#Devon escape room

[rooolt]

have yet to stop thinking about the plane ride to Barcelona, aka the worlds most awkward plane ride in the world. Like who do we think sat together? Did Devon talk to any of them, like is she’s friends with any of the other teens? Did Eli and demetri drag other people into their drama, was demetri very obviously trying to avoid Eli, messing up the assumed plane seating arrangements? Was Robby brooding over his missing girlfriend and her dead mom the whole time? Were Daniel and Johnny still beefing or do we think they tried to save face for the kids? Is there any chance that Miguel and Sam were able to just have a nice time hanging out with each other on the flight or did they get dragged into everyone else’s drama? I’m so obsessed with the logistics of the Barcelona trip, not to mention the flight is like 11 hours long if it’s non-stop. it sounds like the trip from hell

[hearts4skywalker]

why don't you bring your girlfriend? // robby keene

materlist!!

summary: robby keene had always been cobra kai's top fighter. when kyler decides to throw a party, kenny and the others all bombard robby on why he doesn't bring his girlfriend to the party.

pairings: you and robby!!

warnings: pet names (baby), you're literally such cutie, fem prns, probably cringe, takes place end season 3 (except it doesn't really make timeline sense but for the sake of the one-shot bear with me), hawk and devon being cobra kai, it didn't not come out the way i wanted to so i might make another robby one-shot idk 🤷‍♀️

w/c: 1100

robby had been punching the dummy for what felt like hours. his knuckles hurt and had blisters all over them. nothing cobra kai's top fighter couldn't deal with, however. next to the brunette was tory. she had just finished nis sparing with kyler when she sat down to take a drink.

seeing everyone grabbing water, robby followed. he twisted the cap off of a plastic water bottle, flicking it into a corner to never be found again. robby wasn't one to chat during practice. he found it disrupting and the last thing he would want to do is upset silver or kreese. truth be told, the boy was terrified of his senseis.

"party at mine tonight. be there by 7 or i'll open the kegs without you guys." robby didn't have to look up from staring at his bloody knuckles to know who's voice it was. kyler's voice annoyed robby to no end. robby listened to the people who said they'd be there. tory spoke up. "keene, you going?"

robby shook his head. "can't make it." kyler's face went from being full of pride to slightly offended. "why not? you too good for your friends now?" kyler rolled his eyes. robby cocked an eyebrow, standing up and walking over to the group. "sorry man i told my girlfriend i'd come over after practice." tory looked surprised.

kenny's eyes widened. "wait, robby, you have a girlfriend? since when?" this was news to everyone. even though robby and y/n had been dating since before he was on the run last year, the two never told anyone. partly because they were both very private people and partly because y/n was scared of samantha larusso. "uh about a year and a half now." robby looked around the room, realizing his mistake.

"why don't you bring your girlfriend?" tory interrogated. it was a pretty solid idea. robby just didn't know if y/n was all that of a party person. it couldn't hurt to ask he supposed. "i'll ask her. but no promises we'll show." and with that, robby left to head over to his girlfriends.

robby softly knocked on y/n's front door, knowing she was home alone and he didn't want to scare her. y/n quickly opened the door. her face lit up when she saw that it was robby. she threw her arms around his neck, giving him the biggest hug she could.

"hey, baby, i have a huge question to ask." robby started. the two had been laying in y/n's bed for quite some time now. it was around 6, an hour before the party started. y/n hummed in response. robby sat up, subconsciously scooting y/n up so she was still laying on his legs. robby took a deep breath. "kylershavingapartytonightandimayhaveaccidentallyletitslipthatwe'vebeendatingforayearandnowtheywantmetobringyousoyoucanmeetthem." (kylers having a party tonight and i kinda let it slip that we've been dating for a year and now they want me to bring you so you can meet them)

y/n was taken back by how quickly he attempted to get that out. "sure, seems fun." y/n patted robby's leg reassuringly. "wait really?" robby pushed his hair back, a sign of relief escaping his legs. "really. it's been a year and i think it's time for me to meet them." y/n sat up, shrugging. "you're actually the best." robby smiled, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

an hour later the two had arrived at kyler's house, already hearing the music blasting from a few houses down. there weren't many people there, just the cobras. tory described it as a "inner circle only" kind of thing. robby opened y/n's car door, offering his hand for her to grab. of course she couldn't pass on that offer. she took robby's hand. robby slammed the door shut with his free hand.

the two didn't know whether to knock or to just walk in. judging by how loud the music was, the two just walked in. the chatter stopped when the couple came into sight. "holy shit." kenny whispered to kyler, pointing at robby. "yo, keene, your girl was real?" kyler raised an eyebrow. y/n flipped him off. "this is y/n. y/n these guys are kyler, kenny, hawk, tory, devon, and....stingray?" robby pointed at each person, pausing at stingray.

y/n nodded towards everyone. her and robby went to go sit on the couch. "so, y/n, how did you and robby meet?" tory questioned, trying to help y/n ease into the group. (we love a polite queen) "oh.. uhh.. i think the first time we met he was working at larusso's car shop and i was picking up my car. right?" y/n held robby's hand a little tighter. she looked up at him for confirmation.

"pretty sure that's what happened." robby nodded. tory smiled at y/n. "c'mon, y/n. me, you, and devon can just talk while they do... whatever the fuck they're doing." tory had a weird tone in her voice when she said the last part. kyler had been trying to get stingray to chug a beer without spilling drop. "be back, baby." y/n kissed robby's cheek before taking tory's hand and running outside with her and devon.

devon took a breath of fresh air. "those people piss me off so much." devon laughed. tory nodded with her. the three girls sat in the grass, staring up at the stars. "you look good with robby. he's been a lot happier." tory reassured y/n. not like she needed the reassurance, but it was still nice to hear.

the girls talked about themselves, as well as cobra kai as a whole, for a good hour and a half before people started leaving the party. robby came outside, car keys in hand. "you ready?" he asked. y/n nodded, brushing the grass off her knees. she held her hands out for tory and devon to grab. she pulled them up within seconds. "it was so nice meeting you guys." y/n smiled at the two. the girls smiled back at her.

robby opened the car door for y/n, then closing it when she was fully in the car. he got into the driver's side, starting the car. "so, how'd you like them?" robby reached a hand over the gear stick to hold her hand. he rubbed his fingers over he knuckles. "it was good. they're sweet girls. especially tory." robby snickered.

y/n looker over at him confused. "it's nothing, baby. just never heard the words 'tory' and 'nice' in the same sentence."

[aliesbienish]

Set me on fire

Summary: Eloise Bridgerton x Female identifying reader

Your strong opinions have led you to many places, but none have felt as right as sitting beside a witty brunette at a women’s rights meeting.

—————

The dingy room, nestled above a tavern in the west end of London, was filled with many familiar faces. After almost a year of attending these bi-weekly meetings, you felt comfortable in this crowd. The mixture of gender, colour and age were comforting. Nothing like you see in your day to day life, and you were all the better for it.

A chance led you to these meetings of like-minded people. You accidentally stumbled on your valet, a sweet man around your age of one and twenty, talking about it with a maid from a few households down. Your interest was imeadiately peaked and reluctantly he divulged about the meetings he regularly attended. More convincing and he was letting you read issues of the groups pamphlets. It was world altering. Sure, you views were always rather outside of the standard norms… but knowing you weren’t alone in them was monumentos.

You quickly decided that these meetings were where you needed to be, and sneaking out with a borrowed set of clothes from one of your handmaidens became a normal occurrence. The first meeting was terrifying, feeling so out of place and underprepared. It was a shift going from believing yourself to be radical to realising how naive and conservative you are. However now you felt at home, discussing the newest issues with members that became your friends.

This meeting was your first of the year, your family had just returned from the Devon countryside for the tons new season that started a few days earlier . This year you were reluctantly debuting, despite having no desire for marriage. Your family were late to arrive, missing out on your presentation to Queen Charlotte thanks to your father being stuck in business negotiations with the neighbouring estate in Devon. You were just glad this had allowed you to have time get all your feelings out to friends at this meeting before you say something you would regret to your family, or worse the Queen.

While settling into your seat in the back row as the official meeting began you saw an unfamiliar late comer make her way into the room. The figure was a brunette girl who looked to be of similar age to yourself. She looked as you imagined you did at your first meeting, a mixture of terrified and exciting. You saw her glance at the spare seat beside you, your shawl neatly placed on it. You quickly moved it to your lap and gave her a reassuring smile.

“Thank you” she whispered as she slipped into the seat beside you.

“You’re welcome,” you whispered back, “I’m Y/N, is this your first meeting?”

“Eloise. It is, how can you tell?”

“I can sense the fear,” you joked causing a look of horror to pass across her face. “I’m kidding, I just attend regularly and have never noticed before. That and you are sporting the same expression I wore the first time. Don’t worry it will quickly change to one of awe. The speakers today are all wonderfully empowering, you’ll love it”

———————-

The meeting passed quickly, and you spent a fair chunk of time sitting side by side speaking to Eloise and answering any questions she had. You quickly realised how much you enjoyed her company, and couldn’t wait to spend some time with the witty young woman. That would have to wait until the next meeting, because unfortunately today was the day of your first ball. Your handmaidens had been poking and prodding you all day to get you ready for Lady Danbury’s ball to officially open the season. You could feel the pressure you father to be at your best behaviour, in fact it seemed to manifest in the pressure on your ribs from your corset.

All too soon you were exiting your carriage on the arms of your father, his tight grip ensuring you could not escape. The ball was in full swing, couples twirling, gaggles of women huddled together gossiping and men clearly rating the appearance of potential partners with drinks in hand. It was everything you dreaded. Your father led you in and was not so subtly pointing out all those worthy of talking to, men with titles from rich families. Eyes looked over you from all directions, raking up and down your figure. You felt like a prized cattle for sale, not a human being. You felt your heart race increase and your breath become rushed as your father introduced you to more men. Just as you thought you would be sick in the middle of the ballroom you got lost in a pair of grey eyes.

You breath calmed as you gazed into the eyes of a stunning woman standing in a gaggle of people near the refreshments. She looked almost shocked to see you, and it took a second before your realised this was the same girl from the meeting. You gave her a gentle smile. She turned to one man and two women beside her and spoke quietly to them, all four giving her a confused but agreeing nod before heading in your direction.

“Lord Y/L/N, it’s lovely to see you again,” the elder lady spoke to your father, the words accompanied by a polite bow.

“Lady Bridgerton, you likewise. This is my daughter Y/N, this is her first season.”

“Miss Y/N, lovely to make your acquaintance. This is my son Vicount Bridgerton and his lovely wife Vicountess Kate Bridgerton”

You bowed at both as they gave you polite smiles.

“Lord Y/L/N, would you allow me to accompany your daughter for a moment. I wish to introduce her to the rest of my family,” Lady Bridgerton asked. Your father nodded, knowing he had little choice unless he wanted to slight a powerful family of the Ton. You gratefully accompanied the three Bridgertons away from your father who went in the opposite direction towards some old business acquaintances.

“We are terribly sorry to bother you Miss, but my sister wanted to get to know her fellow debutant” Vicount Bridgerton said as you all headed towards the refreshments, where the said sister was waiting impatiently. “Miss Y/N, this is my sister Eloise Bridgerton.”

You smiled, happy to see Eloise again even if no one knew you two had ever meet before. She looked beautiful in her baby blue ballgown, but you couldn’t help think she looked just as good at the meeting where she could show her true personality.

“Thank you mother, siblings. I’m going to show Miss Y/N around,” Eloise said as she gently tugged your arm and led you away.

“Since when did she want to make friends?” You could hear the Vicount whisper to his just as bewildered wife.

—————

Eloise silently led you around the ballroom before sneaking outside the French doors as a large group came in. She pulled you down into the dark garden, stopping to pull you onto a bench hidden amongst the extravagant topiaries.

“Y/N, I can’t believe you’re here! I had no idea you were a member of the Ton,” She exclaimed once she was sure no one was around, giving you a tight hug.

“Unsurprisingly I don’t like speaking about it, at the moment it feels like the marriage mart goes against everything I believe in. I feel like I’m being paraded around to be sold to the highest bidder, my feelings never being taken into account” you grumbled. You grounded yourself again by looking into her eyes before whispering “It’s lovely to see you again El,”

“I’m truly sorry, you don’t deserve this. While I understand the pain of being a debutant I at least have the comfort of knowing that my family will not force upon me a marriage I don’t want. We will just have to do our best to find you a love match,”

“I appreciate that El, but I don’t think that will happen. In honesty I can’t see myself ever falling in love with a man,” you whispered baring your soul to her. You knew what her values were, and could only hope that she would support you with this secret.

“Oh,” Eloise whispered back, processing what you meant. “I truly understand”. She tentatively grabbed your hand stroking her thumb softly over your palm. While your heart broke knowing she’d be subjected to the same pain due to a cruel society you couldn’t help the hope that bubbled up.

“You feel it to right? As soon as I saw you today I felt like I could finally breath again,” you bared your soul, praying to every deity she wouldn’t run. For a moment she was silent, and you could feel your stomach drop as you tried to pull your still joined hand away in embarrassment.

“Yes, I feel it,” she finally said softly, tugging at your hand so you’d stay put. “I think I knew what it was when I first met you at the meeting, even as you teased me. The feeling was like how my mother described her first interaction with my father. I’ve been thinking about you ever since. Y/N, I know this may be improper…. but may I kiss you?”

You nodded slowly and lent in, closing your eyes as your lips gently met. Her lips were soft and silky against yours as you joined together. Neither of you fought for dominance, instead the kiss deepened instinctively your tongues dancing against each others. You could almost feel the fireworks, and you quickly realised you’d face whatever the consequences to be able to do this again and again.

Eventually you parted, both breathing heavy but with wide grins over your face. You stayed hands interlaced, side by side for as long as possible.

“Don’t worry, we’ll work something out. I won’t allow you to be separated from me.” She whispered to you as you rested your head on her shoulder.

A moment later she whispered again “do you believe in soulmates?”

FIN

Hi all, hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think, this is my first Bridgerton imagine so writing more formal conversations was not the easiest to wrap my head around. Hopefully minimal 21st centurisms appeared in our earlier 1800s England setting.

Feel free to send in any requests, I’m particularly looking forward to writing some Reader x Benedict works as well as getting a little more *x rated* because isn’t that half the fun of Bridgerton?!

Ali x

[zepskies]

Break Me Down - Part 17

Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x Female Reader

Summary: You’re a private investigator by trade, but now you happily sit at a desk — leading a surveillance team at Supe Affairs. After managing to end Homelander in New York, Soldier Boy escapes custody. You are recruited for the manhunt, joining Butcher’s team.

Truly, you joined the S.A. for the right reasons. But after you become his accidental hostage, Soldier Boy will break down every single one of them…

💚 Break Me Down Masterlist

AN: *Gives you a box of virtual tissues.* Just in case. 😘

Word Count: 6,000 Tags/Warnings: Macho angst ahead, hurt/comfort, major, major fluff…

Part 17: More Than Words Can Say

Mount Sinai Hospital was one of the largest private hospitals in the city. 

Fortunately, it was also the closest to Vought Tower, or what once had been the focal point of the superhero industry. It had been reduced to mere rubble and whatever dilapidated parts still stood. 

All the news outlets were covering the tower’s collapse, and speculating on what could’ve created the blast that made the entire city tremble—not unlike last year’s incident, when Soldier Boy killed the most powerful supe in the world.

In the hospital, M.M. walked through the Emergency Department until he found Yvette and her son, Devon. They sat beside each other on a single cot, now joined by Yvette’s husband Chris while she signed her discharge papers. She’d gotten off with a minor concussion and a bandage over her temple. 

“Just checking in on you guys,” M.M. said. Yvette smiled, but she asked about you. 

“She’s in surgery,” he told her. 

Yvette nodded, though tears welled up in her eyes. Chris rubbed her back and held his son’s shoulder. 

“Please call me with any news on her,” Yvette asked. 

“You got it,” M.M. said.

“And please,” she said, holding her son. “Thank Soldier Boy for us.”

M.M. paused at that. 

Seeing the family was well in hand, he returned to the trauma wing. There in the waiting room sat the whole team, minus Butcher, who���d been admitted to the hospital as well after the ED doctors didn’t like what they’d found on his lab reports. (But M.M. would look into that later. Hughie was with him now anyway.)

That left Frenchie, Kimiko, and Annie to wait for any news on you. Even Grace had arrived an hour ago. 

But M.M.’s attention was drawn to the dusty motherfucker standing near the hallway. 

Soldier Boy leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. The collar of his supe suit was undone to give his neck and chest some breathing room. He’d removed his gloves, and an empty gallon jug of water lied at his feet. 

He was covered in a fine layer of soot and grime, though he’d since washed his hands and face to the best of his ability. He was also flanked by his two hired men, Frank Cardoza and Lorenzo Rivales. 

Grace had run a quick background check on both, and as M.M. had learned, they were ex-Marines Soldier Boy had picked up in Colombia, while he was busy infiltrating a drug cartel.   

Fucking figures, M.M. thought, shaking his head as he watched the man. Grace stood and joined him.

“He’s not just gonna fuck off back to South America,” he told her. “You realize that right?”

She considered that with a tilt of her head. “Let’s just see what happens here.”

As if right on cue, your surgeon made his way down the hall and over to the waiting group. Ben pushed off the wall and went to meet him, as did Grace, Annie, and M.M. 

Annie and Ben eyed each other with mistrust and annoyance, respectively, but then he ignored her to regard the surgeon with a terse, expectant gaze.  

The doctor was a graying man in his fifties. He seemed to internally brace himself before he spoke, glancing at Ben first before the others. 

“We’ve repaired the damaged muscle around her right leg. The femur is broken. We also addressed the wound near her shoulder,” he said. “However, the rebar did nick her heart. She’ll need additional surgery to repair it.”

Ben sensed a but coming. He crossed his arms. “Okay, what’s the problem?”

The doctor gave a nod and a short sigh. 

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” he explained. “We’ve given her a transfusion, of course, but she’s in a delicate state right now.”

“So why’re you wasting time? Do your fucking job,” Ben snapped. Grace shot him a glance, but addressed the doctor herself.

“What are her odds, doctor?” she asked. Ben eyed her with a glare. She ignored him for the time being. 

“She needs this now. But, there is a chance she won’t make it out of surgery at this stage,” the surgeon replied. “The OR will be available in thirty minutes…so this would be the time to be with her, just in case she’s unable to get through this.”

“Excuse me?” Ben said. 

His tone was dark and deep with grit, and the doctor stepped back. No one dared attempt to hold Ben back, but Grace quickly thanked the doctor and urged him to move forward with prepping you for surgery. 

Loco shared a saddened look with Frank, who watched their boss with a deepening frown. 

Annie turned to Ben with a measure of sympathy, hidden underneath her irritation at his attitude and her worry for you. You were still her friend, and she felt guilty for how cold she’d been treating you lately. And she could see, at the very least, that this man cared about you. 

“Look, can you just calm down a bit? We’re all here hoping she pulls through,” Annie said. 

M.M. stood behind her, silent, supportive. But Ben just ignored her, and everyone else for that matter. 

He stalked down the hallway. And when he turned a corner, out of eyeshot, he growled and punched a hole deep into the closest wall.

Hughie perked up when Butcher finally started to rouse in his hospital bed. They had him on a hefty dose of morphine. 

He blinked his weary eyes, his head rolling over on the pillow. His lips quirked when he noticed Hughie, who was glaring at him. 

“Watching me sleep now?” Butcher remarked. “Pretty fuckin’ creepy, Hugh.”

“You’re such an asshole,” Hughie said. 

That was something Butcher couldn’t refute. He nodded. “I see they told you.”

“When were you gonna say something?” Hughie said. “When you fucking dropped dead?”

“Probably not even then,” Butcher teased. But when he took in the younger man’s face, all he saw was his little brother, Lenny. Butcher sighed. 

“Ain’t nothing any of us can do about it.”

“Fucking cancer?” Hughie said incredulously. “You could’ve gotten treatment.”

“Would’ve bought me a few more months, maybe,” Butcher admitted. That fell between them for a moment with stony silence. 

“It’s all right,” he added. “I’ve had my fucking time. Got to see the life drain from that golden cunt’s eyes…got to let my girl rest easy.”

Hughie didn’t buy that. Or maybe, he just didn’t want to. His eyes burned, both with emotion and determination. He stood from his seat and set out to find Grace. If there was anything that could help Butcher, she would know. 

While the others went down to the cafeteria for a bite to eat, Frank sat in the waiting room with Loco beside him and Dr. Baker’s briefcase on his lap.

He was sorting through its contents while Loco sat with crossed arms and slumping shoulders. He looked over at Frank’s stoic profile with a frown.

He was older, but not by much. They’d gone through one fresh hell after another together, and somehow, Frank always managed to pull their asses out of the wringer. It seemed Frank was trying to do the same for their boss. 

It was funny, actually. Soldier Boy wasn’t their first contractor. You were their first kidnapping though. Neither he or Frank had felt good about it when Antonio brought you back to the mansion in Medellin, but they’d agreed to do a job. Guarding you became part of that job. 

And yet, you had somehow reminded both Frank and Loco that they used to be respectable members of society. They used to have families, friends. They had once been soldiers. Good men. Maybe that was why they’d grown fond of you over the past few months. 

And Frank…well, Loco knew the man had his reasons for wanting to be done with this work. Loco couldn’t blame him; he was feeling tired himself. 

“Found anything good?” Loco asked in Spanish. Frank’s dark brows had drawn together in new interest.

“More than good,” he said. He looked up, but didn’t find Soldier Boy in the waiting room. “Where the hell did he go?”

Loco pointed to the reception desk. “Try asking someone.”

With a sharp sigh, Frank gave Loco the briefcase. “Guard that with your fucking life. Don’t let anyone from the CIA take it from you.”

Loco gave him a look of offense. “It’s like you don’t know me at all, bro. Fucking hurts.” 

Rolling his eyes, Frank got up and went over to the reception desk. 

“Excuse me,” he said. There seemed to be no one at the reception desk. Granted, it was late at night, and they technically weren’t supposed to be there. Grace Mallory had worked out an agreement with the hospital to allow them all to stay overnight. 

He didn’t have to wait too long though, as an on-duty nurse came over with a clipboard in hand. Her red hair caught his eye, along with her pretty smile. 

“Hi there. Can I help you?” she asked. 

Frank faltered, just for a moment. But he cleared his throat and met her eyes. 

“Did you happen to see which way Soldier Boy went?” he asked.

She gave him a wan smile and pointed down the hall, to the left. “That ‘a way. Think he had an argument with the wall over there.”

Frank followed her gaze and caught sight of the hole in the wall. He frowned. 

“Sorry about that,” he said. 

The nurse gave him a sideways look. “No worries, hun. It’s not your fisticuff outline in the wall, now is it?”

Once again, Frank didn’t know quite what to say to her slightly teasing smile. But he returned it, more reserved, but genuine. 

“Thank you,” he said, with a nod. Then he remembered then what he needed to do. 

And he took off brusquely down the hall. 

It took him a few minutes to pull his head together, but Ben eventually worked up his nerve to go and see you. 

You were still drugged out asleep, of course. He stood outside the large window of your private room in the Intensive Care Unit. He wouldn’t go in though. Part of him refused to believe it had gotten to this. 

And the reality, that this was his fault. He’d caused the blast that destroyed the tower. His fault he hadn’t gotten to you sooner.

“You are the reason I needed saving,” you’d told him once. 

You were right then, and it still held up now. 

So, no…he wouldn’t go in there, into your room. The truth was, he couldn’t. 

But Ben’s awareness prickled before he noticed, Frank had joined him. Ben tolerated it. While he wanted to be alone, maybe part of him (one he wouldn’t acknowledge) craved some kind of company. 

“You’ll get paid, don’t you fucking worry,” he said dryly. 

“That’s not the only reason I’m here,” Frank said. 

It felt like a confession. Ben didn’t reply though; he was focused on your pale face, covered by the breathing mask. Shallow puffs of air fogged the inside of it while your heart monitor clipped on.

“There’s another solution here,” Frank said. 

Ben gave him a cursory side glance. “She wouldn’t take Compound V. Not even to save her fucking life.”

“That didn’t stop you before,” Frank mentioned. 

Ben didn’t answer, but he’d been internally debating it ever since he’d spoken with the surgeon. 

“All right, get it over here,” he said. “The temporary stuff.” 

Frank rose a brow. He’d been curious enough to try testing the man. But now, he frowned.

“She won’t forgive you,” he pointed out. 

“What’re you, devil’s fucking advocate? She’ll get the fuck over it,” Ben snapped. 

But after his initial anger subsided…he knew his subordinate was right. 

“She’ll be alive to hate me,” he said, more honestly.  

Frank inclined his head. “There could be another way.” 

Ben glanced over at him. 

“She lost a lot of blood,” Frank said. Ben frowned.  

“They’ve given her fucking blood transfusions—” 

“Yeah, normal blood. A supe’s blood is stronger. Yours could probably heal her,” Frank said. “But, the only one who can break your skin is you.”

Ben eyed him in suspicion. “Who told you that?” 

“Read it somewhere,” Frank said evasively. 

Ben huffed in response, but as that realization truly sunk into his mind, his lips pressed together in new determination. He left Frank to start a brusque pace down the hall. 

He ignored the red-headed nurse calling at him at the reception desk when he shoved through a locked security door, into the OR unit. He searched until he found your surgeon and pulled him from the sink he was washing his hands in.

The man gasped with fright, though he tried to hide it looking up at Ben. “What the hell’re you doing?”

“I’m making a donation,” said Ben. He raised a blunt nail to his wrist. “You better hurry the fuck up, because I’m about to open a vein.”

It was morning by the time another doctor returned to deliver an update on your progress: the “treatment” was working. Your wounds had knitted closed within an hour following the blood transfusion, and you no longer needed surgery. They had also x-rayed your leg and found that the bone was whole once again. Even your broken ribs had healed.

Ben nodded at the news. He didn’t respond, and just started walking down the hall. Grace, Annie, and M.M. stared after him with mixed reactions of confusion and curiosity. 

“Where are you going?” Annie asked. She was exhausted; all of them were. 

The supe ignored her though. M.M. shared a look with her before he decided to follow the man. 

Meanwhile, Ben once again stopped in the middle of the hallway when he was out of view. He took in a slow, steadying breath of relief, his fists clenching at his sides.

“Congratulations. After today, you’re gonna get your statue put back up,” M.M. said.

Ben turned around to stare back at the man, schooling his face into a stoic frown. 

“Yvette and her son are going to be fine, by the way,” M.M. added, as he crossed his arms.

Ben paused slightly at that, filing that information away with secret satisfaction. 

To M.M., he merely raised a brow. “You got something to say, or are you going to keep wasting my fucking time?”  

“You think saving one black kid makes you a hero?” M.M. asked, point blank. “Taking down Vought. Saving her. What does that all mean to you?”

Ben frowned in irritation. “Why the fuck do you care?”

“Just answer the question. Be honest for once in your motherfuckin’ life,” M.M. said. “Do you really think you’re a hero?”

Silence fell between them. 

Ben didn’t know what it was about this guy. Maybe it was his persistence, or the fact that he’d pulled you out of the rubble and got you to a hospital in time to save your life. 

But Ben actually considered the question.

Killing Stan Edgar and Black Noir. Saving you. He’d done it all for selfish reasons. The kid…that was something else. His face stuck in Ben’s mind, how he’d trusted the superhero, like dumb kids were supposed to do.

But in that moment, carrying the tower on his back and knowing he was the only barrier between a mountain of hot rubble and this one kid…Ben hadn’t wanted to fail. 

And still. You are the reason I needed saving…

It wasn’t really saving the fucking day if he started it, was it?

Ben’s lips turned on a humorless smile. Still, he had saved the kid. And his mom. And you. For now, that was enough.

“Looks like I am,” said Ben.

But he met M.M.’s stare, briefly allowing him to glimpse beyond a wall of arrogance and pride.

And Ben walked away. M.M. watched him go in silent contemplation.

Grace intercepted Ben before he could visit you in the ICU. 

Christ. What the fuck now? he thought sourly. 

She gestured for a word, and with an annoyed look, he followed her down the hall.

“I’ll get to the point,” she said. “Butcher is sharing a floor with your girlfriend, down in Oncology.”

Ben raised a brow. That prick had cancer? Par for the fucking course, if he said so himself. 

“So?” he remarked. 

Grace sighed. She’d expected that reaction. “They’ve given him weeks, but the way he’s been pushing himself, more likely it’s days. Taking the untested Temp V long-term has had its adverse side effects…if you were to make another blood donation, I’ll make it worth your while.” 

So now his blood was some fucking wonder drug? Hell no, Ben thought. 

“You’re asking me to save the guy who’s double-crossed me, tried to hunt me down, tried to end me?” he said, with a dark, incredulous chuckle. “You can fuck right off, sweetheart.”

She grated at the sweetheart remark, but Grace leveled him with steely blue eyes.

“If it weren’t for me, you’d be on ice right now,” she pointed out. 

Ben’s lips pursed. He’d really like to snap this bitch’s fucking neck on principle…but then he thought about it. He could work this into his favor. 

“You know what. I’m having a good day, so maybe I’m feeling fucking generous,” he said. His mouth edged into a smirk. “But I think it’s time we renegotiated our contract. Don’t you?”

Grace stared up at him, and she inhaled a deep breath. 

“Fine.”

You slowly woke up in a hospital room, in a paper gown with an IV drip and a heart monitor. Which made sense, as the events of yesterday came back to you in a rush. 

But beyond feeling relieved to be alive, you also felt extremely well-rested. You didn’t feel like a building fell on you. 

What kind of masterful drugs are they giving me? You tried to read your chart on the wall, but you didn’t see any pain medication on there. 

Annie popped into your private recovery room. Her face brightened when she saw that you were awake. 

“Hey, hun! How do you feel?” she asked, lowering into a chair at your bedside. You wouldn’t know that this chair had been occupied by various members of the team over the past few hours, including M.M., Frenchie, Frank, and even Grace. 

“Great, actually,” you replied. But now you frowned. “I shouldn’t feel great.”

You remembered nearly being crushed under a pile of rubble. You remembered falling on a piece of rebar, and unable to move your crushed leg. You remembered the worry in Ben’s eyes… 

And panic stung at yours.

“Did they give me Compound V?” your voice shook when you asked. Annie calmed you down with a shake of her head and a reassuring hand on your arm. 

The door to your room opened once again. Ben’s frame filled up the doorway. When his eyes met yours, your breath caught in your throat. He was still in his supe suit, and with his hands resting on his belt, he strutted inside the room. 

M.M., Frenchie, Frank, Loco, and Kimiko came in behind him and at least looked showered. Ben looked like he hadn’t even done that much, nor slept all night.

“It wasn’t the V,” he said at last. “Just a little blood donation. Seemed to work like a charm.”

His resulting grin had a bit of charm in it as well. Your head tilted in confusion.

"Whose blood?" you asked.

"Mine," he said. His expression faded, slightly more serious.

You found yourself slowly smiling, though your brows still furrowed in surprise. He gave me his blood…instead of Compound V.

While you tried to wrap your mind around the gravity of that, you reached for the pitcher of water on the rolling tray beside you. You grasped the pitcher, but the plastic actually crunched in your hand. You gasped and moved your hand over so the water inside wouldn’t spill all over you.

Ben raised a brow. 

The room fell silent as all eyes stared at you. When the water finished pouring out onto the floor, you gently set it back down on the tray. 

“Seems you got some of his strength in the deal,” Annie remarked. 

“Great, there’s two of them,” Hughie quipped with a grin. 

“Well, that’s probably just temporary,” M.M. sighed. “Hopefully.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh, and it brought a slight grin to Ben’s lips. 

After a bit of well wishing, everyone cleared out of your room to let you rest up…except for Ben, Frank, and Loco. 

“What are you guys going to do now?” you asked of the latter two. Loco cracked his knuckles. 

“Got another job lined up in private security,” he revealed. “I’ve lost the taste for drug running. Nearly lost a damn toe on the last one.”

You laughed. “Well, thanks for doing one more job here.”

“Anything for el Capitán,” Loco said, giving Ben a respectful nod. “He pays exceedingly well.”

You raised a brow at Ben, who shrugged with a cocky grin. Smiling, you turned to Frank, who was sitting in the chair beside your bed. 

“And you?” you asked. Frank gave you a rare smile. 

“Going home,” he said. “To my daughter.”

Your eyes began to sting, but you tried to blink away the beginnings of tears. You nodded and squeezed his arm. 

“Give her a big hug for me. And thank you again…for everything,” you said, even though you realized that thanking your former guard keep was strange. Still, there had been no part of your kidnapping that was normal in the least. 

Frank hesitated, but he covered your hand with his. 

Though he caught the way Ben’s face tightened, and Frank let go of you. He stood with Loco, giving you and Ben a final nod. Then the two men left your room and disappeared down the hall.

Part of you felt melancholy, like chapters of your life were closing. But you also felt like new ones were waiting in the wings.

Your gaze turned to Ben, who stood near your bed.

He was looking over your chart to see if the doctors needed anything else before you were discharged. But your soft voice called to him, earning his attention. You beckoned him closer.

He went over and sat down on the edge of your bed, laying a hand on your thigh. You reached out for his arm. 

“Thank you,” you said. 

Ben scoffed, though a hint of humor glinted in his eyes. “For what? Saving your reckless ass for the millionth time?”

“For saving Yvette and her son,” you replied with a smile. “And yeah, all that other stuff.” 

Your hand slid down his arm and slipped into his hand. Your fingers curled around his palm. 

“Really. Thank you…” 

Tears welled up in your eyes again. You still couldn’t fucking believe he opened up one of his own veins and gave you his blood. He gave a public hospital his blood in order to save you. 

He could’ve easily slipped you V24 again, or worse, the permanent stuff. But he didn’t just save you. He’d respected your wishes. 

What you wanted to say next got stuck in your throat.

Ben had something hiding behind his eyes, like he was reluctant to show you his real emotions. But when he focused on your face, his hand tightened on yours. His jaw clenched, but he didn’t speak. He only let go of your hand to brush a falling tear from your cheek. His lips twitched at a smile.

“Come on now, baby doll. You’re tougher than that.”

You choked on a laugh as more of your tears slipped down your warming cheeks. “Nope. I’m actually not.”

“Hmm. Could’ve fooled me,” Ben said. You matched his grin with a beaming smile of your own.  

Slowly, you pushed yourself up and took his dirty face in your hands. You guided him down to you, and you pressed your lips to his. 

He allowed it with his usual demanding, fervent kiss. But then it slowed. He held your wrist to keep your hand in place on his cheek, and his thumb drew bath and forth over your skin. 

You parted from him, pulling back enough to see his face. There was so much you wanted to say…but maybe right now, it was too much. 

You met him with another tearful kiss.

Before you were officially discharged from the hospital, you had one more visitor. 

Grace was once again there to debrief you. This time though, Ben sat at your side on the bed, a silent statue who regarded the woman coolly. He seemed to be tolerating her presence with more ease than usual, and you wondered why.

“You’re going on medical leave,” she informed you. “For three months, and then a psychiatrist will need to clear you for duty.”

Part of you wanted to argue, considering you were completely healed of your injuries. But you knew you needed a break from the S.A.—from all of this. 

“Your mother and sister will be brought out of witness protection soon, after we determine that the threat is sufficiently neutralized,” she said. “You can return home today as well.”

You could finally go back to your apartment…though the thought didn’t call to you as much as it should have. You glanced over at Ben.

“Is this the part where you try to ship him back to Colombia?” you asked. 

“That was the agreement,” Grace said wryly. You frowned, trying to blink away the tears forming once again in your eyes.

You didn’t want to lose him, but you also didn’t want to give up your life here. You didn’t want to leave the S.A., or your family, or your friends. Ben put you out of your misery, however.

“We renegotiated,” he said. 

Your eyes widened. “What?”

Grace explained, “In exchange for his assistance in another case, he can stay in the U.S. on a trial basis. As long as he agrees to live within the law.”

You didn’t entirely trust Grace. Ben would be watched at every moment. That was a given, but considering he still didn’t have full control over his nuclear power, you were surprised Grace would allow him free roam within U.S. borders. 

“And, provided, he agrees to a relocation. Preferably not in a densely populated area,” Grace added.

There it is, you frowned. You shared a look with him, and you could see he wasn’t entirely on board with this. You had no doubt he’d agreed to her demands by lying through his teeth. 

You turned back to Grace.

“What if he becomes a contractor for Supe Affairs,” you proposed. “There may be some fallout after Vought’s collapse, and more of their records to go through. Other labs to clear out. Ben would be a lot of help, if he’s willing.”

You glanced at Ben again. He met your eyes, then Grace’s, and he nodded marginally. He was getting bored of the heat in South America anyway. 

Grace heaved a sigh. Ben’s lips formed a smirk. 

“Oh, relax. I just ended Vought. You’d be an idiot not to cash in on that PR,” he pointed out. 

“Need I remind you that you caused the tower’s collapse?” Grace said tersely. “And you did not end Vought. There will be repercussions to this, believe me.”

Ben’s face tightened, but you grasped his hand. 

“But he fulfilled the mission,” you said. “He took out Black Noir…and Stan Edgar in the process.”

“The idea was to arrest him, but I get your point,” Grace said. Her hand raised to cover her mouth as she thought about your proposal.

Eventually, she spoke. “If you can play by our rules, then we’ll contract with you. But until you get that atomic bomb under control, you can’t remain the city. Upstate is the best I can do.”

Ben chafed at being told what he couldn’t do. What the fuck was he going to do in Upstate New York? Slowly rot to death in dusty-ass suburbia?

You shot him a knowing look, raising a brow. 

“It’s a fair offer, Ben,” you pointed out. His lips pursed in annoyance. But he glanced at your hand in his.

Then he looked up at Grace. “Fine. But first, unfreeze my fucking bank accounts.”

Ben later led you out of the hospital. There was a car waiting outside, and he got in to drive, despite you offering. He must’ve been going on very little sleep, if any over the past two days. 

And of course, he’d refused to be seen at all medically, saying he was fine. You were still concerned about that destabilizing gun Black Noir had shot him with. 

“I’m fine,” Ben had claimed. “Just need some sleep, that’s all.”

You watched his profile for a moment, and a smile started to raise your lips…until you finally remembered something that felt like a heavy stone in your stomach.

“Um…” you said, earning Ben’s attention. You looked up at him. “My father’s dead…”

Good fucking riddance, was Ben’s initial reaction. Followed by a frown, as he now realized he would never get the pleasure of choking the shit out of Jon himself. 

Ben had been fucking livid to learn from Frank that you’d been left alone in the Tower with your father while it was coming down (and Ben was petty enough to dock that little slip up from Frank’s pay). Had that asshole lived, Ben wouldn’t have put it past him to try and take you with him after escaping the building. The mere thought grated on him. 

“Black Noir killed him,” you said, heaving a shaky breath. 

That cut through Ben’s thoughts. He glanced over, watching you fight some conflicting emotions. 

“…Punched a hole straight through his chest,” you added.

Ben hummed in acknowledgement. You turned to him with a raised brow and glassy eyes. When he realized you were expecting a bit more from him, his lips pursed.

“Well, he got a quick death,” he said. “Better than he fucking deserved, far as I’m concerned.”

You sighed and leaned your head back on the head rest. Your eyes closed. 

“Goddamn it, Ben.”

Ben eyed you with a deepening frown. “What the fuck do you expect me to say?”

“How about some decency?” you asked, as a tear fell down your cheek. “He tried to apologize. But I wouldn’t let him.”

He paused at that. While he thought you were being unreasonable, it begrudgingly dawned on him what you wanted, and maybe, what you needed. He sighed through his nose. Even now, you were a handful.

Ben reached over, taking your hand from your lap. He pressed the back of it to his lips, earning your mild surprise.  

“That’s not your fault,” he said. And he briefly took his eyes off the road to look into yours. “None of it was. You understand me?”

Your face softened. Though you tried to blink away your tears, a few of them still fell. You wiped at them with your free hand, while the other squeezed around his fingers, resting against your thigh. Despite how you were fracturing inside, warmth still kept you afloat. 

So you looked up at Ben, and you nodded. He seemed satisfied by your answer. He turned back fully to the road, but you kept a tight hold of his hand. He allowed it.   

“We’ll have to go to the safe house to get our stuff,” you said eventually, with a small sniffle.

“No need,” Ben said. “That’s taken care of.”

That confused you. Was he taking you to your apartment then? 

But instead, he drove you out of the city, and an hour upstate into Scarsdale. You’d never been there, but you knew it by reputation—as one of the most affluent towns in the state.

You were even more confused when he drove down a street flanked by tall hedges within a private community. He pulled into a circular driveway in front of an immense white house, with a red brick roof, colonial architecture, a manicured lawn, complete with matching fountains lining the front door.

Ben parked the car and encouraged you to get out with him. You followed him up to the front porch, expecting an old billionaire to pop out of the tall bushes at any moment to chase you away. 

“What’re we doing here?” you asked. His hands fell to the belt of his supe suit as he surveyed the stood, the door, and the walls for anything amiss. 

“I’m looking into buying it,” he revealed, as if he’d just told you, It’s pretty fucking sunny today, huh? 

“Our stuff is ready to be shipped out when the deal closes with the owner,” he added.

Your eyes flew wide. “What? When did you have time to scope out houses?” 

You’d only been discharged about an hour after the conversation with Grace. 

“I had Frank look into some shit. He found this one,” Ben shrugged. “Could use some work, but not bad.”

Our stuff, you repeated in your mind. This house…was he trying to recreate what the two of you had in Medellin?

And more importantly, was this his way of asking you to move in with him? 

Well, there’s not too much asking going on, you thought in annoyance. And yet, you blushed; the sentiment in itself was enough to warm you. 

You brought Ben back down to Earth by grasping his hands, earning his attention from the old grout in the tile.

“Ben, this place is amazing,” you said. “But I don’t know if I’ll be comfortable living like this.”

He frowned down at you. “What the hell do you mean? You could have anything you want here. It’s safe. Got plenty of room—”

“A bit too much room,” you said, holding up your thumb and forefinger a couple inches apart. 

He looked adorably grumpy. You smiled and squeezed his hand. 

“Did you really feel cozy and at home in that mansion with fifty rooms and nobody in ‘em?” you asked.

He didn’t answer you, and he didn’t seem happy either. You didn’t want him to take this as a rejection. 

“If we’re going to do this,” you said, “then can we start a little smaller? Somewhere that feels like home to both of us?”

Ben stared back at you in annoyance. “You need to broaden your palate.”

You just managed to stop yourself from laughing.

“You haven’t had a normal home in a long time, Ben,” you replied. Maybe ever, you realized. “How about you trust me?” 

He gave you a dubious frown.

“What about this,” you tried. “Let’s pick it out together! If in a few months you still hate the new place, we’ll try it your way.” 

“You’re assuming we’re gonna make it that long.” Ben was starting to wonder if this was going to work after all. The two of you were from very different worlds. 

You offered a cheeky smile. “I’m optimistic.”

He huffed. “Sure.” 

You reached up on your toes, and gripped the front of his suit when you leaned up to kiss him. His hands rose naturally to hold you, resting on your jean-clad hips. He followed your languid kiss, his furrowed brows relaxing when you touched his cheek.

When you broke from his lips, his eyes opened to find yours. 

“I am, Ben,” you said more seriously. “I’m not playing games. This is real to me, and I want to be with you.” 

But then you hesitated. You lowered back down to your feet. 

“But if it’s not to you…if you’re just passing time with me, until you get bored,” you said, “tell me now. Please.” 

It was Ben’s turn to hesitate. It was the please that got to him, along with your downturned gaze. He captured your chin between his fingers and raised your face up to him. 

“I’m not fucking around,” he said. “I want you to live with me.” 

Your smile was soft and bright when you took his hand. Ben wouldn’t admit it, but something in his chest stuttered to life then.

“Okay,” you said with a nod. “Let’s do it.”

AN: *squeals* It's happening! We've really gotten here, folks. How'd you like how it all wrapped up with Grace, M.M., and even Butcher?

But we're not quite there with these two yet...

Next Time:

“Why’re you nagging me like a goddamn wife?” he snapped.

“Wife?” you scoffed, crossing your arms. “You don’t even call me your girlfriend.”

But God forbid another man even smile in your direction. Ben was possessive, protective, and claimed with all but words that you were his. And yet, he wouldn’t say it.

You shouldn’t have been surprised that he was afraid of commitment, but you’d been living together for six damn months.

Keep reading: THE EPILOGUE

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[cursed-elements-blog]

If you love Chunt so much give us all available chanter facts.

okie dokie!!! if i get any wrong, I'll delete my account (lying). im also not going to just do a full plot recap!! i will have to reference some plot points though so spoilers for Echo VN.

Chunty wunty was born in 1993 between Spring (probably March/April, i don't remember when his spring break was) and November 1st. He is a north american river otter! he was born and raised within Echo.

when he was a child, he was kind of an asshole! using carl's fear of ghosts to get access to carl's game consoles when he wanted to stay the night and frequently telling lies to get what he wants. Chase tells himself via his inner monologue that his dick is huge. on november 1st 2008, chase got caught jacking off to gay porn (fox and horse specifically) by his parents and then spent the rest of the day avoiding them. he got together with leo the day after that. Chase has arachnophobia. chase is bisexual but tells people he's gay cause he says that it is much easier to do that than to explain what bisexual is. at college he had one single edible and had a terrible intense trip lmao man CANNOT handle weed.

Chunt and Jenna thought it would be funny to pull a prank on Leo, this ended up with Chase breaking up with Leo. he suffers from sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and dissociation because sam-entity is possessing him. he has a somewhat artificial interest in journalism and photography and only really chose that field because Jenna suggested it to him when she told him to try to leave Echo. speaking of Jenna, Chaunter drove her out of Echo and to Payton to escape her abusive family.

after chase broke up with Leo and went off to college, he would still send Leo a bunch of sexually charged messages telling him how he missed Leo when drunk. he's such a messy bitch (affectionate). Chase and Carl used to be roommates in college before Carl dropped out. then Chase roomed with a rabbit and then Vincent. he was a very average student. chase used to have an anchor bracelet that he and Leo wore to symbolize their relationship* *yo i fucking cried when writing this sentence. that got me so emotional holy shit.

this is long so here is a break. more under the cut :3

he stopped wearing the bracelet during college. Chase drowned Sydney because he felt as if Sydney would eventually kill TJ. he then subconsciously suppressed this memory. he used to see a psychiatrist and take meds because he saw a body hanging in the woods shortly after Sydney's death.

Chase has a noticeable but not apparent gay accent. like that valley girl twang. stereotypical gay voice. he has said "haaii" he has said "hey, bee-otch" and he has said "hiiiiiiii~". when he and Leo first got together, they ended up sort of neglecting their other friends. Chase only was available to drive Jenna to Payton because he and Leo were fighting and thus not speaking to each other.

once TJ asked Chase how he knew he was into men, and Chase told him to go to a porn website. Chase loves to swim! he also stinks. Chase's musk actually apparently turns people off, especially on dating sites. speaking of, Chase is on Predatr, a dating app (parody of grindr)

Chase's mom calls his arachnophobia "his little spider problem". chase used to think he was strictly gay but realized that wasn't quite right sometime during his late teens/early 20s. CHase doesn't finish his school project in time in a vast majority of the routes. Chase, Jenna, and Leo used to play platformers together before Leo could really understand english, "double jump that sucker" became a in-joke between the three. the two of them helped Leo learn english.

in Flynn's route, Chase has exactly one good and successful publication before his journalism career goes downhill. he is 26 when he meets Devon and Cameron in Echo. in leo's route Chase is 22/23 when he visits with his boyfriend Kudzu. Chase's whereabouts after TJ's route is unknown! terrifying given how that route ended!

Chase has a body count of 2, killing Sydney and Flynn (only in TJ's route). In Carl's route, Chase once again rooms with Carl in college. Chase is a fucking kinkshamer. Chase tends to assume all christians are homophobic and subtly had behaved rudely to TJ and his family because of this despite their love of him.

when he was 15 he put a fucking gay dating ad seeking a "friend/mentor" while pretending his was 18 by taking a photo of him on a roller coaster and blurring out the face. this plan did not work and he was banned from the sight. probably has a small bladder cause he needs to piss a lot!

Chase went through an emo phase where he frosted his hair tips. god i wish we saw that. Chase thought his little goatee would grow into a full beard. it did not. Chase Hunter is my babygirl!! Chase and Leo went to TJ's christian party thing and spent the entire party making out in Leo's car. Chase bottomed for most of his relationship with Leo. Chase is 5'7. Chase once had Leo put his dick in a hotdog bun and was "shocked" at the result according to Leo. Chase is attending Pueblo University, can't believe i hadn't put that one down yet

Chase's legs are described as "stubby" and he isn't a great runner because of it. Chase doesn't like the idea of getting more help for his issues after having poor experiences with them as a kid. Chase used to get bullied sort of by Clint and Jeremy. Leo's family loved Chase when they were dating. Chase has a high amount of leg specific injuries across the entire vn.

Chase's original last name was going to be Cooper according to Howly. Chase is the first ECHO PROJECT PROTAGONIST!!!! BABYGIRL MADE HISTORY!!!!

im ending it there cause i have work in the morning :/

part 2 maybe ;3

[theradicalscrivener]

Trevor: After Care

A follow-up to the fun that Devon and Ashton had in the previous chapter. I love a sappy romance.

(P.S. Ya boi's got Linktree and Bluesky now)

[First Chapter] || [Previous Chapter] || [Next Chapter]

                Devon grunted and groaned as he slowly came to. This had seemed like such a great idea at the time. In the moment, being completely caked in Ashton’s cum seemed so hot, but now that it was hours later and the jizz had completely crusted over, Devon was rethinking his decision.

                Devon pushed himself up from his perch atop the pillow. His cocoon cracked and crumbled around him as he did so. He felt like a mummy waking up from a millennium of slumber with the layer of crud that had encased him like sand in a tomb. As he staggered to his feet, Devon stared out in front of him at the massive face of his friend. Ashton’s chest rose and fell with each breath. Soft snores escaped his partly opened mouth. Ashton looked so cute and peaceful that Devon reconsidered waking him, but Ashton soon began to stir.

                “You’re awake already?” Ashton asked.

                “Yeah. Didn’t mean to wake you,” Devon replied.

                “Don’t worry about it. I’m a bit of a light sleeper. What about you? You look a little…” Ashton murmured.

                “Yeah… I think I need to get cleaned up. It was hot at first, but this is really uncomfortable,” Devon replied.

                Ashton nodded. “Yeah. We really should have cleaned up before passing out. I’m still sweaty from the show, and you’re… well…” Ashton replied.

                “I’m covered in taint sweat and jizz, yeah,” Devon replied with a laugh.

                “It’s a good look on you,” Ashton teased.

                “Right. Well, are you going to help me get to the sink? I don’t think I can get there by myself,” Devon said.

                “Nah. I’ve got a better idea. Come on,” Ashton said. He quickly sat up and reached a hand down for Devon to hop on.

                Devon balked for only a second before climbing aboard. It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to this. Ashton had carried him around plenty since they started hanging out, but now he was completely nude. As Devon climbed onto Ashton’s palm, his mind flashed briefly back to earlier that evening. Vivid, fragmented memories of being held in the giant’s palm while Ashton’s tongue toyed with his dick and flicked at his chest. Devon tried his best to play it cool, but blood rushed to his cheeks and his crotch. He couldn’t tell if Ashton had noticed the redness or the swelling, but if nothing else, Ashton was too polite to call him out on it.

                “So, what’s this better idea?” Devon asked once he was back to riding shotgun on Ashton’s shoulder.

                “Let’s bathe together,” Ashton said with a smirk.

                Devon raised an eyebrow curiously. “Together?” he asked. His voice cracked ever so slightly. Again, he couldn’t tell if Ashton noticed.

                “Yeah. There’s enough room for both of us in the tub, and I can help scrub some of that gunk off,” Ashton replied.

                Devon mulled it over for a moment. He had to admit there was something exciting about sharing a bath with such a hot guy, and Devon trusted Ashton not to be too rough when scrubbing… Not to mention that the butterflies in Devon’s tummy were going crazy at the mere thought of it.

                “Ok, sure,” Devon replied with a smirk.

                “Great. This will just take a moment,” Ashton said.

                By this point they were already in the bathroom. It was a very small room which barely had enough room for a tub, a toilet, and a wash basin, but despite the size, it didn’t feel cramped or cluttered. Ashton set Devon down atop the counter beside the sink and began to let the water heat up.

                Devon sat back and enjoyed the view. Ashton was neither a grower nor a shower. When soft his already modest pecker looked positively tiny. It appeared to be little more than an acorn-sized head nestled atop his proportionally fat nuts.

                Even when he was full-sized, Devon had never put much stock in cock size, and now that he was only seven inches tall, he had a newfound appreciation for the smaller ones. It didn’t hurt that Ashton was overall hot as hell. His lean, lithe body just seemed to accentuate his modest size downstairs. It was like staring at a statue of a Greek god.

                Ashton bent down to test the water before putting the drain stopper in. In doing so, he gave Devon a clear glimpse at his firm ass as well as a tantalizing glimpse of his tight hole. Devon once again nodded in appreciation. Devon couldn’t believe how much hotness he was able to enjoy today. It had been ages since he had been able to so much as look at porn, but now he got to enjoy his own private peepshow!

                Ashton stood back up and glanced over at Devon. “What’s up?” he asked upon noting the dreamy expression on Devon’s face.

                “I just… you’re so great,” Devon murmured awkwardly. His voice came out soft even for him. Fortunately, by the time Devon had gotten the words out, Ashton was leaning in so close that the words could reach him.

                “I think you’re great too,” Ashton replied.

                Devon’s heart skipped a beat. It was so weird that he felt this way. They had just done the closest a guy his size could get to having sex. He had been thoroughly coated in this guy’s cum! Devon still had dried jizz plastered to his body, and still Devon was acting like a kid with a crush!

                Devon wasn’t sure what to do. He just stood there in silence staring at his friend while Ashton sat on the rim of the tub and looked back at him. For the longest time, the only sound was the sound of running water filling the tub.

                “That should be good,” Ashton said after a moment of silence. He reached over, turned off the water and began to get in the tub. Again, Devon sat back and watched as Ashton stood up and crawled into the water. Again, Devon marveled at his lean physique. Ashton was so huge and so hot that Devon could barely fathom that this guy was his friend! It didn’t seem right.

                Ashton leaned over the side of the tub and extended a hand up towards Devon. He beckoned gently for Devon to join him before holding his palm out for Devon to climb on. Again, Devon’s heart fluttered as he took a seat on a palm that was the size of a park bench. His bare butt pressed against Ashton’s skin.

                With anyone else, being carried like this may have stressed him out. Devon was even a little uncomfortable being carried like this by Simon, but when handled by Ashton he felt so safe and secure. The thought of being gently wrapped in the giant’s hands made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

                The water was so hot that steam rose from the tub. Devon felt like he was in a sauna as Ashton slowly, steadily lowered Devon into the bath. As he did so, the warm water spilled over Ashton’s palm and washed over Devon’s small, sticky body. 

                Devon still wasn’t quite used to how water felt at his size. It was heavy… almost like he was swimming in cooking oil or cough syrup, but he did appreciate the warmth against his muscles. He had thrashed as hard as anyone in the mosh pit during the live show and was only now realizing just how sore he had gotten.

                Soon the water was up to his chest. At this point, the buoyancy was holding him up more than Ashton was. Devon felt Ashton’s palm pull away, leaving him suspended in the water. Devon was so small and light that he barely even had to work to tread water. If he wanted to, he could have laid back and floated atop the water like a piece of driftwood. Instead, he shut his eyes, pulled his arms and legs in tight, and let himself sink into the warm water.

                Devon suddenly felt the water shift around him. It reminded him of summer at the local wave pool. A huge surge threatened to send him toppling to the deep end. Devon quickly surfaced and tried to steady himself. The water was so deep that his toes could just barely touch the ground beneath. He shook the water from his eyes and glanced around to get his bearings. As he looked out, he saw Ashton, now submerged up to his shoulders, staring back at him.

                It was then that Devon realized that it wasn’t the bottom of the tub his toes had reached. Devon was so small that his toes barely touched Ashton’s midriff. Devon glanced down and noticed that Ashton’s belly button was just a step or two away. The sight made Devon think about the drain in the deep end of a motel swimming pool. For a brief second, Devon was almost able to recall what it was like to be well over five feet tall instead of a bit over five inches, but as Ashton sunk deeper, another wave threatened to wash Devon away.

                This wave was not as intense as the last one. It wouldn’t have been able to send Devon toppling even if he hadn’t been swimming against it, but even had he been swept away, he wouldn’t have gotten far. Ashton’s hands came up behind him and held Devon safely in place.

                Devon found himself with his back pressed against Ashton’s interlocked fingers. The giant’s thumbs gently rubbed and massaged Devon’s bare chest and abs. Again, Devon had a strange feeling in his chest. His heart skipped a beat as he felt Ashton’s hands close around him. Being held like this he felt small, smaller than he normally did, even. That should freak him out, but instead it made him feel safe and protected.

                Devon suddenly found himself lifted out of the water and into the air. His body was shifted onto the palm of one of Ashton’s hands. Devon wiped the water from his eyes and looked around just in time to see Ashton’s other hand descend on him. There was a layer of soap-covered fabric covering Ashton’s hand, and before Devon could fully parse what he was seeing, he felt the warm, sudsy washcloth press against him.

                Devon tensed up when Ashton’s fingers kneaded the soap into his skin. Ashton was so huge and so powerful that he could easily have hurt Devon, but his hold was so firm and his rubbing so gentle that Devon felt safer than he had ever felt in his life. The tension soon left his body and his muscles, but as his muscles relaxed, another part of him stiffened.

                Devon wondered if he should resist. He considered giving Ashton the signal to stop. Some part in the back of his mind didn’t want Ashton to see him hard. He was nervous and a little ashamed by the implications, but he trusted Ashton – not just to hold him gently but to not overreact when he saw Devon’s boner.

                Soon, Ashton began to pull his hand back. Devon figured that this meant Ashton was done washing his front, but Devon wasn’t ready for the next stage just yet. If Ashton pulled back the cloth, he was sure to notice Devon’s rod. So, before he could do that, Devon reached out and gave Ashton’s hand a quick tap to get the giant’s attention.

                Ashton lifted his palm up to his face and Devon with it. As he did so, Devon held a hand over his crotch and his legs together to keep his rigid cock out of the giant’s view.

                “What’s up?” Ashton asked.

                “This… I feel dumb, but hear me out…” Devon murmured awkwardly.

                Ashton raised an eyebrow curiously but nodded for Devon to continue.

                “I’ve been shrunk for a while now…” Devon said nervously. His voice trailed off at the end, and he balked at saying the next line.

                Ashton nodded understandingly which gave Devon the push he needed to continue.

                “I hate feeling small… normally…” Devon said. Again, his voice trailed off, and he struggled to find the next words.

                “Do you need to stop? I can fill the sink for you,” Ashton replied.

                “No! I mean. I’m fine. Actually…” Devon’s voice trailed off again. He swallowed to clear the lump from his throat and steeled his resolve. He let out a long, calming exhale and then spread his legs and moved his hand to let Ashton see his still rigid cock.

                “I like feeling small with you. I like the way you make me feel small. Is that dumb? That’s insane, right?” Devon asked.

                Ashton gave Devon a gentle smile and let out a soft chuckle. He placed a fingertip against Devon’s shuddered cock and gently stroke Devon’s tiny shaft.

                Devon was so horny! It was frustrating how hot and bothered he was. Why did being held like this feel so good? Why did Ashton’s touch drive him so wild? Why did he like being so small!?

                “I should confess too…” Ashton said as he held the quivering figure of the shrunken man in his hand. Devon was so small that his bare butt rested in Ashton’s palm and his head rested against Ashton’s fingertips. He looked so cute like that…

                Devon managed to fight against his own excitement and arousal. Despite how horny he was he managed to nod to indicate that he was still listening.

                “When I first met you, I was curious… Maybe fascinated. I worried for your safety yet admired your… determination? I guess that’s a good word for it,” Ashton explained. As he thought it over, his finger began to gently stroke Devon’s little dick slower and slower until he stopped altogether.

                Devon was trembling like a leaf. His dick was rock hard and shuddering. He wanted to cum, but he also didn’t want to ruin this moment. He steeled his resolve, reached out with both hands, and pushed Ashton’s finger away, once more exposing his shuddering cock to the giant’s gaze.

                Ashton noticed the gesture. He moved his hand away and glanced down at the tiny, shuddering form of the guy in his hand. 

                Now it was Ashton’s turn to try and clear his head and calm his excitement. He had never been a shy person. He had never had a hard time speaking his mind, but this was different…

                “I at first thought I just wanted to protect you, but I realize that was silly. You don’t need me to. I admired you… I still do, but despite you not needing me, I wanted to stay around…” Ashton said.

                Devon was still a little shaky, but he managed to sit up straighter in Devon’s palm. He stared up at the giant and took a moment to appreciate Ashton’s features. Ashton’s gaze was usually intense. His brow was constantly furrowed. He had a bad case of resting bitch face – a trait that Devon had come to find endearing, but tonight, his expression had softened considerably. He looked vulnerable in a way that Devon had never thought he’d see.

                “I do need you, though, and I like relying on you!” Devon said.

                Ashton paused for a moment. His gaze shifted away from Devon, but it wasn’t clear if he was thinking of something else or if he was just trying to avoid looking directly at the small figure in his hand.

                “What do you think about Simon and Trevor?” Ashton asked.

                “What? Why?” Devon sputtered.

                “Sorry. I didn’t mean to change the subject, but hanging out with them, it got me thinking. Do you want what they have?” Ashton asked.

                “You mean like…” Devon murmured.

                “I mean like… together… us,” Ashton said.

               Devon’s jaw dropped in shock. The blood once more rushed to his face and his dick. His still-rigid dick gave a lurch of delight. The wave of joy that washed over him was so intense that he couldn’t even formulate words.

               “I mean… we don’t need to move in together. If you’re interested, the offer is always open. Even if you don’t want to be boyfriends, you can stay here if you need to get away from… you know,” Ashton stammered.

               Ashton was usually so calm, so collected, so… cool, but tonight he was stammering and sputtering. Usually he was the strong, silent type, but tonight the words were flooding from his mouth, and he couldn’t stop them. It was like the dam that had been holding back his thoughts and feelings for all these years finally burst.

               “No! I mean! Yes!” Devon sputtered. “I mean. I would love to move in. Maybe not immediately. Maybe not even soon, but I want to be with you! Does this mean we’re together? Are we steady? Should we have dated first? Have we been dating?”

               “We should date! Absolutely. I… don’t have a lot of money, but I’d love to take you out. Something nice. Just the two of us,” Ashton said.

               Devon suddenly started to laugh which caught Ashton by surprise. Ashton recoiled slightly, but Devon quickly spoke up. “I’m a cheap date! I don’t eat much,” Devon shouted between laughs.

               Ashton was laughing now too. “I’ve seen those fancy places. Fifty bucks for a plate of food that wouldn’t even feed you!” he said.

               “What is this!? Foie gras for ants!?” Devon shouted between laughs.

               “It needs to be at least… three times this big!” Ashton replied.

               The two laughed at the joke and the shared reference. It took a few minutes for them to come down from the rush. It wasn’t that the joke was even particularly good. It was just an old reference to some old movie that mostly existed in memes, but it was the euphoria of them both finally admitting what they both wanted that had them feeling like they were on cloud nine.

               Eventually, their laughter subsided. They both felt a little light-headed afterwards, but they still felt as giddy as kids on Christmas. Ashton glanced down once more at the little passenger on his palm and noticed that Devon’s once rigid rod had deflated to a respectable semi.

               “I… sorry I blocked your cock there…” Ashton said.

               “No. This is so much better than a handy, and there’s plenty of time for that later,” Devon said.

               “I guess… so… where do you want to go for our first date?” Ashton asked.

               “I don’t know… I’ve never actually dated anyone before,” Devon replied.

               “No one?” Ashton asked.

               “I wasn’t out… I guess I’m still not… I don’t know. The only people who knew were Rex and Trevor, but ever since… you know… they’re the only people I hang out with. I guess I forgot that it’s supposed to be a secret,” Devon replied.

               “So not even your mom knows?” Ashton asked.

               Devon gave an iffy hand wave. “I think she does, but like most things, she chooses to ignore it,” he said.

               Ashton sighed and shook his head. “We’ve got to get you out of there,” he said.

               “It’s fine. I don’t spend much time there anymore. I’m really thankful to you for getting me out of there as often as you do, and now that we’re… a thing, we can maybe do more,” Devon said.

               “That settles it. Think of where you want to go. I’ll save. I’ll pick up gigs. We’ll make your first date special,” Ashton said.

               “Don’t go crazy with it. I’m glad just being with you. I’ve don’t even know where I’d want to go. This is all so new. I mean… you had an ex, right? Where do you guys go?” Devon asked.

               Ashton sighed and rolled his eyes. “He was a dirtbag. We never went anywhere I’d want to take you,” he said.

               “Ah… well, we can ask around. I’m sure Simon has some ideas,” Devon said.

               “I guess so… I feel weird going to him for everything, though,” Ashton replied.

               “Mm…” Devon replied. It wasn’t so much an agreement as it was a vague acknowledgement.

               Ashton glanced at his curiously. He wasn’t sure what the make of the response. There was a brief lull in the conversation while Ashton waited for some a response, but it soon became clear that none would be coming.

               Devon pulled his knees up to his chest and began happily rocking from side to side. He was clearly lost in his daydreams. Ashton had never seen him so happy. He looked so content that Ashton didn’t want to bother him even though holding the little guy up to his face like this for so long was starting to make his arm hurt.

               The pair was content to just sit quietly and enjoy each other’s presence, but Eventually Ashton spoke up and broke the silence.

               “The water’s getting cold, and I’m starting to prune. Ready to get out?” He asked.

               “Mm!” Devon replied and nodded happily.

               Ashton nodded. He leaned out of the tub and placed Devon gently on the counter next to the sink before climbing out of the tub himself. Devon sat back and marveled at the towering nude form of his friend – No. His boyfriend!

               Devon had mostly drip dried while they spoke, but Ashton was still soaked head to toe. As Ashton stood there, Devon took in the sight of Ashton’s lean bod and cute cock as they glistened from the water.

               Ashton glanced down at his little lover as he finished drying off and then said, “It’s still the middle of the night. Want to go back to bed?”

               Devon nodded emphatically. Ashton reached down and helped Devon climb back onto his shoulder before heading back out into the main room. As they made their way towards the bed, Devon spoke into his ear.

               “You didn’t seem to move much while you slept,” Devon said.

               “I guess…? Why do you mention it?” Ashton asked.

               “Well… I was wondering if you’d let me sleep… on your chest,” Devon replied.

               Ashton was surprised but delighted. “Oh! I… yeah! If you need up, just pinch me or something. I’m a light sleeper,” he said.

               Devon gave another excited “Mm!” and nodded emphatically.

               By this point, they had made their way back to the bed. Ashton set Devon down on the pillow and then crawled into bed. As he laid there, he could feel Devon climb up onto his shoulder and walk across his chest. Devon’s feet were so tiny that they tickled, but Ashton struggled not to laugh. Soon, Devon was situated in the center of Ashton’s chest and laid down.

               Devon pressed his ear against Ashton’s chest and listened to the sound of the giant’s heartbeat. He didn’t dare say it out loud, but he still couldn’t believe he had even suggested this. This was crazy. If Ashton rolled over in his sleep, what would happen then? But Devon felt so safe in Ashton’s care, and as he rode the rise and fall of Ashton’s chest, Devon found himself drifting off to sleep in no time, and then just before he faded completely, he felt the giants hand rest atop him like a weighted blanket. Devon let out a soft, contented sigh before slipping into slumber.

               Ashton couldn’t hear Devon’s sigh, but he could feel the little form of his boyfriend soften as Devon relaxed. Ashton placed a hand gently over his little lover. He had originally intended just to give Devon a gentle pat, but the second his hand rested on the little guy, he could feel Devon instantly relax even further. Ashton could feel the rise and fall of the little guy’s body as Devon silently snored. Ashton sighed contentedly before he too drifted to sleep.

[First Chapter] || [Previous Chapter] || [Next Chapter]

[mischiefmanaged71]

Hey. Your stories are incredible and you are one of the only ones to write for Tom Bennett, I would like to request, for Tom Bennett x Reader, where she is a diplomat, and when she arrives in France, they have this mission to get her out of the country, but eventually there are only two left, just some fluff

I wanna be yours

Pairing: Tom Bennett x fem! reader

France is in a state of chaos when Tom awakes from his unconsciousness in a daze. He wasn't supposed to be here. No, he should have been far gone on his way toward England, and yet here he was.

Trapped.

He was tinkering on the idea that being left on that beach would've been a better option than the cage the Nazis had locked them in. But here he was, engaging in Doctor O'Connor's theory--strategy to escape across the peninsula into 'neutral territory'. Tom wasn't entirely confident in the Doctor's plan, nor the people around him. All he knew from the moment he woke was anger and anxiety-possibly even fear. From the first dead body he saw, he had prepared himself for the death surrounding him in this war, and yet, it didn't get any easier facing it first-hand.

The guide led Tom from the hospital in silence, sleuthing around their surroundings before entering a secured building at the end of an alley. A figure opened the door for them, entering the quiet apartment. He glanced around at the small group inside, spotting only two figures in the room. Guila, his guide, spoke in French to the two men while he eyed them.

"Où est l'autre?” (Where is the other?) she asked.

The man gestured to the back room, “Elle est à l'arrière. Accordez-moi un instant.“ (She is in the back. Allow me a moment.)

“What’s going on?”

Guila turned to him, “You won’t be travelling alone to the Embassy.”

“I thought he said this was a test run?”

“It is, but it’s urgent that this one gets to the border with you.” she stated, “They’re tightening security everywhere. We need to get her back home.”

“Her?” he tilted his head forward, glancing at the woman led into the room.

“Merci d'être venue, mademoiselle Guila. J'ai entendu dire que ce plan est expérimental, mais je suis tout de même reconnaissant.“ (Thank you for coming, miss Guila. I heard this plan is experimental, but I'm grateful all the same.)

“Ne me remercie pas tout de suite. Nous devons y aller à pied et ensuite vous serez laissé avec lui jusqu'en Espagne.” (Do not thank me just yet. We have to walk there and then you'll be left with him until Spain.)

Her lips pulled into a smile as she stifled a laugh, glancing at the man in question. Her eyes graced his features, flickering back to the woman as she nodded her head. 

“I suppose we should introduce ourselves.”

Guila turned to him, “This is Tom. Tom, Y/N.”

“You’re a Brit.” he stated, eyeing her up and down.

“Well spotted.” she retorted, “You’re from Manchester.”

He raised his eyebrows, tilting his head, “What gave me away?”

She chuckled, looking at him form between her eyebrows “It’s the attitude.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” he chided, “Obviously from London.”

“I never said I was from London.” her response quick.

“You didn’t have to. What are you doing all the way over here?”

“Same as you, I suppose. Trying to get out.”

“I mean, why’re you here. In Paris?”

Guila cut them off, bringing their attention back to the group as the others halted their conversation “She’s a diplomat.”

He glanced at her again, noting her practiced posture. She spoke French, and noted things around her. “I arrived here two months ago. I’m expected to return in a week’s time, but there’s no telling what will happen if we wait any longer.”

“That’s where you come in.” the man standing next to Y/N spoke up, “Guila can guide you to the border, but from there, you’ll travel to the Embassy. Together.”

“Seems we best get along then.” he said.

Y/N folded her arms, “Course.”

From there onward, each of them would have to find trust in the other- a stranger.

***

Tom held the door open for her, the pair tiredly making their way to the lodgings provided by the Embassy. Only a few days left until they could reach home. This was the first moment of comfort available to them since the beginning of their journey. 

Tom sighed, dropping himself down to the bed as it jostled slightly at his weight. He felt his face relax as he ran a hand through his blonde hair, tussling it about. Y/N dumped her bag on the floor, shuffling about the room. Her gaze fell to the his closed eyes, noting the fatigue in his features, including the sharp lines of his jawline and his pretty features.

“You know what? You’re almost endearing when you’re half asleep.” She teased, leaning against the headboard.

“Yeah, but I’m more fun when I’m not about to drop any second. You should see me back home. I’m the real life of the town.” 

She chuckled, “I’m sure you’re the centre of attention.”

“What'd you mean?”

“You certainly don’t come across as a quiet person.” she replied as he turned over to meet her gaze.

“Is that a bad thing?”

She hummed, “Not necessarily. Although, it would have been easier on several occasions if you were more discrete.”

Tom paused before shrugging in agreement, flopping back onto the bed, “We got here didn’t we?”

She nodded nonetheless.

“So, what are your plans for when you get back?”

Tom stared at the ceiling, many thoughts running through his head. He knew once he got home, the message waiting for him would be a follow-up tour, another round trip to follow the previous. Tom was afraid of the consequences of deserting. His options were limited within the frame of ally or traitor. The end results were either service, prison, or hanging. He preferred life, no matter the front he put up. 

“I’ll have to go back into service when I return. Dunno’ know where, but I’m sure they’ll find a spot for me.” a sombre tone to his voice.

A silence followed.

“I now understand how frightening it must be.” bringing his gaze to her, “To be afraid of facing death in your final hours. In a place you do not know. I’m sorry you have to go back after what you’ve been through.”

He looked at her, “Can I be honest?”

She nodded.

“I am afraid.” Tom whispered shakily, “The last thing I want to do is go back to that. But I don’t have a choice. We don’t. And no one else is going to fight for us. I realised that after a while. Seeing my mates die.”

A haunted look crossed his face. His blue eyes brimmed with unfallen tears “I don’t want to be afraid in my last hours. I’d rather be spiteful and fight for us than go down in fear of death.”

She breathed, the heavy tone to his words cutting through the room, “You shouldn’t have to.”

“I don’t have a choice. Its either I die in combat, or they kill me for deserting. You tell me which is the lesser of two evils.” he hummed.

Y/N fell silent and Tom accepted that as her final answer before the sheets rustled. She placed herself next to his head, meeting his eyes as they opened. “If you simply accept the boundaries placed around you, you will never progress further than they want you to. That is the first lesson I carry with me every day.”

He searched her eyes, beholding her determination as she continued “You need to understand why you’re here, besides your obligations. Aside from the persistence of your family. I couldn’t stand for the corruption and the impropriety of the politicians in my state, so I took it upon myself to reach out. To learn, and speak the languages of my allies. What better way to resolve problems than by bridging the gap?” she smiled.

“Guess I’m not as determined as you. Don’t think I quite have your passion either.”

“It’s not about either of those things.” she shook her head, “It’s about belief, Tom. If you truly believe in yourself. If you put yourself forward and try, you can do unimaginable things.”

He swallowed, “What makes you think a man like me is capable of anything like that? You don't know me. Not really."

“Because I’ve watched you. How you act. I’ve seen how you talk to people. You notice more than you’re letting on, and you purposefully instigate things for entertainment. Whether that’s to fulfil an inner need for attention, I don’t know. What I do know is, you are much more than you present, Tom Bennett. Use that to your advantage. A wild card is the most useful."

Tom blinked at her in astonishment, perplexed by the woman’s analysis of him.

“I didn’t realise you took interest in me.” he tilted his head.

“You call for attention.”

“In what way?”

She sent him a pointed look, “Everything. Your whole demeanour. Your attitude.” a smile growing on her face.

Her voice grew quieter as he inched closer, “-That smirk.” 

“You like that, do you?” the grin splashed on his face.

“I never said that.” her lips tilting upward in amusement.

“You were going to.” he exhaled, leaning toward her with a hand on the mattress.

“Maybe.” she leaned in, inches away from his mouth “Or maybe you’re just loud. Do you like the sound of your own voice?”

He narrowed his eyes playfully, a quick retort on his lips “Apparently you do.”

“And there’s that too.” she breathed.

“What?” he searched her eyes, his body looming over her’s.

“You’re an incessant flirt.”

“Can’t fix that, I’m afraid.” he shook his head. “Haven’t heard you complaining, though.”

“Confidence can quickly turn to cockiness. Many women find it crude and unattractive.” she was careful with each word.

“And you? What’d you think of me?”

She paused, her mouth agape, “I think you’re overly confident.”

“Erratic.” she met his gaze. 

“Reckless.” laying a hand on his chest, pushing him down.

“And frustrating.” she leaned down, her hands on either side of Tom.

“But...I can work with that.” she murmured against his lips.

TAGS

@pearlstiare @dothrckis @aemonds-sapphire @xcharlottemikaelsonx  @filipinamultifandom ​ @padfooteyes ​ @batsyforyou @yentroucnagol @cl-0-vr @h3k3t @arcana-greenleaf  @yummycastiel @lauraneedstochill @ladybug0095 @rntrsna @schniiipsel @caribbeangal @viviartsy

[generation1point5]

No. This is somewhere to be. This is all you have, but it's still something. Streets and sodium lights. The sky, the world. You're still alive.

Arches is the companion, the foil, the refutation, the answer to Echo. As such it is Echo's compliment, but it is also a standalone story complete with its own themes and sentiments. If Echo was about the establishment of a perpetual, vicious cycle, then Arches is what bisects that circle to create its own thesis. Its ending is, appropriately, a momentous occasion of great violence, followed in an epilogue by residual trauma where the protagonists learn to move on from what has been permanently lost, and learn to live with what is no longer there. This is a running theme that defines much of Howly's writing; where Arches becomes distinguished from his prior work is in the final word (the fact that there even IS a final word), a definite ending and a nail in the coffin. Entropy brings the cycles of Echo to an end. Spoilers for the game's events below.

The thing that immediately struck me about Arches' tone was its use of third person, a unique choice for visual novels that usually rely on first person to immerse the reader in the player character. Even when Echo Project's games have shifted perspective and have demonstrably illustrated even the player characters to have a distinct voice and identity independent of the player making their choices, it continues to utilize the first person. It enables the reader to understand the world as the characters themselves perceive it, in all of their insight and blind spots, and implicitly adopt the character's view as their own. The use of third person, by contrast, establishes a stark objective reality; you see just what the author wants you to see, unfiltered by the biases of the author's character(s). When events happen, they occur and unfold just as what's being described, with extremely little room for interpretation. From the beginning, the finality of Arches' tone carries its series of events to a solid conclusion. It also creates a barrier that establishes a clear distinction between the player's own perspective and that of the characters.

Narratively, Arches' tone is closely aligned with the traditional western mode of storytelling; there is a beginning, a rising action, a climax, a falling action and conclusion. There are clear delineations within the storyline from which there are points of no return, moments where definitive changes that do not resemble past patterns are established. The fractures created by the trauma are neither recursive nor fractal in nature. Instead, they are clear differentiations from what has come before that establishes something new, and not simply because it occurs last at the end of a sequence. It is newness in a truly semantic sense; it is the emergence of something alien, unknown, and unlike anything that has happened before.

Devon's initial impulse to bring Cameron along to Echo is in pursuit of this unknown, his questions about the afterlife as a result of familial tragedies driving him to know what cannot be understood. To this end, he thinks his boyfriend Cameron might be able to use his latent psychic ability as a means of connecting with and grasping this reality. Cameron agrees to this proposition out of a desire to help provide some sense of closure with his counterpart, despite his own traumas surrounding his latent talent.

The tables soon flip, however, when things go sideways shortly after Cameron and Devon enter Echo. Demons from both Cameron's past and Echo's interact in strange and terrifying ways that immediately spell greater trouble looming on the horizon. Devon immediately regrets his decision to go to Echo, but Cameron by contrast is drawn into the dark amplificative powers of Echo to harness his unique ability. He experiences terror, but also curiosity as his powers manifest more powerfully; Cameron glimpses the lives of many who have died in Echo, and when their attempt to escape Echo runs into hardship, he becomes prone to wandering off in pursuit of being able to master his newfound ability.

Part of Cameron's drive to master this ability is tied to his sense of identity, purpose and value. Having come from impoverished conditions in the pacific northwest, suffering from drug addiction that took his life of his mother (the sole parent in his life), and having failed in his attempts at a music career, Cameron finds himself working at a call-center and tries to make ends meet with his boyfriend. Devon, by contrast, excelled academically at Pueblo, and pursues a much more promising career in the sciences. Cameron's gnawing sense of inferiority and inability to succeed in his field of passion drives him to pursue meaning and self-worth in his only remaining distinguishing characteristic, his psychic powers. By the end of the visual novel, Cameron accomplishes his goal. It is not for the better.

Caught in the crossfire of these game's events is a mutual friend of Cameron and Devon, Arturo. His initial role as a happy-go-lucky sort ready to help the couple out of their bind initially sees him bonding closely with Cameron's desire to explore the unknown, but being caught in the consequences of this decision forever shatters the amicable dynamic they once had. His character arc is framed more in the context of casualties, helpless to affect the greater consequences of the decisions made by the pair of protagonists.

In many ways, Cameron and Devon's one-time "success" story (a term I'm admittedly using VERY loosely) is in stark contrast to the inevitable cycles of failure in Echo. It begins with a loving couple entering into a horrific unknown, and emerges from that time with their relationship and their lives changed but intact. It is the exact opposite of Echo, where Chase comes back to reunite an old friend group that has largely gone their own way after having already begun to fray, and having it more or less fall apart by the end.

Part of me had wished to see the Arches cast interact with the Echo gang beyond the cameos featured in TJ and Flynn's endings, but I understand why the meetup isn't suitable for both narrative and thematic reasons. Cameron and Devon, being external to Echo, represent an outside party who barrel headfirst into Echo's cycle and come out of it changed. They are fundamentally different people than those born in Echo, who are trapped in Echo, who die in Echo. The two visual novels, despite being closely tied to each other, are like oil and water. Those who are in Echo's cycle are bound to it; those who are witness to it are affected but not trapped by it. To involve the main Echo cast in this arrangement would create a thematic dissonance, whereupon the characters of one story are used to tell another, fundamentally different from the one they had illustrated before. It is, in fact, for the best that none of the main characters of Echo make an appearance save for whatever remains of a particular manifestation of Flynn. If any of them had remained in Echo by the time of Devon and Cameron's arrival, it would only portend a grim and tragic fate.

The characters that DO recur from Echo exist to tell a very specific story. They are the last, dying breaths of the cycle, the last embers, the cinders that burn themselves out and expire. The inevitability of Echo's slow death was already something known even by the start of the events in its own game, but at that time the cycle was still quite alive and well. The last surviving residents of Echo shown in Arches choose to remain there of their own volition, fully accepting the pain and suffering that comes from doing so.

Of the two Echo characters that comprise the cycle, one is primarily witness to it (Duke) and the other actively perpetuates it (Brian). Much in contrast to his assertions to some sort of alternate leadership in Echo, Duke by this time is largely isolated and worn down by the forces of the town, having experienced the mass hysteria of Echo and yet being one of two that decided to remain in spite of the horrors of that week. Highly reactionary and prone to violence, Duke uses threats and acts of force to try and keep people away from Echo while trying to contain the evil within. Despite his unilateral and brutal approach to the problem, Duke's heart is shown to have at least some semblance of compassion, after turning around to save Arturo's life after he sustained a life-threatening shot to the head by Brian. His self-destructive tendencies are kept at a strictly personal level, and his last observed act was to save Arturo's life even if it seems to come at the cost of his own.

Brian, meanwhile, continues his predatory, psychotic behavior that extends his own self-destructive habits to the livelihoods of everyone around him. Where Duke had begun to avoid Brian, Cameron, Devon and Arturo all stumbled into the picture, inadvertently threatening to renew the cycle of tragedy in Echo. After Arturo's brush with death, Devon is imprisoned and Cameron is forced into a very bad drug trip as Brian attempts to use Cameron's abilities for his own ends. When this fails, he finally settles on a few last acts of sadomasochistic violence culminating in double-murder. No one in the cast of characters at this moment is able to stop Brian, despite Devon's heroic acts to try and defy the fate they're seemingly destined for.

At this moment, one of the key features of the Echo Project's flagship trilogy manifests; Cameron glimpses a future where he is shot to death before Devon kills Brian, and in witnessing this future, alters it by pushing Brian's gun just before the trigger is pulled. A single act of defiance, in combination with a eucatastrophe, splits the timeline.

It is important to note the second part to the dynamic, the eucatastrophe. The term, first coined by Tolkien, is more than just a moment of deus ex machina that results in a favorable outcome: in his words, "we see in a brief vision that the answer may be greater–it may be a far-off gleam of echo of evangelium in the real world." For it was by a confluence of tragedy, indeed the accumulation thereof, that finally caused the cycle to collapse on itself. The cycle of entropy, the snake that devoured its own tail, died as a result. Put in literal terms, Brian's drug abuse and wanton violence had caught up to him in a moment of karma, and he dies not with a bang, but with the whimper of a heart attack. Cameron and Devon did not prompt this series of events, they were merely witness to it, and that becomes the mercy by which they survive: bruised and bloodied, but alive. Whether by stroke of sheer dumb luck or providence, Devon and Cameron are spared the consequences of the cycles of Echo.

The arches that Cam uses to guide Devon, who carries him out of the mine, lead not to heaven (as Cameron's mother believed) but to something more akin to Elysium, at least if you were use ZA/UM's depiction of the word. The salvation that comes to the pair is not a deliverance into a better reality; it is a return to what they had once known and lived in all their lives. In an odd twist, it was not the world that had changed for Cameron and Devon when they had experienced the horrors of Echo, but themselves. The two must learn to adapt to the world all over again.

Cameron and Devon struggle to hold onto whatever remains of their lives. Cameron, though now in much greater command of his psychic powers, is put on a literal mind-numbing number of medications for a plethora of mental disorders that arose as a result of his ordeal. His physical injuries sustained from that time also have forever robbed him of his ability to pursue his passion even as a hobby; he completely loses his ability to play the guitar. Cameron struggles to make things work at his call center, unable to deal with the high stress environment and interpersonal obligations inherent with the role. The price for Cameron's actualization of his one unique trait came at the cost of almost everything else; the passions that offered some shred of happiness, and even his ability to function as an adult in a capitalist economy.

Devon was also not spared his share of scars, both physical and mental, but the greatest change in his life comes in the form of having to accommodate Cameron's exacerbated mental health struggles, though in some key tragic points Devon is also able to empathize with Cameron's struggles, having begun to encounter a number of them himself. Their support for each other is much more closely tied together as a result. It is mutual by both necessity and desire to see the other well, and this steels their resolve through the new troubles they encounter throughout their relationship.

Cameron's relationship with Arturo, however, never recovers. Following his brush with death in Echo, Arturo suffers several motor and speech issues that he, with the support of his girlfriend, slowly begins to adjust to, but with the knowledge of Cameron's psychic powers he is never able to look at his former friend the same way again.

The visual novel ends, as with many of Howly's works, on a bittersweet note. But Arches' bittersweet ending is a resolute one; in it, we see Devon accept the world and the consequences of the choices Cameron and he had made for themselves for what they are: a past set in stone that has irrevocably affected their future. But that future is as of yet uncertain, neither bright nor bleak. For all of the ending's ambiguity regarding the afterlife, the certainty of the ending comes from the lesson's learned and the response of the characters to this uncertainty. They resolve to walk into that uncertain future together as it unfolds for them, to live presently, and to persist through what they have witnessed and suffered through.

The positivity of this ending, as gut-wrenching as it is, becomes even more reinforced as a result of what Cameron glimpses; the alternate timelines he sees with his psychic powers imply a great deal of the possibility of Devon being the carrier for Echo's cycles beyond its former borders of the town. With Cameron dead, Devon's life changes dramatically, becoming defined by his loss and an eerily similar echo of his former boyfriend urging him to seek out other Echos found throughout the world in an effort to prevent their awakening. If there is anything that Echo has taught me, it's that this very act would result in the tragedy it sets out to avoid. It would be a resumption of the cycle, a new circle, perhaps on an even greater scale than before.

Cameron's act of defiance to delay the inevitable, while not the sole act that saved his or Devon's life, yet resulted in an ideal outcome given the alternatives glimpsed at in the epilogue. Again, we see a highly existential sentiment conveyed in the Echo Project's works, but the argument on this theme is the opposite side of the coin from Echo. Persistence in the face of futility is not seen as a horror in Arches, but as markedly human. To be human in Arches is not a horror.

Like a coin, I find it difficult at times to balance, or otherwise reconcile these somewhat contradictory theses that Arches and Echo set out to establish; both make valid points as to the flawed nature of human beings, but the conclusion of that instability falls one way for Echo and another for Arches. There is nothing inherent to Cameron or Devon that would make them any more deserving or equipped to survive through the horrors of Echo intact, save for sheer moments of luck, and successfully managing to climb the rickety ladder of socioeconomic and material conditions that allowed them to retain their grasp on a life spent together. Romance is not the point of either Arches or Echo, but being integral to the human experience it carries significance that has to be factored into any analysis. Again, the line about true love from Disco Elysium surfaces in my mind.

Ultimately, this is what I appreciate most about Howly's writing. It captures the human experience through inhuman characters, through inhuman means. Chronologically, Arches falls at the opposite end of the Echo trilogy, but as final words go it offers a foundation for encouragement and hope, even as it recognizes that foundation to be socioeconomic in nature, and not simply from the will to persist in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a measured hope. It is dialectical materialism made into gutwrenching poetry.

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Silver Lining || Dimitri Belikov

Dimitri Belikov x dhampir!f!reader Summary: When a date goes wrong Dimitri is there to save you in more ways than one. Warnings: fighting, strigoi killing, mentions of reader being attacked, reader wounded WC: 3k

It was stupid, so fucking stupid. You should have been paying more attention to where you were going but your only thought had been to run. You still couldn’t quite believe how a date had gone quite so terribly wrong. One moment Devon was sweet and kissing you goodnight, the next he was trying to sink his fangs into you, right in the middle of the street. 

You looked around the unfamiliar meadow and saw the glow of the city peeking over the trees to the north. You had run too far, way too far for the wards to protect you. 

A twig snapped and you spun towards the sound. You were dressed in a curve hugging pencil skirt for date night, not your combat clothes to take down a strigoi. You didn’t even have your stake with you. That just added to the level of embarrassment you would feel if you survived. 

“Little bunny, hop, hop, hopped too far from the burrow.” The voice choked you at how close it sounded and you were getting dizzy with how fast you were spinning trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. “Hmmm, what a pretty snack.”

“I’m going to kill you,” you swore, but the waver in your voice gave away the lack of self confidence and only made the strigoi laugh. 

“Come here and try,” he chuckled as he stepped out of the treeline looking just as terrifying as the training videos had shown. 

Now that you knew where he was, you turned your back and ran. It was the first lesson every guardian was taught before they could pick up a stake: run fast, run away. It felt like a betrayal to the guardian code to turn your back on a strigoi but you had no weapon and going hand to hand would only lead to your death. 

Survive, that was the goal.

The glint of a metal roof caught your attention as you reached the peak of a small slope and you found a small hunters cabin a few hundred metres to your right. You only had a split second to decide, north towards the wards or south towards the cabin. The snapping of sticks under fast feet to the left made that decision for you, he was herding you away from the wards so you ran for the cabin.

Every muscle in your body burned with the effort it took to keep a fast pace and you crashed into the door of the cabin, smashing the lock and swinging it wide open. Another string of curses left your lips as you found it had been left dilapidated for a long time, dust coating every inch of the mostly bare room.

The light of the moon was blocked as a body filled the doorway and the hope of it being an armed guardian were doused when you turned. A sinister smile greeted you and you involuntarily stepped away, backing yourself into more of a corner. Stupid, so fucking stupid. 

The strigoi attacked with a snarl and bared his salivating fangs that were going to rip your throat out. You tried to stop him but it was like punching a brick wall and you resigned yourself to your fate.

You refused to close your eyes and give him the satisfaction of seeing you cower in your last moment but the killing blow didn’t come. Something behind him had stolen his attention and he shoved you as he turned. The wooden walls of the cabin broke from the force of his throw and you screamed as pain lanced through you, your body smashing through the wall to land on the ground outside. 

Inside you could see two figures moving with a speed you couldn't fathom, one was the strigoi, the other was Dimitri. 

“Get back to the wards,” Dimitri ordered as he knocked the strigoi back and spared a worried glance in your direction. 

You pushed yourself to your knees and cried out at the stab of broken ribs trying to escape through your skin. Your ankle wasn’t feeling much better but you were fairly sure it wasn’t broken when you put some weight on it - you just weren't going to be running anywhere on it. 

A pained grunt caught your attention and you saw Dimitri go down with a hard hit before he quickly regained his footing and spotted you staring at him. “What are you still doing here? Run!”

You pointed and screamed, “Di-”

He spun before you could finish warning him and grabbed the strigoi’s shoulders just in time to stop him getting close enough to sink his fangs into Dimitri’s throat. It was too close, you had to help. Casting your eyes across the yard you spotted an axe buried in a loose stack of wood and bit your lip to stifle the cries of pain as you limped towards it.

“Dimitri!” you shouted as you shoved the axe through the hole your body had created. “Here.”

You pushed the axe and it spun across the floor to where he desperately grappled with the strigoi but his impressive strength was beginning to fail him. You held your breath as the sharp head spun towards him but he caught the wooden handle before it could hit him, swinging it up with a deep growl. 

The strigoi screeched as the axe buried deep into his side but the wound wouldn't kill him. If anything he looked more pissed off as he backed away, the axe pulling free with a wet squelch. Momentarily distracted by the flesh and blood spilling from his body, the strigoi looked away and Dimitri struck. 

He looked like an avenging angel as he leapt from the ground with the axe raised high and swinging in a smooth arc. The strigoi didn’t even have the time to look shocked before his head tumbled to the floor with a thud. The axe followed with a clatter, then an eerie silence descended upon the small space.

“Are you alright?” you asked from where you waited outside. 

Dimitri nodded, stopping to pick up his stake that had been knocked away in the fight. The need to apologise built along with tears but Dimitri climbed through the hole and carefully cradled your bruised face. “We will talk about this inside the wards.”

He hooked his arm around your waist and took the weight of your sore ankle before setting a quick pace northward. 

“How did you find me?” you asked as you spotted the torchlight from a patrol guardian through the trees.

“I was climbing the turrets when I saw you go past.” He sighed and slowed to a stop, knowing the wards were within reach. “I’ve never seen you like that, not even with the strigoi back there, you looked like you were running for your life. What happened?”

You took a shuddering breath and shook your head. “If a strigoi attacks, we defend ourselves however we can and find honour in killing them. But a Moroi…”

“A Moroi?” he frowned before his teeth ground together and he stepped closer so he could whisper. “A Moroi attacked you.”

“I should have known better,” you whimpered into his chest as he wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight. “I’m just dhampir. The only thing a Moroi man would want from me is my blood or my body.”

They come first. It was a lesson instilled into you from the moment you started elementary school. To raise a hand to a Moroi would get you sent to the communes to be a blood whore or a breeder to whichever Moroi man showed an interest in you, it was worse than a death sentence to you. He was right, you had been running for your life. If you had stayed a second longer after your date ended then you couldn’t have stopped your fist from meeting Devon’s face. You would have been shipped out before morning dawned.

“Whoever he was, he was a fool,” Dimitri snapped, the anger not at you but for you. A softness returned to his eyes and his thumbs gently caressed your face. “You deserve a man who will get on his knees and worship you.”

“It was -”

“Don’t tell me his name,” Dimitri shook his head. “I don’t think I have the self control to stop myself from doing something we would both pay for.”

You shut your eyes so you didn’t have to see the war of emotions on his face. “Thank you for coming after me.” 

You lost all ability to breath as he pressed his lips to your forehead and your fingers gripped his shirt harder as they shook. “I’ll always come for you.”

He held you in his embrace for a minute longer before pulling away and looking through the trees. “The patrol has gone, let’s get you inside and cleaned up. Don’t breathe a word about tonight to anyone.”

You nodded and let him help you walk through the wards, leaning on him more than you needed to since you didn’t know when you would have the chance to be this close to him again. Instead of walking back to the dhampir hall, nicknamed The Barracks, where other unassigned guardians like you resided, he led you to the private apartment block and up the back stairwell. You lost count of the flights you climbed, the spiral making you dizzy in your exhausted state. 

“Sit,” Dimitri said softly as he closed his front door and grabbed a large first aid kit that was hanging in his coat closet alongside his dusters. “Where does it hurt?”

You laughed but it turned to a groan. “I think it would be easier to tell you where it doesn’t hurt.”

He blessed you with a small smile as he knelt in front of you and lifted your leg onto his thigh. “I don’t think it’s broken,” he said echoing your earlier thoughts as he gently prodded and turned your foot. “Just a bad sprain.”

He grabbed a bandage and expertly wrapped the limb until it was well supported then gestured for you to lay down across the couch, putting a pillow under your leg to elevate it.

“You make quite the nurse,” you admired as he went to the small kitchenette and got you a bottle of water to swallow some painkillers with. “This is a bit more than we were taught in basic.”

“My mother was a nurse,” he said with a smile as he thought of her. “She taught me everything she could for these exact moments.”

“Strigoi attacks?” You tried to shift to get more comfortable but the movement shifted your ribs and a hiss of pain escaped your lips.

Dimitri shot forward and helped you ease back down, his face inches from yours when he said, “Looking after the people I care about. I need to check your ribs.”

His gaze broke away and you were released from the spell he had bound you with.

You were coming down from the adrenaline high and about to crash at any moment given the shivers that were wracking your body but he couldn’t wrap you in the inviting blanket that lay beside him until he finished his inspection. It took all your concentration not to jump from the spark that his touch produced when his fingers met your skin, brushing your shirt up so he could see the deep purple bruises across your ribcage. 

“Shit, definitely broken,” he murmured as he traced his fingers over each rib, his eyes flinching with each whimper of yours. “We could say it was an accident during a practice session. Alberta might have some questions but I can handle those.”

“What? No, Dimitri, I’m not going to the clinic,” you said sternly, reaching for his hand and squeezing it tight, “and you are not going to take the fall for this. You could get in serious trouble.”

“And you could be seriously hurt,” he countered with such concern fresh tears burned in your eyes. 

“Please, don’t take me there.”

His eyes alternated between your pleading face and your bruised torso as he internally battled himself but finally gave a resigned sigh and a nod. “Fine, but you can’t go back to The Barracks looking like this.” While female dhampir numbers were low they weren’t non-existent and The Barracks was a communal living space with little privacy. The limp and the bruises would be noticed almost instantly. “You can have my room.”

“First you risk your life to save me and now you are offering me your bed? I’m starting to think you are a masochist, but I couldn’t possibly let you do that.” You reached for the blanket to tuck yourself in but he was quicker, snatching it and holding it out of your reach. 

“If you want it, you know where to find it,” he said seriously as he backed away into the bedroom. 

The adrenaline crash began, your teeth chattering and your skin broke out in a clammy cold sweat. Stubborn pride refused to let you give in but you were beyond freezing. You couldn’t even focus on moving to crawl to the room like you wanted, there was just ice spreading through your veins and invading every inch of your body. 

“Ready to warm up? Shit,” Dimitri cursed as he peered around his doorway and saw your state. He was across the room in seconds, his arms scooping you up from his couch and carrying you to his room where he laid you down on his bed. Even with his blankets wrapped around you the shivering didn’t stop and he paced wildly up and down the length of his bed.

“So…cold…” you whispered through chattering teeth. 

He let forth a string of curses that you would have normally found entertaining coming from him and began to shuck off his long leather duster, tossing it across his dresser drawers before kicking off his boots. You couldn’t even enjoy the sight of his shirt and trousers being removed before he slipped under the blankets and carefully pulled you into the curve of his body.

His warmth spread over you and soon you were enveloped in more than just his arms but his calming scent too. The room no longer felt like it was the epicentre for an earthquake nor like it was the north pole, you were finally coming back to yourself. The high and the low drained you completely and with Dimitri whispering soothing words you couldn’t understand, you drifted off into a much needed healing sleep. 

You were in that delirious state between awake and asleep, where everything seemed real and dreamlike all at once. But you determined it had to be a dream when you found yourself in Dimitri’s arms. 

“I wish you were Moroi.” You whispered as you snuggled closer, burying your face in the crook of his neck. 

His voice was laden and gravelly as he stirred from his sleep, a desirable mix that had an instant effect on you. “Not exactly what I thought I would wake up to hear.”

You smiled at the fake offence and reached up to run your fingers through his mussed bed hair but then your smile dimmed and concern rose in his eyes. “Guardians aren’t supposed to have this…whatever this is, but no one would care if you were Moroi. It’s unfair.”

“We put our lives on the line everyday to protect them,” Dimitri said as he rolled you onto your back and caged you in his arms. “This connection between us is why it is advised against. When I saw you…if I had been on shift it wouldn’t have stopped me from running after you.”

“You said ‘advised against’.” You pointed out as your heart fluttered wildly.

His lips curled up into a proud smile as he spoke, “I did.”

“Not forbidden?” you confirmed, your hands already beginning to trail down the hard planes of his chest. 

“Not forbidden.” 

His kiss was as dominant as his fighting and you were more than willing to cede control to him as his tongue danced with yours. Greedy moans filled the air when he traced his lips along your jawline and down your neck, erasing the touch of Devon and where he had tried to bite you.

Blood whores talked about the pleasure that could be had being bitten but there was no way it could feel better than what Dimitri was doing, it set your body on fire. Your breathing deepened a calloused hand from years of weaponry ran up your leg, along your thigh and brushed the skirt you wore even higher. He could see the effect he was having on you, he could read the way your body begged for more.

Pain whipped at your ribs when you arched your back to be closer and took a deeper breath to inhale his heady scent. His trained eye caught the wince you tried to hide. His hand froze and you almost whimpered when he pulled away. You tried to keep him close but he took your hands and kissed them as he laid back down beside you.

“You’re still hurt, you need to rest and heal.”

You tried to deny it but you ached everywhere so you just sighed and looked across at him. “And when I am?”

He snaked an arm under your pillow and the other over your waist, avoiding the bruises that littered your skin. “Then I will show you how you deserve to be treated.”

“Don’t get me wrong, being attacked by a strigoi sucked but…” you said as you kissed his shoulder, “this is a pretty good silver lining.”

Dimitri chuckled and shook his head. “I would hardly call almost being killed by a strigoi a cloud.”

“A storm?”

“More like a Category 5 hurricane.”

“Nerd.” You rolled your eyes before closing them and relaxing in his embrace. “I’m still glad it led us to this moment.”

You didn’t have to look to know that he was smiling, the small tightening of his arms and intake of breath gave him away as he whispered in his sleepy voice, “Me too, love. Me too.”

[pokeglitchden]

I'm leaving the island today. I'm hoping that these strange dreams I've been having will stop once I'm back in Glitch City.

Though the one I had last night just deeply strange.

I had a dream that I'd been somehow granted the gift of immortality, but that in response my coworkers from Devon decided this was a perfect opportunity to test human interactions with legendary pokemon.

So I was placed in a room with various legendary pokemon and the outcome was always death, usually in a pretty gruesome manner, but in the dream the pokemon they decided to place me with was a Mew.

The strange thing is that the Mew didn't really attack. Instead it hid me from the rest of my colleagues, and when they entered the room to try to figure out what happened, it allowed us both to escape.

And... then it destroyed the facility. Via judgement.

I don't know how to take the hypothetical destruction of the lab I used to work at. Even in a dream watching it was... unsettling.

But that wasn't where the dream ended. The Mew led me off into the woods, some place far from society. I don't think I exactly had a choice in whether or not to follow it. I mean, it HAD just destroyed the whole lab. But the entire time it was never hostile. Just playful and curious.

Until it decided to use imprison. Now I'm not sure how this would feel in the context of a real pokemon battle, but in the dream, after it used imprison, it then used its Transformative abilities to Transform into me, and of course at that point I was rendered unable to do anything.

The form it took was so uncannily close to what I look like that it actually took me aback. It even sounded like me when it spoke and it DID speak to me.

It was... strangely reassuring in a way? I mean, not to say it didn't seem hostile. It began draining my energy with... possibly what could have been Mega Drain. Some kind of life draining move, but it was very gentle as it did this.

I remember it saying that if it did not do this, I could never be free. And at the end it told me "The cycle is broken, Go home."

And I woke up pretty much instantly.

No idea how to parse that one. These dreams are getting stranger and stranger. Maybe it really is a good thing that I'm leaving the island today.

-Simon

[wessexroyalfamily]

{Location: Red Drawing Room, Fogmorre Castle}

Alberta, The Duchess of Chelsea: Margaret, so good to see you.

Crown Princess Margaret of Wessex: You look amazing for a mama whose just had twins.

Albie: Well don’t look to closely (chuckles) I’ve had to squeeze every inch of me to fit inside.

Margaret: I felt the same way after Richie. I was an utter walking zombie. Congrats on the Insider article, by the way.

Albie: Ugh, those magazines are always exaggerating things. Only you and your husband know the truth about your marriage. Besides, the only thing they got right in my article was the part about the coffee addiction.

Margaret: (sighs) I know, I know. I'm fine really. Just not sure if I'm ready to put on a fake smile during dinner. I've been mentally preparing myself all day.

Albie: It's okay not to be okay, Margaret. If you need a break during dinner, just give me a signal. We can escape to the kitchen for a "snack break."

Margaret: (smirking) You're a lifesaver.

Albie: Did Anne talk to you about it?

Margaret: Of course not. I mean we had tea earlier.

Albie: And she didn't saying anything then?

Margaret: Well not anything helpful. She just encouraged me to talk to him. And I try, but he makes it so impossible.

Albie: George can be the same way sometimes. But seriously, we'll get through this dinner, and then we can have our own version of a spa night later, deal?

Albie: Your Majesty…Your Royal Highness.

Queen Anne II of Wessex: Girls you both are looking lovely.

The Prince Christian, The Earl of Gloucester: And no need for such formalities tonight, it’s just family.

Albie: Hopefully we’re not too late.

Christian: Nonsense, frankly you too are the only ones who could have a proper excuse for being late.

Christian: Sorry I missed you for tea this afternoon dear. How is that grandson of mine?

Margaret: Sadly a bit nicked that his favorite Papa hasn’t seen him yet? But don’t worry I’m sure it’s nothing a bit of candy from you after dinner can’t fix.

Christian: Oh good it’s fixable (laughs) wouldn’t want to be on the bad side of a toddler.

Christian: By the way, if you were looking for your husband he’s over there talking to cousin Arthur.

Margaret: Has he said anything to you?

Christian: Not anything more than you have.

Margaret: So nothing.

Christian: (disappointed) Though I wish one of you would.

Anne II: What was that?

Christian: What was what?

Anne II: I thought we agreed that you weren’t going to meddle.

Christian: I don’t think that’s meddling, just…merely stating facts of who’s in the room and who’s not.

Anne II: Yes we’ll, you’d do very good to keep your observations to yourself for the rest of the evening.

Albie: Stop stalling and just go over there.

Margaret: I can’t now he’s talking to people.

Albie: He’s only talking to cousin Arthur, and you know what a bore he can be. Probably babbling on about the old days of empire.

Margaret: Even so I just can’t…

Albie: As your sister-in-law, I’ll polite suggest that you sack up and go talk to your husband.

Margaret: *sighs*

Prince Arthur, The Earl of Falmouth: I’m excited to be joining you on the upcoming Devon tour.

Crown Prince William of Wessex: I didn’t realize that you were coming?

Arthur: I was a last minute addition, so to speak. Extra support for your mother.

William: Yeah, the palace has already bumped up my list of engagements.

Arthur: The government advised the Queen to have you both out and seen more before the election. It seems the Republican National Party has a real shot of winning this year.

David Worcester-Scott: Would that be so bad? If they won I mean.

Arthur: The Duchy of Devon is Wessex’s greatest crown dependency. As Duke it is the Queen’s job, and by extension William’s, ensure that our relationship with the Devonians remain intact as it has since the reign of Richard I.

David: But surely you agree that the Devonians deserve some greater form of free rule.

Arthur: Surely I do not.

William: David just means he thinks the national council in Devon should have greater autonomy.

Arthur: A Wessex sovereign has been the nominal Duke for the last 12 monarchs. Give the Devonians more autonomy and mark my words, you my boy, won’t be the 13th.

David: And that’s another thing I never understood, why do they call The Queen, Duke there and not Duchess.

Arthur: (sarcastically) I suppose you wouldn’t. Clearly tradition and history is something that is lost on the minds of the youth.

Margaret: Hope I’m not interrupting.

Arthur: Margaret me dear you’re looking beautiful than ever this evening.

Margaret: Arthur, so good to see you, Happy All Saints.

(William and David having inaudible conversation in the background)

Margaret: William could I speak to you in private for a moment.

Margaret: I figured I’d save you from cousin Arthur.

William: Yeah, save me but abandon cousin Arthur to more of David’s republicanism (awkward laugh)

Margaret: I also figured we could talk…about us.

William: Oh come on Margaret not here. Honestly, we should have this conversation in private later on.

Margaret: Will we have it? You haven’t even been to see me or Richie yet.

William: This is why I’ve been avoiding coming to see you, I knew you’d want to start fight.

Beginning | Start of Current Chapter | Previous | Next

[whump-card]

Sunless Lives Arc 3 contains themes of forced institutionalization, medical abuse, psychiatric abuse, and suicide. Because these are such common squicks and triggers amongst the whump community, I will be providing a surface-level summary of what happens chapter-by-chapter for anyone who needs to skip parts or the whole arc.

This post will be edited to add the summary of each part as I publish them, and I will reblog the updated version after each Sunless Lives post.

Take care!

Summary below the cut.

Part 21: I Will Get Better - Matthew wakes up, cured of his vampirism. He is at first mad at Simon for staying with him while he was a vampire, and they argue before coming to an understanding. Captain Isles and Amber show up. They want to send Simon to a psychiatric facility. Simon doesn’t want to go, but agrees when Amber implicitly threatens Matthew. Simon leaves with Isles and Amber.

Part 22: I Will Hear From You Soon - Matthew is alone at the clinic. He misses his dad. He goes through a physical, and asks how long vampire rehab will take. They don’t know. He is taken in a van to Fontain Fields. It’s surprisingly nice inside. A kind orderly gives him a pep talk.

Part 23: I Will Get You Out - In a therapy session transcript, Dr Mandal asks Matthew questions about the emotions he experienced as a vampire. Back in the present, Matthew gets out of Fontaine Fields around Easter. He reunites with his dad. Gina and Devon are there, and inform him that Isles has placed Simon under a conservatorship, and that Simon has attempted suicide.

Part 24: I Will Not Go - In a therapy session transcript, Matthew worries about being possessive and controlling when he’s around Simon again. Dr Mandal suggests that the possessiveness is a natural level of love and desire, and that Simon is competent enough that Matthew can let go of the need to control. Now we jump back to follow Simon right after he left Matthew. Isles and Amber put him in a car. Simon realizes he doesn’t want to go, but the woman in the car informs him that he’s under a conservatorship and doesn’t have a choice. Simon attempts to escape, but is drugged.

Part 25: I Will Wait - In a therapy session transcript, Matthew struggles with some self-hatred. Simon arrives at Fort Summerwhite, half-conscious from drugs. The intake process is violating and humiliating. He is pushed up against a wall by an orderly. A nurse is hostile to him. He meets Chett, a scary patient.

Part 26: I Will Make You Better - In a therapy session transcript, Dr Mandal suggests that Matthew consider his own health and safety, not just Simon’s. Simon has a session with Dr Deckard. Dr Deckard does not believe that Simon is not suicidal, asks invasive questions, and drives Simon into a panic attack. Simon learns Isles told the doctor personal details about Simon. Simon’s only comfort is that when he leaves the session, Chett is there - not so scary after all.

Part 27: I Will Be A Good Boy - In a therapy session transcript, Matthew talks about an altercation he had with another patient because he misheard the man’s name as Bowers. In another session with Dr Deckard, Simon has grown numb. Dr Deckard believes he is irrational, and threatens him with solitary. When he gets out of the session he is alone; Chett has been released, but not before warning Simon that he’d been keeping Simon safe, and Simon should be careful now. Soon after Simon is spooked by Reeder, the redheaded orderly, and he uses Simon’s reaction as an excuse to drag him away to a storage closet, along with another orderly, Hans. They proposition Simon for oral sex in exchange for favors, with no option of refusal. Simon makes a deal with them to get his own room and to stop being medicated. Afterwards, Simon asks them for a smartphone, thinking he can use it to find Matthew’s dad’s number. Reeder says he’ll see what he can do.

Part 28: I Will Not Bend - In a therapy session transcript, Matthew decides his attraction to Simon has nothing to do with the preybonding. Isles visits Simon, and is useless. The next time Reeder pulls Simon into the storage closet, Reeder demands sex. Simon tries to get away, but Reeder throws him down and his head hits a shelf, nearly killing him. To make it look like a suicide, Reeder force-feeds Simon pills and leaves him there.

Part 29: I Will Take You Home - Matthew confronts Isles about Simon. Isles surprisingly agrees to take Matthew to see him. They go to Fort Summerwhite. Dr Deckard complains that Simon shouldn’t see Matthew. Isles overrules. Matthew finally sees Simon, and he looks okay, but is heavily sedated and his hair has been shaved in order to treat his head injury. Simon apologizes to Matthew for cheating on him, and Matthew demands to know what he’s talking about. Dr Deckard tells them that Simon lies constantly. Matthew convinces Isles to take Simon home. They take Simon to Isles’ house, but once there Isles has a change of heart and kicks Matthew out, threatening to have him arrested.

Part 30: I Will Not Let You Do It Too - Isles tells Simon that Matthew doesn’t want him anymore. Simon is devastated. Isles takes Simon everywhere with him, and generally treats him like a child and a danger to himself. Simon knows he didn’t attempt suicide, even though that’s what everyone says, but he doesn’t remember exactly what DID happen. No one will believe him about the sexual abuse, either. After three weeks of living with Isles, Isles comes on to Simon. Simon goes along with it, thinking it will just be kissing, but Isles escalates and doesn’t stop when Simon asks him to. Simon smashes a lamp over Isles’ head and escapes the house. He runs through the city, eventually spotting/being spotted by a woman who directs him into an LGBT community center. The people there take care of him before leaving him alone with a phone. With no one to call, Simon dials Lara’s old number, then his mom’s, getting the disconnected message each time.

[h-worksrambles]

The Arches build 7 is finally public and I just finished rereading the whole game, so screw it. Spoiler heavy rambling about the new update below:

-Howly pulled an Undertale and went meta on us in the best possible way, as Cameron’s reaction to the town allows him to see different possible futures. In short, he beomes a VN player, save scumming between the outcomes of his choices. Oh were you wondering why Arches is the only Echo game without choices? Well here you go! They’re here, but we’re not the ones making them. These games never cease to impress me in how well they take advantage of the medium. - This is even more fitting when you consider Cam’s character arc. Much of Cam’s character conflict is built around his self loathing and the belief that he doesn’t deserve happiness. He’s well on the way to recovering from his addiction, but he still feels deep shame over it. He feels he shouldn’t have survived while his mother died. He escaped an abusive relationship but convinced himself he was just as bad as his abuser. And his relationship with Devon is dogged by a fear of rejection. A belief that he’s a freak who will ruin Dev in some way. And yet, when given that final horrifying vision of his own death in the mines, Cameron chooses to act. He makes the choice to live. -Building on Cam’s visions, it kills me that Cam’s ability allows him to see everything, to understand even the minds of the people that have hurt him. In a series all about fractured psyches and traumatised people trapped in their own heads, unable to relate to reach other, the eleventh hour superpower that ends Echo’s multi-century spannig history of violence and tragedy is cosmic levels of empathy. Call me pretentious, and I get that it’s largely the result of drug addled disassociation, but I think that, as a message, is goddamn beautiful. -Brian’s demise was a cathartic end for such a monstrous villain. I enjoyed Cam’s rumination that spelled out what Brian represents at the end of the day, something I’ve already talked about here before. He’s emblematic of the most harmful kind of selfishness. Of falling into the same loop of self destructive coping mechanisms that make him a danger to himself and even moreso to others. Time after time he chose his own selfish pursuit of pleasure over basic human empathy. He refused to stop moving in circles, and so became a walking symbol of the town itself. And as such, he dies with the town. -The actual fight with Brian was viscerally horrifying. Arches has consistently been perhaps the most suspenseful and dread-laden out of all the Echoverse games. And this may just have cemented it as their scariest game to date. My heart was in my mouth the entire time and Cam’s last fake-out vision left me in a state of almost sickened shock. -Ending things in the mines was such a perfect choice. The place where Brian killed his victims, the place where Flynn died and was swallowed up by the town itself to become the Socket Monster. The place where Mary Applegate and others like her were killed by whatever was lurking down here during the events of The Smoke Room. It’s the place where all of this started when Sam killed Jack. Where the tragedy of the town has kept repeating, and now it’s where it all ends. -Devon and Cameron both come to terms with the people they’ve lost in the past. Devon, who has blamed himself for the death of Lupita, accepts that he can’t keep chasing shadows to run away from his guilt over her death. Fixating on the paranormal nearly got his friend and the man he loves killed. So he resolves not to go in circles, not to repeat the same mistakes. Not to ignore the warnings before it’s too late. And so, he saves Cameron. Cameron comes to terms with his feelings over his mother’s death, and accepts that he loves and misses her. And I love that Arches does this without confirming one way or the other the existence of any kind of afterlife (outside of Echo’s own supernatural influence that is). Chasing after ghosts out of grief was what got them into this mess after all. Instead, it’s really down them to decide how they feel about the people they’ve lost and so make their own closure.

-Just as many of us predicted, Arches delivered on its foreshadwing through the motif of half-circles splendidly. The arch goes from a symbol of Cameron’s inescapable trauma to an image of breaking cycles and moving on. The final scene drives this home.

...He found her arch. And she was right. It did save him...

Arches might well be the most oppressive, suspenseful and intense visual novel Echo Project has made yet. It got so dark that before now I couldn’t blame someone for being exhausted by it. For being worried that it would just be sheer misery right up to the end. But Howly played the long game. He went to dark places, in order to tell a heartbreakingly beautiful story about overcoming grief, breaking cycles of abuse and self-harm, and of the role selfless love can play in helping us become better people. And as a companion piece to Echo, a story in many ways about broken people who struggled to healthily love one another, that feels so fitting. Cameron and Devon are the absolute purest couple. This story has been devastating and terrifying but goddamn if I’m not invested in these two and their love for each other. That final scene was more hopeful than I could ever have dared wish for. Even with the darker implications of Cameron’s final vision. They’ve been through a lot and this is going to leave deep scars but they made it. Together. When that final build comes, I just hope Howly finally lets them rest. They deserve it so, so much.   

[skrunklystar]

pinned post & fic list 🌞🌚⭐

hello fellow Sun & Moon-enjoyers 💕 you can call me devon, though I’ve also been called Lord Skrunk before 😂 I write smutfic about these weird robots because...I don’t know, I’m just in love with them and I want to hold their enormous hands 😭 I have an ongoing story on Ao3 that you can read below! I update ongoing stories every Saturday (ish?) and post Twitter drabbles whenever I get a horny idea bouncing around the inside of my brain 🫣

part I: doing human things with you, Explicit, 15.5k

Set before the events of Security Breach. You’ve been working as the Daycare Attendant Handler for a month now, and you’ve quickly become friends with two AIs who share one celestial-themed body. Little do you know, they’ve been wanting to take things further, and after an unexpected moment during hide & seek, they finally get a chance to show you how they really feel.

part II: upgrades, people, upgrades!, Explicit, 42k

Ever since Moon risked it all during a game of hide & seek, your relationship with the Daycare Attendant has blossomed from coworkers to friends to…something else. They love taking care of you, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could take care of them, too? It’s nothing a little “upgrade” can’t fix…

one-shot interlude: promise broken, Explicit, 5k

After your first night together, Sun & Moon spend the whole day tormented by memories of your face, your voice, your body - all of it building into an intense need to…take care of the issue. They decide to take matters into their own hands (literally), but a little “security update” hiding in Moon’s code causes some problems.

part III: honey, I'm home!, Explicit, ongoing

Your animatronic boyfriend(s) coming to live with you should be the best thing in the world. Just don’t think about how they had their bodies puppeteered by a mysterious virus, or how they were very nearly destroyed trying to escape a burning Pizzaplex, or how they barely have any memory of what happened. No, don’t worry about that. Focus on making breakfast and playing board games and holding hands and don’t think about the shell-shocked look in Moon’s eyes or the way Sun panics when he can’t remember - and definitely don’t think about why your roommate is desperately sifting through Sun & Moon’s memory files, searching for…something. No, everything’s normal! Everything’s fine! …..isn’t it?

twitter drabbles

moon gets a new body, minus one very important thing

moon edges you until you pass out 🥴

four arms, two dicks (eclipse-centric)

moon's the fingerblasting world champion 2022

sun wants to make you a mommy so bad (part 1)

sun STILL wants to make you a mommy so so so bad (part 2)

moon also wants to make you a mommy and he's going to be a menace about it for no reason (part 3)

Eclipse is here and he's going to make you a mommy twice over (part 4)

one-shots

back & forth, Explicit, 2k

Your robot boyfriends get two separate bodies, which means four hands for holding, two mouths for kissing, and two dicks for...well, you know. Getting "stuck" in the weird plastic tube that connects their rooms leads to some shenanigans.

playing house, Explicit, 5k (parts 1-4 of a twitter drabble assembled into a fic)

You and Sun play mommy & daddy in a game of house, but he wants to continue the game after hours - starting with your wedding night. He and Moon both want to make you their pretty little wife, and maybe a mommy, too. When Moon decides to be a menace, Eclipse comes out to set things straight.

[thereismoretomylifethenice]

Escaping the Cocktail Party--Elsa & RC3

@iloveitxwhenaplanxcomestogether (RC3)

Mr. Knight standing in the corner and irritably pulling at his tie might find these fundraising parties irking, but Elsa can hardly see why. Certainly, an endless calendar of fundraising dinners, benefit galas, and charity cocktail parties can be a bit tiresome, but they also are part of operating non-profit organizations. The money has to come from somewhere, after all. They are also staples on her own calendar—one of the dangers of having a tremendous fortune in the bank and a familial history of philanthropy. She used to let Anna handle these kinds of events, but her dear sister was a bit too softhearted and free with her checkbook. She soon sent Anna back to PR parties for the company while she took charge of the charitable angles. Admittedly, however, this party is a bit dull. Though she is loath to admit it, this fact falls on the head of the Foundation’s venerable leader Devon Miles. A wonderfully charming and witty man in small groups and one-on-one conversations, he becomes a bundle of nerves when he has to deliver official speeches, resulting in slightly long-winded and rather tedious ones. Unfortunately for all of them tonight, the Foundation ias giving an overview of their work for the last year, and handing out several awards to various charitable endeavors in Southern California. That means poor Mr. Miles has had to make multiple speeches, and the rest of them have to listen to them. It made for an uncomfortable evening across the board. Finally though, the last award has been given and the last of the speeches have been made. A general air of relaxation moves through the crowd as they shift into the ‘cocktails and mingle’ portion of the evening. Mr. Knight promptly disappeared with Dr. Barstow, the two intently discussing something with their heads tilted close together as they vanish through a side door.   Elsa finds herself moving into ‘small talk’ mode where she makes polite conversation with various familiar faces, is introduced to a few new ones, and starts plotting the opportune time to make her farewells. She probably has another hour or so here first though… while Mr. Knight can blow in and out as he pleases, a woman of her position can never appear to be rushed even if all she wants to do was get back to her apartment, slip out of her heels, and slink into bed with a good book. She makes her first circuit of the room, ending by the bar where she gratefully accepts a refill on her seltzer water. Spotting a new man leaning awkwardly against the bar in a tux he is clearly not comfortable in, she acknowledges him with a polite headtilt. As she greets the stranger, she spots another figure bee-lining toward her—one she wishes to avoid. Mr. Standforshire has been after her for months with an unsound business proposition that she suspects he is trying to use as an overture toward a romantic relationship. Desiring neither from the odious forty-five-year-old, she turns fully toward the stranger. “Hello,” Offering her hand politely, unable to fully hide a sense of urgency, she finishes her introduction.  “I don’t believe we’ve met before. I am Elsa Arendelle. Do you work for the Foundation, Mister… ?”

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1079 - Initial Thoughts

Well we know who the traitor is now

but we also know that Egghead is gonna beget a huge incident pieces are moving but are they taking shape?

Let's find out!

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release too!

I guess the formation of Neo-MADS has ended the Germa cover story, which is okay but I'd rather have had more for Reiju. The cover we got today was nice though, poor lion

Sticking with it just for one more thing I hope we get some cover stories about the Wano aftermath, I mean Wano and Zou are still high alert areas given that they house two of four Road Poneglyphs. Be nice to see a bit more development for Yamato and Carrot too, while also getting a bit of feedback on what happened to the remaining Beast Pirates, Big Mom Pirates and how the allies are adjusting to the newly liberated Wano

To the chapter though and we see a more serious York lay out her plans to the Seraphim

She is at least aware that the Gorosei have targeted her as well, but she wants to keep the Stella alive, probably for leverage, as well as the CP agents she's been starving

Also quick clarity that she did stage S-Snake to attack her then free her when out of sight

Still curious however why Lilith wasn't killed after being stoned though?

Also another overly gratuitous ass shot with York this chapter too...

Seems there's a room York doesn't want damaged though, I wonder if it's the secret lab or the paw room

Whichever it is, I would suspect S-Snake is going there to guard it

Egghead's residents are escaping, but a familiar raft-like ship is approaching

The Blackbeard Pirates are coming to Egghead! So of course we're all now worried for Law, however it's worth noting that this may not be Teach's main ship, meaning this could be Devon, Lafitte, Pizzaro, Vasco, Shiryu or Aokiji rolling up, maybe even the tenth Titanic Captain

They're probably after the Seraphim info after Amazon Lily, but this does bode poorly for the Egghead residents given that the Navy is also coming with an Admiral and Gorosei

Also let's not forget Caribou, man who knows about 2 ancient weapons may jump ship to the Blackbeard pirates just to get out - which then endangers Luffy's two territories homing them

Naturally, Oda refuses then to elaborate, it's time for more Elbaf stuff!

Kid is approached by some captains of Shanks' fleet, we got a frog guy, an old guy and then a bratty princess who called Kid a pleb

Kid is disappointed in the lineup, despite Killer's warnings that there are 'big names' there

But Shanks has told them to retreat, he wants to handle this shit himself

The groups of allies seem to be in good spirits about it though, turns out his fleet is 'notoriously weak' which they seem to acknowledge themselves

He's sizing up Kid too, noting not to underestimate him and checking on his health status since Wano

Man he even looked up his wikipedia history

Turns out Blackbeard isn't on his island, this seems like Oda misdirecting us because he could still be fighting Law, but this is an important note since Garp is going to Pirate Island to free Coby, so he may not get much resistance

Kid's not wasting any time though, whipping out his Awakened Magnum Glock (Glock! I said Glock! Get your head outta the gutter!)

Shanks has futuresight confirmed, as he sees the damage Kid is about to do and jumps into action

HO SHIT HE USED DIVINE DEPARTURE!

He used the move Roger did on Oden! And it obliterated the big gun and caught a ton of Kid's crew in the backlash, in both damage and Conqueror's Haki

Shanks just one-shotted Kid and got Killer for extra

Kid's crew of course know they're outmatched, so they hand over their Poneglyph rubbings without question

Shanks may spare them, but Elbaf may not

Dorry and Brogy set up an Hakoku on the coast of Elbaf

Completely bisects the ship, RIP to the Victoria Punk and its badass design

As the Kid pirates are sent into the drink, the Narrator emulates Sabaody by saying the Kid Pirates were 'completely eradicated'

NOOOOO NOT A BREAK!

Well then...

We knew Shanks was strong but considering how Kid survived longer against Kaido I think the world may've underrated his strength there.

First and foremost, no I don't think Kid and Killer will die, it doesn't seem on brand with Shanks or One Piece to kill off characters this way, being completely defeated however may lead into Kid losing hope and giving up on being a pirate, or lashing out because of how badly defeated he's been again

Glad we at least covered York's plan a bit more, I am intrigued about the room she wants to protect. The arrival of a Blackbeard ship may lead more into why Egghead is such a shocking incident. My gut tells me it's Aokiji, because he is linked to Ohara, but I also think Vasco and Devon may want to redeem themselves, it's worth reminding too that Robin will be a target of theirs regardless of whether Pudding awakens her powers or not, plus Vasco and Pizarro are the only two BB pirates whose powers are completely unknown to us, so they have more to offer in terms of conflict. I am putting my chips down on Caribou sailing off with them too, though I wouldn't put it past Oda to add more fire to the pot: the Revolutionary Army was made as a response to Ohara so they may jump into action there, plus we know nothing about what the Cross Guild intends to to, surely they will need to collect Poneglyph rubbings in some way too.

But to recap, the moving pieces as we know them are

Straw Hat Pirates, Stussy & CP0: Hunted on Egghead's Labophase by Seraphim, unaware of York treachery

Vegapunk: Stella trapped, York awaiting next phase, Lilith stoned, Edison KO'd but alive, Atlas with Robin and Chopper, Shaka and Pythagoras dead

Bonney: Processing Kuma's memory paw

Caribou: Unknown but not wanting to be on Egghead

Sentomaru: On Egghead floor recovering from injury, ordered Mark 3s to ensure Vegapunk's escape, civilians being escorted

Garp, Helmeppo & others: Going to Fullalead (revealed to not have Blackbeard present) to rescue Coby

Heart Pirates: last seen fighting Blackbeard, Doc Q, Van Augur & Jesus Burgess on a ship that had Pudding as prisoner

Kid Pirates: Obliterated by Shanks, Dory and Broggy off the coast of Elbaf

Kizaru: Escorting a Gorosei (Saturn) with a fleet of several Navy branches en route to Egghead

Marco: Implored by Buckin to save Weevil from Green Bull

Kuma: Scaling the Red Line, reason unknown

Revolutionary Army: Last seen on Kambakka Kingdom, thoroughly confused

Vivi: With Wapol on Morgans' airship

And more is likely due to unfold, jeez louise Oda is cooking.