#I too would grab a fire extinguisher and hit him in the head with it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

manygeese · 9 days ago

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chapter 5 guys! Buckle the fuck up buttercups

It was dinner time at the McLean household, and Leo had never felt more nervous.

It had been a day or so since he came out to Piper, and they had spent last night plotting the best way for him to come out to Dad. Piper had kept on reassuring him that Mr. McLean would accept him, and a small part of him knew that, no doubt about it, but the overwhelming majority was too anxious to listen.

They had settled on doing it the next night, which had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that the moment was here, it seemed mind blowingly stupid.

He covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath as Mr. McLean served the main course. Piper scooted her chair towards his, grabbed one of his hands, and squeezed it under the table. When he looked over to her, he was met with a comforting smile and another squeeze of the hand.

Leo wasn’t really at the dinner table. Mentally, he was in the Catholic Church his Tía Rosa had taken him to for the first eight years of his life. The last time he had gone was the day of his mother’s funeral. The confession booth hadn’t even been open after the ceremony, but he had spent hours crying in it. His Tía’s calls had echoed in the grand tiled halls, in the sanctuary, the narthex: “Leo! Ay, chico, where are you?” He had shaken with the effort to be quiet whenever she entered the room with the priest and his annoyed cousins behind her.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” Leo had whispered into the latticed wood when he knew he was alone. “I should’a gotten help. Should’a gotten the fire extinguisher or somethin’. Should’a saved you.” He would collapse into another round of sobbing after every confession. Eventually, his cries had gotten so loud that he didn’t notice the opening of the chapel doors. Out of nowhere, he was dragged out into the inappropriately bright sun by his Tía.

He hadn’t gone to church in a long time, but he felt like he was back in the body of a heartbroken eight year old, shivering with grief and confessing his sins to an empty booth.

The dishes clinked on the dinner table. There was a silence unusually tense for the McLean household, which the man of the house seemed to pick up on as he untied his apron and gave his son a concerned look.

“Dad, I need to tell you something,” Leo breathed as he watched his father take a seat. Piper squeezed his hand yet again.

Mr. McLean smiled at him and inched his hand closer to Leo’s side of the table. He didn’t deserve his kindness. “Yes, son?”

Tears threatened to spill over. He thought he was stronger than this. “I’m gay,” he apologized.

Just two words- there, that wasn’t so bad, was it? The hard part is over. Nothing to worry about, the logical part of him said.

Leo swore he could hear Tía Rosa growling in the back of his mind: You’re a sinner. You’re going to hell. He hates you and he’s right to.

Leo snatched his hand back from where Piper was still squeezing it, using both of them to cover his ears. His eyes remained open wide, so he could see his father get up from his seat and head over to the other side of the table.

For a frightening moment, Leo saw his father coming towards him and thought that he was going to hit him. He saw the look in Mr. McLean’s eyes and mistook it for hatred, for disappointment, for anger. He saw the outstretched hand and believed it was going to punish him. Tía Rosa’s voice echoed like a pastor’s would, giving a sermon to an empty church, chanting in the back of his mind. “You deserve it, you deserve it.”

The embrace surprised him. Tía Rosa stopped crying out like the instigator of an angry mob, stuck in a disgusted, disbelieving quiet as Mr. McLean hugged the living daylights out of him. Mr. McLean rocked back and forth with Leo in his arms. A second pair wrapped around a Leo from the side. He felt Piper’s face press into his shoulder.

“Oh, kid, were you scared to tell me this?” Mr. McLean asked, patting the back of Leo’s head. The answering sob was all he needed. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Nothing wrong with you, you hear me?” Leo nodded into his father’s shirt.

“You’re Piper’s brother. You’re my son. You’re family. We couldn’t change that if we wanted to,” Mr. McLean continued. It was Piper’s turn to nod.

This “family” is obligation only, you little devil, Tía Rosa spat. You are nothing but a charity case.

Don’t listen to that nonsense, some other voice argued. For a split second, the images of that cramped confessional were replaced by his mother, singing long forgotten lullabies while she tucked him in. She used to say that she loved him before she closed the door to his bedroom, the last thing visible in the waning sliver of light being her soft smile. You are loved more than you could ever know. Don’t ever forget that.

“I love you guys,” Leo mumbled, half thankful, half pleading for them to love him back.

“We love you too,” came the answer, allowing some semblance of relief to seep back into Leo’s tense body.

~*~

Thanks to the nightmares, Leo woke up a good hour before his alarm was supposed to go off. Instead of cuddling back into his favorite quilt and drifting back to dreamland, as a normal, healthy Leo would have done, he got dressed and walked out the bedroom door, stepping over Festus carefully.

He raided the fridge for anything edible, settling on cold pancakes and a soda from one of the shelves. It might have been Piper’s, it might not have been, but Leo’s addled mind had bigger fish to fry.

Taking a bite of the crumbly pancake, Leo was tempted to go to sleep in the puddle of syrup forming on his plate. What little rest he had gotten that night was haunted by the visions of a melting mother and the pattern of crisscrossed confessional wood pressed into his hands, imprinted on his forehead and cheeks, burned into his body. A searing pain behind his eyes had developed deep into the night and had been plaguing him even through his unconsciousness. It was, quite possibly, hell.

The ache eventually became too much to bear, which caused Leo to abandon his meager breakfast and escape out into the night. Morning? The AM sign on his alarm clock had said morning, but the pitch black sky told him night. Honestly, who cared?

Leo snatched his bike up off of the ground, unlatched the gate and slammed it shut behind him. He hopped on and started pedaling to nowhere. The school wasn’t open- wouldn’t be for at least another hour. There were no restaurants open at that time of night and/or morning, and Leo hadn’t brought any money to begin with. It was a bad idea to be on a bike that bone weary in the first place.

The bike took him to the edge of town. Apartment buildings and gas stations rose on either side of him. It was a clear shot to the park down the road. Maybe that was where he was headed.

The universe had other ideas.

Leo was forced to skid to a stop when a pedestrian came across his path. The bike screeched to a halt right in front of the hot blond man, whose name was probably Jason, judging by the familiarity of the guy’s silhouette. “We have got to stop meeting like this,” Probably Jason said after he stopped laughing.

Leo sighed. “Yeah, sure, you got it,” he grumbled, not really paying attention.

Jason brought his hand out of his coat and checked his watch, which made his eyes widen. He must have just realized how early it was. “What are you doing out here?” Jason shoved his hands back into his pockets.

“Mhm. Yup,” Leo agreed, running on autopilot.

“What?”

“Are you… okay?”

“Yeah, probably. Wait, what was the question?”

“What are you doing out here, Leo?”

“I could ask you the same question, Superman,” Leo drawled, hopping off of his bike and leaning on the tree next to him. He nearly missed, which ruined the nonchalant effect he hoped it would have. His eyes drifted closed involuntarily.

“Seriously, man, it’s 3:30. I’m only up right now because I was tired yesterday and went to bed, like, as soon as I got home. You should not be up this early.” Jason placed a warm hand on his shoulder and moved him gently away from the tree. Unintentionally (but not regrettably), this made Leo face plant into Jason’s chest.

“Sorry,” was all Leo could mumble into Jason’s shirt before he blacked out.

~*~

Leo woke up on an unfamiliar bed to the gentle call of his own name. He batted the hand on his forearm away, grumbling and trying to get the figure to leave him alone. This only succeeded in making the shadow chuckle and shake his arm harder. “C’mon, Leo, wake up.”

“No,” he whined.

“It’s five in the morning.”

“Oh shit! Why the hell didn’t you lead with that?” Leo sat up straight and threw off the covers. He searched frantically for his missing shoes. “Where did you put my shoes? Wait, where did you put my bike? Hold on, why am I in your apartment? Is this your apartment?”

“Your shoes are by the door and so is your bike, because I didn’t have any safe place to put it outside. Um, as for the reason you’re in my house, you just kind of passed out in my arms on the street. I didn’t want to juggle you and your bike all the way back to the farm, so I left Mr. McLean and Piper a voicemail saying you were over here. And yes, this is my apartment.”

Leo burst out of Jason’s bedroom, shaking out his hair till it felt appropriately messy. He slid down by the doorway to tie on his boots.

He noticed Jason frown. “Do you not want any breakfast? Any coffee?”

Leo scoffed and pushed himself back up into a standing position. “I don’t need to eat breakfast and I like my coffee tedious.”

Jason’s frown changed into an amused smile. “Tedious as in…?”

“Tedious as in more sugar than coffee, and more milk than sugar, and whipped cream if it’s available.”

“So hot chocolate?”

“Pretty much.”

Jason got a sly look on his face and placed his hand on Leo’s back, pushing him towards the door. Hot. “Tell you what- if you let me walk you to the high school, I’ll get you something at Starbucks.”

Leo scoffed again. “The nearest Starbucks is five miles away, genius.”

There was a pause, which Leo struggled not to fill with delirious laughter. “Is there a coffee shop on the way?”

“Yeah, there’s one by the theater downtown,” Leo giggled. If he was a little giddy at the thought of doing something date-adjacent with Jason, so what? Fingers crossed, nobody would be mad at him.

~*~

Lunch was a near heavenly respite and a borderline sacred time. At least, that was Leo’s philosophy. It seemed to be his coworker, Nico’s, too, judging by the way the guy inhaled the cafeteria’s shitty pizza.

Instead of joining his fellow teacher in the ritual of eating greasy school food like he always did, Leo just rubbed his temples, trying to get the pain behind his eyes to go away. The pain behind his eyes now looked suspiciously like a certain blond farmhand, and the feeling of his hands cradling his head felt a lot like said farmhand’s bedsheets. He swore he could feel the solid touch of the man’s hand on his shoulder, imagine it trailing down, maybe a little further…

Nope. Nope. Not thinking about that. He was in a school zone, for goodness sake.

“What’s up with you?” Nico prodded, setting down the fork he was using for his salad to rest his face on it. “You look like somebody died.”

Leo didn’t respond, just ran a hand over his face.

Nico’s eyes widened comically. “Holy shit, did somebody die? I’m sorry, that was so insensitive of me. Are you okay?”

Leo shook his head and laughed a little. “Nah, you’re good, but you’re not even close to right.”

Nico breathed a sigh of relief and bit his lip, thinking. “Bad news or good?”

“Debatable.”

“Ugh, real helpful. Um, is it something to do with a person?”

“Yup.”

“Did you have a fight with them?”

“No.”

“Did they have a fight with someone else?”

“No.”

“Okay, um… do they make you feel things? Like, are they on your mind a lot?”

“Great way to word it, but yes.”

“Shut up. Are the feelings good things or bad things?”

“Debatable.”

Nico huffed a laugh before fluttering his eyelashes mockingly at the other teacher. “Oh, you have a crush, don’t you?”

Leo answered with a blush.

“Oh my god, you actually have a crush? That was a joke. Who’s the questionably lucky lady? Don’t leave me hanging, idiot, spill.”

Silence.

A little more silence.

“It isn’t a lady.”

Silence.

A little more silence, as a treat.

“It’s the new farmhand.”

Silence.

Leo was getting pretty goddamn sick of silence.

“Y’know, I used to think I was just jealous of you and Will because you had a partner, but I think it might’ve been the fact that you were… out of the closet.”

“That’s okay,” Nico said, placing a hand on Leo’s shoulder from over the table. “It’s okay.”

“I keep telling myself that.”

“What’s stopping you from believing it?”

“I don’t know, and I really don’t wanna head into sixth period with tear stains on my face, so can we stop talking about it?”

“Yeah. Okay, we can stop talking about it,” Nico whispered, looking guilty, “but you know you can talk to me about it anytime, right? I went through something like that, too.”

“You’ll be the first to know should there be any developments.” There had been many developments. But tear stains were a very real problem, and so were nosey teenagers, so they’d have to wait for another, more stable, time.

Nico got up and threw away his trash, getting ready to leave the teacher's break room. Just before he opened the door, he looked over his shoulder with a smile so gentle it seemed out of place on his face. “By the way, Leo?”

“Yeah?”

“Welcome to the club.”

@katiefromcabin7 @iwannascreameurekaa @froglyberrys @justlikearat @existential-life-crisis @jasonisntboring @poppitron360 @erosjournal @multifandomer10

#leo valdez #jason grace #piper mclean #tristan mclean #valgrace #nico di angelo #small town affair valgrace au #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians #heroes of olympus fanfic

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tengenstsuguko · 3 months ago

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This is part of a larger (w)hole, which I will probably try to flesh out in the future.

For now it's just an excuse for a Tengen angry up to his eyeballs, violent and abusive. But I know you'll like it. 😉

This is my first attempt at writing-and-using-tumblr after a decade so take it easy.

Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

Keep in mind this is a sort of established situationship, and has plot somewhere reeeeally far in the background.

Enjoy!

Warnings: Dead dove, dub con, "blowjob", graphic descriptions of violence

You have been by Tengen's side as his disciple, for a few years now.

He had gotten the title of Hashira only around a year ago, and you had already learned his breathing technique. However, it was something else that he tried to mercilessly drill into your skull for the last few months. To no avail that is.

Even if you had also trained in the ways of the Shinobi - yes, Shinobi, not Kunoichi- he had an awful feeling gripping the base of his stomach, whenever you gasped under his relentless touch.

Sure he may be tough with you, it is true. But it was all because he couldn't bear the thought of watching the fire from your eyes be extinguished too soon.

He hit you hard, and you bruised so sweetly. His palm connected with your chest, and all the air was gone from your lungs in an instant, like he threw a match on gunpowder. Lights exploded behind your eyelids as your back hit the wall with an ugly thud.

You gasped, and your whole chest burned. Your knees didn't have the strength to keep up with his blow. Tears welled at the corners of your eyes, but no sound could escape, as you couldn't take control of your body yet.

Tengen clicked his tongue in contempt, already standing before your slumped frame, his overwhelming size and presence almost physically pushing down on your torso.

"How am I ever gonna let you join the corp, if you can't even manage to do something so simple such as this.." he left no space for doubt, his voice course and grinding, making you feel like he was digging his digits into your hair, unforgiving and rough.

And yet, since the first day you had met him, the sting of his touch felt like home. It was all encompassing and it made your toes curl, and your breath hitch. It felt insane the first time around, when your body was bruised and battered, in an iron-clad chokehold, how your mind screamed how good the pain felt. Your moan had startled you, your eyes widening and almost falling out of their sockets, as you slowly processed what the neurons connecting in your brain desperately tried to convey.

And today was no different. You wanted to scream at him that he was wrong. To tell him to look at how quickly you had picked up on his technique, how you were rapidly accelerating towards a bright future filled with sharp blades and fangs, soon to be drenched with the blood of demons on your skin. Yet like always, his grip on you was ruthless and painful, and so, so.. intoxicating. And he didn't even have a single finger on you. Yet.

"Let's try something different today." He whispered, with a smile on his face that was all teeth, and a savage shiver rippled across your sensitive skin.

His thick fingers actually slithered between your silky tresses this time, lifting you to your feet and effortlessly throwing you over his shoulder, in one fluid movement.

You couldn't protest even if you wanted to, as he slipped soundlessly into a dark back alley, and threw your body back down on the cold hard ground.

His fingers worked with precision and speed unparalleled, unbuckling his belt and opening his pants like it was nothing more than a nuisance. His free hand grabbed your head and slammed it back into the wall, making you lose any sense of composure you may have tried to claw at.

His eyes were cold and hard, as he stared down at you, with a cruel smirk on his face, before he brought his massive length in front of your dazed face.

"Open." he spat, his tone harsh and cutting into your skin, and then he slammed into you with untold aggression, the very moment your lips dared to give him little more than a single inch.

You felt him slam against the back of your throat, and your body spasmed, as you desperately tried to adjust to his brutal pace and treatment.

"You see.. No matter what I have tried, you can't seem to be able to grasp the importance of the concept." Now both his hands were gripping each side of your head as he slammed his hips into you. His breathing was even, his tone hard, and his voice felt like warm, and sharp specks of sand, against your most sensitive weapon ; your ears.

"And I know, I know, that you still see your life as nothing more than a tool in your dexterous little fingers. Which is probably why, you still refuse to understand, that there will come a time, when your breath will not be at your disposal." he continued to mercilessly pound into your mouth, as spit started to trickle from the sides, and you had to fight with every fiber of your will to not lose yourself to his maddening assault.

His thrusting abruptly came to a halt, and he tilted your head back into an uncomfortable angle. "You will look into my eyes, and you will relax your throat, like it's the last thing you will ever do."

You thought of nodding at him, but his fingers kept you completely in place. You took a deep breath through your nose, and fought hard against your heavy eyelids. You looked deep into your body, searching for the right command to make your master's demand a reality.

Using breathing styles with Tengen never failed to amaze you.

The sound hashira's smile softened as he felt your small body give way to him, his length and girth growing at the sight of obedience painted on your trembling form.

"Just like that..." he sighed, feeling a jolt of electricity run down his spine, as he pushed past the threshold of your inviting mouth, and into the tight confines of your slender neck.

#tengen uzui #uzui tengen #kny uzui #demon slayer uzui #uzui #tengen uzui x reader #uzui tengen x reader #Kny #kimetsu no yaiba #Kny smut #Tengen uzui smut #Uzui tengen smut #Demon slayer smut

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dumnslut · 4 months ago

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Chapter 1

Bitter Resolve

a book im currently working on

Despite the position of the seventh sun, the surrounding forest was dark, cold, and tasted of a bitter miasma. As if weaved within the branches themselves, inhuman beasts started to crawl their way towards the shuffling of boots through the fallen leaves. They couldn’t help but make noise. There were too many of them. Ashi’s footsteps were the first to halt as his path was cut short by the vile thing. Its body had been human once. All of the beasts around them had been. But their skin stretched, their arms elongated, their body shifting to accommodate the extra limbs now inhabiting their marred flesh. Their body looked as if it was half dipped into the deep mists. Yet their faces remained blank, as if to completely rob them of any remaining humanity.

Ashi took a step back and pointed his sword out, attempting to keep the creature at bay while they became more and more surrounded.

“Luka, get in between Wynne and me and start reading.” Ashi demanded.

With no room for argument, the two assumed positions. Luka squatted as his fingers trembled through the pages, hoping for a phrase or an image to jump out at him. The past few days have not been kind to anyone on their team. Freezing rain, bitter cold nights, idiotic plans on getting captured just to gain information. He hated to be the guinea pig but he understood his role too well. He was small and he was the head of research. Still, he’d rather have any other position than what he was in now.

“What if I use my magic?” He choked out while turning a few pages, desperate for answers.

Wynne sliced forward and let out bellow that could cause the entire plane to tremor. The slice was ineffective. She grabbed the monster by the limbs and began tearing at flesh and bone. Ineffective. She cut at any visible point in these beings' bodies and the most they would gain is time as they would crawl back and rebuild themselves.

“No, Luka. Cutting them apart is doing nothing, your magic would be useless.” She bit out, taking a hit to her burly forearm due to the slight distraction.

Luka’s breathing heavied as he continued to scan. They have fought too many monsters. There’s too many monsters in recorded history. How could he find this? It’s not like they were organized throughout these pages. This tome practically served as a journal entry for someone who seemed to crave death at the hands of these beasts. His eyes began to water as he heard his friends continue to take hits that he knew wasn’t going to be easy to walk off.

“I got it! I got it!” He stammered out as he scanned the page. “Fire! It’s fire!”

“Ashi, that’s you.” Wynne said, thrusting her sword and shoving her body towards another beast that had eyes for the man between them.

Ashi nodded for no one to observe and he dug his boot to the ground, praying for enough time to pull off the final advance. He thrust his hand through the blades of glass and searched for a soul that had once spent their life using such magic. His gaze shifted up towards the oncoming monstrosities and his eyes flickered, binding the contract and igniting the fire. Flames began to burst around them, trapping them in a ring but devouring the beasts around them.

“Okay Ashi…now put the flames out.” Wynne said, taking heaving breaths.

Ashi stared out and concentrated. He searched through the confines of the soul’s memory to gain the ability to extinguish the destruction he had just wrought. It was the wrong soul. He had made a contract with the wrong soul. He shook his head, reaching out to the other souls that resided within his skull, hoping they had the knowledge that he could borrow from.

“Ashi?” Luka called out, his voice hoarse as tears dried to the heat of the flames.

“Ashi, the flames are pressing in, we need you.” Wynne insisted, clutched her arm to her belly in an attempt to soothe the gash that ached and bled.

Ashi stood straighter and turned to face them both. It became harder to know what he said out loud and kept to himself when a new soul entered his mind. He was at his limit and he knew he had to fulfill their contracts soon to avoid further possession. The only solution that seemed viable was sprinting through the flames and hoping to make it out without too many burns. With that and no further communication, he was decided.

“Hey wait!” Luka cried out as Ashi grabbed him and thrust him into his chest as he went to sprint across the flames.

Ashi’s footsteps staggered and slowed the further away from the flames he ran. =His reprieve only came when he crashed into the ground. Luka was squeezed under him, desperately shoving and pushing to get him off. Wheezing, coughing, choking, Ashi was immovable as he struggled to collect himself.

Wynne stepped forward, her throat slightly choked from the flames she sprinted through. “You’re ass at communicating.” She said sourly, before pushing her boot against Ashi’s torso and kicking him off.

Ashi's body was still limp and he stared up as his eyes began to flicker back and forth between shades.

“Curse my bloodline…Ashi, snap out of it.” Wynne cursed and then moved to throttle him further.

“They really have to get him to empty his brain out whenever we go on one of these missions.” Luka muttered as he straightened out his shirt.

It was true. Whenever they were set out under an order of the crown of Imnalia, Ashi’s head was never fully empty. He was often called away from his task force for separate tasks that involved utilizing his magic. But was it ever truly his magic? Ashi’s magic was borrowed. He sought out souls that lived their lives honing their magic knowledge and he would trade for that knowledge, temporarily. In exchange, he would alchemize a new body for the soul to inhabit and until that exchange happened, the soul inhabited his mind. His magical reserve lent him great ability to use such knowledge in tremendous, dangerous ways.

It always bothered Luka that he could grant such miserable evil souls a new life. Yet Ashi would always return with how even the darkest souls can be healed with a good childhood. His kindness often sickened him. If he had Ashi’s abilities, and if he encountered the souls that had wronged him so terribly in the past, he would damn them into the dark eternities. Perhaps he wasn’t healed from his past, perhaps he will never get over it. He could acknowledge that he may be projecting his hurt onto Ashi’s kindnesses but it did not stop the pain from choking him.

“Yes but then they’d have to hire someone new and you know the ministry would choke if they needed to increase the budget by a single cent.” Wynne muttered as she went to collect the possessed man who laid on the ground.

“Well they wouldn’t even need to think of a budget if they let us conduct trade outside of Imnalia but no, we have to stay out of the limelight.” Luka added, wiping off the remaining soot and dirt that clung to his clothes before continuing on their path.

“I kind of get why they don’t want to be public but I can’t say it’s not hurting us. Have you noticed that? How our kingdom is always taking the hits in order for things to be better for everyone else?” Wynne asked as she kept pace with the smaller man.

“Yeah, it’s why I can’t have weekends off. Because some kingdom is mad about something and decides to hire an army of sorcerers to invoke their wrath and we somehow have to stop that or at least lessen the damage.” Luka groaned out. He missed his weekends. He missed feeling like he had a life outside of work.

They both could acknowledge the importance of their work. Imnalia, for appearances sake, was strictly neutral. So neutral that there was no trade conducted outside of the nation. Opening trade would expose them and rip apart the facade they had been building for the past century. To the outside world, Imnalia was a poor peasant country with no crops, no fertile land, no staple products of any kind. The nation was landlocked with swampy marsh and it was true, the land was infertile but this was a plight that they had overcome many centuries ago. With rooftop farming, raised gardens, and hydroponics, their kingdom thrived despite these shortfalls. No one suspected them whenever their armies fell sick, or when information had gotten to the opposing side about a siege that was planned on a civilian town. It was for the benefit of others that Imnalia stayed small, hidden, and unassuming. Yet it annoyed Luka endlessly. The work never stopped as they needed to gather information to prevent the next man-made catastrophe.

“What slop do you think they’ll have for us at the dormitories when we return?” Luka snickered.

“Slop is a bit harsh, sure it’s the farmers' excess product but at least it’s free.”

“What would you call it then?” He retorted.

“Slop.”

With a snort they continued to carry on their conversation, complaining about every little aspect of their job. The dormitories were too small and terrible to bring anyone back to and by the gods, did Luka try. The pay was never enough considering they were on call lackeys for the ministry and it was a hassle to get any extra compensation for any trauma one might be put through. Yet they were housed, and they were fed, and any sort of spying or infiltration they had to go through was well worth the lives saved at the cost of their weekends.

“You forgot to complain about my room.” Ashi added, finally gaining dominance in his head.

“You bastard.” Luka yelled at him as Wynne brought him to his feet. “You need to tell me your plans! You need to get those things out of your head!”

“They don’t give me enough time, you know that.” Ashi groaned, rubbing his temple as they approached the gate.

The walk to the ministry’s center of operations grew quiet. They were too annoyed with the months they had spent away for a mission that was supposed to take a week. Too annoyed that they were receiving half truths about what had been happening and why they needed to be away for so long. If they didn’t know any better, the ministry seemed to be falling out of the favor of the people and into the hands of man who yearned for more power. A man who had a big enough information network to dismantle the nations around him and become the next God King. Lord Sahir didn’t seem to be the man to become that but Lady Isla? She seemed to have him set on strings as of late.

The ministry’s center was a beautiful display of brutalist architecture. There was no color, no windows, only informational posters about worker’s rights and how to apply for time off. This was home. Connected to the right corridor of the building was the dormitory entrance. Only the task forces assigned with the most sensitive of missions were assigned rooms and given free meals. Luka and Wynne’s room looked like a sad hovel in comparison to Ashi’s. He’d claim that he needed the extra space, extra rooms, for his alchemy but it was understood that it was to keep the ministry in his good graces. The room was originally built for those higher ranked in the military but Ashi was different and Ashi was loyal.

The trio entered their assigned boardroom which was lazy with informants who were erratically trying to piece together information that the other task forces relayed to them. An elven girl, who was about an inch or two taller than Luka, sauntered in with bouncing curls and a clipboard hugged to her chest. She stopped an odd distance away from them, immediately beginning to write as her eyes raked over their disheveled bodies.

“So, I take it you must’ve found something if you’ve been missing for five months?” Niamh inquired, not intending her words to be so biting.

“Yeah, thanks for sending no one to check on us.” Luka spat out before he shifted to pull his bag down.

“Everyone was busy.” She said and then turned to Wynne, furrowing her brows. “Luka, why didn’t you heal her?”

“My reserve is weak.” He muttered, not having the time to recover any of his energy since freeing the encampant they were stationed at.

“Yeah, you look it. So, what’s the news?” Niamh asked as her hand sprinted across the page.

Luka pulled an unorganized and slightly singed stack of papers from his satchel and shoved it towards her. He was sure to write detailed accounts of all of his journeys along with his two friends next to him. Debriefing was such a painful process and may the seventh forbid you stammer any uncertainty of an event. Uncertainty was inevitable when your missions consisted of trying not to be found and beaten and then subsequently be found and then beaten. Luka wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be good at researching if he kept up this rate for getting concussions.

“Oh wow! Thank you! Anything else you need to add?” Niamh asked.

“There’s more creatures from the hells approaching the gate. We were attacked about ten kilometers from the gate. I’m not sure if a new portal has opened up or if something more is going on.” Wynne added and then patted Ashi on the back. “If you need us, we will be to our rooms.”

“I didn’t dismiss you!” Niamh stammered as she watched the three move to leave, blocking them in their path.

The truth was, they were friends. Good friends even. Over a year ago, they would invite her out to dinner after missions. Over a year ago, they weren’t overworked. She was trapped by the limitations of her role and the structure of the defense force that the ministry had set up. In order to arrange help for her team, she had to address an unreasonable amount of channels and hope to the seventh sun that there would be people available to retrieve them. And lately, no one was available and that crushed her. War was continuing to advance and despite it not being near their soil, demons and other wretched beings seemed to be crawling out of the dirt everywhere. Too many people were being lost.

The three stared daggers through her, making her body physically recoil. “Look, I’m sorry. Can I fill you in after you wash up?” She spoke gently, placing a hand on Ashi’s arm to beg for familiarity.

“Fill us in now. No one has sent any word to us and it put our lives in danger. I’m nearly possessed because of the shortcomings of this ministry.” Ashi sneered.

“Nearly?” Wynne scoffed, “He was possessed. He just regained control. We need answers before we’re forced to go out again.”

“Yes! Yes, I can do that! I…I’m sorry. They never give me clearance to reach out.”

“So? Do it anyway.” Luka snapped, picking at some dried blood on his wrists.

Once the berating stopped, Niamh ushered the three to a table in the back of the boardroom.She had to choose a spot without an echo as the ministry would be sure to give her a lashing for giving out information. Ushering them in close, she reached her hands out. Wisps of magic began to play out images of the unholy.

“What is this Niamh?” Ashi spoke softly, mesmerized by the carnage.

“We don’t know what’s summoning them but these creatures are popping up everywhere. We’ve lost a lot of people. That’s why no one could retrieve you.” She whispered, hoping she’d be back in their good graces once they understood what was happening.

The battle continued on the palms of her hand until the last man was dragged off. They felt lucky that this mesmer didn’t also come with sound. Soon, the image shifted to the current bane of the entire realm’s existence, Lord Durin. There was something dark attached to that man’s soul. He slaughtered his uncle to make an advance for the throne at the age of sixteen and by twenty, he was pushing into neighboring kingdoms. At the annoyance of Imnalia, these nations gave up the land without a fight which only amplified Durin’s greed and ego. However, Durin’s power was something to gawk at. The display of his magic enthralled his foes as the smoke and shadows seemed to parade out of him like a dance. Enticingly beautiful, but incredibly deadly.

“What’s going on here?” Wynne whispered as the mesmer faded from Niamh’s hands.

“Lord Durin has been seen making demands of his ministry. We are unsure of what magic he might be seeking and why he doesn’t think his own is enough.”

“There isn’t much fight against his shadows except the archangels but they haven’t visited the realm in centuries.” Ashi muttered before leaning back to think.

“He probably wants his destruction to be ensured.” Luka sneered before examining his dirty fingertips.

“Is this all we know?” Ashi asked.

“It’s all I know. They don’t tell me everything…except.” Niamh began to fidget and speak nervously. “Except, I already have another assignment for you three.”

Chairs immediately scuffed and shuffled as the three moved to make quick pace towards the door. Another assignment so quickly was unheard of and Ashi was in no shape to leave again. He had two half alchemized bodies ready to dump two of the souls into but finishing them and fully alchemizing two more? By the suns, he swore he would never have an empty brain.

“This is ridiculous! We have no time to even recover our reserves! You need to advocate for us!” Luka yelled towards her, his hands moving as fast as his words.

“I can’t! They already want to move me to another team because they say I’m too familiar with you three!” Niamh bit back.

“If you can get us a few days of reprieve, we will fight for you.” Luka spoke back softly, gently gripping her arm.

Niamh nodded as tears began to pool in her eyes; her head dropping to face the floor. She yearned for the previous years where serving the ministry felt like an adventure. She missed the time when it didn’t feel like she was being crushed under the weight of her work. Her time off has slowly shifted from dinners and games with her team, to locking herself in the ministry archives and working. Everyone was being overworked and there was never compensation for it. With the recent deaths of many teams, there wasn’t an overextended budget where that compensation was unreasonable either.

“I will fight for you.” She managed to choke out.

Luka gently placed his palms against her face and tilted her head to look at him. “I’m sorry.” He whispered out, placing a small kiss on her forehead.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered back.

Ashi and Wynne felt the need to apologize but breaking their moment felt like an even worse offense then the hostility before. After the two broke apart, the two quickly moved to throw up their hands to make a heart towards her. Assuming that was enough to mend any wound, they made their leave.

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peony-pearl · 2 years ago

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The door slammed; not an unusual occurrence for Ozai, but nonetheless, Ursa jumped as her husband stormed back into their quarters.

“Ozai!” she gasped as she tended to a vase of flowers. “You startled me,” she said, watching his glower as he crossed the room. “Love? Ozai, what’s wrong?” She asked, putting the flower trimmers down to slowly follow him. He motioned for her to join him in the bedroom and she did.

Watching them from down the hall as they made their way into the room, Azula could tell something was afoot. She hustled forward, trying to keep her feet from making too much noise as she jogged, hoping to listen in on the conversation. She’d heard the door slam, and knew full well her father was home. Earlier he was due for a meeting with his father and brother about where the crown would go now that Ozai’s nephew, Lu Ten, was no more of this earth.

Azula gingerly slid the door open enough to listen through, hearing their echoing words.

“But... How?” Ursa’s voice sounded bewildered.

“I don’t know!” Ozai hissed, like a sizzling bubble of lava, ready to burst. “He just showed up with it!”

“And your father?”

“Believes him completely! He thinks that’s really his child!”

“But he’s only been back for a month. How is that possible?”

“It isn’t! He just waltzed in, baby in tow like it was to be expected!”

The sentence hit Azula like a weight. She tried to press her ear further into the negative space where their voices hit just right.

“Apparently,” Ozai said, trembling as he poured himself a glass of water. “Father says she looks just like him; down to some birthmark on her arm - dammit!” He hadn’t been paying attention and the cup overflowed, the water pouring down the rim hit his hand and began sizzling and steaming.

“Ozai,” Ursa urged, grabbing a towel to help with the mess before he became angrier.

“HE’S SENILE. If there’s any reason he shouldn’t be on the thro-”

“Ozai,” Ursa now hissed between gritted teeth. Ozai opened his mouth, only to halt. He took a deep breath through his nose; his usually regal, pale complexion now mottled with red rage. “I know you’re upset, but you have to contain yourself unless you want whatever it is you were going to say to lead you down dark roads.”

Ozai looked away, trying to gather himself as Ursa cleaned up the water and poured him a fresh cup. She pressed it into his hands.

“So... what it is you’re telling me is that you now have a niece.”

Ozai snorted.

Ursa tried to remain positive. “That... should be celebrated, shouldn’t it? Like when Iroh celebrated with us when Zuko and Azula were born.”

“This is different.”

“I know it’s different to you, Ozai. I know what that meeting was about.”

“Then why aren’t you supporting me?! You know I’m right!”

“Ozai, I’m trying to support you as we speak, but you, as a prince, should know the words you’re saying! I know your desperation for the throne!” Ursa said, taking his face in her hands, but struggling to get him to look at her. “But that isn’t happening.”

“... Yet.”

“Ozai.”

Ozai finally moved his eyes to look at Ursa. She moved her hands from his face down to his own hands.

Ozai frowned, and he finally took a swig of water. He could almost feel it begin to extinguish the fire of his insides, cooling his stomach - but it didn’t quash his rage. He slammed the cup down and retreated further into their room, towards the bed, and he closed the divider to hide him as he nursed his wounds.

Azula heard her mother move and she quickly hopped to her feet. She made her escape down towards Zuko’s room, where he was engrossed in his studies. She silently made her entrance, approaching his chair.

“Psst! Zuzu!”

Zuko yelped as Azula grabbed his shoulder. He turned, both frustrated and tired with her antics. “Azula! Can you PLEASE just not!” He begged, trying to return to the scroll unfolded on the desk in front of him.

“Uncle has a new baby!”

Zuko’s head shook, his eyes blinked and he looked at Azula with the most suspicion he’d ever held for one of her bold statements.

“What are you talking about?!”

“I heard mom and dad talking about it!”

“Azula, didn’t mom just tell you to stop eavesdropping? Like, last night?”

“This isn’t about her,” Azula handwaved. “Something big was supposed to happen! After Lu Ten died, uncle didn’t have an heir, so dad was going to get the crown!”

“Azula,” Zuko rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious! But Uncle got a new baby! So grandpa’s letting him keep the crown!”

Zuko looked at her, still not buying it. “Uncle can’t have another baby; he’s not married, and he’s only been home for a month.”

“Dad said he has one!”

“... But how?”

“I don’t know! And neither does dad! Or grandpa! They don’t know! But grandpa says she looks just like Uncle, so he’s saying it’s his baby!”

Zuko thought about his uncle; how Lu Ten’s death had devastated him. He hadn’t been the boisterous, jovial man Zuko had grown up with. Even after conquering Ba Sing Se and bringing so much glory to his name and the Fire Nation, Uncle had been morose and painfully melancholy.

“Maybe this will be good for him,” Zuko said. Azula put her hands on her hips.

“Uhh, DUM-DUM; there’s... SOME BABY that’s going to inherit the crown instead of one of us!”

“That’s not our decision to make. It’s Grandfather’s,” Zuko said. Azula scoffed.

“You’re such a soft-belly! You roll over like a cowering Jackal-lope! Maybe it’s a good thing father didn’t get the crown - you have no business being next in line to be Fire Lord!”

“Shut up!” Zuko hissed, sounding much like Ozai as his voice sizzled.

“What is going on?”

Ursa’s voice cut through the drama, much like water to a flame. She stepped into the room, looking upon her two children, already very tired after dealing with her husband.

“Nothing,” Azula quickly feigned innocence, but Ursa knew better. She looked at them and knelt down next to them, trying to instigate a bit of a hug between herself and her daughter, but Azula resisted, and leaned against Zuko’s desk. Ursa quickly relented and she folded her hands in her lap.

“I have something to tell you. Your Uncle Iroh has welcomed a new addition.”

Zuko blinked, Azula did her best to not look up at him and give herself away with a raspberry to his face. She maintained her clueless act.

“But how?” She asked. “He’s not married, and he’s only been home for a month.”

Zuko frowned at Azula as she mirrored his earlier confusion.

“We’re... not sure. He hasn’t revealed the mother’s name, nor the circumstances; but Fire Lord Azulon has confirmed she is of Iroh’s blood, and thus, you now have a new cousin. Her name is Zion.”

“Can we go see them?” Zuko asked. Ursa shook her head.

“Not... not yet,” she said, not wanting to enrage Ozai any further today. “We shouldn’t... Er... Uncle will be busy for a while. Servants will be arranging his quarters for the new baby; and we should give them time to settle into a new routine. Maybe in a couple of weeks. I’m sure you’ll see him in the meantime and can ask him a few questions, but until then, it’s best we wait,” she said, reaching up to hold Zuko’s hand.

“Have you seen her?” Zuko asked. Ursa shook her head.

“I haven’t, but your father has.”

“We can ask dad,”

‘Do NOT ask dad,” Azula said, suddenly realizing Ursa’s eyes were on her.

“Oh? And why not, Azula?” Ursa asked.

Azula chewed on her bottom lip. “... gotta go,” She said, quickly darting out of the room and out of Ursa’s line of attention.

Ursa massaged her forehead. Zuko squeezed her hand.

“Mom? Are you okay?”

Putting on a sweet smile, Ursa nodded. “I am, sweetheart. I’m fine. There’s just... a lot happening. But everything will be alright in time.”

At least I hope so.

#atla #Ozai #Ursa #Azula #Zuko #atla au #atla fanfiction #soot/silk/steel #my writing

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humanoidalien27 · 2 years ago

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Content warning: Seb-interupt-ious (😂), venomous snakes

.....

Chapter 5

The Scriptorium

Being back in the scriptorium was eerie, especially with it being less dusty and more lived in, but at least you didn't have to go through being tortured to get in.

You and Sebastian immediately set to work with trying to find anything about ancient magic, while Anne and Ominis wandered around not knowing what to do.

While Sebastian went for the book shelf, you thought it was too obvious, so you started digging through the desk, though you didn't find anything. So, you moved to glance around, but didn't even see any ancient magic traces either.

Frustrated, you moved towards a snake torch that was the only one unlit. Taking out your wand, you cast incendio on the torch, it flared up and went out nearly instantly.

"Curious," you mumbled as Anne and Ominis attention turned towards you.

You backed up and hit the torch with confringo, hearing something click and a door behind one of the walls opened.

"I don't recall this passage way being here before," Ominis said as you peeked down the dark corridor.

"So, do we go down the creepy path or decide against it?"

When you looked back, Ominis was smiling. "You're asking us now?"

Giving him a smile, you replied. "Yeah, we're a team."

He reached out, fishing around for your hand, so you moved it into his path, where he grabbed it and squeezed it. "We are."

"You two are getting sickly cute, save that for when you're alone," Sebastian teased, getting a whack for it.

"We're never alone and when we are, you keep interrupting us," you complained as you led everyone down the stairs, still holding Ominis's hand.

"You two just have bad timing on your romantic moments."

"Sebastian," Anne hissed as you shook your head, mentally reminding yourself to curse him with the leg locker later.

You stepped down into a dimly lit room seeing another desk, but a book on a podium in the middle of the room was swirling with ancient magic.

"I think we found it," you said walking over.

"This place is creepy," Anne said wiping at some dust on the nearest shelf.

You reached out towards the book, but once your hand touched it, a metal snake wove around your wrist and bit down on your arm, while it hissed at you.

Ominis started conversing in parseltongue while you tried to shove it off, but it only did once the snake language stop.

You ripped yourself way from the stand, grabbing your arm as you groaned in pain. Ominis was already pushing a wiggenweld potion into your hand after uncorking it.

"What was that all about?"

Fire was quickly spreading through your veins, making you want to jump into the black lake in winter.

"Later, first drink this. That snake had poison in it's teeth," Ominis said snatching the book quickly off the stand as you downed the potion, the fire slowly extinguished.

"That wasn't exciting," Anne said rolling up your sleeve to see the two puncture marks rapidly healing.

"I hate this place," you whispered as you took the book back and opened it away from your face just in case there was more magic protecting it. "I hate Salazar Slytherin."

"That doesn't include me right? Descendant of Salazar."

You lightly patted his shoulder. "No it doesn't, but I'm starting to think you're not related. You are the exact opposite of Salazar."

He smiled as he blushed, pleased with that answer, but you weren't saying it to make him feel better, you meant it.

You heard stone scraping, making all of you look back towards the noise.

"We have to get out of here!" Sebastian hissed softly, his eyes already glancing around the room as if an exit would magically appear.

I looked around seeing a familiar swirl of magic on the door.

"This way," you said, grabbing Ominis's hand and pulling him after you.

Ominis groaned once you passed through. "This is unsettling. Are we in the common room?"

"Yeah, that makes me feel better about sleeping here," Anne whispered, getting all of you to nod before heading to your dormitory.

You sound proofed the room as all of you sat down.

"When should we go talk to Godric?" Anne asked after you sat in a moment of silence. "We did promise him."

"I know, but tomorrow," you replied, trying to calm your racing heart. "I still haven't learned the true secret this book is keeping."

She nodded as she flopped down onto her bed. "Alright, then I'm going to go to sleep. We have an early day tomorrow."

You sit against the headboard and opened the book, instantly seeing ancient magic swirling.

"It's empty?" Sebastian half growled as he flipped the pages to the middle.

"No, I can see the words. I think he hid them."

"Makes sense," Ominis replied, running his hand over the page. "You wouldn't want just anyone reading the book."

Sebastian huffed before tossing his robe onto his bed. "I figured that snake was enough."

Sighing, you started to look through the book, as the twins left to get ready for bed.

"Thank you," you whispered, lightly pressing your shoulder into Ominis's.

"For what?"

"Telling the snake to let go."

Blush spread across his cheeks as he bowed his head a little out of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry it bit you," he said, already reaching over to wrap his hand around your wrist.

"It's not your fault."

He rested his head against yours, his eyes closed as his body relaxed.

"How are you feeling?"

Nearly chuckling, you shifting your head to face his. "I'm alright. The pain and the burning are gone."

"That's good," he whispered as his fingers traced along your cheek while he lifted his forehead from yours. "I wish I could see you everyday."

"Ominis, you see me better than anyone else ever could."

He smiled bashfully, his eyelashes casting shadows down his cheeks as he bowed his head.

"Do you mean that? You don't mind that I can't see- you could do better."

Feeling this was more of an insecurity of his rather than him thinking you worried about it, you replied. "I've never once thought that you being blind was a disability. It's apart of who you are and I like you. All of you."

His eyes flickered closed while you ran your fingers under his eye.

"Your eyes are beautiful, especially in the light."

He pressed your hand into his cheek, while a tear jetted down them.

As you carefully pulled him closer, you pressed your lips between his brows, hearing him sigh.

"You're not mad?"

Confused, you pulled back to look at him. "About what?"

"Me asking about it? About wishing you'd pick better?"

"No, I'm not mad. I couldn't ever be mad about you wanting better for me, even if I'm supposed to decide that. And about you being blind, everyone has things they feel makes them different and people will pick at it until their voice bullies us in our heads long after they've left our lives. It doesn't make it true. Being blind is the same as having magic, it's just a part of us."

His hand left yours before his fingers brushed against your face until they ran across your bottom lip, getting your breathing to hitch.

Both of you jumped when the door opened and the twins came into the room.

Ominis sighed as he pulled back. "I swear, they have terrible timing."

Laughing to hide your disappointment, you moved to begin reading the scriptorium's book as Ominis headed towards the twins.

The book was mostly Salazar's thoughts and ideas about the magic he had and no one else seemed to, but he felt that it was older magic that seemed to get stronger as he aged. It even had a few spells he had created with it, one being the spell he used to steal Apollo's magic. He ended up finding a cave no one would touch below the castle, further than you had gone with the Keepers.

"What's wrong?"

You looked up seeing Anne watching you, grabbing her brother and Ominis's attention.

"According to this, there are caverns under the school."

"We know that, the repositories-"

You shook your head. "No, deeper than that," you said moving closer to point out the paragraph forgetting they couldn't read it for a moment. "This says that Salazar tried to find how to open a door down there, but it refused to open. There were no keys, no spells could get through, nothing. He's stealing magic to amplify his own to try breaking in."

"And he now has his eyes set onto you," Ominis whispered, shifting closer. "What do you want to do?"

"Well, running isn't going to help anyone, but maybe I can find a way into the cavern to see the door. It might have answers for what exactly this magic is."

"If Salazar finds his book gone, he'll know we're looking into this. We need this to be a surprise, so maybe we should try to put the book back while we have the chance to," Sebastian replied as he closed the book. "Did you read through it?"

"Yeah, it was mostly Salazar's thoughts and spells, but nothing that explains why only we have access to it."

"Then after we talk to Godric, Helga and Rowena, we need to ask then to cover for us while we go digging through that cavern."

Nodding, all of you moved to head to bed, agreeing to put the book back in the morning.

.....

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #fanfiction #ominis x reader #ominis x oc #anne sallow #ominis x you #ominis gaunt x reader #ominis gaunt x you

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kellanved-ammanas · 2 years ago

Text

Burn Chapter 1/4 - Oops

Summary: Pyro is falsely accused of burning the new base down.

[A/N] This is a continuation of the Pyro/Medic drabble I did for the Valentine's Week Angst event. You don't need to read it in order to understand this, I'm pretty sure, but if you want a little bit more angst surrounding this scenario it's there.

“Yo, Pyro, you in here?” Scout said as he poked his head into what was going to be Medic’s lab. All the boxes were still piled up around the place, a handful open and partially unpacked. No Pyro though. Lame.

Pyro being nowhere to be found left Scout with nothing to do. Or more accurately, no one to bother which was just as good as having nothing to do when he had too much energy to sit quietly and draw but didn’t want to go out for a run. Not that he should do the latter anyway because he and Pyro were on ‘watch duty’ and if Pyro wasn’t around, that meant Scout alone had to keep an eye on the base. Even more lame!

Bored of looking for Pyro now too, Scout walked over vaulted himself up to sit on the counter by the hand washing station, stepping over an open box to do so. Everyone always had something to say to him whenever they caught him sitting on a counter, especially the kitchen counter. So as long as he was here alone he was going to sit as many of the counters as he pleased and no one was going to stop him.

Breaking such a rule was only so much fun on its own though so Scout pulled out his lighter too, flipping it open in the same motion. While he didn’t love fire nearly as much as Pyro did – was it even possible for any sane person to love fire as much as Pyro? – the sound and feel of the spark wheel as he hit it with his thumb was satisfying. It wouldn’t do much to ease his boredom for long but for a little while it would it was fun.

Once lit, he could blow it out like a normal person but that was less fun. Instead, he closed it with slick flick of of his wrist… or tried to anyway. Instead he fumbled and dropped it. Oops. It landed in an open box, placed seemly just right for the lighter to fall into. Like the universe was taunting his clumsiness. In his defense, this lighter was new and bigger than his old one.

Whatever was inside the box caught fire with a whoosh as he leaned in to take a look. Far too close for comfort, he pushed himself to the side, allowing him to safely jump off the counter. By the time he looked back at it, the box had caught fire. Unfortunately, it was next to another box that also caught fire. Uh-oh. This was rather quickly becoming an issue.

Scout turned and ran out into the hall. Where was the fire extinguisher again? … He couldn’t remember or perhaps never knew as he hadn’t been paying much attention during the team meeting upon arriving at this base. The fire alarm went off, blaring far too loud and doing the opposite of helping Scout deal with the problem.

Finally after what felt like forever he found the extinguisher in the office. He grabbed it and ran back to the the lab. The fire had grown much larger, taking up much of the lab and rapidly spreading. Whatever Medic had in there certainly was flammable, huh? Scout pointed the fire extinguisher nozzle at it and… nothing happened because he didn’t know how make it spray. Wasn’t there supposed to be like a pin or something that he had to pull? Like a grenade but not.

There were instructions written on the side. As usual though, a lot of the letters looked the same, the indistinct font making it even more difficult to read. He didn’t exactly have twenty minutes to stand here squinting at it to decipher it so… looking back up, he tossed the whole canister into the growing inferno.

Nothing happened for several long seconds but then a loud bang made him flinch and jump back. The fire extinguisher exploding? … Maybe. If so, it hadn’t done as he’d hoped it would as the fire was still very much here and very much a problem. Why had they moved to a base made of wood and timber instead of another concrete one? Yeah, yeah, it was in the middle of a forest so such materials were more abundant but still, they had so much flammable stuff!

But uh… what now? How did Scout fix this? … He probably couldn’t, huh?

He turned and ran again, this time going to his room. Lucky for him, he was a lazy ass who hadn’t started unpacking his stuff. Two trips and all his stuff was safely outside. Upon turning back to look at the base again. The fire was spreading faster than it had any right to as it had reached the outside of the building now too, sending billows of smoke up into the sky. This was real bad. If it made its way out of the clearing to the surrounding forest it’d be even worse.

Scout grabbed his headset from where he’d left atop one of his boxes after grabbing it off his desk. He quickly pulled it onto his and turned it on. It should already be tuned to the receiver in the company van so… “Hey guys. We got a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Engie said on the other side. Meaning he was either driving or sitting in the passenger seat.

“The base is on fire.”

“How bad?”

“Really bad. I was… um, hanging out in my room when the fire alarm went off. So I went out to see what was up and there was a fire in Medic’s lab. I tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but was too late. And now… uh… it’s bad. Like, the base is actively burning down kind of bad. And the clearing is pretty big but… is it big enough or are we about to have a full blown forest fire on our hands?” And it was Scout’s fault. Not that anyone ever needed to know that. If anyone ever asked, he’d say it was a freak accident that no one needed to be blamed for.

“All right, we’re on our way. Not that we weren’t before but we’re going a bit faster now I guess. Is Pyro with you?”

“Nope. I have no idea where he is.” If he was in the base somewhere, hopefully he would be okay. He had his fireproof suit though so he’d likely be fine.

“He probably ran to hide like he usually does once he remembers there’s some stuff he ain’t supposed to burn down.” Engie sounded… annoyed, perhaps even angry. He was blaming Pyro!

Scout took a breath, intending to contradict that idea. Pyro wasn’t at fault so no one should be mad at him. But… if Scout did that, it would make him suspicious. Pyro was the most likely suspect because he did sometimes burn things down that he wasn’t supposed to, never anything super important, but still contradicting that conclusion would make it clear Scout knew more about the fire than he’d said earlier. And so, he bit his lip instead. It was unfair but Pyro could handle it. Everyone would forgive him eventually, they always did.

***

The birds didn’t liked to be caged. Archimedes in particular was making quite the loud fuss about it, making the cramped ride in the back of the company van with everyone else and the rest of their boxes that much worse. As much as Medic would liked to comfort them, both for their sake as well as to make them quiet down, there wasn’t anything that could be done sort of freeing them. As soon as they got to base though, he was going to…

“I got news, y’all.”

Medic looked up to see Engie had pulled back the divide that separated the front from the rest of the van. “Pyro apparently started a fire in Medic’s lab and now the whole base is on fire. So just be ready for that once we get there.”

Everyone, already in a bad mood, groaned. Before anyone else could say anything Medic spoke. “Are we sure it is Pyro and not Scout?” Pyro had promised not to play with fire in or around Medic’s lab.

“Scout’s the one who called it in and said it started in your lab. We know Pyro likes to hang out in there. And, he’s apparently not with Scout, meaning he probably ran away to hide for a bit like he usually does when sets something on fire he’s not supposed to. So I’d say it’s probably him.”

“Why did we leave Pyro alone with Scout again?” Spy said from his place in the back.

Heavy, sitting between him and Medic, nodded. “In hindsight, was bad idea.”

Medic was tempted to come to Pyro’s defense again but well… the evidence didn’t seem to be in his favor. This was a pattern Pyro had shown before; setting something on fire, realizing people would be mad about it, running and hiding until it was discovered, and then apologizing and promising to never do it again. Which in a way, he kept because it was never the same exact thing twice but really that was only a technicality. Never before had it been anything major or anything that heavily affected Medic but this… if it was true, was an issue.

Almost all of Medic’s work had been moved into the lab by now, only the doves and a single box of surgical equipment remained. His entire life’s work was going up in flames right now after he had made Pyro promise not to play with fire in the lab. The only thing he could really do was hope that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Scout had a tendency to exaggerate things after all so maybe something would be salvageable.

It wasn’t as bad as it had first sounded because it was actually worse. By the time they rolled into the clearing and stepped out, the entire building might as well have been a large bonfire. There was no way anything of Medic’s inside would survive such an inferno. Meaning all his life’s work, all the experiments he’d spent so much time, effort, and money working on were all destroyed, many only partway through, making it so he’d have to start all over. All his rare specimens were gone. It was only sheer luck that the birds hadn’t been moved in yet else they’d be gone as well.

“I got no idea what to do about this,” Scout said, drawing Medic’s gaze to him as he ran up to join the group. “And Pyro’s still nowhere to be seen so… maybe he’s not to blame.”

“Nah, doubt it,” Demo said. “He’s just still hiding probably, like he always does. But well, I suppose it’s a good thing for once I took so long bringing all me explosive stuff over else it’d all be gone now.”

“What are we standing around for maggots?” Soldier cut in. “It ain’t gonna put itself out.”

He was right. And even if they couldn’t save the base, they still needed to make sure it didn’t set the forest on fire too. So with a grumble, they got to work.

By some miracle they managed to keep it contained to just the building. Nothing inside the building could be saved though, stranding them basically. Scout had saved his stuff before running out but nothing else because of course, he was just like that. As much as Medic was annoyed with Scout about that, he was more annoyed with Pyro.

He’d trusted Pyro, just in general but also to keep his promise about being more careful around the lab. Medic hadn’t tried very hard to impress the importance of keeping that promise, only saying a lot of his stuff was dangerously flammable. Pyro should’ve been smart enough to not need anything more. Though, likely this wasn’t a question of smarts but instead a question of him not caring enough. He’d gotten bored when left alone and thus decided to risk it. Or heck, perhaps, he’d lit something on fire on purpose because he’d known it was flammable but then it got out of hand so he’d ran and hid.

A very uncharitable interpretation but the longer Medic stood looking at the remains of the base where his life’s work had been burned to ash, the less charitable he felt. The only upside was at least the birds hadn’t been moved in yet. If they had been and died in the blaze, the moment Pyro showed up at the clearing’s edge, Medic would’ve marched over and stabbed him death with whatever sharp object was nearest at hand. As it was though, he didn’t bother even going over there, leaving it to Engie, Heavy and Scout to scold him, because he wasn’t in the mood to talk to Pyro.

Inevitably, Pyro eventually walked over to stand next to him though. He was going to apologize like he always did. Medic usually forgave him. This was different though. Unlike the other times, major damage had been done.

“Are the birds okay?” was what Pyro said though.

“Lucky for you they are. If they weren’t I’d’ve removed your spine by now if not your whole skeleton. Seriously, Pyro, I told you my stuff is flammable so you can’t play with fire around it but then you go and do it anyway. And now most if not all of my work is gone up in flames. Do you have any idea how long I’ve been working on some of that stuff? How difficult a lot of those specimens were to get?”

“I didn’t do it.” And now he had the gall to lie about it, huh? Perhaps because he knew he wasn’t going to be forgiven so easily this time.

“How’d the fire start then and why in my lab?” The evidence was stacked too high against him.

Pyro’s response was impossible to decipher, it sounded desperate though. A desperate apology or a desperate attempt to insist on his lie? Medic didn’t care enough to ask him to repeat himself clearer. Instead he turned and walked away. The birds needed seeing to.

***

“Yo, Pyro! There you are.”

Pyro looked up to see Scout approaching. He didn’t want to talk to him though so he hugged his knees closer to his chest and looked to the side. Perhaps he should’ve gone further into the woods but he hadn’t wanted to get lost again so he’d only gone a few yards before finding a comfortable tree to sit against.

Scout didn’t seem to get the hint though as stepped around and into Pyro’s view again. “We’ve got everything under control with the fire and stuff. But since we don’t have anywhere to sleep, we’ve decided we’re gonna head back to the town we passed through on the way here and hope they have a hotel. We’ll figure everything else out tomorrow when Miss Pauling gets here. So come on, let’s go.” He gestured for Pyro to get up and follow.

Pyro turned his head to looked the other way. That would mean getting into the back of the van with the rest of the team. All of whom were still likely mad at him even though it wasn’t his fault. Though, it had been a few hours at least by now so maybe they’d calmed down a little and might be willing to believe him now. … How likely was that really though? Probably not very.

“Look pal, we ain’t gonna leave you here overnight so you gotta come. The only reason we haven’t left yet is because I had to go find you. So let’s get a move on, preferably before it gets dark.”

Maybe if Pyro remained unresponsive enough, Scout would give up and leave him alone. Dark would be coming soon after all, the sky was already dimming, so Scout should be wanting to get a move on.

“If you don’t I’ll have to call Heavy over and he’ll carry you.”

How much weight did that threat hold? Heavy could certainly do it but did either he or Scout care enough to actually go through the trouble?

“Fine. Have it your way, pal. Everyone’s gonna be even angrier at you for making them wait though.”

Pyro stood up so fast it made him dizzy. He had to put a hand against a nearby tree to steady himself. The last thing he needed or wanted was for everyone to be even madder at him.

“There you go. Now let’s get out here.” Scout turned and started walking back towards the clearing. Pyro followed, dragging his feet.

For a bit, Scout went his usual fast pace but seemingly upon realizing how far Pyro was falling behind him, he slowed down and fell in step beside him. “Speaking of everyone being mad at you. I’m sure if you apologize they’ll…”

“I didn’t do it.” Pyro shouldn’t have to apologize because he hadn’t done it.

“Okay, sure, maybe you didn’t. But everyone thinks you did so it doesn’t really matter either way. So you should just own up and apologize and then everyone will forgive you. It’ll be easier that way.”

Not true. If Pyro were at fault, he’d have apologized already like he always did but everyone would’ve been within their rights to not forgive him. Burning down the whole base wasn’t the same as burning down the common room couch or setting the garbage can on fire. A lot of them had important stuff they’d lost in the fire as most of them had at least been partially to mostly moved in. Besides, he hadn’t done it and he wasn’t going to admit to something he was being falsely accused of.

“There’s no need to get all sulky about it. I’m sure you can smooth everything over. I mean like, we all make mistakes, right? And I forgive you. Surely everyone else will too if you ask them too, even Medic. You and him have always gotten along really well and when you somehow managed to burn the entire kitchen down, he was one of the first people to forgive you. Yeah, this is a bit more than that but still, none of us got hurt, right? So it’ll be fine.”

Pyro increased his pace. As nice was it was that Scout wasn’t mad at him that didn’t make any of the others being angry with him better or less unfair.

Luckily before Scout could insist further on Pyro apologizing, they reached the clearing. Everyone was milling about, their attention turning to Pyro as he stepped out of of the treeline. None of their stances looked welcoming, not that it was exactly easy to tell with nightfall starting in addition to looking at them through the gas mask’s lenses. Medic was easy to spot in his white lab coat though. He not only blamed Pyro for the base burning down and everything that was lost in said fire but also thought Pyro had broken his promise to be careful around his stuff. Maybe Pyro could convince him otherwise? But when he started walking in his direction, Medic turned away and walked away.

Pyro could only sigh quietly to himself. This was going to be a long, horribly awkward car ride back to town. The sooner they got on the road though, the sooner it’d be done.

#my writing #tf2 #team fortress 2 #pyro #scout #medic #pyromedic #burnward

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determinedwriter · 1 year ago

Text

No. 16: “Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

Peter takes me on a fun date night, swinging from building to building with webs as I fly after him. “Where are we going?”

He grins, stopping at a tall building. “Here. Look.”

I look at the view, seeing a gorgeous city skyline. “Wow, you can really see a lot from here. It’s so pretty. God, look at the stars.”

Peter grabs my hand. “I knew you’d like it. I know your curfew is soon, but we can stargaze for a good bit before I have to take you home.”

I smile. “That sounds perfect.”

We lay side by side and hold hands, looking at the sky in peace. “I could do this forever.”

He kisses me. “Me too.”

I take a long, content breath. “Sometimes I just want to forget everything else. The Avengers, stupid high school stuff, the pressure of being a Stark…I just want to stay here with you forever.”

He squeezes my hand. “Yeah, me too. But we always have each other.”

I nod. “Yeah. God, I never want to lose you.”

Peter scoots closer to me. “Good. You won’t.”

“I love-” I start to say, interrupted by a voice.

“Stark.” He says, joining me and Peter on the rooftop.

I stand up quickly, not sure what to make of this guy. I don’t know who he is. And the general public doesn’t know I’m a Stark. They definitely aren’t supposed to know I’m Tony Stark’s daughter.

Peter stands beside me, subtly brushing his hand against mine. “Umm, can we help you? We’re just doing a little star gazing.”

“Aurora Stark, yes?” He repeats.

The man doesn’t particularly stand out to me as handsome or ugly. He doesn’t have any specific characteristics that tell me anything about him. He’s just…a guy. And it’s hard to get a read on someone when they don’t give anything away.

I gulp. “Potts.”

Using my fake surname only makes him shake his head in amusement. “No, no, you’re Tony’s kid. You’ve got that look about you. And I’ve been watching you long enough to know you’re his daughter. And that your little boyfriend is Spider-Man.”

Peter flinches. “Who are you?”

“Nobody important. I’m just here for a job. Thankfully, the client didn’t want me to take out Tony himself. Just his pride and joy.” He taunts.

Peter immediately shoots a web at him and he dodges. “Now hold on.”

“I’m not listening to a word you say when you just threatened my girlfriend!” Peter yells.

I let my hands heat up and become consumed in flames, pointing them in the man’s direction. “Leave now or burn. Your choice.”

He laughs. This bastard actually laughs. “I don’t think that will get you very far, dear.”

Suddenly lunging forward at Peter, the man attacks. I instantly throw my fireballs at him, seeming to just bounce right off.

He sees my confusion. “I came prepared, fire girl. And now I’ll reduce you to ash.”

Peter and I fight him until deciding to flee to the Avengers compound where we’ll have backup. Peter swings from web to web, expecting me to be right behind him with my power of fire flight.

But our enemy has come prepared. As soon as I take flight, he’s shooting water at me from a simple plastic toy. Who knew it could be my downfall?

Extinguishing my flames, the water causes me to plummet to the ground. I scream. “PETER!”

I’m unsure if he’s too far ahead to hear me, but I know he must be close. I can’t reignite myself, being too wet to get even a spark.

“RO!” I hear Peter yell in a panic. He sounds too far away. And the ground is getting closer. I hit the side of a tall building’s fire escape on the way down, the metal railings hitting me hard in the back.

Flailing in the air, I know I hit a few more things before Peter just barely catches me with his webs and I go limp like a ragdoll, seeming to feel nothing at all.

And before I know it, I’m gone.

Peter

“Ro! RO!” I scream, racing to my girlfriend. I swear, I thought she was right behind me. But now she’s falling to the ground from several feet in the air, unable to save herself.

I dive forward in desperation, shooting webs to catch her. She hit metal railings and a lamppost on the way down before I stop her from hitting the ground.

But now she isn’t moving. She’s lying in the web with her eyes closed and arms outstretched, body looking dead.

Dead.

I don’t let myself think that yet, getting her out of the web before holding her gently in my arms. “Ro. Ro. Ro, can you hear me?”

She doesn’t respond, eyes staying closed.

Then her phone rings, showing the caller ID of the one person who will definitely blame me for letting this happen.

Iron Dad <3

I blame myself too. But maybe he can help. Maybe.

I pick up the phone and yell into it before Mr. Stark can get a word in. “Mr. Stark, come here NOW! There’s this guy and he shot Ro with water and she fell from the sky and I was barely able to catch her and she’s not moving!”

There’s a tense pause. “I need you to slow down and say that again.”

“Ro isn’t moving and you have to help! I don’t know where the guy who did it is but I-I couldn’t stop him! Please!” I plead.

He asks for the address and I give it, Mr. Stark flying here in his Iron Man armor in no time at all. “Kid!”

I look up and see him in the sky. “Down here!”

Mr. Stark’s faceplate lifts and I see his worried expression. “Ro…”

He takes her from my arms and feels for a pulse in her neck. “Pete, call an ambulance.”

“Is she breathing?” I question.

“Just call a goddamn ambulance!” He snaps, cradling Ro like she’s a baby. “Come on, Ro. Come on. It’s okay.”

I call for the ambulance while Mr. Stark does CPR right in front of me, desperately pumping Ro’s chest and begging for a heartbeat.

“Come on. Come on. Come on.” He repeats. “You’re alright. You’re alright, baby.”

The man who caused this decides to descend upon us at that moment, Mr. Stark looking up and glaring at him as he continues chest compressions.

“He did this,” I say in a low, devastated, and angry voice.

Mr. Stark raises a hand and fires a repulsor blast at him before continuing to work on Ro. She’s still not breathing.

The ambulance seems to take forever, but it’s likely only a few minutes. I soon find out in the hospital that she’s in surgery.

She had flatlined for a few minutes before the doctors could get her back, but she’s alive. She’s alive and that’s what matters.

I do wonder what kind of damage will be done to her though. Will she be alright?

The man who did this was only knocked out by the blast, getting arrested at the scene of his unforgivable crime.

He may have been the one to spray the water that took her down, but I was the one that failed to catch her. And that will always be true.

Mr. Stark paces the waiting room. “Tell me how it happened.”

Tears stream down my face. “I’m so sorry. I-I tried…I…”

He continues to pace. “Just tell me.”

“We were stargazing on a roof and…a-and then that guy came and said…said her name. He told us that he was…hired to take her out. To kill her. That thankfully he wasn’t hired to kill you, but…hired to kill your pride and joy. He said he’s been watching her. Then he lunged for me and there was a fight before Ro and I ran off. She was right behind me. She was using her fire flight abilities and then he used a water gun. All it took was a water gun to take her down and she was falling and she called for me and-and…I couldn’t catch her until she’d already hit stuff on the way down…then she just went limp when I caught her with some webs. She was screaming and then she just…she just stopped. She went quiet. Mr. Stark, I’m so sorry. I would’ve done anything to save her. I came over as fast as I could. God, I’m so sorry!” I explain.

Mr. Stark is quiet for a moment. “It’s not your fault.”

He sounds heartbroken. I don’t know what to say. “I tried, sir…I really tried.”

He nods. “I know you did.”

We sit in silence for a while until a doctor enters the waiting room and looks at us. “Stark?”

Mr. Stark stands up. “How is she doing? Is she okay?”

The doctor glances at me and Mr. Stark nods. “He can hear whatever you have to say.”

“We were thankfully able to stabilize Aurora’s spine, but it will take some time to recover. She’s going to need physical therapy to walk without some form of assistance. She’s incredibly lucky to not be paralyzed.” They say.

He blinks away tears. “Assistance like what?”

“It depends on the extent of the damage and how well she does in therapy. A wheelchair, a walker, crutches, anything like that. It varies from person to person.” They explain.

Mr. Stark goes to see her, soon allowing me to come in. Ro’s awake when I enter the hospital room, looking like she’s been crying. “Hey…”

She takes my hand. “Hey, Peter.”

I grin sadly. “How’re you feeling?”

She exhales slowly. “Not great, but you know…also not dead.”

Kissing Ro’s forehead, I breathe in deeply. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

Ro lays back, eyes glassy. “I love you.”

I give her hand a squeeze. “To the moon and back.”

#whumptober 2023 #whumptober2023 #no.16 #would you lie with me and just forget the world #iron man #avengers #mcu #fic #injury tw #violence tw #hospital tw #medical tw #ro stark #aurora stark #tony stark #tony stark's daughter #tony stark's daughter oc #mcu oc #my oc

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starjane312 · 1 year ago

Text

Spider x Oc

Big Masterlist

Masterlist

Chapter 9

Q: Burn the Hooches.

He turns away and they start burning their home.

I fall to my knees, my Head on my hands on the Ground.

J: I’m so sorry. We didn’t know please We’re Sorry.

Ts: Stop this madness.

J: I’m sorry.

I get picked up by my Arm.

J: Let me go !

I rip my arm out the Grip.

J: I’m sorry

They pull me with them. I’m still crying as we land on the Boat thing. Me and Spider stand next to each other his arm warped around me in comfort.

SC: I’m over it. I’ve got Quotas to meet.

Q: You wanna hunt ? Let’s hunt. Come on

SC: Here ? Not here. There’s too many Villages.

The Marine Biologist steps in front of Quaritch

IG: No. No, No,no. Respectfully, sir, uh, you do not understand the kinship between the Tulkun and the Ocean Na’vi. It would be like Murdering a member of their Family.

I take a short look at Moon and squeeze Spiders Hand worried.

SC: If we start hunting here, the Hostiles will come after us.

Q: Exactly.

My eyes widen.

Q: One Hostile in particular.

They get ready to hunt. I’m trapped inside the Ship my Air mask was taken away from Quaritch apparently he figured that I would try and do something about it. I can only stare at the Hologram and Pray that the Tulukun can get away somehow. Tears run down my Face.

S:What’s that ? What are they doing ?

IG: Those are echolocation sensors. How they navigate.

I feel my Moms hand on my Shoulder.

IG: They have to hold them out of the Water or they’ll get deaf.

My eyes are glued to the screen in Horror.

IG: They’re gonna cut the cow from the rest of the pod using the sound cannon. They uh, target the mother because the calf swims slowly and she won’t leave the calf.

My lips quiver as I see the orange bags lifting the Tulkun above the water.

IG: Explosive Tip harpune.

More tears run down my face. Sobs leaving my mouth as I see and hear her struggling. As she stops and lays still I hear the baby's wails. Spider presses me against him as I sob in his chest. I lay against Moon on the Roof as I cry. Her head on my Body and she won’t let anyone near me except Spider. It begins to rain as I pray for Forgiveness. Spider climbs next to me. And hugs me instantly.

J: Why are they doing this ? W-Why …

Sobs wreck my body.

S: Money. That’s all they want.

J: Humans are Monsters.

Spider nods. They start going faster with the Ship and my Mother comes outside.

Z: They … They have another one.

I look at her and we all walk inside. The People get ready again. Spider looks at me and Squeezes my Hand.

S: We need to do something.

I look at him knowing the Humans can’t understand us and nod. I feel a big hand on my Shoulder and look up to see my Mother who nods at us almost unnoticeable. Spider squeezes my Hand tightly.The Avatars fly on their Ikran to take watch out. Me and Spider stand on different sides of the Table as we watch the screen. Then we see Lo’ak, Tuk and another girl being lifted out of the water in a net. Both me and Spider run outside. And run to the others while being chased.

S: Hey what are you doing !

J: Don’t hurt them !

I try to fight against the men holding us back.

L:Spider, Jane.

S: Bro.

J: Are you okay ?

My eyes don’t leave Tuk as she struggles in my Moms arms, seeing her trying not to hurt Tuk.

L: Yeah, great. Never Better.

I sigh and look at Quaritch as he gets off his Ikran.

Q: Back to the Bridge. And keep them there !

They Push us infront of them.

J: Okay !

S: We’re going !

And rip my Arms free. They get us to the Bridge. My eyes are always staring out the window, my eyes never leaving the others. I share a quick look with Spider and he gets ready to do something on my command. That is until something hits the ship and I see a Tulkun landing on the ship. My thoughts are Racing. As something explodes outside and burns I react quickly.

J: Spider !

I run to the control and steer the Ship to go Straight ahead so the Fire gets sucked in the ventilation. Spider reacts quickly and grabs a Fire extinguisher and breaks the controls. They grab us but we fall as we go over a group of Rocks and hover in the air for a few seconds.

?: Damage control !

?: Pumps are not working !

?: Abandon ship ! Abandon ship !

The man points at us.

?:Get them to a Boat !

They grab us and pull us with them and give us Vests.

?: Check your mask, make sure it's tight !

S: We’re good Dumbass !

#atwow #spider socorro x reader #spider x reader #Spider x Oc

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ghostbustersreborn · 2 years ago

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chapter 4

december 4th, 1984.

waking up to the smell of burnt food wouldn't be so delightful to anyone else. but, for tara she knew that she was home.

"home sweet home." she breathed out a sigh as she sat up.

she got out of bed, heading straight out of her room to see what her dad failed so effortlessly to make this morning.

"lemme guess you managed to burn the eggs?" tara questioned.

"why do you have such low expectations of me?" peter asked her.

"well maybe it's because you somehow managed to set the eggs on fire." she pointed.

peter didn't quite catch onto what she was saying.

"dad. fire." she clarified.

once realization kicked in, he grabbed the fire extinguisher and quickly dispersed of the flames.

he turned around.

"ta-da!" he said, sounding out of breath.

"i'll eat something at the firehouse." tara decided.

she took a seat at the island counter.

"where's dana?" tara then asked.

"she had to leave early for choir pratice." peter answered her.

"oh, for the christmas concert i'm assuming?" tara guessed.

"yep." peter said, popping the 'p'.

"dana fed orca this morning, right?" she asked of him.

he nodded.

"good. i'm taking her with me, she'll be more safe at the firehouse." she informed him.

"i was a decent babysitter." peter said as he tossed the burnt eggs into the trash.

"you killed four fish in two weeks." tara reminded him. "if this were your actual job, you'd be fired on the spot."

"okay, at least i tried." peter defended himself.

"meh. a- for effort is all you're going to get from me." she replied.

"why not an a+?" peter asked her.

"because you killed four fish dad! you weren't even trying." she exclaimed.

peter pouted. "you're mean." he told her.

"and you're a terrible pet owner." she retorted.

"well, i tried." he put an end to the conversation.

tara got up from out of her chair. "well me and orca are going to go." she said, heading over to the counter.

"don't drop the fish." peter advised her.

"all i know is i wouldn't do it on purpose, unlike someone." tara said picking up the fish bowl.

"well, you're clumsy." peter pointed out.

"i'll try not to." tara assured him, she slipped the fish food into her pocket.

"good luck." peter wished her.

she nodded, she made it over to the door and slipped on her shoes.

"keep an eye on your fish." peter told her.

"why?" she asked.

"because egon might try to experiment on it." he replied.

"i'll sleep with one eye open i guess." tara laughed.

"good thinking. i'm surprised he hasn't tried drilling a hole in your head." he remarked.

tara shook her head. "i would've let him. it be a cool story to tell." she stated.

"okay. see you." peter said.

"yeah. see you." she said back before using her foot to close the door.

she went down the hall, repeating the words "don't drop the fish, don't drop the fish." in her head until she got to the firehouse.

the door swung open to the firehouse, her arms were aching from the fishbowl. it was hard giving the finger when people looked at her strange for walking around with a fishbowl.

"hey, ray." tara greeted him.

"peter forgot to feed the fish?" ray guessed.

"yep. and now i'm taking orca somewhere safe." tara answered him. "here, take this. my arms are sore."

ray took the fish bowl.

"where do you want me to put this?" he asked her.

"up in my room." she answered. "if that's not too much for you." she added.

"no, it's all good." ray assured her.

he left the garage to go upstairs.

tara sighed. she walked inside, going straight to janine's desk.

a few months after the ghost attack in manhattan, janine and tara had hit it off quite well. tara would hang out with janine during long nights when the boys were out busting. they would watch movies and gossip. they'd have a lot of fun making fun of peter.

"hey janine!" tara greeted.

"hey, sweetheart." janine said, bookmarking the magazine she was reading.

"what ya reading?" tara asked, hopping up on her desk.

"vanity fair." janine showed her. "apparently, richard burton was being haunted by dr.faustus's bargain with the devil." she discussed.

"wow!" tara said in awe. "cool!"

"right?!" the red head agreed.

egon came out of his lab, going over to janine's desk.

"wanna hear about richard burton being haunted by the devil?" janine asked him.

"no." egon shook his head. he turned his attention onto the younger girl sat on the desk. "i need your help." he told her.

she nodded. "okay." she reluctantly agreed.

egon held out his hand, helping her off the desk.

"i'll see you later, janine!" tara told her as her and egon headed to his office.

"okay, sweetie. have fun." janine said back to her.

"what is it you needed my help with?" tara asked him, when in his lab.

"the ghost that was in your room last night." egon began.

"yeah, what about it?" she questioned.

"there's more like that floating out in the city." he informed her.

"how do you know?" she asked, taking a step forward.

"a kid came by this morning with these pictures." he said, leading her over to the desk with all the photos.

tara examined them, seeing different colored ghosts with the same backwards knees. some had boils, another had half of it's face missing and the others were only meat and bones. literally.

"and this one kid got all of this on camera?" she asked him.

"yes. they're all there." he nodded.

"it's just weird." she voiced. "how in one night, have all these ghosts appeared?"

"i think these ghosts form in a group." egon theorized. "and the only way people have been able to see them is through pictures."

"and so i'm guessing after taking their picture, they tend to follow the person who captured them on film?" she guessed.

"exactly." egon confirmed.

"then, what do we do?" she questioned.

just like that, the alarm went off indicating there was a job for the ghostbusters.

"well, that could very well be our answer." she shrugged.

egon exited his lab with tara of course following.

"you should call your dad to come over." he recommended.

"what about me?" tara offered. "why can't i help?"

egon stopped in his tracks. he slowly turned around.

"no." he shook his head.

tara pouted. "come on!" she protested.

he continued walking as he kept on saying "no."

"i know what to do. i've been watching you guys for the last eleven months, i think i'm pretty experienced." tara argued.

egon shook his head.

she gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"please?" she pleaded. "just one time."

egon refused to look at her, knowing he would fall for it.

he did every time.

"i am not letting you put yourself out there like that. it's too dangerous." he refused.

"how dangerous can it be?" she asked. "you and ray have always said ghosts can't hurt you."

"yes, but they can possess you, make you hurt yourself and others." he clarified.

"can't i just come?" tara pouted.

egon sighed. "fine. but you better not try anything." he warned her.

tara smiled. "i promise!" she saluted him.

after egon and the boys got dressed and ready. tara pulled out the flight suit that was her size in the second locker.

"he can't stop me." she said to herself.

"tara, are you-" egon stopped himself when seeing tara come out in a flight suit.

winston couldn't help but laugh.

"she's just like her dad." he said to ray.

"yep. both stubborn and equally as cocky." ray agreed with him.

"what did i tell you?" egon asked her.

"i can't just wear the flight suit?" tara scoffed. "this doubles as a winter coat, i got the one that keeps me warm."

egon sighed. trying to keep his composure.

"i mean it. don't try and get involved." he instructed her.

"i won't. i'll keep a good distance away." tara assured him. she was obviously lying.

"you better." spengler warned her.

"i promise." she nodded.

like father like daughter.

"okay, let's go. we don't have all day." egon ordered.

after getting in the car, ray turned to her.

"what are you up to?" he asked her.

she shrugged. "i'll come up with something."

ray sighed.

she laughed.

this was going to be fun.

they parked outside what would only be the little boy's house.

"this better be an indoors thing." she hoped.

"tara, i mean it. stay off to the side where you can't get hurt." egon ordered her.

"yes, father i will." she rolled her eyes.

"if you keep on rolling your eyes, they might get stuck in the back of your head." spengler said half-joking.

tara blinked. wether or not he was lying, the thought still scared the crap out of her. guess, she had to double down on the eye rolls for now.

ray knocked on the door for them.

a second later, the door opened revealing a frazzled young girl who looked to be around the same age as tara on the other end.

"are you jerome's sister?" ray asked, referring to the little boy who dropped off the photos.

"yes. i don't know what happened to him." she said, stepping aside to let them in.

"what happened?" tara asked her.

"we were just sitting on the couch watching a movie and he just fainted." she explained.

"maybe that's more of a health problem than a ghost problem?" she purposed.

"no." the girl denied. "he was up for a minute and his eyes were white and he had blood dripping down from them." she described.

"gross." tara shuddered.

they followed the girl into the living room where the little boy was.

"did he say anything?" egon asked.

"no. but he reached out towards me and this purple light came from out of his hand." the girl explained.

egon nodded. taking note of that.

"he's laid out on the couch." she told them.

there like she said, was the little boy with blood still dripping down from his now shut eyes.

egon took out his PKE meter, he started doing a scan.

just as egon brought his PKE meter closer to the boy, the lights flickered.

tara started to feel light headed.

blood dripped down from her nose.

"great. my nose is bleeding." she grumbled.

each time the lights would flicker, a stream of purple electricity ran across the ceiling.

"well, that's not normal." winston pointed out.

"nope. totally not." tara agreed with him.

"that is definitely the ghost or ghosts doing." ray was sure of.

"there's more than one?" the girl said, sounding scared.

"from the photos your brother took, i'm afraid so." ray told her. "but it'll be okay. you called us, you did the right thing."

the girl nodded. feeling a little comforted by ray's statement.

egon kneeled down, bringing the meter towards the kid's face.

the boy suddenly grabbed hold of the meter which made the lights go out.

tara breathed heavy.

his eyes opened, revealing his white pupil less eyes.

egon managed to tear the meter out from the boy's grip. the boy fell unconscious again. egon quickly handed jerome over to his sister just as five shadowy figures appeared.

egon stood up, stepping back towards the group.

the figures started taking shape, turning into the disturbing ghosts from the pictures the little boy had taken.

"i would like my dad's stupid commentary right now." tara said nervously.

"i don't think any of us can provide you with that." ray said.

"i know, that's why i'm fully regretting having not called him when i was given the option." she confessed.

"well, there's no sense in regretting it now." winston told her.

"step back. the both of you." egon told the girls.

they nodded, doing as he was told.

each of the boys turned their proton packs on. they brought out their wands, aiming them at the ghosts who were growling and hissing at them.

"ready? fire!" egon yelled.

they started firing at the ghosts.

"we should try to get them out of here." ray advised.

"good thinking." spengler nodded.

as they went to go lead the spirits out of the living room. all three of the boys were thrown to the ground by a surge of purple electricity hitting them coming from all five of the ghosts.

tara's eyes widened. she ran over to them, checking if they were okay.

all three were unconscious.

"shit!" she swore.

she looked back over at the ghosts watching her with blood dripping from their eyes.

jerome's sister gasped.

tara looked in her direction seeing that the little boy's eyes were bleeding too.

she had no idea what to do next.

the boys were out.

and peter wouldn't get there in time, even if she were to call him.

she was on her own.

"sorry, egon. you'll thank me later though." tara said as she managed to pull his proton pack off of him.

"woah!" she cried, having almost fallen after putting the said proton pack on.

it was pretty heavy, now she understood why her dad would complain all the time about it hurting his back.

tara switched it on, she held out the wand aiming it towards the heavy breathing, eye bleeding angry spirits.

"i better know what i'm doing or else we're all in deep shit." she mumbled.

she then fired her weapon at the ghosts.

the ghosts went crazy, flying about trying to get away from the brightly colored beams.

debris from the ceiling sprinkled onto the floor as well as various pieces of furniture the ghosts crashed into fell to the ground.

suddenly, tara managed to grab a hold on all five of them!

she quickly pulled out the trap and set it before them.

she slammed her foot onto it. a bright light surrounded the ghosts pulling them into the trap with ease.

a sigh of relief escaped from tara's lips as she dropped to her knees when the ghosts were finally gone.

as if on cue, the boys started to regain consciousness. egon was the first to sit up.

he looked around.

"where are the ghosts?" he questioned.

"in the trap." tara answered him.

egon nodded. then he realized what tara had said.

he looked over to the trap and then back at her.

the rest of the boys sat up looking over in tara's direction.

"did you?" egon began to ask.

tara nodded. "yep. all me!" she pointed to herself.

the boys looked at her and then to the trap and back to her.

"i think i did an okay job for my first time busting some ghosts." tara said. "oh, here. this is hurting my back." she handed the proton back to egon.

jerome started to wake up.

"he's awake!" the girl exclaimed.

the boys and tara got up, going over to her.

egon examined him. his eyes were back to normal and his eyes were no longer bleeding either.

"hey, bud you okay?" ray asked the boy.

"i think so. w-what happened?" jerome asked.

"oh, some ghosts took over your body no big deal." tara said nonchalantly.

egon closed his eyes and sighed.

"cool." jerome said, groggily.

he then looked to his sister.

"can you put me down?" he requested.

she nodded quickly and put him down onto his feet.

"i think it be best just to keep an eye on him. possession can have some minor after effects. but over all, he should be fine." ray explained, when they were leaving.

the girl nodded. "wait. what do you mean after effects?" she asked.

"oh. nose bleeds, blood coming from the eyes. passing out. it only lasts for an hour or two if he even experiences any." egon briefly explained.

"o-okay." the girl stammered.

"well. you know what to do if something like this were to happen again." ray told her.

"see you!" tara waved goodbye.

after she closed the door. tara jumped up and down.

"i did it! i did it! i did it!" she squealed.

egon had his arms crossed.

tara stopped her jumping, she pouted.

egon dropped the act and smiled.

"i'm proud of you. but you are to never do that again, alone at least." he told her.

"yeah, well you guys were unconscious so what else was i going to do?" tara asked as they went back to the car.

"she busted her first ghost and i wasn't even there to see it?!" peter exclaimed.

"yep." winston nodded.

"why didn't anyone call me?" peter asked.

"i asked tara to, but she didn't want to." egon informed him.

tara was off to the side, munching on chips.

"you were probably busy sucking face with dana anyways." she shrugged.

peter rolled his eyes.

he went over to her and scooped her up into his arms.

tara squealed.

she tightened her grip on the chip bag, hoping they wouldn't fall.

"she busted her first ghost?" peter laughed. "unbelievable."

"five actually." ray corrected him.

venkman furrowed his brows. "five?"

"yes, dad. five. now, get it through your thick skull and put me down." she ordered.

peter reluctantly put her down.

tara sighed of relief.

"i just don't get how she was capable of doing all that on her own." peter admitted.

"that's because i learned from the professionals." tara said, looking over to egon, ray and winston.

"that line up better include me." peter told her.

tara rolled her eyes and turned back over to him.

"yeah, i guess i learned from you too." she said.

venkman grinned.

"well, now that that's over. we should celebrate." tara suggested.

"celebrate what?" egon asked.

"me being a ghostbuster. duh!" tara replied.

egon shook his head. "you are not a ghostbuster. that was one a time thing, it is too dangerous." he refused.

tara pouted. "egon!" she whined. "if it weren't for me, your bodies would be used for the ghosts hang out place."

"tara." egon started.

"egon. she does have a point." winston chimed in. "if it weren't for her, who knows where we'd be."

tara smiled. "thank you, winston."

"it doesn't have to be a full time job. it can be part time." ray added in.

egon looked to his coworkers then to tara.

she gave him the puppy dog eyes.

he sighed. "fine. but it better stay part time, i don't want you out here with us for every call." he gave in.

tara squealed.

"welcome to the ghostbusters, kiddo." peter said, ruffling her hair.

today was a good day.

#fanfic #fanfiction #ghostbusters #ghostbusters fanfiction #ghostbusters reborn #egon spengler #peter venkman #ray stantz #winston zeddemore

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imagineanime2022 · 2 days ago

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With Your Life

Doppo Kunikida X OC (Platonic)

Word Count: 1029

Requested: Anon

Request: Original Request

Mori had called you and Chuya to his office giving them the mission of rescuing the armed detective agency, you had learned not to ask any questions anymore, Mori never did anything without the promise of getting something in return. You dialled a number on your phone, a subordinate's voice filtering through the speaker “I need you to get a helicopter ready.” You ordered. “Helicopter, who’s the pilot?” He asked. “Me.” You answered. How many passengers?” He asked. “Just Chuya and one other subordinate, you most likely.” Your attention was drawn to the mentioned executive when he spoke. “I’ll need bullets, lots of them, a box if they can be spared.” He said. “You hear that?” You asked, “Mmhm, two man helicopters and a box of bullets.” The subordinate repeated.

It didn’t take long to prepare, and before they knew they were in the sky “so what’s he doing all this for? Are they supposed to join us?” You asked once you were in the air. “They’re supposed to.” Chuya answered. “I doubt that it will happen though, they always seem to find a way out.” “Well I hope that they are okay, I don’t know who needs rescuing but it’ll be no fun if Dazai, Kyoka, Kunikida or Sai die.” You frowned, it was only there for a second before you schooled your face and settled back to neutral. “You're worried about them, there’s nothing that could kill them. Especially Dazai, if there was we would have killed him the moment that we knew he had betrayed us.” Chuya explained and you shrugged nodding. “I guess that’s true.” You agreed. “Got eyes on the targets.” Your subordinate said breaking up the conversation and causing you to look in the direction that he had been pointing.

You could see that they were in serious trouble with both Yasano and Sai in danger, you moved in as close as you could, Chuya threw open the door of the helicopter and using his ability hurtled bullet after bullet like a machine gun allowing the ADA members the chance to get into the helicopter. Sai started to heal any minor injuries using his ability but after a while he started to pale and Yasano leaned forward now to check on him. “Where’s Kyoka?” You asked, avoiding Sai’s gaze as you glanced back at the ADA members, eyes finally settling on Kunikida. “I didn’t think that I would ever see the day the Port Mafia chose to help us.” Kunikida said. “We didn’t choose to help you, Fukuzawa has a deal with Mori, that’s why we’re here.” Chuya answered “in exchange for helping you all join us.” Kunikida grit his teeth as he thought over his morals, the only words leaving his lips were. “Juno was right.” He muttered. “What? Did you hit your head?” Sai asked. “Are you okay?” You asked softly, Kunikida was closer to you than anyone else, he heard what you said but he didn’t answer “don’t leave behind your ideals, they are too important to you.” Kunikida’s eyes widened as he looked at you, he didn’t actually say anything but his fists clasped as he grit his teeth. Before anyone could do anything the blade of a sword stabbed straight through the helicopter, through Kenji and directly into your shoulder, it seemed that it was aiming for her hand which she had managed to harden before it was damaged. “What the hell!?” Chuya asked, the blade still not retracted and he moved forward. “Don’t worry I’m fine, I hardened my skin before it could cut my hand.” You explained. “Yes sure you're fine except for the stab wound in your shoulder!” Chuya chastised her. “We have bigger problems.” You informed him eyes cast down to the road where you could see one of the Hunting Dogs using the sword to get into the helicopter, Chuya quickly kicked the fire extinguisher out of the helicopter at the approaching enemy. It hit the target but he was close enough to grab the metal stabiliser bar at the bottom of the helicopter, Chuya attempted to kick him again, this time he was easily dodged. “Please! you have to find the real criminals!” Kunikida pleaded but you could tell that the man wasn’t listening, you lifted the gun from the holster on your hip only to come face to face with Kunikida “will you protect the armed detectives?” He asked. “What?” You asked. “Swear that you will protect them with your life!” He ordered. “Stop! Don’t.!” You ordered but before you could do anything he jumped out of the helicopter grabbing the attacker at the same time seeing the bomb appear in his hand from his ability and then the explosion that rocked the helicopter, you fought for control wrestling it back with great difficulty. Yasano pulled Kenji and Sai towards her, Sai used his ability to heal Kenji before passing out himself. You looked over at your subordinate who seemed to be panicking. “Hey focus! I need you to focus because you need to land this helicopter!” You ordered him. “Right… Right!” He nodded, taking over control as you leaned back in the chair as you heard Chuya ordering the Port Mafia to bring back up and to make sure that there was a medic.

Once you were finally back at the Port Mafia base you were taken to the medical wing and the ADA was taken to a room that they would be staying in, you glazed at the subordinate that had been with you “make sure that they are safe.” You ordered “until I can get back.” The only thing found at the site was Kunikida’s book of ideals, ripped and tattered. You never liked his ideals or way of thinking but you respected him for the way that he followed them.

Noise jolted you out of your thoughts as you looked down at the radio on your hip, you don’t know how it survived everything, you had forgotten that you had even taken it with you. What confused you even more was the voice that came out of the radio, one you recognised and missed dearly. Osamu Dazai.

Request Here!!

#bungo stray dogs x reader #bungo stray dogs imagine #bungo stray dogs #doppo kunikida oneshot #doppo kunikida imagine #doppo kunikida #platonic #imagine #oneshot #one shot #2nd person #oc #original character

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thinemoonshine · 5 months ago

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⋆𐙚₊ 𝐚 ‘𝔀𝓮’ 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 ‘𝓾𝓼’ ˚⊹♡

downbad!enhypen hyung line x fem!reader content(s): fluff, enhypen being down so horribly, terribly, bad, like whipped whipped for (y/n), (y/n) is sassy and loves to tease, pet names, one profanity, alcohol type: oneshot

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ synopsis: in which (y/n) doesn’t call them her boyfriend because they haven’t officially asked her to embark on an official courtship˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

⋆˙𐙚 L.HEESEUNG 𐙚˙⋆ “…you’re gonna be the death of me!”

“don’t you think this would look good on us?” heeseung asks as he lifts up a pair of couple-y beanies and looks at (y/n) expectantly.

(y/n) shifts her gaze between the two before she brings it down. “don’t they look too couple-y?”

“yeah, i mean that’s the point, righ—wait, what do you mean ‘too couple-y?’” the realization hits him late and (y/n)’s already walking out the store, bells hung on the door chiming behind her.

heeseung hastily puts back the beanies, panicky, before he runs out to follow her. “(y/n)! (y/n), wait! what do you mean by that?”

“by what?” the girl monotonously responds.

“there’s nothing wrong with wearing matching stuff, right? aren’t we a couple? or do you not like it?” heeseung worriedly bombards her with questions as he sticks behind her like a tail—almost stumbling entirely when she stops abruptly.

“we aren’t, though.”

“huh?”

“we aren’t a couple,” (y/n) corrects him and his eyes widen as lips gape—frantically moving to stand in front of her when she budges in the slightest.

“are you breaking up with me? please, (y/n). i-i don’t know what it is but i’ll make it up to you! please not like this, no. i don’t want to lose you,” heeseung pleads as his hands shakily grab her shoulders—much too soft to actually say he even put force but the way his fingers curl, securing onto her show that he’s more than ready to latch on for his life. “tell me. tell me what i did wrong.”

(y/n) stares at his face, the desperation and concern paint him so clearly and a guilty sigh leaves her. “we can’t break up if we weren’t together in the first place.”

now confusion settles over him. his brows knitting and doe eyes searching into hers. “what do you—oh.”

and finally putting the pieces together, a loud laugh escapes him while his not-girlfriend frowns, a small pout playing on her lips.

he coos while his thumb brushes over them. “aww, is that what this was all about?”

“heeseung, you—”

“(y/n),” he interjects with his voice laced with so much charm she just can’t refute. an endearing smirk threatens to appear on his face as he cups her cheek—looking down at her with the most tender and sincere gaze. “will you let me be your boyfriend? please?”

the air’s knocked out of the other at his soft little voice that instantly extinguishes any sort of fire in her as she instead, melts into his arms that magically made their way around her waist.

she clears her throat. “yeah, i guess. yeah.”

he finally lets the smirk form as he swoops down and pecks her forehead, eliciting a gasp of surprise from her and he chuckles at her expression. “now let’s get those couple-y beanies to celebrate our official first day as a couple, hm?”

“…yeah,” the girl bashfully replies with cheeks tinted in a shade of pink.

heeseung’s chest tightens at how cute she is to the point it’s hard to breathe and he squeezes her against him—pressing her face into his chest as he resists the urge to just gnaw at her head. “you’re just so—gosh, you’re gonna be the death of me!”

“hee, my makeup!”

the way his nickname rolls from her tongue so casually is music to his ears and he bites his lip, shutting his eyes as his head falls back. “i’m the luckiest person ever to have you as my girlfriend.”

⋆˙𐙚 P.JONGSEONG 𐙚˙⋆ “silver or gold?”

there’s something off. he can’t quite put his finger on it—but there’s something terribly wrong. and it’s not just because of his and (y/n)’s cuddle sessions with her hugs too short to even be called cuddles, or the lack of kisses from her and hesitant acceptance of his or even the way she sometimes cringes at the pet names he uses on her.

but also because of the way she treats him in general. she’s still affectionate—greeting him with the biggest, most beautiful smile, going out for lunch dates with him and paying for his order because “last time you paid for everything” which, in his perspective is mortifying because why?? would she?? do such a thing??

it’s his responsibility—or so he claims—to spoil her as much as possible. he wants to be the one to feed her, buy her all her silly little trinkets and take her out on shopping sprees and carrying all her bags so why?? it breaks him to see her act the way she is.

but at the end of the day, it’s still affectionate, isn’t it? as much as he can’t comprehend it, he sees it as his girlfriend wanting to treat him every once in a while to show appreciation or something—a self-hypnosis, one might say so he doesn’t fall into hysteria.

despite his suspicions however, he says nothing and lets things flow as he takes the opportunity to observe her more, in hopes he can at least make a small conclusion so he won’t upset her by asking the wrong thing.

and today’s the perfect time for it since they’re having another one of their lunch dates. he sits anxiously at their table as he watches (y/n) who’s still at the counter—having bumped with her friend and now she’s accompanying her as she orders.

“is that all you’re having?” (y/n) asks her friend who nods and right after, the former passes the cashier her card—surprising her friend to which she assures her it’s all fine. “no, i insist! after all, last time you paid for everything.”

jay who has been a loyal, attentive audience this whole time instantly feels himself being washed over with dread. small lips parting and hand resting on the left side of his chest as it dawns on him.

all this time…(y/n)’s been treating him like a friend. not a lover. it all makes sense now. the distance she put between them and the affections shown that are always in border between friend and lover but never more to the latter—he sees it now.

“jay? what’s going on?” (y/n) asks from her seat facing him. “you’re zoning out. hello?”

he just had a short circuit and her saying “jay” so simply is only rusting his gears from overtime working.

“‘jay?’”’he echoes with a small frown on his face. “why jay?”

his question baffles her and she emits a small confused yet amused scoff.

“that’s your name? what else am i supposed to call you?”

“baby, bae, darling, honey—” he starts listing out loving pet names and making her gape at his eloquence. she’s not sure if being so knowledgeable in this subject is really useful at all but it’s impressive. “there are so many you can use! just not just my name as it is. we’re not friends…right?”

ding ding ding! finally, the man gets it and (y/n) lets a mischievous smirk play on her lips.

“i’m pretty sure we are, though,” she teases and her date’s jaw detaches, crashing to the floor along with his heart in shards. she giggles and the sound itself revives him, now looking at her with eyes wide and lips pressed expectantly. “i mean, i don’t recall being asked to be someone’s partner so…”

an audible gasp leaves him before he reaches out to hold her hands in his as they rest on the table. “my love, i should’ve known. i shouldn’t have left things be unclear between us. so, silver or gold?”

his question confuses her. “huh?”

“for our couple rings. i’m using it to propose to you to be my girlfriend later. so, silver or gold? actually, diamonds will be best, right? you only deserve the best.”

“wait, slow down—”

“how many carats?”

“jay!”

“‘jay???’”

“…sweetie? babe??”

“so much better <3”

⋆˙𐙚 S.JAEYUN 𐙚˙⋆ “i can even be your doormat!”

it’s not a secret that sim jaeyun is sometimes the embodiment of a human puppy. so it’s not surprising to see him literally following (y/n) around like a tail—even before they professed their love for one another.

the only difference now is that he’s much braver in initiating skinship to show his affections like fixing her hair, or cupping her cheeks, drawing circles on whatever part it is that he’s touching on her and even cuddling with her to the point that he’s practically sandwiching her onto the couch with his face buried in the crook of her neck.

but he notices something: it’s always been one-sided. and that’s weird. because as far as he knows, one of (y/n)’s love languages is physical touch. but it’s not like she rejects any of his advances, she accepts them all. maybe she’s just not very keen on starting it, but is always up for it.

so he lets it be.

until at one point, it starts to bug him and eat him from the inside out, leaving him shriveled like a wilted flower lacking every single form of nutrient and water—and all the sun’s doing is just drying up every bit of moisture and drawing the life out of him.

“(y/n)…” jake croaks weakly as he crawls to his phone that he previously threw onto his couch, now only a sliver of the man he once was with his cheeks hollow and lips chapped as his sickness riddles him. a terrible sickness caused by (y/n) deficiency.

the other end of the call rings a few times before the voice of his beloved sings through, instantly energizing him. “hello? jake?”

“(Y/N), I NEED YOUuUuUu~” he howls and (y/n) has to pull her phone away from her ear. “i’m SICK.”

concern fills her quickly after. “sick?? what happened? do you have a fever?”

she’s bombarding him with questions as she hastily puts on her shoes near her main door, ready to leave right after. the pitiful sob from him that follows after only heightens her worry.

“i’m sick…of missing you,” he finishes and (y/n) nearly trips over air just as she’s about to step to the door. “please come over and cuddle…please…?”

his desperate whimpers are just so adorable that it nearly shatters her resolve of playing hard-to-get. nearly.

squinting her eyes, crossing one arm under her chest and hooking it to the other that holds her phone to her ear, she then hums questioningly. and gosh, does jake feel like every second is another hour taken from his life span.

“no.”

nevermind. he’s dead now.

“wh-what? what do you mean ‘no?’”

huzzah! he’s been resuscitated. he wants justice.

(y/n) captures her lip between her teeth—holding back her amused chuckles at his cute confusion. “that sounds like a very boyfriend-girlfriend activity, jake. and we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend…”

beep! beep! beep!

he…hung up??

(y/n) gapes and calls him.

“the number you’ve dialed is unreachable…” the automatic machine answers.

again.

“please leave a message after the beep!…”

again.

still no answer.

worry creeps in again as (y/n) slips in her foot back into her shoe which she took off mere minutes ago. just when she stands however, a persistent ringing of her door bell freezes her momentarily.

swinging the barrier between her and the source open, she’s met with surprise to see sim jaeyun, the man himself, down on his knees as he looks up at her with doe eyes glossed over.

“jake! wha—”

“we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend? what did i do? tell me, i’ll fix it!”

“you didn’t do anything!”

“i didn’t? the-then, why?”

(y/n) opens her mouth to answer when she suddenly realizes that him not doing anything is exactly the problem—and her momentary hesitation is enough to have him clasping his hands together in desperation.

“please please please, don’t throw me away! i love you so much, i won’t be able to live without you! please please, pretty princess? PLEASE!”

the girl’s eyes widen at his sudden pleads and she anxiously looks at the other doors in the corridor, hoping her apartment neighbors will disregard the chaos occurring. “jake! jake, stand up! stop doing this!”

“NO! you’re mad at me! i don’t know why but…still! is it because i’m too clingy? because i asked you to come over? sh!t! i should’ve been the one to come over not you! i’ll be better, i promise!”

“what?? no! there’s nothing wrong with that just listen to me and get—”

“NOOOO!! i’m not getting away! i’m not leaving! just keep me by your side! i’ll do anything! i-i can even be your doormat—here! right here!”

the sound of a rattling doorknob triggers (y/n)’s fight or flight and she seizes jake’s wrist that’s conveniently raised—thanks to his howls and pleads of “you said you love me!” and “love me backkkk~” respectively—and she hauls him into her apartment.

jaeyun’s eyes widen at the abrupt motion and he stumbles onto the floor of her house but before he can say anything, a pair of soft lips smash against his—ridding him of every thought as his hands instinctively reach up to cup her cheek and nape.

he limps backwards, now completely against the floor while (y/n) hovers and his vision darkens as his eyes shut—reveling in the addicting sweetness of her taste.

a small whine sounds from him when she pulls away and he chases after her lips—wanting nothing more but to relish in her essence endlessly yet her hand that gently pushes him down by the chest halts him.

she giggles at his dazed expression—his breaths shaky, eyes blown out and half-lidded as he peers up at her. “i do love you, jakey. i just said we weren’t a couple because you haven’t asked me out yet.”

“i haven’t?” he slurs like a drunken man, still on cloud nine from her kiss and his gaze casts frequent glances onto her glistening, rosy nubs. “must have been in my dream then.”

“yeah, must be,” (y/n) chuckles and sits on his lap before hauling him up—instantly getting engulfed in an embrace with his arms coiled around her waist and nose buried in the crook of her neck. feeling ticklish, the girl elicits a few titters which makes him smile against her skin.

“i can’t believe i let my princess feel so frustrated for so long,” he muffles into her. “but don’t worry, i’ll ask you now.”

“i’m all ears.”

“will you marry me?”

“HUH??”

⋆˙𐙚 P.SUNGHOON 𐙚˙⋆ "love me, please"

sunghoon is more emotional of a person than how he seems. he just hides himself well and even when others try their best to push him to the edge, he will never lose his grip on his thread nor walk the plank—able to pull himself up and return to the safe shores.

of course, he’s still human and thus, will never be completely impenetrable. one common weakness among those with strict discipline? alcohol.

“i don’t know why…she doesn’t love me,” sunghoon sobs into his arms as he’s hunched onto the counter and almost slipping off his stool. jake looks down at him before a sigh escapes. he was amused seeing his usually stoic and smiley friend act so sappy at first—but that was 3 days ago and he’s still being it since.

jake pats the other’s pack. “why don’t you ask her? i thought you guys confirmed your feelings for each other?”

sunghoon nods against his arm as a low groan rumbles through him. “we did…but then i overheard her saying to her friends that we ‘aren’t together’ and are just ‘two people who share mutual affections.’”

“maybe you misheard?”

a wail akin to a whale’s call sounds from the drunken lad and jake looks around frantically, embarrassed, and is for once thankful for the blaring DJ remixes that burst people’s ears.

“i didn’t. i heard clearly what she said, that’s why i ran away… i left her there… i screwed up our lunch plans… she’s gonna hate me more! it’s my fault! why did i just—WAAaaAaA!”

once again, his friend finds himself in a fluster, scared that someone’s going to think that a marine creature’s been illegally smuggled into the establishment—causing him to haul the taller lad onto his shoulders and out of the place of business.

“there you go. stay,” jake huffs as he laboriously drops his friend onto the bench outside before pulling out his phone. dialing a number, he then puts the gadget to his ear. “hello? sorry for calling you so suddenly but uh, sunghoon’s kind of in a situation i know you’re the only who can save him from. oh, no! it’s not anything dangerous! it’s just, well…”

after hearing his explanation, it doesn’t take long for the girl to zoom to the club and there, she meets a passed out sunghoon on a cold wooden bench and jake sitting on the edge of his seat—not having enough space due to the drunkard.

“hey, thanks for coming,” the slightly older male says with a smile and nods with gratitude at her. she reciprocates.

“so…you say he’s been doing this for 3 days straight—since he overheard me?” (y/n) confirms and jake’s affirmation elicits a long sigh from her. “dummy hoon. thanks for accompanying him, jake. i’ll take over from here.”

bidding goodbye, (y/n) then approaches the sleeping young man. her heart flutters at his delicate yet sharp visages that simply steal her breath away even when he’s doing something utterly mundane such as sleeping. her hand lifts to cup his cheek, flinching at the coldness of his skin. “sunghoon, wake up. hoon?”

she nearly has a cardiac arrest when the man’s eyelids shoot open and he springs to a sitting position before facing the blanched girl.

“(y/n)!” he exclaims cheerily with the most radiant beam before engulfing her whole against his figure—muscly biceps securing around her frame as she squeaks from the sudden embrace. she chuckles, adoring how he’s still able to be so gentle with her even whilst drunk. “hi, my love~”

the nickname brings a blush to her face that’s already mantling from the cold. “come on, let’s get you to the car.”

as soon as he’s in the passenger’s seat, (y/n) bends down slightly in front of him to secure his seatbelt but pauses when sunghoon’s head drops onto her shoulder—rubbing his forehead against the fabric covering her skin.

“(y/n)…you’re so warm,” he murmurs, eyes shut and lips parted. “if only you were really here.”

his words make the girl’s brows knit. ‘does he think he’s imagining me?’

click! the seatbelt connects and she shuts his door before going to the driver’s seat.

the drive is mostly quiet with sunghoon being drowsy and (y/n) busy with trying to get him home safely but the tranquility is broken by an unexpected monologue by the former.

“i do this again and again just to see you… and you’re always there. but i wake up and you’re gone…always gone,” sunghoon murmurs in his sleepiness, and (y/n)’s fingers tighten around the wheel at his confession—feeling her heartstrings getting tugged. “i love you so much, it hurts.”

(y/n) glances at him, feeling a surge of guilt and swallows dryly. “if the real (y/n) was here, what would you tell her?”

“i’d apologize for canceling our lunch date again. and tHeN! i’d apologize again and tell her i’ll do wAyYyYY better! i’ll be the BEST MAN she’ll ever have!” sunghoon exclaims in an inconsistent rhythm—bursting on some words and calm for the others. “the LAST one too! she’s going to end up with me, i’ll make sure of it.”

his drunken confession affects her more than she thought—butterflies erupting and tickling her from the inside out with their soft, rapid wings.

“oh, really?” she teases, an amused grin worn as she faces the road which isn’t unseen by sunghoon.

his sudden quietness confuses her but soon feels his scrutinizing gaze prickling at the side of her cheek—her peeking at him from her peripheral.

“woah. you’re the best version of (y/n) my brain’s made. you feel and look real…so warm and pretty like how my (y/n) really is… my gorgeous, gorgeous girl… hihihi…” his lovesick bashful giggles from his own comment instantly beats all her favourite music and artists, defeating all her playlists and reigns the throne.

his eyes upturned in a blinding eyesmile as cheeks and nose glow a bright red from both the alcohol and the lovey dovey, giggly mood he’s brought to himself. he’s so cute. a cutie pie.

by the time they arrive at his home, he’s onto his reason number whoever knows on his list of ‘why my-not-but-still-my-girl aka.(y/n) is the best girl.’

he flops on his bed when (y/n) drops him with a large grunt before joining his side in exhaustion. big mistake.

because now she’s caged within sunghoon’s beefy arms and as much as she loves nothing more than to stay in them—suffocate in them even, but he’d never let—she has to go home.

“sung—oof! sunghoon!” she grunts and wriggles in his unbudging grasp and just when she tries to slip through by sliding down vertically and off the edge of the bed, he nuzzles into the side of her head—drawing figures in her hair with the tip of his nose.

“love me, please,” he whispers and that instantly shuts down her motor—now completely still as she slowly turns to him. her eyes dance across his face that’s slightly scrunched and she can tell it’s because of what he overheard her say. he’s thinking about it again.

“i do love you, hoon—so so much that it physically squeezes the air out of me sometimes. i only said what i said because i realized we never made it official and whenever i hinted at you, you just acted like it was nothing. just going with it without accepting or denying anything,” (y/n) explains in a whisper as her finger moves up to trace his features.

freezing suddenly when she reaches his mouth and the corners begin to curl up.

“so i just need to make things official and we won’t just be ‘two people who share mutual feelings together?’” he asks with clarity. the lack of muddled mumbles and dragged words instantly tell the other of his sobriety.

she looks up, taken aback to see him already staring down at her with the most endearing of gazes—shifting between her eyes constantly before letting it dance across her face and back to melting their gazes together.

“i guess so…” she mutters, flustered and belatedly shy from the proximity.

sunghoon catches his bottom lip between his teeth, finding the sight before him simply too adorable and presses a kiss on her forehead. “then, just as i am already yours, will you be mine?”

his concise offer makes her heart skip beats but it still doesn’t compare to hoon’s that’s running a mile a minute, vigorous thumps almost blending into one another and she feels it from the way he hugs her tight.

so much for mr.cool guy act.

“it would be my honour, hoon,” she replies with a cheeky grin and a second later she’s squealing from getting bombarded with butterfly kisses—unknowing of his struggle to keep himself together and not just crush her every bone from the cuteness aggression, finding her to be the loveliest ever. ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ maknae line ver.

𝜗𝜚 hi, it’s romi here!! thank you so much for reading to the end!! if you enjoyed it, don’t forget to leave a heart and reblog—they give me some motivation, ya know? but please do not spam like!! X♡X♡, romi ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

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Text

Knight in Dulled Armor Ch. 7

Chapter 7: Hazardous Housekeeping

Sleep wasn’t easy, a lingering feeling of unease compressing my chest. I wonder why Val had been so cold to me, had I done something wrong? He said he would be heading north tomorrow. This could mean Braiewood, Mercester, or even Asteria, for all I knew. I could have asked, but I never wanted to pry into Val’s business much. I wouldn’t even know how long he would be gone. It seems I never know exactly when I’ll see him next.

I continue to struggle with sleep throughout the night, even despite my sore, exhausted body. A wave of pain jolts through my legs as I shift on the bed, and a weight now pressed over me. No matter how tired I was, I couldn’t sleep. No matter how far I’d walked, no matter how sore my body ached, something still refused my body rest.

I decide to change into more comfortable clothes, a now laborious task only for an attempt at rest. I pick out a basic black slip I’d found in my wardrobe, tossing it on the bed as I stripped off my dirt-smeared and sweat-stained clothes. The moment my garments fall to the floor I am hit with an intense stench. This was, undoubtedly, me. The thought of Val being able to smell my odor crosses my mind, with this being a strong contender for his cold demeanor toward me recently.

Perhaps a hot bath could prove to be a good solution, as it would ease my muscle pain and provide me with some relief from my insomnia as well as my obvious stench. I reach for the slip I’d left on my bed, hesitating for a moment. I shouldn’t need to wash it if I only wear it for a moment out to the bathhouse. I shrug, finally grabbing it. I slip it on and put my dirty clothes into a pile off to the side of my wardrobe.

I take a pair of shoes, holding them by the back of the heels, not putting them on just yet. Peaking outside my door, I check for any chance of patrons still out in the dead of night. Unsurprisingly, it seems that everyone has retired for tonight. I spot Kyzu still lying in front of the bar, even in the dim lighting.

I shut my door behind me after heading out, walking toward Kyzu who had been sleeping across the room in front of my door. Only a couple of lamps still remained lit, each of them close to going out. Practically a premonition, a gust of wind through an open shutter manages to extinguish the flame. I let out a sigh that only managed to carry a fraction of my frustration and disappointment.

I continue my steps with a newfound sense of caution. Kyzu lies only a few steps away from the door, with her bulky body lying between the exit and the bar. I’d need to pace my steps carefully, heading slightly left and forward enough to avoid tripping over Kyzu. I keep a steady pace while attempting to watch my footing in a room almost completely permeated by darkness. I’m fairly sure I’d walked fully past her since I no longer felt any fur grazing my feet as I felt around the floor. I take another step; in the clear. A breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding rolls out of my mouth.

I go for another step, this time apparently far too fast, since whatever I’d hit sent a rush of pain down my foot. A grating sound fills the air, almost resembling that of metal being scraped. I trip, falling to the floor, and my shoes as well as something else scatter across the dark flooring.

I get up, ignoring the pain shooting through my arm from my landing to grab a white strip of parchment barely visible on the countertop. I light it from the dwindling flame in the lamp, holding it toward the floor. As the fire continues to envelop the makeshift kindling, the flame and light grow brighter. I see Kyzu still, but nothing that could have been the cause of my pain.

This was until something across the floor had caught a reflection of some of the light in my hand. I head over to it, picking the object up. A large, black, shiny mass bent and limply shifted in my hands. I soon recognized it as one of Val’s gloves.

Utter confusion hits me, lingering as I search around for anything else to go off of. Tucked away in the booth just outside my room was an area of darkness that still resided. I come over, deciding to relight the lamps and sconces lining the walls along the path on the way. I shake away the flame, now nearly down to my fingers. As more light grew in the room, I soon recognized this lingering darkness as Val. He had been asleep at a booth, his head tucked in his arms on the table.

I examine the rest of his armor, which had been fully intact. I reach closer, attempting to see if he even slept with his helm on. I gaze into the space where he’d buried his head between his arms. Smudged golden reflections danced around in the armor that now barely retained any luster. This was apparently too close, as Val let out a gruff noise indicating his wake.

Attempting to remain collected, I ask him, “Val, what are you still doing in the dining area?” I glance around when a white glimmer catches my eye; there are several empty glasses scattered across the table. Some stood upright in stacks, some knocked over in disarray. Some for whiskey, some for beer.

I choose to pry for once, “Val, are you drunk?”

This must have been the first thing he heard, as he shot up upon it leaving my lips, “Elaine?”

“Yes, it’s me,” I respond with a sigh, him now turning to look at me.

He looks me up and down, the only indicator being the movement of his helm, if I hadn’t been so close, I wouldn’t have known. “What are you doin’ out here?” Val asks, slurring his words slightly, seemingly concerned.

“I just asked you the same thing, I’m going out for a bath.” At this point, I realize I still held his glove in my hand. I pass it over to him, though he just stares at it for a moment.

“Thank you for letting me know,” He chuckles. Val mutters something under his breath, though it is difficult to make out. I’m fairly sure I caught, “nightgown,” in the mumbled statement, though I couldn’t be certain.

I can only assume the prior remark was a call back to our interaction in the bathhouse. Why must he relish such conversations? A heat floods my cheeks, and I once again find nothing to say around him. I shake my head, opening my mouth to speak, though I am cut off.

“I know a hot spring somewhat close, we could take my horse.” He offers, quickly pressing on, “I know you must be sore from your trip to Braiewood,”

“Don’t you have to leave tomorrow morning? At this point, it’ll be sunrise in just a few hours.” I explain though I don’t want to come across as rude. “Another time, when our schedules align better, I could even take time off work for it.” I let out.

He pauses for a moment, presumably shocked by my response, “That's true, another time then. I should be back from my trip northeast in about a week. We could work it out around then,”

I nod, continuing out to the bathhouse. He hadn’t seemed entirely drunk, which was surprising considering the amount of glasses he had on his table. I suppose this was due to his sheer size. I’ll have to hold him to his offer, even if it is just to see if he remembers our conversation later.

Something clicks within me, wondering if Val just had asked me on a date. He didn’t seem to be flirting with me at all by his tone. Then again, I can’t help but feel that seeing his expressions would make this a bit easier. The outlandish concept of accompanying a man with a hidden face to a hot spring weighs on me for a moment. I suppose he just wanted to get to know me better, he took an opportunity to invite me somewhere he knew I’d like, and that was very sweet of him. I shrug, looking up after a chilly breeze hits me to find that I’ve walked onto the porch.

There should be a lantern I could take to the bathhouse out here, I recall. Heading to my right, I walk until my hand meets the porch fence and drag it along until I feel the wooden porch column. Running my hand upward, I stop when I feel my fingers graze a cold, metal surface. I was sure this was the base of the lantern, and I continue upward until I grasp the handle. Once lit, I make my way to the bathhouse, following the footpath just off the tavern porch.

Making sure I was on the women’s side, I step in. I inspect the stalls, finding which would be the cleanest. One toward the end of the room that remains untouched. A folded set of towels was placed off to the side of the dry bath. I see soap off to the other side of the bath, reminding me that I’d forgotten the hair products I’d brought back from Braiewood. I let out a sigh, planning my next move.

I’d need to go back inside if I wanted to wash my hair, which was definitely a priority while I was bathing, but I’d need to see Val again inside. I could begin running my bath with the hose outside, then I’d head inside to grab my things. A breath leaves me while I push open the heavy bathhouse door.

Quickly grabbing the hose wrapped around the neck of the spigot, I make my way back in. Propping the door open with a folded towel, I lead the hose to my bathtub and set it inside. I see it quickly begin filling, the shining water creating gentle waves as the hose fills it up further. A tiny bit of steam rolls into the cold night air.

I return inside the tavern, and to my surprise, Val is gone. He must have made his way to his room after I’d initially woken him up. As well as Val being gone, so were the glasses that had been scattered about the table. It looks as if they’d been washed and put back onto their drying rack. A “Huh,” escapes me as I stand impressed by Val’s ability to clean up after himself. My mind is tugged back to him sweeping once again, pulling my lips to a smile.

I grab my things that had been tucked away in my room, remembering to grab my shoes on the way out this time. I begin tracing the path back to the bathhouse, feeling the cool, soft sand that had been worn away by foot traffic under my feet. I twist the hose handle closed on the way out, sure that my bath was full enough inside.

I set my hair cleansers off to the side of my bath and test the water temperature with my fingers; perfectly hot. I sink into the tub, feeling my body immediately release the tension it had been holding onto. I linger in the water for a few moments, allowing myself to rest in the hot, steamy bath. My body sinks in further, eventually tipping my head back into the water.

My hair slicks back into a much longer, straight, wet pelt. I attempt to run my fingers through the condensed locks, though after tugging through the initial few knots, I give up. I’d have to brush it out as it dries or in the morning.

I make quick time washing my hair and body, letting the suds that had accumulated on my body slowly glide off as the bath water laps over me. A soft breath presses out of my lips, and I rinse myself one final time before grabbing my towel.

I stand up, allowing water to drip and strain itself off my body for a minute or so. Wrapping the towel around my body, I perch myself on the edge of the tub to dry my legs. Once fully dry, I debate whether I want to dump my tub now. My shoulders shrug as I decide that I’ll likely be the one to clean the bathhouse tomorrow anyway. My black slip fits nicely as I slide it back on, feeling light and breathable after my bath. Finally, I tie a towel around my hair to help it dry.

Slipping on my shoes, I take the towels I’d used and sit them in a small pile in the corner for me to add to the laundry tomorrow. I retrieve what I’d taken in with me, doing one final check as I head out of my stall. My feet trail along the smooth tile slowly, admittedly uneasy on partially slick flooring.

Whether my caution played a role in my ability to catch myself or not, I’m unsure, but I certainly managed to fix my balance somehow. I glance back, curious as to what could have tripped me. The only noticeable thing that could have done so was a small uneven area set into the floor. Upon closer inspection, it was a small metallic drain in the lightly sloped ground.

A hand raises to my mouth as I realize there was no reason to dump the full baths outside as I’d thought. I’d missed an obvious feature in the bathhouse, and paid for such an embarrassing mistake in excess labor. I sigh and press on, making note of the drain. Opening the door serves as what I hope to be the last difficult task of my day.

Urging my way out of the bathhouse, I trail back to the tavern. I step inside, quickly cutting across the dining area to my room in the dim light. The door handle clicks shut behind me, and I let out a breath as I lean my weight against my door. A couple of steps further, I empty my hands and organize my things in one of my drawers.

My hands find their way to my lower back, firmly planting themselves and cupping my hips. I bend back, hearing pops emanate from my spine and feeling my body loosen the further I go. I retrieve a hairband before sitting down on my bed. I nestle in further, tugging my blanket over me.

I am awoken by the early morning light seeping through my thin blankets. I was sure it was only hours after I’d fallen asleep, but I felt well-rested. It was time to prepare for another day at work.

Running through the morning routine I’ve made for myself, getting around felt easier today. I attempt to recall my morning routine back at my family estate, though my memory betrays me after a sudden shift in lifestyle. All I truly knew is that these fragments of my life are worlds apart from one another. I cut off the sentiment as I pull the ribbon pressed between my lips to tie up my hair.

I wipe my hands down my uniform, straightening out any wrinkles left after I’d put it on. I slip on my shoes I’d left beside the door, and fling my door open to step out into the tavern.

“Good morning, Kenrik,” I gleam as I reclaim my notepad and a few fresh wash rags near the bar.

“Mornin’,” he says, taking a moment to focus his attention on me. After a pause, he continues, “Before you head off to tables, I think you’re ready to learn room housekeeping. Right?”

It takes me a moment to process after he’d caught me off guard, I muster an enthusiastic nod before setting my hands behind my back.

I wait for a moment while Kenrik returns a slow nod. “Marietta should-” he starts, but is cut off as the tavern doors creak open behind me.

“Perfect timing!” he declares, and I turn to see Marietta arriving at work. Her appearance was polished, as usual. Her uniform is completely clean and creaseless, and her hair had been worked into a thin braid to keep it out of her face.

“Could you walk Elaine through room housekeeping?” Kenrik asks, scooting a bit closer to Marietta.

“Of course!” She says, turning to me.

“Wonderful, here’s the rooms that have checked out recently,” he tells her as he drops a keyring into her palm.

She gives him a nod and gestures a hand for me to follow her across the dining area. Tucked away just past the storage room was a thin hall that offered only a left turn at its end. This led to another wider hall, with doors lined all down one side. I was unaware of the second row of rooms behind my own, but it explained how the tavern could get so busy without much foot traffic.

“Morning, Marietta,” I chirp, still heading down the hall behind her. “Good morning,” she offers, her hands preoccupied flicking through the numbered keys. We stop in front of the farthest door down, and Marietta slides the key in, jiggling it a bit before she’s able to fully unlock the knob.

She presses open the door to reveal a room arranged far differently than my own. Two individual beds pressed against the walls with a spacious wardrobe against the back wall between them. The room hadn’t been in total disarray but was obviously lived in. She makes her way over to one of the beds and begins stripping off its crumpled sheets and blankets. I make myself useful and do the same with the other bed across the room.

“I’m glad Kenrik decided that I train you on housekeeping today; otherwise I would be cleaning the bathhouse now,” She says, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, don’t care for the bathhouse much?” I ask, my voice higher than intended. My mind suppresses the memory of Val in the bathhouse, let alone around Marietta.

“I’m afraid not. It always takes far too long. I become so absorbed that I often can’t finish both sides on the same day.” She expresses, her distaste for the task is prevalent in her tone alone. Her expression shifts, “Oh! I’ve got the next couple of days off! I took them off for time with some old friends,” she reveals to me.

“I’m happy I could help you out of cleaning the bathhouse then! And I hope catching up goes well, are you meeting anywhere specific?” I ask.

“They actually suggested a beautiful little resort called Fleurence. I’ve never been, but they’re ecstatic to show me, and my family in Aramoor has raved over it.” She gushes to me.

My ears perk up to this, hearing that Marietta was from Aramoor. It was a neighboring nation to Asteria, it seems she and I are both far from home. “It sounds familiar, I believe my family has trade deals with them,” I say, “It sounds exciting, I hope you have a great time,” I enthuse.

“If I’m being honest I prefer the more private tasks like this over ones with customers,” I add on after a pause. It was nice to be able to speak uninterrupted with her.

“It’s more peaceful, but I like most of the folks here,” she says, a certain inflection in her voice from her smile. “Can’t forget about tips too, that’s definitely a benefit,” She laughs out.

Each of us holding a large lump of linen in our arms, she nods and heads out of the room. I quickly follow behind, assuming she’d be dropping them off in the storage room in the laundry bins. My speculation is proven correct as we round the halls and make our way into the open entryway to the storage room.

“I can’t bother to flirt with the drunken patrons, though I’m as nice as I can be to them,” I admit.

“Maybe you’ll get used to it,” she implies.

For a moment I consider it, though it doesn’t sit well with me. “I don’t want to get involved with half the men at the tavern,” I scoff out.

“Don’t I know it; the men who wanna talk to you are always 3 drinks in and the ones you wanna talk to are gone before you know it,” she tells me.

For a moment I wonder what men she is referring to in her latter remark, but it is easily answered after a moment. “Marietta? Struggling with men? Now there’s an absurd concept,” I laugh, my sarcasm thinly veiled.

We dump our dirty linen in one of the tall cloth bins and each grab a fresh bedspread to replace it. Marietta also retrieves a small basket filled with various cleaning materials, setting it on top of the folded sheets to carry them out.

“To be fair, I don’t think the tavern is the best place to find someone,” I chuckle, attempting to breathe life back into the conversation.

“I know, but there’s the occasional romantic,” she sighs as we continue down the hall once more.

“Oh? Have I not been here long enough to stumble across any ruggedly handsome adventurers?” I tease, “What a shame,” I finish as I fling a sheet over the bed. Air catches the cloth, dragging it down as it rolls and waves before spreading evenly over the mattress.

I hear Marietta let out a scoff and we each fall silent for a moment as we work. “What do you mean? I know you’ve seen at least one,” she hints.

Wedging my fingers between the bed and the wall, I finish tucking the covers in as I process her words. My mind drifts back to my interaction with Val last night, an exhilarating flurry of my hammering heart and tightening stomach. Unfortunately, I am almost sure this is who Marietta is referencing. I glance back at her, saying nothing.

She takes a moment to grab some things from the supply basket before turning toward me. Her gaze meets mine, and we hold it for a moment. I cock my head, shooting her a look of slight confusion. I bite at my bottom lip to fight a smirk that arises from her cheeks flushing.

Her eyes dart around for a moment, landing on one of her hands. She juts it upward, offering me a washrag. “Will you wipe down the end tables and whatnot? I’ll dust in here, but you’ll have to do it in the other rooms,” she explains.

I grab the cloth from her hand, giving her a nod before wiping down tables and furniture. My pace slows to a halt as a shadow falls over me. My eyes trace back to its source, which is Marietta now on a stepstool to dust the top of the dark wooden wardrobe.

I finish the last surface I need to clean and pull my attention back to Marietta after she sets the stool aside. She offers me the broom, and I begin sweeping as she focuses her attention on the waste bin.

“If you’re having so many troubles with men, why not go with the obvious choice?” I ask, garnering a minuscule pile of dust and various debris in front of me.

“Ugh,” she lets out, “By ‘obvious’ I assume you mean Hidorah?”.

I shrug my shoulders and am unable to fully mask a smile.

“He’s too immature for me,” she explains, hoisting her shoulders for a shrug and letting them sink. Her arms find their way around each other at her chest. She turns her head, and I see her eyes lock with something. She retrieves the dustpan, setting it in front of my finished pile.

I wait for more, but nothing arises. “That’s all?” I pry, careful to sweep everything into the dustpan.

“It’s a bigger issue than you’d think,” is all she says as she disposes of the waste. We take a look around to ensure we hadn’t missed anything.

“Is that everything?” I ask.

“Think you can handle all that a few more times?” Marietta asks.

“Absolutely,” I say, giving her a small wave.

She turns my palm and takes the room key in her own. She presses the keyring into my hand and flashes a smile. “Kenrik will have me taking orders and should have someone else in the bathhouse.” she informs me, “Have fun!” She declares with an unshakable sense of optimism. I linger outside the room for a moment as she makes her way back out to the dining area, the shifts and clicking of the door lock replaying in my mind.

A strange excitement flutters inside my stomach as I have time to myself at work. I shift through the keyring in my hand, clinking them together as I search for the closest door down the hall. This was two doors down, and I shimmy the key into the lock. It comes open with little interference and I could see that this room only had one bed, but a large one at that. I enter, closing the door behind me after grabbing my supply basket.

Once again I find the bed sheets a crumpled mass of fabric on the mattress. I toss the pillowcases into the linen lump and make my way back down to the supply room with it in tow. I add it to the fabric before it and note that one of the laundry hampers is nearly full; it will need to be washed and hung to dry soon. I believe I’ve seen a clothesline tucked out back, though I can’t be sure. My business concluded in the storage room, for now, I grab a replacement bedspread and decide to push on to the next task.

It takes finishing up the new bedspread and getting partially through dusting before I feel confident enough to allow my mind to drift off. Snippets of today’s interactions root their way into my train of thought, and they guide themselves from there. My mind touches on my plans for later today; what I’d have for lunch, things to do in my free time, etcetera.

A sudden, fuzzy feeling splits my forehead as my mind shifts back into focus. I find myself vacantly staring at the now useless dirtied rag in my hand as I’d finished touching up the room. Looking around, the chamber was in pristine condition. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to give my own quarters the same treatment, though it might have to wait until after my shift. Gathering my cleaning supplies in their basket, I leave the room, locking it behind me and tucking the key into my apron pocket.

Fetching the keyring from my pocket, only two dull silver keys remained. Luckily, as I paced down the hall, I glanced up just in time to see the matching numbers etched in both the door and key. This is the final room down the hall, so the last will correlate to a room down from my own.

Admittedly, I’m grateful that it seems to be going faster the more I work; though I can’t shake the feeling that I’ll be drained after work tonight. I pause for a moment to stretch after feeling a growing tension in my back. I press a few cracks out from my spine, letting a breath roll out from my lips as the pressure in my body melts away.

Working through the routine I’d been shown proves effective enough until stumbling across something while sweeping. As I pulled the angled broom underneath the bed a hefty weight drags its way along the floor. I continue pulling, finding it to be a thick metal pendant now covered in a sheer layer of dust. I initially attempt to scoop it up with my finger to avoid any strange residue it may leave, but its dense, unexpected weight forces the use of my whole hand.

After a quick cleaning, it was revealed to be a curled horn of some kind, just smaller than the length of my hand. This seems familiar, but I can’t name why now. It was fixed to a blackened chain, long enough to hang much farther down my frame than intended I’m sure. A small squeeze shifts the pendant in my palm, though to my surprise in a few places. For a moment I am paralyzed, plagued with the fear that I’d just broken a guest’s pendant.

I open my trembling hand with great hesitation, my heart skipping a beat when finally assuring that it is still in one piece. Though, there is a thin, dark line around the base of the horn. Upon closer inspection, this is a small pocket dug within the necklace. That’s why this is familiar! This was usually an orc custom, many leading figures in orc clans hold important symbols of strength or value in jewelery. The horn itself being the container may be an homage to a certain deity, though I was rusty on foreign religion.

My hand lingers on the horn for a moment, curious if it is wrong to take a peek inside. I see no harm in it, and I have plans to turn it into Kenrik. Perhaps the tavern had a lost and found system with so many recurring guests. Having convinced myself, I take a look around the room before focusing my close gaze on the pendant.

Inside, I see nothing but a small white bead at the bottom of the cavity. The only option I could reason was a pearl; though some part of me clearly wanted a more concise answer. I tipped the pendant to my hand, feeling whatever the prestigious necklace held bounce into my palm. There could not have been a more instantaneous, guttural reaction as I saw a tooth roll its way between my fingertips. I force it back into the container before my body sways over to the disposal bin. There I spent a quick break dry heaving to steady my nerves.

I suppose this serves as a good reason not to be curious; though it was only the latest in a long line of things that should have taught me before this point in my life. I wipe a bead of sweat off my brow and retrieve the necklace I’d tossed onto the bed in a rush. With the strange memento safe, I keep it tucked away in my apron pocket.

Beyond this, the room is easy to finish cleaning, with no other hiccups in the process. After locking up, I slide one more key into my apron pocket. One room left. The last is actually the room beside mine, so until the next guest fills it, I’ll have guaranteed quiet nights.

Walking into my neighboring room was an odd experience since their layouts were identical, yet there were subtle enough differences in furniture and decor for it to be strangely unsettling. The curtains are just slightly lighter, the wardrobe carved from different wood, and the bedding barely too thick. All these things and more I noticed as I scrubbed, swept, and sterilized the space.

Dragging my fourth hefty load of sheets to the storage room, I finally topped off the large linen bin. Once I am done cleaning this last room, I’ll be doing the laundry from my entire shift thus far. I knew this, and while not an unbearable thought, still caused my stomach to tie in knots. Knowing I only needed a break, it was even more exhausting with how much I hate asking Kenrik for time to myself.

I head back to the quarters now only down the hall from the storage room, having little to do before my inevitable trip back for laundry. This made work a bit more discouraging with the tedious aspects now dominating many of its redeeming qualities but I push through regardless. Finally, I can lock up the last room, and I slide the remaining key into my pocket with the empty keyring. I head back to Kenrik; passing over practically everything in my pockets from keys to necklaces. He thanks me for my work and returns his focus to patrons at the bar.

I begin my trek back to the storage room, debating if I could take a few minutes to sit and decompress alone. While not exactly spacious, it at least offers a cozy, dim setting. Once you’re over the permanent, faint smell of dust, anyway. I take a seat on a stool I’d set up moments prior. My folded arms settle over my knees, and my breathing slows as I try to relax.

This doesn’t last long, however. Soon a ray of light shines over half my face accompanied by the creaking door. It was Hidorah. I watch his eyes scan the room for a few moments before locking onto my frame sitting hunched behind various containers and supplies. He moves a couple of brooms and mops in front of me over against the wall, as well as kicks away a large box obscuring his view of me.

“Hey, ready for lunch? I already made yours so you better be,” He laughs, not offering any other option. Not that I minded; I was hungry and a bit drained. “Absolutely, thank you,” I tell him. He juts his hand out to me, refusing to make eye contact as he offered me help up. I take it, with Hidorah doing most of the work as he unexpectedly pulls me toward him. I stumble, with our shoulders colliding before I regain my footing. We dust ourselves off and I follow close behind him until we reach the bar.

Hidorah takes a seat and gestures to a stool between him and Marietta, though I delay; instead focusing on pouring drinks. I gather each of their requests and slide their glasses across the bar. I sit down between my coworkers with a plate ready for me on the countertop. I’d poured myself a tall drink of water, half of which I’d already drank to quench my thirst.

“So, how’s housekeeping been?” Marietta asks before taking a bite of her food.

“Well, it-” I am cut off by an abrupt crash from behind us. All of us spin our stools to see what the commotion is. Initially, I see nothing suspicious in the dining hall. I glance around the room, following all the patrons' eyes in the same general direction. Everyone seemed to be fixated on a door a couple down from my own; most likely awaiting another sound just as I am. Even Kenrik took a moment to stop what he was doing to survey the door.

A few people in the crowd dismiss it, returning back to their meals or chatting with companions after a while of silence. I keep my focus on the door for longer than most, but my patience rewards me. Another sound erupts from beyond the door, and something clatters to the ground inside.

Kenrik and Hidorah exchange a look with one another and without any words spoken Hidorah heads behind the bar. I see him walk off in the direction of the room with something clutched behind his back.

I turn to Marietta, “What’s going on?” I ask.

“I’m not sure yet, we’ll just have to see,” she tells me.

I throw my hands up, unsure how else to express my immense confusion. I look to Kenrik for answers, though he only offers a shrug. My attention is drawn over to Hidorah as he rapped on the door with a long, blunt rod. After a moment the door opens a crack, though I can’t see anything past Hidorah. The door is slammed shut, with Hidorah now needing to force his body weight against the door to get it open.

Within a mere moment, Hidorah had slipped inside the door and was now in a room with an agitated guest at best. My stomach tightens as fear roots its way deep into my gut. I await any hints as to what may be transpiring within the room, desperate to ensure my friend’s safety. I turn to Marietta, only thinly vailing my worry, I’m sure.

“He’ll be okay, I’m sure of it,” she tells me. Her attempts to soothe me were at least somewhat effective, I’ll admit. She knew him better than I did and maybe was more familiar with this situation. Still, I wait with bated breath.

After taking a couple of sips of my water and my eyes still locked onto the door, Hidorah returns. The door was thrown open, with Hidorah exiting the patron’s quarters backward. He turns to reveal a man in his grasp. Hidorah had the guest’s arms locked behind his own back, and was making great strides to the tavern exit.

The man’s face is drenched in sweat as he still fights to escape, though his efforts are easily staved off by Hidorah. The man appeared completely exhausted; his chest heaving and his face crimson. As a final attempt, he kicks his legs out from beneath him, forcing Hidorah to drag him out. Hidorah returns to the tavern dusting his hands off and once again meeting us at the bar.

“What was all that?” I ask, trying to shake some answers from Hidorah. He shoots me a glance as he passes the weapon back to Kenrik. Everyone around me exchanges a look, saying nothing. Hidorah’s eyes lock with mine as he digs around in one of his pockets. He fishes something out, concealing it in his palm before sliding a small mesh pouch across the counter.

I reach for the bag, wondering if it could hold any answers to what occurred. Before I can secure it, Kenrik takes it for himself offering only a “Hold on,”. He pulls out a few minuscule oval objects that sit flat on the countertop. They are mostly white with splotches of various colors spaced out.

“Flower petals?” I ask, wondering how this could tie into the patron’s fit at all.

“Not exactly,” Kenrik alludes.

“So…?” I say, at a loss for words.

Kenrik drags a hand down his face and lets out a sigh, apparently not ecstatic to explain what is going on. Hidorah gestures to me and opens his mouth to speak. For a moment, I foolishly believed I would get a clear answer; though a wrinkled, sunspotted hand is clasped over his mouth in an instant. Kenrik whips his hand back, frantically wiping it down his clothes with an, “Ugh,” rolling out of his mouth.

“He licked my hand,” he says, his disgust apparent. “Alright, well. I’d rather explain than Hidorah,” Kenrik says.

Hidorah suppresses a laugh and there is silence for a moment. “These are flower petals, but they’re dangerous in certain situations,” he calmly explains.

“They have medicinal properties in small amounts, but anything beyond that…” Marietta chimes in.

“Then it has adverse effects on people; fits of anger, erratic movement, lots of different things,” Kenrik sighs. “I can’t have people like that in the tavern, it’s a hazard to everyone here,”

“I see…” I breathe. Not wanting to press much further, I push the conversation to its end. “He won’t be any trouble anymore, right?”

“Oh, no. After a while their head clears and they usually apologize. Hard to tell what’s an accident and what’s not until they get caught a few times,” He explains.

“Then I assume you ban them from the tavern?” I say.

“Absolutely right,” he tells me.

I glance back at my friends, who had finished most of their meals. I look down at my plate, which had barely been picked off of. Despite my attempt to finish my food, the majority of my appetite has been suppressed. With my glass and plate scrubbed clean, I return to work after saying goodbye to both Marietta and Hidorah.

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