affiliation: informant for the serpents. hometown: marion, indiana.

♡ the pretty lies, the ugly truth

hair: very long and pale blonde. eyes: midwest blue. height: 5'2". tattoos: a cluster of sparkles behind her left ear. piercings: earlobes, helix both sides. bellybutton.

♡ i have died only to find i've come alive

positive: resourceful, bubbly, resilient, captivating, garrulous, charming, ostentatious, coquettish, kind. negative: vindictive, judgmental, ditzy, manipulative, impatient, stubborn, naive, capricious, bratty, impulsive, sensitive.

S P O T I F Y - i'll do it heidi montag, bubble gum onve, yummy ayesha erotica, freak doja cat, what i want gregor mcmurray, liquid smooth mitski, perfect (exceeder) mason princess superstar, juno sabrina carpenter, clumsy fergie, if u think i'm pretty artemas, need to know doja cat, mine slayyyter, lolita lana del rey, glory box portishead, on a roll ashley o.

Lofty dreams, a name up in lights. A sweet young girl chewed up in the big city's jaws. But sure. Why not, it'll be different for you. Beautiful ballerina girl in your shotgun shack music box, a pinned butterfly surrounded by peeling wallpaper and your brothers, swapping in and out of juvie faster and faster. You're rough around the edges, you polish up the white trash but it's always there, no matter how much you scrub.

The only option: never go back.

New York. Modelling, dancing, you always made easy friends but that made you an even easier mark at the beginning. Hard lessons, the kind that only the streets can teach you, over and over with blood in your teeth. All it took was one slip on stage and your en pointe pedestal crumbled.

Working the clubs was only ever supposed to be for a while, till you got back on your feet in your new six inch pleasers. Angel was first, then Faye. The money is good, the lifestyle better, you never leave. You like being their favourite girl.

The thing is, you see things, you hear things that no one else does when you're just part of the decoration. Loose lips, looser wallets, wandering hands. It was all the same to you, some extra money in your pocket for screwing over suckers. Then you caught their eye and you weren't ever one of the normal girls again...

always dressed to the nines; fur coats, matching sets, glittery little stage numbers: gwynn delights in taking care of herself. her nails are immaculate.

sweetheart, a little trashy, good heart. can fight though, seriously, take out your fucking earrings.

having her attention can feel like standing directly in the sun, she knows what clients want to hear.

sometimes worked seduction but it has shifted to her main club lately due to her benefactor who pays sera in advance to keep her away from private rooms and only on the floor or stage. no one touches faye.

light fingered and will take your watch or basically whatever she likes.

it's not what you can do for misogyny it's what misogyny can do for you.

seems to be more worried and tearful than in previous months but you know, girls in over their head.

// UNDER CONSTRUCTION // catching up with event plot pls have mercy

[katatty]

Right, that's all! A couple of other college grads I didn't show: Hallie's lovers Adrian Adams and Joshua Adams (who I only just noticed have the same last name, lmao, maybe they're brothers????) are living with Malik Thompson in a "bro house", Nova Green moved in with Nora (at least until Nora moved in with the Yus), Matthew and Ashley are married with their little girl Hailey (who is a toddler now!) and Laila Ebadi (who Hallie met while clubbing a few nights ago) is living in one of the little beach shacks.

As a side-note, I'm not 100% sure how much I like this Story Progression-y gameplay style. It's nice for stuff like this where I am mainly playing one legacy family, but I find I do have to pop into other households fairly often to get things properly "set up" to my liking. Maybe it'd work best for more established neighbourhoods with a lot of playables (I can see it being really cool for more casual uberhoods). Or maybe it'd work better if I tweaked the romance/marriage/children stuff to happen more frequently?

But I do find I miss playing lots of different houses and having inter-connected stories! Maybe I am just too much of a control-freak and the legacy style of gameplay just isn't for me, haha. (I don't plan on abandoning the Fieros, though!! Just not sure if I'll aim for 10 generations or something more managable, like 5?)

[endlesslystarlitskies]

Lost and Found- Part 7

A/N: Here is the next chapter! I’m not getting a lot of engagement on these posts, but I am still loving writing the story so I’m going to keep posting. This is a shorter chapter, but I might post another one again later. Who knows! I think this story is going to end up being 13 chapters long, so there’s that. Please let me know what you think!

Genre: Horror, action, adventure, Romance, Slow-Burn,  

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x Named Reader (Named but not Described)

Summary: Ella was one of the missing hikers who was kidnapped by the villagers. She narrowly escaped being sacrificed, but her friends weren’t so lucky. Managing to survive out in the woods with her previous skills and knowledge, she runs into Leon, and that meeting begins the longest, most dangerous adventure of her life as she tries to help him save the girl she saw being taken into the church. What will happen along the way? Only one way to find out.  

Warnings: Canon typical violence and gore, Death, Murder, Monsters, Suicidal ideations mentioned, Ella has little regard for her own life and is dealing with the loss of someone closest to her while also fighting to survive with waning self-preservation instincts. Please be cautious if that triggers you.

Word Count: 4,838

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Story Masterlist

xXx

Leon had told Ashely to get into the locker when the two women with chainsaws made themselves known, wanting her safe and out of the way so he and Ella could handle them quickly.

However, Ella’s absence was quickly noted, and Leon could only assume she got held up with some villagers, which meant he had to take them on himself. It wasn’t a real problem, as he could handle them and the few villagers coming through the hole they had created, but he couldn’t help but be concerned that Ella wasn’t right behind them. He couldn’t worry about it now, having to dodge the chainsaw coming towards his head and take care of the issue right in front of him. xXx

Ashley left the locker when the coast was clear, and Leon picked up the lever they had needed to get through the gate. He took a moment to listen for the sound of gunshots or the footsteps of Ella returning, but it was quiet, a bad feeling settling in his gut. “Did you see where Ella went?” He asked Ashley, who had noticed Ella’s absence and wore a look of concern. “No, I thought she was right behind us.” Leon had thought that too. 

He grit his teeth as the bad feeling grew, and they left the wooden building before taking the hill back up to where they had last been when she was with them, but there was no sign of her. 

“Leon, look!” Ashley called, standing by the corner of one of the shacks, and Leon moved over quickly, the sight confirming his fears. All of her gear was thrown half haphazardly in the corner, discarded. “Where is she?” Ashley asked in panicked worry, not understanding how she could just disappear like this. Leon recalled the moment he had thought he’d seen the glint of a gold necklace, and he became frustrated with himself that he didn’t realize what it had meant before. The man had taken her once more, and Leon had a feeling he knew where. xXx Ella slowly felt her senses come back to her as she blinked her eyes open, it taking a moment for her to register that she was being carried by someone, a shoulder pressing into her stomach uncomfortably. Her mind was fuzzy, and Ella had to squeeze her eyes shut to clear the remaining disorientation, before she tried to look up and take in her surroundings. Robes. She was surrounded by people in robes. This scene was starting to look eerily familiar. Panic and fear filled her being like ice water, and she immediately began struggling in the grip of the large man holding her. The shock of her sudden movement and the elbow to the chest forced the villager to release her, Ella falling to the ground and immediately scrambling to her feet, moving away from the man in robes to create distance. She reached for her gun, but her heart dropped when she realized it wasn’t there. None of her weapons, or even her pouch, was on her person anymore. Of course they had taken them. She cursed, realizing she had only one choice. Fight. She had to once again put her self-defense skills to good use- only this time, she had to win if she wanted to live, as she knew they wouldn’t make the same mistake they did last time in not keeping an eye on her. She immediately raised her leg to kick the man running towards her in the kneecap, hearing the sickening crunch as the bone broke under the force, and she kneed him right in the face when he went down, taking care of him for the moment. She had no time to breathe as she spun, ducking under the arms that tried to grab her, before she swept the feet of the female cultist out from under her. She wanted to stomp on her elbow and break her arm, but she had to immediately defend against another man who came at her with a knife, barely moving out of the way in time as he tried to stab her in the shoulder. 

She needed that knife, and she knew it. It would be much better than nothing, and she could use the skills Leon taught her to get herself out of this situation. 

However, before she could think up a quick plan of action, the cultists who had been surrounding her suddenly parted, and the leader in the decorated robe and the golden necklace calmly walked up to her. 

Ella raised her arms, getting in a defensive stance as she readied to take him on, having to push away the fear that tried to grip her heart at the sight of him. She had told him he couldn’t take her by surprise anymore, and she was proven wrong. Even with all the weapons and Leon right there, he had grabbed her the moment the opportunity presented itself, and there was nothing Ella could do about it. 

Despite that, Ella refused to let him win without a fight, and when he was within range, she threw a punch, which the man easily dodged, but she wasn’t done. She spun, trying to catch him in the face with her elbow, but he had moved faster than she had been ready for, his hand darting out as he sliced her in the stomach with a knife. Ella hissed as she stumbled back, looking to the tear in her shirt. It wasn’t deep whatsoever, being just a shallow cut, but it burned, as if the knife had been glowing red hot when it cut her. Ella immediately felt her body become weak, the trembling no longer being from the fear as she fell to her knees. “What did you-” She tried to breathe, but the pain was intense, and she couldn’t get the words out as her vision blurred. The realization was slow to come to her fogging mind. Poison. There had been poison on his blade.

“It is such a shame. This fighting spirit of yours is what piqued my interest. . .” She heard him sigh. “You would have been the perfect servant and solution to our problem.” Disappointment was heavy in his tone.

It wasn’t long before a ringing sounded in her ears, drowning out anything else for a moment, though it lessened just a bit. She wasn’t passing out, but everything around her became muted and unfocused, Ella being unable to defend herself as one of the robed men picked her up once again. “Do not worry child, the poison is slow acting. It won’t kill you before we get the chance to perform the ritual.” The ritual. The altar. The very place she had escaped once, but would be unable to escape again, the poison flowing through her blood incapacitating her and leaving her helpless.

xXx

The rain was coming down hard, putting some of the candles around them out as Ella was laid down on the stone altar. Her hands were now tied behind her back and a dirty cloth was placed between her teeth to muffle her whimpers, the symbol once again painted in blood on her face, just like Alice. “It was so nice of you to clear off the altar for me. It made this go so much more smoothly.” Ella wanted to feel anger at his words. She wanted to feel rage and spiteful defiance, but all she could feel was utter terror. All she could think about was the stupid fight she and Leon had. ‘If you wanted to die, then you wouldn’t have fought to survive in those woods for four days straight. You wouldn’t be here right now.’ He was right. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to live. She wanted to make sure Ashley got home safe. She wanted to tell Alice’s parents what happened to her, so they didn’t have to live the rest of their lives wondering why their baby girl never came home. She wanted to make sure that whatever was going on in this village was stopped, so no one was ever hurt by them again. She wanted to apologize to Leon, and tell him he was right. To get the chance to thank him for saving her life before she got herself killed in her moments of sorrow and grief. She had refused to apologize even though she knew she had been in the wrong. She had been so worried about coming to terms with the fact that she wanted to live because of what it meant, wanting to give herself time that she should have known she wouldn’t have. Now she was forced to accept that she wanted to live, moments before she was about to die. She couldn’t save herself this time, and Leon wouldn’t be there to save her either. 

She had told him not to come for her if something happened. She had harshly insulted him and then practically ignored him in the last couple of hours. He had a very important job to do. One he couldn’t get distracted from because she stupidly got herself taken, again. She wouldn’t come for her if she was him. And that was assuming he even knew what happened to her.

“I want you to know that I fought hard to keep you around. I saw your potential for greatness.” THe man brushed his dirtied, disgusting knuckles against her cheek, and Ella had enough strength in her to jerk her head, shoving his hand off, his touch making nausea swirl in her stomach. In the next moment, a large hand suddenly pressed down hard on her head, Ella gritting her teeth against the cloth at the pressure on her skull. “But Lord Saddler has determined you to be too much of a risk and nuisance, and I must follow my master's orders.” 

Ella couldn’t help but feel indignation at his words, as she didn’t see Leon lying on this table about to be sacrificed. What did she do to be so damn special?  She knew it didn’t really matter. It was her who was lying on the stone, and Ella could see the shadow of the executioner's arm raise above his head, the shape of the ax sending a sharp pang through her heart as she squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to watch as it came down to end her life. The chants of the cultists surrounding them echoed in her still ringing ears, the man in the gold necklace’s voice joining them, louder than the rest. Ella was sure it would be the last thing she would hear before her death, and that she would still hear it echo forever wherever she ended up after, the words being harshly ingrained into her mind. She waited for the pain of the ax lodging into her neck to come, but in the next moment, just as the executioner started to bring it down, gunshots cut off the chanting of the villagers, the executioner stumbling back and dropping the weapon as the pressure on her head was removed. Ella’s eyes shot open as fast as they could to see Leon vault over the back of the circular fence, his gun raised as he opened fire on the men surrounding her. Relief and shock filled Ella’s body as Leon made quick work of the cult members, though she didn’t miss the shadow of the leader slink into the background before disappearing completely. She honestly didn’t care at that moment, too relieved to worry about him as the last of the cultists fell to the ground, dead. Leon ran over to her, removing the cloth from her mouth as his eyes quickly scanned for any wounds.

“You okay? Talk to me.” There was a slight panic in Leon’s voice she had never heard before, or maybe that was a poison induced hallucination. She didn’t know, and at that moment, it didn’t matter.

“‘M fine.” She murmured as Leon cut her hands free, Ella bringing them in front of her to help push her up off the stone. “I thought you wouldn’t come.” She told him honestly, and if it weren’t for the poison in her system, she could cry and hug him.

“Yeah, well you called it from the beginning. I don’t leave people behind.” Leon told her firmly, now standing in front of her and using her wet flannel shirt to wipe the marking off of her face. His touch was gentle, his hand having come up to take her chin between his fingers and tilt her head back just a bit so he could use the rain to his advantage. 

Ella appreciated the gesture immensely, as Leon didn’t have to take the time to remove the symbol, but he did. Maybe he couldn’t stand to see it there as much as Ella couldn’t stand to know it was there. Whatever his reasoning, she was relieved he was doing it.

Once the blood was gone, Leon looked into her eyes, not missing how unfocused and clouded over they were. He brought his now free hand up, pressing it against her cheek and feeling how unnaturally warm her skin was, indicating she had a fever. 

“What did they do to you?” He asked her, the Merchant’s tip coming to his mind. He hadn’t seen a wound on her, but it was possible he had missed it, having done a quick glance over her in his worry.

“P-Poison.” She murmured, a shaky hand moving to push her flannel to the side, exposing the tear in her shirt Leon couldn’t see before. 

“Shit.” He cursed under his breath, reaching into his pouch and pulling out a container of crushed red and yellow leaves.

Ella had never seen a yellow herb before, wondering where he had gotten that. She couldn’t find the strength to ask, however. Especially when he pressed on her shoulder to have her lie back on the stone again, panic flowing through her. In a surprisingly quick movement, she grabbed his shirt, gripping it as tightly as she could as she leaned forward into his chest and away from the stone.

“What are you doing?” She breathed weakly, not wanting to lie back on the altar and not understanding why he was trying to make her with the poison clouding her common sense. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” Leon soothed in a surprisingly gentle voice, his breath tickling her ear. “I just need to see the cut and treat it, alright?” His hands moved to her shoulders, resting on them as he waited for her to let him go. She knew if Leon wanted, he could easily overpower her and force her back onto the stone, but she knew he would never do that, even if she was being a bit unreasonable at the moment.   

Despite knowing that, Ella still hesitated, her head resting against his chest as she thought over what he wanted from her. She just couldn’t shake the anxiety at the thought of lying back down after everything that had occurred on this altar. She was about to ask if he could just move her to the ground, not understanding why she had to be on this stone any longer, but his soft voice cut through the fear in her mind. 

“You’ve gotta trust me, Ella.” Ella felt his hand gently cover the one holding onto his shirt, the warmth of his touch helping to calm her panic slightly. Ella wondered then if she trusted him, and surprisingly, the answer to that was pretty easy to accept considering everything they had been through. Leon had never given her a reason not to trust him, and he had proven multiple times that he would do whatever it took to keep them safe. He had even put his mission on hold to come save her, and if that didn’t prove that she could trust him, Ella didn’t know what did. 

Taking a deep, shaky breath, she nodded, finally releasing his shirt and allowing him to push her back onto the altar despite her anxiety flaring up once more.

Leon moved quickly as he lifted her shirt, revealing the angry red and pus filled shallow cut on the left side of her abdomen. Shaking the crushed leaves into his palm, he pressed them into the wound, Ella whimpering through her teeth at the burning sensation that immediately followed. She knew that meant it was working, but that didn’t change the fact that it hurt.

Leon then wrapped the cut in a bandage, keeping the leaves there and letting the cloth hold them in place so they could continue to take care of the poison in her system. Once he was done, he lowered her shirt and helped her sit back up. He knew she couldn’t stand, let alone walk, so without a word he grabbed the outsides of her thighs, turning and pulling her to where her legs were hanging over the side of the altar. 

Ella hadn’t been expecting it, a light gasp escaping her lips at the sudden movement. He had done it with such ease, his fingers pressing into her thighs sending the strangest feeling along her skin and up her spine, distracting her from the pain at her stomach for a moment. She promptly ignored it, which was easy to do with how out of it she was, and she watched as Leon removed the shotgun from its place on his back, setting it out of the way before he turned to face away from her. Understanding what he was going to do, Ella had to push the embarrassment that immediately filled her away, knowing she couldn’t walk on her own even if she hated acknowledging the fact. 

She tried as hard as she could to assist Leon in pulling her onto his back, Ella wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands found her thighs once more, Leon securing her in place and making sure she wouldn’t fall. “Try to hold on, okay?” He instructed, and Ella nodded, tightening her grip as much as possible as Leon grabbed his shotgun and kept it in hand as they left the ritual area. He tried to move quickly, but he also wanted to be careful of alerting any possible enemies that could have appeared along their path. Ella was quiet, but her expression had relaxed as the burning pain slowly subsided bit by bit, her mind a little less foggy.

“Where’s Ashley?” She asked, hoping Leon hadn’t left her vulnerable to come and save her. She felt bad enough as it was. She knew her hope was in vain, as clearly the young girl wasn’t here with them. Not being beside Leon left her vulnerable, and Ella knew she’d be beating herself up over this for a while. 

“She’s safe, don’t worry.” He promised, but Ella wouldn’t be able to not worry until she could see Ashley herself. If something happened to Ashley because Leon had to come save her, Ella would never forgive herself. “Where did you get that yellow herb?” She hummed another question tiredly, though it wasn’t really what she wanted to say and she knew she was stalling on her apology. “The Merchant gave it to me. He said the Priest liked to use poison.” He explained, his voice low and quiet. Ella took that in, assuming the Priest was the title of the man with the necklace, before scoffing lightly. “He’s so strange.” She murmured, referring to the Merchant, and Leon gave a small breathy chuckle, to her pleasant surprise. “I’d have to agree.” It was quiet once more after that as Ella contemplated what she was going to say next. Maybe it wasn’t the time or place, but she didn’t know when her next chance would be, and she had to say what was on her mind. “I’m sorry.” She finally started. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, and I’m sorry for making you come all this way to get me.” She had told him she wouldn’t get in his way, and here she was. “Ella-” Leon tried, but she didn’t let him finish. “You were right, and I was so caught up in grief and self-loathing that I didn’t want to hear it.” Her voice was a little stronger now as the herb worked its magic, and Ella was prepared to lay it out all on the table. “I. . .I feel responsible for Alice and my friends.” She admitted softly. “And I don’t. . .I don’t know why I got to survive and they didn’t.” She had been questioning it over and over in her head when she couldn’t keep the thoughts away, and she could never come up with an answer. Only more reasons as to why it was her fault. 

“I know.” Leon responded gently, having guessed she was experiencing survivor’s guilt. He understood it more than she knew, and he knew that telling her it wasn’t her fault wouldn’t help her. It was something she would have to come to terms with on her own. “I-I know I’m just dealing with survivor's guilt, but knowing that doesn’t make it go away.” A lump formed in her throat, and Ella had to swallow it and push her emotions down. “Even so, I shouldn’t have taken that out on you when all you’ve been trying to do is help, and I’m sorry.” Leon didn’t protest this time, and she took that as his way of accepting her apology. “And I’m sorry you put your mission on hold because I got captured again. I’ve been trying really hard to not get in your way and make myself as useful as possible.” “You don’t have to do th-” “Yes, I do. Ashley needs as much attention as possible. She’s a kid who should be having the time of her life in college right now, her biggest stressor being how she’s going to turn in a 25-page essay on time. Not dealing with this shitty situation and fighting for her life.” She told him firmly, lifting her head up and looking at him. “Besides, I’m also doing it for myself. I have to do for Ashley what I couldn’t do for Alice, Leon. I just have to.” The resolve was back in her tone despite her still weakened voice. She needed him to understand how important this was for her. Not only that, but Leon was included in her personal mission. She didn’t say it, but it was implied behind her words. She couldn’t let another person she cared about down. She refused. 

“Alright, I hear you. But you have to be more careful. You can’t help Ashley if you get yourself killed.” He relented, accepting her apology, but making sure she knew he was serious.

“Hey, no argument there. I’ve learned my lesson, and I promise to do my best.” She assured. She couldn’t promise that she wouldn’t throw herself in harm's way to save either him or Ashley, but she would do her best to be as careful as possible and not get herself killed.

With most of what she needed to say off of her chest, she let out a breath, leaning her head on his shoulder and taking a moment to let the burning subside some more. “You’re not useless by the way.” She hadn’t expected him to say anything more, looking back at him. “You’ve already saved my life a couple of times. I don’t know if I would have gotten this far without you.” The poison must still be affecting Ella more than she previously thought, because she found it hard to believe he had just said that, giving him a suspicious look. “Yes you would have.” She pointed out, and he paused. “Yeah, you’re right.” She was about to roll her eyes, but he continued on. “But it’s definitely been easier thanks to you.” Her halfhearted annoyance faded, and she smiled softly, his words helping make her feel a little less guilty for the trouble she’d put him through. Letting out a sigh, she once again rested her head on his shoulder, exhaustion hitting her as her body recovered from the poison. The warmth emitting from Leon was comforting, and it made it hard for her to stay awake, though she tried her best. At least her mind had quieted now that she said what she needed to say- well, mostly.

“Thanks for not listening to me by the way.” She hummed as she closed her eyes. “You don’t have to thank me. I rarely do that anyway.” If she wasn’t so grateful he had saved her life, she would have smacked him upside the head. xXx

“Ella!” Ashley called in relief as Leon carried Ella into the shelter where the Merchant was still sitting, having watched over Ashley this entire time. It hadn’t been only Ella who had noticed that the villagers kept away from the Merchant’s area.

“She’s asleep. The poison hit her hard.” Leon explained as he laid her down gently against a cloth sack, before lifting her shirt and beginning to remove the leaves and change the bandage. The cut was no longer red and full of pus, looking relatively normal, and Leon let out a small breath of relief. He had guessed the Priest wouldn’t use a strong poison considering he had wanted to do the ritual, but Leon had still been worried he was wrong. “But she’s okay?” Ashley had to ask, having already grown attached to the woman. Not only was she fighting to protect her, but she provided comfort and reassurance where Leon struggled to. “Yeah, she’s okay.” Leon assured her as he applied the antiseptic spray and wrapped the new bandage more securely. “Wonderful! Then I can look forward to you three getting out of my area pretty soon, eh?” The Merchant grinned, and Ashley rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him. He wouldn’t stop talking while you were gone. I think he needed the company.” The Merchant laughed at that, but didn’t deny it. Leon stocked up on the ammo he had used up, before looking at Ashley. “I’m going to go search the villages for anything we might have missed. Stay here.” He ordered her gently. “Right.” Ashley nodded, watching as Leon left before she turned to Ella, moving over and taking a seat next to her. She took in the peaceful expression on her face, letting her tense body relax as the worry and anxiety she had been feeling faded away completely. 

xXx

Ella stirred awake maybe a half hour later, looking to her side and seeing Ashley sitting beside her as she realized she had fallen asleep. 

That had been the last thing she had wanted, as she had already taken up enough time as it was. “How long was I out?” She questioned, sitting up and grimacing slightly at the pain in her stomach. It was nothing compared to what she had felt before, however, and it passed quickly. “About thirty minutes.” It was Leon who answered, Ella not originally seeing him sitting on the wooden table in the back, and she cringed. “Sorry.” She felt bad she had held them up even more, and she wished they had woken her. “Hey don’t be, you needed the rest, and besides, I don’t think the world ending could have woken you up.” Ashley giggled, and Ella felt a bit sheepish, quickly thinking up a way to divert the attention from herself. “Hey, at least I wasn’t out for three hours, right?” She knew Leon would know what she meant, the blonde shooting her a look while Ashley was confused. “Yeah, well get going. If you’re not buying, you need to get out of my area.” Ella looked to the Merchant, her brows raising. He hadn’t actually sounded upset. In fact, he seemed amused if anything, and Ella grinned at him, not buying the act he was trying to sell. “You know you love us.” She teased, and he scoffed. “You mean I love your money.” He corrected with a laugh, and Ella shook her head, not expecting anything less from the man. “Sure.” She chuckled, before getting up. “Thank you by the way.” She told him, not forgetting how he had sold Leon the yellow herb. He didn’t respond out loud, just giving her a wink, and she smiled. “Alright enough sitting around, let’s get moving yeah?” She focused back on the task at hand. Leon watched her closely, making sure she was really okay, before he grabbed her gear, bringing it over to her. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” She gave him an appreciative smile. It was time to get Ashley home and finish this.

xXx

“My lord, I beg you to please reconsider! He abandoned his mission to come for her! This means he cares for her! She can still be of great use to us if you would allow me to continue pursuing my goal!” The Priest bowed respectfully in front of Lord Saddler as he pleaded his case, desperate for the chance to impress him. It was quiet a few moments before the hooded man spoke. “Very well. But if she falls to our forces, then let this foolish goal go.” The Priest was grateful for the permission of his Lord, and he wouldn’t fail him. He’d prove to him that his creation would be useful to their goal.

[usagirln12003]

Christopher "Chris" Hartley: Hogwarts AU

Christopher "Chris" Hartley is a Half-Blood wizard that was born on the 16th of April 1987 and started attending Hogwarts on the 1st of September 1998, being sorted into Ravenclaw House.

He has a Cypress wand with a Unicorn Hair core.

His Patronus is Non-Corporeal.

His favorite subject is Muggle Studies and his least favorite is History of Magic.

Chris is described by his fellow Ravenclaws as methodical, protective, and humorous. According to his friends, he loves muggle technology, dislikes being anywhere without access to it, and dreams of working with it one day.

Chris has a passion for jokes and all things technological, both of which have earned him a reputation as the muggle-nerd of his friend group; yet it's a role he seems perfectly comfortable in filling. While Chris is an affable guy, he takes his self-appointed post as the "class clown" of the clique very seriously. His witty sense of humor is appreciated by his friends, but his tendency to repeatedly pull pranks can be off-putting after a while. Chris appears eager to impress others whether it's with his humor, a demonstration of his spell-casting skills, the latest cutting-edge tech he's picked up, or complex theoretical concepts like the Butterfly Effect.

That latter aspect ties in to Chris' analytical mindset. Chris likes to gather information so he can make informed decisions. He is shown to be very observant as, when he finds clues like a wanted poster, a newspaper fragment, a light from below, or a threatening letter, he's quick to piece together their interconnectivity as indications of a serious threat. Chris is also a natural skeptic of accient magic. He ridicules the thought of Horcruxes and is quick to dismiss the idea of a ghost by pointing out the illogic of a spirt that would set up a hidden camera. Still, he doesn't make a display of his intelligence to be a know-it-all; rather, he wants his friends to benefit from his understanding.

According to Dr. Hill, Chris' greatest fear is failure. Emily shares this fear, but while she displays this trait with forms of aggression, Chris manifests it via inaction. This is reflected in his trouble confessing his real feelings towards his crush Ashley. This anxiety in being vulnerable with her has made him the target for teasing from Josh, and even Sam expresses frustration at his dithering. His fears are made most apparent during the events of his sixth year. After his initial encounter with one of the Psycho's traps leads to a seemingly fatal encounter, Chris is left feeling devastated over his role in failing to save both of his friends.

Regardless, the events in the Forbidden Forest, prove to be a true test of Chris' mettle. It becomes obvious that he is very protective and truly cares for his friends. The events in the Shrieking Shack ignite a desire to get everyone else to safety during the rest of the night and instill a driven focus in his mind that helps him push past his normal limitations. This is seen as he repeatedly insists on finding Sam, risks his life to rescue Josh, and finally overcomes his apprehension and confesses his feelings to Ashley. He was also ready to lay down his own life to save Ashley in one of the Psycho's traps.

[tearueful]

I don't have access to discord to dump in the right server but I must dump my brain because I need it oUT OF MY HEAD

and anyway, it's Homelander drabble ideas because of course

-and man I want to write a Soulmate AU with Homelander because GOD DAMN THE ANGST POTENTIAL WOULD BE DELICIOUS because he's so broken and doesn't even consider himself human and if soul mates were a thing would he even think he'd have one? Because the guy keeps saying he doesn't even have a birthday or a mother so why would he have a soulmate? Bad products don't get soulmates. It hurts because he wants a human connecting so badly. He wants to be loved so badly and a soulmate would be a guarantee of that.

This idea doesn't have legs because I can't decide on HOW soulmates would work because it needs to be in a NOT OBVIOUS WHEN BY YOURSELF thing cause OBVIOULSY if it was a mark/red string then he'd KNOW and stop at NOTHING to find them. That or it's the most generic word if it's one of those AUs where you're marked by the first word you speak to one another or something...but even then I could see Homelander being THAT sort of asshole to demand Vought find his soulmate or SO FUCKING HELP HIM ASHLEY FUCKING FIND THEM.

Also, a drabble of friends gossiping somewhere in Vought tower and one is bragging that they shacked up with a D-list supe or something and the Reader says, "WELL, I'm dating Homelander!" and because Homelander is Homelander he hears this and just pops up and is like "Hi babe, what's up? Why don't you give me a kiss" because Homelander kisses are fun All smug as hell because hey, look at this idiot mud person offering themselves up as a new toy for me? Time to fuck with them. Hijinks ensue. Sexy, sexy hijinks. Will keep this in my pocket when I just NEED to write some PORN.

ALSO ALSO, because of @/arealtrashact's Homelander puppy art just- WHAT IF HE WAS THOUGH? (Look at this shit) WHAT if Homelander got cursed to be a puppy and he get's picked up by some kind soul (Someone in The Boys, a rando??) and taken care of? He HATES it because he's a DOG and no one know it's him and he's being treated like an ANIMAL and he's so full of RAGE about that but then he get's scratched behind the ears and that feels fantastic. He just melts because that man is TOUCH STARVED and now he can get casual intimacy with no fear of it being a tool to control him. No, he's just being petted because he's such a pretty boy. Dude would be WEAK and maybe being a dog isn't so bad? Fucker would learn some fucking humility for certain and a lot more humanity. Princess and the frog that shit to change him back in the most hilarious way possible, too. Fluff, fluff, fluff. He'd be a velcro dog 300%.

Also someone in the discord mentioned an established relationship drabble idea where Homelander is all huffy because he's being ignored for video games and I just- adgikagdjascvhJHGVFHGAc WANT TO WRITE THAT TOO because no one can convince me that Homelander doesn't eat pussy like a PRO. That man goes down like he's STARVING, fucking drinks up his partner like a fresh glass of milk. Good luck ever getting him off of you. He's so broken that sex is the only way he knows to show his love with a romantic partner, so he PUTS HIS WHOLE SOUL INTO DRAINING YOURS. He'd be such a little annoying shit, "Oh no, Sweetheart. Keep playing your little game. Don't mind me. Oh, did you just die? What a shame." Maybe fucking flashing the heat vision in a blatant warning, "Keep playing." Since you know, you dared to ignore him and now you're going to suffer for it in the best worst way possible.

[sleepy-phantom-axolotl]

A Summer in Time Chapter 1: Pressing Rewind

“Now boarding the bus to Boring, California.” The bus driver said. Ashely just got straight onto the bus with her headphones in while Mabel and dipper were saying goodbye to Ford and Stan with tears in their eyes. She sighs as Mabel cries over leaving Waddles behind which cause Ford and Stan to threaten the bus driver with weapons, and Dipper and Wendy have their heart to heart. As soon as they’re done and the bus leaves Ashley closes her eyes and falls asleep from all the exhaustion she feels every time they stop weirdmagedon.

Once her eyes close and the bus passes through the border of gravity falls she’s shaken awake by an excited Mabel. “Ash!Ash!Ash! We’re here! We’re finally in Gravity Falls! The place where we’ll spend a whole entire summer!” She said practically bouncing in place.

“Yep…an entire summer…away from my friends,” she mumbles “it’s gonna be soo much fun.” she said crossing her arms.

"Aww come on Ash it's gonna be fun. I promise!" Mabel said.

Ashely just sighs and keeps her headphones in. To be honest the first time she restarted the entire summer she was kinda excited for more summer and to become a psychic for a summer. But after the third, fourth, fifth summer in a row everything just got boring and predictable. She then tried to get out of the time loop by talking to Ford about it. When that didn't work she just gave up on ever trying to get out of the same three months of hell.

"Now at Gravity Falls" the bus driver said. Ashley got up and got her bags inside the shack.

"I'm super excited to decorate our room Dipper! It's a shame that Ashely won't be in it as well" Mabel said

"Well I mean she is nineteen Mabel she doesn't want to share a room with us and she does need her privacy" Dipper said grabbing his bags.

Mabel grabs her own bags and runs up to their new room.

Ashely passes by Stan who greets her by the door in his tour guide voice which she just waves to as she walks to the room she's stayed at for twelve summers in a row. Now thirteen.

After she helps Mabel and Dipper set up their room she sets up hers and stares at the ceiling 'another summer of monsters, crazy dream demons, and giant babies. I don't know how much more I can take' she thinks before closing her eyes to fall asleep.

Somewhere in the nightmare realm:

Bill glitches back into the nightmare realm like nothing happened. Like he wasn't literally just erased from the world a couple seconds ago. "HA! THAT AXOLOTL ACTUALLY HELPED! OKAY I GET ANOTHER CHANCE WITH THIS!" He exclaimed excitedly "AND THIS TIME I WON'T BE ERASED!" He yelled into an empty realm

Zhofrph wr judylwb idoov!

Notes:

This is my first fan-fiction I’ve ever written so I hope it’s good 😂. Also can y'all tell me do you want me to go about this chronologically but with some uncannon things or should I just show Ashley's perspective of things.