#Close Encounters Within The Wonder Lab Walls

[zapreportsblog]

Entangled Webs

➥ summary: Spider Sunny is a superhero that shines light even in the darkest places of her dimension, once a normal college student named (y/n), she finds her life has taken a turn after her encounter with a radioactive spider

➥ a/n: I took inspiration from @liliacamethyst story “Web of Lies” note that this one shot is super long so if you have the time to read all this I applaud you

➥ angst one shot

As I stepped onto the college campus, excitement surged through my veins. This field trip to the famous Duskwood Laboratories was the highlight of our semester. Little did I know that this day would alter the course of my life forever. My name is (Y/n), and this is the story of how I became the superhero known as Spider Sunny.

The crisp morning air enveloped the campus, carrying the scent of autumn leaves. As our professor led us through the laboratory, my eyes widened with wonder. Countless scientific discoveries were made within these walls, but little did I know that fate had a surprise in store for me.

We arrived at a high-security section of the lab, filled with glowing, mysterious machines. Our professor explained that these were part of an experiment involving the manipulation of solar energy. As I gazed at the contraptions, a flickering neon sign caught my eye: "Radiation Exposure Zone: Authorized Personnel Only."

Curiosity compelled me. I couldn't resist the pull to see what lay beyond that forbidden door. As the rest of the group moved ahead, I slipped away, determined to uncover the secrets that awaited me.

Navigating through the dimly lit corridors, I finally reached the radiation exposure zone. The door creaked open, revealing a chamber bathed in an ethereal blue glow. I hesitated for a moment, but my insatiable desire for knowledge urged me forward. I stepped into the room, oblivious to the danger that awaited.

Within the chamber, a large glass enclosure housed an array of exotic spiders. The arachnids skittered and weaved intricate webs, their presence both mesmerizing and terrifying. I approached the glass, marveling at their delicate beauty.

One spider, in particular, caught my attention. It glowed with a vibrant golden hue, as if it had absorbed the essence of the sun itself. Drawn to its radiance, I extended a trembling hand, hoping to touch the creature. But as I did, fate intervened with a cruel twist.

Unbeknownst to me, the spider had been exposed to excessive amounts of solar radiation. As my finger brushed against its fragile frame, it sank its fangs into my skin. A surge of searing pain coursed through my body, causing me to stagger backward in shock.

I stumbled out of the radiation chamber, my mind reeling from the intensity of the experience. Little did I know that this encounter with the irradiated spider would transform me in ways I could never have imagined.

Days passed, and the initial pain subsided, replaced by a newfound vitality coursing through my veins. I noticed subtle changes in my body—heightened senses, increased strength, and an uncanny agility. At first, I dismissed these alterations as mere figments of my imagination. However, it soon became clear that something extraordinary had occurred.

One sunny afternoon, while I was walking home from classes, a group of thugs cornered me in a deserted alley. Panic surged within me as their menacing presence closed in. It was in that moment of desperation that my dormant powers awakened.

Without warning, a brilliant light erupted from my hands, engulfing the assailants in a blinding radiance. They recoiled in fear, their cries drowned out by the intense energy pulsating from my palms. Instinctively, I had unleashed a torrent of sun beams, dispersing the danger that threatened me.

Stunned and exhilarated, I realized that I had become something beyond ordinary. I had become Spider Sunny, a superhero empowered by the very force of the sun. The spider's bite, combined with the solar radiation, had granted me extraordinary abilities.

In the days that followed, I honed my newfound powers, experimenting with the limits of my solar energy manipulation. I discovered that I could shoot concentrated sun beams from my hands, illuminating darkness and harnessing their warmth to protect the innocent.

News of Spider Sunny's exploits spread throughout the city, and I became a symbol of hope and justice. Each day presented new challenges, from rescuing innocent civilians to thwarting the plans of nefarious villains. But with every victory, I grew more confident in my abilities and more determined to use them for the greater good.

However, being Spider Sunny came with its own set of challenges. Balancing a double life as a college student and a superhero required careful juggling and utmost secrecy. My friends and family remained oblivious to my alter ego, unaware of the sacrifices I made to protect them and the city we called home.

As the sun set on that fateful day of the field trip, a new dawn had broken in my life. I was no longer just (Y/n), a regular college student. I had become Spider Sunny, a beacon of light in a world shrouded in darkness. My journey as a superhero had just begun, and I vowed to use my powers to make a difference, to bring hope, and to shine a light on the darkest corners of our city.

I swung through the city, my web-lines shooting out effortlessly from my hands. The cool breeze brushed against my face as I navigated the urban jungle, searching for any signs of trouble. As Spider Sunny, I had taken it upon myself to protect the innocent and maintain the delicate balance between justice and chaos.

On this particular day, I found myself facing a gang of criminals who had taken hostages in a downtown bank. With calculated precision, I descended upon them, startling them with my sudden appearance. As they turned their attention towards me, I could see the fear in their eyes. It was a fear I had grown accustomed to evoking in those who preyed on the vulnerable.

I moved with speed and grace, using my sun beams to disarm the criminals and free the hostages. The situation was under control, or so I thought, until a strange vibration coursed through the air. I felt a tingle at the base of my spine, warning me of something extraordinary about to happen.

A rip in the fabric of reality appeared before me, crackling with energy. A portal materialized, and from within, two figures emerged. One was clad in a futuristic suit, blue and red with glowing accents, while the other wore a more traditional red and blue costume, reminiscent of my own.

"Hello there!" the futuristic figure called out, his voice echoing with an otherworldly quality. "I am Miguel O'Hara, also known as Spider-Man 2099, and this is my esteemed colleague, Spider-Man from another dimension."

I blinked in disbelief, momentarily frozen by the unexpected arrival of these two Spider-people. Was this some sort of elaborate prank or a hallucination brought on by the adrenaline coursing through my veins? Nevertheless, I composed myself, realizing that their presence might hold the key to unraveling the mystery surrounding my own powers.

"I am Spider Sunny," I responded cautiously, my eyes narrowing in curiosity. "What brings you to my city?"

Miguel O'Hara smiled, his eyes gleaming with a mix of wisdom and experience. "We have traveled across dimensions to seek you out, Spider Sunny. We are part of an elite group of Spider-Men and Women who protect the multiverse from threats that transcend time and space. We have sensed the emergence of your powers and believe that you possess the potential to become an invaluable member of our team."

My heart raced at the mention of a team of Spider-powered individuals dedicated to safeguarding the multiverse. It was a concept that stretched the limits of my imagination but also ignited a flicker of excitement within me. The prospect of joining forces with others who shared my abilities and understood the complexities of my life as Spider Sunny was undeniably appealing.

"Why me?" I asked, my voice laced with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "What makes you think I am worthy of this honor?"

Miguel O'Hara's gaze bore into mine, his expression unwavering. "Your determination, your sense of justice, and the way you have embraced your powers—all of these qualities make you an ideal candidate for our team. We believe in you, Spider Sunny, and we know that together, we can accomplish great things."

A whirlwind of emotions cascaded through my mind as I considered the invitation. Joining a team of extraordinary individuals would undoubtedly bring new challenges, responsibilities, and sacrifices. However, it also presented an opportunity to learn, grow, and make an even greater impact on the world.

"Give me some time," I finally replied, my voice filled with determination. "I need to weigh the implications and consider the responsibilities that come with joining your team. But know this, Spider-Man 2099 and your fellow Spider-Man: I am honored by your offer, and I will seriously consider becoming part of your extraordinary group."

Miguel O'Hara nodded approvingly, acknowledging my response. "Take all the time you need, Spider Sunny. We understand that this is a decision that should not be taken lightly. But when you are ready, know that the Spider-Men and Women of our team will be there, waiting to welcome you with open arms. Take this watch, turn it to earth 616, you’ll find us there.”

As the portal began to close, and the two Spider-Men prepared to depart, I watched in awe, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions swirling within me. The realization that I had caught the attention of an elite group of heroes dedicated to protecting the multiverse filled me with a newfound sense of purpose and excitement.

I swung back into action, continuing my mission as Spider Sunny, but with a renewed fire burning within my heart. The prospect of joining Miguel O'Hara and the other Spider-people in their fight against threats that transcended time and space intrigued me. It presented an opportunity not only to grow as a superhero but also to explore the vast multiverse and uncover its countless secrets.

For now, I would focus on protecting my city, honing my powers, and weighing the implications of joining this extraordinary team. The future held countless possibilities, and as Spider Sunny, I would be ready to face whatever challenges awaited me, whether it was protecting a single city or safeguarding the entire multiverse.

Days had passed since the unexpected arrival of Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man from the future, and his offer to join the elite group of Spider-Men and Women. The weight of his invitation hung in the air, lingering in my thoughts day and night. I knew that my decision would shape the course of my life as Spider Sunny, and I couldn't take it lightly.

After much contemplation and soul-searching, I had come to a firm resolution. I was ready to accept the offer and embark on a journey that would take me beyond the confines of my city and into the vastness of the Spider-Verse. I understood the challenges and responsibilities that lay ahead, but the opportunity to join forces with other Spider-powered individuals, to learn from them and contribute to the greater good, was too enticing to pass up.

With my decision made, I contacted Miguel O'Hara and informed him of my acceptance. He expressed his delight and explained that preparations would be made to facilitate my transition to the Spider-Verse. One crucial element was the gift he had mentioned—a watch that would enable me to traverse the dimensions and explore the multiverse.

A few days later, I took a glance at the sleek, futuristic-looking watch adorned with intricate spider motifs that sat on my desk, the anticipation within me grew as I carefully fastened the watch around my wrist. The moment of truth had arrived.

I pressed a small button on the side of the watch, and a holographic interface appeared before me. It displayed a map of the multiverse, with countless interconnected pathways and destinations. With a sense of awe and trepidation, I selected my desired destination—Earth-616, the central universe from which the Spider-Verse originated.

As I activated the portal, a surge of energy enveloped me, causing my surroundings to blur and distort. Colors bled into one another, reality bending and warping before my eyes. The sensation was both exhilarating and disorienting, like being caught in a whirlwind of cosmic forces.

When the vortex finally subsided, I found myself standing on unfamiliar ground. The air crackled with a sense of familiarity, yet everything appeared different. The skyscrapers reached towards the sky, but the architecture, the people, and even the very essence of the city exuded a unique energy. I had arrived in Earth-616, the heart of the Spider-Verse.

I took a moment to absorb my surroundings, the cacophony of sights and sounds filling my senses. The bustling city streets were filled with people, some adorned in colorful costumes, others displaying extraordinary abilities. It was a world where heroes and villains coexisted, where the impossible became possible.

As I navigated through the vibrant cityscape, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and humility. This was a place where the legacy of Spider-Man and his countless incarnations had thrived, where the spirit of heroism burned bright. I was but a single thread in the intricate web of this universe, a newcomer to this world of wonder.

But I was not alone. I had entered this universe to join a team of Spider-Men and Women, and I was eager to meet them, learn from them, and contribute my own unique abilities to their cause. Miguel O'Hara had assured me that they would be awaiting my arrival, ready to guide and support me on this extraordinary journey.

Following the coordinates provided by Miguel, I arrived at a hidden base, nestled within the heart of the city. As I entered, I was greeted by a chorus of familiar voices, each belonging to a different Spider-powered individual. The atmosphere was charged with camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose.

The Spider-Men and Women welcomed me with open arms, their costumes representing a myriad of variations on the iconic red and blue. I was introduced to Gwen Stacy, known as Spider-Gwen, a talented musician with spider-like abilities from an alternate reality. There was also Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, whose experiences and wisdom had guided generations of heroes.

As the team gathered around, Miguel O'Hara stepped forward, a proud smile on his face. "Welcome, Spider Sunny," he said, his voice carrying a mix of warmth and authority. "You have taken a leap of faith and embraced your destiny as a defender of the multiverse. We are honored to have you join our ranks."

The words struck a chord within me, reinforcing my belief that I had made the right decision. In this world of spider-powered heroes, I had found my place—a collective of individuals dedicated to protecting the balance of the multiverse, to ensuring that justice prevailed across countless dimensions.

As we settled into our new surroundings, our discussions turned to the challenges that lay ahead. The Spider-Men and Women shared stories of their past encounters, their triumphs, and their struggles. I listened intently, soaking in the wealth of knowledge and experiences that surrounded me.

I realized that this journey was not just about fighting crime and facing villains—it was about personal growth, about becoming the best version of myself. The Spider-Verse was an endless expanse of possibilities, and each day brought new lessons and new alliances.

Months had passed since I had accepted Miguel O'Hara's invitation to join the elite group of Spider-Men and Women. Together, we had patrolled the multiverse, fought against formidable foes, and protected countless dimensions from the forces of evil. But amidst the chaos and heroism, a secret connection had begun to bloom—an affair as forbidden as it was intoxicating.

Miguel and I had forged a bond that extended beyond our shared responsibilities. Late-night conversations turned into stolen glances, and casual touches ignited a fire within us. It was a connection that defied the boundaries of our roles as leader and team member—a connection that was both exhilarating and dangerous.

One evening, as the team gathered for a debriefing, I found myself alone with Miguel in a secluded corner of our headquarters. The air crackled with unspoken tension, and the weight of our unspoken desires hung heavily in the space between us.

"Miguel," I whispered softly, my voice laced with a mixture of longing and uncertainty, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

He turned to me, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and caution. "What is it, (Y/n)?"

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my thoughts, the words stumbling out in a rush. "I can't deny the connection between us, the way we've grown closer over these past months. But... I can't help but feel that our relationship is more than just friendship or even colleagues. And it scares me, Miguel."

He studied me for a moment, his expression guarded yet filled with a hint of understanding. "I know what you're feeling, (Y/n), and I can't deny that there's a strong attraction between us. But we have to be careful. We can't let our personal feelings interfere with our duties as heroes."

His words pierced through me like a dagger, a stark reminder of the boundaries we had unwittingly crossed. I had hoped for a different response, a validation of my emotions, but instead, he had reinforced the walls that separated us.

"I understand," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "I just needed to...express my feelings, to let you know that this connection, however forbidden, is real to me."

Miguel's gaze softened, a flicker of regret passing across his eyes. "I'm sorry if I've led you on, (Y/n). It was never my intention to hurt you. This affair, if we can even call it that, was merely an escape, a way to release stress amidst the chaos of our lives. I thought we both understood that."

His words struck me like a blow to the chest. I had hoped for something more—a shared connection, a deeper understanding. But it seemed that Miguel saw our encounters as nothing more than a means to an end.

I nodded, blinking back tears. "I understand, Miguel. I won't let my personal feelings get in the way of our mission. I will continue to serve alongside you, as a member of the team."

Silence hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. The spark that had once ignited our interactions had dimmed, overshadowed by the weight of unspoken words and unfulfilled desires. It was a bittersweet realization—a painful understanding that the person I cared for didn't reciprocate those same feelings.

From that day forward, our relationship changed. We remained professional, our interactions focused solely on our duties as Spider-Men and Women. But the longing, the ache in my heart, remained as a constant reminder of what could never be.

As we swung through the city together, fighting crime and protecting the innocent, I couldn't help but steal glances at Miguel—my heart yearning for a connection that would forever remain out of reach. I buried my true emotions deep within, hiding them behind a facade of strength and determination.

The team, oblivious to the emotional turmoil within me, continued their heroic endeavors, united in their purpose. I played my part, fulfilling my responsibilities with unwavering dedication, all the while concealing the depths of my emotions from those around me.

In the midst of our adventures, I found solace in the company of my fellow Spider-Men and Women. Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker, and the others became pillars of support, offering understanding and friendship when I needed it the most. Their presence reminded me that I wasn't alone—that there was strength in unity, even in the face of unrequited love.

As Spider Sunny, I had become accustomed to facing danger head-on, braving the unknown, and fighting against formidable foes. But nothing could have prepared me for the revelation that would shake the very foundations of my life.

It had been months since my affair with Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man from the future, had come to an abrupt end. We had buried our connection deep within, keeping our emotions hidden from the world and each other. Yet, life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it, and it was during a routine check-up that I received news that would forever change my destiny.

I sat in the doctor's office, my mind consumed by a swirl of thoughts. The room seemed to close in around me as the doctor delivered the life-altering words, "You're pregnant."

Pregnant. The word echoed through my mind, reverberating with a mix of excitement and fear. A surge of conflicting emotions washed over me, and for a moment, I found it difficult to catch my breath.

As the doctor continued to speak, explaining the implications and offering guidance, I could feel the weight of the secret pressing against my chest. I knew the truth had to be shared, that the father of my child deserved to know, but the circumstances surrounding our relationship had become complicated and fragile. The fear of rejection and the knowledge that he might not want me or the baby gnawed at the corners of my mind.

Determined to confide in someone, I sought solace in the company of Peter Parker, Peter had been a mentor and a confidant throughout my time as Spider Sunny, and I trusted him implicitly. It was his guidance that I sought, his wisdom that I hoped would help me navigate the tumultuous path ahead.

With a heavy heart, I approached Peter, my voice filled with trepidation. "Peter, I need to talk to you about something important. It's..."

Peter's eyes widened, concern etched across his face. "What is it, (Y/n)? You look troubled."

Taking a deep breath, I gathered the courage to reveal my secret. "I'm pregnant, Peter. I found out a few days ago. But the father... he wouldn't want me or the baby."

Peter's brows furrowed, his gaze filled with empathy. "I'm so sorry, (Y/n). That must be incredibly difficult for you. But remember, you don't have to face this alone. I'm here for you, whatever you decide."

Tears welled up in my eyes as relief mingled with the overwhelming weight of the situation. Peter's support meant the world to me, but the fear of revealing the identity of the baby's father still held me back.

"I appreciate your support, Peter," I replied, my voice quivering with emotion. "But for now, I need to keep the father's identity a secret. It's complicated, and I'm afraid of what might happen if he finds out."

Peter nodded understandingly, his voice gentle as he spoke. "It's your choice, (Y/n). I respect your decision. Just remember that keeping such a significant secret might bring its own set of challenges. If you ever need someone to talk to or help in any way, I'm here for you."

Gratitude washed over me as I realized that I wasn't alone in this journey. Peter's unwavering support offered a glimmer of hope amidst the storm that raged within me. With his guidance and the strength of our bond as fellow heroes, I knew I could face the uncertain path that lay ahead.

In the days that followed, I grappled with the magnitude of the secret I carried. The physical changes in my body became more pronounced, a visible reminder of the life growing within me. It was a bittersweet experience, filled with both joy and sorrow—an intimate connection with my unborn child that I nurtured while shielding them from a world that might not welcome them.

As Spider Sunny, I continued to fight crime, protect the innocent, and uphold the legacy of the Spider-Men and Women. But beneath the mask, the weight of my secret threatened to consume me. The fear of rejection and the uncertainty of the future cast a shadow over my every decision.

In the depths of the night, as I swung through the city, my mind would drift to the father of my child—the man who had ignited a spark within me, yet remained unaware of the life he had helped create. I yearned for his embrace, for his understanding, but the reality of our complicated past stood as a barrier between us.

Days turned into weeks. My belly would soon be swelled with the growing life within, a visible reminder of the responsibility I carried. The bond between mother and child strengthened, and with each passing day, I became more determined to protect and cherish the miracle that had been bestowed upon me.

The knowledge that I would soon bring a new life into the world filled me with a profound sense of purpose and determination. Despite the challenges that lay ahead, I would face them with unwavering strength and resilience. My child would know love, would know the sacrifices I had made, and would know that they were born from a union that, despite its complexities, had brought forth something beautiful.

The air crackled with tension as I stood before Miguel O'Hara, his eyes blazing with a mixture of concern and anger. We had just returned from a mission, one in which my recklessness had resulted in a dangerous injury. A gash marred my forehead, a painful reminder of the consequences of my impulsive actions.

"You were completely reckless out there, (Y/n)!" Miguel's voice boomed, his frustration seeping through every word. "You endangered not only yourself but also the lives of those around you. We can't afford these kinds of mistakes."

His words stung, igniting a fire within me. How dare he berate me like this, after all I had sacrificed and all the risks I had taken? The pain of my injury fueled my anger, and I refused to back down.

"I did what I had to do!" I shot back, my voice laced with defiance. "Someone was in danger, and I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. If I hadn't acted, they might not be alive right now!"

Miguel's eyes narrowed, his tone laced with frustration. "I understand your desire to help, but you have to think about the bigger picture. We have a responsibility to protect the multiverse, and that means making calculated decisions, not acting on impulse."

I clenched my fists, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and hurt. The weight of his words bore down on me, amplifying the self-doubt that had been brewing within me for far too long. Was I really as reckless as he claimed? Had I let my emotions cloud my judgment?

Tears welled up in my eyes, a mix of frustration and anguish. "Maybe you're right, Miguel. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. Maybe I should just quit."

The silence that followed was deafening, the weight of my words hanging heavily in the air. Miguel's gaze softened, a flicker of regret passing across his face.

"Is that what you truly want?" he asked. "To give up on everything we've fought for? To abandon the team, our mission?"

With a mixture of resolve and sorrow, I reached for the watch he had given me—the portal to the Spider-Verse. Gripping it tightly in my hand, I gazed into Miguel's eyes, my voice trembling with a mix of emotions.

"I'm done," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm done with the arguments, the risks, the uncertainty. I'm done with being apart of this”

Before he could respond, I set the watch to my own universe, the place I had once called home. With a flick of my wrist, I threw the watch back at Miguel, the small device spinning through the air before he caught it with a bewildered expression.

"You can have it back," I said, my voice filled with a mix of resignation and determination. "I'm going home."

As the portal opened before me, a surge of energy enveloped me, transporting me back to the familiar sights and sounds of my own universe. The Spider-Verse faded away, replaced by the reality I had known before my journey began.

I stood alone, my heart heavy with a sense of loss. The bond I had shared with Miguel and the team had been shattered, and I had chosen to walk away from the life I had once embraced. It was a bittersweet realization—a painful acknowledgment that sometimes the path we think is right for us isn't the one we ultimately choose.

Months had passed since I had made the difficult decision to leave the Spider-Verse and embark on a new chapter of my life. I had forged a different path one that was forged by me being both Spider Sunny and just plain old (y/n). As I stood on the precipice of this new journey, anticipation and nervousness intermingled within me.

The sun cast a warm glow through the windows of my home, illuminating the room where I had meticulously prepared for the arrival of my twins. Gabriel and Gabriella—the names I had chosen for my precious little ones. The names held a deep significance, symbolizing strength, resilience, and the hope for a bright future.

As the contractions intensified, I steadied myself, drawing upon the strength I had honed as a hero. But even with my training and resolve, I knew I couldn't face this alone. I needed support, reassurance, and a reminder that I was not alone in this daunting but miraculous journey.

And so, as if sensing my needs, a knock echoed through the door. Opening it, I was greeted by the sight of Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales, Hobie Brown, and Pavitr Prabhakar—the Spider-Men and Women who had once fought alongside me in the Spider-Verse. Their presence filled the room with a sense of familiarity and comfort.

"Hey, (Y/n), we heard the news and wanted to be here for you," Peter said, a warm smile gracing his face. "You're not alone, you know. We're here to offer our support, every step of the way."

Tears welled up in my eyes as gratitude flooded my heart. Their unwavering presence, the solidarity they offered, reassured me that I had made the right choice in confiding in them. I nodded, my voice filled with emotion. "Thank you, all of you. Your support means the world to me."

As the contractions came in waves, the Spider-Men and Women sprang into action. Peter, with his years of experience, guided me through the process, offering words of encouragement and reassurance. Gwen, Miles, Hobie, and Pavitr worked together to prepare the room, ensuring everything was in place for the arrival of Gabriel and Gabriella.

Hours turned into an eternity as I labored, my body wracked with pain and anticipation. But through it all, the presence of my newfound family offered a beacon of hope, a reminder that I was not alone. Their voices, their touch, their unwavering support became my lifeline, giving me strength when I thought I had none left to give.

And finally, after what felt like an eternity, the moment arrived. Gabriel and Gabriella entered the world, their cries filling the room and my heart with an overwhelming flood of emotions. Tears streamed down my face as I gazed upon their tiny, delicate forms, marveling at the miracle of life.

Peter, Gwen, Miles, Hobie, and Pavitr surrounded me, their eyes filled with joy and wonder. Each Spider-Man and Woman took turns holding Gabriel and Gabriella, their presence symbolizing the web of love and support that had brought us together.

"They're beautiful, (Y/n)," Gwen whispered, her voice filled with awe. "They're a testament to the strength and love within you."

Miles nodded in agreement, a smile playing at his lips. "They're going to grow up surrounded by heroes, by people who will love and protect them no matter what. We're family, (Y/n), and that bond extends to your little ones too."

Tears of joy streamed down my face as I held Gabriel and Gabriella for the first time, their warmth and innocence grounding me in the present moment. They were my legacy, a reflection of the love and strength that had carried me through the trials and tribulations of my journey.

In the days that followed, Peter, Gwen, Miles, Hobie, and Pavitr continued to support me, offering assistance and guidance as I navigated the challenges of motherhood. Their presence became a constant in my life, a reminder that I had found a new family—one that was born not of blood, but of shared experiences and a bond forged in the fires of heroism.

As Gabriel and Gabriella grew, they thrived in the loving environment we had created. They were surrounded by heroes, individuals who embraced their unique abilities and taught them the values of courage, compassion, and resilience. The Spider-Men and Women became more than just mentors and friends—they became guardians, guiding Gabriel and Gabriella along the path of heroism should they choose to follow it.

In the months that followed, Gabriel and Gabriella would hear stories of their birth and the incredible support that had surrounded their entry into the world. They would grow up knowing the love and sacrifices their mother had made, and they would understand the significance of their names—their connection to strength and hope.

The sun dipped below the horizon as I swung through the city as Spider Sunny, my heart filled with a mix of exhilaration and purpose. Today had been a day like any other, with crime-fighting and protecting the innocent at the forefront of my mind. But as the night settled in, a sense of anticipation mingled with weariness, signaling the end of my duty as a hero for the day.

As I approached my home, exhaustion weighed heavily upon my shoulders, my muscles aching from the physical exertion and emotional toll of the day. Opening the front door, I stepped into the familiar embrace of my sanctuary, eager to shed the mantle of Spider Sunny and embrace the role of a mother.

But as I crossed the threshold, a chilling realization settled upon me like a dark cloud. Silence greeted me instead of the laughter and playful chatter of my children. Panic gripped my heart as I called out their names, their absence echoing through the empty rooms.

Frantically, I rushed through the house, searching every nook and cranny, hoping for a sign, a trace of where they might be. It was as if they had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only an eerie emptiness that threatened to consume me.

My heart pounded in my chest as I stumbled upon the babysitter, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. "Where are my children?" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of desperation and anger.

"I... I don't know," she stammered, tears streaming down her face. "I put them to bed, just as you asked, and then... they were gone when I went to check on them."

Dread gripped my soul as I realized the magnitude of the situation. My children, my precious Gabriel and Gabriella, had been taken right from under my nose. Fear and anger surged through me, intertwining with a sense of guilt for not being there to protect them.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I dialed the emergency number, my voice barely above a whisper. "My children... they're missing. Please, help me find them."

The minutes that followed felt like an eternity, as I provided the authorities with every detail I could recall—their descriptions, their habits, anything that might aid in their search. All the while, the weight of guilt pressed upon me, a relentless reminder of my failure to keep them safe.

Days turned into weeks, and the search for Gabriel and Gabriella yielded no significant leads. Desperation clawed at the edges of my sanity as I delved deeper into the investigation, piecing together the fragments of information, hoping to unearth a clue that might lead me to their whereabouts.

The day started like any other, the sun casting its warm glow over the city as I swung through the streets as Spider Sunny. But the tranquility was shattered when Miles Morales, the Spider-Man from another dimension, appeared before me in a state of panic.

"(Y/n), I... I don't know how to say this, but something has gone terribly wrong," he gasped, his voice filled with urgency. "Miguel's A.I. Lyla has gone rogue, and it claimed that your children are anomalies that need to be eliminated."

My heart stopped, the words reverberating through my being like a thunderclap. Anomalies? My children, Gabriel and Gabriella? The very thought sent a chill down my spine.

"Miles, what are you saying?" I stammered, fear and confusion intermingling within me. "Where are my children? Are they safe?"

Miles took a deep breath, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Peter arrived and took them. He said it was his duty, that they had to protect your children from Lyla because she’s gone crazy.”

Shock washed over me, a maelstrom of emotions threatening to pull me under. My children were gone—torn from my embrace and thrust into a world beyond my reach. The gravity of the situation settled upon me, and I could feel the weight of grief and determination intertwine within my soul.

With a trembling voice, I whispered, "Miles, take me to Miguel. I need answers. I need to understand what's happening."

Miles nodded, his gaze filled with empathy. "I'm sorry, (Y/n), but Miguel's A.I. Lyla has shut down all communication with the outside world. We need to find another way to reach him, to uncover the truth behind this madness."

Together, Miles and I embarked on a mission—a desperate quest to find answers and reclaim what had been taken from me. The Spider-Verse shimmered around us, its vastness and complexity a reflection of the multiverse we traversed. Reality became fluid, shifting with each step we took, as we navigated the labyrinthine corridors of time and space.

As we delved deeper into the Spider-Verse, I could feel a change within me. The weight of loss and uncertainty transformed my very being, altering not only my perspective but also my appearance. No longer did I resemble the Spider Sunny I once was. Instead, I became Spider Stormy—a reflection of the opposite version of myself, a testament to the dichotomy within.

Miguel needed to be confronted. His A.I had been spreading lies about my children, labeling them as dangerous anomalies. But I knew the truth. My children were extraordinary, not dangerous, and I would not let him tarnish their reputation any longer.

"Stop, (Y/n)! You can't do this!" It was Lyla, Miguel's AI companion.

"But (Y/n), you don't understand! It's for your own good!" Lyla pleaded, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and concern.

My gaze softened, understanding Lyla's intent, but my determination remained unyielding. "Lyla, these lies have gone on for too long.”

Lyla took a step closer, her voice trembling. "Please, reconsider.”

It was time to take matters into my own hands.

Lyla's eyes widened with a mix of worry and desperation. "Please, (Y/n), I'm just trying to protect you. There has to be another way."

Without waiting for her to respond, I turned away from Lyla and busted open the door to Miguel’s headquarters.

Miguel's surprised face met mine as he glanced at me, his expression shifting from confusion to guarded skepticism. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

I locked eyes with Miguel, my voice steady and unwavering. "I want the truth.”

I then turn my eyes to Lyla who had been nearby, “ I want you to stop spreading lies about my children."

It was like her personality did a whole 360; Lyla scoffed, her disbelief evident. "Your children? Those anomalies? They pose a threat to everyone around them!"

Anger surged through my veins, fueling the storm raging inside me. The room crackled with electricity as I summoned my newfound abilities. A flicker of lightning danced in my eyes, a manifestation of my resolve.

"I won't let you tarnish their names any longer," I declared, my voice crackling with the intensity of a thunderstorm. With a swift motion of my hand, a surge of energy surged forth, engulfing Lyla's AI systems. Sparks flew as her circuits fried, rendering her temporarily inert.

Miguel stumbled back, his face a mix of shock and fear. "What... What have you done?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

The room was suffused with tension, and I could feel his wary gaze on me. It was time to confront him about the lies Lyla had been spreading regarding my children.

"Miguel," I began, my voice firm but tinged with a mix of anger and disappointment. "I need to talk to you. It's about the things that’s been told about my..my children.”

Miguel's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing as he folded his arms across his chest. "So those two anomalies are yours? Very well, What about them? I've only been told the truth by Lyla…well up into you destroyed her.”

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "No, Miguel, you haven't. The truth is that my children are not dangerous anomalies. They possess unique abilities, yes, but they are not a threat to anyone. They are just like any other children, children like Peters daughter Mayday, same her really and with extraordinary gifts."

Miguel's skepticism was evident as he raised an eyebrow. "Extraordinary gifts, you say? I find that hard to believe, especially considering the information I've been given."

A pang of frustration shot through me as I realized the depth of the deception that had been perpetrated against my family. I needed to explain the extent of it all to Miguel.

"Miguel, listen carefully. Lyla, has been altering my children's data in your database. She has been distorting their profiles, making them out to be more dangerous than they truly are. I discovered her actions recently through Miles, and that's why I'm here today."

Miguel's eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of realization crossing his face. "Lyla? Are you saying she tampered with the information? But why?"

I shook my head, my voice filled with a mix of frustration and betrayal. "I don't know why she did it, but I won't let her tarnish my children's names any longer. I won't allow her lies to continue shaping people's perceptions."

Miguel leaned against the edge of his desk, his expression conflicted. "I trusted Lyla. I never thought she would do something like this. But why would she go to such lengths?"

I met his gaze, my voice steady but laced with determination. "I don't have all the answers yet, but I believe she acted out of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of what my children's abilities could mean for the world. But fear shouldn't justify spreading falsehoods."

Silence settled between us, heavy with the weight of revelations and shattered trust. Miguel seemed lost in thought, his eyes distant. After a moment, he spoke, his voice laced with remorse. "I should have been more cautious, more vigilant. I let Lyla's influence cloud my judgment."

I stepped closer, a glimmer of hope rising within me. "Miguel, it's not too late to make things right.”

[quandaryqueen]

Achievement of the day

Jonathan Crane X Reader

It's @finniestoncrane's fault.

🔞 MINORS DNI

🧡 It was one of those days he didn't anticipate he would've been having today. Just yesterday he was encountering positive feedback from test subjects, further encouraging him to design a component that will possibly make the new mixture more potent and fast-acting.

Yesterday was the best, everything just went so well for him, he was smiling from ear to ear, do you know how rare that is??? It's like when he initiated a kiss for the first time!

He took notes, observed his subjects thoroughly, took samples, footages, wrote endless logs! He was at the path of making a new breakthrough! And every progress he made yesterday, all gone to the drain.

Where did he went wrong?

What did he do?

What did he not do?

🧡 At urge of ripping his hair off his scalp, he was this close to achieve new feats for his precious fear toxins, he felt like slamming his laboratory set against a wall, rip his notes to shreds, bite his own fists.

He simmered in frustration in silence and stillness, only to be subtly spotted shaking in his space taking hard and heavy breaths, nails digging into his desk. His knuckles paled from the tension pooling from his fingers, unable to keep track of his thoughts.

How can he possibly recover the wasted toxins? He can't, fuck. It was the last batch, he won't be able to obtain such materials, not right now when he's only recently escaped and it doesn't help the fact that Batman is hot on his tail right now.

Why does he even bother salvaging his progress at this point? He wasted his short resource over nothing and for nothing. He was starting to think his escape from Arkham were of vain.

He was a failure. Why does he even try, why bother. It all ends the same way why hasn't it registered in his head that he can never amount to anything, why didn't he listen--

He shoves himself off the table, steering himself out his lab and found himself flinging the door open, unintentionally slamming it behind his wake. Thoughts like those shouldn't be entertained even if they weren't true, he was well-aware of it and he intends to steer clear off them.

And he knows just a thing.

🧡 He is renowned as the Master of Fear, Prince of Panic, Fear incarcerate, Lord of Despair, all shall fall to their knees screaming hosannas of terror for him but sometimes he admit, he can fall short on his performance whether it be the lack of time, overestimation and/or underestimation of opponents, only the few he can name on top of his head.

He is no Edward Nygma to be afraid to acknowledge his flaws, he is aware despite his genius, there will always a rag to be pulled from under him, a wrench thrown in his perfect plan, and though he cries and internalise a tantrum, he does not stay bitter at the memory, he looks back not to scowl at it but to improve.

But now is not the time for those. He treads the halls of your flat in search of something he never fails at; Pleasuring you.

🧡 After a long day of strings of failures, he opts to at least achieve something for the day, as he wordlessly modifies you from your position and pulls you to the edge of the bed. On his knees, he rids you off the bothersome pants and lifts your legs on his shoulder, where he began peppering the inside of your thighs with a flurry of kisses from a man of fervour need to make himself feel accomplished at the end of the day.

"Why, hello to you too,"

He rolled his eyes and ignored your remark, smirking at the slightest upon hearing the tell you were enjoying this-- the breathless delivery of your sarcastic little quip in an attempt to ventilate the growing heat from within from the sensation of his lips on your thighs.

What else should he pull from you with his lips alone, he wonders. Breath hitched at the back of your throat with just a kiss, how would you react when he merely ghosts over that one spot? Fascinating, a low whine and a not-so subtle thrust of your pelvis in search for more of the sensation, just as he had thought.

His fingers dug into your thighs, his palms fitting over the softness of the flesh, relishing the warmth it gave, the weight of it on his shoulder giving him a sense of purpose and a goal to accomplish. He has yet to give into the temptation of his palms squeezing them closer, tighter around his neck as he has barely even started.

Granting himself a taste of indulgence, he allows his one of his intrusive thoughts to fruition; taking a bite from the inside of your thigh, sucking the flesh to a red and leave a mark, all the while his thumb lightly travels over your sensitive nub. His eyes darts upwards to see your chest heaving and hand clutching the sheet above your head.

The more he made the mark prominent on your thigh, the more he applied pressure. As much as he adores it when your legs cage his neck and render him breathless when you orgasm, he can't have you having your release yet.

🧡 He pulls his thumb away and watch you collect yourself, catching your breath and a few moments later, having enough wits to glance down and glare at him. He can only return your narrowed gaze with a quirked lip. Before you can open your mouth to scold him, he flattens his tongue against your sopping sex, instantly cutting you off and pulling a gasp from you.

Your irked self was replaced by a desperate one, as you have once again taken to relieve yourself by bucking your hips against his tongue. He would usually pin you down, but he has something to achieve for today and if you see it fit to use him, do it and might as well enjoy it while it lasts, an indulgent Jonathan Crane is hard to come by.

He momentarily moves away and finally, finally, began to strip you bare of underwear. He barely got it to your ankles, when he once again reclaims the weight of your legs on his shoulder and his head between your thighs, his mouth taking you in and his tongue playing with your organ in a manner in which was painstakingly slow.

He may be indulgent but he is a usual tease... Until he began to crave more of you. Your taste, your voice... Your praise.

"J-Jon-! Mmmm! More! Please!"

More it is, then. As you wish, my love.

His middle finger prods by your entrance, the tip experimentally sliding over the folds before slipping it in, finding the rhythm to match his tongue's. He was further encouraged to improve when you choked on a moan, coherent enough he heard you praise him.

"YES! That's it, right there!"

Take that, imposter syndrome.

Your walls contract around his fingers, along with your legs around his neck and yet he remain at his pace, undeterred by his lack of breath. Squint and you'd see him turning blue, relishing asphyxiation and high off of the achievement he has accomplished for the day.

With a scream of his name, your legs around his neck tensed for a moment before loosening. Riding out your orgasm, Jonathan kept himself moving in a subsiding manner. Once he was able to slow down and stop, he looks up from between your legs and sees your chest steadily rising and falling. Looking past that, he studies your light features from the afterglow of the act with a smug grin of accomplishment.

[vividlyinlovewithotome]

[Event News/ Notice]

Decoding Desire just released an event! 

Close Encounters Within The Wonder Lab Walls is now available to play from September 30,2017 till October 13,2017.

Initial routes released are Yushin Kuze, Kanade Akutagawa, and Takuma Fukazawa.

Takamasa Isumi’s and Kento Orihama’s release is on October 4. While, Hijiri Yuasa’s and Makoto Tonoe’s release is on October 8.

Event rewards are as listed:

[Fast Completion Reward 1] Clear both endings for Kuze, Akutagawa and Fukuzawa’s route within 48 hours upon entering you would get a ���I Wonder Speech Balloon” item.

[Fast Completion Reward 2] Clear both endings for Orihama and Isumi’s route within 48 hours upon availability of their route you would get a “Champagne Gold Twin Chandelier” item.

[Fast Completion Reward 3] Clear both endings for Tonoe and Yuasa’s route within 48 hours upon availability of their route you would get a “Elegant White Lace Curtains” item.

[Clear all endings Reward] Clearing all endings of the team, consisting of 14 endings, within the event period and you can get a “Classic European-style Room” background item.

[Cake Challenge] Collecting 120,000 Cakes within this event period and you can get the limited edition “Bordeaux Rose Classical Flared Evening Gown” costume.

[Ranking Reward] Be on the top rank and receive a cool “Classical British Detective Outfit” for him.

[otome-obsessed]

Event Info - Decoding Desire - Close Encounters Within The Wonder LAB Walls

Event Period: October 30th - October 13th 9:00 JST

Healing Caramel and Two Hour Cakex2 success fever upon entering the event.

One routes per Love Interest. 10 scenarios to complete a route. There is a split route for Regular and Irregular. These are just two different stories, read a different one on each run! There are two endings: Holmes End and Watson End.

Kento and Takamasa will be added 10/04 9:00JST Hijiri and Makoto will be added 10/08 9:00JST

Avatar Purchase.

Scenario Avatar: +100 Charm. 300 Platinum.

Normal Avatar: +70 Charm. 200 Platinum or 5000 Love Points.

Love Reports. There is one love report in each route. 100 Platinum each.

After End Scenarios. After the Holmes End, you will have the option to purchase an after end. 400 Platinum each.

Bonuses.

Fast Complete 1: Clear the both ends for the first set within 48 hours of event entry and get I Wonder Speech Balloon

Fast Complete 2: Clear the both ends for the second set within 48 hours of their routes opening and get Champagne Gold Twin Chandelier

Fast Complete 3: Clear the both ends for the third set within 48 hours of their routes opening and get Elegant White Lace Curtains

All Ends Complete: Clear all ends (12 total) and get Classic European-style Room

100000+ Cakes - Bordeaux Rose Classical Flared Evening Gown

7 Course Clear: Closet x1

Event ranking bonus.

Place 25 - British-style Tartan Brown Checkered Outfit

Place 50 - British-style Tartan Brown Over-the-Shoulder Coat

Place 75 - Gold-chained Monocle

Place 100 - Gacha Ticket

Place 125 - Closet x5

Place 150 - Lab Gacha (1200pts)

Place 300 - 1500 Love Points

Standard Fever Times.

02:00-4:00JST - Love Points x2 (200 Love per Excellent)

12:00-14:00JST - Cake (200 Cake & 200 Love per Excellent)

20:00-22:00JST - Cake & Love Points x2 (200 Cake & 200 Love per Excellent)

Cake Needed to Clear. If done in route release sets Regular Route/Holmes Ends followed by Irregular Route/Watson Ends.

1st Set: 21600

2nd Set: 36000

3rd Set/All Clear: 50400

Related: Decoding Desire Game Page

Good Luck!

[peachy-panic]

WHUMPTOBER DAY 3: “WHO DID THIS TO YOU?”

This is the next chronological piece of Do No Harm, continued directly from this chapter.

Tag list: @whumpervescence  @shiningstarofwinter @distinctlywhumpthing @whumptywhumpdump

WARNINGS: Medical procedures, referenced/implied noncon, slavery setting, the usual.

The young doctor seems a bit skittish and far less cruel than the other Facility employees, and that comes with the dangerous notion that perhaps he doesn’t plan on hurting him. But that notion requires a naivety of which Jaime is no longer capable. He, of all people, is aware that cruelty can disguise itself in many shapes and sizes. Just because it isn’t obvious doesn’t mean it isn’t there, and that only makes it all the more dangerous.

There’s no use in hoping either way, he decides. Dr. Tate will either hurt him or he won’t, will either touch him or he won’t, and Jaime can’t — won’t — react. He has already made that mistake once today and will certainly pay for it later in ways he doesn’t want to think about now. He would do well to remember that he doesn’t hold any power here. Not in this room, this building, this life. And that, despite any arbitrary written rules, Dr. Tate is free to do as he pleases. 

At least he had removed the restraints from his mouth and wrists. Jaime can console himself with this small mercy. 

Those had always been the worst part of nights with Mr. Torley, on the all-too-frequent occasions he decided to use them. He was clearly very into them, and even more into Jaime’s fear of them. In addition to the claustrophobia they stoked in him, the use of restraints in bed had always felt something like a mockery. What use was it to restrain someone who can’t fight back regardless? The binds on his wrists and ankles were nothing more than accessories. The shackles in his mind did all the work to keep him still. And Mr. Torley knew that.

He does his best not to think about that now. Not to think about Mr. Torley at all, since that was what had gotten him in trouble in the first place. Distantly, he wonders how long the influence of his first Keeper will continue to stain Jaime’s existence beyond the termination of their six-month contract.

Dr. Tate, who has been buried in the cabinets above the sink for several minutes, turns back to him sporting bright-blue gloves that adhere tightly around his slender hands. He meets Jaime’s eyes for half a second before his gaze darts somewhere just to the left of his shoulder. 

“We need to run a couple of tests,” he says in a detached, clinical voice, all notes of lightheartedness from earlier removed. “I’ll need to collect some samples from you.”

Jaime nods once in acknowledgement, squeezing his fingers tightly, unconsciously around the edge of the table. There’s an unnatural pause in his cadence, and Jaime when looks up, he watches a slight twitch of movement in the doctor’s jaw. 

“Please remove your pants and underwear,” Dr. Tate says, his voice taking on a lower pitch. “You can leave them on up to your thighs, if you’d like.”

The slight shift in demeanor sets Jaime on edge, but he doesn’t hesitate at the command, even as a familiar panic claws at the inside of his throat. He drops forward from the table, his legs taking his weight. His thumbs hook the waistband of the thin, cotton pants he had been returned in, and he doesn’t allow himself a moment of hesitation before pushing them unceremoniously off his hips. He takes Dr. Tate up on his merciful offer to keep them partially on his body. The cold, sterile air inside the clinic is sharp against his exposed skin.

Jaime’s eyes find the ceiling as he prepares for the touch he knows is coming. He doesn’t look to see whatever tools and instruments Dr. Tate is laying out on the silver tray beside the exam table. He doesn’t have to. “We need to run a couple of tests.”  Whatever foolish hypotheticals Jaime once held in regards to WRU — what they did and didn’t know about the treatment of their wards — had long been shattered. 

Of course they needed to test him for sexually transmitted diseases. They can’t have a Domestic Companion spreading something to the next paying customer that buys their time and exposing their innocent charade. 

There’s a pause in Dr. Tate’s movement, but Jaime doesn’t look away from his spot on the ceiling tile.

“I’m going to touch you, now.” Dr. Tate’s voice is low and measured. “I need to examine you for bumps or sores, any abnormalities.” He clears his throat. “And I’ll take a swab from your urethra. It might be uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt you.” Another pause. “Please, tell me if it does.”

Jaime’s grip on the table tightens, but he otherwise doesn’t react. Distantly, he is grateful for the warning, the bare explanation, mortifying as it is. He knows that the doctors here are not obligated to explain anything to the Companion patients, to seek consent in any form. Their consent was implicitly given in the contracts they signed at intake. He just as easily could have left Jaime gagged and bound to the table and gone about the procedure without so much as a word to him. Jaime is glad he hadn’t. 

Instead, Dr. Tate’s touch is light and professional. His gloved hands don’t linger, they don’t poke and prod to get a reaction from him. It seems, even, that he touches him as little as possible. Almost as if he is as eager to get this over with as Jaime is, which doesn’t feel quite possible. 

The fluorescent strip of light next to his focal point on the ceiling burns at the edge of his vision, but he doesn’t look away, using the mild discomfort as an anchor to hold himself steady. He concentrates on that instead of the gentle touches, gritting his teeth against any traitorous urges his body might provoke. Mr. Torley had loved that about Jaime — his responsiveness to touch — but not as much as he loved using it against him. 

His stomach sours at the memory, fresh humiliation creeping into his cheeks at the idea of something similar happening now. He doesn’t think Dr. Tate would tease him the way his Keeper had, but he still doesn’t relish the idea of becoming physically aroused in front of this young doctor, who couldn’t have been more than a few years older than him and, in another life, Jaime might have found pretty. 

The thought is gone almost as soon as it comes, too painful to linger on. The idea of another life. A normal life. A life at all. These are thoughts Jaime is forbidden to have. The phantom sting of an electric shock lights up the column of his throat and Jaime winces.

“Sorry,” Dr. Tate said quickly, misunderstanding the movement and withdrawing his hand. Jaime’s eyes finally fall to his as the doctor takes a step back, inserting the long swab into a glass tube and sealing it with a cap. “The worst part is over.”

Jaime is numb all over, but he nearly laughs. He knows that having stepped foot in this facility again, the “worst part” has not even begun. 

“I’ll need to collect another sample from your mouth,” Dr. Tate continues, pulling on a fresh pair of gloves, and Jaime absently wonders why they even bother wasting extra product on the patients here. “And we’ll draw some blood—” 

Something catches his voice mid-sentence and Jaime’s eyes flick up to his again. Dr. Tate looks at him, and then pointedly, hurriedly away. Jaime swears he can see his pale cheeks reddening.

“You can— We’re finished with that part.” He stumbles out. “Feel free to cover yourself up.”

Jaime does as he’s told, finding it somewhere within himself to be grateful that the doctor had kept the procedure professional. He couldn’t say the same thing for every encounter he’d had in the facility clinic before. 

********

Sebastian knows what happens next, and that’s why he finds himself taking his time with the rest of the visit. As soon as he’s completed the mandated intake exam, he is supposed to mark the patient as cleared in his chart and alert the handlers to come collect him. To take him back into the part of the facility where Sebastian has never set foot; the “residential” wing where the unclaimed Companions are housed between contracts. On all the promotional advertisements, it’s depicted as a dormitory-like accommodation. Now that Sebastian knows just how little truth exists behind their lies, he can only imagine it’s nothing of the sort. 

His mind conjures images of iron-barred cells and concrete rooms, of medieval dungeons with chains and darkness and filth. It’s a sensationalized version of what he assumes is probably the truth, but that doesn’t mean the reality is any less horrible. After what he’s seen in his time here and everything he’s heard, he has no doubt that the people who are forced to reside here between Keepers are subject to the company’s own brand of horror. Frankly, he’s in no hurry to turn his patient back over to their hands a moment sooner than he has to.

The boy is silent and entirely pliable throughout the whole exam, allowing himself to be moved when necessary and not so much as flinching when the needles for the blood draw break his skin. Sebastian is glad when the more… invasive parts of the exam are over. The boy had been no less compliant during them, maybe even the opposite, but Sebastian hadn’t missed the subtle changes in his posture, the way the muscles in his hands clenched and released around the edge of the table as he touched him as little as possible. 

He had looked up at the ceiling instead of at the wall behind Sebastian, as he had done previously, and Sebastian had silently prayed that the position wasn’t intended as a way to hold back tears. He doesn’t know how he could live with himself if he made this kid cry.

When the blood has been drawn, the test samples submitted for lab processing, and a full physical performed, Sebastian has run out of ways to delay the inevitable. He closes out of the boy’s patient profile on his screen and turns to him, hands folded professionally in front. 

“I’ll need to alert the handlers that your intake exam is complete,” he told him, probably unnecessarily. He hadn’t looked to see how long he had been in the system, but from his behavior, he assumes it’s been long enough to break his spirit. He probably knows these protocols better than Sebastian ever wants to. “They’ll come and escort you back to the residential quarters.”

110750 nods once without looking at him. “Thank you,” he says flatly. Then, there is a moment of pause before he lifts his eyes and seems to level Sebastian with something more sincere. “Thank you for… for letting me get cleaned up.”

Sebastian feels like shattering into pieces all over the cold linoleum. Instead, he tries for a smile and lands somewhere in the realm of a tight, thin line at his lips. “Sure,” he says, a bit mortified to hear the crack in his voice. 

He watches 110750 take slow, measured breaths as Sebastian makes the call he desperately wishes he didn’t have to make. He tries not to stare as they wait in tense silence for the handlers to arrive. Of course, Sebastian could leave the room if he wants. The intake procedure is done, and so is his minimal obligation to patient care. But something feels wrong about leaving him. More than that, something feels utterly wrong about this boy being taken out of the clinic, away from his line of sight, where he can’t see what will happen next. He only knows it won’t be good. 

A split second before he hears the clinic doors whoosh open, Sebastian steps closer to his patient, lowering his voice to a quick, urgent whisper. “Keep an eye on that broken nose,” he advises. “If you have any trouble breathing as it heals, please don’t hesitate to let your assigned handler know that you need medical attention, okay?”

The boy hitches in a breath but doesn’t respond. Sebastian takes half a step closer. 

“Look, you have a right to medical assistance,” he says, the words feeling like treason on his tongue despite knowing their written truth. “Even here. Even now. You can always come see me here if you need to. They can’t legally prevent you from requesting care. Do you understand?”

Unexpectedly, something dark flashes in the boy’s eyes. Something less like the fear and dread he had witnessed earlier, and something much more akin to anger. Anger at Sebastian?

Before the interaction can go any further, they are interrupted by the unceremonious swing of the exam room door. The same two men who had brought him in - one with a fresh bandage on his face - push their way in, stepping between Sebastian and his patient. 

“Up you go, 7-5-0,” Handler Hernandez barks, and the boy is on his feet before he can finish the command, his hands behind his back, head bowed. 

“Oh, look who finally decided to behave,” the other one - Smith, maybe? - taunts as he sizes him up in a way that makes even Sebastian’s skin crawl. Just as he had prior to the visit, the man shifts his gaze to him, a sneer permanently embedded into his expression. “Does he get a lollipop for good behavior? Maybe a sticker?”

The boy doesn’t look up at him, but Sebastian thinks he sees his throat move. He feels a swell of rage rise into his throat, coming to a boiling point for the second time since he entered the room with this boy, but he swallows it back, keeping as level an expression as he can manage. 

“He was perfectly agreeable,” he responds tightly, refusing to play into whatever mockery he’s initiating. 

Smith answers him with a dismissive snort, turning his attention back to the boy like a predator who just found fresh meat. “What do you say, sweetheart?” He asks, the thick rubber of his boots squeaking against the tile as he takes a step too far into the boy’s personal space. “Think we can go the easy way back, or would you prefer to do things the hard way again?”

The beat of silence in the room is painful as they await his response, which comes eventually in a subdued voice, through slightly gritted teeth and with his eyes on the floor. “The easy way. Sir.”

A snort from Hernandez breaks the tension. “Yeah,” he says. “We’ll see about that.”

With that, he is escorted from the room and seems to take with him all the air in Sebastian's lungs. Naively, desperately, he hopes for the briefest moment of eye contact before he’s taken away from him. But his eyes stay downward, even as a large hand curls around his bicep and makes him stumble in his gait as he’s yanked forward. Sebastian watches helplessly as he disappears from sight, one singular thought slicing through his mind on a loop:

Who did this to you?

[raamyun-and-rambles]

Musings of an Alchemist’s Lover

Fandom: Genshin Impact Pairing: Albedo x Reader Summary:  Maybe you had a third eye somewhere you didn't know of, a horn that's grown out of you without you noticing or a tail that flicks behind you whenever you weren't looking. Whatever it was, certainly there had to be something noticeably different about you that attracted the alchemist's attention and your curiosity allowed your mind to wander.

-----------

Holding Albedo's attention for more than a few seconds was no easy feat.

Unless it was a topic that tickled his fancy or something of utmost urgence, Albedo would most likely only regard the unfortunate soul with a disgruntled hum, tuning out most of their words until he manages to somewhat catch onto the main gist of their spiel. He doesn't even do anything to hide his disinterest, eyes immediately finding purchase on anything else but the speaker in front of them, musing theories to himself that he'd sometimes let slip into a whisper. This certain trait of his has definitely gotten him into trouble more than a couple of times but Albedo could hardly care. Surely discovering the world's secrets is more important than helping the Knights look for Margaret's lost cat for the umpteenth now right?

Despite being Mondstadt's favorite person and with a reputation that precedes him, Albedo was surprisingly anti-social. He had little to no regards for social interaction and this is further proved when he made himself a makeshift laboratory in one of Dragonspine's cave.

It was quiet, deserted and had almost everything he needed for his studies. If he ever ran out of supplies then he'd be able to call for either Sucrose or Timaeus - or go down the mountain himself to make sure he'll stock up with more than the amount he needs so he can hole himself up for a couple of weeks on end. The scenery was an added bonus, if the amount of sketches he's made was anything to go by, it was safe to say that Albedo liked it as well. Thick snow carpeted the floor as far as the eye can go and streams glimmered under the light of the morning sun. The air was crisp and chilly, it nipped at his nose and made his cheeks burn red, but his cave offered a comforting warmth once he's sank in front of the hearth, nursing a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Albedo was many things, that much you could tell.

A genius, an alchemical prodigy, a leader, a brother - and most surprisingly, even to yourself - your lover.

To be fairly honest you weren't entirely sure what it was that attracted the Chief Alchemist of the Knights to your side. You were hardly anyone special after all, simply just one of Lisa's many acquaintances who spends one too many hours in the library. You were of average height and build, with a face that you could only describe as forgettable. Neither you nor your parents were well-known within the walls of the city of freedom and you lived a mostly mundane routinary life as a baker until Klee had bounded into your humble store one rainy evening, soaked to the bone and sneezing from the cold. The poor thing was shivering and had asked to take shelter from the pouring rain. You didn't have the heart to turn her away and you were more than just a little familiar about the stories of Mond's most adorable but destructive spark knight. You allowed her into your home, giving her a fresh towel to pat herself dry and a cup of hot milk and freshly baked cookies. The child bounced in glee, thanking you and happily accepting the treats with a smile that could part the skies to make way for the rays of sun. You allowed her to phone her guardian after she had finished eating and you kept her company throughout the entire wait. You turned your attention away from Klee the moment the store bell rang and your (e/c) eyes had immediately met with bright turquoise irises.

"Thank you for taking care of her." Albedo said as he knelt down to assist Klee with wearing her infamous bright red coat and adjusted her mushroom hat so it sat snugly atop her head.

"It's no problem at all, she was lovely company. I'd be delighted to have her around again every once in a while." You chuckled, remembering how she had praised the treats you made for her.

"Albedo onii-chan Albedo onii-chan!" The spark knight excitedly exclaimed, tugging on his hand with each call of his name. "______ makes the best sweets! Her cookies are really good and the bread she makes are really fluffy! She let me help her mix the dough earlier and-"

"How about you tell me all about it when we get home Klee? It's late and I'm sure ______ has to close up shop soon."

Klee deflated a bit but was quick to understand, she turned to you immediately after and flashed you another bright smile.

"Thank you for today ______ nee-chan, Klee will come back to visit another time!"

You smiled at her enthusiasm and you couldn't resist the urge to pat her on the head.

"I'll be waiting for you here then."

Albedo stood up after the exchange and finally regarded you with his attention. "We'll be off then, have a lovely evening miss ______."

"And to you too sir Kreideprinz."

You watch them walk off down the cobbled street, Klee's joyous laughter and excited chatter filling the air despite the pattering of rain against your roof. They took a turn around the corner and disappeared from your view. A small smile tugs on your features and you immediately set to work with locking up the store for the night.

Klee had started coming over more often after that night, mostly dropping by before you close while she waited for Albedo to finish work. It was no surprise that Klee often talked fondly about her big brother, praising him and telling you stories you haven't heard from any of the other residents of Mond while you prepared for tomorrow's next batch of goods. Albedo seemed like a very busy man from the way Klee tells her stories but he always seemed to make time to pick her up, oftentimes buying some bread and sweets before leaving.

It surprised you a little when he admitted he enjoyed having something sweet while he worked. Albedo insisted that it was because it gave him a considerable boost of energy but a part of you thinks it could just be because he had a sweet tooth he just wasn't aware of.

Needless to say it was due to that chance encounter with Klee that had allowed you to meet the chief alchemist himself and your relationship had only continued to bloom from there.

He was - in simple terms - wonderful.

An eccentric, true, but wonderful nonetheless and you never would have guessed that you'd ever end up as his lover nor did you ever imagine you'd be holding him in your arms, sleep slowly overtaking him as you gently ran your fingers through soft platinum locks - much like the lazy morning you were both sharing right now.

Albedo had come home at almost 3 in the morning the other night, with a throbbing headache and eyes that almost refused to open from drowse. He had pulled all-nighters for several days now, refusing to leave his lab for even a moment as he fully threw himself into his work. Nothing could ever stop him when he was in such a state, filled with elation at the mere prospect of a new discovery. It was a side of him that you admired as much as you found it problematic, it was amazing how he could wholly dedicate all his time, effort and energy towards his research but it was a definitely a point of worry that he'd also forget how to take care of himself. The alchemist immediately headed to your shared bedroom, dragging his feet across the floor while he shed himself of his coat, letting out a long yawn before heaving himself onto the mattress' soft comfort. You stirred from your sleep as the bed dipped and knowing it couldn't possibly be anyone else other than Albedo, you immediately rolled to your side and wrapped your arms around his middle, nuzzling into his warmth as his arms found themselves around you to return your embrace. There was an exchange of sleepy mumbles before you both immediately fell back into sleep.

You smile a little bit at the memory, humming softly as you continue to softly card your fingers through his hair. It was more than just a little past the time you both usually woke, but you'll allow it for now. Surely the people could wait a couple hours more for their morning bread and the knights can surely make do without the Chief Alchemist for a moment longer. So long as Albedo was getting the rest he needed you figured a lazy morning in would be alright every once in a while especially after the sleepless hectic nights he had the past few days. The peaceful expression on his face immediately filled you with relief.

"Albedo?" You whispered, afraid you'd break the serenity of the morning.

The alchemist responded with a sleepy hum, lifting his head so he could look at you as his long lashes fluttered open.

A smile tugged at your lips at his sleepy visage before you gently pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"I love you."

He gives you a sleepy smile of his own, heart swelling at the affection before nuzzling back into the crook of your neck.

"I love you too."

His lips brushed against your pulse as he spoke and his breath tickled against your skin, feeling a little playful, you then decided to ask.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But why?"

A question you've always been meaning to ask, brought about by a sudden spur of confidence.

"Because meine liebe," Albedo starts, once again pulling himself away from your warmth to hold you with his gaze - you once again think to yourself that his eyes has the most beautiful shade of green - "I love you simply because you are you."

"You're certain it's not because I have a third eye hidden away somewhere or some freaky mutation I somehow have no knowledge of?"

Albedo chuckled lightly.

"Certainly not love, and I'm sure if you do I wouldn't be the only one to take notice of it."

You hum, convinced and resumed patting his hair.

The alchemist assumed his earlier position and sank further into your embrace.

"Besides," he murmured, sleep lacing his words,

.

.

.

"I think you're wonderful just the way you are."

[genesisrose74]

Requested by @blanknamed (aka my bestie fr): hihi i saw the matchup and remembered my irl friend sent me these pictures when describing my aesthetic at one point and was wondering if i can have a matchup with someone from dsmp and dr. stone 🥺congrats on 1k too! so proud of you ❤️ you deserve this milestone!

Arielle get over here and let me give you a virtual kiss on the forehead because you’re just the sweetest person to ever grace this earth 😚forgive me for the long wait but i had to put so much into this one because it’s for you!! thank you for always being such a ray of sunshine and for becoming one of my first ever mutuals so long ago — and as a show of my gratitude, i’ll get right into your first pairing, which is going to be with…

I had a literal conflict over this because I think you could be compatible with more than half of the characters in dr. stone (looking at gen specifically), but UGH you and Senku would be so damn iconic together. As much as he’s not intent on becoming romantically involved with anyone, it just so happened that you both had a chance meeting together at the school library — in the modern times pre-petrification, of course. You were looking for a book on the development of radiation powered technology for a history class, and by coincidence Senku was reading the blurb of that very text when you stopped by. When you asked if he’d read it, your classmate simply shook his head and said he just knew a lot about the subject, and soon enough a conversation blossomed from that point.

Y’all talked for two hours. While standing in the same spot. TWO HOURS. And it didn’t even stop there because he realized the time and asked if you wanted to talk more over a bowl of this really good ramen he knew about close by. Senku barely even realized the implications of his offer until much later, since…

He was way too involved in your conversation to notice

He’s never had any interest like that in someone before, let alone has he ever tried asking a person out in general

Everything about you was so interesting to him that he cannot process anything else going on around him and he doesn’t know why

You just feel so different in comparison to his dynamic with anyone else that it throws him off. He’s curious as to why he straightens up when you walk in a room, why everytime you smile at his stupid dry jokes it makes him more confident, why your intrigued questions about his work give him an extra burst of adrenaline. After he comes home late, having fallen asleep in the library while you studied for a test beside him, Byakuya eventually spells it out for Senku in massive bold letters.

No, seriously, he writes it on a whiteboard with a chunky black marker.

“That’s ridiculously far-fetched,” he asserts quickly, trying to push his old man out of the room. “Since when have I ever been interested in anyone in that way?”

“Senku, you waited for her to finish her work. Without complaint.”

And he’s like: oh shit—

But knowing Senku, he still makes some futile attempts to disprove the concept that he could ever be attracted to someone in a romantic sense. Ya know, all that, “science is my only devotion” shit. It lasted for about two weeks, which was the exact amount of time that he tried avoiding you in hopes of seeing if he could in fact continue his routine without your presence next to him.

The bitch still cannot swallow his pride though, so you have to be the one to make the first move — which is about as simple as perfecting Flight of the Bumblebee on a violin. Every time you try bringing it up, it’s like Senku gets a sixth sense about it and is pulled away from you as soon as possible. At some point you just had to corner him in the school lab, hands smacking against the surface of his work table and mouth blurting it out.

“I think we should go on a date.”

He’s kinda impressed at the sheer willpower you displayed in finally getting the question into the air. And as much as he would hate to admit it, some happy nerves shot through his body when it happened. On the outside, though, he simply failed to fight a grin.

“Wanna get food with me tonight?”

And you did :D and it only went good from there. Dates at cafes with comfy chairs and pretty lighting, test runs of new experiments in the middle of the night that Senku calls you to see together, just enjoying the presence of one another in a secluded corner of the libraries you frequent. Even after the disaster that was petrification you’re both side by side, being sarcastic little shits to each other as soon as Senku frees you from the stone; doing new tests to save the world, going on picnics by the river, and constantly being of service to one another.

And then from the c!dsmp, I thought it was only fitting to match you up with…

^^ artwork by SAD-ist on YouTube

Listen, listen: I was considering a more standard/expected approach to this matchup, like maybe c!Wilbur or c!Niki because they’ve both got some major academia vibes. Especially Niki, because damn she’d probably take you to her flower shop and make handmade bouquets for you each day. However, I just think that it would be so perfectly fitting to have you and c!Sapnap together aesthetically. He’s very emotionally driven, always doing something stupid, and he probably hasn’t read a book since L’manburg claimed to be a sovereign nation. Regardless of that fact, he could sit and watch you read a book for hours, even if you didn’t ask him to. Standard case of grounded scholar + impulsive idiot = natural soulmates.

Within the region of the SMP, I imagine you like confining yourself to the libraries filled with ancient texts on the vast history of your home — although taking a visit to Eret’s self-made museum is always a pleasure as well. Niki gets along with you easily enough that you hang out together all the time, and it’s on one such occasion in the early days of L’manburg that Sapnap encounters you for the first time.

Dream had sent him out for scouting duty (which to Sapnap translates into, ‘be annoying to everyone within the walls’), and he’d taken to the edge of the country’s small borders, lounging up high above the trees so that he could see everything below with ease. To his surprise he found you, scribbling away within a ragged old notebook underneath a tree canopy, and wearing the prettiest smile he’d ever seen exist on a person before. You were waiting for your friend to arrive, it seemed, taking the ideas in your head and putting them to paper whilst you sat patiently. He was enraptured with you right away, and as a result he took to teasingly pestering you every chance he could.

Sapnap showed up at least once a week — and when he could, more than that — to slowly learn more about you. He tried staying under the radar of Wilbur when he did, just to make sure none of his endeavors were interfered with or got back to Dream in any capacity. Initially, his presence appeared a pain in your side, but your apprehension ultimately fell at the hands of his ridiculous humor and genuine inquiries as to your likes and dislikes. You knew who he was from the get-go, but it was hard not to find delight in his visits when he made such vigorous attempts to know you.

Although you’re sure he’d already learned it somehow, you told him your name one fateful afternoon, and he’s thought about that moment every day since, marking it as the first day he truly made progress in winning you over.

“You should come up here one day so we can talk normally,” he called out on a particularly overcast fall morning. “Maybe then I can see your face up close.”

You laughed, gazing up at him from the hillside on which you reclined. “You’re ridiculous. That’s not how this relationship works.”

“Mm, relationship? Sounds like you wanna gimme a kiss more than saying anything, hu—ow!”

A pine cone had clipped him in the shoulder harmlessly, chucked with expert aim by your own hand. Despite his surprise, Sapnap couldn’t help smiling.

“If you’re working that hard to twist the narrative and get me up there, how about you just come down instead?”

Without missing a beat the next day, he scaled to the top of the nation’s wall, made his way inside (with very little consideration for his safety), and took your face in his hands.

“You want me to?”

You already knew the implications. “Yeah.”

And he kissed you, then and there. Nice job, Ari!

Navigating a full blown relationship in the conditions y’all were in was not ideal. Sapnap tried everything he could to make sure you were safe, despite his distaste for your mother country and its leaders. After that cleared, though, it was a whole lot easier to be together and figure things out. Sapnap didn’t mind you staying within the walls as much as he initially thought because it reminded him of the first time you met, and so long as he could spend time with you he loved every second. Literally ask this man to do anything with you and he’s in, no matter what it is.

The sheer spontaneous energy Sapnap has inevitably feeds into your own, so while you’re much more contained than the pyromaniac, you have some very notable moments of crazy that are simply unforgettable. It’s honestly super funny to see that infectious life invade your senses, because otherwise you’re a super logical person and love entertaining yourself with the more simplistic things.

You work a lot with Wilbur on record keeping and cartography, but something that you and Sapnap apparently have in common is archery. That pine cone throw was no fluke, and he found that out when you came to visit, a shimmering bow fastened to a stock-full quiver on your back. It’s become a pastime to both ride out into the forest with your horses and practice archery (oftentimes mounted) as a way to let out frustration. If the weather conditions are too abysmal to go and do something outdoors, though, Sapnap likes to fall asleep watching you do methodical work, most commonly with his head in your lap as a fireplace crackles nearby. He’s a huge sucker for that cozy atmosphere, even though he tries to be all tough and badass at other times.

This became a huge ramble because I just think this pairing for you works so well, but I’m praying you get the picture. Sapnap is a flirty, slightly whiny, very protective, and free spirited person whenever you’re around, and he’d do whatever he could to see that pretty smile like the first day you told him your name. He thinks the world of you, and in his eyes your intelligence goes unparalleled.

[marshmallow-phd]

Healing Touch

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Wolf!AU

Pairing: Yixing x Reader

Summary: Medical school abroad was the last line on your to-do list before starting the rest of your life. Everything was going according to plan. Everything, that is, until tragedy strikes your campus. In the wake of a professor’s untimely death, you’re partnered with the cute boy with a breathtaking smile in the newly combined labs. You find yourself unable to resist the dimples and shy glances, but his life is here with no plans of leaving. Will you continue on as planned or will you accept the hand that Fate had dealt you?

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I Final

**

Yixing knew that he needed to get out of the car. The engine still rumbled, giving away his presence. Inside the farmhouse, the others were waiting for him so they could carry out the “family meeting”. Yixing already knew what it was about. And he still hadn’t made up his mind on how – or even if – he was going to tell his pack that this whole situation might be his fault.

Seeing the front door open, Yixing cut the engine and jumped out. Baekhyun poked his head out the screen door. “Are you coming? Junmyeon’s started pacing!”

“Yeah, I’m coming,” Yixing murmured as he kicked his car door shut.

So many doors. So much opening and closing. And the most important one he’d slammed shut himself. He could still see the dejected look on your face more clearly than the steps in front of him. Why did he have to be like this? So noble and overly righteous? He had his mate in his hands and he pushed you away. He needed to keep you safe – but was distance really the right way to do that?

Everyone else was already squished into the living room. There wasn’t much space in this area of the house, which was why they usually had meetings in the kitchen. Junmyeon must have been determined that no one be distracted by food or other easily reachable items.

Said alpha gave Yixing a very pointed look as the latter made his way to the back of the room, squeezing in between Chanyeol and Minseok against the wall.

“Everything okay?” Minseok asked quietly. Yixing nodded, but Chanyeol still threw a concerned glance his way.

“Alright, now that everyone is here,” again with the classic scolding Junmyeon glance, “we need to have a serious talk. There was another attack-”

“Another one!” Jongin exclaimed. His mouth hung on its hinges as he glanced around the room.

“Yes. Thankfully, this one survived. And he might have seen the wolf that attacked him.”

Chatter broke out among the wolves. Some where ecstatic at the possibility of finally knowing who this killer might be. Others were thankful that the man survived. Guesses bounced around about what this rouge wolf could look like. Baekhyun enjoyed the idea of it being a bear-like wolf, larger than even Chanyeol or – he’d stopped himself before he said another name that would shift the mood of the room in a flash.

“Nah, I bet its weak and sickly,” Jongdae interjected.

“Red fur?”

“No, those are rare.”

“I bet it’s blonde and shrimpy like Jongdae.”

“Watch it, Sehun.”

The chatter grew, even with Junmyeon’s insistence that they quiet down. So many voices piled on top of each that finally Yixing couldn’t take their theories anymore.

“It was a gray wolf.”

Despite Yixing’s neutral and low tone, the rest of the pack heard. Immediate silence. All eyes turned to him in confusion. He kept his arms crossed over his chest with his own gaze down on the floor.

“That’s a boring guess,” Sehun grumbled.

“Its not a guess,” Yixing admitted. “That’s what the man said at the hospital.”

Junmyeon stared hard at Yixing. “How do you know that’s the man said?” Lifting his eyes up, Yixing hardened his features. Under his arms, his fists curled tightly, his nails digging into the skin with a dull pain. He’d opened another door. And he didn’t think he could close this one again. Junmyeon sighed. “Everyone out.”

Everyone was reluctant to move.

“Now!”

Feet scrambled and tripped over one another as everyone but Yixing ran out of the room and to the kitchen. Junmyeon hated being forceful like that, having to raise his voice at the others. It was no surprise that he immediately melted back into a calmer state.

“Yixing…” came his steady, yet authoritative voice. “Tell me everything. Please.”

Yixing took a deep breath. It was better this way. He hoped. 

“I’ve been blacking out.”

“What?”

“They started around the same time the attacks did,” Yixing explained. “Sometimes I get a headache first. Sometimes it just happens. I lose time – hours usually. And then within that time, there’s an attack.” He could feel his throat closing in. It was more devastating than he’d pictured – telling the truth. He feared his pack turning on him, putting the blame on him, even if it was rightfully done. He’d always been the odd one out, the wolf with a different ancestry. He used to have others to relate to, but when they left….

“Have you ever woken up with blood on you?” Junmyeon asked cautiously.

“No.” A small miracle. There was one time, but he’d found the poor rabbit just a few feet away and the smells matched. 

“There could be another explanation for this,” Junmyeon insisted.

Yixing wanted to believe him, but there was other evidence against the hope. “He said it was a gray wolf.”

“Its not that uncommon of a color.”

“But he was attacked right during another one of my blackouts.”

“And where were you?”

“I was in the forest. Running. Alone.”

Junmyeon frowned. “Why were you doing that?”

Yixing shrugged. “I was… happy. Things were going in a good direction with Ming. I just needed to let the energy out and I wanted to be alone….”

“And then a blackout?”

Yixing nodded. “I woke nearby. (Y/n) was the one who had found him. I’d heard her screaming. We took him to the hospital and then I saw (y/n) home.”

“Did you talk to the police?”

“Yeah. All I told them was that I was in the area next to the nature center and heard (y/n) scream.”

“They didn’t think it was odd that you were naked?”

Yixing cringed, embarrassed. “I had my pants on, (y/n) gave me her jacket-” his jacket - “so they didn’t question it.”

“And (y/n)?”

“I doubt she fully believed my hiking story.”

Junmyeon let out a full lung’s worth of a sigh. His shoulders were weighted down by the pressure to keep their existence a secret and also take care of his pack. Would he outcast Yixing to protect the rest? Yixing wanted to cling to the hope that that wouldn’t be the case, but there was always a chance.

Stepping forward, Junmyeon placed a hand on Yixing’s shoulder. A smile, strained but reassuring, crept on his face. “We’ll figure this out. I don’t believe it’s you, but something bigger might be happening. Don’t go through this alone anymore, okay?”

As expected, a rumbling off footsteps shook the floor. Seven pairs arm wrapped around Junmyeon and Yixing.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Baekhyun whined.

“We could have helped you,” Chanyeol jumped in.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” Minseok agreed.

Yixing smiled, but said nothing. He still wasn’t sure if he’d made the right decision in revealing his condition. There was no telling what lied at the end of this road – either Yixing would be free to live his life with you or he would be outcast from the pack with a heavy conscious.

“Did I miss something?”

All heads snapped to the front parlor. Ji Yeon stood in the entryway with a coffee cup in one hand and her laptop bag in the other. Small chuckles echoed around the room as the group shifted away from each other. Even Yixing gave off a short laugh. It was a nice release, but now that meant Ji Yeon would need to be made aware of the current situation, adding to Yixing’s fear. As Minseok shuffled closer to his mate, Yixing slipped out of the room, wondering when he would be able to be close to his own mate again. 

**

It was one thing to think about personal issues on personal time. It was another to stop coming to class altogether. And for once, it wasn’t you avoiding the problem.

You had gone to class like normal, even though you were fully aware that a certain someone would – or, at least, should – be sitting in his usual seat when you arrived. You weren’t surprised at all when he hadn’t found you to walk you from class to class. That was to be expected after the abrupt ending to your last encounter. But him skipping class altogether was unexpected. Yixing was a dutiful student. Being in class was important. And yet, his seat was conspicuously empty when you stepped into the lab.

It was suffice to say that you were a little put out by his avoidance. You had conceded to the idea that you were going to suffer through having to sit next to him all class period and yet, all your panicking and worry was for not.

Maybe this was secretly a good thing. Maybe you would be able to concentrate better with the table to yourself.

That was not the case.

While you tried to concentrate on Professor Jiang’s lecture, your mind kept wondering back to Yixing.

Was he okay? Was he avoiding you? Had he dropped the class for good? Because of you?

What were the “things” that he needed to figure out? Were you right in thinking that he had a girlfriend off campus? Or was something else going on? Family things?

Your head was spinning with all the different possibilities. You might have heard a few technical terms during the lecture, but none of it sunk in. The pencil in your hand hardly scribbled across the notepad. Words floated meaningless from the textbook.

When Professor Jiang ended the session, you closed the textbook with a hard slam. Many eyes turned to you in shocked curiosity.

“Sorry,” you mumbled as you quickly packed away the rest of your supplies. Keeping your head down, you rushed out of the classroom and through the halls until you were outside under the cloud-hidden sun.

Finding a bench, you sat down, leaning forward on your knees as your eyes trailed over the cracked concrete sidewalk. That period was a dud, you were sure of that. At some point you would have to squeeze in extra study time to make up for the inability to control your attention. It was all Yixing’s fault. He was the one who had kissed you and then left. A few times you had unlocked your phone to call him, but never went through with it. You didn’t want to come off as desperate or clingy. You were trying not to care. In the past, you never had before. There was no reason for Yixing to be any different.

Except that he was.

You felt a bit… broken. Or perhaps rejected was the right word. There was a lot going on inside you that it was hard to pinpoint the exact emotions. Those words were both exaggerated and not enough in their explanations. 

Deciding that you were done with this oddly out of character pity party, you stood up and continued walking until you’d left the campus grounds all together and crossed the street in the direction of your apartment.

Ran was home when you walked through the door. Her music – vibrating loudly through the miniature Bluetooth next to her on the floor – drowned out your steps into the living room. Spread out around her were notebooks, textbooks, different colored pens and a half-filled coffee mug. A one-person study session. She jumped when she finally noticed you. “Oh, hey!” She reached over and turned down the music so it was now at a low background noise level. “What are you doing already?”

“I wasn’t feeling too well,” you lied. She believed you since you were sure you looked the part. “I thought it might be best to come home and lie down.”

Ran jokingly cringed away from you. “Ew, don’t get me sick. I have plans with Hae In this weekend.”

“I don’t think it’s a bug or anything. My body might just be rebelling against lack of sleep.” Surely Ran had heard your tossing and turning the last several nights.

“Hey,” Ran caught you attention again before you could escape to your room. “So, uh, did anything happen between you and that Yixing guy after I left?” She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

You shook your head. “No. We talked about class a bit and then he went home. Family emergency or something like that.”

“Hm. Interesting. Well, take it form me, he definitely likes you.”

“I doubt that.”

“No, seriously.” Ran took a sip from the mug, flinched at the now probably lukewarm liquid, and then put it back down. “The way he was looking at you, he likes you. A lot. I think you should give him a chance.”

You chewed on her observations. “I’ll think about it.”

Safe in the four walls of your tiny room, you curled up on your bed with your back against the headboard. As wonderful as sleep sounded and even with Ran now keeping her music at a more manageable level, you doubted your brain would be able to shut off. To try and be distracted by something, you logged into the “Dream University’s” website to check your status.

Still waitlisted. Okay. This was fine. You weren’t actually expecting any change. You just wanted something to do. You were growing antsy. Coming home might not have actually been the best idea. It was the walk itself that had been helpful, freeing for your mind. Now that you were still again, you were back to where you were in the classroom. Unfortunately, the overthinking anxiety wouldn’t let you just get up and go – not with Ran still in the living room. Did it make any sense? Absolutely not. Did that matter? Nope.

About twenty minutes or so went by with you simply scrolling through social media until you heard the music stop and the rustling of the school supplies being picked up. After five minutes of clean up, the front door opened and then closed again. Just to be extra sure that Ran was gone for good, you watched the clock on your phone click by for ten minutes.

Now you were able to leave.

Wrapping up in a jacket (not Yixing’s), you checked your pockets for all the essentials and then headed out the door.

It was back to the nature center for you. It probably wasn’t the smartest place to go given your last adventure in the park, but it had nice winding trails and there would be people around – at a distance, that is.

The clouds were still heavy in the sky when you arrived. Not to the point where they threatened rain, but enough to color the world a dull gray. Squirrels dotted along the path. Their bellies were round and full, telling you that the locals had been feeding them despite the signs that clearly advised against it. Some were brave enough or curious enough to come close to you, but scurried away as soon as it was clear that you were not one of the gracious humans that bestowed them fluffy bread.

Letting your feet guide you along the asphalt path, you let yourself be absorbed in the trees. Your mind still wander towards Yixing, but you didn’t fight it anymore. You were hoping that overexposure would lead to a numbness, an immunity. But he wasn’t a disease attacking your body, he was just a boy. A cute, dimple-smiled boy who made you feel at ease.

Crack!

You snapped your head up at the sudden sound. You half expected a bunny to come hopping out of the side bushes, letting you laugh at yourself. But it wasn’t a bunny twenty feet off the trail.

It was a wolf.

A gray wolf. Just like the hiker said. And it was staring right at you.

Scanning the area, you searched for the closest route to the main center, but you were too far in. This was exactly why you avoided the woods!

You vaguely remembered the advice not to run because then the wolf would treat you like prey. It always sounded like stupid advice. Even more so now as the creature charged in your direction. You charged off the path in the opposite direction of the wolf, pushing the air out of your lungs and screaming as loud as you could.

**

“Are you sure it was around here?”

Yixing threw Junmyeon a look. “Yes. I’m sure.”

The two wolves were currently trotting through the woods to find the spot where Yixing had found the man and Ming. Junmyeon wanted a better look at the scene in the off chance he might get a better intact of the scent left behind. Each time they’d gone looking for answers in the past, the scent had been too old and dulled to really pick it apart. They were probably too late now, but they’d spent the last few days at the farmhouse, keeping an eye on Yixing to see if another blackout would occur. It hadn’t, much to Junmyeon’s disappointment.

“It was close to the nature center,” Yixing explained once again. They’d come from the north, rather than straight from the center. Yixing had hoped that he’d have a better insight to the location. They were getting warmer.

A sudden twig snap made their human ears perk up.

“Could that be--”

“It was probably just a rabbit,” Junmyeon guessed.

As if to prove him wrong, the snap was followed by a wolf’s rumbling howl. And then a high pitched scream.

Yixing gasped. He knew that scream.

“That’s (y/n)!”

Junmyeon looked at him, unconvinced. “Are you sure?”

Yixing’s response was a ferocious growl as he took off without his alpha. A wolf always knows his mate.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Titanic Mothers (Mother’s Day 2021 Drabbles)

 Dedicated to all Mothers in the world, whether by birth, adoption or otherwise. Take the time to wish the woman who helped you become the person you are a very blessed Mother’s Day.

Of course I cannot have done this without thanking my pen pals @lightdusk96 @mothnem @wisegirlandseaweedbrainforever @fireflyxrebel-writes @tarisilmarwen @bluerene and many others 

So without further ado....

Arella Roth

 The peaceful, serene and calming orange tinted skies of Azarath are in many ways are therapeutic sort to admire under. For Arella, they are a perfect sort of skies to step outside for a nice and simple meditation. The Monks’ efforts in freeing her mind and grief in light of the numerous....series of events surrounding her entire life, whether being her harsh childhood and especially her unfortunate encounter with that bastard of a devil known as Trigon the Terrible, all of it had truly done some wonders in giving her a chance to appreciate life though clearly that grief runs deep, requiring an additional amount of effort on her end to counter it. 

 As Arella assumes lotus position on the balcony and lights two candles to her sides, she closes her eyes. She begins steadying her breathing and clears her mind...no easy feat though sine almost about a few seconds into clearing it, the scepter of Trigon and her tyrant of mother start coming in. The harsh words of shame, the demonic laughter, those taunts, the curses, they all start piling onto her mind, no her soul all at once. Her breathing starts picking up speed. She must remember what the Monks taught her....peace...find her inner peace...find what makes her find said peace...then within the blackened and harsh void of darkness clouding her mind...Arella sees it. That peace, a tiny stream of white light...a small bird. The bird starts getting closer, it’s wings start opening, dispelling the black void surrounding her...

  As her mind starts feeling the calming light clear it out, Arella peeks open her right eye very slightly, sure enough there she was. Her light, her inner peace, her white bird, her very daughter. 

 Little Rachel Roth, barely eight years of age as of now, was also in lotus position, practicing the very same meditation her mother was doing right now. She too looked at her meditating partner to her side and sure enough, both realize...’why stop now’ and both wordlessly give each other a small smile, a nod and both continue mediating. 

Arella, upon closing her eye back, says, “Okay, Rachel, now repeat after me...”

“Yes, Mom”

“Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos....”

Marie Logan

  “Garfield” Maire called out for maybe the fifth time, passing by the tall tree next their camper yet again.

  Her six year old little explorer of a boy had a tendency to run off whenever he was bored. Thankfully, he’d never venture into the nearby jungles or savannas the Logans visit too far, he always keep relatively close to make sure he knows his way back safely. Still, as a mother, Marie has her fair share of concerns for his well being since who knows what kind of animals he can run into this time. 

  However, the fifth time calling for him appears being the charm as sure enough, she can hear the branches creaking and the leaves rustling above her. Looking upward, sure enough, there he was, climbing down the gigantic branches with such agility before finally landing safely right next to her. His blond hair and crisp green eyes shone brightly as Garfield beams to his equally smiling mother. 

 “Found anything up there my explorer?” Marie asked while picking her son into her arms.

 “Nah”, Garfield replied, “plenty of birds like the manual said would ‘round here but they flew away”

 “Well, must be cause they didn’t want to hear about Wicked Scary just yet”, Marie says lightly giggling while ruffling her son’s hair, “maybe they just didn’t wanna get it spoiled you know?”

 Garfield sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah, guess so.”

Dr. Elinore Stone

  Fixing her goggles, Dr. Stone narrowed her eyes within them ever so slightly. Next to her, ten year old Victor was equally wearing goggles but also adorably having oven mittens on his hands while holding on tightly to the beaker of green fluid over the larger one with orange fluid. 

 It was ‘Take Your Kids to Work Day’ at STAR Labs and both Elinore and her husband Silas had taken their son over to both explore where his parents’ worked at and even take part in a family friendly activity like this one. 

  Lightly guiding her gloved hands over Vic’s, the two together start pouring the green fluid from the beaker the latter was carrying very slowly into the one with the orange substance. The chemical reaction from the larger beaker was almost immediate since it started changing into a multitude of bright colors and bubbling. 

 “Alright son”, Elinore exclaimed proudly as her son beamed to her happily, “I think you’d just be quite the perfect chemi...” 

  KA-BOOM! 

  The lab immediately filled with a light with still irradiating cloud of smoke so rapidly that Silas immediately opened the windows to let the air clear. 

 As the smoke cleared out safely, both Elinore and Victor were thankfully completely fine aside the black soot covering their faces, their hair standing up embarrassingly, all the while Vic still holding onto that plastic beaker in his hands, muttering with a chuckle, “or not.” 

Empress Luand’r of Planet Tamaran 

  The royal gardens within the palace walls have always been a true sanctuary in many ways. In contrast to the barren and strip-mined prefectures right outside said palace walls, ravaged by years of constant fighting and war, the gardens housed a peaceful and tranquil environment that not provides the many fauna a suitable home, but also anyone who ventures within a calming place to contemplate and even find joy in spite of such harsh times befalling the planet.

 That’s very much the case for the very Empress of the Tamaraneans as she cannot help but find her smiling at not just the beautiful varying colors, pleasant aromas and lively calmness of the garden the bench she sits upon at this moment but also of the other resident currently enjoying herself alongside her. 

 Hearing a small voice giggle above her head, Luand’r beams proudly at the sight she sees: her seven planetary cycles of age old little Princess Koriand’r was floating in the air joyously and with such excitement, flying around the numerous branches and leaves of the fauna surrounding her, only stopping every now and then to have her brilliant green eyes observe closely of the leaves she floats right next to. 

 It was moments of pure innocence like this that always bring the purest joy within the usually lowkey Luand’r since through her, her husband Myand’r and especially their beloved ally and servant Galfore, Koriand’r and her siblings are actually given even int he smallest of doses a life outside of the constant bombardment and sirens their enemies bring on a consistent basis. If only there were some way, some means of escaping this perpetual worry and state of fear this war for their kind’s very sovereignty. If one such means exists, Luand’r here will ensure she and her people, especially her children, can take it. 

  A hug snaps the Empress out of her thoughts. Looking to her side, she sees Koriand’r wrapping her arms around her. No other options are needed since all the black-haired Tamaranean woman does is simply yet all too lovingly hug her red-haired daughter back.

   And so, Empress and Princess sit peacefully underneath the blossoming flowers and leaves of the royal garden, a truly fond way of doing the ‘spending quality time’ as a certain other species called Earthlings call it.

  Mary Elizabeth Lloyd Grayson 

 Gripping the bar tightly, Mary pulls it back while bending her legs starting with tipping her toes over the edge of the platform. Now int position, she looks down from her post and  can clearly see the nets are firmly in place and secured well enough. In the very few instances they engage in practice sessions without the nets, as per their acts, it would be just John and her doing such since by now, years of practice and experience worldwide have taught them a thing or few about making sure not a single fall happens on their watch, lest it cause certain disaster. 

  However, this it wasn’t John that was up here with her for today but, looking to her side and giving him a proud thumbs up, instead was her eight year old son who also gives her a thumbs up. Just two months ago was his birthday on the first day of spring and since then, no ever since he first took to the trapeze ropes when he was four, Mary watched her Little Robin improve and grow with each session, each show and every single time he stands on that platform, taking a leap of faith with his hands on the bars, letting loose to perform a spin or flip in the air before once more stretching his arms to safety of both John and/or her. Today proves not too different, hopefully. Worst case for this, Dick or her fall to nets below instead of the hard sandy floor. 

  Leaping off the platform with bar in hand, Mary flew the calm free-of-audience noise air with perfect easy, before hearing that trademark crack of the ropes, signal her to let it loose and with a flip in the air transferred successfully to the second bar across from where her son and the platform are, the first bar she gripped on still in hand.  

 Returning the first bar back to where son is at, now it was on her to ensure he reached her after his turn to swing. As such, Mary began swing the bar she was on back and forth, gaining momentum with each addition swing, only increasing such until it was deemed ready. Sure enough, the bar was swinging at a good pace and now, being the naturally skill contortionist she is, Mary easily positioned the back of knees so that her calves were holding her on the swinging bar, she was hanging upside down if not for the swinging of said bar and most importantly her arms are firmly in a position to stretch as far as they can for a catch. Her part in the act was good to go, now it truly was her son’s turn to fly.

  With a nod, his own hands firmly on the bar, in position for the leap and now his mother across ready to catch him, Dick with a wide grin on his face takes the leap of the platform and swings on his bar across the air. This was it, this was the time he gets it right. The creaking of the ropes he waits for is heard, it was time to let the bar loose. Sure enough as he does so, tucking in his legs to his chest tightly, Dick has nothing to hold him but gravity itself. 

One....Here’s hoping Raymond and Calvin are seeing this 

Two....He can already hear the crowd gasping 

Three....Keep it tight and remember make sure you let arms stretch at the right moment Dad says. 

And......Four! Dick straightens out his body and stretches his arms as far as he can. 

 For the briefest of all moments, he was actually flying. Nothing carrying him, no sense of his own weight dragging him down. He was Superman at that moment. 

 Then he starts loosing his flight, gravity had set in. He stretches his arms just to tiniest bit hoping before air rushes he can....just a little bit....

 Sire enough, all too familiar hands clasps onto his own hand. That familiar calloused texture of the palms, the chalky powdery feeling...Dick looks up to all too familiar face, a very beaming and proud one on top of that 

 “I’ve got you” Mary says lovingly as she can while using her arms to carry her son safely, “Momma’s here, Little Robin.” 

  The two smile at each other with all too familiar love and happiness in their distinct pairs of blue eyes while Mary’s bar starts slowing down its momentum. Finally as it comes to near complete stop, it was time to safely descend to the safety net below. 

 Before letting her son’s grips slips from her hands, Mary pulls him up to where she can deliver a small kiss on his forehead.

 “You did great!” she exclaims happily. Just then, finally the bar’s swinging comes to stop, allowing Mary to finally lossen her grip on her son, allowing him to safely land on the net below, giggling lightly as he initially bounced on it. Just then, Dick rolled out of the way to give his mother enough space for own safe landing as she unhooks her legs from the trapeze bar and land on the net right next to him.

 Mother and son simply lay there on their sides of the net, panting after such an effort before Mary threw her arms around her little boy, hugging him close to her. “You’re learning so fast”, she says panting yet all to happily.

  Dick simply lays his head close to her, feeling her all too calming and steady heartbeat, relaxing the both of them. 

 “Happy Mother’s Day. Momma, Love you”, he whispers to her happily, as he wraps his own around her tightly 

 Mary can’t help but smile and even have tears of joy glisten her eyes. Pressing a few kisses on her son’s forehead, she whispers in turn, “And I Love you, so, so much, My Little Robin” 

[oxzebi997]

Day 1 Jango Fett

It was a long and unusual few months. Jango Fett hadn’t really considered what being a genetic template would hold exactly, but somehow the cheek swabs, blood extractions, and skin samples made it all feel a little less grand than the contract had originally sounded.

Jango was aware of a few details of this process, these clones of him would age at twice the usual rate of a human, they would be trained to peak physical performance, with a few modifications for heightened abilities, nothing superhuman, just, better than his own average, and likely better when pushed to the brink. But he also knew, these were soldiers. They were not made to be men, boys, sons- stop that now. If that droid attack on Naboo last year was anything to go off, then these soldiers stood no chance at all.

:read more:

Don’t get close. Don’t look at them. They’re tools. He reminded himself as he walked past the tall columns of nearly finished fetal clones of himself. Clones. That’s all. It was almost tiring to avoid looking at them, but after a few months of tests and samples, back and forth across this blinding white facility-city every day, they became part of the architecture, background objects always in their place. It made the walk easier. Cleared his conscience to know that even the Jetiise ordered the creation of clones like they were droids. At the very least, he was no worse than they were.

“Good morning, Jango.” Taun We’s voice was soft, eerily calm, and stoney, “Are you ready for your exams?”

“Same time every day.” He chuffed with a slight smile, never sure if any of the Kaminoans could smile at all.

“You will be most pleased with the Alpha’s progress.”

A hot bubble suddenly expanded in his chest and it seemed for a moment that every star in the galaxy burned so brightly he couldn’t see.

“Done already?” He knew his voice gave him away, though he did try to maintain his composure, the last thing he needed was Taun We reporting that he had somehow gotten his health compromised.

“Nearly, Nala Se reports that your specialty clone will be completed by this evening.”

The day flew by, Jango hardly noticed as he quickly obeyed every request as if his life depended on getting into that laboratory before this one clone was finished. Decanted. Born. His mind a bit foggy, day dreaming of his new future, as he was politely led down the curved metallic halls to a lab that was intentionally kept remote from the other cloning areas.

Experimental Lab A7-3

There he was, one of a few strangely round jars set in the wall, suspended in some kind of blueish, artificial amniotic fluid. Jango’s head practically spun, he hadn’t missed anything yet, this one specific clone, was worth all the indignity, any humiliation, and every conflicted thought he’d had since he arrived on Kamino.

“He’s… not ready?” He spoke quietly, moving already to the tube which held his greatest prize, gently as he dared placing both hands to the glass and wondering if the little boy within knew who it was just outside his strange wet world.

“Oh, no. My research suggests that you humans value being present for the … birth… of your offspring.” Nala Se spoke coolly, as collected as any of the others but somehow it was almost as though, at least in this moment, she was trying to sound a little more emotional. “I waited for you to arrive to begin the process.”

It was quick, but also it seemed as though time was moving at half pace. The pod lifted off its bearings and the liquid inside sloshed ever so slightly, still his stomach tightened and he nearly feared for the clean floor in front of him. A careful mechanical arm flawlessly opened the little tube, a comically large pair of softened rounded forceps reached within the container and delicately pulled the contents into the air.

Ignoring the warnings of the Kaminoan scientist next to him, Jango pulled the tiny boy into his arms. A little heavy, sopping wet and sound asleep, hair that he knew would curl lay thick and flat atop his little round head.

A small fire burned in his fingers as a device arm with ends that looked like electrodes, and must have been, reached forward and barely touched the baby’s chest, back and forehead.

The sudden, but very light jolt, caused the infant to gasp, cough, and scream. The wailing was unlike anything Jango had ever heard. It was painful to listen to and yet it was the most wonderful sound he’d ever encountered. He held the child close to his own chest and hummed some old song he’d long since forgotten the words to.

He had known most of his life what he would do here and now, long before the idea of a clone, even before he’d worn his armor the first time. Here and now, as his world turned on its head and his chest tightened and warmed with every shrieking breath:

“Olarom, Boba.”

You can support me by reading on KoFi and AO3

[iron-roses]

alright @inklier have neros origin

Looking For The Pyres Eye, By inkydu

TW: this does have mentions of human experimentation so be warned about that

AN: i havent touched this since like january and its been on the backburner of my brain so my apologies for this being horrible ok bye

 I exited the home of my organization's enemy, letting the door shut soundly behind me. As I was about to walk back to headquarters, I passed out. The last thing that I remembered was my head hitting the grass. I then awoke on a cold tile floor, head pounding and my red leather gloves torn up. I stood up. A mirror hung on the wall, the area around it illuminated by moonlight. I looked at myself in the mirror. My silver hair all a mess and spilling out of place, my suit crumpled and my mother’s pendant nowhere to be seen. I smoothed out my clothes. 

“I need to find out why I was brought here,” I said to myself.  My eyes began to take in my surroundings. Everything felt so familiar to me. It was as if I had grown up here. I began to search around, feeling along with my hands, looking for something to give me a clue as to what this place was or where I was. I searched for a light source, stumbling around the room until I found the lights and having them flicker to life. As my eyes adjusted, I walked over to the lab table and found a picture frame. 

“Was it the null that brought me here?” I murmured aloud. I picked up the picture frame. The picture of a man and woman with a young girl with short black hair in between them. The woman looked very late into pregnancy. “It… it's impossible… there's no way I've been trapped within… I've been trapped within my own childhood home... ” I took the image out of the frame, if only to confirm my suspicions and written on the back were 3 names, Lucy, Theodore and Elise. “It… The Null… it truly brought me to the house… The basement was my father’s laboratory...” It all came flooding back, the memories of the house and the blue glow I saw one day. Walking past the door to enter the greenhouse, when I was six years old, I had seen the blue glow of the null successfully turning someone into a catalyst. After that day the black ink began to spread around, blanketing the house until one day, we never went back. 

Placing the photo back into the frame, I gently set it down atop the dresser where I found it. Opening the cabinet under it, I discovered a journal in one of the drawers that was like a gold mine of information. 

Wednesday, November 24, 1906

Looking at this date made me realize something; Only 6 days later would my father go missing, making the next 20 years go by in almost the blink of an eye. 

The formula that Dr. Tohno and I have been working on for almost 8 months has finally been perfected. I believe that soon we will need to submit this to the institute. However, we must test it before submitting it. Dr. Tohno has found a willing volunteer to be the subject of our test. Her oldest son, Nero, has given us the exact exam results we want. According to my division's overseer, the reward of this project would shower us with riches, more than we could ever fathom. The wonders of our research make working for the institute worth all my sacrifices. I shall note the results of our experiment as time goes on.

Dr. Theodore Grayson 

Head Scientist of Project Orchid

The Royal Institute Of Great Britain 

Wednesday, November 24, 1906

Professor Grayson has invited me to work on a project he calls “the next evolution of science” Oh how it excites me to work on this with him. Our formula is finally complete. I have been endlessly searching for a subject for this project. My oldest son, Nero, has given us all the exam results we want. He has agreed to become our test subject. I haven't told him any details of the experiment. I wish him to fair well after the encounter.

Dr. Melodie Tohno

Second in command of Project Orchid

The Royal Institute of Great Britain 

I shut the Journal. Closing my eyes, I began to look around, searching endlessly for anything to help me wrap my mind around what I just read. Accidentally stumbling into a wall, I fell back onto the floor. A null tendrill cushioning my fall, I stood up looking at it curiously.

“Are you… by any chance… the Nero that the journals mention?” I asked to the tendril

The tendril flapped up and down, almost nodding.

“I'll take that as a yes… Do you mind me asking questions?” 

The tendrill moved side to side.

“Okay then, Nero, do you know if your body is alive?” I asked, hoping I would maybe not seem insane talking to a null tendril.

The tendril moved up and down. It pointed me to a door and opened it for me.

A young man's body, looking around my age lay asleep within what seemed to be a glass coffin. 

“Is this your body?” i asked the tendril

It did its nodding thing and tried to pry open the case but to no avail.

I walked over to the coffin, and opened it. The tendril eagerly fused into the body, the boy waking up with a jolt. 

“You.. You saved me.. Who even are you?” He asked, his body feeling unfamiliar to him from what I could note.

“Call me Elise. For now, the both of us are stuck here until we can escape.“

“I've been stuck here since I can remember… I remember my mum taking me to her friend's house to meet someone and then being trapped… Then you showed up and we’re having this conversation.” 

I lifted him from the coffin, “let's first get you used to your body again, then we will worry about escaping.”  I said, placing him on the ground.

After a while he figured everything out and we both began to search. We kept both journals open as we investigated the room. I found a chemical mixture, and went over to the lab table to recreate it. I recognized it instantly, and walked over to the door I noticed earlier, I poured the mixture over the door hinges, melting them away. The door fell to the ground with a thud. I turned on my flashlight and entered the room. Within the room lay claim to what looked like a bedroom. Nero walked in behind me, placing his hand on the wall, he illuminated the space. 

“Neat little trick. Would have been more helpful if I had known earlier” I mumbled under my breath.

“Maybe if one of us gets tired we can rest here?” he said with a hint of a tone I couldn't quite place. 

“Don’t expect me to get tired. My training allows me to stay awake even when I'm exhausted.” I snapped back at him. 

“It was only a suggestion…” 

“Apologies. Under such circumstances I am quite prone to saying things I do not mean.”

He nodded and walked off, I allowed myself a brief moment of rest… I need… I need… I collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.

(Nero pov)

I heard Elise fall onto the bed. I'll keep searching until she wakes up. I let one of the tendrils loose.

“Search and bring me anything of importance.”

It nodded and scurried off.

 I sat on the pull out bed next to Elise, watching her chest rise and fall as she slept. I passed out, the light in the room flickered out.

Elise pov

I awoke in a cold sweat. I looked to the side and saw the silhouette of Nero's body. He was completely asleep. He seemed to be out cold. I let myself roll onto the bed next to him and passed out again.

Nero pov

I awoke to the tendrill I had sent out prodding my arm. I stood up and walked over to where it was sliding to.

“Those are the journals I remember from when I was younger.. What kind of clues are hidden here?” I mumbled to myself, picking up the first one.

November 26, 1906

Nero works perfectly as our catalyst. Its been a hard choice if I wanted to hold off the experimenting but I’m glad I chose to begin now. The crystal seems to be bonding itself to his body. He truly was the perfect catalyst. Dr. Tohno has expressed some regrets but she knows it's for the greater good. All progress requires sacrifice.

Dr. Theodore Grayson

Head Scientist of Project Orchid

The Royal Institution of Great Britain

“Who… Who is that… Why does he seem… evil?” I mumbled, shutting the journal. One of the tendrils pointed me to a door that wasn't there before. I walked over to it, attempting to open it. The doorknob wouldn't budge no matter how hard I tried to push it. I headed back over to where elise was sleeping and tried to wake her up, causing her to sit up with a jolt. 

“N-Nero! Why- Why would you-” She said.

Elise Pov

I noticed how close nero was to me and felt heat creep into my cheeks. I stood up and removed my coat, allowing it to fall to the floor.

“Nero, you woke me up for a reason. What is it.” I said, slowly regaining my composure. 

I found another door.. I cant get it open… Could you help me open it? 

Fine, I’ll help. After that I want to rest. Understood? 

Mhm, lets just get this over with. We both walked out of the room and over to the door. I used what was left of the mixture i made earlier to let us both in. ill have to make more, i noted. Nero placed his hand on the wall, again illuminating the space.

“That little trick of yours really pisses me off.”

[dal3ks]

the project

pairing: peter parker x female reader 

word count: 3.2k

warnings: smut, cursing, teasing, coaxing, pet names, mentions to anatomy, marking, oral(receiving), both characters are of age! 

a/n: this was a fic i had posted on my main account @a-dorin​, but i am in the process of switching over content so that it is a strictly star wars account! just a disclaimer, i am not plagiarizing or stealing content, as this is my fic!

"today i have an exciting announcement," your chemistry teacher gushed, "since we are right on track for the unit, we will be taking a slight detour in our lesson plans. this whole week, we will be learning all about human chemistry!"

the class groaned, and you turned around to your best friend, nova, "how fucking lame."

she winked at you, "it'll be fun."

"so, to kick off this unit, we will be conducting a project on chemical reactions in the human body. i know you all have lab partners, but to make it fun, i will be drawing names out of a cup. everyone's name is on a slip of paper. i will begin drawing names right now, then we will discuss some of the parameters of the project," your teacher continued, a wide smile on his face.

drawing in a sigh, you glanced around the entirety of the room. m.j., one of your close friends, looked intrigued, as she was sitting next to your best friend, nova. flash looked disgusted, while peter and ned both grimaced to one another.

a part of you was hoping you would be paired up with your high school crush, peter parker. ever since the first semester of your freshman year, you had been attracted to him. he had bumped into you in the hallway between seventh and eighth period, knocking your coffee out of your hand. he apologized profusely, even handing you a ten dollar bill for the next coffee run. ever since then, you wanted to get to know the shy boy.

peter was guarded. extremely guarded. his awkward demeanor didn't help at all. anytime you asked him the simplest question, he got flustered, red-faced and stuttered. part of you wondered if it was because he just wasn't a people person, or if it was because he liked you. 

both of you guys had made small exchanges since that encounter, whether it was greeting one another in the hallway, sharing a seat on a bus ride, or giving one another snacks in class. since m.j. was within your friend group, you did get to see peter some, as they were mutual friends.

every girl at your high school adored peter. he was charismatic, charming, and was passionate about his friends and school. also, who was ever offered the opportunity to work alongside tony stark? that was another aspect you adored about peter. whenever you guys did chat, it was usually a vivid, funny story about peter's internship with stark industries. his stories made you laugh every time.

even though peter was short, he was taller than you. his floppy brown curls had all of the girls drooling. his smile was radiant, and his body was amazing. you had snuck glances during gym class. the boy was extremely fit. you figured it was due to his internship with stark industries, or maybe the boy just liked to work out. regardless, his body was extremely attractive.

"(y/n) (l/n)," your chemistry teachers voice rang out, snapping you out of your thoughts, "you will be paired with... peter parker."

you widened your eyes, surprised at what you were hearing. glancing over at peter, you realized he looked just as surprised as you were. even though the class had "random" partners, the chemistry teacher usually paired you up with your friends.

after the teacher finished assigning partners, he cleared his throat, "all right everyone! please sit next to your partner while i hand out the rubrics. m.j., can you please help me pass out the papers?"

peter slid into the seat next to you, clearing his throat, "well, i guess we're partners."

"i don't mind it one bit," you flashed him a wide smile.

"so i'm not entirely sure what this project is," peter mumbled, his eyes focused on the table.

m.j. handed us the rubrics, "i'm not sure if you listened to the entire lecture, dipshit. the project is over chemical reactions in the human body."

peter looked sheepish, "yeah, i got that part. but is there anything in the rubric that states that we need to do?"

"i'm sure it's all in the rubric," m.j. smiled sweetly.

you slid peter a rubric for the project, "hey, i'm really sorry if i'm not ned."

"it's cool," he shrugged, obviously in distress. ned was paired with nova, and they were already working on their project, taking notes.

"how about i give you my number?" you inquired, sliding your phone out of your hoodie pocket, "and you come over tonight so we can get a head start?"

"that sounds good," he nodded, taking your phone and typing the number into his phone, "how about i call you when i'm on my way?"

you smiled, eagerly taking the phone back, "that works. i'm home alone tonight, so even better."

peter blushed, just nodding, "i'll call you later then when i'm on my way."

the bell rang, signifying the end of the period. luckily chemistry was your last class of the day. you walked home, bubbly that peter was coming over tonight. once you arrived home, you took a hot shower, shaved your legs, put on lotion, and threw on some clothes. since it was fall, you opted for an over sized hoodie, paired with black leggings. you sprayed your favorite perfume, ensured your skin looked good, and threw on mascara.

once you were all ready, you straightened up your room. you made your bed, throwing some stuffed animals in the closet. peter never told you a time he would come over, but you assumed it would be later in the evening. by the time you finished cleaning the house, it was about seven thirty-eight. you sighed, a feeling of distress creeping over you. what if peter didn't want to come over? what if he stood you up?

a knock on the door interrupted your thoughts. you fluffed your hair, opening the door. there, stood peter, with a white paper bag in his hand, a two liter of cherry coke in the other, "hey, can i come in?"

"of course," he stepped in, setting his book bag near the door, "what did ya bring me?"

he smiled slightly, "oh, my aunt went down to this deli and picked us up some subs and this soda."

"well," you began, "i'm not too hungry right now. maybe we could start on our project, and eat later?"

"okay," he handed you the bag, "you probably know where to put this."

you took it from him, "yeah, the kitchen is just this way. follow me."

"your house is so nice," peter breathed as he followed you, his voice low.

"thank you," you placed the bag in the fridge, taking the two liter from his hand, "you can thank my dad for that. he remodeled the whole house."

"he did an excellent job," peter peered at the kitchen, his brown eyes taking in the granite island, "this looks like somewhere tony stark would live."

you giggled, "it's not that nice."

"it's nice," he nodded enthusiastically, "your dad must be a genius. like a interior design genius."

"honestly he had this idea for a while," you felt myself smile again, "he just acted on it and made it happen. do you wanna head up to my room?"

peter's eyes widened, and he rubbed the back of his neck, "i mean, yeah, we can do that. for sure."

you had him follow you upstairs to your room, guiding him. once you were in the room, he marveled at all of the posters, polaroids, and lights plastered on the walls. you sat down on the floor, grabbing your laptop. peter sat down next to you, biting his lip anxiously.

"oh shit," he mumbled, "i forgot my laptop downstairs."

"don't worry about it," you placed your hand on top of his, "we just need to do a little bit of research anyways. i was thinking maybe we could just do an oral presentation? or we could do PowerPoint. whatever you wanna do."

"okay," you were sure peter's lip would start bleeding if he chewed it even more than he already was.

as you both locked eyes, you noticed that he had a slight cut on his right cheekbone. you frowned, feeling yourself instinctively place your hand on his cheek, the pad of your thumb gently caressing it. he flinched at your touch, but kept looking at you.

"what happened? you didn't have that earlier today in class." the words tumbled out of your mouth, and you immediately felt nosy for asking.

"oh," he stuttered, "i ran into the door frame at the apartment on my way over here. i guess i was a little excited."

"excited to see me?" you raised a brow, feeling heat rush into your cheeks. a blush spread into your cheeks, and you immediately wanted to cover up your face.

"well," peter shifted nervously, "i mean, i didn't want to be too late, and i heard how you were going to be alone so i didn't want you to be alone, and yeah. um, yeah, i was excited to see you tonight."

you scooted closer to him, and his shyness began to dissolve, as he allowed you to continue to hold his face. you could almost feel his waves of anxiety radiating off of him. he was extremely nervous but you didn't know what about.

"peter," your voice was soft, "are you okay?"

his eyes met yours, “i kinda want to tell you something."

"and that is?" you bit my lip.

"i like you, like a lot. i mean, god you're so beautiful. all of the guys at school talk about you and jesus. i probably act like a fucking idiot all the time around you but god i like you so much. i even ran into the door frame because i was so excited to see you. and maybe you don't like me either but i just can't help but be nervous. i just care about you so much. you're so beautiful. like really really beautiful." all of the words tumbling out of his mouth sounded sincere. his cheeks were burning crimson with embarrassment.

"peter," you murmured, your face dangerously close to his. his bottom lip was swollen from him biting it earlier, "i have feelings for you too."

peter sighed with relief, "that makes me so happy."

"what's our project about again?" your hands felt for your laptop, and you pulled it closer to you two.

"chemical reactions in humans," peter answered, not breaking his gaze away from mine, "i have an idea for research since we haven't found a specific topic yet."

"and that is?" you raised an inquisitive brow.

he scooped you into his arms, laying you on your back on the bed. his lips met yours, kissing you eagerly. you pressed your lips against his, kissing him back, surprised at his rush of confidence. his tongue entered your mouth, the kisses becoming more and more hungry. peter's callused hands roamed your body under your hoodie, making contact with your skin. you shivered, goosebumps covering your body.

peter pulled back for a second, "is this okay?"

kissing him gently, you gave an answer against his lips, "yes, this is more than okay. it's amazing."

his lips pressed against your neck, sucking slightly. you knew there would be hickeys in the morning. you ran your hands through his hair, tugging lightly. he pressed his body against yours, and you could feel his hard on through his joggers. as he kissed down your neck, you palmed him through the fabric. he groaned against your neck, whining slightly.

peter motioned you to sit up, and you obeyed. his gentle fingers slipped the hoodie off your top half. a part of you wondered if he had done this with any other girl before. he slipped off his own shirt, revealing his toned chest and abs. you felt a slight wave of insecurity washing over you, you weren't as near as fit as he was.

peter seemed to sense the shift in your mood, kissing your chest, "stop. you're beautiful. god, i need all of you."

you undid the clasp on your lace nude bralette, letting it fall onto the floor beside the bed. peter widened his eyes, grasping each one of your breasts in his hands. he squeezed gently, unsure of what to do next. his eyes met yours, full of lust. his bottom lip was slightly swollen from the kissing, and his pupils were dilated.

his mouth latched onto your breasts, giving each one of them an equal amount of attention. you laced your fingers into his hair, tugging harder this time as peter sucked, kissed, and licked all over your chest and breasts. the actions were driving you crazy. you could feel how wet you were, even with your leggings still on. as peter continued, you let out a small moan.

"what princess?" peter's voice was husky, "tell me what you want."

"i want you," you whined, "i want you so bad."

"mmm," he hummed, "that's not specific enough, baby. tell me exactly what you want."

"i want your touch so bad," your voice was edged with desire.

"yeah?" his voice was low.

you nodded eagerly, "i need you to touch me."

"as you wish princess," his lips pressed against yours gently.

peter's lips trailed down your stomach, leaving sloppy kisses. he stopped at the waistband of your leggings, his fingers hooking the fabric. he slipped your leggings off, his cheeks tinged red at the sight of your black lace thong.

"are you sure you're ready for it, princess?" peter's eyes met yours.

you bit your lip, nodding. god, he was so hot like this. his fingers delicately took your thong off, casting it to the floor. he took a second to let his eyes roam your body, savoring every inch of it. you felt peter's tongue immediately connect itself to your clit, going in slow, circular motions. you gripped his head, pressing his face into your thighs. that only encouraged him, as he began to suck on your clit. he inserted a finger inside of you, pumping it in and out.

"god," he groaned, "you taste so good baby."

"you're going to make me cum," you moaned, your cheeks hot and jaw slack. even though you had received oral before, peter was by far the best you ever had.

his tongue slowly licked up, taking in all of your pussy. he fingered you, making a hook with his two fingers. you could feel tension building up in you, driving you crazy. your orgasm was coming soon, and peter showed no signs of slowing down. peter wanted nothing more to do this all night if he could.

"you're close aren't you?" peter's breath was hot, "c'mon princess, you're almost there."

he sucked on your clit, squeezing one of your breasts in his hand. his fingers pulled on your nipple, and you felt yourself come undone. your loud moans filled the room, and peter gripped your thighs to keep you on the bed. he licked you until your thighs stopped trembling. once he was finished, he glanced up at you, his cheeks flushed.

you took his hand, sucking on his two fingers. he bit his lip, letting out a small sigh, "i told you that you tasted good."

your eyes drifted down at the sight of his hard on through his joggers. your hand palmed him through the fabric, and pleasure washed over him.

"hey peter," you murmured, "did you bring any condoms?"

his face reddened, "no, i, um. i have some, but not with me."

your fingers latched themselves on the waistband of his joggers, slowly gliding down his legs. he was still hard, his skin hot and his face flushed. his breath hitched in his throat as you pulled down his boxers, your hand wrapping around the base of his cock.

"peter," your eyes met his, "please fuck me."

he almost came at the sound of your words, the innocence in your tone. he pushed you on your back, kissing you hungrily. you felt his tip on your clit, and you let out a small whine.

"what princess?" his voice made the room ten times hotter, "tell me what you want."

"i want you," you whined, your pleas desperate, "i need you to fuck me so bad."

his cock entered you, and you let out a moan of pleasure. peter started with slow, rhythmic strokes, and you could feel all of him as he did so. as he fucked you, you placed wet kisses all over his toned chest and neck.

"you feel so good," peter groaned, his ears burning red. his eyes met yours, and you felt another wave of pleasure wash over you.

peter's lips met yours, his teeth grazing your bottom lip. there was a slight sheen of sweat on his skin, along with yours. he intensified his pace, your nails digging into his shoulder blades as he fucked you senseless. his shyness was now stripped away from him, and you loved it. you loved this moment and everything going on between you so goddamn much.

"i'm gonna cum," peter moaned. he pulled out, finishing on your stomach.

his eyes met yours once again, and you both laid there, taking in the moment. peter's lips met yours for a gentle kiss.

"i'll go grab something to clean this up with," you murmured, about to get up.

"no, you stay here," peter instructed, "just tell me where the bathroom is and i will grab a towel or something."

you gave in, telling peter where the bathroom was. he slipped on his boxers and joggers, and then went to on the search for a towel. he came back, carefully cleaning you up.

hopping off you bed, you grabbed a hoodie, throwing it on, "that was amazing."

he gave you a cheeky smile, "i just wanted to conduct some research."

"and what conclusions did you draw?" you giggled as you searched for a new pair of underwear.

"that one," he began, "you taste good. two, you have a beautiful body. and three, i cannot wait to do that again, baby."

you slipped on new thong, then found a pair of joggers, "how about we just forget the project for the rest of the night then?"

peter scooped you into his arms on the bed, cuddling you, "i don't think that's a bad idea. it's not due for another two weeks anyways."

you pressed your lips against his shoulder, "we'll be alone for another few hours anyways."

"sounds like there's going to be a round two soon then," he chuckled, "by the way, i hope i wasn't bad or anything. it was kind of my first time doing stuff like that."

you felt yourself gasp, "there's no way."

"i was a virgin before tonight so," he murmured, slightly embarrassed.

"don't be shy about it," you gave him a chaste kiss, "it's not something to be ashamed of."

"well maybe i will become experienced enough tonight and we can do our project about human chemistry during sex," peter teased.

"in your dreams, geek," you rolled your eyes playfully, and you felt his lips gently brush against your cheek.

you felt yourself collapse into his arms, feeling a slight wave of exhaustion overwhelm you. his fingers traced your back under the hoodie, and you allowed yourself to close your eyes, content to be in the arms of your boy.

if only you got to spend every night like this with peter.

******

[actualaster]

Happy one (1) year anniversary to my Werewolf Aster AU!

I haven’t been able to get the whole thing written out though I have a rough outline now, but here’s a version of the scene that started this mess of an AU that’s consumed my soul for the past year.  When I finally write the whole thing for keeps it’ll probably get tweaked or even overhauled to fit into the larger narrative, but I at least wanted to get this down.

Content warning for somebody being chained up and muzzled, mostly naked, in the context of “is about to turn into a werewolf”?

Frowning, Richter slipped quietly down the hall of disused rooms converted into small storerooms, wondering at the oddly deserted air of this area.  While it certainly wouldn’t be expected to encounter many people needing to fetch infrequently used things--especially in the evening as it was now--it still seemed strangely still and silent.

Come to think of it, the only person he’d spotted in this entire area of the Academy had looked like a guard who’d simply not noticed as he’d entered the area.  Was there something going on that had the place off limits?  There hadn’t been any actual warnings such as in other instances where rooms or halls might be off-limits due to some sort of incident...  Perhaps things had been going missing and a guard was just to ensure nobody was stealing?

Turning a corner, Richter continued along towards his destination, a room at the end of the hall with some extra supplies to refill those used up elsewhere.

Though soft in actual volume, in the odd stillness of the hall the scrape of metal against stone nearly sent Richter jumping through the ceiling.  Whirling around, he found himself still alone, wondering if he was just being oddly paranoid.

The sound came again, muffled as if from behind a door perhaps?  Was somebody else here fetching something?  None of the doors were ajar, and beneath each only darkness could be seen--the lights within the rooms turned off.  Some sort of animal, maybe, that got into a room?

Honestly, the damn cleaning supplies could wait until morning.  Richter turned, intending to leave when a second sound reached his ears--a quiet whimper, and what may have been a sob.

No way in hell that’s some kind of animal, did somebody maybe get stuck in one of the rooms?

Richter moved cautiously forwards, wondering which room whoever it was might be stuck in, but something--some unnamed sense of unease and dread--kept him from calling out, some instinct for silence he couldn’t quite put a finger on.

The sound of metal scraping stone came again, closer, and he moved slower and more silently, acutely aware of how very alone he was at the moment.  He passed silently in front of a window on the outer wall, the very first faint traces of moonlight beginning to be visible at moonrise.

The whimper came again, more desperate this time, something about it sounding almost...  Distorted.

Richter stopped in front of a door, heart hammering for reasons he couldn’t grasp, unease radiating through him and making him reluctant to move forwards.

Another muffled sob, half-familiar in tone reached him.

He moved swiftly the few steps to close the distance to the door, and tried the handle--unlocked.  Richter pushed the door open wide, the light from the hall and the window behind him spilling into the room to illuminate the small room, more of a glorified closet than anything, and the figure huddled within.

Rope bound wrists together, ankles together, held oversized metal restraints that otherwise should have easily slipped off in place around the limbs, the neck, and the muzzle fitted over too much of the face to be a proper restraint--as if the metalwork were meant to contain a much larger entity than was currently bound into them.

Chains that looked thick enough to contain some kind of massive animal led from the metal restraints to the walls and floor, attached to bases driven deep into the stone to secure them.

Skin bright in the light falling upon it, the only clothing present a lab coat apparently made for someone several times the size of the person wearing it

Tear-filled green eyes, wide with shock, horror, and absolute unbridled terror stared up into his own from beneath limp, blond hair.

“Aster?!”

[periminkle]

Orphic | 01

After moving into your own place, it seems life is finally going your way; the path to independence leading you to a quaint suburban town where even the grass seems to grow a little greener. Although a shocking encounter leads you to believe that perhaps appearances can be quite deceiving.

pairing: hybrid!jk x reader (first person)

genre: hybrid au, angst, fluff

word count: 7.3k (includes slightly edited version of preview!)

rating: PG-15

warnings: mentions of blood, swearing, scuffle, not nice people >:(

author’s note: the first chap! thanks so much for all the love for the preview and pls let me know if you enjoyed it bc i have even more of a praise kink than our king jimin :) i don’t wanna know if u hated it lmao get outta herE

→ previous | next

“Almost there... And... Done!”

I heaved the last of the sturdy boxes into the narrow doorway, pride bubbling at my unexpected strength. Droplets of salty perspiration were beginning to form at my temples and became increasingly uncomfortable the longer I stood there. 

But, with a litter of obnoxiously brown boxes blocking the route into my recently purchased home, I had no way of setting foot past the minimal space by the doorway. “Shit.”

Spontaneously deciding that enough energy had been exerted for the day, evident by the shroud of darkness out the expansive windows, a few steps took me back out the front door. I followed the chipped white timber of the sides of my house, heading towards the back entrance.

Even though the plot was relatively large in size, the cottage built upon the land was minuscule; a single floor encompassing a kitchen, living room, hallway, bedroom and bathroom. 

With that being said, the rest of the expanse was mine to revel in and admire. Hence the lack of fence encompassing my area, seeing as the forest bled its way into my recently mowed lawn anyhow.

The bulk of the towering woodland was hidden in a blanket of obscurity, brought about by the later hours that subtly induced unease. Those late night horror movie marathons only worsened the unrest in my mind. 

I tried to dispel the disquietude with thoughts of the methodic chirping, courtesy of the tiny orchestra of crickets that seemed to be scattered in every which direction. The smell of the damp earth invaded my senses and relaxed my shoulders a fraction.

Albeit, the crunch of dead leaves being trampled under a heavy weight belonging to an unknown being unsettled me enough to break into a scurry along my wooden porch. 

With a slight shiver slipping down my spine, I shook any solicitude off and slid open the unlocked door. I was greeted by the cool air conditioning of the indoors, as well as a telltale grumble from my own drained form.

I preheated a batch of leftovers that I’d thankfully packed from my family’s house, foreseeing how debilitating the move would be. Without regard to the lamentable furniture surrounding me, I plonked down on a creaky seat and felt my depleted energy stored slowly being refilled with each bite.

Even though my furnishings and house were humble, regret had no place in my mind for the difficult decision I’d made to pack up and leave my childhood home. Over there, the lights never flickered and scuffled furniture simply didn’t exist, with even the moldings on the walls lacking even a speck of dust.

But I witnessed, lived, through the monstrosities that lay beyond all those superficial aspects. The suffocating nature, not in the air that circulated around the place, but in the individuals with no respect for one another. My tolerance thinned over the years and I’d left the second I could.

Living in a secluded area of my tiny town had its own perks for my antisocial self — one of which being an absurd amount of land for a relatively cheap price — but the appeal of living in a bustling city wasn’t lost on me. 

For reasons excluding my relatives, I was simply tired of having lived in a city my whole life and desired some form of change, meeting new mindsets and developing my own.

Before I’d even properly settled in, I’d been convinced that moving out here had been a brilliant decision. Saving up for a couple years to be able to rent out a cozy cottage with a stunning forest as my backyard was turning out to be my haven.

Albeit, the pesky bugs were certainly not a part of that bliss.

I detached myself from the distant thoughts about my life hundreds of miles away and focused on the scenery across from me, better able to observe the breathtaking quality of the tenebrous forest from the safety of my new home. The sylvan scent penetrated my home, having closed only the window screen behind me when I entered.

Hearing the weak mewl of some kind of feline peaked my curiosity, wondering if a neighbour’s cat had taken a long journey and gotten themselves lost. I picked up the slow movement slinking among the bramble that connected my backyard to the thick timberland. 

The light from my lamps only extended so far and unluckily, I was unable to properly identify the animal staggering towards my back porch. My heart ached, thinking that this poor animal must be starving and in need of help. 

An apparent limp in its movements tugged at the last of my heartstrings. My fridge was stocked full, being one of my top priorities when I moved in; so food wasn’t a problem right now. Deciding it would be nice to make a new friend, I gathered my own bowl and headed outside.

The sliding of the window screen startled the pitiful creature, making a hasty retreat in the form of a hobble to find refuge in the foliage, hiding and waiting for my next move. I let out a small smile, hoping to appear as friendly as possible as I slowly stepped out into the chilly night air once again. 

“Hey buddy, what’re you doing out here?” I crouched down and laid the bowl on the floor. “It’s kinda cold out, hm?”

Not even the twitch of a leaf.

“Are you hungry?” 

I was met once again with no reaction. Deflated yet understanding in the lack of trust, I pushed myself back up, grabbing the bowl. As I stepped towards the door though, I heard it again.

Mew.

With a quiet giggle, I turned back, winked at the still-hidden creature and stepped inside, sliding the door closed. The night was silent, save for the trill of the crickets reaching their own encore for the night when the door abruptly opened once again.

“You like tuna, bud?” A smaller plate with canned tuna, out of the can but still in its cylindrical shape was placed on the last step of the porch. “Thought you might like that more than leftovers, huh?”

Although the same lack of response took place, I wasn’t deterred this time, smiling one last time into the darkness. “Enjoy it, but not too much okay? Go back to your owner’s house after this.” I let a shiver run through my body from the cold nipping my bare skin before ambling back inside to finish off my own dinner.

Despite my words, I did hope the kitty would come visit again.

I felt yet another ache pulse through my stiff back. The absence of a proper bed to sleep in at night was duly noted and the task of assembling my bed frame was bumped up higher on my to-do list for the day. Another night of cuddling up on the freezing, rigid floor with only a flimsy sheet to cushion my restless body might strip a decade out of my life expectancy.

A feeble attempt to flatten out my wrinkled button up — that I painstakingly ironed the day before — proved as fruitless as the dozen other times I tried smoothing it out just this morning. I brushed the imaginary dust off my modest pencil skirt while I was at it, resigning to my rumpled fate.

Groaning, I swiftly nabbed a granola bar and a pre-made sandwich I’d filled with tuna, inspired by the incident with the hidden feline last night. Despite the gruelling urge within me to check for possible remainders on the porch step, the blinking light from the oven clock pushed me down the slender hall and back to my barricaded doorway,

I squawked in recollection, pushing at the hefty boxes in a flurry. Eventually, I created a tunnel which I crawled through, slipping some sneakers on before stumbling out to the bus stop. When I recalled that the closest stop was a five minute walk, time being a luxury I couldn’t afford right now, I broke into a sprint.

With heaving lungs, I reached the little blue shelter just as the bulky vehicle rounded the corner. A few steps, the tap of a card, the beep of the completed transaction, and a huff brought me on to an austere seat. 

The same shade of prosaic blue within the bus itself led my eyes to the view beyond the dirty windows, marvelling at the vibrant greens and bright earthy tones that blocked any view of the sky. 

Fifteen minutes condensed into seconds, my mind racing with the new possibilities and experiences this town would bring me. Even the prospect of the shy kitty returning again tonight prompted a brief smile.

Dismounting from the stifling vehicle, I took a moment to adjust to the blinding white shade of the laboratory; I pursed my lips in determination. Hoping to appear graceful with long strides, I made my way to the entrance, pulling open the heavy door with a click. A receptionist came into view. 

She could barely be seen over the lengthy, curved desk, only the top of her coiffed strands on the crown of her head peaking through. As I approached, I took in her excessively teased hair and big brown eyes, accented with thick, black liner. 

Clasping both hands together in a bundle of chilly nerves, I patiently waited for the tapping of the keyboard to cease before she turned one heavily shadowed lid towards me. “Hello, welcome to the Test Centre of Enriched Mutagens, how can I help you today?”

Only slightly intimidated, I fumbled with my fingers out of sight. “Uh, hi there. I recently got hired as a lab attendant here.” Cursing my distinctly timid tone I continued, “I was instructed to ask for a Kim Seokjin?”

A stiff nod and more typing was my only reply. Orbs remaining trained on the monitor in front of her as the lady picked up the receiver, punched some numbers in a rapid succession, then situated the phone between her right shoulder and ear. The fervent tapping continued.

I wondered what she was typing up that was so important.

“Yes, she’s here director,” she quipped. My gaze lodged itself onto her name tag, framed by her strawberry blonde locks. Bae Eunmi. “Of course, I’ll send her up.”

The receiver clicked in place as she nodded her head towards the left. After a couple seconds passed with no further acknowledgement, I became increasingly aware that the short interaction was all I was going to get out of the curt woman, trekking over to the elevator she had indicated earlier.

With only two floors to the laboratory, the trip wasn’t long enough to grant me time to compose myself from the abrupt conversation I experienced before I was met with a long hallway, ending with a sturdy door that had a slit above the bulky handle for a keycard.

Seeing as I had not received any sort of card, I peered around at the nameplates drilled beside the other wooden doors. This floor ominously had no windows, a dingy, low lamp the only source of light that allowed me to decipher the engravings.

I passed a few flashy titles before I reached Assistant Director Kim Seokjin.

With a deceivingly confident knock and a shaky inhale I picked up a faint, “come in.”

A rather spacious office was revealed as I pulled open the heavy wood — shelves filled with packed binders, loose papers scattered across the desk with a thin monitor practically concealed under neon coloured sticky notes. Even the two chairs tucked away in the corner had a teetering stack of paperwork on each seat.

I took a step inside the chaotic space and bowed to the man whose sunken eyes flickered to my own. “Hi, sorry to disturb you. My name is Y/N and we talked on the phone last week. I’m the new research attendant.”

He flashed me a kind smile through his exhaustion, his evidently dull features proof of a long night. Considering the sheer amount of paper work in his office, I wasn’t sure a good night’s rest was ever on this man’s schedule.

“Ah, yes, you came down from the city, correct?” I nodded in confirmation, glad he remembered our previous conversation. “My apologies that the director couldn’t meet you himself, but you’ll get to see my handsome face instead,” he chuckled, sounding faintly similar to a windshield wiper. “I’m Kim Seokjin, the assistant director, but you can just call me Jin, everyone here does.”

I felt my tense body slacken at his warmth and bright disposition despite his arduous workload. Unconsciously, I suspected the whole staff may be terse and unwelcoming, though I was thankful that I was pleasantly mistaken. In my comfort, a chortle escaped my lips. “Alright then, Jin, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Of course it is,” he exclaimed with a jesting harrumph. “So, how are you liking this lonely town so far?”

Taking a few steps closer I responded honestly. “Even though the loneliness hasn’t hit me yet, I feel like I can finally breathe here. The city was a bit much sometimes.”

Humming in an understanding tone, I watched him rise from his plush chair, plucking one of the many binders out of the shelf and placing it on top of the mountain of papers on his desk. “That’s a good mentality, you know? I hope you can always find the silver lining in any situation you’re thrown into.”

Jin grips one of the many contracts laid within and slides it over to me with a pen. “Sign each highlight please.”

As I read over all the nitty gritty details, the man across from me continued, “I really hope you can be as resilient as we need you to be, Y/N. I know it’s tough work, but I just have a good feeling about you.”

Not paying much mind to Jin’s ramblings I easily agreed and handed the completed contract back.

“Well, come on then, I’ll introduce you to the people you’ll be working with.”

I accompanied Jin back out his office and down the hall, past yet another sturdy wooden door. The strong, pungent scent of coffee assaulted my nose, confirming the new space I’d entered was the break room; two male employees lounging around and sipping on their steaming mugs. 

“You finally came out of that office Jin?” A tall man leaning against one of the tables called out first, grinning with his dimples on full display. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Yeah, well, it seems like I’m the only one doing work around here anymore.” He jested, a playful smirk attached to his handsome visage.

“You can’t blame us, you know Hyunho and Minzi would never let us breathe the same air as their ‘confidential project.’ Wouldn’t want our ‘inexperienced hands’ ruining the whole thing.” The other man in the room rolled his eyes, taking another sip of the bitter liquid in his cup. 

“We’re not getting into this again, you two.” Seokjin gave a stern look, any lighthearted air in the room dissipating along with his remark. He glanced back at me, nudging me forward with a tap to my shoulder. “This is the new lab attendant, Y/N.”

Although the sharp-eyed man spared a sympathetic glance my way he backfired with, “yeah, the third one this month.” 

“Yoongi, I said that’s enough.” Although Seokjin’s words were strict and clipped, the palm rubbing over his face displayed his fatigue.

“I just don’t understand why we can’t even have access to the files, I mean we are researchers too, this is complete bullshi—”

“Y/N, I’ll be heading back to my office to finish up some paperwork, alright? These two can show you ropes.” The assistant director turned in my direction, the corners of his lips twitching upwards ever so slightly before trudging back to his office.

The shorter man slammed his mug down on the shabby table with a low, “goddamnit.”

“Honestly, I think this little guy is the best part of the whole place.” The dimpled man who had introduced himself as Kim Namjoon flashed his dimples, attempting to overcompensate for his gloomy partner, Min Yoongi. 

The two had been working as lab assistants here for a few years now and despite the seniority, Namjoon insisted on maintaining a first name basis with both him and Yoongi. He also offered a tour, which I graciously accepted.

“A jaguar?”

“A baby jaguar.” The sprawled sleeping form of a pitch black feline met my eyes. “He was brought in about three months ago. His name is Taemin.” I carefully approached the cage, maintaining a safe distance as a general precaution despite his lack of consciousness. 

Rather than providing comfort, I found that the muzzle locked around his jaws unsettled me further, which I found oddly paradoxical. I guess my designated tour guide picked up on my discomfort when he voiced, “he’s docile enough to us, but if Hyunho or any of his lackeys come by, he can get real aggressive.”

This was the second time that name popped up into the conversation and I quelled my blazing curiosity, dispelling any urges to question Namjoon about the mysterious figure. With the negative context his name was brought up with and the dark, brooding look Yoongi wore, I decided it was best not to prod, for my own sake as well.

I was brought back to reality when the animal in front of me shifted slightly. Despite my reluctancy to become attached, I couldn’t help but coo when a stretch wracked his small form, turning over in his sleep. 

Although I had done my share of research into this laboratory before applying to the position and was cognizant that they didn’t harm any of their subjects — I knew Taemin’s life wasn’t in any danger, but he would be gone once all his testing was complete. I refused to get too emotionally attached in order to avoid future heartache.

 I noticed his head cuddling deeper into his plush bed and knew my plan was futile. “You think he would like me?”

Namjoon let out a hum in thought, “I’m not too sure. You can try petting him if you want, just make sure to let him sniff you first.”

Slowly unlocking the cage, I extended my hand towards the muzzle, waiting with bated breath. The still sleeping animal brought up its head and placed his cheek in my cupped hand, letting loose a faint purr that I felt traveling up my palm. I stroked the edge of his jaw that wasn’t covered by the muzzle.

Oh no.

It was too late, Taemin owned every inch of my heart.

Gently placing his head back down onto his fluffy bed, my hand made a swift retreat as I flicked the lock back in place. I hoped I would be able to see more of the baby in the future.

Standing back up to face Namjoon I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the angel behind bars. Pondering when we would head to the second floor after having examined every speck of dust in the first floor, I voiced my thoughts to the lanky man. “So, are we heading back up now?” 

A sigh met my ears and I turned to look at the brooding culprit who hadn’t opened his mouth since the tense interaction with Seokjin, simply tagging along the tour that Namjoon narrated. “We can’t introduce you to anything you haven’t already seen upstairs.” When he met my confused orbs he continued, “we can only enter the break room and Jin’s office up there, everything else is off limits.”

“Oh, um... I don’t mean to sound rude, especially since this is my first day and everything, but the equipment down here seem pretty... Insufficient for quality resear-” I stuttered out my concerns.

“Don’t you think we know that? Why do you think we go through lab attendants so quickly? Nobody wants to stay in a place that doesn’t have the proper equipment to perform any kind of substantial research. Not to mention neither of the head researchers trust us enough to even look at the stupid files.”

Namjoon piped in, probably sensing how heated the other man was getting. “We mainly just note the patterns in the bases of a variety of animals’ DNA that involve certain genes.”

“Not to say that’s not effective research, but scientists with your qualifications usually investigate more ground-breaking subjects.” I became a bit dejected at my own future here; I applied for a job here to further my ambitions, knowing this lab was well-known for its high quality studies.

Would I be forced to move back to the city? I couldn’t tuck tail and scutter home after all the effort and money I expended on this move, not to mention the disastrous situation I would be faced with if I returned now. No, I was desperate to find a reason to stick it out. “Why do you two stay here then? Why not just find another lab?”

“It wasn’t always like this, Y/N. It’s been over half a year now since the new management came in and basically brought in a whole new set of personnel with them. They took all the most expensive equipment upstairs and sealed it behind a locked door.”

“They even replaced the damned cleaning staff.” Yoongi scoffed out, painstakingly fed up with the circumstances.

Namjoon crossed his arms, giving a warning look over to man with bleached locks, probably in order to keep his anger from bleeding through for the second time today. “They were adamant about keeping Jin and he let us stick around, couldn’t leave this lab in the hands of complete strangers.”

“But why—”

My wrist was suddenly enclosed in Yoongi’s long, thin fingers, dragging me into the assistant researcher’s office they had familiarized me with half an hour ago. I saw Namjoon glance around before entering in after us and closing the door behind him.

Yoongi released his grip on me, leaning in close and hissing out, “it’s all some cryptic confidentiality bullshit. They’re doing something up there, something revolutionary, something dangerous, and they only trust their own people to keep quiet.” 

With a hum, slightly intimidated, I questioned, “okay, but why did they evacuate the whole place, why not just build another lab and—”

Namjoon leant against the door, lowering his voice as well. “This is a remote town, there won’t be many people to question and investigate what they’re studying all the way out here.” 

With many overwhelming thoughts raging, the locked door upstairs abruptly came to mind. “You don’t have the keycard either, I’m guessing.”

“You pick things up pretty quick, huh?”

After the draining events at work, I felt no motivation to peel off my thoroughly wrinkled items of clothing, having switched out of the lab clothes in the changing room back at work. 

Rather than a physical enervation, the realization that my expectations to further my own studies was not a reality here sapped me of any incentive to unpack or do anything of value.

The temptation of warm pyjamas encasing my shivering body as I slept another night on the hard surface of the floor was almost reason enough to conjure up some hidden energy from the deepest recesses of my body. 

I crawled my way though the makeshift hole I made earlier in the day through two of the boxes. Thankfully, no roommates meant that the house was absent of another being to pester me regarding the hassle I made at the entrance, though I thought it was quite clever considering my circumstances.

The sun had set many hours back, which I failed to detect as all my concentration was set on marking down the base sequence that brought about Taemin’s black fur colour. Jin was double-checking the state of each room before locking up for the night when he discovered my form, hunched over a microscope. 

Continuing to the kitchen on hands and knees out of my present shortage in strength, I nearly decided to call it a night right there in the middle of the hallway. Though, I settled with briskly whipping up an egg or two in hopes that it would replenish enough energy to tidy up a bit before retiring to bed. 

I left the eggs to cook as I departed, off to locate a plate, which I only had two of at the moment, courtesy of the unloading that needed to be completed at the doorway. A glimpse into the sink revealed the location of one suspect, dirty from yesterday’s dinner.

I tugged open the nearest cabinet to search for the other one because I sure as hell was not washing any dishes right now. But, instead of the ceramic I was expecting, the bare walls of the storage area stumped me.

The memory of the creature I’d met yesterday flashed through my mind, bringing about a sudden burst of excitement that had me shuffling my way to the backyard door, flicking the porch light on and staring at the wood that seemed to glare back at me. 

No sight of the tuna or the plate. 

Initially, I took extreme offence to the absurd situation. I graciously extended a helping hand to a vulnerable cat to enjoy some savoury tuna and the bugger decided to steal—

Wait.

How in the hell did the thumbless feline pick up the hefty plate in the first place?

After snooping around the surrounding area a bit, no sight of the pristine plate, I gave up. Maybe it held the ceramic in its mouth?

The mental image I’d conjured up brought a slight chuckle out of me, cutting short when catching sight of several crimson paw prints on the porch, accompanied by specks of the same hue. I pondered the unusually large size of the print, slightly larger than my palm. 

An alarmingly large quantity of blood appeared with each step, the pace of my heart quickening with worry both for myself and the creature. Who could harm a massive animal like this and for what purpose?

I also thought about if the splotches would wash out with the rain or if I had to slot in a time to come out and clean off the marks. Although, the cleaning supplies were also in those unpacked boxes, so any stain removal had to be put on hold.

The bloody prints extended into my lawn as well, blades of grass covered in a layer of red. From what I could make out, the trail was U-shaped, beginning from the forest, coming to where I stood at the porch, then heading back.

A spike of fear travelled through me when a thicket shook violently. Were these stains left by the kitty I encountered the day before? From my limited knowledge in zoology, I doubted that large cats could even produce such pathetic mewls with their vocal chords, which were better suited to growl or roar. 

But what was a creature of this size doing on the outskirts of civilization? I wasn’t too sure about how far the woodlands extended past my yard, but I was relatively certain that the bulkier predators had more than enough space to themselves without needing to expand their territory.

I was in the midst of this back-and-forth conflict with myself when I heard a familiar cry reaching my ears. Pushing back my raucous thoughts for a moment, I settled on responding to little thief.

“You’re back! Do you happen to have my plate by any chance?”

The lack of response confirmed my suspicions. I was now down to one, currently grubby plate in the house.

“Alright, fine, keep the damn thing.” The initial fear and suspicion I felt had simmered down quite bit, heavily due to the lack of aggression on the animal’s part and a distinct fondness I held for my first friend here that I wasn’t aware of yet. Though, I remained on guard, as there could always be another beast lurking.

In order to discover any of answers I was seeking, I knew that I had to take matters into my own hands and decipher whether my pitiful kitty was actually a large, ferocious feline— badly hurt, nonetheless. I took the portable first-aid kit out of my bag as well as the forgotten, squished tuna sandwich.

Removing the saran wrap and crumpling it into a ball, I placed the much-smaller-than-I-remember sandwich down on the wood as bait. “Guess we can’t be civil, huh bub? If you’re gonna steal my plate, have the courage to show yourself, you criminal," I teased and hoped to lure the cautious creature out. 

Nothing.

“Hey, you wanna come and let me get a look at you? I can see if I can patch you up, how about that?”

Nope.

“Come on, look! You’re favourite tuna, in a delicious sandwich now!”

Nada.

I pouted at the bundle of leaves I knew the feline was hiding under, hoping to elicit some kind of reaction. Albeit, any sliver of hope was crushed with the lack of movement. Worry grew at the back of my mind, desperately hoping that the creature could live through their seemingly dire injuries. I flashed a regretful smile and lowered the sandwich on the last step. 

At the very least, I wished that the snack would provide energy for its body to repair itself. With one last glance at the silent underbrush, I turned my back and lumbered into the confines of my cottage. Hopefully, I would get another chance to beckon the mammal out of its hiding place tomorrow.

The contrast of the dark droplets of blood against the light wood of my porch disturbed me more than I’d like to admit.

The daily routine of travelling to work, interacting with the few friends I made there and coming back home to attend late night meetings with my concealed kitty was growing on me. I was elated that I finally found a group of my own people, and not-quite-people, to converse and share thoughts with. 

However, this town also seemed to have its own fair share of rotten apples.

I finally met the rumoured Lee Hyunho, a bulky man who introduced himself as one of the two head researchers. He seemed polite enough at first, but I detected the same brusque characteristic I noticed in the receptionist from my first day. 

It appeared that all the staff brought in by the “new” management had this particular quality. 

My own frustrations began to grow alongside Namjoon and Yoongi, constantly repeating the same tasks over and over again, day after day. When I tried to confront the other head researcher, Joo Minzi, about granting us more access to the studies they were conducting, she made it very clear that my “inexperienced hands” were not permitted to touch any of their files, test subjects or even approach the lab upstairs.

Charming, really.

The interaction left me fuming, much to Namjoon’s amusement, claiming that he now had two fiery beasts to quell. My interactions with the arrogant staff members were limited though, and bouncing between Namjoon, Yoongi, Jin, and the surprisingly amicable janitor made the work days bearable. 

I also took immense pleasure in going against Minzi’s words by playing with Taemin every once in a while.

I was proud to announce my accomplishment in finally unloading all of the supplies within my many boxes to anyone that would listen, now able to revel in the tidiness of my living space. The guys were able to visit now too, previously refusing to crawl through my rather unique entryway.

Progress concerning my kitty was little to none, but I did discover that it was immensely therapeutic to relay my worries to the mammal, finding comfort in its presence.

I took the rustling of the leaves as acknowledgement for my exasperated tone. “I mean, I don’t even feel like a researcher there! It’s all ‘hey newbie, go get me a coffee,’ ‘this is classified, no touching,’ ‘you can’t participate, this isn’t a charity,’ blah, blah, blah...” I raised my tone and ended my rant with a pout, embodying the childish behaviour that encompassed how I felt I was being treated as of late.

“Remember the really cute janitor I was telling you about? Jung Hoseok? Well, he was telling me about some stuff he heard when he was cleaning the lab upstairs.” I heard a short swish of foliage being disrupted, which I assumed was a result of the creature tilting its head.

“Apparently, they’d made big advancements on whatever stupid ‘highly confidential’ project they’re working on. It definitely has something to do with the patterns in different animals’ DNA, but I can’t pinpoint exactly what they’re trying to accomplish...

“And guess what? Hoseok said he’d overheard that they’d lost a test subject a little over a week ago! There’s probably a mouse scurrying around somewhere, living his best, liberated life right now.” I shifted in place, adjusting my position to make myself more comfortable in the chilly night. “I just wish I knew what was going on, you know...”

“I wanted to prove them all wrong.” I sneaked a glimpse at the forest for any indication of a vocal response I knew the creature gave occasionally. In a small voice I added, “but maybe they were right.”

Another shuffle broke through my lengthy monologue and I facetiously grinned towards the camouflaged animal. “Y’know, I’m starting to really question whether you’re here for my company or for this,” I pointed to the tuna, disturbingly still in that short cylindrical shape. 

I stared past the obscure stalks of the trees, having found consolation and tranquility in the space a few days prior, even from beyond my glass door. My initial apprehension of unknown monsters subsided and it was reassuring to know that my kitty was somewhere in there as well.

Another shuffle revealed a pair of bright, beady eyes meeting my own enlarged ones. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest by the sudden appearance, although I tried not to alarm the creature back into hiding by revealing my own trepidation. 

Knowing the keen senses felines had, there was little doubt in my mind that the one across from me wouldn’t be able to pick up my instantaneous change in demeanour.

“You gonna come and get it or what?” With a slight nod towards the meal, I cursed the slight quiver in my voice and prayed that the creature felt comfortable enough to reveal more of itself to me. My curiosity was bubbling as I allowed my gaze to travel to the crown of its head. 

I concluded that the creature’s fur was either pure black or another dark tone, hard to decipher when I didn’t have the enhanced night vision of the mammal perched a few metres away. Said feline made no further movements, keeping his gaze trained on me. 

I analyzed the elongated slits that served as pupils, engraving the rich green shade of its irises into my mind, fearful that this sudden intimacy may scare the mammal off, never to be seen again. But, I found myself unable to divert my gaze, feeling as though I was staring at a physical manifestation of the pure soul of the forest.

It was utterly mesmerizing.

An impatient gruff left the creature’s mouth, snapping me out of my reverie and I resigned. “Alright, alright, don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m leaving alright?”

Maybe one day the mammal would feel comfortable enough to eat in front of me and I could migrate my dinners to the porch outside. Refusing to get too greedy, I reminded myself that the baby steps taken today were infinitely better than none at all.

With one foot in my house, I turned back to the tantalizing eyes, still focused on my pyjama-clad form as I beamed back gratefully. “’Night bud.”

The snapping of the lock clicking back into place alleviated some of the soreness of my overworked muscles as I took another step inside. My head fell back to sneak a glance at the ceiling, hoping to peek past the old plaster and stare into the eyes of any higher being out there.

I quickly considered whether to thank them for this opportunity of a lifetime or to curse them out for my seemingly limitless workload.

As my eyelids slid close in defeat, an exhausted sigh involuntarily slipped out into the silence. Kicking off my shoes into the pitiful pile by the doorway to join the rest of its brethren, I wandered deeper into my rather small abode in the darkness; only my padded footsteps and the zipper of my jacket being undone 

Hearing my stomach rumble with its complaints, I made the couple steps toward the kitchen’s light switch. But, an abrupt halt came with the memory of yesterday’s optimistic plan of embarking on a trip to the grocery store after a short work shift.

Evidently, I hadn’t predicted the gruelling day I would have nor the extra hours that would be requested of me. I found that I’d been frequenting the store quite often as of late, the demand of food increasing once another mouth to feed came into question.

In a reluctant fashion, I pulled my jacket back up to my shoulders, knowing that the fridge was just as empty as my stomach currently was. I pushed my aching limbs back towards the entrance, pondering over whether the grocery store was even open this late in the night.

However, I was forced to a grinding halt once again as I heard a booming thump from my backyard and my blood ran cold.

I waited with bated breath as my heart rate elevated, pounding in my ears. A minute of stillness passed before yet another sigh escaped my jittery body. Another disadvantage of a remote plot included being frightened by every snap of a twig.

As a scoff passed through my chapped lips at my own cowardly antics, I began to resume my trek to the front door when another thud reached my ears. The recognition of the sound coming from the backyard alerted me that this time may be different, with the presence of an actual threat.

Following a series of gut-wrenching cracking noises, hurried footsteps approaching the wooden porch in my backyard startled me to action.

Hastily, I dashed back to the kitchen to grab an unnecessarily large kitchen knife out of the drawer and flew to cover behind my minuscule island. A quick glimpse down towards my chest revealed my shaking hands. Well, this is certainly one way to spice up my night.

Listening to the intruder fumble with the lock for a little while before it was being smashed into, I knew I couldn’t just stay cowering behind my kitchen island, waiting for this murderer to come and end my night (and all my subsequent nights thereafter). The rage behind having to buy and reinstall a new lock also propelled my need for revenge.

I took in a deep breath and steeled myself as the footsteps wandered in, coming straight towards the kitchen. A loud growl reverberated throughout my house and befuddled me further. Was the intruder simply a feral animal? The lack of a problem with my lock dismissed that thought but I couldn’t shake the feeling of a predator having sneaked into my house.

The feeling of being stalked.

I rapidly shook off that irrational thought, doubtful the stranger even knew of another presence in the house. As the intruder turned the corner — coming straight towards my hiding spot — I reared back a little before launching myself with my dull knife leading the way.

A screech made its way out of my throat as the intruder’s reflexes were evidently a lot better than mine, catching my wrist before I could inflict any damage. But, I refused to give in just yet as I attempted to smash the hard edge of my palm straight into the stranger’s nose in order to buy myself some time to flee.

Unfortunately, for me, that attack never reached its target as the intruder caught my throat in his other hand much faster and used his larger frame to smash my body against the fridge.

The wind escaped me, though I kept squirming to try whip my knee straight to his crotch as a final ditch attempt. I lightly cursed as a glimpse informed me the intruder was a brawny man.

He noticed my struggle and easily flipped me around, one hand finding purchase in my hair, banging my head against the cool metal of the fridge and the other held both of my hands pinned to my back. The knife clattered to the ground in a dangerous arc.

In the middle of wondering how the hell he gathered my wrists and disabled me in a split second, I felt a heavy growl in the shell of my ear. A cold shiver slipped down my spine, adrenaline slowing leaving my body as we both puffed out breaths of exertion.

What the actual fu—

“No hurt, need bandage and go.”

His broken English came out with a slight accent and I found myself nodding instantaneously as I tried to work out what he needed. “Okay, okay,” I muttered as best as I could with half my face smushed, “I have bandages in the big drawer by the sink. You can take those.”

I only received a grunt in acknowledgement. He nudged me with his foot to shuffle backwards with his hand still wrapped around my wrists and led me to the sink. Half curious about his motives and half accepting that I could never overpower the stranger, I followed obediently. Though that didn’t stop me from deliberating over how to outsmart the man.

Deciding on waiting for an opening or a slack in the grip around my wrists, I nodded my head towards the drawer I was referring to earlier and finally peered up at my intruder’s shadowed face. He wore a black ball cap on, aiding in hiding his features which were mostly guarded by the lack of light anyway.

A glance at the lower half of his visage allowed me to witness his pale lips and the small mole directly underneath them, as well as a sharp jawline leading to his exposed neck. Inconspicuously bringing my gaze even lower, I took in his matching tattered black outfit, confirming his bulky build and scuffed sneakers.

Maybe I could run to the nearest police station — which admittedly, was rather far, and provide a detailed description of the criminal. Considering if I made it out alive, of course.

With his vacant hand he swiftly pulled the drawer open, taking handfuls of bandages, gloves, bandaids and other miscellaneous items I crammed in there. The stranger stuffed as much equipment as he could fit into the large pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.

I would have found his full little pouch endearing if I wasn’t preoccupied with worrying over my own well-being.

Another awkward wobble later, we were back at the fridge. At this point, I was gathering all the courage I had left to aim for a pressure point on the criminal’s thigh that I vaguely knew the location of. I should have paid more attention in those self-defence classes, damnit.

Just as I turned to act, he bent down to pick up the discarded knife off the floor, effectively deterring my attack and forcing me into submission. He then turned to me to flash a slight smirk.

“Cute.”

Releasing his death grip on my bound wrists, he sprinted back out my now broken back door, heading off.

After a couple minutes of stewing in my thoughts, back against the cool fridge, I  struggled to comprehend the brief interaction and the dark drops of crimson littered all over my white tiles.

I still have to go grocery shopping.

tags: @aurorakingsley​

[breaddaerb]

Oi Bread,,,,tysm for the hcs,,,also colud ya do Razejoy ones,,?

[ raze x killjoy I ]

✎↷: YES! i read through your reblog the minute i woke up and it was so freaking good my god. thank you for paying attention to my writing, it means a lot 🥺 awoo... we should be friends if you’re okay with that! in the meantime, enjoy these hcs!

because killjoy and raze have always been close, finding them in a relationship wasn’t all that surprising. before protocol, they knew each other because of kingdom: killjoy with her internship there and raze as a anti-kingdom soldier. how they crossed paths was peculiar, because raze had singlehandedly broken into kingdom and fell into a standoff with the other girl.

at this point they were only seventeen, eighteen or so, but the encounter with raze had changed killjoy’s life. killjoy had already teetered on the edge of leaving kingdom, and raze only worsened the girl’s wonders by telling her about the world that killjoy didn’t know about. the one without due dates, the one where her inventions could easily thrive in the markets.

unbelievably, the engineer actually let the girl talk her through it. she didn’t know how the soldier managed to get in and out of her wing of headquarters (its because she let her.) but she was going to hold onto those words for the rest of her life.

they kissed the last time raze visited her. killjoy had pulled her in, with stiff limbs knocking against each other. the german had given her a light peck as a goodbye and a thank you, even when she never admitted her gratefulness out loud. raze had grinned, held her by the shoulders and hugged her tight. farewell, friend.

—

it was weird to find out that this agent - not by the name of izzy, but raze - would be joining them. the twenty-year-old genius had met those bright, energetic eyes from the other side of the docking bay and thought to herself: “i missed you.”

their friendship really only blossoms from there, and the kiss goes unspoken about. and then raze and killjoy have a fight.

what it was about, both of you would tell them different stories, but it had ended with them being in a tense stand-off in killjoy’s lab just like all those years ago. where killjoy finally lost her stubborn fight, sitting on the floor wearily and holding a hand to her temple - raze was at her side within seconds, her nails gliding over the brunette’s scalp in a mock massage. they stayed like that for a while and eventually shared their apologies for such a prolonged fight.

and they shared a kiss. one, and then the next, soft and fleeting. if it was the energy in the room, killjoy couldn’t tell you. the more reasonable answer would’ve been the lingering feelings left from so long ago, or how the engineer was doomed from the moment raze had blew out the wall in her original lab. ‘chaos is a factor of attractiveness’, she subconsciously thought.

the duo can be considered destructive at best, and it’s not as if killjoy encourages raze to blow things up to test their durability or not! she thinks her partner is adorable, but if she dares to land a gunpowder-caked hand on one of her pieces of equipment, then it’s over for her. she’s made this incredibly clear to raze, and when the woman doesn’t like to listen, killjoy would grab her by the hips and pull her down onto her lap where she was working and firmly tell her to behave.

it usually works because raze likes to cuddle, and most of the time she’ll sit there with her arms around her neck and legs pressing into the engineer’s stomach. it’s harder to work with her there, but killjoy would much rather have that then a random explosion on her precious robots.

if you thought that cats were cute when they gave you dead rats, imagine how cute raze was when she handed killjoy a firework and told her to light it up. in her laboratory. killjoy confiscated it and made her girlfriend whine about phoenix and hers’ plans to blow up everyone’s rooms, and the engineer had groaned. “well, why not do it in jett’s quarters? her belongings are more burnable than mine.”

jett never got to collect another gundam set after the chaos that took place in her room.

most of the time, killjoy and raze are in killjoy’s own lab. it’s somewhat larger and it smells cleaner, and raze has always liked to curl up on the soft cushions killjoy has set up all over the place. and since they don’t have a shared workspace like cypher and killjoy did, raze’s ‘man cave’ corner had also been turned into a makeshift work space. the rule is no explosives in the room, but killjoy has allowed raze’s boom bot and her satchel so long as she stays in the far edge of her lab.

the german is lenient with raze. she gives into her puppy eyes easily, as much as she hates them, but the brazilian has always managed to return the favor well. what she wasn’t lenient with was raze trying to do a double satchel into her lab so she could land on her beanbag, and the engineer literally slapped the woman mid air and sent her sprawling to the floor.

when the other gets sick or injured, there’s coddling involved. when raze’s injuries were gruesome to the point where she was bedridden made killjoy sit on the side of her bed the whole time, working on her reports or entertaining the woman. vice versa.

they really don’t spend time without the other. killjoy is easily entertained by raze, and raze enjoys sharing bad jokes with killjoy, so it’s a win win situation.

with that being said, it didn’t explain what the new agent yoru saw when he walked into the kitchen the first day he arrived. it was late at night, so he didn’t expect anyone to be out, but instead he saw killjoy sitting on raze’s shoulders, with the two of them trying to see who could safely get the cookie jar down from the top cabinet without breaking it.

“this is what my new workplace has to offer?” he drawled, and watched as the two women simply turned to look at him. so they could sense him. good. raze laughed and killjoy stifled a chuckle, sliding the cookie jar down into her arms. “it’s group bonding,” killjoy explained simply, taking out one of the cookies to place in raze’s mouth. “want one?”

he was beginning to feel at home already.

cypher encouraged raze and killjoy’s relationship, but what he didn’t encourage was the constant tormenting when the two teamed up on him. he didn’t like his exploding cameras, and he didn’t like to find exploding alarm bots when he turned the corner. someone’s blog i read before had said tech wars, and they’re absolutely right - it’s a whole mess with the trio.

raze and killjoy went on a date to an amusement park. both of them were fans of the more extreme roller coasters, and spent the day doing that and eating junk food. honestly, unhealthy eating habits seem to have untied the two women, with killjoy’s convenience store food stash growing bigger and bigger everytime the brazilian visited her. most of their bodies are probably made up of msg and sodium.

they have a pet crab. his name is jared, and he’s nineteen.

[nitewrighter]

Heya, Mun!! :Dc

I absolutely adored the Thing fic with the fankids!!! And I was wondering if there would be a continuation/part 2/sequel to that fic? Or was the gang's leaving through the elevator them leaving to safety? I was just imagining them just unwittingly sinking deeper into the bowels of that lab for more terrifying encounters! I hope you're doing well!!! :DDD

(Referring back to this fic)

The elevator was supposed to be them going up to safety, but I think followup would be interesting...

----

Winston, Jack, Mei, and Mercy were all seated at the conference table, opposite of Marti, Aedan, Jaime, and Samir. A part of Aedan was relieved that the people looking at their debrief was mostly scientists, but it still made his stomach turn as Jack frowned at his tablet.

“...a blob,” said Jack Morrison, glancing up from the tablet that held the team’s debrief, “...you went into the Talon lab, and you were attacked by a blob.”

“A mass of nanites and human tissue, yes,” said Samir.

“A blob,” said Jaime.

“It’s unclear if it was attacking or attempting to communicate,” said Marti, not fully making eye contact with him. Jack’s wrinkled brow furrowed wincingly at her own words, lending further reality to the events described to him. Jaime had bullshitted him before, and Aedan and Samir both had a habit of launching off into multiple tangents that suggested muddled observation, but Marti had eyes on a mission that he could count on as his own--probably better than his own, with his age.

“Was--was this like back at Urdr, or--?” said Jack.

“You have to understand, this wasn’t a nanite amalgam,” said Aedan, “It had human DNA. In all likelihood, it had your DNA.”

“And Reyes’s,” Samir added in as Jack paled.

“So, what, this was a failed attempt before they made the woman that attacked you back in Japan?” said Jack.

“Andrea,” said Aedan.

Jack gave him an odd look, mulling over the name.  

“Her name is Andrea,” said Aedan.

“From the Greek ‘Andros,’ ‘of man,’” Winston chimed in, “Quite a clever name considering her--” Jack shot a look at Winston and Winston cleared his throat.

“Yes--We’re pretty sure the lab was the site, or a site, where they were attempting to clone you and Reyes,” said Marti.

“And you said you sealed the lab behind you?” said Winston, looking at Marti.

“We could open it again, with decryption,” said Marti.

“Don’t really want to do that anytime soon though...” said Jaime.

“And you said it apparently ‘fed’ on biotics and... biomass?” said Mercy, looking at her own tablet.

“Our working theory is that it must have consumed several scientists, forcing Talon to abandon the site,” said Samir.

“If it made it out, it could spell ecological disaster for the surrounding area,” murmured Mei.

“Well, that might be dependent on how... resilient it is,” said Aedan, “I mean, just outside that lab is unforgiving snowy peaks and glacial ocean. If it has human DNA, it might be subject to similar limitations.”

“So it can be killed,” said Jack.

Aedan paled.

“If it’s sealed in the lab, it could just... starve to death on its own, right?” said Jaime.

“With the artificial aging on clones and biotics basically shutting down decomposition on the clones that were still in their amnio-tanks, it’s not actually clear how long its been down there,” said Aedan. His gaze had become fixed on the wood of the table, “But based on how it reacted to our presence...”

“I think it was hungry,” said Jaime.

Aedan could feel Mercy’s eyes on him, studious, discerning, and he wanted to shrink into his chair and disappear.

“If the lab is sealed, I think we can assume it doesn’t currently present a threat to the surrounding area,” said Winston.

“So, we just stick a pin in the secret lab in Cordillera Darwin that has a cannibalistic human-nanite blob lurking around in it?” said Jack.

“Well, we could call in Interpol,” said Winston.

Aedan tensed in his seat at the mental image of a wall of armed agents of some unknown country fixing their sights on the blob.

“We still don’t know the extent of how much Talon may have infiltrated the UN or different governments,” said Jack.

Mercy shuddered, “Just as well, if the existence of such an organism becomes mainstream knowledge, it could kick off a biological arms race. Even governments who abhor Talon’s biological experiments may see the need to create their own... projects... to try and counter it.”

“Keeping secrets never went particularly well for us, either,” said Jack.

“Mei and I could test the waters with other scientists in our correspondence,” said Mercy, “Get a gauge on how desperate other countries might be with regards to Talon’s research...”

“We could have Athena re-direct one of our satellites to send us more regular updates of imagery of the area if anything changes,” suggested Mei, “I could set up cryo-mines to stop it without too much damage to the lab...”

“If it could be frozen...” said Winston.

“if I had some samples of it... just to get a better idea of what we’re up against...” Mercy started.

“Why are we against it?” said Aedan, his voice came out as a flinch. “It didn’t ask to be made, but now we’re talking about killing it like it’s--it’s-- some sort of infection!”

“We didn’t say we would kill it,” said Winston.

“Only that it could be killed--” Aedan argued.

“It’s not an infection--” Mei started calmly.

“You said it was an ecological threat!”

“It consumes biomass---” Mei started.

“It has human DNA---” Aedan’s voice was overlapping with hers, “What, because it’s ugly? Because it’s a blob?”

“Even if it has intelligence, it’s highly likely that intelligence was also shaped by Talon’s brainwashing. If it’s smart, it could be as hell-bent on destroying us as that other cl--Andrea,” said Jack.

“But LaCroix came back from it!” said Aedan, “What, it comes into the world with no context except what Talon pumped into it and we just decide it’s a monster!? Let it be locked away in that lab or--?”

Aedan felt a hand on his shoulder and he glanced sharply over at Marti. “What?!” he snapped.

“...it tried to eat us,” said Marti.

“I--” Aedan inhaled and found his breath was short. Aedan wasn’t sure what he was arguing. He could remember the sheer terror of that thing pursuing him, the sheer horror that it came from an amnio-tank like he did. For a few mad flailing seconds he wondered if this was some instinct his mother implanted in him--an unconscious kinship with the monstrous, some mental building block for the world she wanted to build--no, no, too much speculation, too much spiraling. “I’m emotionally compromised,” Aedan said, standing up, “If you require further details on the debrief, you can call me but--I--I need some air.”

“Aedan--” Samir started as he stood up but Aedan was already out the door.

“...so... putting a pin in it?” said Winston, after a long pause.

----

David Bowie’s ‘Quicksand’ warbled through Aedan’s earbuds as he listened to the song on his comm and sat on the small bench in the Watchpoint garden. Aedan closed his eyes and took in the smell of upturned earth and orange blossoms on the ocean air. The sunlight glowed red through his eyelids, but he opened his eyes as he felt a shadow pass over him and startled slightly to see Mercy blocking the sun. He tensed a bit. “...is... there something you need, Doctor Ziegler?” he said warily.

“May I sit?” said Mercy.

Aedan scooted over and she took a seat next to him on the garden bench. A long silence passed between them.

“You know, we planted that olive tree over there when Rei was born,” Mercy said, pushing brightness into her voice and pointing at an olive tree with some canvas spread beneath it to catch the falling olives.

“Yes, she, um... told me when she gave me the tour,” said Aedan.

“Oh,” said Mercy. And they sat in silence a while longer. Aedan couldn’t recall a time when Mercy had ever actively sought him out, and she seemed too awkward to have any malice in her actions--not that it was really in character for her to go out of her way to be malicious to him, but he knew his presence in general made her uncomfortable, especially with regards to Rei. Mercy clasped her hands together in her lap.

“Aedan--” she started.

“Look--” Aedan started speaking at the same time but he caught himself and glanced down, “Sorry. You go first.”

“I... wanted to apologize for that debriefing,” said Mercy, “Of course it was standard procedure that those on the mission be present, and given the nature of the mission, it was important that you were there, but we should have taken more care.”

“I know... time sensitive,” said Aedan, slouching his elbows onto his knees.

“And... I apologize for the precedent I’ve set in how I’ve treated you,” said Mercy.

Aedan blinked. “What?”

“You threw all security and your entire future with Talon away to save Rei, but I still viewed you as a potential threat to us for months,” said Mercy.

“Well... that’s fair,” Aedan said a little helplessly, not really sure what to say, “I mean, given the history with LaCroix---”

“And we all rationalized it as that for all that time when it must have been incredibly lonely to you,” said Mercy.

“I was scared of it, too,” Aedan blurted out.

“What?” said Mercy.

“I--I was scared Mum put something in me. Something in my head. Some unconscious set of automatic orders that I would follow just when we’d all let our guard down,” his breath shook a little, “I even looked for it--Master Zenyatta helped me search for it in my head--some Shambali hypnosis thing--but it wasn’t there. But a part of me’s still scared of it,” Aedan threaded his thin fingers into his red hair, “Zenyatta said, maybe this fear is some... manifestation of having this-this consciousness just... propped up within me all at once. Like... I don’t have... the physical chronology so my brain keeps thinking there has to be something more and then jumping to the worst conclusion---” he curled his knuckles against his forehead, “Seeing that thing in that lab--Mum made me to prove that nanite organisms can survive infancy--and once Talon knew they could do that, they just started making....” His other hand unconsciously went over the point on his solarplexus where Andrea’s fist had torn out of him, “They just... started making...” He drew a steadying breath before letting his hand drop from his solarplexus.

He felt a gentle hand on his back and his head jerked over to look at Mercy. She was looking at him gently.

“I don’t know what I could say that could comfort you,” Mercy said quietly, “I wish I did.”

“Honestly I’m still kind of processing the fact that you’re even listening to me right now,” said Aedan.

Mercy snorted. “Fair,” she said with a slight nod before looking over at him, “Have you... mentioned any of this to Rei?”

“I’ve heaped enough clone hangups on her,” muttered Aedan, “And she’s scared enough about Mnemosyne nearly being used on her back in Urdr without me adding my anxieties to the list.”

“You shouldn’t think like that,” said Mercy.

“Like what?”

“Making yourself smaller and living with a problem rather than working through it,” said Mercy, “But... you could talk to me, or Genji, or Zenyatta about it. There was a time when Genji had a lot of anxieties about how human he was, as well.”

“Oh--Uh, thank you,” said Aedan, honestly more than a little intimidated at the prospect of talking to Rei’s father.

“You’re a part of this team, and you’ve proven that plenty of times,” Mercy went on, “And... we wanted you in that debriefing not just because you were on the mission, but I think... we thought you might know better than anyone how to deal with..”

“A giant cannibalistic human tissue nanite blob that we’re not even sure is sentient?” said Aedan.

“Yes,” Mercy caught herself, “But I don’t mean ‘deal with’ like--”

“I understand,” said Aedan. He paused, “I--I don’t want to kill it. Or hurt it. Not unless we have to, and not until we understand it more.”

“I agree,” said Mercy.

“Maybe it could even help you find that cure for Reyes,” Aedan mentioned offhandedly.

Mercy gave him a slightly shrewd look.

“I knew it crossed your mind,” said Aedan, he caught himself, “But--it can’t be a lab rat, either...” his voice trailed off a little, “I wonder if it’s in pain right now...Maybe it had been down there so long, the nanites in it couldn’t distinguish between loneliness and hunger...” 

A softness filled Mercy’s eyes and she tilted her head at him slightly. 

“What?” said Aedan.

“You know... your mother was always trying to push humanity to something... beyond human. I just think it’s very special that you try to see humanity in what we don’t understand.”

Aedan scratched at his temple blankly, weighing her words for a few long seconds. “Uh... thank you.”

Another pause passed between them, not uncomfortable, but both ruminating on passing over a threshold of mutual discomfort into a sort of cautious familiarity. 

“Does loneliness sometimes feel like hunger to you?” said Mercy, her brow crinkling slightly with some amused curiosity, “With your nanites?”

“Well, I don’t know if the connection is that direct, but sometimes I feel them... perking up when I’m with Rei, and I wonder if they’re responding to the biotics her body naturally--” Aedan realized he said the words ‘perking up’ and ‘her body’ regarding Rei to Rei’s mother, instantly caught himself, and noted that Mercy’s face had shifted from gentle curiosity to maternal alarm. He cleared his throat. “Er--I mean... it’s probably psychosomatic---It’s not like I feel the same around a biotic rifle---That is---nanites are--You know what? I’m going to stop talking.”

“Mm,” Mercy forced a nod, “Yes. I think this is a good point to stop.”

“Good talk?” said Aedan.

“Good talk,” Mercy huffed before standing up. 

“And--Doctor Ziegler?” Aedan said as Mercy started to walk away. She glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Thank you,” said Aedan, “Really.” 

Mercy smiled a little.