#CHP investigation

[trapangeles]

Tragic Accident Claims Pedestrian's Life on 60 Freeway in Boyle Heights

Boyle Heights, CA – A fatal incident occurred this evening on the eastbound 60 Freeway near Indiana Street, where a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The identity of the victim has not been released, and it remains unclear why the pedestrian was on the freeway at the time of the collision. The driver involved remained at the scene and is cooperating with law enforcement officials.

This tragic event highlights the dangers pedestrians face when near or on freeway systems. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) advises that pedestrians should avoid freeway areas due to high-speed traffic and limited visibility.

As the investigation continues, authorities urge anyone with information about the incident to contact the CHP's East Los Angeles office.

Attribution: Information sourced from Key News.

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[asleepyy]

oopsie!omens pt4 - Golgotha.

After this, Jophiel decides she has his own investigating to do. (if u like this, help me continue by supporting me on my kofi < 3)

prev chp / kofi / AO3/ next chp

[mooyuun]

Caleb's Timeline. 🍎

A timeline post, so I can write little things that I liked about the cards, and their order.

Past time.

Decoherence. (Limited Myth Cards 5). i put the myth here and at the Future time section, because i think that the story of Lads is using a timeloop. So explanation in the future time section.

Borrowed Promise. (4) he really likes to do things for her, comically thinking about him carrying all the bags with that super thigh grandma jacket.

Summer’s Echo. (4)

Verified Rumor. (4) “honey” other of my fav voicelines

Pathless Realm. (Anecdote) if for some kind of magic or whatever MC doesn’t like Caleb, maybe Timothy can keep him 😆 their interaction makes a good plot for a BL school life shounen ai.

Stage Observer. (4) cutest memory, Caleb + microphone + MC = Hey everybody! I’m so in love that I will add this minute of how I’m happy to have MC in my life”. Also Caleb brain freezing when MC kissed him. 😂

Rain’s Embrace. (Bond Story affinity 5) “I’m gonna open it~~~” best voice line for me.

Longtime Yesterday. (4) i like that Caleb friends are so cool with MC too, there is some occasions sprinkled in some cards where Caleb's friends helps him to take care of MC and I think is cool because they acknowledge the importance that MC has in his life.

Skyline. (4) love that they both get anxious by the thought of the other getting a gf/bf, also so sweet that Caleb supports all MC dreams and how he says that he will take the responsibility so she can keep focusing in her dream of being a hunter.

Present time.

Under Deepspace chp. 1 (main story)

Under Deepspace chp. 4 (main story) he kabooms, and is cool to see how in the next chapters she gets an unhealthy obsession of discovering the reason of explosion, but he kabooms.

All Homecoming Wings. (main story) Is curious that Caleb, for now, is the motor of the main story. The reason of why she goes to all the adventures with the guys and now the reason of her investigation towards the chip, the little kid and Ever.

Endless Summer. (5) Caleb pls kiss MC already, MC nobody thinks that you actually had something in your eye girl…

Exclusive Aftertaste. (5) I think they kissed here, Caleb kinda changes course before fading to white, but the apple sound at the end also makes me think that they didn’t

Lucid Dream. (Permanent Myth Cards 5) someone rescue Caleb, poor boy is controlled by Ever and his only defense for now is a black hole in his own brain. Also MC matches his vibe, both of them are super attached to each other. Also poor MC, sadly she doesn’t have the big picture and she doesn’t understand that exposing herself in skyhaven means a future of deaths and torture. She usually doesn’t have good plans and is too hot headed in some occasions, at the end, the boys had to help/intervene to save her from death sometimes.

Hidden Waves. (5) MC finally tells him that he’s not alone and both can fight together, it seems that Caleb is realizing that he doesn’t need to do things alone.

Longtime Moments. (4) Both fight together, I think Caleb understands more that he doesn’t need to do everything for himself 🥹

Painful Signals. (5) MC is so furious that she’s trembling, go girl defend your boy!! Also Caleb is the meme lord and Gideon I luv u, I’m sad that people went without you in Valentine’s Day XD

Intertwined Gold. (4) the card that everybody thinks about since they talk about a kiss that we don’t know if is a future card or a card where it was implied. I love too how both of them are domestic already and how Caleb is like “she’s not bullied in her work right? 🤨”

Future Time.

Decoherence. (Limited Myth Cards 5) my favorite myth now, painful (chapter 1 already made me cry), knowing that their forces can destroy and create... also the story paralels how their life with EVER could be, so is a great card if you want to know about MC. Caleb as always, will sacrifice himself in the now and in the future and both are fated to destroy each other if they choose each other. Also it seems that Caleb really saw Philos and he knows about earth so for now this myth stays at the end of the timeline. But also the start since time is a loop between Philos and Earth She really choosed Caleb instead of going to Earth :,)

AU - Alternative Universe.

Tain ted Cuts (5). the bad ending destroyed me, all the bad ends of the boys kinda parallels how a possible bad ending would be in main story. So thinking about how MC waited for him is too sad. Also we have a nest/bird reference like it happened in past cards with the seagulls and how it seems that MC abandoned the nest/disappeared, so maybe a reference for a future card or myth. At the end, if you go for the good ending, is fluff. This AU with Caleb didn’t feel dangerous, he is so mentally restrained that MC was not afraid of him and when he actually bites her, he runs (imo he literally trows himself to danger so he can die, because he’s so scared that he hurt her that I think he preferred to die than to live with the knowledge that he almost kills her 🥲)

[ralfmaximus]

California Highway Patrol (CHP) has since blamed the crash itself on intoxication, and the high speed at which the vehicle was traveling on a small, residential road. So that would seem to rule out any kind of snafu on the part of Tesla self-driving technology. But the Bay Area News Group has been going through the testimony of the CHP investigation. And the deaths appear to be more the result of the vehicle fire, as opposed to drugs, or injuries the victims sustained in the crash. And troublingly, that testimony also showed the Cybertruck’s doors could not be opened in the aftermath of the crash, preventing Riordan from pulling the other three victims from the flaming wreckage.

Another stupid Cybertruck incident, this time lethal. Four college students drunkenly crash their Cybertruck, which bursts into flames. Three of them die because the doors wouldn't open and the windows wouldn't break.

But the California Highway Patrol chalks it up to Stupid Drunk Teens Doing Stupid Shit.

Huh.

[cheriipetal]

ᯓ★ Chp. 2 | Big feelings, Small words

Sypnosis .𖥔 ݁ You realized you didn't know eyelash boy's name so you made it a mission to find out what 's his name

── .✦ Word count: 2846

Chapterlist

Previous chapter

The owl plushie was a nice addition to your collection, Mrs. Moe recovered better once she had a friend by her side. She was glowing with happiness compared to last week! Has her fur gotten shinier?

You hummed in thought, your eyes drifted towards her new friend, maybe you should give the owl plushie a name. But your thoughts were scrambled by the countless options. You just couldn’t decide.

You had an idea, what if you just named it after the one who gave it to you? 

Then it hits you, you didn’t know eyelash boy’s actual name.

 Even in school you didn’t pay attention at all to your classmate’s names. Whenever you had to call them out you just said what they were wearing or you just said ‘hey you’ in an effort to not have that awkward moment of asking what their name was even if you got to know them for days. 

This was a hassle— but it was a challenge.

Your lips curled into a mischievous grin. A challenge that you were ready to take on. 

“Alright, Ms. Moe,” you whispered, holding Ms. Moe and the owl plushie by hand, side by side. “Let’s turn this into a mystery to solve! We’re gonna find out Eyelash boy’s name, and then maybe— we’ll name your new friend after him.” 

You giggled at your plan feeling like a detective on a secret investigation. 

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

When your mother dropped you off at school, you made your way to your classroom. You then kneeled and observed if your target was in the room— he was, just sitting there by himself and playing with his action figures. 

You then moved towards like you were a predator stalking your prey, quiet and stealthy. But the way you were moving caused some attention.

“Y/N, what are you doing…?” You hear a soft voice that makes you stop in your tracks like you were caught by a guard. 

You looked over and saw your friend, Kurage, she was one of the only people in the class that wasn’t annoying. 

“Nothing,” you sheepishly said, eyeing your friend and Eyelash Boy back and forth. 

“You know, you’ve been weird lately towards R—” you then shushed them. If Kurage was just gonna give you the answers this early your mission was gonna be pointless! 

“Don’t say his name! I’m on a secret mission and I can’t tell you! Okay?” You explained, your friend just gave you one last concerning look then just gave up putting some sense into you and just nodded along. 

As soon as your friend left you alone, you refocused on eyelash boy. He seemed oblivious to your presence, still engrossed in his action figures to even be aware of his surroundings. He was unaware— this was perfect. 

You casually slid into a seat near him, trying not to look obvious. You decided to observe him first. Maybe he’d give away his name somehow— on his bag, his lunchbox, something.

While you were busy analyzing his every move, he suddenly looked at your direction and caught you. You blew your cover! 

“Why are you staring at me?” he asked, tilting his head a bit, clearly annoyed. 

“I wasn’t staring at you—” you looked for anything that might change the topic and then your eyes landed on what he was holding, some sort of man with a superhero suit and a lizard-dinosaur thing…? It was some sort of monster you guessed “I was admiring your action figures! Yeah, they are pretty cool.” 

He narrowed his eyes, then held up one of them. “This is Ranger, and this is Godzilla,” he explained. “But you probably don’t watch their shows or movies.”

He was correct, you only watched Avatar the last airbender or winx club or whatever that show that was on TV most of the time. But you focused on him now grinning, sensing the opportunity. 

“Maybe not, but I’m a quick learner. Want to tell me more about them?” You hoped the conversation would lead to him eventually mentioning his name—he had to slip up eventually, right?

The dark green haired boy seemed hesitant but started talking about the shows that the action figures were in. You nodded along, you observed him more. He seemed to actually enjoy telling these characters a bit, you’ve never seen him this happy before. 

Maybe you should talk to him more, you mentally took note. 

Just as you were making progress, the teacher entered the room and began taking attendance— this was your moment! 

Just as the teacher was calling names for attendance, a loud ringtone blared from her bag, cutting through the quiet hum of the classroom. She quickly excused herself and stepped away from the classroom leaving the rest of the class astray. 

“Of course,” you muttered to yourself, slumping in your seat. Couldn’t she have turned it off before class?

With nothing else to do, you let your mind wander, retreating to the little world of your imagination where you were the center of the world. Your thoughts blurred into a swirl of colors and half-formed images. A distant field, a flicker of movement, and the thrill of chasing something just out of reach. The world around you faded, and for a moment, you weren’t in the classroom anymore.

“L/N Y/N!” Your teacher called out, it was like a splash of water waking you up. You tensed up in your seat, startled.

“Present,” you stammered, hoping the other kids didn’t know your little slip-up. 

As the teacher continued, when your mind was about to drift off again. Then it hit you— your heart sank. The boy’s names must’ve been called while you were off in your own head. 

Curse your short attention span. 

You slumped forward, burying your face in your hands, this was gonna be harder than you thought.

As the teacher continued to make an attendance, you felt your focus drifting again. That was a failed attempt, you should try it later again. The minutes passed by slower than they should’ve have, and you couldn’t help but wish for recess to hurry up. 

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. The students around you began to chatter and shuffle out of their seats, eager to get out of the confines of the room.

You stretched your arms, feeling the tension relieved from your shoulders as you stood up and gathered your things. Recess— the perfect time for your investigation. You didn’t waste any time heading out of the classroom, pushing past the other students as they spilled into the hallway.

Out in the playground, the sounds of children playing and laughter surrounded you. Your eyes scanned at the area, then focused on a familiar person, Eyelash Boy. He wasn’t talking to anyone as usual, sitting near the edge of the school yard. 

Come to think of it, he was kinda alone most of the time in school. Unless he hung out with his brother but that’s it. 

Which made you amused for a bit but you did feel pity for him—  he was kind of cold and not really a person you’d be comfortable talking to, so it really wasn’t a surprise that no one really talks to him nor does he want to talk to other, but, you recalled back to him getting excited talking about his action figures with you, maybe he doesn’t realise that he needed a friend.

Alas, you came back home, like a soldier coming back from a losing war, and without the information you needed to name the owl plushie, you stared at it with guilt. Maybe you should’ve let your friend say his name earlier…

 Maybe you’ll get his name next week as you hoped.

But tomorrow, you won't be worrying about school or a failed mission. It was a weekend, and that meant a visit to Auntie Anri!

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

You weren’t related to Aunti Anri, but it did feel like she was like a mix of a cool aunt and a big sister to you. She was one of your mom’s closest friends, someone who had always been around. Your parents usually drop you off at her place when they are gonna be busy with work, you didn’t mind you had fun when you were there. 

You swayed your legs back and forth in the car seat impatiently, you looked over to the window and seeing the sights made you relaxed a bit, but the anticipation was still bubbling inside you.  

 

You haven’t visited her in a while because of moving, you couldn’t wait to see her again. You squeezed Mrs. Moe and owl plushie tightly. 

You arrived in the familiar sight of her house, you couldn’t hold back your excitement. You opened the car door once it parked and then you hopped over to her doorstep, your father chuckled at how pumped you were. 

You then rang the doorbell with a grin, heart racing in excitement. 

You then saw a familiar face, her soft and brownish-red hair and her kind and big eyes stared at you softly.

“Y/N-chan!” Anri then hugged you tightly, you could feel that warmth of hers and her usual perfume as well. 

She welcomed you, you then eagerly went inside her home and sunk in the soft cushions of the couch, placing Ms. Moe and owl plushie down. You heard murmurs of your parents and Anri, it was all grown-up talk so you didn’t pay attention to them.

They said their goodbyes to you and left, Aunty Anri told you to stay put so she can fetch some of your favorite snacks.

Your eyes drifted towards the tv, you then looked at the soccer merch that she had. The sound of the plate gently being placed on the table caught your attention. 

You then dig in on the wonderful snack and much to your heart’s content like you were appa. 

Anri sat next to you, eating as well. She took notice of the new addition to your plushies. “Oh? A new friend for Ms. Moe?” She gently said, looking at you with curiosity. 

“Yeah, it was an apology gift from a boy in class,” you answered her question, you tried to act unfazed. 

“what did he do exactly?” Aunty Anri asked further, much to your annoyance.

“He kicked a ball and it launched like a missile towards Ms. Moe and then it hit a glass of milk which spilled on Ms. Moe and made her wet and dirty.”

Anri gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. “Poor Ms. Moe! What a crime. And this boy— did he survive your wrath?” she grinned clearly teasing you.

You rolled your eyes, still munching in your snack. “He was lucky I didn’t pop his ball.” 

Anri chuckled, leaning back on the couch. “Did he at least apologize properly?”

“I mean… yeah. He gave me the owl and said sorry, but he sucked at it. Boys are weird.” you shrugged. 

“they can be,” Anri agreed, she had a fair share of weird interactions with guys. She wishes that you wouldn’t grow through the same things she did. “But it sounds like he tried in his own way.”

“Yeah, he did. He’s still kind of annoying though but,” your sentence trailed off a bit in thought, what did you think of him? “I want to be friends with him.” 

“That’s a big change from ‘annoying’ what brought this on?”

“I mean he isn’t annoying I guess— but he isn’t that mean or anything. He's just different and is kind of hard to talk to” you quickly replied.

Anri nodded thoughtfully. “Different isn’t always bad. Sometimes, those are the friends who teach us the most about ourselves,” 

“Teach us what?” You innocently said.

“Well,” Anri began, leaning back into the couch, “maybe how to see the world from someone else’s eyes. Or how to handle someone that isn't exactly like you. It’s kind of what friendship is about— learning from each other.”

You felt like you were in a my little pony episode, that Auntie Anri was twilight sparkle. 

“And maybe,” she continued, “he might learn something from you too.” 

“like being awesome and as cool as me?”

“Exactly,” she giggled a bit, ruffling your hair. “But you know, being friends takes patience— and you need to learn that as well, and not everyone opens up right away.” 

You nodded, you felt a bit more motivated and a smile creeping on your face. “Guess, I could try.” 

“that’s the spirit,” she said warmly, “and if he still doesn’t open up then that’s fine not everyone has to be your friend,” 

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

It is Monday now, you lazily went out of your doorstep clearly not wanting to go to school now. But then you spotted the older brother at the front and you hid behind your parent's car trying not to be seen. You peeked over a bit watching as Eyelash Boy was still left behind their house. It kind of surprised you that they were still here, usually they left much earlier than you did.

You then heard what you’ve been wanting to hear for a long time.

“Rin, let’s go!” His older brother said to him, you practically jumped out of excitement. The mission was complete! You can finally name Ms. Moe’s friend after all.

You were already thinking of names based on Rin… Ron, Ri, Rinnie, and the one you liked the most was Ren. 

You stepped out from the car, trying to act casual waiting for your mom, but your excitement was through the roof. As you walked closer to your porch checking to see if your mom was gonna come out or not. 

You overheard the conversation between the brothers again. Rin didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave, but his older brother seemed to be more impatient at the moment.

“Nii-chan, wait for me,” Rin muttered, his voice softer than you’ve ever heard from him before.

Sae, on the other hand, seemed to have an understanding but annoyed look on his face. “Hurry up. We’re already late.” he said, voice blunt and commanding. He didn’t even acknowledge you at first, but then his eyes flickered towards you like he felt something was wrong.

Ruh roh.

You froze, caught off guard by his sudden attention towards you and his cold stare. It wasn’t unkind, but it felt distant— like you weren’t his time.

“Are you staring at something?” he asked, his tone was more judgemental than curious, though you couldn’t quite read it.

You blinked, eyes drifted at anything but him, taken aback by his question, but quickly recovered. “Oh! No, I— uh..” you stumbled over your words, a nervous laughter escaped you.

“Were you looking at my brother?” he said rather bluntly.

You looked up at him, your heart racing. “Well, not exactly,” 

He seemed to catch your nervousness. His gaze softened for a moment, his sharpness replaced with something more neutral. “Ah. You must be the one who got the owl plushie, huh?” his word deliberate, as though he knew the answer already. 

“uh, yeah… he gave it to me as an apology,” you answered, unsure of how much detail he wanted.

He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, his gaze still fixed on you. “He’s not the type to give something like that away easily,” he muttered, almost to himself. Then he realised he might’ve said more than he intended, he straightened up, looking away. “Just don’t make him regret it,” 

You blinked, unsure if you should say something back. But before you could even muster any words— he was already turning and walking away. Leaving you standing there and processing his words.

You tried to wrap your head around what he said. “Don’t make him regret it.” you couldn’t shake the thought. Was that a warning..? Or was that just some older brother protectiveness? Either way the words struck you.

It wasn’t like you had a plan to force yourself into Rin’s life, but there was something about the way he gave you the owl plushie. It was his way of apologizing— awkward, yes, but genuine. And Aunty Anri’s words echoed through your mind. “He tried in his own way.”

Aunty Anri was right. Maybe Rin wasn’t the easiest person to get along with but it didn’t mean you couldn’t try. You did say you wanted to be friends with him, after all. 

The mission has already been renewed. No longer was it just getting his name or resolving the issue with Mrs. Moe. Now, it was about becoming friends with him. He’d done the part apologizing, but now it was your turn to do the same— to meet him halfway.

The next step was simple: talk to him. You’ve done it before, that seemed the easiest way to start. You weren’t going to let things stay awkward between you two. You were determined, he wasn’t a big talker, but there was something to make him tick. 

The only way to find out was to try.

Taglist: @danhoneyyysblog @nana7nana777 @levihanmyotp

◇ If your @ is highlighted purple that means I couldn't tag you, sorry ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡ ◆

[steviewashere]

Want to Go Home With You (Bring Me a Home) Chp. 3

Rating: Teen and Up (May Change With Future Chapters) CW: None, at least for now Tags: Alternate Universe - Mermaids, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down, Hurt/Comfort, Dialogue Heavy, Took Canon Out Back And Pulled an Old Yeller, Mer!Steve Harrington, Fisherman!Eddie Munson, Packless Steve Harrington (kind of?), Soft Steve Harrington, Confused Steve Harrington, Lonely Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Steve Harrington Wants to be Loved, Mermaids with Animal Like Instincts, Future Propositioning, Lowkey Might Involve Some Omegaverse Aspects in the Future (Not Sorry), Steve Harrington Has Powers (Like Starfire in Teen Titans)

Read the first part over here

Read the fourth part over here

Can also be read on AO3

🧜‍♂️—————🧜‍♂️ He made an effort to see Steve every morning. Which made his uncle suspicious, an understandable circumstance, but Eddie tended to have a good excuse. Even if it was a half-yelled thing out the door. He pulled that this morning on his way to the dock. When he arrived, he found the boat to be rocking as if it was sitting on uneasy waters.

It wasn’t, which in turn made Eddie’s hackles rise. But he feigned ignorance. Steve was waiting for him out there, probably confused as to why he’s running late, wondering where his new friend has gone. Eddie can’t even begin to believe that he’s friends with a mermaid, let alone a merman, let alone a merman that he sorta—kinda—maybe he’s falling ass over heels with. Maybe.

With his back turned to the ocean waves, Eddie can settle all his supplies before undoing the rope tying him to the dock. And when he’s off, he takes grand notice to the fact that the boat feels a bit…heavier. He brushes it off, for now. His uncle probably made a midday trip or maybe there’s some leftover equipment that shouldn’t be there. The covered seating area may have an extra net, but Eddie won’t investigate. All is usual. Or as usual as it should be.

However, when he finally slows in the water, everything seems just a bit more off. The net doesn’t get climbed into. There’s no flickering light of Steve’s beautiful tail. In fact, Eddie’s completely alone. Something in him sours, just a tad.

He gets about his morning fishing. Getting the tackle. Baiting the hook. Tossing it over the side. And then he just sits and waits. His least favorite part about fishing. All the ways in which he has to wait. Maybe he liked having Steve there because he’s a buffer. An odd ball thing that has broken English and moles all over his naked skin, who keeps bringing Eddie copious amounts of pearls even when there’s nothing to give back, a merman who just wants a home with love. To which Eddie wishes he could supply.

After a few minutes more of silence and waiting and no fish, Eddie gets ready to call it a day. Cut his losses. Mourn his tentative friendship. Maybe even wonder if he’d been hallucinating Steve’s existence this entire time. But just as he stands to reel in the line, something big with short claws grips to his ankle viciously.

He yelps, stumbling. Tripping over the little bench he’d been sat on. Landing with a resound thunk against the boat’s floor.

“Sorry,” a familiar voice sheepishly murmurs. “I have surprise.”

Steve. Eddie blinks. His butt burns now. And this can’t be right. But—

“Steve?” He calls out hesitantly.

The boat begins to rock back and forth. Enough to fear toppling over. Eddie grips to something nearby, the leg of his bench, and white knuckles through another churn of surprise. He hears Steve before he really sees him. Thumping of—what must be—his magnificent tail. The wet slap of his palms against the boat. His exerted panting as he wriggles himself closer and closer. Until, without warning, his entire body eclipses over Eddie. Big, gorgeous, wet eyes blinking down at him—crinkled because Steve’s smiling something dopey. He’s chirping in the back of his throat, all the more excited.

Before he can get the words out to tell Steve to go away, to get back in the water, to remind him again that he can’t come home with him—Steve’s mouth opens. “I have surprise,” he repeats. “You will like it. Something for Eddie!” And without much else of a warning, Steve unhinges his jaw just a little wider. His throat works as if he’s about to cough up a hairball, and for a very dire and very serious moment Eddie believes that to be the case. But instead, what comes flying from Steve’s mouth, is an oblong off-white pearl. Just like the one from days prior. Hitting him square in the eye.

He can’t acknowledge the minor ache through his eyeball. Not with whatever science supernatural bullshit just happened. “What the—“ Eddie whispers, the beginning of a startled question.

“I kissed oyster,” Steve explains as if that makes everything suddenly make a drop of sense. “And now I make pearls,” he giddily and loudly whispers.

“Steve, you—I can’t—What?”

“What if I kiss Eddie?” Steve asks aloud. It’s not a question posed for Eddie. Because the next thing he knows, Steve’s big and—kind of disgustingly—moist hands are cupping his face. Angling it in such a way that his neck is craned and his head is several inches off the floor. Then, he’s swooping down for a very harsh, messy, and uncoordinated kiss. Eddie yelps in the back of his throat—shocked beyond repair—and swallows down a sudden intrusion. Steve’s tongue wrestling into the back of his mouth.

He slaps at Steve’s side, trying to get him off. Shoving him a little, even. Get him to slow down because, yes Eddie is liking this, but also they should definitely be giving this more food for thought. But generally gives up when he realizes that whatever Steve is doing…isn’t going to stop.

Not until he’s satisfied, dropping Eddie’s head unceremoniously. And then pushing himself up by just his arms, tail still between Eddie’s legs. “Now wait,” Steve states, that same giddiness returning.

“Bah—“ Eddie chokes out. “But…What? You just kissed me and you’re not even gonna talk about it?!” He asks incredulously. “And the…the—You make pearls!”

Steve merely shrugs. “Kiss was okay,” he critiques in that odd broken way he does. “Teeth are funny. Not like mine. Weird, Eddie.”

Eddie can only roll his eyes.

Then, Steve’s own eyes widen. His mouth pinching down in a confused, Muppet way. Nostrils flaring. Eyebrows flying to his hairline. And then he…Steve kicks Eddie’s shin.

But instead of his tail—

There’s a whole fucking foot against Eddie’s leg.

He screams because Steve begins screaming, chirping something distressed. And he doesn’t know what the fuck to do. He’s just turned an actual, real life merman into a human.

Intelligently, Eddie states, “This is nothing like The Little Mermaid.” Steve scrambles backwards from him, far enough to hit the other side of the boat. Legs bent in front of him, knees up his chest, eyes watching his brand new toes spread. He hisses at each one of his own movements. And then looks up startled to Eddie.

“I am human?!” He yells. “My…My tail!” His hands reach out to his calves. Hefting up his right leg to his line of sight, following the way his new muscles flex. The toned and almost chiseled muscle of his shin and the apparent veins in his foot, poking and prodding at the soft sole. He trills when he accidentally tickles himself. Confusion melting into curiosity melting into soft awe.

However, Eddie realizes there’s one very important detail to Steve’s tail being gone. He’s nude. Bare ass naked on the deck of Wayne’s beloved boat. Penis out to the salty wind. “Oh my god,” Eddie mutters in a daze. He hefts himself up and reaches out for his bag of supplies. He’s got to have pants or something somewhere—anything that he can loan. Though, Steve’s legs are thicker than his, and his wait is a little pudgier, too. Eddie’s not even sure if his clothes will fit, but it’s worth a shot. Miraculously, he reveals a pair of basketball shorts. Where they came from, Eddie’s not sure, but thank god they’re here. “Steve,” he manages to call.

Steve drops his leg back down. Manspreading. All of his everything on display.

Fuck the fact that he can produce pearls like hairballs. And that he still has visible gills on his ribs. And that his teeth are still sharp. His fucking dick and balls are touching the boat.

Eddie can hardly believe his life. He steps forward tentatively and thrusts the shorts into Steve’s face. “Put these on,” he lightly demands. “I cannot believe you right now.”

The shorts are taken hesitantly. Though, Steve makes no move to put them on. “Eddie?” He searches softly. “How to put on?”

“Oh, Jesus,” Eddie mutters. He tries to keep his eyes on Steve’s face and holds his hands out for him to take. When Steve takes them, Eddie pulls him up to stand fully. He wobbles, legs new and like a newborn deer, and stumbles chest to Eddie’s. “Okay,” he sighs. “I’m gonna help you put these on. And we are never going to talk about this again.”

“Why? I do wrong?”

“No. Just—Put your hands on my shoulders and let me…Just let me put these on. Your business is out for the whole world to see.” Steve does what he’s told. His still sharp and short curled nails digging into Eddie’s flannel. Knobby knees knocking into his tall, rubber boots. He crouches down slightly with Steve attached, bunches the right leg of the shorts and holds it to Steve’s foot. “Okay, I want you to raise this leg a little—Just a little.” He does so, wobbling again when he doesn’t fully lean his weight into Eddie. But Eddie has him.

He’s got him because this must be the most confusing experience somebody can have. And Eddie thought he was confused. Steve looks so completely unsure, it’s like his brain is smoking inside his head.

The shorts are pulled all the way up to his waist. Tied deftly and quickly. And then Eddie maneuvers them to sit down on the bench he previously occupied.

“Okay,” he states low. “I need you to explain a couple things. First of all, how’d you get on my boat? Secondly, and maybe my understanding is just wrong, but you kiss something and gain the ability of that…thing?”

Steve looks down at his new legs. Kicks them in front of himself. Giggling lightly as his feet swing back and forth. He looks back up, repeating the motion. “I snuck,” he states.

“I’m aware.”

“No people. Just me. No Eddie. I surprise,” he rushes. “So I climb careful. Hide under net. And wait.”

Eddie nods once. “Alright,” he sighs. Rubs a hand between his eyebrows. “Alright, Steve. So…The kiss thing?”

“Oh!” He quietly exclaims. “Mer do that,” he explains, “but I had no reason. Until Eddie.” Steve leans into Eddie’s space, knocking their shoulders together. Trilling and smiling. His eyes soft and his teeth sharp, but all of him rather lovely. He even smells good. Different. Sweeter. “I make pearls for you. I did not know I could be human, Eddie.”

“You didn’t…”

Steve shakes his head. “Mm-mm. First time. Can have warm now? Go home? With you?” His eyes change, then. Imploring. Desperate. Begging. “I no have home. No warm. With you, please. Go with pretty Eddie?”

“Wait,” he states firmly. “I still don’t understand. How do mer do the thing you just did? Why can you even do that? What’s the point? Is it a forever thing? Do I need to worry about you dying on me because you don’t have water? What if I can’t—“

A hand sets itself gently on Eddie’s forearm. “Calm,” Steve murmurs. His thumb swipes in soothing stripes. Up and down and up and down—a beautiful little thing. Eddie takes a deep breath, blowing it out measured and slow. Steve’s pleased by it, nuzzling his cheek into Eddie’s shoulder. Don’t fall in love, don’t fall in love, don’t…Eddie repeats to himself.

“Calm,” Steve repeats. “I learn from kissing,” he softly explains. “Like…nah-ledge of love. Slow learning. Over time. I will be better with my words. And moving like you.” He sighs something a little sad. “Mer do it to survive,” he whispers.

“Survive?” Eddie asks at the same volume.

Steve nods solemnly. “If we are not special, then…I do not want to say.”

Eddie presses his fingers into the back of Steve’s hand on his forearm. Massaging his veins ever so softly. Comforting. “It’s okay,” he murmurs, “you can tell me, Steve. Our secret, remember?”

He takes a deep breath. Exhales, “We get killed.” His hand tightens on Eddie’s arm. Closes his eyes in a careful moment of grief. Looks forlorn over his shoulder to the ocean. “I no have love. Because they are dead. Humans…humans kill us.”

“I—“ Eddie rasps. “Steve, I’m sorry.”

Meekly shrugs. “I waited to meet you,” he admits quietly. “I watched for long time. From the water. But you are nice. Sweet. Pretty. I can trust you. I can, right?”

“Of course,” Eddie immediately says. “Steve, I would never hurt you. I—“

And Wayne’s going to kill him, probably. Shave his head or something. But he can’t take the sad little glaze to Steve’s eyes. Can’t take his shaking torso and all his distressed quiet sounds. The way he grips harder to Eddie, leans in just a little closer, tries to nuzzle.

“—I’m gonna take you back with me. Get you some warm clothes. Help you take your first bath. And we’ll have some hot, delicious lunch. My uncle can be mad later.”

“Really?” Steve asks, excited, wriggling a bit on his seat. “I go with?”

Eddie hums his agreement. “Warm can be yours, Stevie. Let’s get you inside and warm.”

Loved, he doesn’t say.

🧜‍♂️—————🧜‍♂️ Taglist: @scoops-aboy86 @spectrum-spectre

@loveryanax @emmabubbles @swimmingbirdrunningrock @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @azryl90 @starryeyedpoet17

[sadiecoocoo]

The Shadows Are Coming Chp. 1 - TBB Fanfiction

Relationships - CT-9904 | Crosshair & CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, CT-9904 | Crosshair & CT-1409 | Echo & CT-9901 | Hunter & CT-9902 | Tech & CT-9903 | Wrecker, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-9902 | Tech, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-9901 | Hunter, CT-9904 | Crosshair & CT-9901 | Hunter, CT-9901 | Hunter & CT-9903 | Wrecker, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-9903 | Wrecker

Tags - Angst, Whump, Horror, Blood and Gore, Gore, Blood and Injury, Zombies, Mission Fic, Missions Gone Wrong, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo Needs a Hug, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo Whump, CT-9904 | Crosshair Needs a Hug, Soft CT-9904 | Crosshair, Protective CT-9904 | Crosshair, Hurt CT-9904 | Crosshair, Hurt CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, Protective CT-9901 | Hunter, CT-9901 | Hunter Needs A Hug, Hurt CT-9902 | Tech, Protective CT-9902 | Tech, CT-9903 | Wrecker Whump, Protective Siblings, Cannibalism, Everyone Needs A Hug

Summary - The Batch was called to investigate a base on a secluded planet after the Republic lost contact with it. It was suspected that the Separatists had tested a new bio weapon there, as the last communication with the base talked about a sickness, with the background noise of screaming and coughs. No one knew what they would find there, the Batch were the unlucky ones to figure it out.

Or, tbb zombie fic set before the events of Aftermath

Word Count - 3,244

Read on AO3

Notes: guys, please, if you can't handle gore, don't read this. this is by far the goriest shit I have ever written, and I've written some gore before... but, if you're a weirdo like me and enjoy reading gore, by all means please enjoy <3 anyways, I've been so excited to share this fic! sadly, I have not finished writing all of it yet, so I don't have a schedule for the updates... I'm really only posting this now because i got to a really slow part and needed interactions to motivate me :D (Also I wanted to post a fic for my birthday cuz I did that last year [please no one look at it it was the first fic I ever wrote]) The title is from the song Shadows by Nick Lutsko, it’s a pretty good song and I think it sort of fits this fic Anyways, please enjoy your gore and horror!

The ship jostled as it came out of hyperspace, rousing Echo awake. He blinked his eyes open, turning onto his side. His hearing aid pressed uncomfortably against his ear. The ARC trooper’s heart was fast from a dream that was already fading.

Crosshair sat across from him, cleaning his rifle silently. He glanced up at Echo’s movement, but ignored him as the ARC sat up. He rubbed his eyes, then reached for his headset underneath his bunk. He replaced his hearing aids with it, then leaned back against the wall. 

His dreams were getting better. They were still there, always would be, but they were better. Half of the time he couldn’t even remember what event it was about, what twisted things his mind showed him. The other half… weren’t pleasant.

“Landing in five.” Hunter announced, rousing Echo from his thoughts. He leaned against the door frame of the cockpit, looking over the two troopers. Echo held a thumbs up and Crosshair nodded. The sergeant went back into the cockpit to help with the landing, though it was usually Echo’s job.

Wrecker mumbled a quick “‘morning,” to Echo as he passed him. The ARC hummed in response, not really having the energy to respond yet. He worked out a crick in his neck, then got up and followed the big guy to the cockpit with the others.

The planet itself was dark, always covered in a thick fog no matter where you went. The planet may as well have had no sun. Despite the dark, it was thick with vegetation, though half of it was poisonous; according to Tech’s ramblings.

The fog washed over the window as Tech lowered the ship for a landing. Echo yawned, covering his mouth. He blinked, looking out into the fog. The lights from the ship painted parts of it an orange-yellow, but beyond that, he doubted even Crosshair could see anything.

The sharpshooter shouldered his firepuncher and opened the door to the ship. Echo shuddered as cold flowed inside. He tapped his finger on his thigh anxiously. Wrecker, carrying a pack of more than enough explosives, left the Marauder first.

Echo only hesitated a moment after that before braving the cold humidity. The forest was unnaturally silent. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Hunter patted his shoulder as he passed him, taking point.

The group had received a call from Cody, stating that they had lost contact with the base after a chilling holo. He said that it was likely that a new separatist bio weapon was tested there, since it was secluded from any other bases. The quiet and seclusion somewhat reminded Echo of Rishi. He hoped the troops here didn’t meet a similar end as his first squad did.

Since it was a bio weapon they were dealing with, helmets stayed on. Echo was perfectly fine with that, but he knew Wrecker would be a bit annoyed. The bruiser seemed to like taking his helmet off in the middle of a mission, resting it on the top of his head when there was a quiet moment between fights.

Hunter led the group through the forest, towards the base. The group was silent as they walked, blending in with the rest of the planet. Echo didn’t like that he couldn’t see ten feet in front of him, he stayed close to his brothers.

The planet made him feel strange, like it was clawing into his brain to make him worried and anxious. He flinched with every sound the group made, feeling as though they needed to be completely silent.

“Something the matter, reg?” Crosshair teased. Echo turned to him and shrugged. Something was definitely the matter, but he wasn’t about to vent while they were on a mission.

“Nothing important,” He muttered in response. Crosshair eyed him for a moment longer, then turned away silently. Echo couldn't count how many times he wished he could read the sharpshooter as well as he could read Echo.

The group fell into silence again, though Echo wished they hadn’t. He couldn’t stand the silence, he never liked it. On Rishi, he had to fill it with rambling on about the reg manuals, of course Fives and Cutup usually chatted loud enough for him to not really need to. In the 501st there had been enough chaos, even when they were on leave, for him to feel content. It was on Skako when it became a problem, when all he ever got was either silence or screaming. He preferred the silence then, now it just made him want to vomit.

There was a break in the fog. A large metal door was in front of the group now. Hunter turned to Tech and Echo, nodding his head towards the panel and scomp port beside the door. Echo and Tech both headed towards the machinery, Tech plugging in his datapad and Echo linking up with the port.

Along with getting the door open, Echo tried to search for any holo feed or comm chatter, hoping that he could figure out what they were about to face inside. He shuddered again as he remembered the holo call they were shown prior to the mission. Troopers had been screaming, coughing, and firing blaster bolts wildly. One had yelled something about monsters, and not to breathe.

Of course, the Batch had been sent to investigate. Because they were skilled enough to handle it, according to whoever was in charge. Tech had said on the way here that he wanted a sample to maybe find a cure on his own, and that had really been all they needed to be convinced enough to go. They all knew Tech would never let them forget about how much he had wanted that sample, and they’d rather not face the splicer’s wrath.

With a loud clang and the groaning of machinery, the large door slowly started to open. Echo and Tech both went back to the group and readied their blasters. They weren’t sure what they’d find, and rather not risk being caught off guard.

“I am picking up three life signs inside,” Tech announced, looking up from his data pad. Its green glow cast his face in an eerie light.

“I guess this is a rescue mission too now.” Hunter mumbled as he slowly entered the base. He gave no indication of needing to worry about immediate attack. His shoulders were tense, but not how they were when he heard or sensed something unusual. The rest of the Batch entered the base.

The door opened into a large hangar area. A few ships were scattered about, but strangely all of them were very damaged. This base didn’t see much battle, so there was no reason for every single one of the ships to be in such disrepair.

“It’s creepy in ‘ere.” Wrecker mumbled at Echo’s side. Crosshair turned his head dramatically to show he was rolling his eyes. Echo patted the big guy on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry Wreck, I’m sure Cross’ll hold your hand.” Echo teased, feeling glad to bring back the group’s usual light mood. Echo could imagine Wrecker’s pouty look at the teasing. Crosshair hissed a quick “I will not,” then bumped Echo’s shoulder.

“I’d suggest we go to the command center,” Tech said, bringing them back on track. The group agreed, and they all left the silent hangar to navigate through the equally silent halls. 

Echo fell back slightly, wanting to get a better look at the state of the base. He ran his hand along the wall for a moment, then rubbed the dust that stuck to his fingers. He paused, turning around and looking back the way they came.

There should have been workers in the hangar, even if some were sick. He knew from experience that many clones would ignore their own health to continue doing their job, it shouldn’t be any different here. It was a dark thought, but they should have found a body by now.

Hunter tried his best to ignore the headache that had started as soon as they opened the hangar doors. It was ruining his senses, so much so that he could barely feel his brothers right next to him. He almost didn’t notice when Echo fell behind, the fact only coming to his attention when Crosshair called the ARC trooper back.

He blinked away another sharp pain in his skull. The pain would come and go in a pattern. The pattern, combined with the loudness of it, reminded him of someone banging drums right in his ear. Not the most pleasant feeling by a landslide.

He wished he could ask Tech for some of the medicine he knew the splicer always carried with him, but they couldn’t take off their helmets. Even so, it’d be wise to let them all know that his senses wouldn’t be up to par for this mission.

“I’m having trouble sensing anything in here, got a headache as soon as the doors opened,” He announced, slowing to be sure they all heard. He could see the way Tech’s eyes crinkled in a confused frown.

“That is irregular,” Tech responded. Hunter nodded silently. Irregular or not, it was happening and he couldn’t do anything about it. “I’ll see if there is some kind of machinery in the base affecting you.” Tech said before turning back down to his datapad. “Take a right here.” He said a moment later, taking it upon himself to direct the group when Hunter couldn’t.

“I’ve been feeling a little weird too,” Echo supplied quietly. “Something about this place just feels wrong.” Hunter and Echo both had similar problems with the occasional piece of machinery affecting them. With Hunter’s senses, and Echo’s electronic parts, if something was jamming electronic signals, both of them would be having a rough time.

“Wrong, would be one way to describe this facility.” Tech replied, not looking up from his datapad. He gave Hunter another direction and the group changed course as they turned the corner.

“Very scary,” Crosshair drawled sarcastically. Hunter glanced to see Crosshair leaning his head towards Wrecker, likely a smirk underneath his bucket. Wrecker retaliated with a sharp “shut up,” then the group fell silent again.

Hunter squinted his eyes as another wave of pain assaulted him. He held out hope that there would be some kind of machinery in the command center that would dampen the disturbance. He wasn’t too optimistic, though.

It wasn’t long before the group came to another door. This time Tech hacked it from his datapad, saving Echo the trouble of scomping in. it opened with a hiss, revealing an empty command center. The group paused, none being sure of what to make of it. Hunter shook his head, blinking away some of the pressure in his skull, and entered the room.

“Tech, Echo, see if you can pull up some cameras to see what happened.” He ordered, the two quickly rushed off the separate consoles and pressed an assortment of buttons. Hunter could never wrap his mind around how easily the two seemed to know what button to press or code to input to get just about any machinery to listen to them. It probably helped that the two were about as in sync as Tech and Crosshair were. It was like the twins became triplets, if Crosshair wouldn’t be so standoffish with the former reg.

“Hey sarge,” Wrecker whispered, though it was far from quiet, “how come there aren’t any… y’know… bodies?” He hissed nervously. Hunter could imagine how his nose scrunched up at the last word. Despite his love of destruction and explosions, Wrecker despised death, as many would. Sometimes Hunter wondered if Wrecker would be a pacifist if there wasn’t a war, then he remembered all the times he and Crosshair antagonized some regs that gave them funny looks.

“I don’t know,” He mumbled, “Tech did say that there were still some life signs, so maybe they moved them for a proper burial?” He tried. The fact that there were no bodies chilled him. He wished Wrecker hadn’t pointed it out, but he knew they were all thinking it anyway.

“Don’t get your blacks in a bunch, Wreck.” Crosshair chided, keeping the mood light with his dry humor. “It’s not like some big scary monster is gonna jump out at you.”

“Even if one did, you would be more than equipped to handle it.” Tech cut in cheerily. “How are things on your end, Echo?” He turned back to the ARC, who had fallen strangely silent throughout the bit of banter.

Echo didn’t respond. They all turned to him. He wasn’t scomped in, so it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard them. Hunter walked over to the silent trooper.

“Echo?” He moved to place a hand on his shoulder, to rouse him of whatever headspace he was trapped in, but froze as something caught his eye. He turned to where Echo was staring, immediately feeling sick to his stomach.

Cramped in between two consoles, was a bloodied trooper. His helmet was off, his vacant eyes rolled to the back of his head. A long line across his neck still leaked blood, there was a hole in his chest where Hunter knew his heart should be. Several of the trooper’s limbs were missing. His lower jaw was hanging, disconnected on one side of his face.

Hunter gagged as he turned away, not being able to bear the sight anymore. He leaned over one of the consoles, breathing heavily. The others all stopped what they were doing, moving to rush to the gruesome sight.

“No- don’t-” He held a hand up, effectively halting the group. “Y-you don’t wanna see that.” He spat out, nose scrunching in disgust.

“Hunter, what the kark is it-” Crosshair said, stopping short as he finally tilted his head enough to see what had scared Hunter so terribly. Crosshair flinched back, hand going to his helmet as if he were trying to cover his mouth. Wrecker grabbed his wrist quickly, making sure the sharpshooter didn’t take off his helmet in his haste.

Crosshair’s reaction seemed to be enough for the others to not feel the need to see it. Wrecker took several steps back, dragging the other with him protectively. Hunter, very reluctantly, turned back to Echo. He tried to avoid looking at the mangled corpse, and was mostly successful.

“Echo,” He said again, the ARC still hadn’t moved. “Echo, step away from the body.” Hunter urged. Echo seemed to have the exact opposite reaction that the others did, not being able to tear his gaze away. Even worse, for once in his life disobeying orders, he took a step closer to it.

“Reg!” Crosshair hissed desperately. Echo didn’t seem to notice it as he crouched down in front of the body. Hunter stared in horror at Echo’s silent fascination with it.

“A sickness can’t do this.” Echo mumbled, the first thing he said since they entered the room. They all stared at him. He sounded terrifyingly detached. “Blasters can’t do this either.” He continued numbly.

“Echo, step away from it!” Hunter ordered harshly. The ARC didn’t give a single sign of hearing him. Instead, karking hells, he brought up his scomp arm and touched it. Hunter gagged again and had to turn away. He knew Echo was weird at times, but for kark’s sake he didn’t think he was downright insane.

“His armor was torn open by hand.” Echo announced, finally standing and turned to the group. A small drop of blood fell off of his scomp. “By a human hand.” Hunter could only stare at the deranged ARC trooper.

It was then that his headache decided to flare up again. Hunter suppressed a groan at the new wave of pain, placing a hand on his helmet. What he thought were drum beats were starting to remind him of something else. Despite himself, Hunter turned back to the body and he too seemed to be unable to look away again.

“What the kark do you mean ‘torn open by hand?!” Crosshair asked incredulously. It sounded almost as though he were in hysterics. Hunter was surprised he wasn’t at that point as well. He blinked and looked at the hole in the trooper’s chest.

“I mean someone was patient or strong enough to tear off his armor and rip out his heart by hand.” Echo elaborated. “I don’t know how that’s possible, but I know there aren’t any blaster wounds on the trooper, and no one stationed here could possibly have a lightsaber!” He hissed, defending his explanation.

Heart. Someone ripped out this trooper’s heart. Someone dug into his armor and ripped out his heart. Hunter blinked several times, his head throbbing again, as he stared at where the trooper’s heart should be.

“Why would someone wanna rip out his heart?” Wrecker asked, sounding honestly scared.

“I don’t know why-” heart.

“That wouldn’t make any sense, there would be no plausible reason for anyone to want to rip out someone’s heart, let alone get through clone armor, with their bare hands.” Tech cut in, fighting to find some kind of logical explanation. “There are far easier ways to kill a trooper.” He mumbled.

“Do you want to take a look at it? ‘Cause I frankly think I’ve seen enough of it!” Echo cut in defensively. There was another drum beat, and this time Hunter couldn’t stifle his groan of pain. The others were too distracted to notice. drum beats, hearts.

A heartbeat. It wasn’t a drum.

“A heartbeat-” Hunter gasped, effectively silencing the group. They all turned to him, and before they could ask anything, he continued. “My headache,” He stood upright, his revelation making it easier to ignore the pain in his skull, “I thought it felt like drums, it’s loud, and has a pattern- but it’s a heartbeat.” He stopped to take a breath, trying to piece together the rest of the puzzle.

“If it is a heart beat then why is it so loud?” Wrecker asked innocently.

“It’s more than one.” Hunter replied quickly. He blinked several times, then rushed out of the command center. The others protested behind him, telling him to wait a minute or to explain what was happening.

“It’s coming from this way.” Hunter announced, pointing down a darkened hallway. “I think if we go there, we might find something.” He explained. The group was silent, and he silently urged them to understand what he was getting at. Then, Echo slowly nodded.

“Yeah, okay.” The ARC trooper said, “We came here to investigate, all we’ve found so far are more questions, so let’s go investigate.” Echo said with a shrug.

“Are you serious!?” Crosshair hissed. The others didn’t have any open protests, so into the dark hallway it was. Hunter went on and led them all forward. “Yeah, let’s just let the two people acting really weird lead us into a creepy hallway.”

“Crosshair, I doubt their behavior is anything to worry about. Echo has seen more battles than us and knows what to do, and Hunter has always taken charge.” Tech assured him, though Hunter had stopped listening and started focusing more so on the heartbeat giving him the worst headache of his life.

“This is why you all need to start watching more horror holos.” Crosshair grumbled.

“Says the guy making fun of me for being scared.” Wrecker shot back, sounding proud of himself.

“Kark off.”

End Notes: so, gore :) also, who do you think is gonna be a zombie first, if any at all? if you've read all the teasers you might be able to guess pretty easily. anyways, I have no idea when I'll post the next chapter, I mgiht wait until I've finished the entire fic, or maybe it'll be posted next week, who knows! I hope you guys enjoyed <3

Read Chp. 2

NPT: @squad-724 @arctrooper69 @weyrwolfen @clownery-and-fuckery @charlieisannoying

@greyangelpain @zilvercrystal @travellingnorthwards @lifblogs @electrikworm

@buniby @thora-sniper @restrospect1003

[adachimoe]

Do you know anything about the Adachi anthology manga? Is it translated by any chance? (would you be willing to translate it 👀?)

I own it and I've read through it. Idk if it's been translated, but tbh I'm not particularly interested in doing it myself. Anthologies are collections of fan creator works that get officially published. The content is comparable to a fanzine centered around Adachi featuring different creators. E.g. this artist drew the cover. I am currently reading through like 20 old issues of Persona Magazine.

Bad summaries, partially from memory:

Chp 1: After encountering the nimono lady and her son in Junes, Yu appears on Adachi's doorstep dressed as a mother and proceeds to roleplay as Adachi's mom. This includes bothering him at Junes like the old woman did.

Chp 2: Adachi puts money into a vending machine while patrolling with Dojima, but before he can select a drink, he and Dojima need to apprehend a suspect. Later, Yu sees Adachi at Junes and gives him his money back.

Chp 3: While slacking off at Junes and leering at Yasogami High school girls with short skirts, Adachi bumps into Yosuke and notices that Yosuke has a photo of himself and Saki as his phone wallpaper. Yosuke says he'll never be able to forgive whoever murdered her.

Chp 4: Adachi accidentally handcuffs himself to a corn husk. Chie and Yukiko free him by feeding the corn some of Yukiko's curry.

Chp 5: Knowing he'll lose a 1v8, Adachi studies the Investigation Team's affinities and attacks them with their weaknesses, like sending the beetle-looking Shadow to attack Chie. But when Yu and Adachi have their final battle, Yu summons Yoshitsune instead of Izanagi.

Chp 6: Yu invites Adachi to Shiroku Pub to talk to some girls, but when he gets there, he's met by… Yu's friends in their crossdressing pageant outfits, and he ends up playing the pocky game with Kanji (2 people bite down on pocky from opposite ends, kinda Lady and Tramp style).

Chp 7: Adachi does a magic trick for Teddie after running into him. When Adachi leaves, Teddie cries about being lonely again, but Adachi tells him that Nanako is at the Dojima house.

Chp 8: While waiting for the Investigation Team to enter Magatsu Inaba, Adachi, Magatsu-Izanagi, and the Shadows make dinner.

Chp 9: Adachi tries to slack off by pretending to have a toothache, and runs into Kanji outside the Inaba Dental Clinic. He gives him shit, assuming Kanji is afraid of the dentist. The next week, Adachi sees Kanji there again, but it turns out he was helping his mom.

Chp 10: Adachi and Nanako housesit the Dojima family home, doing chores and cooking dinner. Unfortunately, she received cooking advice from Chie and Yukiko.

Chp 11: After the fight with Adachi, Yu talks to him before they return to the real world. Adachi admits to himself the Dojima family's kindness touched him.

Chp 12: After the usual gas station attendant collapses, Adachi ends up helping out at Moel Gas Station, and Yu stops by to get his scooter filled up.

Chp 13: A recap of Adachi's life in Inaba and his interactions with the Dojimas, leading up to Yu confronting him. When Yu asks him why he did all this, Adachi summons his Persona and says he'll teach Yu about how shitty the world is.

I cbf to read thru a 150 pg anthology again (* ￣︿￣)

[panjakes]

MASTERLIST

GROUPS

-BTS(Biases-J-Hope&Yoongi)

-MonstaX(Biases-I.M&Jooheon)

-Zero base one(Biases-Ricky&Matthew)

-Enhypen(Biases-Jake&Heeseung)

-TXT(Biases-Yeonjun&Hueningkai)

-Seventeen(Biases-Vernon,Dk,Jeonghan)

-NCT127(Biases-Yuta&Haechan)

-Ateez(OT8)

-The Boyz(Biases-Juyeon,Jacob&Q)

-NCT Dream(Biases-Jaemin&Renjun)

-Stray Kids(OT8)

SHOWS

-All Of Us Are Dead

No matter what-Cheongsan

Not on my watch-gyeongsu

In the end-Suhyeok

-Vincenzo

Hard goodbyes/Part 2-Hanseo

Wife?!-Vincenzo

Come back

-Blind(2023)

I didn’t Do it-

-Sweet home

Surprise-

Actors

-Go on a date with me?

Cramps

Wedding Day-Ahn Hyoseop

Meet the family- Ahn Hyoseop

Butterflies- Ahn Hyoseop

Series

The First Lady(On going)-Chp.1, Chap.2, Chap.3

The investigator and the Thief(on going) Chp.1, Chp.2, Chp.3

Blood stains(On going)-Chp.1, Chp.2

FicTober🎃👻

Enhypen Hybed high series

[ourlittleuluru]

Voyage Of The Outcast - My Thoughts 1/4

Can I just say this first...? Whoever made the Voyage of the outcast trailer. They threw us in for SUCH A DAMN LOOP!

in a good way! It started off with the poem which we have 0 context for. But with the potential angst they weaved, we were left to believe the poem was like... A bell ringing in some crazy angst ride. BUT IT ENDED UP...!! Okay I'll leave this to the ending part. I'll get back to it.

These are just me gathering my thoughts now that I'm awake 😂 Gonna be replaying through the story a few times. I have yet to read any other reviews at the moment so some things might be missed that others have posted about. I'll go catch up once I'm done uwu

Sorry this is one of the few times I am gonna be pretty unhinged and post a heck lot of text there's a heck lot to think about...

I tried to write a single post but my thoughts are... LONG (also I have a lot of images)... so split post it shall be ( ﾉ ﾟｰﾟ);;; Will try and format it a lil at least;;;;

Just a little something I noticed with the way the stories are written for the branches: ❄ Zayne branch explored more of his internal struggle and MC helps to overcome it with him 🐟 Rafayel, has mostly been forthright with his feelings even if there still secrets and stuff he doesn't say. So his branch mostly explored the external factors around his life. Such as the sea god power and also finally MC remembering their important shared memory. ⭐ Now Xavier. His branch feels a lot more full and rounded out to me because he's a man of secrets. It's been noted through the whole main story and many of their interactions. MC doesn't know what he does outside and MC a lot of the times can't quite figure him out. But all MC knows is to trust him even if blindly. And Xavier's story's branch addresses both internal and external factors and points surrounding him.

It's still is gonna be a long one, people (ヘ･_･)ヘ┳━┳ into the read more it goes

Notes in Chp 1

Okay first... what 😭

PAINTED! PROTOCORE FRAGMENTS! How... how did the smugglers thought it'd fly??? But the image that Xavier was just randomly pulled into this investigation to sit in as a judge was a funny image to me 😂

Anyways... This whole story, I love how they expand and voice out MC's inner thoughts even more, especially with MC's doubts about Xavier. But as always, it's mission and objectives come first, or some other things that takes precedence.

Now this part here is interesting to me. Xavier WANTS MC to probe and ask him more things. And I suspect that's where he'll slowly determine where MC stands and how to further proceed with letting MC know about what he does. 🤔

Which later gives us the chance to pick what to ask him

I ended up picking the 2nd option first since knowing Xavier, he'd still answer the question leaving lots of gaps =-=

SEE? Keeping it vague, again. Though this time he did hint at something which can easily just fly under the radar as something one knows the consequence of but must keep going.

Though it could also hint in the sense that, since he comes from Philos from the future, he's aware of the overarcing stuff that's gonna happen.

But for the other option, Xavier would be more straightfoward. We did get to know a bit more about the Aether Cores tho, well... and that is those things are dangerous.

In the end it concludes into one thing...

Xavier knows but he doesn't want to limit nor skew MC's views. He wants MC to decide for themselves. I feel this is quite key to the whole "freedom" thing he's got going on too. It's also the same with him and the Backtrackers in WU.

And then it ends off with this 😭

A PROPOSAL?! Nah jk. But it kinda feels like it's finally establishing their relationship for the future (at least in the main story)

Also, also. Interesting thing. In the CN version, Xavier says "我愿意" instead of "I'll always be with you"

Was gonna scream about how it sounds like Xavier is saying "I do"...

But here comes the reality... MC was asking "...if my partner is willing..." which in CN is "我的搭档愿意为此与我。。。"

Xavier is just replying pretty normally ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ can't say that I'm not just a tad bit disappointed that he wasn't being sneaky for once T^T

[awkward-tension-art]

Puppet on a String Chp.3 (Fives x Reader)

Chapter 2. Chapter 4.

Rako Hardeen

CW: Fives x Reader, Reader is a medical practitioner, Crying, Grief, angst, swearing, anti-jedi sentiment, Death mentioned, violence, injury, attempted murder, reader is hunted

Tag list (tyyyy): @spicydonut25 @amazonian-bae @notgonnaedit

Dead. No survivors. 

Half the Ethics Committee, gone. Dr.Mila, supervisor and mentor, dead. The GRMF was in chaos. You’ve doubled your work just to attempt to fill in the hole your colleagues had left. 

And you couldn’t fall apart. 

The funeral was solemn, quiet and fast. As soon as they were buried, it was back to work. There were patients to see. Injuries to heal. Armies to treat. 

Fives had attended the funeral with you. He wore full ARC trooper armor as he walked with you back to the GRMF. He wasn’t the only one to wear the plastoid. The personnel on the transport had treated so many soldiers' wounds, a squad from each battalion came to pay respects. 

Before you could walk too far, your lover grabbed your wrist, “Mesh’la,” his voice was gentle with you, just as you had been with him when he returned from Umbara, “General Shaak Ti would like to speak with you.” 

You sighed and nodded. You expected this, to a degree. A transport filled with military medical personnel attacked leaving Kamino? That would be cause for investigation. At this point you and everyone else had assumed that pirates or Separatists had attacked them.

Silently, Fives lead you to the Jedi temple. You wished you were in the mood to take in the beautiful architecture and towering pillars. It was a gorgeous building, with fine marble and exquisite carvings. Your heart was just too heavy to really appreciate it.

Shaak Ti met the both of you at the entrance. She bowed and you did the same out of respect. Fives stepped to the side, remaining outside as you both began to stroll inside.

She was a lovely togruta. Her lavender eyes held a deep wisdom and kindness, and her voice had a soft melody to it. You’ve had the pleasure of working with her on the Ethics committee, and she was a fantastic leader. 

“I wish we could speak under happier circumstances,” She immediately began, “However, I have…concerns and wanted to ask you questions.”

You nodded, walking with General Shaak Ti through the jedi temple, “Of course, General.” Even if you weren’t military, it was respectful to use her proper rank, “I was under the assumption that pirates or Separatists had attacked the transport.” 

“We believe the Separatists had infiltrated the system and ambushed the transport.” the Jedi responded, staring ahead, “My concern is Dr.Mila, your mentor and supervisor.” 

You stopped walking, eyes going wide, “Dr.Mila?”

“After the attack, Kamino had found evidence that she had contacts in Separatist territory.”

What…

Your blood ran cold, “I…General, Dr.Mila isn’t a traitor.” You spoke, though you weren’t sure if your words were for the togruta or yourself, “She was a great doctor. And…and-”

Shaak Ti raised a hand to stop you, “I have not accused her or you of anything, all I want to know is why she may have contacts in enemy space.” 

Oh.

You eased slightly before swallowing the knot in your throat, “With all due respect General,” Your tone was still tinged with anxiety, “As doctors and healers, we aren’t supposed to pick sides. Patients are patients, medicine is medicine, no matter the sides.” Despite your clear uneasiness you maintained eye contact with her.

Jedi aren’t supposed to have sides either. Only peace. 

The Jedi nodded in understanding and you barely repressed a sigh of relief. However, she continued, “While I can understand the sentiment. Sometimes the exchange of information can open weaknesses within our own systems. I believe Dr.Mila may have unintentionally led a Separatist ambush right to their transport.” 

More dread flooded your system.

You’ve cycled through about 24 different emotions in the last few hours. Now, you were starting to feel exhausted. Your neurons were probably fried. 

“Oh…” Was all your shocked system could muster. 

Shaak Ti frowned and put a hand on your shoulder, “She was a fine doctor. As were all the others on that transport. I am truly sorry for your loss.” She was sympathetic. Maybe even grieving in her own way. 

Was she allowed to feel grief? The Jedi had a rule against attachment and emotions.

You bowed, “Thank you, General.” Once you stood straight, your eyes met hers, “If…you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to work.” 

She nodded, “Of course, let me lead you out.”

The world blurred around you as you were walked out of the temple. When you got outside, Fives was at your side, “Mesh’la?” his gloves hands were on your shoulder, “Is everything alright?”

With a tight swallow, you nodded blankly, “Yes…The General just wanted to know about Dr.Mila’s contacts. Fellow doctors in Separatist space.”

His grip tightened slightly, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he tilted his head forward, lightly tapping his helmet visor against your forehead. 

You sighed, leaning into him. Perhaps it was too risky. After all, you weren’t alone around the temple. You were under no illusion his brothers didn’t know. But any Jedi could walk in or out and see the both of you.

Still…Fives was a grounding presence. Reliable and strong. You always felt safe and secure with him.

After a heartbeat, you pulled back, “Care to walk me to the medical facility?”

He nodded, offering his hand, which you took, “Of course, mesh’la.”

You didn’t cry, even getting back to work. Even when your clone lover left to finish his own duties. Even when you were alone in Dr.Mila’s…your office.

You didn’t cry.

You couldn’t. There was work to be done. Patients to be taken care of. Shaak Ti would choose more individuals to fill in massive gaps in the committee, so that was a weight off your shoulders. But there was still more to do. 

Others silently agreed. Your colleagues who went to the funeral were back in the GRMF. Several were already with patients. Others were speaking with recently discharged clones, giving them instructions on rest and recovery. 

That never works. You thought silently, The clones don’t know how to rest.

An alarm went off in the emergency patient entrance. Immediately, your mind locked into gear. There was an approaching patient with severe injuries. You couldn’t fade out of focus. This was an emergency.

With a medical droid following you, you met the medical transport. However, you froze. On the stretcher, was nurse Rino. 

His eyes were closed. At the center of his forehead was a single blaster shot. 

“Mugging turned murder,” the EMT responded, “I need you to call a DOA.”

Your mind wasn’t properly processing what was in front of you. Not only had Dr.Mila died, but so did half of the committee, and now a popular, well liked nurse had been shot.

Dead. Gone.

You swallowed and nodded, shutting down your mind and emotions. With a quick tap of your fingers on a datapad, the medical droid took Rino to the morgue.

You watched him disappear once the droid turned down a hall. 

Do not break down. Do not break down. Do not break down. You forced yourself to think over and over again. 

And over, even as two other colleagues perished in a speeder accident three days later. 

And over, as another doctor was killed in a break-in a week after that.

And over, when you got the call that one of the neuro-scientists died from a severe allergic reaction a day after that.

It occurred to you that this amount of death wasn’t normal. Were employees cursed now? Was a ghost of the dead coming back for retribution?

In the chaos of such death and despair, you’ve been sped into a proper neurologist position. Dr.Mila’s former standing. It was a desperate attempt to try and stop the utter collapse of being short-staffed. You didn’t feel joy at the promotion. Only bitterness.

The only time you allowed yourself to cry was Fives needing to leave for another mission. He held you, letting you weep from the stress and despair, “Don’t worry, mesh’la. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He kissed your forehead, and reassured you the night before he left. When you woke, he was gone.

Now, you walked home alone. You had just finished up with your patients when you stepped out of the GRMF. Coruscant was as alive as ever. People walked the streets. Speeders drove by. Lights flooded every corner. 

The Republic Capital was bustling. As per usual. Despite the chaos, you melded into the walking crowds easily. Another faceless citizen among millions.

Home. you just wanted to go home. 

Your steps weaved through the streets, and the amount of people on the streets faded the closer you got to your apartment. You didn’t live in a dangerous part of the planet, but you certainly weren’t paid enough to live on the surface. 

You stopped before turning down another street to the entrance of your apartment building. 

There was a cold feeling that lanced up your spine. It hit you like a speeder.

You were being watched.

Your eyes landed on a glass window trying to subtly use the reflection to find who was currently watching you. You couldn’t see anything out of place. There wasn’t anyone noteworthy on the street. Slowly, you looked up. Just as you did, you swear you saw a…shadow duck out of your view.

Fuck!

You continued down the street, completely passing your apartment building. Your goal wasn’t going home at the moment, it was to find help. A police droid or even better, a Coruscant Guard. If you went home now, chances are your stalker would break-in and you’d be cornered. 

The toe of your shoe hit a loose piece of metal path and you stumbled slightly. Just as you caught yourself, you heard the crisp sound of a blaster fire. Instantly, a stinging pain hit your cheek and without another thought you ran. 

The shot caused the few people on the street to panic, and you dodged and weaved through them. You had shoved a poor twi’lek woman out of the way as you sprinted. 

Another shot rang out, grazing your upper arm. Someone screamed before you made a sharp turn down another street. Looking back, your follower leapt over a gap between two buildings. They were on you.

After the third shot, missing you entirely, it finally clicked properly.

The deaths of the medical personnel in the GRMF were not random. 

They were targeted murders.

But…Why?

Another shot and searing pain lanced up your leg. Your shin gave out and you hit the ground hard. Your teeth clattered when your head slammed down, and blood filled your taste buds. Through your disorientation, you registered that bystanders did nothing but watch, scared for their own lives. 

I bit my tongue. You distantly thought. What a strange thing to think in such a situation. 

A tight, rough hand grabbed your shoulder and flipped you onto your back. Your eyes settled on the barrel of a blaster, pointed right at your face. A heavy foot was steadfast on your chest, keeping you in place. No one around did anything, just watched, uselessly. 

“This isn’t personal,” The voice was rough, “Just doing a job.” The hunter was a human man, with pale skin and a shaved head. He had a deep red tattoo over one eye. “I’ll be quick though.” Other than that, he had no other notable features.

You swallowed, shaking your head, “No, please.” Your begging was pathetic but you were just so scared. “I...I don’t want to die.” 

You wanted Fives.

Before your attacker could speak, there was a flash of crimson and a clone armored fist landed on his cheek. The stranger was sent stumbling before his back hit the railing next to a speeder lane.

Standing protectively between you and your attacker was a Coruscant guard. His armor was painted entirely red, with only a few pieces left white, and a kama rested at his waist. In his steady hands was a rifle.

Commander Fox. you recognized.

“Rako Hardeen,” His voice was a near snarl, “You are under arrest.”

“Not this time!” The bounty hunter sneered before leaping backward. He went over the edge, disappearing from your sight. 

Someone else knelt by you, “Easy,” the familiar clone voice tried to calm you, “We’re here to help.” He had wings painted on his helmet, and his hands felt rather gentle as they held you, “Try not to stand, you’ve been injured.” 

Beside you, Commander Fox was speaking into his com. He called for a medical speeder, and then a name, a very familiar name, “Rex, gar rucuyir staabi.” 

Times like this make you wish you knew mando’a.

The guard holding you got your attention, as if trying to distract you from the situation, “I’m Thorn.” 

If you weren’t currently in pain and terrified, you might’ve laughed at how cute he sounded. In an adrenaline induced haze, you introduced yourself to him.

Fox knelt by you, leaning to inspect the graze on your arm. He was silent, listening to the voice that came in through the com in his helmet. After a few moments he nodded, “Elek.” In the distance, sirens echoed through the streets. The medical transport was close.

You couldn’t stop shaking, you've realized. And your cheeks were hot with tears. Despite how gentle Thorn was holding you, the only arms you wanted at the moment were Fives. 

The commander seemed to pick up on what you needed. His tone changed slightly when he asked, “Do…you need me to call someone?”

“A-arc trooper Fives.” You choked out, feeling your emotions reach a fever pitch, “h-he knows Rex…”

Fox paused before speaking into his com again, “Rex, vaii cuyir Fives?” He looked up, gaze roaming over the bystanders. His hand hovered over his pistol at his hip, as if intending to protect you.

“Close with one of our vode?” Thorn asked quietly. He was still trying his best to distract you. 

���I love him.” Was all your overly stressed mind could come up with, “I…I want him.” 

The Coruscant guard’s Commander snapped his head to look at you. After a second he awkwardly patted your hand, “We’ll get him to your side soon enough.”

You hoped so.

[humanrightsupdates]

Türkiye: Court Jails Istanbul Mayor

Mass Protests Against Anti-Democratic Abuse of Power

(Istanbul, March 24, 2025) – The formal order by an Istanbul court to detain Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is the latest example of the justice system weaponized to remove a leading opposition politician from the political scene, Human Rights Watch said today.

Mayor İmamoğlu’s detention, nominally based on a corruption investigation by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, came on the morning of March 23, 2025, the day his Republican People’s Party (CHP) nominated him as their presidential candidate. The detention demonstrates how the presidency of the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, exercises excessive influence over Türkiye’s prosecutors and courts.

“This is a dark time for democracy in Türkiye, with such a blatantly lawless move to weaponize the justice system to cancel the democratic process,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Imamoğlu’s unjustified detention violates the rights of millions of Istanbul voters to their chosen representatives and spells a doubling down of the Erdoğan presidency against Türkiye’s political opposition, which goes far beyond the individuals involved.”

The court ordered the detention of İmamoğlu and the mayor of Istanbul’s Beylikdüzü district, a member of the same party, along with 43 others, pending the completion of the investigation into corruption, and released 41others under judicial controls. The court also ordered the detention of three others, among them the mayor of Istanbul’s Şişli district, in a separate investigation into terrorism links but rejected, for now, the prosecutor’s request to jail İmamoğlu in connection with that investigation. None of those detained have been charged with any offense.

[beardedmrbean]

Turkish police detained 11 people suspected of spreading calls for a one-day shopping boycott as part of an ongoing protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

The detentions followed a call by main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel for a larger boycott of businesses with perceived ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

Protests have spread throughout Turkey since Imamoglu's arrest in March on corruption charges, which he denies. Many see him as the only politician in Turkey who can compete with Erdogan in a presidential election.

What is the fuss about a shopping boycott? 

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for 16 suspects in an investigation into "hatred and discrimination" and "inciting hatred and hostility" among the public, state news agency Anadolu reported.

One of the lead actors of Netflix's "Rise of Empires: Ottoman" was among those detained, according to the Turkish Actors' Union.

They were held over social media posts calling on people not to spend money on Wednesday and for businesses to shut their doors in solidarity during the daylong boycott.

The Turkish government condemned the boycott of pro-government businesses as an attempt to destabilize the economy.

Why did the opposition call for a boycott? 

Large-scale anti-government protests began last month after Imamoglu's arrest.

Members of his Republican People's Party (CHP) said the charges against him were politically motivated.

Imamoglu was resoundingly reelected as Istanbul mayor for the third time last year. The CHP has designated him as its candidate for the race despite his detention.

On Saturday, CHP leader Ozel called for a boycott of media outlets, brands and stores that it says are pro-Erdogan.

In support, some cafes, restaurants, and bars in the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul remained closed on Wednesday.

The CHP has vowed to maintain demonstrations until Imamoglu is released and cleared to run in what the party hopes will be early elections.

[belanova]

So I'm making a list of deltarune chapter 3&4 predictions/hopes for the fact they're coming out this year, I want to see if anybody shares the same ideas with me or like to add any :D

1: KRIS BACKSTORY! I don't think we're ever getting who birthed them or what their life was like before adoption in the whole game (unless it's gaster) since Toriel says they wanted horns which means they were adopted too young to have ever seen or remember humans and know they're that,

but then it sorta gets the question of how the hell did Kris get to hometown?? Was Kris found in the forest? walk out of the bunker? Did Toriel&Asgore go out of their way to adopt a human child for Asriel, was it Asriel that found them instead? (Woooaooa story of undertale)

That's what I want answered! How did Kris get here, I think we will get Kris backstory trickled out slowly with each chapter but this one would be most likely of how Toriel adopted Kris and Toriel is gonna be seeing random things to their house being alive or shit that makes her nostalgic and going "Aw Kris it reminds me of the day i found you as a baby in the pit of darkness ^-^"

and her telling Susie other random Kris anecdotes of how they were like before becoming a teenager (or gos maybe even as a teen BEFORE OUR CONTROL! but I think that spamton sweepstake is all we getting for that for a long while😭)

2: SUSIE BACKSTORY!!!! I feel she is very neglected in any sort of discussion because... Well you can already guess why, but like I really am curious what the hell is going on with her home life or why she is the way she is or why did she have to move and into hometown? What was her life before coming to hometown even!

She is literally my favorite character in the whole game she's such a funny menace character shounen rival wannabe, she's so goddamn heart at the sleeve, cool and cringe at the same time I love her sm

I think this is more likely at chp 4 than chapter 3 since chapter 3 is based around the dreemurrs (Toriel and Kris) so I don't think Susie would be very inclined to ramble about her home life in this dark world, or maybe she will cause she gets jealous of Kris living a more normal life than her (or well... Normal except to us.)

3: Kris is not saying shit about the fountain to anybody: KRIGHT KRIGHT KRIGHT KRIGHT KRI-

Ok for the simple fact that Kris is in our control unless they go out of their way to rip their heart out and talk to the officers or Susie

regardless of whether you believe in Kris is the knight or not I just dont think Kris will say shit, just that Undyne finds the dark world and concludes somebody is making them and then starts an investigation, but not ever making the conclusion that Kris made this world yk? And Susie literally doesn't care about the knight so it's not like her not knowing or knowing is gonna do anything for the plot other than Susie maybe being like "Aye why the fuck would you keep that a secret from me" or "YEAH KRIS THAT WAS BITCHIN MAKE MORE DARK WORLDS!"

And if they do it's definitely never going to be told in the dark world cause Ralsei is gonna be upset like "Bitch I just told u yesterday this causes the apocalypse what the hell wrong with u?!"

4: Toriel is gonna be separated from the Susie and Kris because of tenna and then Ralsei will finally appear in the chapter

I DONT WANT THIS ONE TO BE TRUE BUT WE DO KNOW RALSEI IS IN CHAPTER 3 so he's not completely gone but also also WE NEVER SEE HIS ASS NEXT TO TORIEL IN PROMO so it's like making me nervous I seriously seriously want to know what the fuck is going on with Ralsei vague ass since there's no way Toriel looks at him and goes "Hmmm that looks a lot like my son, oh well!" Like she is going to have question

So I don't want it to be true but if it is I can be here to say I called it

5: this is chapter 4 specific, Toriel will take Susie and Kris to church which then leads them to the diner, the rain section is the epilogue of the chapter

I don't think the church is chapter 4 as now I'm starting to believe more that Noelle's house is chapter 4 dark world and ngl the church feels a bit more endgame in the same way bunker does

6 METATTON GHOST APPEARANCE FOR CHAPTER 4 cmon cmon I want to see him again!!!

7: Genderfluid Tenna, I think a tv changing gender as a reflection of what is broadcasting is such a cool idea

8: More stories about dreemurrs especially how Kris feels about their position in the family dynamic since we're got hints of like how Kris wants to be a monster bc they're raised in a family of monsters and is like... Sort of secretly jealous of Asriel cause his trophy are in their dark world room so it like be neat to explore that more of how

Especially with their mom since it kinda feels like they kinda got issues with connecting to anybody else that isn't their family and Toriel/Asgore divorce shit, so if anything this chapter is gonna be like encouraging Toriel to actually like talk with Asgore and tell him to stop having Kris be Mail or Discuss to Kris that their divorce is none of their business and like why it had to happen the way it happen

9: Toriel being weird, just being a weird mom with Kris and them being weird at each other :]

10: Berdly is who you're gonna be forced to take to the festival if you didn't choose Susie, objectively funniest option and consequence to happen

11: KRIGHT KRIGHT KRIS KNIGHT KRIGHT KRI-

12: hell I'm even go on a bigger limb Asriel is calling and having dialogue in chapter 4, nothing to believe other than Toriel wakes up and is just I think I'm gonna call your brother and then she passes the phone to Kris LETS GO GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

also chp3&4 coming out this march I have this trust in my heart

I think that's all of my dozen predictions and hopes for the two chapters it's more ch3 than ch4 since we know jack shit and such kind of hard to guess anything of it like trying to guess hotland while we're still in snowdin yk? Lmao

other than most likely i feel chapter 4 will be the turning point when shit starts getting fucky and the game stops playing around

Unless I'm forgetting something please comment what I'm forgetting that could be elaborated on more in these chapters :]

[symonynii]

synopsis (bf2) (chps 1-3)

prologue

In the distant world of Seltavia, the Kingdom of Philarm is suddenly attacked by a mysterious army. Faced with overwhelming enemy forces, Argus, the commander of the Philarm Knights, and his companions prioritized the escape of the king and citizens.

However, two young knights that admired him didn't flee, and instead remained in the castle. While Argus managed to hold off a knight in black armor that appeared, he used the power of a mysterious jewel to allow the two of them to escape to another dimension.

A while later, the young knight was awakened by a girl's voice. They found themselves in a different world.

protag chp 1

When the young knight woke up in Grand Gaia, they found Rin, who was supposed to have entered the rift at the same time as them, was no longer there. Sasha, a girl who belongs to an organization called ASH, and her superior officer, Roy, listen to the young knight's story and tell them that a mysterious army has appeared in Grand Gaia, just like in Seltavia, and are on their way to investigate.

The young knight decides to travel with them, along with their partner, a baby dragon, who was given to them as proof as their status of a Weisser, another name for the Knights of Philarm.

When they arrive at the investigation site, a strange clown appeared before them. He introduced himself as Melfel, one of the Seven Demon Generals of an organization called --. Roy and his friends are convinced that -- is the organization that attacked Seltavia, and then Melfel makes them fight a demon and watches what happens. As he leaves, he hints that a separate force is attacking Elgaia, and then disappears. The group hurries to Elgaia.

Once they pass through Lucius' Gate, they find that Elgaia has already been attacked by --. Roy and his friends pursue the commander who led the attack, heading for Imperial Capital Randall. Along the way, they meet up with Seria and Joshua, and engages in combat with Barragan, one of the Seven Demon Generals and the commander of the forces who attacked Elgaia. After some fighting, Barragan leaves Elgaia with a satisfied look on his face.

After confirming that the forces had retreated from Elgaia, the group returned to ASH headquarters in Randall, where they found Karl and Noel waiting for them. Both sides reveal what they've learned and ASH decides to help the young knight return to Seltavia and to join forces against their common enemy.

Noel declares that although they are currently unable to travel between dimensions to Seltavia due to enemy interference, he will find a way somehow.

Meanwhile, Lugina contacts them. From their intermittent conversation, they learn that --'s next target is Ixtas. Another report comes in that there's been interdimensional movement believed to be from -- in Sama and Bariura, and ASH decides to split its personnel into two groups to respond.

The young knight volunteered to help and set out once again for the land of Grand Gaia with Roy and Sasha.

protag chp 2

After the group left for Sama, representatives from the Elgaia Federation, the Randall Empire, and ASH gathered in Imperial Capital Randall to report on the current situation of the invasion and to discuss future countermeasures. The Federation's Marshal strongly criticized the Summoner's Court (Hey What's That) for its arbitrary reaction and slow communication (which they're not wrong about!) and declared that it would send some of its own troops to Sama to see what's going on.

Roy, Sasha, and the young knight land in Sama and begin their investigation. Soon after, they meet a young woman named Lune who seems to be a tourist who was separated from her group and unable to leave safely. Roy chooses to protect her while carrying out their mission.

The information provided by Emily from Logistics Support started to become faulty, and while Roy and the others were confused, they continued to carry on. Upon recieving news that the Federation forces that were sent to Sama were in trouble, Roy split off from Sasha and the knight and went to rescue them alone, but was yelled at by them because "they were only having a hard time bc ASH gave them false information".

Emily contacts them again and says the Federal Army is fighting -- at the Sama Naval Base and they have requested help. Roy and Sasha are suspicious now, but Roy tells Sasha to go ahead and go, just in case it's true. When they arrive at the naval base, there's no sign of the enemy or the Federal Army. Sasha is understandably angry at Emily, but the latter insists that she only responded to the call for help on her system.

While they were talking, Lune wandered off on her own to Sama Castle, so Sasha reported this to Roy and followed her. When she finds her, they meet a woman named Hilda, who is Lune's sister. When Roy arrives, he realizes from her appearance that she's from --.

Hilda reveals that her and Lune are one of the Seven Demon Generals. Sasha is shocked, but the group engages them in battle. Their sole purpose was to buy time, and after an arbitrary amount of it, they stopped the battle, said farewell, and left. Roy decides not to pursue them because he didn't know how powerful they were, and instead reports back to ASH to wait for their next destination in Bariura.

Meanwhile, Lyle grows suspicious of Emily's false information and investigates her device. He discovers fraud and has her arrested by the Randall Security Forces (RSF) on suspicion of being a spy for --. (this part skeeves me out so bad. paris made the city into a police state)

Roy ad Sasha are shocked when they hear from Lyle what happened, but with his and Ana's support they head to the western frontier of Bariura.

They initially proceded to their destination via a route that was free of enemies as instructed, but they were ambushed by one of the Demon Generals, Elhaza, and taking a hit that was meant for Sasha, Roy was left seriously injured and near death. Driven into a corner, Sasha and the young knight support the injured Roy and make a desperate charge through the enemy. However, once they leave the valley and reach the coast, they're surrounded by Melfel's forces.

Upon recieving this news, Karl rushed to the scene and quickly turned the tide of the battle. Roy was saved by a rescue force, and they returned to Elgaia. Karl decided to continue investigating on his own, but Sasha and the young knight strongly request that they keep going. He accepts and they move forward together.

At ASH, Director Sera, who couldn't accept Emily's detainment, consulted with former summoner Grahdens. Following her wishes, Grahdens started investigating Emily. After meeting with her and feeling that she isn't a spy, he contacts Paris, who has become the Prime Minister, and asks for her cooperation.

Following Melfel's taunts, Karl and the others enter an underground abandoned building known as the Demonic Chamber, where they fight Elhaza. He seems to have no interest in the summoner's abilities until Karl awakens his demon blood. Elhaza is surprised and delighted by Karl's power, but once again stops the battle halfway through. Shaia appears and warps Elhaza, Melfel, and herself to another world. Karl tries to defeat them all right there, but was stopped by Melfel's minions.

In Randall, Theodore of the RSF has been asked by Grahdens and Paris to find the real spy, along with his father, Eriole.

Later, when Karl and the others had wiped out Melfel's minions and were about to return to Elgaia, they recieved a call from Noel. He says that they've made progress in being able to teleport to Seltavia, and that they've rescued a girl named Rin, who was being held captive by -- in Ixtas. They also learn that Rin disappeared immediately after --'s attack, and that she's suspected of causing the local defense weapons to go out of control.

rin chapter 1

Rin wakes up in a toxic wasteland. Perhaps due to the effects of interdimensional travel, she had temporary lost her memory. Two men, drawn by Dewey's woofs, find Rin and her puppy. They are Lugina and Hanzo from ASH, and they take Rin into their care.

Rin regains her memories when they enter a mysterious underground facility. After hearing the details, Lugina and Hanzo are convinced that the organization that they are pursuing is the same one that attacked Seltavia. They decide to continue investigating their hideout in Bada Fana together with Rin.

Deep underground, they come across two figures - a mechanical soldier and a human. As they follow them and continue their investigation, Lugina figures out what the organization's name is, and that the human is Dr. Gustav Fabraska, who disappeared from Ixtas 10 years ago. They (Hanzo) discover traces of repeated biological experiments, the name of something called "Neo Orcus", and that Ixtas is their next target.

Rin was angered that they were planning on yet another attack, but scared that they would come back to Seltavia. Lugina contacted ASH about this, but communication deep underground isn't stable, and after a few words, the signal is cut off.

They go further, and in the throne room, the group comes face to face with Gustav and the mechanical soldier, which is one of the Seven Generals, Zado. After battling Lugina and the others, Zado assesses their strength and figures out that its chances of winning are virtually nonexistant. Lugina laughs at Gustav's surprise and tries to convince Gustav to destroy Zado and go back to ASH with them.

Suddenly, Shaia appears, and in an instant, uses her interdimensional magic to teleport Lugina and Hanzo to another world. Left alone, Rin bravely challenges Zado again, but is defeated and taken prisoner.

rin chp 2

Rin is held captive among the mecha forces led by Zado and Gustav in Ixtas. ASH, which had recieved fragmented audio from Lugina, immediately sent Seria, Wallace, and Josh to Ixtas as defensive reinforcements.

Seria was stationed to guard the South Gate, while Wallace and Josh were stationed to guard the East Gate, Upon recieving a message from Lyle that the enemy was stationed just across Melsus Bridge, Joshua decided to launch a surprise attack on his own to get the upper hand against the enemy's superior numbers. He successfully defeated Zado and rescued Rin.

Meanwhile, the Southern Gate was under siege by the Beast Army and Barragan, and the Eastern Gate was being attacked by the Black Cavalry and Lanford. Josh hurried back to the East Gate with Rin, but Wallace had already been seriously injured in the battle with Lanford and was unable to fight. Rin becomes enraged when she sees Lanford, who attacked her in Philarm, and engages in battle with him and Josh. At the South Gate, Seria fights Barragan again. Meanwhile, Noel is deploying a humanoid summoning weapon that he had been developing with Ixtas' researchers. With these robots, Ixtas, which had been at a disadvantage, regained momentum. Lanford and Barragan also stopped fighting and temporarily retreated.

Seria heads to the East Gate, worried about Wallace, and after she gets him transported to a hospital, she scolds Joshua for acting out of turn. She also meets Rin, and after hearing her story, tells her that her friend is still alive. She makes plans for them to reunite in Elgaia, and tells her to rest for the night.

That night, with a blank look in her eyes, Rin breaks into the Technology and Development Agency in Ixtas. She makes it into the control room, causes a humanoid summoning weapon to go out of control, and disappears. The capital city falls into chaos, and Seria and the others rush to suppress the out of control weapons. They learn that Rin has gone missing, but despite a search, she is nowhere to be found.

Rin has been returned to --, which has retreated to the suburbs. With the same blank expression, she stood next to Gustav and Zado, not paying any attention to the anxious Dewey. Gustav had planned it all, and was controlling her.

Barragan says they should just obliterate Ixtas with sheer numbers, but Elhaza contacts him and stops him. Having achieved their objective in Grand Gaia, they should now withdraw all forces to their base in Seltavia for the time being. Barragan is furious, but since Lanford backs Elhaza up, he reluctantly agrees to retreat, and -- leaves Ixtas. Rin is forced to return to her homeland by the enemy's hand.

Afterwards, Noel is able to stop the summoning weapons, but for Seria and Joshua, dawn comes with many mysteries. Why did -- not take this chance to attack again? Why did Rin act as if she were siding with --?

chp 3

Karl and Seria share information with each other. Noel says that they can take advantage of an opportunity to send up to three people to Seltavia, so Josh joins Seria and the young knight. The three of them are transported to Mordencamp in Seltavia, and they make their way carefully towards Philarm, the young knight's hometown.

Along the way, they encounter a surviving Mordencamp knight in a village that appears to have been destroyed by --. At first, she mistakes Seria and the others for enemies and attacks them, but when she learns that the young knight is a Weisser, the misunderstanding is cleared up. She tells the group that forces have been spotted at a watchtower further ahead, so they decide to make their way there.

Meanwhile, Grahdens and Eriole visit Noel and offer their cooperation in uncovering the identity of the spy in ASH.

When Seria and the others arrive at the watchtower, they find Rin there. She's wearing the same blank expression she's had since the night in Ixtas, and runs away from them. They head after her, and on the top floor of the tower, she attacks them. The device on her head begins to malfunction and she begins to suffer, with no one able to do anything. Gustav hears this and orders Zado to go to the tower and retrive her. The group tries to pursue Zado, but are confronted by a new humanoid summoning weapon that he modified. The group defeats it, but immediately afterwards, Gustav makes the tower collapse. With no way to escape, the group jumps out the side while clinging to the baby dragon, hoping it's strong enough to fly them to the ground.

To get to Mordencamp Castle, where Rin was taken, they need to cross a large suspension bridge over a canyon. There's a large risk of being caught in a pinsir attack, so the group decides to cross quickly. When they reach the middle of the bridge, enemies appear as expected, but they continue. Behind them, they hear the screams of the knight they had met in the destroyed village. Joshua insists that they should ignore her, but Seria orders him and the young knight to finish crossing the bridge while she goes to rescue her. Just as Joshua and the young knight get to the other side, the bridge collapses when a humanoid summoning weapon self-destructs, and Seria and the other knight fall into the canyon.

The stunned Joshua contacts ASH, but Karl tells them to continue with their mission. Him and the young knight confidantly continue, and they infiltrate the former castle town of Mordencamp, which is now under the control of --.

At ASH, Noel instructs Lyle to prepare for the mass transfer of personnel to Seltavia. He tells him that since the problem of interdimensional travel has been resolved, they can now make a plan to invade with a large number of people.

As Joshua and the young knight proceed through the outpost, their actions are completely visible to Gustav and the others. Zado projects a hologram in front of the two of them, and says that Rin is now completely under her control. Rin then attacks them again. Noel says he's figured it out, and tells the two of them to keep her still. They defeat her, Noel destroys Gustav's control device, and Rin finally regains her senses.

She's happy to be reunited with the young knight, but remembers her actions in Ixtas and is tormented with guilt. However, Noel and the young knight comfort her and strengthen her resolve to fight and make amends. In order to defeat Zado and Gustav and regain Mordencamp, the three of them enter the fortress that appears to be their base.

At ASH, a figure was seen secretly relaying information to --. Grahdens and the others confirm the spy's identity - it's Lyle. Eriole corners him, and Lyle reveals his true identity: he's a vessel for Melfel. Thus, the spy scandal came to an end, and Sera freed Emily from prison.

With Noel's help, the three of them overcame numerous traps within the fortress and finally reach the center where Gustav and Zado wait. Zado is ordered by Gustav to annihilate them, and in order to win, it takes Gustav and incorporates him into the main computer as a biological unit. (you know. i bet elhaza taught gustav how to program that.) Now even stronger, Zado attacks the group with overwhelming force, but with Joshua's help, the young knight and Rin splendidly defeat Zado.

While they celebrate, Gustav is released from Zado. He has suffered severe brain damage and lost all of his recent memories. Rin is speechless by the fact that he can't remember his own name, and only wants to see his son - Zado.

Back in ASH, Karl and Noel worry about Lugina, whose whereabouts are unknown, and Seria, who was unresponsive at the bottom of a canyon, but are forced to begin making plans for the next battle, which is likely to continue for some time.

[theunbearableweightofpedropascal]

Be my Baby chp.7

Warnings: (angsty, mentions of excessive drug use, mentions of death,

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes, enjoy tho😁

Word Count: 3.5k

 

Frankie knows what happened was more of a reflection of Maria but it still doesn’t stop the nagging in his head. His PTSD was part of why he started using but to say it was the only thing would be using it like a crutch. The truth is anyone could become an addict given the right circumstances.

When you mix an unstable man from Delta Force with unresolved trauma and throw him into civilian life, it was no surprise what happened. His co-workers used it to stay on top while in flight, a little bump here and there couldn’t hurt. At least that’s how they reeled him in. Everything was fine at first, he was even the favorite pilot among his tours. 

Every rose has its thorn, and Frankie’s appetite grew for the powdery substance. Soon enough any chance he got he would find himself inhaling it. In the bathroom at work, in his car, he’d even sneak off during family gatherings. Rock bottom hit was close when he woke up at his dealer's house and he didn’t know how long he’d been knocked out. 

It got worse though during a tour, he nearly overdosed and luckily his co-pilot was able to save face by pretending it was a seizure. That was as much luck as he would get because an investigation was launched after that incident. Frankie knew the moment he peed in that cup he was going to get his license revoked so he kept going since there was no point in stopping. For the first time since before the army, his mind was clear. 

Plus he had savings so Maria wouldn’t notice anything amiss. She could see for months something was different but it was like the old Frankie was back, so she let it slide. It wasn’t until she got a call from the licensing board about a hearing for her husband that she started doubting him. 

There was nothing more they valued than privacy but clearly, he had taken his too far. She opened his mail to find a drug test that was positive for cocaine with an attached termination letter. That night he came home to find his shit on the lawn he knew Maria found out. He banged on the door all night trying to plead with her but she, rightfully, told him to get help. Instead, he stumbled around the lawn for a few boxers and shirts before heading to his mother’s.

But the moment he found out Maria was pregnant he knew he had to work on getting better. Rosie was the bright spot in his suffering and she didn’t even know it. Maria let him have a picture of her sonogram and he made 3 copies. One for his wallet so he could take her everywhere, one for his room in rehab, and one for his car where he would use. Used to use. 

The first time he saw Rosie he was a year sober and she was four months. He had worked hard to be there and show up for both of his girls, starting with finding a stable job. Finally, he earned himself a good spot in his life and was working towards getting his license back. Then, a year later Santiago gave him a deal he thought he couldn’t refuse. So Frankie risked his standing for the greater good. 

However, nothing was good about how they left Colombia, missing their leader and the money. When Frankie came back empty-handed he’ll never forget the look on Maria's face, and even now he could understand. There were too many disappointments under his belt after promises of a follow-through. Truthfully deep down they knew the marriage was over when he returned to get the money. 

Maybe if he’d returned with the money the first time he and Maria wouldn’t have ended up here. Maybe if he wasn’t so flighty he could have been more stable. Maybe if he never joined the fucking army. All those what-ifs and yet if he changed any of those he wouldn’t have met you. 

His self-reflection was interrupted by Rosie asking him for an orange crayon. Santiago’s dining table is covered in crayons and colored pencils while the three of them color. Except Frankie’s is only half-finished. For the past week, Frankie’s been staying with Santi at his insistence and since he took Rosie with him he’s been fielding calls from Maria. 

He knew he should be more mature but the fact that she pawned their daughter off, knowing she was sick, so she could meet with Chris made his stomach turn. It’s one thing for her to brush him off but he had to draw the line at his baby, so he finally made an appointment with a divorce lawyer. 

The faraway look in Frankie’s eyes worried Santiago, this whole week Catfish avoided talking to him without Rosie present. 

“Fish?” Frankie flicked his eyes towards Santiago who nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen before getting up to walk there. Blindly, Frankie follows his friend knowing he’s about to get cornered. 

“How are you?” To anyone else, that question sounds loaded but Frankie knew it was an opening. As he thought of what to begin with he fiddled with his fingernails. 

“It’s one thing to blow me off, but I refuse to subject my daughter to that kind of environment.” His teeth grit in anger the more he thinks about the situation. “I made an appointment with a divorce attorney.”

“And you’re sure that’s something you want?” Although Santi wanted to jump for joy when he heard “divorce attorney”, at the end of the day it’s Frankie’s decision.

“Don’t act like you’re not planning a party in your head right now.” A small smile graces Frankie’s face for the first time since the incident. 

“Of course I am but the important part is that it’s what you want.” At the end of the day, the most important thing was Frankie’s happiness. 

“It’s a long time coming, the only person deluding themselves was me?”  Frankie scoffs at his naivety.

“Have you talked to your girl?” After the fiasco, Santi was so busy tending to Frankie that he didn’t realize that you had left. 

“No.” When Frankie turned away from you that day it was out of self-preservation. He couldn’t bring himself to look at you, fearing the expression on your face. 

Will told him what you said and he couldn’t understand what good he’d done to meet someone like you. Still, he wasn’t ready to face you since his darkest secret was told before he was ready to tell you. 

Although you said you didn’t think less of him, it was hard for him to believe it.

“Fish I don’t like telling you what to do,” The raised eyebrow Frankie sent him made him pause before continuing. “But that girl cares about you and I don’t think you should let that go because of Maria’s fucked up idea of revenge.”

Frankie angles his head to the ground in thought and Santi exits the kitchen to give him time to process. As much as he hates it his best friend is right. He just didn’t expect to have that conversation so early, but at the same time he misses you. Your smile, your laugh, and the way you say his name.

On his way to the bedroom, he presses a kiss on Rosie’s forehead only for her to swat him away. His phone sits on the dresser charging and he approaches carefully. First, he checks through Maria’s messages which range from begging for reconciliation to anger about Rosie being kept from her. He can admit he went overboard so he begins drafting a text to set up a pick-up time.

Despite saying you would let him come to you you still sent three messages and his heart pounds as he opens the thread. 

Whenever you’re ready to talk lmk. 

I miss you.

Ameilia asked about you today. 

Like always you manage to bring a smile to his face, but it’s wiped away when Maria replies she’s free today. Against his wants, he begins packing Rosie’s bag for the next few days. When he emerges from the back of the house to tell her she’s running to grab some of her loose toys. 

“I’ll be back,” Frankie turns to Santiago before fishing his keys off the hook and hauling Rosie out of the door. 

…………….

Despite her protests, Frankie insisted on a neutral pick-up place and the park down the road from Santi’s was perfect. He placed Rosie’s favorite song on and laid his head back on the headrest, willing himself to stay calm. The disappointment he felt with Maria was immeasurable, she didn’t even know if Rosie was awake. 

Three taps sounded themselves on the passenger window and the pit in Frankie’s stomach grew. He thought he was immune to some of Maria’s harsh words but it seems he still had his soft spots. 

“Mommy!” Rosie’s excitement jolts him back to reality and he unlocks the car for her. 

Thankfully Maria goes straight to collecting Rosie’s things before unbuckling her. After two more trips between cars, she realizes there’s nothing left for her to collect but she hesitates. Frankie keeps his eyes forward, hoping she’ll ignore him like she has the past few months.

“I fucked up,” She clears her throat before continuing. “And I took it out on you, I just wasn’t prepared to see you move on.” 

“But it was fine for you to?” Frankie glances back to find her head hung while she holds one of Rosie’s plushies. 

“I’m sorry, I wanted you to feel miserable and hurt like I was but you didn’t do that intentionally.” Frankie’s eyes sting at the revelation, they weren’t lying when they said the truth hurts.

“All that matters is that we’re cordial for Rosie’s sake.” With that, both knew the conversation was over. 

The sound of the door shutting felt more impactful than it should’ve been. Their relationship as they knew it had come to an end after a long, bitter stretch. Frankie rested his head against the steering wheel after watching them pull off. He finally took off Rosie’s song and switched back to radio, and your song was playing. 

He was going to drive off but stays parked and softly sings the song to himself as he thinks of you. Somehow he knows you wouldn’t hold it against him and you’d listen. Will ended up telling him what you said and that you didn’t want to leave, as if he deserved it. You should’ve never been put in that situation with Maria.

His phone sits in the cupholder beckoning him to contact you and he finally listens. The dial tone rings and it doesn’t take more than a few seconds before it stops. It seems neither of you was prepared because there is silence on both ends.

“Hello,” Luckily Frankie’s voice didn’t crack like he believed it would. 

“Hi,” You breathe into the phone thinking anything louder would scare him away. 

“I’m sorry for the radio silence I ju-” His explanation is cut short by your sweet voice.

“Don’t apologize, I understand,” You realize your mistake and immediately fumble over your words. “I mean I don’t understand but I’m sure you needed your space to process.” 

A laugh sounds from Frankie’s end and you pull your phone away to double-check it’s coming from him. 

“I know what you meant but thank you for the clarification.” He rubs at his beard before asking, “Are you free anytime today? To talk?” 

“I’m free all day today. Did you want to come over?” The hopeful tone of your voice has guilt flooding through him for putting this off. 

“How does in an hour sound?” He asks wanting to see you as soon as possible after hearing your voice. 

“Perfect.” After your confirmation, you bid each other goodbye.

With some weight off his shoulders, Frankie pulls out of the parking lot to head back to Santi’s. The second he came through the door he headed to his room to get in the shower. He takes extra time to tend to his hair which he’d neglected all week. In the mirror, he trims his beard slightly and puts mousse in his curls to keep the shape.

For his outfit, he sticks to his regular flannel and jeans. By the time he comes out to the living area again Pope is camped out in front of the TV. Despite hearing the shower and seeing the pep in his friend’s step he still asked, “You look nice, where you off to?”

The smirk playing on his face was annoying but Frankie begrudgingly answered he was going to your place.

……………

You were running around your house picking up stray messes that you promised you’d get to later. There were already a few candles lit to help with comfort as well as smell. You decide that your twilight t-shirt and sweatshorts would just have to do. Before you can think about if you should order food your doorbell sounds and for a couple of seconds you’re frozen in place. With a shake of your head, you smooth out your clothes and double-check that your braids aren’t too frizzy. 

A deep breath attempts to quell your racing heart. Even though it’s only been a week the situation makes it feel longer. Your hand pulls the door back to reveal Frankie with his hands in his pockets surveying the front porch. His eyes flick to yours and you feel the unease radiating off of him. 

“We aren’t gonna talk like this are we?” You chance a joke and it pays off when he smiles before stepping into your foyer. 

When you turn back around after closing the door Frankie envelopes you in a hug. Suddenly you smell the fresh soap and warmth wafting off of him. All you can do is close your eyes and hug his waist tighter. 

“M’sorry,” He cradles his face to your neck before breathing in. 

“I already told you there’s nothing for you to apologize for.” Your hands rub comforting circles on his lower back.

Without replying Frankie pulls back and searches your face for something you’re unsure of. You unwrap your arms from his waist and circle them to his chest. 

“You want me to put on some tea?” As much as you’d love to remain in his arms all day; there was a conversation to be had. 

“I think we should talk first.” You nod and take his hand to lead him to the living room. 

You wait until he sits down before joining him on your couch, the same one you two ate on not too long ago. His hand is scratching at the curls by his neck while you face your body toward him. There’s a hesitation that you pick up on so you make the first move.

“Before you start I never thought any less of you.” You reach out to touch the hand in his lap. “We all have our personal shit and I don’t think it was fair that you didn’t tell me yourself.” 

“Will told me what you said,” The hand behind his head now covers yours while he gazes in your eyes. “I was embarrassed and Rosie could’ve heard, she’s why I turned it all around anyway.”

You remain silent and nod your head so he can take over. He tells you how he enlisted straight out of high school thinking there was nothing better for him. Somehow he ended up meeting his best friends, and he talks about the mysterious remaining member of their photo. Tom was their leader and unofficial mentor. 

As much as he tried to help Frankie with his PTSD when he got out Tom had a family of his own. You notice the past-tense referral and your heart aches for him. He met Maria and he thought he finally had it under control, but then came the night terrors. When he would wake at night screaming like he was deployed, she would hold him. Their relationship was so gentle and caring.

He recalls when his co-worker gave him his first bump, promising him it would help keep you alert. Everything was fine until it wasn’t, he started fucking up at his job so they called for a test. He thought that he could keep it under wraps and live off their savings in the meantime. But his habit was expensive and Maria found his summons and kicked him out.

Frankie has tears rimming his eyes so you squeeze his hand urging him to continue at his pace. When he does he talks about how Rosie was his savior. From the moment he found out about her he pushed himself to do better so he could be in her life. And he did put himself in a rehab program and kept her sonogram as a reminder. 

The first time he got to hold Rosie was the best day of his life. Tears finally find their way down his face and you waste no time wiping them away. He leans into your touch and you feel tears pricking the back of your eyes.

He softly reminisces on how he slowly worked his way back to his family. But Satiago delivered an offer he couldn’t refuse, and he stupidly took it. They all did. On the mission, things went south and they lost Tom, Frankie leans in to hold you while crying. All you hear is the repeated words “We lost him.” Now you can’t hold back the stray tears falling from your face. 

Quickly you begin running your fingers through his hair and scratching at his scalp to soothe him. After a few moments, his chest slows its breathing but he doesn’t move from your shoulder. He tells you the nail in the coffin was when he returned with none of the money promised. Although they were together he could feel the distance between them.

He states that Santi came back and they knew what not to do this time, so it was a sure thing. Against his better judgment, Frankie believed the money would help in the long run so he left, again. However by the time he came back with the money Maria had mentally checked out and he didn’t blame her.

You take a deep breath and let the information he gave you marinate while you continue soothing him. 

“I know that was a lot,” He leans back enough to look at you but doesn’t fully leave your presence. The puffiness surrounding his red eyes tugs at your heart and you want to pull him back in your arms.

“I love that you trusted me enough to tell me.” A smile cracks your face at how much trust he’s putting into you. 

“I love you.” As soon as the words leave his mouth he regrets it, not because he didn't mean it but because he fears he might’ve scared you off. It just felt natural for those words to come out. 

Your heart begins racing once more and you wonder if he can hear the effect he has on you. He stiffens in your arms and you ask him, “Do you mean it?” 

He pulls back from you almost offended before declaring, “Of course I do.”

“I love you, Francisco.” The hazy look in his eyes, after you say those words back to him, makes your stomach flutter. He glances down at your lips while leaning in but you meet him halfway. The moment your lips touch it’s like you’re making up for lost time, you taste the saltiness from his tears. 

Very quickly you feel Frankie’s tongue sliding over your bottom lip and you tilt your head to deepen the kiss. Your hand slides up his chest to wrap around his neck to play with his curls. His tongue glides and licks all over yours and an involuntary moan leaves your mouth. That only spurs him on and he fixes his hands to slide under your shirt to cup your tits. Once you see the direction this is going in you reluctantly back away, only to have Frankie follow you. 

You place your hands on his pecs and tell him, “As much as I want to I don’t think we should right now.” He nods in understanding and sits back on the sofa. 

His hand goes to the back of his neck to fiddle with his curls as he addresses you, “I just missed you.”

“I missed you too.” You stand from the couch and head to your kitchen to ask him, “What kind of tea do you want?”

“Whatever you have on hand Bebita.” He rubs his fingers over his lips trying to engrain this moment in his mind forever. The rest of the day was spent on the sofa watching TV until both of you fell asleep. 

Tags: @harriedandharassed, @paleidiot, @emilianamason, @shion-ah