#Blizzard on a broken mirror

[codenamejudas]

"...well I didn't plant it..."

[lifeneedsasoundtrack]

Avantasia feat. Andre Matos: Blizzard on a Broken Mirror

Song of the Day: March 14, 2023

“ Close your eyes now Kingdom on the broken mirror Close your eyes now Blizzard on the broken mirror The scent of goodbye They're dying away: the sands of time ”

[s1ater]

potential.

pairings. levi ackerman x fem!reader

about. levi has an eye on you.

warnings. gifs not mine, foul language

rickey rocks. okay something different for my blog. I know this has some flaws and inaccuracies with the cold and titans but whatever. I am also scheming up a reiner fic hehe

the frigid weather soaked every particle of your body as you trudged through snow that continued to pile up on the mountain you trekked on. the thick flakes that invaded your vision made it hard for you to even remotely focus on where you were going--where you needed to be.

you'd be buried before you'd reach camp.

the 104 cadet corps were set on the footpath of a mountain as a training exercise despite the ruthless weather. the blizzard was weather meant for death, and even as months of training beat down on you and your fellow cadets practically prepared you for such harsh conditions, some of you were still yet to grow immune to rough circumstances.

you pulled daz, a fellow comrade, on a makeshift sleigh in order for easy transportation through the snow. but even with that and as time had passed and snow had begun to pile, it wasn't as easy as the first hour. the boy who had seemed to have fallen ill with the more time spent in the cold was passing the similar feeling on to you.

fucking hell.

sometimes you felt keith sadies only lived to watch you all suffer.

training had to be one of the biggest pains in your ass. especially when your fellow comrades lacked the level of aptitude you solely possessed. and especially after the large interest levi ackerman had shown of you.

the training corps had been bustling for the past week over the matter of you and your level of mastery at anything thrown your way. it was always like that; it was hard for your skill to go unnoticed or grow accustomed to for that matter, but this time, the only difference was the matter of who was noticing you.

levi ackerman was a highly admired man among your comrades--well really anyone within the walls. humanities strongest soldier. he was agile and had genius combat skills. he always seemed to know the enemies next move before they did.

so when levi ackerman, captain of the levi squad, somehow found himself wandering amongst the cadet corps in search of girl who possessed the same level of skill that they said mirrored his own--he couldn't help but come see for himself.

and what he saw... he must've liked.

"god, help me," you grit your teeth, giving the rope you had slung around your shoulder one last tug before halting.

it was quiet here, windy, but quiet. you truly and finally felt alone up on this snowy mountain, even more so that it seemed you were so close to death. but at least it was quiet.

you glance down to daz's bundled up body, almost wishing you were him instead of the one dragging his body to possible refuge. this could all be for nothing... your decision to stay back in hopes to save another body might lead to your death too and--, "no."

you can't think like that. not now.

"gotta keep moving," you pull the rope again. "think of something else, y/n."

think of him.

"you're impressive, miss y/l/n," you sat in the dining hall watching this so called "greatest solider" with careful and timid eyes as he paced before you. "but I'm sure you know that already."

he watched you train. he watched you get tested by your head commander with screams. he watched you send anyone who fought hand to hand combat against you to their ass. he watched and he almost admired you.

even with the slight crack in his usual stoic shell, you were still at a loss as to what he was doing here. he kept his true intentions to himself, not even caring to speak to commander sadies. requesting you to the dining hall was his first move out of observing, but you sat here still, wondering, what did he want?

"I want you, y/n."

your slight recollection is broken by a loud, ground shaking sound.

thump. thump.

you freeze, feeling every bit of your body grow colder than it already was--if that was even possible.

"shit, shit, shit," you knew that sound. you knew exactly what that meant. you were quick to press your pace faster and onward as if to escape it, but you knew better. "not now."

you stop just as fast as you started, looking around fastly; looking toward daz's body. you needed to find coverage.

thump. thump. thump.

your eyes survey the scenery around you, seeking for something that could not only hide you, but the boy that was getting harder and harder to keep alive.

it was like fate didn't want you to be a good person.

your eyes settled on a lower tree line. you had to get higher. to have the advantage, you needed height. there was no way getting away from this thing and there was no way you’d kill this thing at your small height.

you had to climb.

but daz.

“you’re becoming a real pain in my ass,” you grit your teeth, lugging him toward the tall pine trees.

you’ve disregarded the rope, now pulling him by the cotton fabric sleeping bag he was wrapped in. you huffed, shuffling backwards as fast as you could till you felt a wall of branches push against you.

thump. thump.

it was close now. the sound of its footfalls were earth shattering—you could feel it in your bones. this drove you to move faster than you could barely process. you got on your hands and knees, pushing daz’s body into the underbelly of the tree, deciding this would be the best place to store him as you would attempt to butcher the oncoming titan.

you're swift to pull off your pack now, shuffling through the contents inside looking for the thick dagger you didn't go anywhere without. this would be hard without ODM gear, nearly impossible, but your level of skill would be just enough to get you through this.

once you possessed the blade, you dropped your pack under the tree--

thump. thump. thump.

there it was.

it's ugly face barely peaked over the top of the pine trees as it guided itself through them in search of you. it's jaw was already unlatched and salivating at the mouth.

"fuck me," you pulled yourself into the pine tree, now scaling to the top as fast as possible. "levi, you fucking bastard."

"you're from shiganshina."

you nod.

he does as well, slowly his pace, "is that why you want to become a scout? for revenge"

"no," you shook your head, still keeping your eyes strictly trained on the table you sat at.

"then why?" he sat before you now, taking you by surprise and causing you to finally looking at him--just like he wanted.

you swallowed sharply. you didn't understand this level of intimidation that suddenly took over you--you had heard all of the stories of levi ackerman, but you didn't find yourself swooning like your fellow comrades. what was so special about him? nothing--is what you thought... and yet you sat here in slight anxiety as if you were sitting in the presence of royalty.

"I'm not sure... honestly," you glance up at him. "all my life I had my father telling me what I was and what I wanted. he told me my purpose was to become a scout—but now that i’m here, i’m not so sure.”

levi is silent as he thinks over your words, then, humming, nodding slowly, “i’ll give you purpose, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

you now fully look at him, almost taken aback by his choice of words, but intrigued.

levi felt pitty for you. you were polluted with so much potential and yet you lacked a drive to fulfill it. he knew there was more to you than just a skilled soldier who overruled their comrades, and he so desperately wanted to see it. if you were so good now, he couldn’t imagine how good you’d be with the right motivation.

“i want you to join levi squad, y/n,” he folds his hands. “you’re very excellent for your age and i know you know it. your comrades know it. i know it.”

levi is typically reluctant to admit admiration for another, especially upon first meeting. admiration and praise was earned, but it seemed you were different.

“you’re too good for training, i know you think that, but you need it. you already possess an advantage over all your peers, better for them to think they still have a chance rather than initiate you weeks into training,” he gets up now.

“wait,” you stand with him. “what does this mean?”

“this means you’re an upcoming scout of levi scout.”

you curse levi now as you hold your self tightly to a pine tree, attempting to push yourself far from an unlatched jaw bearing its teeth at you.

yeah, fuck levi and his request to cushion the egos of your fellow comrades.

**

"can't believe she would ruin her chances with levi squad this easily."

"what do you propose she should've done; leave daz to the wolves and let him freeze to death?"

jean doesn't say anything to eren's response, knowing that's exactly what he would've done, or at least left him to someone else to drag him along.

"that's probably why captain levi took so much interest in her, jean," armin sets his gaze on the side of his campions face, shining light to what some of them may have considered your act of courageousness, stupidity. "not only is she impressive with battle tactic, but she also looks out for her fellow comrades."

"just like we're going to do," mikasa's hollow voice catches all of their attention.

"you don't mean you want to go all the way back out there?" jean looks at the side of the girl's face like she's almost insane. "after the long trek we already went through?"

“what is that?” eren's voice covers jean's whiney protests once his eyes size onto the faint sight of a dark figure. "y/n?" his voice is faint as he squints, attempting to clear up his vision, but it's no use with the excessive amount of wind and snow plaguing every inch of his sight.

"no way that's not her."

it becomes more and more abundantly clear what they were looking at, especially as they take steps closer--but your appearance doesn't match the one of which they last saw you at.

"I'll go get commander shadis," armin leans toward the cabins, running off.

you are drenched in blood. everything about you is staggered and it wasn't just because of you still carrying daz. you limp roughly, leaving your comrades to their imagination on what could have caused that, but they don't have a choice after you collapse into the snow.

**

"you should've left that boy behind," his voice pierces your ears despite his low tone. "it's not smart to risk your life for another who's deadweight."

you dig the heal of your palm into your eyes as you attempt to push on to listen to levi. you fail. your head throbs and your body still aches from days before.

"what can I say, I like a challenge," you scowl at his distasteful comment once you summon up enough energy to respond.

he resists to roll his eyes at your comeback, staring down at your slouched over figure, "I can't have my best solider dead."

it didn't take long for word to reach levi about his prized possession not only saving a fellow cadet, but also killing a titan--even if that titan was a small baby one.

"technically I'm not yours yet... according to you."

"smartass." he scoffs, "your compassion is admirable, but I'd appreciate it if you kept yourself subtle from here on out. got it?"

"yeah, whatever," your lack of energy and exhaustion was clear now to levi with low of an effort you were putting into being snarky with him. you expect him to say nothing in return but by the way he examines you, it's almost like there's more.

"don't make me regret my decision," he turns on his heal, "not a lot of people are lucky enough to have the talent that you have or the opportunities you'll be given. don't make me look like a fool.”

you watch him walk out without another word, his footfalls echoing in the empty hall outside the private room. you resist the urge to clench your fists too hard at the sound of his last words ringing inside of your head. they make your chest tighten at thought of just one more person to please, especially with it being someone's judgement you actually care for.

you didn't need this.

but you want it.

"fuck you, levi."

[jaybug-jabbers]

Gelatopod - Ice/Fairy

(Vanilla-Caramel Flavor is normal, Mint-Choco is shiny)

Artist - I adopted this wonderful fakemon from xeeble! So I decided to make up a full list of game data, moves, lore, etc. for it. Enjoy! :D

Abilities - Sticky Hold/Ice Body/Weak Armor (Hidden)

Pokedex Entries

Scarlet: Gelatopod leaves behind a sticky trail when it moves. A rich, creamy ice cream can be made from the collected slime.

Violet: At night, it uses the spike on its shell to dig into the ground, anchoring itself into place. Then it withdraws into its shell to sleep in safety.

Stats & Moves

BST - 485

HP - 73

Attack - 56

Defense - 100

Special Attack - 90

Special Defense - 126

Speed - 40

Learnset

Lvl 1: Sweet Scent, Sweet Kiss, Aromatherapy, Disarming Voice

Lvl 4: Defense Curl

Lvl 8: Baby Doll Eyes

Lvl 12: Draining Kiss

Lvl 16: Ice Ball

Lvl 21: Covet

Lvl 24: Icy Wind

Lvl 28: Sticky Web

Lvl 32: Dazzling Gleam

Lvl 36: Snowscape

Lvl 40: Ice Beam

Lvl 44: Misty Terrain

Lvl 48: Moonblast

Lvl 52: Shell Smash

Friendship Level Raised to 160: Love Dart (Signature Move)

Egg Moves

Mirror Coat, Acid Armor, Fake Tears, Aurora Veil

Signature Move - Love Dart

Learned when Gelatopod's friendship level reaches 160 and then the player completes a battle with it

Type - Fairy, Physical, Non-Contact

Damage Power - 20 PP - 10 (max 16) Accuracy - 75%

Secondary Effect - Causes Infatuation in both male and female pokemon. Infatuation ends in 1-4 turns.

Flavor Text - The user fires a dart made of hardened slime at the target. Foes of both the opposite and same gender will become infatuated with the user.

TM Moves

Take Down, Protect, Facade, Endure, Sleep Talk, Rest, Substitute, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Helping Hand, Icy Wind, Avalanche, Snowscape, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Charm, Dazzling Gleam, Disarming Voice, Draining Kiss, Misty Terrain, Play Rough, Struggle Bug, U-Turn, Mud Shot, Mud-Slap, Dig, Weather Ball, Bullet Seed, Giga Drain, Power Gem, Tera Blast

Other Game Data

Gender Ratio - 50/50

Catch Rate - 75

Egg Groups - Fairy & Amorphous

Hatch Time - 20 Cycles

Height/Weight - 1'0''/1.3 lbs

Base Experience Yield - 170

Leveling Rate - Medium Fast

EV Yield - 2 (Defense & Special Defense)

Body Shape - Serpentine

Pokedex Color - White

Base Friendship - 70

Game Locations - Glaseado Mountain, plus a 3% chance of encountering Gelatopod when the player buys Ice Cream from any of the Ice Cream stands

Notes

I'm not a competitive player, but I did my best to balance this fakemon fairly and not make it too broken. Feel free to give feedback if you have any thoughts!

I have a huge bias for Bug Pokemon since they're my favorite type, and at first I wanted to make it Bug/Ice, since any intervebrate could be tossed into the 'Bug' typing. But ultimately I decided to keep xeeble's original idea of Ice/Fairy. There's precedent of food-themed pokemon being Fairy type, and Ice/Fairy would be very interesting due to its rarity (only Alolan Ninetails has it). Its type weaknesses are also slightly easier to handle than Bug/Ice imo

The signature move is indeed based on real love darts, I could not resist something that fascinating being made into a Pokemon move, even if the real games may possibly shy away from the idea. (Honestly it could be argued "Love Dart" is based on Cupid's arrow so Gamefreak might actually get away with making a move like this though.) Its effectiveness on both males and females is a nod to snails/slugs being biological hermaphrodites. I can see this move also being learned by Gastrodon and Magcargo in Scarlet/Violet

[artemis-potnia-theron]

How I perceive different deities' energies: (pt. 2)

(based on personal experiences)

Bast 🐈‍⬛: Velvet. Roses. Incense. Aloe vera. Coconut milk. An enchanted vapor that fills the room like a fog, and suddenly its like I've known you for centuries. Light footsteps against wood floor. The humid steam of a sauna. Hot rocks against skin. An abundance of flowers; bouquets from the soul. Black mirrors and purple cystals.

Skadi 🗻: Breathing in winter air. Sharp and crisp within my lungs. Goose bumps. Cloud puffs of breath on a frigid morning. Wolves calling to each other. Dandelions. The whirl of an arrow loosed from its bow. Freshly fallen snow. Thick boots. Leather.

Fenrir 🐺: Righteous fury. Red behind the eyes. A pounding in my chest. An ancient drumb beat. Raw, red meat. Satiated hunger. An ache in my legs like I've been sprinting for a lifetime. Bone shards. The rage of the wronged. A long-fought battle. Bittersweet victory.

Freyja 🏵: My aunt's house. Plush fabric. A banquet. Cherry wine. Waves of gold. A concealed dagger. Calla lilies. Tough love and long embraces. Embroidered silk tapestries. A jewel encrusted mirror. Rosemary. Sun-catchers. Lace.

Kybele 🦁: Mountain mist. Echoing laughter. A voice that sings from somewhere just over the horizon. Dawn breaking. Roasted meat. Whiskey. Frenized dance at dusk. Breathing hard, almost panting. A sting. A balm. Cornflower. Daisies. Queen Anne's lace.

Inanna 🌟: A blue, purple light somewhere in the night. The brightest star in the sky. A river that flows between her and I and you and waves of souls that came before us. A beckoning song and a voice that comes from the heavens. An rare orchid.

Demeter 🌾: Divine rage and divine love. Wind through fields of wheat. Sun-dried tomatoes. Corn boiling in the pot. Hot summer wind. Dried grass. Being carried to my room as a child while I fell asleep. A sweet ache. A mother's touch. Trust, and a torrent of fury when that trust is broken.

Ereshkigal 🦉: Damp earth. Echoes. Owl talons. Quiet as a tomb and breathless whispers. A fluttering of wings in pitch black. Something dancing at the corner of my eye. Strength. Peace. Sterness. Beauty like the cosmos. She demands respect from every tounge.

Persephone 🥀: A funeral shroud. Bioluminescent fungi. Sweet, overripe fruit. Flowers growing from a corpse. Bones in bird nests. A hand clasping mine in the night. The smell of rain. Learning to live with my grief. A fate I no longer run from.

Cailleach Bheur ❄️: Fennel tea. Blizzard air. A lit cabin hearth while the storm rages outside. An heirloom quilt over my shoulders. Quiet. Contemplative. Resolutely austere. She knows all the answers, but she will have her silence. Burning coals. Shepherd's pie. Baked nuts. Glowing silver.

[p0isonyouth]

Flurry | Spencer Reid

Summary: After bringing your childhood best friend, Spencer Reid, to a family gathering at your hometown, you car breaks down on the way back and a winter storm is brewing.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Warnings: fluff, pt. 2?

When you and Spencer took a day trip over to your parent’s house for a family dinner, you hadn’t expected being stuck with a busted tire, your childhood best friend whom you’ve had a crush on forever, and a blizzard. You expected to be back to Quantico a couple of hours ago, as both you and Spencer had work the next morning.

You were huddled in the back, wrapped up in the awful colored coat that your great aunt gave you, and boy did it provide the warmth. Peering out of the windows, you checked to see if Spencer was anywhere near the car. The boy genius, both worried about the both of you catching hypothermia and the wrath of Hotch if you arrived late to work, had decided to trek two miles to the nearest ounce of civilization that he could find to see if he could find a spare tire or repairman.

Your eyes moved to the door as it opened, seeing the intelligent man with snow in his hair. “Finally!” You exclaim, adjusting yourself to sit up straight. Spencer entered the driver’s seat, tapping on the wheel in frustration. “What took you so long? Did you get any help?”

“Y/N, I had to walk two miles.”

“So, are we gonna die in here or did you get any help?” You pressed, leaning forward in between the seats. The snow began to fall harder, and the sky was getting darker by the minute.

Spencer pursed his lips, turning to face you, his hazel eyes meeting yours. “Someone should be here in half an hour with your new tire. I can’t believe you threw out the spare, why would you do that?” He asked, giving away full disbelief in his eyes. “Did you know that 28% of vehicles don’t have spare tires, and more than half of them get into accidents without them. Yet, you threw yours out, Y/N.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to fit our luggage with it inside the car, Spencer. Jesus, I’m sorry.” To be fair, the circumstances were out of your control, even with the spare tire. Your car was pretty old, so it probably would’ve broken down in the winter chill anyways, it wouldn’t have been the first time.

“It’s freezing in here, Y/N!” He said, wrapping his arms around himself. You sat there, shocked at him for easily dismissing your apology. Usually, you were good at maintaining a poker face—given that that was a part of your job—but it was hard to act as if his lack of words didn’t affect you. Because they did. Badly.

At the continued silence, you leared your throat, cueing him to look down at you from the corner of his eyes. “Thank you for going for help, Spence.” You muttered, returning back to your huddled position in the back of the car. Spencer watched you move in the mirror, cursing himself for hurting your feelings.

“You’re welcome.” He watched you shiver in your seat, biting his bottom lip as he contemplated telling you more or not about the current situation you two were in. You were his best friend, one of the only people who stook up for him during his years of being a teen genius. There was no way that he was going to blame all of this on you.

With another shiver going down your spine, you let out a small laugh, gasping as the pain of the cold hit you. “God, you were right. It is freezing in here.”

With a sigh, Spencer opened the driver side’s door, hopping into the back and pulling you into a warm cuddle. You and Spencer had never been as close as you were now, yet both of you were afraid to break the intimate moment. You snuggled into his side, attempting to wrap the coat around his torso as well.

Spencer wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest as he snuggled his head into the nook of your neck. Your eyes darted around nervously, your mind locked in a relentless battle between reason and longing. You shouldn’t be feeling anything at a time like this, stuck in a winter storm. Still, your thoughts swirled in a whirlwind of forbidden fantasies, each one more tantalizing than the last.

“God, if JJ and Morgan saw this, they’d think they won the lottery.” You whispered, biting your lip as you felt his warm breath on your neck. “By now, I’m sure the whole team thinks that we’re—” You stopped, unsure what to say next. Reid lifts his head from your neck, turning your chin so you could face him.

“That we’re what, Y/N?” He whispered, a groan wanting to come out of your body. You could feel your face grow red, your heart racing. You opened and closed your mouth a few times, at a complete loss for words. You couldn’t think straight, not with his eyes staring down at you.

“I’m not sure, Spencer.” You tried to shrug, but his arms weighted down your shoulders. “You know, my mom offered for us to stay the night. I should’ve said yes, but I just couldn’t stand to see her with that new husband of hers, Winston.” You sneered, rolling your eyes at the mention of your stepfather. He was an older man than your mother, yet somehow inexperienced with the world. Upon meeting you, the man tried to act as your father, but he never would be.

“That bad, huh?” Spencer chuckled, his mind still racing with what you were going to say. He had tried to talk to you the whole reunion, yet relatives pulled you two away from each other each time. He wanted to talk to you about the feelings that he had felt since you two were children, the feelings that her didn’t know you reciprocated. “Winston seemed like an interesting person.

You snorted, rolling you eyes. “Interesting, alright. The highlight of the whole this is that he told me that they’ll put in a fold-out bed in the den just for me, told me that I could be their guest from time to time. Perks of being an only child I suppose, at least for now.”

“Sometimes happiness makes people a little selfish and very dense.” The genius commented, rubbing your arms for comfort.

“I walked down that hallway as slowly as I possibly could. I knew mom would follow me because I was upset. But the last thing I heard was the sound of her laughter before she left the room.”

“It’s not always going to be like that, Y/N.” Spencer assured, running his fingers through your hair. “I promise you.”

“You’re right, Spence.” You nodded in complete agreement. “They’ll have some more children, a nice beig family like mom always wanted. And then I’ll get booted out of the picture entirely.”

“Y/N, you know that your mom isn’t like that. She’s in love, and that changes people. She’ll be back to her old self in no time.” The doctor assured, moving you so you could be more comfortable. Your head rested in the nook of his arm, your eyes closed so you could enjoy the moment.

“All I know is that it’s not worth it. I’m never getting married. Ever.”

“Ever?” Spencer asked, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“No. I’m not.” You replied, eyes still closed against his arm. I’m just gonna have tons and tons of cash, maybe I’ll buy an island or something.” Spencer let out a laugh as you looked up at him, feigning offense. Hitting his shoulder, you gave a small pout. “What’s so funny.”

“Nothing, nothing. I’m just glad you invited me, that’s all. I couldn’t get this much of a show at the bullpen, even from Garcia and Morgan.”

“Why, thank you.” You smiled widely, grabbing his cold hand and messing with his fingers. “I’m glad you’re here.”

His gaze rested on your eyes, slowly making its way down to your lips. Subconsciously, you leaned in closer, closing your eyes to await your moment of bliss. A moment you’ve been waiting for ever since you were a child.

Suddenly, a horn erupted from the distance, lights blaring into the window of the car. You and Spencer pulled apart, your heart beating fast.

What the hell just happened?

a/n: this is my first imagine! how'd you like it and do we want a part two?

[umbry-fic]

Ashen Boundary

Summary: Vita wanders from the mountains, and has a peaceful meeting with a reaper.

Fandom: Arcaea Characters: Vita, Lethe Relationships: Vita & Lethe Rating: G Word Count: 1091 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 13/08/2024

Notes: I place the events of this fic as happening sometime before the final showdown between Lethe and Saya :)

~~~

The crunch of sand under her shoes made Vita pause in her twisting and turning tracks, casting her gaze towards the horizon.

Thoughts had been running rampant through her mind ever since the day had stolen away, replaced by inky darkness where not even stars came out to play. Yet an unearthly light still fell upon the land, emanating from some unknown source and providing a path for her to follow through a massive library of glass and memories as she got lost in her head. Musing about who she had been before she’d ended up in this strange world, musings about its rapidly deteriorating state and the possible causes, musings about what would happen to them all when the fabric of reality inevitably tore itself apart. Weighed down by thoughts that refused to quiet, she found herself treading circles around the cave she shared with Saya, until she found herself at the mouth, as she always did. A warm hand wrapped a familiar cloak around her shoulders, and Saya had firmly told her not to wander too far before letting her go.

Shivering, Vita clutched the cloak tighter around herself, marvelling at the blizzard that whirled in the far distance. Its frigid fingers were too distant to curl around her as she watched the blankets of white that fell only to be torn apart. Beautiful and dangerous in equal measure.

Further surveying her surroundings, she frowned. How far had she wandered? Nothing looked familiar. The mountain wasn’t even in view anymore - instead, there were only the unrecognisable ruins of buildings, debris scattered about the sand as the broken spires of a church stabbed towards the sky.

The harsh slide of metal caused her to whirl around, nearly losing her balance as her already-pounding heart sped up even more, echoing in her ears.

“What are you doing so far out here, lost child?”

Standing before her was the very woman Saya had warned her about numerous times. Vita had only ever seen Lethe from a distance, a faint impression of glimmering gold and curved horns, before Saya’s hand on her shoulder steered her away before they could get too close.

“A horribly foolish woman,” Saya had scoffed, turning away. “Holding onto nothing but hope that has already fallen through her fingers.” She had remained, still and silent for a while, before walking away, never once looking back.

She stumbled back a few steps, breath catching as she desperately scrambled for a weapon of her own, only to realise that Lethe had lowered her scythe, letting its tip rest on the ground. Something else prickled at her mind - more was missing from the scene painted before her eyes.

The spark of rage she had once watched ignite and give rise to a wildfire had vanished from her golden eyes, Lethe’s gaze nothing but gentle as it rested on her, like a brush of butterflies, soft against her skin.

“I - I’m not lost!” she protested indignantly, cheeks flushing as she crossed her arms, relieved that she seemed to be in no danger. Yet she had somehow been caught in a situation where, once more, she would be treated as a child.

“No?” Lethe cocked her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “Are you not usually with… the other woman?”

“I, well… Okay, maybe I am a little lost,” she admitted, shoulders slumping. “Why… Aren’t you attacking me?”

Saya and Lethe were always at each other’s throats, had been even before Saya had found her and given her a place to return to. It was like an immutable fact, woven among the very threads that made up the core of this world. It wasn’t a battle she could understand - she hated the idea of violence, the very thought of bringing harm to anyone else enough to bring bile rising up her throat. She understood Saya’s mission and its urgency, what with anxiety over the very boundaries of this world splintering constantly humming in her mind. Even then, she refused to partake in any fighting.

But she found that she couldn’t utter a single word of protest, fear that she would be turned away making her clam up. She couldn’t be alone in this lonely world. Not again. The most she did was accompany Saya whenever she ventured out, for the other woman always made the choice to avoid Lethe when she did so.

“Should I be?” Lethe asked, settling herself on a nearby rock as glass gathered around her. “It’s not your fault that violent woman refuses to respect that which is sacred.”

“I… No, I suppose.”

She just hadn’t expected there to be kindness.

The glass behind Lethe floated and dived, forming shapes behind her back. A blooming flower, its petals slowly spreading to face the sky. A hand, experimentally flexing its fingers. A bird, flapping its wings in joy as it prepared to soar.

It was breathtaking, and she couldn’t tear her gaze away. Saya had explained Lethe’s collection of glass before - pieces filled with nostalgia, each shard picked for no reason other than sentiment, fiercely protected. But this was beyond her wildest expectations.

Just as Saya’s rigid shelves of memories held an analytical beauty, so too did these wild shards embody a playful spirit.

Those golden eyes studied her for a moment more, before a gentle smile settled on Lethe’s face. It evoked the same warmth that Saya’s countless little gestures did, wrapping her heart with a warm blanket.

“You’re heading back towards the mountains, correct? Follow the hill up to the church, and you’ll be able to see it from there. You should hurry, before… before Saya begins to worry.” There was something a little sad in her eyes as she pointed towards the shattered ruins of the church that stood atop the hill behind her.

“Thank you,” she replied after a pause, beginning to head in that direction, for there were no more words left to share. Glancing back, she found Lethe had folded her hands in her lap and was staring off into the distance, gaze unfocussed as she ran her fingers along the shards of glass gathered around her.

Taking a deep breath, she began the trek home, determination building in her chest. No matter how afraid she was, she had to try and stop the two of them from ripping each other apart. After all, they were no different from each other. Just two woman, clinging desperately to their ideals in a land where nothing mattered.

There was so little left to hold sacred.

[operationslipperypuppet]

you should talk about melora/telaine/aryox. bc being normal about them is never an option <3

not since 53, at least. (this might be long oops)

to start i’ll like people here, another time i was asked a similar question. so i don’t repeat those things.

firstly, yes. i do think they were together. from some point in their adventure, long before they killed the god, and up until telaine broke the pact. part of the reason why it killed melora when telaine betrayed the promise was because melora thought their love was strong enough to prevent telaine from making that choice. part of the reason why it killed telaine to be trapped in the demiplane by melora was because she thought their love was strong enough for melora to not punish her for breaking the pact.

it’s worse and sadder, i think, if aryox gave up his piece of the heart before his death. (i wrote a fic based on the idea). and his giving it up was an act of love. he was, of course, the original worshipper of melora, the goddess of nature. because he had long been a worshiper of melora, the spring eladrin.

telaine and aryox fought, often. they loved to clash, and huge emotions were how they expressed their love. but they made sure to never get melora stuck in the middle if they could avoid it. because she didn’t deserve that.

meloras love is soft, all encompassing, when it comes to the two of them. like a blanket when there’s a slight chill. like a soft breeze on a spring day. telaine and aryox had loud love, always, but softened when it came to her. and her love softened them. (which is why telaine was so fiery and furious when the boobs met her).

the pact was melora’s idea. she wanted the world to be protected. she hated that it hadn’t protected her, or her friends. so she made sure they became a force of protection for the realm. aryox and telaine, in turn, protected her. from the ways she let being unable to protect the world hurt her. and her priority, always, was to protect them.

aryox knew, when the pact was made, that he would break it. that telaine would break it. he always had that sort of ability, to see the future in snippets. he didn’t tell them. he loved them enough to hope he was wrong, just this once. and when he wasn’t, about telaine, he knew the choice was clear. giving melora his piece of the heart would always be his punishment, from that day he knew the pact had to be broken.

melora’s anger, the kind that mirrored in many of her followers, manifested (manifests) in storms. there were weeks of blizzards when aryox was killed in the frigid north. when her fiercest followers died, people she wanted to protect but couldn’t intervene on, it would rain for days, or wind would whip through the trees at colossal speeds, whatever felt appropriate. when mount forge fell, the protected tomb of her dearest friend, the man she loved, the whole world felt it ripple. the storms weren’t nearly as bad as the cataclysm that came later, but the cataclysm was not the first time all of bahumia felt a godly stormy wrath that summer.

[codenamejudas]

Officially a farm lad. Just don't let him touch the crops without gloves maybe.

[cyberneticlagomorph]

You must have fallen asleep in the middle of your work without noticing. 

When you suddenly sit bolt upright upon waking a shower of assorted documents fly everywhere like some angular mockery of snow in a blizzard. You blink one eye and then the other several times until your face figures out how to sync the motions, were it not for the fact that you were watching this happen from OUTSIDE of your body you might have just assumed that you’d woken up energized to the point of mania.

"MAN! It's good to be back!" Said your mouth without your permission, your voice stolen and strange to your now ghostly ears.

Ma leans in through the kitchen doorway and squints, sizzling pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. You watch your body make eye contact with your mother, a big stupid smile spreading across your face. Your smiles have always looked ‘off’, kind of lopsided like you weren’t used to the motions, but the way your lips moved now bordered on cartoonishly silly. Your nose crinkled, and so did the corners of your eyes, like a kid smiling for school pictures before the concept of ‘cool’ and ‘ugly’ took over their entire brain. "Hi Ma, I think I've had an epiphany! You keep an eye on the kids while I have a talk with tall dark and blondie, but first..." You watch your body look down at itself, "I should really freshen up.”

Your body gets up and skitters into the bathroom like an awkwardly shaped bug with very little control of its limbs.

 Ma frog blinks and mutters something about how ‘morning people should be illegal’ before retreating back into the kitchen.

You hover uneasily over the spot you’d been sleeping in, and watch your body abandon you. One of the hyenas (Bruce, the littlest one) stares at your disembodied ghost expectantly, you wave at him awkwardly and watch him wiggle with excitement, stretching up to sniff you and beg for pets. You expect your hand to go right through him, and it does, but for a second you ARE him and it freaks you out beyond all imagining. 

You bolt like a scared squirrel.

In the bathroom, Zilch is getting handsy with you, and not in a fun way either. You can feel echoes of what he’s doing and it makes you nauseous. He probes his fingers into your mouth, prying it open as far as it’ll go and then some, marveling at the elasticity. He stretches, he bends, twists and grins with your now misshapen mouth. “Man oh MAN, and here I thought Pine Tree’s whole deal was deluxe, this thing is DECADENT!” Zilch says as he looks your body over in the mirror, running his hands down your thighs and wiggling your hips just to watch you wobble. “HAHAHAHA, gross! You look like something ModeSeven would draw.”

The second you get your meat suit back, that isosceles asshole is done for.

Zilch looks at you, head turning a full 180 to do so, “Reeeeeeelax, I’m a triangle of my word, I’m gonna fix your beef with blondie and give you your disgusting flesh prison back, but I wanna have fun with it first.”

“I. Am. Not. A. Toy.” Your voice, your wretched detached ghost voice, sounds too organic. It sounds too human. Your ectoplasmic exterior itches and burns with discomfort. 

“Right you are! You’re not a toy,” Zilch smiles with your mouth, tilting your head at such a sharp angle your neck looks broken. “You’re my puppet.”

Your spectral fingers twitch, and Zilch chuckles with your broken bitcrushed midi laugh. “But before I make good on my promise, I can’t go out in public looking like THIS!”

Zilch turns to face the mirror again and inspects your body’s face with new interest, “Eugh, too blue!” He runs his fingers through your hair and you watch the color drain away, leaving a bright buttery yellow behind with black roots. He gives you black lipstick and gold eyeshadow. He leans in closer to the mirror and your eyes start to spin like a slot machine, when they stop your pupils are glowing golden triangles. With a snap of his fingers, you’re dressed in a faded button down with a moth at your throat, a cane in your hand, and Zilch’s big stupid shades over his eyes. “Now then, let’s get this party STARTED!”

[crmsnmth]

Seen But Not Heard

In my house it was always to be seen but never heard. It didn't matter unless you were dying You were to never interrupt and you spoke when spoken too Any time they had friends over Find me off in the corner, coloring a Rugrats coloring book scared that the sound of crayon on paper might get to them Because if I was heard, they'd be heard And I'm constantly in the way

Parties every weekend, when I hide in my room Learning voices of music and keeping my headphones Some habits are hard to break Across the hall, there's a snowstorm happening in their room I know because they don't always close the door all the way I used to always wonder why they put powdered sugar on the mirror

Soon it was to be hidden and not heard I wasn't a cute little kid with crayons anymore I was an angry teenager dressed in black putting holes in his bedroom walls Just so I can feel something in my swelling knuckles And across the hall, they keep their door locked now I never see behind the cracks

Soon I didn't matter at all, as bitter divorce shows it's fangs Even the blizzards couldn't keep a loveless marriage alive At first it was depression at the fact that my family had fallen But it quickly faded, when I realized that this wasn't the first time And I watched in silence, hiding in the corner with my crayons drawing pictures that would disturb any guidance counselor For some reason, I have to see her once a week

At eighteen I said goodbye, with a slamming door and a "fuck you" I moved in with my dad until I could get on my feet And now that I was an adult, I was seen, I was heard Just never in a way that anybody could really understand and soon enough it started to flurry a little bit in my world Finally understanding how to bake something off of reflective glass

In my home, it is always hide and be silent I've never really figured out how to adjust the volume Things get built into us as we age in our lives Habits become permanant enclosures in our dangerous zoo Each new thought processed is a new animal that kills Apex predators hide best when they grab hold of dying words

She tried to listen to me, but that's all on her I gave her fair warning that my mind is a wasteland she played caretaker until she'd find me overwhelmed locked inside a closet with broken crayons I don't blame her at all for when she couldn't take it at all Always heard, but never seen

And soon enough, off to new friend's living room floor drowning a flood of brown liquors and beer stained nights How is it I never got to see how this ends And she came out of nowhere, seeing me. Hearing me. For the first and only time in my life, I knew what it was to be human to be loved, cared for, heard, seen, wanted.

But things don't last forever in this world we go through And soon enough I wasn't seen, and I wasn't heard Alone in a city with nothing worth grabbing I lived in pits of heartbreak, dragons, snow, and fungus Walking along sidewalks of violence even the muggers couldn't see me they couldn't hear me

Until she appeared, dragging me by the neck into her arm Pretending to listen and see but in the process starting the grooming I was seen, but I was clay and I was heard, but I was static Miable, pliable, building blocks of what she wanted She held red crayons and used them to drain my blood Her little project

I escaped in the quiet of domestic abuse excuses I claim no sainthood by my hands And she couldn't claim her innocense forever I take my undeserved punishment, in a cage always seen always heard

Now I've learned from all these lessons And I've taken them as the gospel of my life Chris 8:15. Make sure you are seen, and make sure you are heard I've written this in crayon and the margins of a SpongeBob coloring book.

[projectcookiekingdom]

Affogato Coffee Finds a Stick

Waking up in a cold environment is not something that he expected and, at the same time, it is quite strange how he got here in the first place. How peculiar, he thought to himself. Scanning his surroundings, all he could see was a vast field of snow and several trees, which didn't help him pinpoint his location. What is even more concerning is the fact that he doesn't remember anything other than his name, Affogato, and that he was a cookie.

A cookie, huh? Weird.

Affogato Coffee let out an annoyed huff as he stood up from the snow-covered ground, dusting off the snow from his body, and began to walk forward. Where was he headed? He doesn't know, but he followed his instinct.

An hour passed, and he eventually spotted an old abandoned settlement, which looked familiar to him, like he's been here before, and headed straight towards the torn-up tent. The faint smell of coffee was barely noticeable, and he felt at ease by its scent alone. Standing in front of the tent, he began examining the damages to ensure that it wouldn't collapse on him before he entered. As he went deeper in the tent, he noticed a broken mirror, which gave him a glimpse of what he looked like. A brown, faceless creature that smelled like coffee, and yet, he felt that something was missing.

What was it, and why can't he remember?

The creature shook his head and began searching the tent for supplies. What type of supply? Well, he was hoping to find some food and something else that could help him survive in this land of snow and blizzard. Eventually, Affogato Coffee took notice of a simple stick and picked it up. He doesn't know why, but he feels a little better holding one with his hand, like it was meant to be.

He waved the stick around and gleefully twirled before pointing it towards the broken stool. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Affogato Coffee held onto the stick as he continued to look for food outside of the worn-out tent. Perhaps he could find some mushrooms or any other plants that are edible to eat, but in this type of weather, it would be quite difficult to forage. He'll have to settle with another plan, and if it has to be stealing food and other supplies from other cookies, then so be it.

He doesn't care what they'll think of him. All he wants is to survive and to live in comfort.

Short Story: <-Prev - Next->

[she-karev]

Reuniting with Andrew (Andrew DeLuca x Alex Karev's Sister Angst)

Previous Chapter Here

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: Two of Two

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy/Station 19

Ship: Andrew DeLuca x Amber Karev (Alex Karev’s Sister)

Canon Episode: Season 16 Episode 19/Season 3 Episode 15

Summary: Amber continues to connect with Wren while Alex gives Andrew a special welcome back. Later she finds out that Jackson was shot while working the PRT. That night she gets a surprise visit at Jackson’s penthouse.

Words: 3441

The pit is less crowded than it was before with 12 of the beds occupied by first responders including Wren. Amber inhales to keep her emotions under control before going to Wren’s bed where she is still waiting for her cast.

“Hey sorry I was gone for so long I had an unexpected collision but I am here now and ready to put your cast on.”

Wren gives a knowing grin, “I remember where I know you from, it took a while but I figured it out while you were gone.” Amber looks interested while taking the supplies out, “The Outlier last week.”

Amber takes a moment before recollecting, “Ah! I remember that was the guy who choked on the steak frites. PRT was in the neighborhood and I had to do an emergency tracheotomy on site.”

“Yes!” Wren smiles, “My team arrived five minutes later, I was the driver but I saw you in the rear-view mirror throwing your gloves away like it was a normal day and you didn’t cut a guy’s throat open at a restaurant. I can’t believe how normal you acted after.”

Amber grins proudly, “Well you know I do tracheotomy’s here in a sterile room it only feels slightly weird when there’s a waiter next to you asking if a customer would like a drink. Plus, I got pretty used to operating inside a truck next to fires so this was just a walk in the park. Okay this is the part where you hate me, we gotta reset the wrist.”

Wren inhales and sits up, “Let’s get this over with.” Amber positions them to reset the wrist. Amber grasps the broken bone and counts to three before quickly snapping it in place causing Wren to groan in pain.

“I told you; you would hate me. The hard part is over now comes the fun part, putting your cast on.” Amber pulls out a sock for the first layer, “So the tracheotomy was fine by your standards as a paramedic?”

“Hell yeah, you handled that like a boss. The doctor at Seattle Pres told us you pretty much took care of half the work for them.”

Amber snorts as she puts the sock over the arm, “It wouldn’t be different from any other day doing their work for them. Don’t tell them I said that you know how fragile doctors egos can be, I’m speaking as one.”

Wren groans, “I know, I keep saying it’s a real coincidence their closed to trauma during a storm or a blizzard or a full moon.”

Amber chuckles, “Lucky were not a superstitious bunch then. Okay I’m gonna apply the gauze next you shouldn’t feel a thing.”

Wren lies still as she holds her injured arm out for Amber to wrap the gauze around, “So what was the collision?”

“Huh?”

“You said you had an unexpected collision that caused you to be late, was it a surgery or something?”

Amber groans under her breath, “Or something.” Amber looks up and sees Wren giving a ‘tell me more’ look. Normally she would resist telling a stranger about her relationship problems but for some reason she feels safe enough to talk to Wren. Maybe it’s because for the first time in weeks she made her feel good about herself unlike Andrew who made her feel like crap. Plus it doesn’t hurt that Wren looks beautiful even covered in soot. Amber clears her throat to start, “I ran into my ex-boyfriend while he was visiting. It was the first time I’ve seen him since he had a mental breakdown, lashed out at me, quit his job here and left without so much as a call back.”

Wren winces from that story instead of the fracture, “Ouch and how did you react?”

“I told him I wasn’t gonna be around for him to use as a verbal punching bag and that if he came to his senses not to come crawling back to me. It’s safe to say I made an impressive scene.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Amber rolls another layer of gauze around the arm, “I’ve had some pretty bad relationships myself, not crazy like yours but ones that left me with a bruised heart. It sucks.”

“It really does especially when you bought an apartment together and he kicked you out.”

“Damn and it gets worse. Are you staying with someone?”

“My friend, he has a penthouse with more than enough room and thick walls so I can cry my eyes out. And I don’t care that he gets the apartment he could burn it down for all I care and he could be inside and I’m pretty sure I would jump in joy. Nope forward march.”

Wren grins, “That is very admirable, most people would be a mess for weeks after that disaster rollercoaster.”

Amber takes out the red fiberglass, “Well I’m not most people.”

“I can tell and I can also tell that guy is the biggest idiot in the world to let a strong, smart and badass woman like you go.” Amber looks at her touched by her compliment before taking the scissors out.

Meanwhile

Andrew DeLuca walks down the hall rubbing his eyes and feeling worse after what Amber said. He’s letting it get to him and letting it sink in that a woman he loved is so angry at him she doesn’t care how she hurts him as long as he is. It makes him feel guilty but he ignores it as he heads down the hall to the library to figure out what’s wrong with Richard. He feels someone tapping his shoulder. He turns around and is met with a hard punch to the face causing him to tumble down.

“What the hell!” He looks up and sees that the person who punched him is none other than Alex Karev who stares at him with more fury than he did the first night he assaulted him. Andrew quickly stands up and looks both afraid and angry at Alex’s reaction.

Alex inhales and exhales before simply saying, “That’s for my sister.” Alex turns around and walks away from DeLuca who only looks on in shock before snapping out of it and heading to his destination with a throbbing left eye.

Later

Amber snaps off the fiberglass and presents the red cast around Wren’s arm, “Voila!”

“Nice it looks cool; do you want to be the first to sign it?”

Amber chuckles takes out her sharpie, “Sure what do you want it to say?”

“Maybe a get well and maybe a phone number that’s real?” Amber looks at her startled and Wren catches on, “Oh god sorry that was way too forward. I just thought we had this connection while we were talking and I know you’re going through a rough time right now and I am not taking advantage of you I’m not. I just thought you could use a night where you don’t cry to death and maybe get a drink with a paramedic who thinks your super-hot and cool and should let you know that for once. And you can step in anytime to make me not look like a babbling fool.”

Amber grins, “Um…I can leave you my number on the cast and you can call me later once I’ve thought about it.”

Wren grins, “I will take that.” Amber smiles and writes her name and number on the cast unaware of Qadri and Casey looking interested from the station.

“How does she do that?” Qadri asks perplexed, “When I get dumped, I lie in bed for months with tubs of ice cream meanwhile she gets a hot first responder. I want a hot first responder.”

Casey snorts, “Me too.”

Amber walks to the station with a smile on her face getting scandalous looks from her friends causing her suspicion, “What?”

“Oh nothing.” Qadri answers with a grin, “We just can’t help but notice you getting cozy with that paramedic whose arm you patched up, who is she?”

“Her name is Wren and we were not getting cozy, I was just signing her cast.”

“With your phone number?” Amber turns to Casey who has a grin too, “Hey life is short and you deserve good things Karev I am not judging here. Let me know if she has a brother or sister.”

Qadri steps in, “Brother for me if you can or a cousin or rich, old uncle I don’t care.”

Amber chuckles, “Okay it was nothing she asked me out for drinks and I said I would think about it.”

“What is there to think about?” Dahlia asks, “She’s cute, she’s a first responder, she’s queer, ask her out.”

Amber groans at the simple explanation, “I am fresh out of a 2-year relationship that ended in an explosion that left me alone in my best friends’ apartment.”

Dahlia looks shameful, “Okay fair.”

Amber remembers something, “Speaking of which, where is Avery? He and Warren should’ve been here an hour ago with the guy who attacked that girl, Darcie.”

Schmitt hears her and goes to them with a remorseful face, “Um Dr. Warren called just now and told us that he lost a patient.”

“No big loss there after you tried to rape a girl.” Casey coldly states.

“Also, there was a possible GSW on the scene.”

Amber is so shocked she looks at him blankly and asks in a numb voice, “A what?”

Later

Amber gowns up and runs to the ambulance bay with Schmitt and Bailey to attend to the GSW brought in by the ambulance. Amber is hoping it’s a random patient and not the guy who is pretty much the reason she is still standing right now. Her fears come true however as she sees Jackson inside the ambulance on a gurney with gauze around his leg that is covered in blood.

“Avery? You're the GSW?”

Amber asks them in a frustrated tone, “What the hell happened?”

“It's an extremely long story.”

Jackson dismisses Ben’s comment, “It’s really not that long. Junkie held us up for drսgs and then shot me.”

“With a gun?” Schmitt asks in shock, causing Amber to glare at him for his idiocy.

“Yes, with a gun, Schmitt.” Amber growls under breath following Jackson to trauma one, “Okay, my tourniquet's been on like 20 minutes. Page Dr. Lincoln and Dr. Hunt it’s a through and through on the calf.”

“Get him to trauma one.” Amber is still angry at Jackson and tears at him while the paramedics wheel him in, “One day. I leave you alone for one day and you get shot! Are you trying to make me have a heart attack?!”

Jackson winces at the yelling and they enter the trauma room, “Your absolutely right Amber I should have thought twice before letting a junkie try and rob me before getting shot in the leg. How could I be so cruel to you?”

Amber gets angrier with his sarcasm, “Boy I am gonna kick your ass once you get that leg healed up.”

“As long as you don’t do it while we check his injuries.” Link tells her as he enters the room with Hunt, “What do we got?”

Amber stops and informs them, “GSW on the calf bullet went through. There was bleeding but a tourniquet was applied on the scene.”

Hunt looks at the injury, “No infection. Our O.R.’s are booked so we’re gonna debride in here.”

“My lucky day.” Jackson sarcastically says with Amber pinching the bridge of her nose still pissed at him.

Link catches on, “Hey Karev we got this how about you go out and take care of the pit and we’ll update you as soon as we can.”

“I’m not leaving.” Amber tells him with a frown, “I’ve barely made a dent in scolding this idiot.”

“Which is why you need to go.” Hunt points out sternly, “Now we need a quiet and calm space to work here and quite frankly you are the opposite right now so please leave.”

Amber inhales and exhales for a moment before pointing her finger at Jackson with a glare, “We’re not done talking about this.” Amber snaps off her gloves turning to the orthopedic and trauma surgeon, “Let me know when I can visit him post op.” Amber throws away her gown and gloves in a huff returning to the pit leaving Jackson behind who looks at Hunt and Link with a pleading face.

“Any chance you guys can sedate her before she visits me?” Hunt and Link grin and get ready to debride.

Later

After finally finishing her shift Amber was going to confront Jackson but decided to sleep on it with renewed energy for tomorrow. She walks down the hall to check on Dr. Webber and as she expected her brother Alex is at the station looking at his tablet in torment, no doubt anguished at seeing his teacher and friend in such a dwindling state. Amber sighs at the sight before approaching her oldest brother.

“Hey how’s it going on your end?”

Alex chuckles bitterly, “Oh just my boss and friend who was the main reason I evolved into a successful surgeon and decent human being from my first day as an arrogant intern coming back from the O.R. where his hallucinations almost caused him to slice open his own stomach with a scalpel. It’s just your regular Thursday.”

Despite his nonchalant tone Amber can tell that he is struggling the same way Meredith is but like her is trying to mask it. Meredith, Jo and Amber are the only people in the hospital who can see the pain behind his eyes and are the source of comforts he so clearly needs right now. Amber takes the initiative and puts her hand on his shoulder in a comforting notion.

“We’re gonna figure this out. It’s not a hope it’s a fact he’s got some of the brightest people in there working tooth and nail to get a damn diagnosis and fix him.”

Alex nods, “Yeah, I know. I just feel like I should be doing something, maybe I should’ve gotten into neuro or general then I would be useful.”

“Alex you’re a smart guy but you’re no Dr. House, there’s nothing you can do in this situation except be there for support. God knows he’s gonna need it.” Alex still looks tormented and Amber can guess where his head is at, “Nobody caught this until the conference. All of us thought he was depressed and the events of his life recently, strange behavior would be common. You can’t blame yourself for this.”

Alex sighs, “Jo gave me the same speech this morning, it didn’t work. I’ve known him for years and yeah stuff happened but he never reacted like this.” Alex’s face shifts to anger, “I wish I could yell at Catherine for leaving him and buying Pac North out of sheer spite. If that didn’t happen maybe we would question why he was deteriorating and catch this thing sooner before it caused him to make a scene in front of the whole medical community.”

“I don’t know if it’s good or bad you shifted from blaming yourself to blaming Catherine. We’re all frustrated Alex and yeah maybe if Catherine didn’t do those things, we wouldn’t be so quick to depression but what happened happened. All we can do is set the blame aside and help Webber, he needs that more than he needs you to point fingers.”

Alex looks at Amber in thought, “Look at you being the stable and wise sibling.”

Amber shrugs, “I have my moments like you, just like we both have moments of being volatile and punching certain residents in the middle of the hallway.”

“Do not expect me to apologize for that.” Alex quickly defends, “And don’t expect me to sit idle by while the guy who kicked my sister to the streets crying walks down the hall like he didn’t do anything wrong. You and I both know if it was Izzie or Ava or Lucy here today instead of DeLuca you would…punch them in the noses so bad they send Avery for a consult.”

Amber scoffs, “I…” She tries to defend herself but she knows as well as him how vengeful she can be, “would.”

Alex grins for the first time that day and chuckles while clarifying, “You totally would.”

Amber also chuckles, “Yeah I would.” They suddenly burst out laughing over that statement for a few moments before they calm down with both of them still smiling. Amber exhales in amusement, “We Karev’s really can pick them huh?”

Alex snorts, “If it makes you feel better, I raise your one crazy boyfriend with four girlfriends who left me, had a nervous breakdown or both.”

Amber pats his hand in comfort, “Thanks. It doesn’t.”

Alex sighs at his sister’s pain, “Are you okay?”

Amber clears her throat, “I’m fine I’ve handled worse nuclear explosions and learned how to walk away from pain I didn’t sign up for. Remember I did that with mom and you if you recall.”

Alex looks down in shame over his attempts to ignore his sister in her time of need, “Sorry I’m on that list kid.”

“Well, the important thing is you’re not anymore, in fact you, Jackson and Jo are pretty much my main tethers to sanity right now. And you don’t have to fight my battles for me, I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, I know but my barbarian big brother instincts come out, I have no control over them like you have no control over your passive aggressive little sister tendencies.” They grin at their somewhat similar personalities, “Seriously kid if you need someone to give him a kick in the ass he deserves I’m here to deliver. Just tell me when and where chief.”

Amber chuckles, “I appreciate that but I don’t want you to go to jail and repeat that damn period of your life again. You wouldn’t survive jail and I wouldn’t survive your wife’s wrath when she realizes this goes back to me giving you the kill codes.”

Alex nods understanding, “Yeah Jo looks sweet but she is a killer. The offer still stands, let me know when you change your mind.”

“I will but for now I am going to change, head home, watch Law and Order reruns with some of Jackson’s expensive scotch and then hit the sack. Send me any updates on Webber and Jackson, I’ll see you in the morning.”

That Night

Amber slumps on the couch in Jackson’s living room ready to pass out before she can visit her friend once he’s out of the woods. She feels less angry now and more worried about Jackson. When she was told someone was shot in the PRT her mind went into overdrive imagining every case where Jackson was the one who was shot. Most of those scenarios ended with him dead on the scene and her being forced to grieve her best friend who gave her a home when she had nowhere else to go.

The thought of losing someone she considers a brother shakes her to her core and makes her want to strangle that junkie that shot him. The fact that it was a junkie makes her even more furious because that could have been her father with a gun, holding up an ambulance for drugs not caring who he hurts. It felt like her dad was haunting her from the grave wanting to make her suffer again.

She sips the expensive scotch Jackson keeps locked away in the liquor cabinet. She can taste nutmeg and citrus in the rich mixture making her grateful Jackson doesn’t skimp on the drinks. She discharged Wren after the trauma room with Jackson and she left knowing Amber is in a sour mood and needs to focus on work. Amber is too tired to check her phone for messages from Wren because she is still conflicted on whether to take her out or not.

As she is about to reach for the remote a knock on the door stops her up. She groans at the bad timing but gets up and goes to the door. She looks in through the peephole and the sight of who is on the other side catches her by surprise. A second knock snaps her out of it and she opens the door.

April Kepner is standing on the other side with a smile on her face carrying Harriet in a stroller. Her smile drops quickly when she sees it was Amber answering the door expecting Jackson instead.

Next Part Here

[sunsetroseart]

Day Sixteen: Blizzard on a Broken Mirror

I’ve been looking forward to this one! I almost did a different drawing that had Acedia in it as well, but I just love this lyrics so much I decided to use it instead!

Another digital drawing for this prompt! To help me get down some of the details like shadows and ah…..the “blizzard”.