#I'd be like “yeah i stabbed him but you should have HEARD what he said to me.”

[unattainablesillygoose]

A detective who also beheads furry's

[miley1442111]

safe- a.hotchner

a/n: i imagined a fem reader but as per usual, imagine what you like :)

you and aaron have jack (obvi) and a daughter, ellie. :) (1.4k + words)

summary: you become an unsubs target

pairing: husband/dad aaron hotchner x wife/mother reader

warnings: general cm minds topics, knives, stitches, head wounds, trauma talk of harm coming to the team, the reader is harmed, etc.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

There you stood, your own blood as well as another's blood all over your body. 

What happened? 

You were just leaving work, you were going to pick up Jack and Ellie on your way home. It was taco night, you three would cook together tonight, though since Aaron was on a case a few states over, you would be the only ones doing it. So, how did that exact same unsub get to you?

You sat in the ambulance, stitches going into your skin, but you weren’t even flinching, you didn’t even feel it. You knew Jack and Ellie were expecting you, so was Jessica. 

“Can I make a phone call?” You whispered to the paramedic. She nodded her head, sympathy on her face. “Thank you.”

You pulled out your phone as she finished the stitches in your head, moving onto the ones in your arms. 

“Hey Jess,” You sighed into the phone. 

“Hey, is everything alright?” she asked. “Do you want me to take Jack and Ellie for the night?” 

You could honestly cry at her generosity. “Yes please, thank you so much Jess.”

“No problem,” she smiled, worried from the other line. “Are you hurt?” she whispered. 

“I’ll be ok, someone just… yeah,’ you sighed. “Tell Jack and Ellie I love them, yeah?”

“Always.”

You hung up. The paramedic finished up and the officer who had been sitting with you for the past few minutes escorted you to a squad car and brought you to the station, informing you that the FBI were on their way. The FBI, really? Surely it wasn’t Aaron, right?

God, you missed Aaron. You’d never wanted to see him more in your life. Just to know he was ok, that he was there. 

Such luxuries could not be afforded at that current moment. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aaron sat beside David on the plane, exhaustion pulling at his eyes as Spencer read out the latest attack. 

“Oh, apparently there was one survivor,” Spencer said. “That might be his next target.”

“We should look into them, what’s the name?” David asked as Aaron yawned. 

“Y/n Y/l/n, she has a son, daughter, and husband,” Spencer said, and Aaron was wide-awake again. 

“Pardon?” He asked, hoping he’d heard wrong. 

“Y/n Y/l/n. She was beaten pretty badly and had a head wound and a stab to the arm, she’s at the station now. SHe agreed to a cognitive interview. She’s a professor of nuclear physics at a university nearby-” Spencer reads off. 

“She has more pHds than boy genius, 5 and counting,” Penelope interrupts him from the screen. 

“Well, she is older than me,” he stressed, attempting to keep some of his pride. 

“By what, 4 years?” Emily snorted, the rest of the team laughed, but Aaron was frozen. 

A head wound? You got stabbed? He felt faint. Immediately, he reached into his pocket to grab his phone, trying to call you. 

You didn’t pick up.

He tried again as the team stared at him in bewilderment. What was he doing?

No answer again.

“Sir-”

“I want a profile before we leave this plane,” he ordered and the team all stared at him. “Is that too much for you?” He asked snarkily. They all shook their heads and began breaking off into groups to work. Aaron stayed seated, a million thoughts running through his head at once. Was Jack ok? Was Ellie ok? How much blood did you lose? Was the unsub already on his way to you again? Were you a target because of him?

“Hotch I think we have something,” Morgan stated after 30 minutes. “The unsub is targeting women with the same description as the survivor. I'd say he’s a college student who is jealous of her husband. He’s formed a parasocial relationship and obsession with her and his delusions have led him to hurt those closest to her. It makes sense she’s beautiful, described as being extremely kind and caring about her students, she’s ridiculously intelligent, and apparently she and her husband are madly in love with each other. What’s her husband’s name Pen?” Derek asked, looking at the computer. 

“Aaron Hotchner,” she said, a gasp following her words. Aaron looked up, meeting the eyes of the team as they stared back, shocked. 

He could deal with them later. 

“Send police to Jessica's house,” he ordered before he got up to go to the back of the plane for a moment of peace. He took out his phone, dialling Jessica’s number.

“Hey, is Y/n ok?” She asked. “I have Jack and Ellie right now, are you with her?”

“Not yet, I’ve sent police to your house, just as extra protection, ok?”

“Alright Aaron. Take care of her when you see her, she seemed pretty shaken.”

“Course,” he gritted out and hung up. This was going to be difficult. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You sat in an office, a cop’s jacket strung over your shaking shoulders. You were still covered in blood, you still saw the horrible image of one of your students being killed in front of you.

Where was Aaron? 

 “Can I go and clean up?” You sniffled, asking the sheriff who was sitting at his desk beside you. 

“Course sweetheart,” she smiled softly. “There’s a bathroom down the hall, if you want a shower there’s one in the training centre.”

“Thank you,” you whispered, feeling smaller than you ever had. You were told to be careful with your stitches and that you’d be brought into the hospital in the morning once all of the stuff with the station was over. You walked down the hall to the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror, staring at your bloodstained face and clothes. The tears started falling, going down the drain with a red-tinge. 

You grabbed some tissue, wet it, and started scrubbing your face. The ache of your body was nothing to the turmoil in your head. Was it your fault one of your students was killed? Was Jack ok? Was Ellie ok? Was Aaron ok? 

You didn’t even notice him coming behind you until he took the tissue out of your hand. He discarded it, damped the towel from his go-bag in his hand, lightly washing your face. Tears fell freely as he did so, but he wiped them away, a comforting hand on your lower back as you wrapped your arms around his neck. 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to your clean cheek. He continued his gentle cleaning, bringing it down to your neck.

“I’m sorry too.” 

He smiled softly. “You don’t have to apologise for anything.”

“Neither do you, but we do it anyway.”

His emotions became too much all of a sudden, the feeling of nearly losing you becoming unthinkable. 

“I love you so much,” he whispered.  

“I love you too.”

After Aaron sufficiently cleaned as much of the blood off of you as he could, he took your blood-stained shirt off and replaced it with one of his extra dress shirts. Walking outside the bathroom, you felt eyes on the both of you. You recognised some of the team from stories and photos Aaron had shown you. They stared as Aaron wrapped you into his side and walked you back into the sheriff’s office. 

“I want the kids,” you admitted. “I know we shouldn’t but I’m so worried that they're not ok,” you cried into his bicep as he sat beside you. 

“I’ll send one of the team to grab them and Jess,” he nodded.

“Please don’t leave,” you whimpered, holding onto him for dear life. You needed him. 

“Of course not, honey,” he soothed. He signalled for Derek to come in. He walked in, careful of your feelings. “Will you go to Jessica’s house and pick up Jessica, Jack, and Ellie?”

“Of course sir, but… who’s Ellie?” he whispered the last part. 

“My daughter,” Aaron said and Derek went wide-eyed.

“I’ll be right back with them,” he promised. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Darling, do you feel up to telling me about it? Or even just something?" he whispered against your skin.

"I know who did it," you whispered back. You felt such guilt. You knew the unsub, he was one of your students Andrew. Andrew was obsessed with you, with your life, but you just took it as a student being interested in your life to get out of work. You didn't pay enough care to the way his interest dampened when you spoke about Aaron and when you talked about your anniversaries or dates.

"Honey-"

"His name's Andrew. He's in my chemical sciences class."

Aaron was silent for a moment. "Alright. I'll send officers his way."

"I'm so stupid, I didn't even realise-" you started but Aaron shushed you with a gentle kiss.

"Don't talk about my wife like that," he joked. You chuckled softly and he felt a sense of great accomplishment.

"I'm so glad you're here," you sighed into his neck.

"I'm so glad I'm here too."

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're married?" Derek asked.

"Yes," Aaron admitted as he ran a hand through your hair as you lay on his lap asleep, Ellie and Jack playing by the sheriff's desk.

`'And you have another child," Penelope said, shock apparent in her voice and facial expression.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Spencer asked.

"I wanted to keep her safe," Aaron smiled. "I also just assumed you'd figure it out. Clearly you're not all as good as you think you are," he chuckled.

The team collectively rolled their eyes, but still smiled. Aaron was happy, you were safe, another unsub was awaiting jail, and they could almost feel the love radiating off of Aaron.

All was well.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

criminal minds masterlist :)

navigation for my blog :)

[riririnnnn]

I have this foreboding feeling that while we are prepared for Sae's and Shidou's backstory, Nagi's backstory is going to sneak from behind and punch us in the gut.

No, I don't think it's going to be straight up depression like Kaiser's, but I do think that it'll hit close to home.

You see, Nagi got Laissez-faire parents which means they never really interfered with his life. Like, these type of parents—as I have read on some websites—will basically set their child free and let them do whatever they want with no or very few rules/restrictions. They will not tell you, "Oh! You should do this!" or "Oh! You shouldn't do this!" They will simply let you figure out your life all by yourself.

I'm not an expert on this and I'm not calling this type of parenting bad in any way. Every child is different with different needs, and I'm sure there are many who grew up in this kinda family and liked this parenting method. However, I do think that Nagi didn't like it that much, and I got two reasons to think this way:

1. "That's nice."

When Reo said that his family constantly meddles in his life, Nagi's immediate reaction was, "That's nice" instead of being surprised or disgruntled. If Nagi really liked his parents NOT meddling in his life, then he should've said something like, "Really!? Sucks to be you, Reo. I can't imagine living a life like that!"

You getting me?

Also, we all know how Nagi is—he definitely feels that telling someone to do or not to do something is a hassle, so he, probably, feels that if someone is doing all this for you, then you are important for them.

And before any one says, no, I don't think Nagi was tying up his tongue thinking, "They are his parents. They wouldn't want anything bad for their own child, right? I shouldn't say anything against them and should say good things about them just to be safe." I don't think he has this kind of filter in him.

2. "Don't die ."

So, why would you not want someone to die? Of course, because you care for them and want them to be with you.

"Want"

That's really what I'm tryna highlight.

It's a pretty common knowledge that some children are just naturally more independent while others are a bit more dependent and seek guidance from the elders. Considering Nagi's first reaction to knowing about Reo's parents' meddling, I think that Kiddo!Nagi falls into the latter category—someone who likes to be guided and helped by the adults. Now, place Kiddo!Nagi with his Laissez-faire parents... You are getting where I'm going with this one?

That's why I think that Kiddo!Nagi, probably, thought that his parents didn't love him/care for him. And what happens if someone doesn't love you or care for you? Yeah, they don't care if you die which, somewhat, explains why Older!Nagi was happy to hear, "Don't die [before us (probably)]" from his parents.

I have already talked about his potential backstory before too, so it was actually when I heard he had longer bangs as a child that made my head turn to him again—something felt odd.

I understand that having long bangs is not a big deal—Niko's bangs literally cover his eyes, but having it as a kid is way different, y'know. Once you are like 12-13, you somewhat become capable of doing your own hair and clothes by yourself, so you can manage whatever aesthetics you prefer. However, for a kid younger than that, it's the parents' responsibility to look after his/her hair and clothes, and we all know that long bangs are quite bothersome—blocks our vision, sometimes stabs the eyes, and even irritatingly itches the nose.

All in all, till his backstory drops, I'd firmly believe that he was, though unintentionally, a neglected kid—at least, emotionally.

Now I can't get this image out of my head where Kiddo!Nagi is longingly staring at other kids in a park where everyone is learning things like riding a bicycle or maybe playing baseball and stuff with their parents while he is just.. there, probably, all alone.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Galileo Galilei Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Spoilers ahead. Not proofread. Rush translation.

Mitsuki: "I have so many things I want to ask you and talk about."

Through my blurring tears, his profile looked pale, and the hand I brushed against my cheek felt cold.

At that moment, as I fervently wished for his awakening, his fingertips moved slightly.

Mitsuki: "Galileo!!"

His eyelids slowly opened, revealing his amethyst eyes.

His gaze wandered for a while, then he tilted his head and looked at me.

Galileo: "You..."

Mitsuki: "You've regained consciousness! Thank goodness, I'm so glad."

Feelings that cannot be put into words well up from the depths of my chest, overflowing as tears.

His cold fingers brushed against my cheek, awkwardly wiping away my tears.

Later, after some time had passed,

Sailor: "Hey, Drake! You should be doing the new guy's job."

Drake: "Aye, aye, sir!"

Drake: "But first, let me finish this drink."

Sailor: "Hey, that's my wine!"

Drake laughed as he deftly avoided the sailor who tried to take back the bottle.

Drake: "Haha! Never let your guard down. There's nothing Captain Drake can't steal!"

Sailor: "Who said you're a captain? You're just named after some big shot in the English Navy."

Sailor: "By the way, are you from England?"

Drake: "No, I'm from France now."

The sailor tilted his head in confusion as Drake laughed softly and turned his gaze to the open sea.

The horizon stretched out endlessly, with no land in sight, but he thought of the place where his comrade and Mitsuki were.

Drake: "For someone like me who never had a place to call home, it's strange to think I now have a land to return to."

Drake: "Maybe after I sail around the world, I'll show my face there again."

With those words, Drake raised the wine bottle towards the sea.

One day, sometime after Galileo awoke, I visited the mansion.

Mitsuki: "Wow, this bread smells delicious! Thank you."

Sebastian: "I'm glad you like it."

The warmth of the freshly baked bread brought an involuntary smile to my face.

Though I still resided in the hideout, I would occasionally visit everyone.

Napoleon: "How's Galileo doing?"

Mitsuki: "His health seems to be improving a lot. He can even get up and go for walks now."

Even after narrowly escaping death, his body was still being ravaged by the founder's miasma.

But ever since he woke up, he's shown signs of a steady recovery.

Napoleon: "I see. I was worried, but I guess this is a miracle."

Mitsuki: "Yeah."

(It's a miracle Galileo himself created.)

(His strong will, even at the cost of his own life, must have led to this fate.)

I was just letting Napoleon and Sebastian know I'd drop by again when I heard some quick footsteps approaching.

Isaac: "Mitsuki, wait."

Mitsuki: "Isaac?"

Isaac came up to me, fiddling with his hair as he spoke.

Isaac: "I don't know what that guy plans to do next, and this is just my wish, but..."

Isaac: "Please tell Professor Maury we're waiting for his return."

Mitsuki: "----!"

Napoleon: "A school where Newton and Galileo teach? That would be a competition of wisdom."

Sebastian: "I feel like attending university myself."

Isaac: "Don't tease me. That's all I wanted to say. See you."

Mitsuki: "Thanks, Isaac! I'll be sure to let him know."

(I hope Galileo and everyone can build a new relationship.)

With such hopes, I couldn't help but feel excited.

I found myself lost in thought after leaving the mansion and walking down the main street.

(As Isaac said, what will we do now?)

What came to mind was the moment Galileo woke up.

------------Flashback-----------

Galileo: "Did I survive?"

Galileo: "Even though I was ravaged by the miasma and stabbed by Drake's knife?"

He gazed at his palm in wonder, as if he couldn't believe he was still alive.

Mitsuki: "Everyone at the mansion and the old castle did everything they could to help you."

Mitsuki: "And Comte said that perhaps it was because you were a dhampir that you were saved."

Both the miasma and the knife are dangerous for vampires, but Comte suggested that perhaps Galileo's human side helped save his life.

(Although the truth is unknown, as long as Galileo is alive, that's what matters.)

But...

Galileo: "After trying to destroy the world and being rejected by it, did I survive again?"

I took his hand in mine as he muttered self-deprecatingly.

Mitsuki: "Galileo, let me tell you again."

Mitsuki: "I love you."

Galileo: "........."

Mitsuki: "Even if the world rejects you, I will continue to seek you."

(I want to accept every part of you.)

Mitsuki: "I'm not asking you to respond to my feelings. I just want you to stay alive."

Galileo: ".........."

---------Flashback Ends--------

(He didn't say anything back then.)

I wanted to stay by his side and support him to make him happy.

(But what are Galileo's thoughts on the future?)

When I returned to the hideout, Galileo was by the window, gazing outside. He turned to face me as I entered.

Mitsuki: "I'm back. Look, Sebastian gave me some bread."

Galileo: "Mitsuki."

His rich, low voice called my name, and his eyes captured me.

Galileo: "I want to talk with you for a bit."

He led me to the garden.

The sunlight streaming down made the pure white flowers shine.

He knelt and gently caressed the petals of the red flowers.

Galileo: "Looking at this red flower brings back the sorrow of the dhampirs I've seen. Their pain still lingers in my mind."

Mitsuki: "Yeah."

Though I haven't dreamed of dhampirs recently, seeing the white flowers stained with the color of blood still hurts my heart.

Galileo: "I wanted to save them. I wanted to do something for the friends and family I lost."

Galileo: "In the end, that wish didn't come true."

Galileo: "I thought that if I ended this world entirely, all the sorrow would disappear."

Galileo: "Carrying everyone's regrets and achieving destruction had become my reason for living."

He spoke as if reflecting on his past, then turned his gaze towards me.

Galileo: "But some time after I woke up, I saw a certain scene."

(A certain scene?)

What Galileo mentioned was an interaction I had with Miguel a few days ago.

------------Flashback-----------

Miguel: "Big sis!"

On the day I was visiting Mireia's grave, I ran into Miguel.

He is currently living with a pureblood couple, thanks to Comte's arrangements.

Mitsuki: "Miguel, it's been a while. Huh?"

Puppy: "Woof, woof!"

I widened my eyes in surprise as I recognized the brown puppy he was with.

Mitsuki: "This puppy..."

Miguel: "I found him a little while ago. He was wandering alone in the city, and I couldn't just leave him."

Miguel: "I brought him today to meet Mireia. His fur is chestnut-colored, just like her hair."

This puppy was the same one Sidereus had protected and whose injuries I had treated.

When I told him this, his blue eyes also widened in surprise.

Miguel: "Really? That's amazing! Both this puppy and I were helped by everyone."

Mitsuki: "Yeah. It's like a miracle that such small events connect in this way. It feels like a fortunate coincidence."

(No, this might be what we call destiny.)

Even if what we can do at the moment seems trivial, it eventually leads to new happiness.

It would surely help heal suffering and sorrow little by little.

Mitsuki: "Miguel, if it's okay, could you take this?"

Miguel: "What is it? Wow, a bird made of paper."

Mitsuki: "It's an origami crane. I folded it, thinking of Mireia before coming to the grave. Normally, you would fold a thousand of them."

Mitsuki: "In my hometown, we fold them with wishes or to remember those who have passed. It can also be a symbol of peace."

I imbued it with a wish that no more sorrowful events would occur.

Miguel: "A symbol of peace."

He placed the origami crane with its wings spread on his palm and smiled gently.

Miguel: "Thank you, big sister. I'm sure Mireia will be happy, too."

Mitsuki: "I hope so."

---------Flashback Ends--------

(Galileo was there at that moment.)

Galileo: "Watching your interaction with the boy reminded me of my past conversations with my father."

Galileo: "As you said, the root of my desire was not destruction."

Galileo: "The hatred within me hasn't disappeared."

Galileo: "Humans and vampires alike are foolish, and the endless conflicts in this world will still fill me with indescribable anger. But..."

Galileo lifted his head and looked directly at me.

Galileo: "Will you stay by my side?"

(.......)

Galileo: "You're the reason I'm alive."

Galileo: "Even if anger and hatred drive me again, with you by my side, I will surely remember my dreams."

Galileo: "Only you can lead me to my true desires."

His touch was as cold as always, but his eyes were filled with warmth, like when he gazed at the stars.

(His eyes are seeking me.)

Galileo: "I know it's selfish of me to ask you this after hurting you, and I know that my hatred and regrets still remain in my heart. But still, you need to choose. Will you stay with me or let go of this hand?"

I could feel his sincerity and earnestness as he revealed his innermost feelings. I grasped his hand firmly.

Mitsuki: "The answer is clear."

Mitsuki: "I already said I would continue to seek you out."

Why are tears welling up in my eyes?

Receiving his feelings, I spoke with a voice trembling with joy.

Mitsuki: "Galileo, I love you."

Mitsuki: "Please let me stay by your side. No matter what happens, don't let go of this hand."

Galileo: "Mitsuki."

He stood up, his expression softening gently.

Galileo: "I love you, Mitsuki."

Galileo: "I won't let you go. My love for you is true."

As if to confirm our feelings, we gently kissed, surrounded by the beautifully sorrowful and ephemeral white flowers.

Mitsuki: "What are you going to do now?"

I asked while snuggling close to him on the bed.

He hesitated slightly before speaking.

Galileo: "I can only live by seeking the truth. I plan to return to being a university professor and pursue academic studies as I did before."

Galileo: "Also, Drake will return to this place."

Mitsuki: "You're right. Hehe, Isaac will be happy."

He softened his expression, but he let out a faint sigh.

Galileo: "But I might fall into despair again, and my heart could be trapped by distorted desires once more."

Mitsuki: "When that time comes, I will accept it. All your anger, hatred, and sorrow."

Galileo: "Mitsuki."

Galileo: "Thank you."

Galileo: "This time, I hope I can remember the true wish you made me realize."

Galileo: "I hope our journey from here can become a bridge between the human and vampire worlds."

Mitsuki: "I'm sure it will."

(You’re neither a heretic nor someone to be persecuted.)

(You’re simply a person who earnestly wishes for peace. That is who you really are.)

Suddenly, Galileo leaned his head on my shoulder.

His gesture felt like he was seeking comfort, and it made my heart race.

Galileo: "What about you? What will you do?"

Mitsuki: "What will I do?"

Galileo: "Yeah. I have no intention of letting you go, but..."

Galileo: "With the door, you can return to your original world—the country and time you were born and raised in."

(So there's a way for me to go back.)

Though I realized this when he mentioned it, my resolve didn't waver.

Mitsuki: "My place is already by your side."

Galileo: "........."

Mitsuki: "I can't imagine living in a world without you."

Mitsuki: "I'll be with you forever."

Galileo: "Forever, huh?"

Galileo: "It's like an eternal vow."

He placed his hand on my cheek and looked into my eyes.

As I was mesmerized by his happy smile, he gently stole a kiss.

Mitsuki: "Nn..."

He repeatedly showered me with kisses and touched the scar on my forehead. 

Mitsuki: "Ah, that's right. There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

Galileo: "What is it?"

Mitsuki: "When did you realize I was the child you saved from the accident long ago?"

Galileo: "That? I realized it the day you had a fever."

Galileo: "The story you told me about your lifesaver and the scar on your forehead matched my memory."

With a nostalgic, gentle smile, he began to speak as if unraveling memories from long ago.

Galileo: "Among the friends, family, and dhampirs I couldn't save, you were the one I could finally rescue."

Galileo: "That was a small light for the powerless me."

Galileo: "Even though I lived in despair and was consumed by destruction, somewhere in my heart, that light remained."

Galileo: "Until it led me to this moment."

(The past connects to the present.)

Whether this encounter was a destined fate or a series of coincidences and choices we've made, I don't know.

(But now, you're alive before me.)

(This joy and this truth are everything.)

Once again, we leaned toward each other, sharing yet another kiss.

As he undid the buttons on my blouse, Galileo also loosened his collar.

The cold touch of his fingers gradually warmed, making my heart race.

Galileo: "Haaa, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki: "Nnn. It's strange to think that I would meet the person who saved me back then again like this."

Mitsuki: "Actually, you were my first love."

Galileo: "Your first love? Even though you had forgotten my face?"

Mitsuki: "Don't mention that, please."

He let out a small laugh and lifted me onto his lap.

Galileo: "Then, make sure you never forget what happens from now on."

Galileo: "Just as you sought me out, I will seek you."

His beautiful, amethyst eyes looked up at me, drawing me in.

(Beautiful.)

I wanted to keep looking at him forever. I wanted him to look at me forever.

Mitsuki: "Please seek me, Galileo. Let me take in everything about you."

(And let me wrap you in my love.)

Galileo: "I love you, Mitsuki."

Galileo: "Even if the world rejects me, your love will keep me alive."

Galileo: "Like the stars that revolve, this love is eternal."

Like the moon and the sun, which revolve and transcend time, we have met again.

Embracing all the sorrows and the newfound affection, I will always see the true you.

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Romantic End

[pupmurdock]

"You don't care about me."

The words echoed straight into Matt's core, they stunned him worse than any punch or stab or even bullet wound. You really thought he didn't care about you?

"What?" Matt questioned, his eyebrows furrowing and his arms raising a bit in complete confusion.

"You heard me." You muttered, the tears had long since dried on your cheeks, you'd started crying once you knew 'DareDevil' was far away enough to not hear you. You cried through most of his patrol before eventually he came back.

Matt had smelled the salt from your tears before he even entered the apartment. He came in to you curled up in the bed, staring blankly at the wall.

"Sweetheart, what do you mean I don't care about you?" Matt asked, confusion across his face. "This is the first night i've been on patrol this week. You wanted me to find balance between you and Daredevil-ing." Matt's confused words only seemed to hurt you more.

"It's not about Daredevil-ing. You're so passionate about everything in your life. I wake you up for work, I do the chores, I ask you 'how was work' and sit through your long detailed stories, I ask you questions, I make dinner for you and I open my legs for you and I get what? 'The city needs me'. And even when the city doesn't need you... when I get you to sit and watch a movie with me, you're uninterested!" You started to rant.

You never really had a problem with Matt being Daredevil other than the obvious concern for his safety, but this wasn't about whether or not Matt should be Daredevil, this was about the fact he was passionate about law, passionate about Daredevil, but he wasn't passionate about you.

"Honey, where is this coming from? We just watched a movie the other night." Matt said and pulled his billy club from its holster, setting it on the bed as he then pulled off his Daredevil gloves.

"Yeah, one that you chose, that I kept trying to understand but you kept shushing me and telling me to stop talking or i'd miss it. And tonight I had planned a romantic dessert for you but you left in such a rush after dinner... I just ate it alone." You muttered and pulled the blanket tighter to your body as Matt tried to lean down towards you.

"You made dessert? What did you make?" Matt tilted his head a bit, not having picked up on any sweetness in the apartment, the scent practically covered by the smell of your tears, which were a bit more concerning to him than dessert.

"The dessert is the only part you care about?" You said and turned to look at him in actual shock, because that was not your point of the conversation. "It was a little fruit plate and some of that sweet yogurt dip and some melted chocolate." You muttered and rolled your eyes.

Matt let out a sigh as you were obviously pissed at him. "Honey.... sweetheart..." Matt started and he noticed you weren't explaining anything more, not even willing to look at him. "Angel, look at me." Matt spoke, his hand coming up to grab your chin and pull your head to face him. The both of you know Matt only called you Angel when he was doming you, usually when you were being a brat, but right now it simply commanded your attention.

You looked up at him angrily. "You don't get to call me Angel right now. You don't care about me enough to call me that." You sassed Matt back, and sassily pulled the blankets over your body.

Matt let out a sigh, suddenly realizing what he needed to do. "Angel... I do care about you. and I will admit my mind has been on Daredevil and taking down Fisk, or on my cases, but you are the reason I do all of these things. I want you to be safe." Matt tried to explain and it seemed like tears were welling in your eyes again.

"But even when you're with me your mind is always thinking about them, not me-" You started to speak, your voice obviously shaking, but Matt furrowed his eyebrows and stared at you, signaling you to stop so he could explain himself.

"Listen to me. I'm always thinking about you. Always. Don't you think for a second that I don't. I think about you all day and all night." Matt explained and sat beside you on the bed, his suit squeaking a bit as he sat in the small space your curled body allowed him on the edge of the bed. He reached his hand out, pausing just before touching you so you had the opportunity to tell him to not touch you.

Admittedly, all you wanted was his reassurance, you wanted him to touch you. When you didn't stop him, Matt's hand moved to your hair, running his fingers over the side of your head and pressing his palm against your cheek. His thumb gently rubbed the tear tracks on your cheeks. "Angel, you want some attention?" He asked you softly, his voice exponentially calmer and quieter, the way you'd speak to a scared animal. You nodded a little against his palm. "Cm'here." he said and reached his arms down, wrapping them around you and pulling you to sit up and hug him properly.

"Now tell me what's the real problem here. What does this boil down to?" He asked you quietly, his body still remaining in the hug. You wiped your tears as you laid your cheek on his shoulder.

"You didn't ask me about my day at all this week. And when we watched the movie last night you sounded annoyed when I asked you questions." You mumbled quietly, your tears subsiding a little as Matt's hands gently rubbed against your back.

"I'm sorry, Honey. I didn't realize that I'd forgot to ask about your day and that's entirely my fault, i apologize. And I promise you I wasn't annoyed with you yesterday, and I apologize that I came across that way with my tone." Matt said carefully, carefully listening to your heart beat, listening as you calmed down. You quietly sniffled as you could feel your tears subsiding. "How about I get us a bowl of ice cream from the freezer? We can have dessert together, then we can cuddle up. And you can choose the movie tomorrow night." Matt offered and you nodded a little, now feeling a bit silly that you'd been so upset.

"I'm sorry I got so upset." You mumbled and tried to pull away from the hug, and he let you but only enough so you could be face to face.

"Don't apologize, angel. I'm sorry you were sitting here and crying all night because of me." Matt said and gently moved one of his hands to your chin, gently rubbing his thumb along your jaw.

"Can I have a kiss?"

"Of course."

[seoliee]

Driving Fear Into Your Heart

Word Count: 2.7k words

Pairing: X x Reader

TW: Cursing, Kidnapping, Stabbing, Yandere Tendencies (Pls read smth else if not comfortable)

A/N: I said this was inspired by X's halloween theme skin, but idk this maybe how I perceived it instead? Anyhow, lemme know y'all thoughts <3

In a dark and hollow forest somewhere near the city. Where only fragments of moonlight shone through the small crevices of the tall trees branches and its leaves. It was eerily silent, until swaying locks of hair pass through the bushes in a haste.

A girl ran barefooted, cracking sounds of dried leaves filled her hearing, leaving a trail behind. Her complexion was pale, fear stricken and distressed. Her body felt sore and drained, it was only sheer adrenaline that made her push through.

Her feet were starting to hurt, forming small cuts and bruises on the sole. She has to stop running at some point, but she can't. Not when she's running for her life.

~*4 days ago*~

She was in the cafeteria, sitting along with her friend at their usual booth and chatting about ramdom stuff. Just like the usual. She was attentively listening when her childhood friend X, came into view along with his own fair share of group.

She found herself falling out of the conversation and instead decided to watch him from a distance. Only did her friend's voice broke her out of the trance with a small nudge.

"Don't stare at him too much or he'll melt." Her friend says teasingly, chuckling at her obvious crush at the lab nerd.

"I-I wasn't staring!" She quickly rebukes her claim, though her blood red cheeks and ear were contradicting it.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyway.." Her friend's tone suddenly became serious, which made her get a bit confused as her friend seldom becomes serious during their conversations. "Have you heard about the kidnappings that's happening near the university recently?"

She shakes her head. She's been too absorbed on finishing her research paper these past few days that she blocked out any kind of gossips or news that would distract her from concentrating. She even went as far as to cancel all her plans of hanging out with X.

"There were a total of three missing cases reported and all of them were  students of different universities near our campus."

"The authorities haven't gotten a single clue whether it's a solo or a group operation. Either way, the kidnappers are still out there so do be careful."

Her warning sent a chill down her spine, terrified that such happenings were happening near them. Those poor students, she hopes that they were at least safe and alive.

She sent her friend a reassuring smile, squeezing her hand in a comforting way. "Don't worry. I always walk home with X anyway. You should be careful too."

"Oh, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm going on a date with y'know who later..." Her friend managed to light up the mood immediately by redirecting into another topic that she knew, she would interested in.

"What?? Since when? Tell me the fucking details!" She exclaims hysterically, practically slapping her hands down on the table earning a few strange looks from the people around them. She couldn't care less though.

Alas, the final bell rang throughout the halls signaling the end of the day. Tired groans from her fellow students and a few hastily gathers up their things, wanting to leave immediately.

As for her, she's delighted to walk home with him again after for so long only to be met with disappoinment.

"Sorry, (Y/n). I promised the guys I would hang out with them afterschool so I won't be able to walk you home." X says apologetically, a troubled smile grazing his handsome features.

He could see how your bright and grinning gorgeous face warps into a look of disappointment, making him feel guilty. "I can cancel it though. I'd rather be with you anyway."

The disappointment in her face quickly turns into a sheepish smile as she shook her head for a no. "No, it's alright. I can walk home with my friend instead." She obviously can't make him cancel his plans just for her satisfaction. After all, he has a life of his own.

"You sure? I could really—"

"Hey, X! You coming or what?!" One of his friends yells from a far, having an impatient look while the others grin at him in a teasing manner as they watch the scene unfold.

"Be there in a sec!" He yells back in response, looking over his shoulders with his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. He looked back at her in disbelief. "Sorry about that. I gotta go. Remember to text me once you got home, okay?"

"I will." She chuckles, fondly grinning as light pink hue flows to her cheeks. This made X's heart softened, huffing a tiny chuckle as he brush a stray hair behind her ear.

"Be safe, my little lamb."

She watches as he ran up to his friends, some of them teasing him for the little moment they had. She's glad to know he found good friends despite his peculiar personality, he meant well.

~•~

After getting off the bus, the way to her apartment was already a bit dark and somewhat silent than usual at her on time arrival at dawn. Though, that's to be expected as she's staying in a peaceful neighborhood which she should be thankful for.

The soles of her shoes clicks on the pavement on each step she makes, the soft cold breeze of air moving past her ear as chills ran down her spine. Her surroundings were dark, the only light present were from the flickering street lights and the moon above her, which she thinks added to her paranoia.

She doesn't know if it's because she isn't used to walking home alone or is there someone watching her? She swore she could feel eyes from everywhere around her.

As she turned to a corner, footsteps sudden came to light from behind. She didn't thought anything of it, as it could be a passerby or a neighbor. Thankfully, she's near to her home so she briskly walked and much to her surprise, the person behind her began to speed up.

This set off alarm bells in her head, once she could see the light from her porch. She began to ran and screamed for help. However, all hope is lost once she felt a sharp pain struck behind her head as darkness engulf her sight.

~*~

A horrible stench whapped into her nose, as consciousness slowly seeped back into her figure. She pry her eyes open, blinking away the drowsiness as her vision clears up and able to take in her surroundings.

She's sat in the corner of a crusty room, the wallpapers were ripped and moldy. The pipes above her were leaking with merky water which where the awful stench came from. The windows in the room were boarded, as nothing but the gush of wind and crickets were heard from the outside.

She tried to move, but found it difficult as her wrists were tightly bounded together from behind to a pipe. She found it quite hard to breath because of the tight cloth on her lips. Panic fills her body as she heard heavy footsteps, and an unknown man had entered the room.

She glares at him, which made him smirk at her feistiness. He bends down to her eye level, and pats her head. "You're a pretty one, aren't you?"

His breath fans to her face, which made her feel nauseous and wants to puke at the horrible smell of alcohol and poor oral hygiene coming from him. He took off the cloth that's covering her mouth and traced his disgusting thumb across her bottom lip.

She didn't hesitate to bite down on his finger, hard enough to make him scream and recoil his hand away as blood rushes out of the bite. The man was furious and smashed the bottle of alcohol in his hand and points the severed half towards her.

"Don't fuck with me, woman. I can—" He was cut off when he heard a buzz coming from his phone. He clicked his tongue and immediately answers the phone, proceeding to leave the room.

Once he's out of sight, all the energy seeped out of her body as hot tears rushes down her cheeks. Tears trickle down to her knees, as she kept her mouth close to silent her ugly sobs. Her chest felt so tight, she's scared, deeply scared. She didn't think something like this could happen to her. Not when after being warned by her friend.

Then, she saw a faint glimmer from her peripheral vision. She looks up and saw a piece of broken glass from the bottle near her. She uses her foot to reach towards the shard and manages to push it to her side and tries her best to grab it.

Once she successfully got it, she began to slowly cut the rope, but found it to be quite thick and tough for the nibble blade.

It took her roughly 3 days before she could finally cut the rope because she was constantly interrupted by people coming in and sometimes watching over her. She felt drained as she refused to eat anything they gave her, but it didn't matter because she'll be out of her in no time.

She pushed her body up, and slowly walked up to the door, careful not to make any noise. She turns the knob and opens a small gap to peek. It was silent and there was only one man outside, and he was sleeping soundly, practically snoring.

She gently swing the door open, careful to not make it creek as she steps out of the room. She held in her breath as she began to take light steps behind the sleeping man. She sucked in her breath as the man began to turn in his sleep, rendering her still as she kept her eyes on him. Once she deemed it was safe, she continues her way to the door.

She steps out into the cold night, as a smile finally crept to her lips, tasting her freedom. Only for panic to once again surge as one of the men guarding outside saw her and calls to her, alerting the others.

She didn't think twice and ran into the dark woods. She didn't mind if twigs poked the sole of her feet, nor if she stepped on pointed pebbles. She just ran wherever she could, taking sharp turns to confuse her captors.

She could hear their voices getting farther, but she knows she shouldn't celebrate yet as the woods were hollow and wasn't sure if she's heading towards civilization or deeper in.

Her speed slow down as her adrenaline began to dissipate, she's breathless and looks around for any source of life. Much to her surprise, a hand had grabbed her wrist and instinctively she swipped her hand forcefully and elbows whoever it is.

The person grunts and moans in pain, the voice was oddly familiar. The person lights up their phone to their face, and soon she was able to make out who he was.

"You pack a mean elbow, little lamb." X smiles, chuckling despite the stinging pain on his nose. "Makes me think you didn't actually needed me."

His face quickly transforms into a scowl, looking back once he heard numerous of voices barking behind them. Without another word, he took her wrist and guided her out of the woods.

She saw his motorcycle parked by the side of the road, she hopped on and X quickly stepped onto the pedal as they drove away.

Her hands tightly hugged the small of his waist, leaning her head against his broad back as she tries to catch her breath. Her feet were in pain as well as her whole body. She couldn't stop shaking, as she cried on his back.

She felt his hand comfortably brush against hers, which sent butterflies inside her stomach flutter in ease.

"How.. did you find me?" She asks, keeping her head close to his back and listens to his faint heartbeat.

"I finally managed to track your gps using my phone and followed its location." He replies, keeping his voice low and words consise. "Sorry it took me a while. I had to first know your ips before managing to connect. Thank god, your phone is in working order too or I won't be able to track you."

His words flew into her ear, but she couldn't make sense of it as her energy began to lower that's she finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. "Thank you, X."

"No worries. After all, you know I'm always here for you." She could hear the usual smile in his voice. She finally lets herself rest and is unable to hear his next words.

"And I'm all that you need, and no one else matters, my little lamb."

A sickening and sadistic smile curls up to his lips, chuckling lowly.

~•~

X dumps a bucket full of cold water down on the unconscious person tied up to a chair infront of him. The man, jolts awake and flickers his eyes up at X.

"Good, good. You're finally awake. Did you slept well?" X muses, keeping the usual permanent smile on his face.

The man didn't bother to answer, starting to wiggle his way out of the chair in panic. X was displeased by this, but made no action and instead clicked his tongue.

The man finally stopped trying, his energy running low. "You bastard! Why are you doing this, X?! Let me go!"

The man's voice was irritating to X's ears, but he was glad to respond to his question in a simple and conventional manner.

X had walked up to the nearby switch and flicks it. Light began to shine on the wall littered with pictures. Pictures of (Y/n). His cheeks reddens as he took a step closer to the wall, his eyes flickering at each picture he took throughout the years in complete secrecy.

"Don't you think she's beautiful?" X asks the man, which confuses him and found the revelation quite disturbing.

"W-What...?"

"You asked why I'm doing this and it's because of her." X says, turning towards him once more. He took a step closer to a nearby table, his hand brushing against each tool on it. "I am merely protecting her from the filth swarming around her and trying to take what's mine..."

X grips the handle of a sharp and bloodied knife in his hand, taking slow steps towards the now frantic man who's eyes are filled with terror as he tries to reason with him.

X stops infront of him, bending down to his eye level. He moves his face closer to him, keeping his heterochromatic eyes into the man's terrified and shaking ones, a sadistic smile slowly forming on his lips. "This wouldn't have happened if you just kept your distance from her and not end up in the same predicament like the others..."

X had driven the knife into the man's throat, and pulls it back out. He watches as the man gurgle in his own blood rushing out of his mouth. He continues his attack until he was satisfied.

He only stopped a buzz emits in his pocket that came from his phone. With his bloodied hand, he tapped the screen and answers the caller.

"You got her? That's good news!" X muses, as he nods at the following sentences from the person in the other line.

His eyes flickers down to the mutilated and lifeless man in front of him, blood pours down onto the ground and pools around his shoes. He clicked his tongue, thinking he made quite a mess this time.

"Yeah yeah, I got it. Remember, don't touch her. Unless, you got a death wish." X warns before ending the call. He began to walk towards the wall swapped with photos of you, filling his heart with love and feeling of ease.

"Sorry, my little lamb. You just have to learn the hard way this time." X took a certain picture from the wall, looking down on it with a soft eyes and smile. It was a picture of them back when they were still children.

"And this time, with driving fear into your heart. You'll realize that I'm the only you'll ever need and trust after I come and save you."

~•~

I think I flunked this lol.

Thanks for reading though <3

Happy holidays everyone!!!

[judesmoonbeauty]

The Past Records: Ellis & Jude Chapter 3

Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do NOT post my translations elsewhere. Also, feel free to ignore my random commentary.

Translation notes are marked with ***

Roger: A story I know, huh.

Harrison: I mean, why didn't you tell me you knew each other first?

Roger: You didn't ask.

Harrison: You......

Roger: Besides, we're not really close friends either.

Roger: As for whether those guys can be trusted, I can't say.

Harrison: So, how do you know each other?

Roger: Just as a doctor and a patient. Jude has weak bronchial tubes.

Roger: My dad's so good at what he does that sometimes he used to go over to my parent's house where he worked as a town doctor.

Roger: When he was a patient of my father's, well, I just knew him by his face.....

Roger: One night, he rolled in and said he'd been stabbed with a knife. Not to my dad, but to me.

Harrison: What were the details of the stabbing?

Roger: All he said was that, “I got stabbed because of a grudge.”

Flashback Begins -

Jude: I got what I deserved. I won't say anything more. Don't ask me again.

Roger: I see. I can't believe you're talking to me, and not my dad because you don't want this out in the open.

Jude: I thought you wanted a table to practice your techniques on.

Jude: You can practice without a medical license.

Jude: In return, I won't tell me how you treated me, so as not to ruin the reputation of your father's clinic.

Roger: Convenient for me and you, huh? Well, I suppose it is.

Ellis: Roger? Can you fix him?

Roger: Oh, don't worry. I'm quite skilled. I won't kill you.

Ellis: Thank God. I can't have him dying now.

Roger: What's with that talk? When can he die?

Ellis: Probably the happiest moment of his life......

Roger: Huh. With all this damage, it seems like that's going to be a long way off.

Jude: Hey, I'm pretty sure that's not where you should stick the needle, you Quack!

Flashback ends -

Harrison: You treated him before you got your medical license, huh?

Roger: Haha. It's too late for the statute of limitations now, right?

Harrison: What else do you know?

Roger: Oh? Yeah..... like how Jude gets up early in the morning, or how Ellis eats more than anything?

Harrison: Not about that.

Roger: Jude can drink at the same pace as me and not get crushed, but Ellis gets drunk rather easily.

Harrison: It's not like that either....I've got two more images in my head that I don't need to know.

Roger: As I said earlier, I'm not sure if they're trustworthy or not.

Roger: There's something those two are keeping from me too. It's like conducting research that costs a huge amount of money or something.

Roger: Well, regardless if you can trust them or not, I don't think they'll do anything halfheartedly.

Roger: Was that helpful? Harrison: Well, sort of. At least the information I got from you wasn't false.

Roger: Thank you.

Liam: I found you.

Harrison: Hmm...oh, Liam. How did you know I was here?

Liam: Will told me. Are you at the cafe to work on a review?

Harrison: If I'm in the castle, I'll be distracted by the report, so I had to change things up.

Liam: Haha, so if I report now, It'll just remind you.

Harrison: It's fine. I just lost my focus. Anyway, you called out to me didn't you?

Liam: So, what?

Liam: Well, then, be my guest. Let's see, first of all, the story I heard from Jude...

Liam: Is Jude a doctor? A scholar? He was enrolled in public school through the mediation of a doctor or a scholar!

Liam: Surprising, isn't it? It must have been absolutely hard to fit in with all those aristocratic kids. I'd like to see a little bit of that.

Liam: Next, what I heard from Ellis. Ellis said that he didn't go to school.

Liam: I heard his father was a church school teacher, but they split up a long time ago.

Liam: Oh, Ellis and I promised to go skating by the lake sometime.

Harrison: Heh, good for you.....I mean, how did you talk to those two? You haven't been at the castle for the last few days.

Liam: I followed them invisibly and followed them, investigating their actions and routes the last few days.

Liam: Or maybe we just happened to on the way home together? Harrison: I didn't realize you went that far....

Liam: I thought Harry would like it. The rest was simply my feline curiosity getting the better of me.

Liam: I followed them and talked to them directly, but I still can't trust them.

Liam: I feel like I'm missing something decisive here.

Harrison: That look on your face...you're up to something.

Liam: That's my bad friend! You're quick.

Liam: So, why don't we give the two of them a shot.

[Previous] [Next] [Master list]

[malleux]

freedom. | surviving fimbulwinter [I]

[main page] | [t.o.c] | [spellbook] | [ << | >> ]

young adult!atreus x reader

-> synopsis: The only times you had ever experienced adventure was through your books. It was hard to live an exciting life while trapped in Alfheim.

You know you're meant for something greater than wasting away underground.

[loosely based on the events of Gow: Ragnarok]

-> chapter warnings: all chapters may contain spoilers, violence, sparring, cursing

You sat on the couch, pouting and pressing a chunk of ice against the side of your thigh. One of the dwarves— Sindri, you learned— paced back and forth in front of you.

"You better hope that doesn't get infected! None of us have any knowledge of healing, though we could make you a prosthetic should your leg rot off—" Sindri rambled.

"Ew, can we not?" You cringed at the thought, "It's already bad enough I literally got stabbed, I don't want to imagine any worse right now."

"Well, you shouldn't be sneakin' up on people!" The blue dwarf— Brok— huffed from his workbench.

"I said I was sorry! I forgot I was invisible."

"A likely excuse."

You threw a glare towards Brok, who definitely was choosing to clean off his knife in front of you on purpose. Sindri, on the other hand, had chosen to make his way back to the large cauldron beside the fireplace. He grabbed the ladle and stirred before stoking the fire.

"In any case, Kratos and Atreus should be back soon. They went out to collect supplies before they leave tomorrow, so once they're back we can all have a nice talk."

"Yeah, about how the Hel you appeared out of nowhere, and how you think it's acceptable to scare the Tatzelwurms out of us."

A few hours had passed, and you were still icing your leg. You'd just started a new book, Rare Fighting Spells, when the front door seemed to throw itself open. You jumped, watching as an incredibly muscular man walk through the door. Behind him was a boy, possibly close to your age. This must be the two Sindri was talking about.

They both eyed you, taking their things to Brok to mess with.

Sindri clapped his hands together, "Wonderful, everyone's here! It's time for dinner!"

———

To say dinner was awkward would be the understatement of the year.

You all ate silently— everyone sneaking glances at you while you tried to think of how to introduce yourself. Eventually, you coughed and sat up straight, putting down your spoon. Everyone else followed.

"I suppose I need to speak."

Brok huffed out a “You think?”, earning a side-eye and a kick under the table.

"My name is Y/N, and I just escaped from Alfheim. I don't know how I successfully got here, but Brok and Sindri found me. And then stabbed me—"

"You scared me!"

"—I did. But thank you guys for saving me." You tried to smile at them, but it was more of a grimace. "Any questions?"

"Lass, why were you in Alfheim in the first place? Don't you know there's a war going on?" The decapitated head asked with an accent way stronger than what you were expecting.

"I- uh, lived there?" You felt weird talking to it, "My father is a Dark Elf. My mother is mortal, but she died when I was born. Before the war, my father hid me underground, away from the other Elves. They hated me because I didn't look like them. Eventually, when the Elves began using the Light of Alfheim and all of the Dark Elves went underground, I was trapped even further and locked in my room.” You sighed, folding your hands on the table and gathering the courage to continue.

“Today, I decided I wanted to get out, so I learned a spell to make myself invisible and escaped. The Mystic Gateway was broken, and I tried for a while to fix it, but it wasn't working. That's when it started to fix itself, and Brok and Sindri opened it up from the other side. I snuck inside, and went to talk to them, but I forgot I was invisible, and— yeah. You get the rest."

The head hummed. You were sure if he could nod, he would. "I see. I'd heard a rumor once from Alfheim about a mixed breed, but you know those Elves. Squashed the rumor quick. They don't like anyone getting involved in their business. I suppose the rumors are true, then.”

You agreed, taking a sip of water from your cup. "I'm sorry to intrude, I just saw an escape and went for it."

"What's your plan now?" Sindri asked.

"I wanted to explore the realms, but I guess with the Gateways being broken I'll have to wait. Maybe I'll find a way to Midgard and build a life there—"

"You could come with us!"

"Atreus."

The boy who offered, Atreus, slumped down for a moment, only to perk back up quickly. "Father, c'mon. Y/N wants to see the world, we could use another helping hand, why not?"

"We do not need another helping hand." His father seemed to mock, "We are fine the way we are. How do you know she could even help?"

"I could spar with her? And you watch?" Atreus offered, looking at you for approval. You, on the other hand, were just confused.

People just fought for fun? You were always told it was solely for your survival. That's why your father never trained you as much as you asked. If you were to spar against this boy, you'd for sure lose. You secretly hoped his father would say no, but he huffed and stood from the table.

"Meet me outside."

You watched him leave the house with wide eyes, and once the door closed you turned back to Atreus. "Dude, what? Why would you do that?"

"Uh, because it would be cool if you came with us?" He quirked an eyebrow, seeing nothing wrong.

"I haven't fought in Hel knows how long. I'm going to embarrass myself—"

"Kratos doesn't expect perfection." Sindri tried to reassure you, "But if you show promise and try your hardest, I bet he'll be a lot more lenient than you think. Especially if Atreus is nagging him."

"I don't nag him!" Atreus argued, standing from the table. You followed.

"What do you call it? Wearing him down?" Brok cackled as Atreus led you outside where Kratos was waiting.

———

"Ready, go!"

Atreus ran at you first, swinging at you with the wooden part of his bow. You stepped back a few times before rolling to his side and landing your foot into his ribs. He stumbled and coughed for a second, but recovered quickly as he notched an arrow.

In return, you grabbed your spear that all Dark Elves use for combat and aimed it towards him. As Atreus shot his arrow, you retaliated by shooting a small energy beam out of the spear, burning his arrow in its path.

You hadn't used the spear in ages— since your father quit teaching you— so you felt a bit rusty. Nevertheless, you couldn't let that trip you up.

You didn't want to hurt him, so you charged at Atreus with the non-sharp side of the spear. Atreus used his bow to block, and you were left pushing against the wood in a battle of strength.

Atreus was stronger, eventually shoving against you and forcing you back. He notched three arrows at once, unleashing them as you sidestepped two of them. The third grazed your bicep, but you couldn't even feel it with the adrenaline in your veins.

Being part Dark Elf gave you a lot of agility, and even without wings it felt like you were flying at times. You hated to admit that you were enjoying fighting��� it gave you a feeling of freedom you'd never had before.

You jumped back, away from your opponent, and cast your spear out in front of you. Red spots began to appear on the ground around Atreus, and one by one they began to detonate. Bright light surrounded the outside, blinding those who looked too hard. While Atreus was weak, you took the advantage.

Quickly, you charged again, sticking your spear between the wood and string of Atreus's bow and throwing them both to the side. Atreus barely recovered enough to block your fist, his forearm pushing it down before trying to retaliate with a hit of his own.

He landed the hit on your jaw, but you couldn't flinch. Not in the middle of a fight. You jumped back again, waiting for him to charge. He did, and you were able to initiate your plan.

You swept your leg out, taking his own out from under him. Atreus gasped and fell forward, knocking you down in the process. You yelped, the weight of the boy on your stab wound becoming incredibly painful.

"Alright, truce! Ouch—" You rubbed your leg as Atreus got up, holding his hand out for you. You took it and he helped you stand.

"Y/N," Atreus began, "That was so cool! Your powers are just like a Dark Elf's, you even have the spear—"

"Enough." Kratos silenced him, walking up to you and sizing you up. He towered over you and quite frankly, it was very intimidating. You were already shorter than Atreus, you didn't need to feel any smaller.

Kratos stayed quiet for a while, seemingly weighing his options and looking back and forth between you and his son. "We leave tomorrow morning. Decide whether you are coming or not." 

You and Atreus watched as he disappeared back into the house, before looking back at each other.

"Did you hear that? You can come!" Atreus grinned at you, "We'll have to pack you some supplies, and get a bed for you here— there aren't any extra rooms, but my bed is small so we could put another one in my room! That is— if you're okay with that, of course. Nords, this is great."

You couldn't help but smile at Atreus's enthusiasm. It had been a very long time since you'd been around someone so positive— since you and Fritjof were young.

The thought of Fritjof make your heart feel heavy, but you brushed it off and paid attention to Atreus. Because of him, you'd finally get to experience the Nine Realms. "I can't wait.”

By the time you and Atreus made it back inside, the dinner table was already cleaned and Sindri was walking by with a blanket in his arms.

"Ah, there you are." He approached you and held out the blanket for you to take. "We made you a bed, but you don't have your own room. Not yet anyways, but if you wanted one I'm sure we could do it. Anyways, you'll be staying with Atreus, and we'll pack you a bag for tomorrow with all your stuff and more. If there's anything else you need, give us a call."

You were stunned. Never before had some random strangers shown you so much kindness. It was enough to make your eyes water a bit. "Sindri, thank you." You held the blanket to your chest. "Honestly. That all means a lot. I should be alright, thanks to you all."

Sindri's eyes softened at you, "Of course."

You turned to Atreus, following his lead as he heads to his room. It's small, but enough to fit two one-person beds on opposite sides of the walls.

You sat on one of the beds, slightly bouncing on it to test its comfort. Acceptable.

Atreus, taking the other bed, set his weapon down beside it before laying down and staring up at the ceiling. It was quiet for a moment, and you began taking your shoes off to lay in the bed.

"Was it hard?"

You paused. "Was what hard?"

"Leaving." Atreus turned to his side, facing you. "Leaving your father and everything you'd ever known."

"Well, all I'd ever known was the same four walls of my room." You laughed dryly. "I left my father and one friend, but my father didn't seem to care for me too much and my friend had just betrayed me when I left."

"They did?" Atreus propped his head up, more interested in the conversation.

"Uh, yeah." You shrugged, getting under your own blankets and facing him. "Didn't approve of me wanting to leave. They all thought me hiding away was for my own good, but I'd been trapped there for 19 years. My entire life. I couldn't stay forever."

"19 years." Atreus mumbled, then said louder, "I'm older than you."

You couldn't help the grin that came across your face, and you rolled your eyes. "What, by like a month?"

"Nope," He popped the 'p', "I'm 20. Though father sometimes thinks I'm still 12."

"Dads, huh?" You joked, "I think they just want to protect us from how harsh the world is. No matter how much we disagree."

"You have no idea." Atreus agreed, "I love him, I just wish he'd let me do more. At least now I don't have to hide too much from him, since I convinced him to let us search for Tyr tomorrow."

"Tyr?" Your eyebrows furrowed, "Tyr's dead. I read about his entire story not too long ago.”

"I don't think so! I saw it in a prophecy— Tyr is leading an army against the Aesir during Ragnarok. Since Fimbulwinter is happening, that means Ragnarok will soon. There's no way he's dead if he's leading an army in the future." Atreus explained, "That's why we're going to find him. We're heading to a city in Svartalfheim tomorrow to talk to someone Brok and Sindri recommended. They said he might know where Tyr is."

You shook your head. "Wow. That is... a lot." You yawned, trying to hide it. You were still interested in the conversation, but today's events were wore you down.

"Isn't it? I'm excited." Atreus yawned as well, "The only way it'll come quicker is if we're asleep when time passes. Let's go to bed."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Atreus."

"Goodnight, Y/N-" Atreus began, but you were already knocked out. He smiled slightly to himself, secretly glad to finally have a companion his age join the group. All of the adult nonsense got tiring.

Taking one last glance as you slept, Atreus turned around in his own bed and fell asleep.

[ >> ]

[fanficsfreeideas]

third part to Alastor sold to Adam as his bride 

Supporting Alastor Together

Charlie and the others were gathered downstairs, each wearing expressions of disbelief. Husk sat next to Angel Dust, who kept stealing glances at him. Finally, Angel decided to break the tense silence.

"So, Husk, did you know 'Smiles' was an omega or something? That's some shocking news, right?"

Husk shot Angel a sharp glare. "The bastard never told me. And even if I did know, do you think I care enough to tell any of you? It's none of my business what my boss is."

"Sorry for asking," Angel replied defensively. "I was just curious. I thought, since you've known him for a while, you might've known."

"Angel, leave Husk alone," Vaggie interjected, trying to calm Charlie down.

"What?" Angel countered. "I'm just trying to get us talking about what happened. We can't ignore what we saw and heard."

"Angel, not now," Cherrie interjected. "I get you're trying to help, but let's leave it."

"Fine," Angel sighed. "But that doesn't change the fact that some fucker sold Alastor to Adam. You all act like it wasn't a big deal. I may not be 'Smiles' biggest fan sometimes, but I know what it's like to be used and discarded. My biggest secrets are out there for everyone to see; I have nothing to hide. However, 'Smiles' secrets were hidden from us all. None of us really knew what Alastor truly was until now. Can any of you imagine what he's going through now? He's lost everything he's worked for. The fearsome radio demon will become a joke, even if he tries to be intimidating. People will just see him as a cute omega trying to act tough. I'm going to bed. I can't deal with this right now."

"Wait, Angel," Charlie called after him.

"What?" Angel snapped back.

Charlie met Angel's gaze. "You're right. We need to talk about this, but not behind Alastor's back."

"We should talk now," Vaggie agreed. "Before we face him, we need to understand how we should handle this."

Husk scoffed. "Good luck with that. He might just disappear again."

Vaggie shot Husk a warning look before continuing. "We need a plan. How do we handle this, Angel?"

"Simple," Angel replied. "Treat him the same. Don't pressure him, but let him open up when he's ready. And Charlie, don't smother him. He needs space."

Charlie chuckled nervously. "I don't smother anyone, right?"

No one replied.

Suddenly, Niffty piped up, breaking the tension. "King Roach probably wants to be left alone. Don't treat him differently. And if anyone upsets him, I'll stab them!" Niffty laughed mischievously.

Everyone looked at Niffty.

"So," Angel said quickly, trying to lighten the mood, "let's go with Niffty's plan. I'd rather not get stabbed." with laughter in his voice.

"Agreed," everyone else chimed in simultaneously.

"Alright," Charlie began thoughtfully. "We'll give him space, but make sure he knows we're here for him whenever he's ready to talk."

"I'll reluctantly keep an eye out for him," Husk grumbled.

Vaggie looked around the room, then spoke up firmly. "We'll figure this out together. And Niffty, please, let's avoid any stabbing incidents."

Niffty giggled energetically. "No stabbing, unless it's an emergency!"

Vaggie then added with determination, "We also need to find out who sold Alastor to Adam. That's not something we can ignore."

Charlie furrowed her brow in concern. "Absolutely. We can't let them get away with it."

"Yeah," Angel sighed heavily.

"We'll address that when the time comes," Vaggie said firmly. "Right now, Alastor needs our support."

The group nodded in agreement, unified in their determination to stand by Alastor.

While upstairs Alastor sleep under the watchful eyes of Lucifer.

[ask-sibverse]

@jumpybox 's request, a part 2 of this

Reader x Killer this time! I'm still trying to keep it one side x Bad Sabses and one side x Stars but uh. This is kiiiiiind of a deviation, oops

Your relationship with Killer was... Complicated. Color had explained things, way back in the beginning of everything, but he'd also tossed around so many terms that made absolutely no sense to you that you'd kind of ended up with the entire conversation in one ear and out the other.

What you had gathered, was that Killer wasn't fully bad? Ish? And lately Color had commented that you were seeming to have a positive effect on Killer

Of course, then Killer had ended up stabbing you, which had led to that nasty infection and DKA. To be fair, it was a fight. And his usual enemies to actually care about were much less fleshy and fragile.

So you didn't really blame him, honestly. Your frantic reassurances of that hadn't stopped Blue and Dream from scolding Killer the next time they saw him, or so you heard

Well then. You had been planning on recovering and then trying to pretend you hadn't just almost died because of immune compromised human bodies but there went that plan.

And of course, even after you had recovered past "should be in a hospital bed or Sci's lab," you were still incredibly easily worn out. And nauseous super easy, which meant no portals.

Which meant you were stuck in your boring, boring, boring AU. At least it was also Blue's AU, and the monsters were on the Surface now. So Blue and Stretch and Dream and sometimes Ink or others would swing by to say hello.

Of course, then a different skeleton shortcutted behind you on your walk home. "Knife to see you again. Been a while."

You couldn't help but groan at the knife pun. "Hey Killer."

"Dream and Blue said you got really sick because of me?" Stars he actually sounded somewhat concerned at that.

You groaned. "Not quite? It's more that you probably definitely don't keep your knives sanitized- why the hell would you? And diabetics have much weaker immune systems than normal fleshy creatures so, ya know. An infection can get bad fast. And then there's DKA."

"What's that?"

He walked with you back to your apartment, asking a thousand questions about your condition but also about what had just happened to you. Thankfully your apartment was currently empty, no random visitors waiting for you to come home.

"Come inside? I'll make us both some coffee."

He followed you inside. "Hey. Don't tell anyone, since I have a reputation to keep, but I'm sorry. I don't want you to be hurt like that."

You flashed him a smile. "Aw, even though I help out the Stars?"

He made a face. "Yeah. You're not like them though. Sometimes I wonder what it would've been like if you'd joined us instead."

You started making coffee, a bit more of a process than the modern drip coffee but you liked your method. "If I'd joined you guys I'd probably be living in the castle instead of somehow Blue and Stretch arranging for me to live in the monster district of Ebott City."

"Yeah. You'd like it though!"

"I'm pretty sure Nightmare despises me for how close I am to his twin."

"That's because he's just an overprotective big brother to Dream!"

You turned around to stare at him. "They routinely come close to murdering each other, and you're calling Nightmare overprotective of him?"

You both laughed at that. You made his coffee just how he liked it and talked for a while before Killer had to leave. Things seemed to go back to normal after that. At least you hoped they were normal now.

(Have a T1D reader ask? Shoot me an ask! Like this? Buy me a coffee!)

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Broken Bloodlines Chapter 8

———————————————————————————————

Part 8!!!

we are now in the latter half of chapters!

this Story contains mentions of Vore, Dont like dont read. (also i drew a cover!)

CW; mentions of injuries, mentions of corpses, mentions of death.

have fun reading!

and as always reblogs are appreciated! (Also ASK’s are open so feel free to bother me!)

AO3 Link for those that prefer the layout there; https://archiveofourown.org/works/44627188

——————————————————————————————————

Before I had made it even a few steps though I heard my name being called.

Looking to whoever was demanding my attention I saw Nea sitting on an empty cart and holding the smaller Arduas arm in an inescapable grip.

At least I didn't have to go up the slope now.

I went over to both of them and the little guy immediately darted behind Nea as best as he could.

Considering Nea was holding his upper arm that didn't do much though.

His reaction was understandable though, 

seeing as I had headbutted him into a boulder.

How did he recognize me anyway? 

Probably the bracelet if I had to guess.

I climbed onto the cart and sat down across from Nea and the little guy.

Though I was pretty sure Nea shouldn't sit like that with her injured foot.

Man, people around me really liked getting shot in the foot.

Nea held out the second Bracelet to me with her free hand, 

being careful not to put any of her fingers through it before stashing it away again.

“Took ya long enough! 

Last I saw of ya was when ya rammed one of tha catapults over!”

She pulled the little guy out from behind her and he looked absolutely spooked at me.

“So what are ya gonna do with the tiny here? 

He hasn't said a word and refuses ta speak”

Silent treatment eh? Well fair all of this must be rather scary,  especially after being rammed by something three times his size.

Yeah I messed up back there, I should probably apologize for that.

I crouched down a little to try and seem less threatening.

“Heya, what's your name?”

Maybe asking basic and simple questions would get him to talk?

I really hoped he didn't have a concussion though.

He just shook his head and shrank back further.

Still scared then, maybe he'd open up a little after I apologized?

“Look, i'm sorry for ramming into you like that,  i thought you'd be bigger and heavier and i really miscalculated there, i didn't intend to knock you out”

He just blinked for a second but still looked like a scared deer.

Nea then just lifted him up and set him down in front of her, 

effectively trapping him in the cart with one of her knees one one side and her arm on the other.

He looked panicked for the second Nea held him up like he weighed nothing, and to be fair that would freak me out too.

But I did not for a second doubt she could actually lift me up.

“Stop fussin lil’ lad, Donovan here won't hurt ya! He's a wuss like that!”

I wasn't a wuss, Nea was just very stab happy.

“I'm not a wuss Nea, i just don't want to hurt people that's all,  not everyone is as stab happy as you are”

I rolled my eyes at her and she shrugged.

“Eh, whateva, now back to ya Lil Lad,  ya have a name or did that Usurper take it from ya?”

He pressed his lips together till they almost disappeared for a second or two before he said the first words I ever heard from him.

“I- im Rowley”

His voice was raspy like he hadn't had water in some time and I decided that after two more questions I'd get him some.

“Rowley is a nice name, haven't heard that one before,  So say how old are you?”

“I- uh i'm thirteen”

Thirteen? He looked like he was eleven at most! Well he was malnourished so that could be the cause.

Also thirteen was not an age anyone should go into battle,  a sentiment that was shared by Nea judging by her expression.

I was actually kinda glad Rowley couldn't see her face at the moment.

 “Thirteen? You shouldn't fight at that age! 

and why did Winton drag you to war anyway?”

He shrank back at the mention of Wintons name and my suspicions were confirmed.

That fuck did something to Rowley, and possibly not only him.

It took him a god two minutes to start talking but both me and Nea were patient, which was unusual of her.

“I- the king knew what that bracelet did and wanted a Giant soldier, but the ones that tried it on died so he had Orphans test it for him.

He just picked off street kids and forced them to put the Bracelet on.

Then when i put it on i turned into that four legged thing and he threw me into a tower”

Before I could say anything to that horrible revelation Nea had stood up despite her injured foot and pulled her way too big sword from behind her where it had leaned against the cart.

“Im gonna murder that fuck! Where did ya guys bring him? 

I ought ta cut both of his arms off!”

I catched Rowley who had fallen forward as Nea leapt up in her fury.

“Nea, Rikaad and Norrin are interrogating him right now,  you cant just barge in to wherever they are and start stabbing that fuck, even if he does deserve it”

She still looked angry but at least seemed to hear me out as she lowered the Giant sword again mumbling about not being allowed to fight and now not being allowed to kick ass.

“Hrmf, fine whatever,  i'll go get water so now it's yer turn to keep an eye on tha lil’ lad”

She got off the cart and picked up her crutch before she went limping away.

So now I was alone with Rowley.

Remembering what Nea had just said I held his upper arm like she did, though I was probably not as strong.

He glanced up at me with a confused and still scared look.

“That's one scary lady”

That was also one of my first thoughts upon properly meeting Nea,  well still was actually.

“Boy you don't even know half of it, she's a royal Guard for a reason”

At the mention that she was a Royal Guard he looked just Confused.

“I thought only men could be guards?”

“I asked her the same thing and she said she beat a Drake with an old helmet, not sure if a really believe that, Drakes are rare after all”

Rowley fiddled with the hem of his near threadbare shirt.

“I've seen you before, but you were bigger back then, they had locked you in the same tower they tossed me in after i changed to that thing”

He wasn't looking at me and still fiddled nervously with his shirt instead.

I remembered that day as well, and now I had confirmation that this was the same little guy from the rooftop back then.

“Yeah I remember, if rather negatively that place was awful.

But you were the guy on the rooftop right? You waved at me”

He nodded.

“I think that's why Winton wanted your Bracelet, but then he found one in the treasure chamber and used people to experiment with it.

I'm not sure why i didn't die like everyone else though”

Maringand had a Bracelet the entire time? 

Why? Well maybe a slayer got to it.

As for the Not dying I could answer him that.

“Well, I can tell you the not dying part if you want?”

He looked up and nodded.

“Ookay, so Oakley explained to me that that thing is tied to genetics, which I guess means one of your ancestors was also an Ardua?

The thing is magic and apparently just kills everyone that doesn't have those genetics.

That pretty much all i know, well aside from how to use it”

He looked pensive for a bit.

“Well, my mom was Elven so maybe-”

“Nope, not Elven or my half brother would be one too”

He fell silent.

“Eh don't worry, i thought the same thing, 

but after talking to Fable i just feel like an idiot”

Before Rowley could retort anything Nea shouted from over the place.

“Ya are an idiot!”

Considering how far away she was she must have only heard the last sentence and immediately took the opportunity to insult me.

I'd be offended if it wasn't just How Nea worked.

“I'm not the one that keeps ignoring what the medics said!”

I retorted and she threw a tightly closed waterskin at my face.

I hoped that it wouldn't bruise.

I handed the water to Rowley who struggled to open the container.

Nea hopped on and opened it for him in less than a second.

Rowley drank greedily and I tried to think of what to do now.

The little guy was still a child, one that had gone through something horrible so he probably shouldn't be alone for some time.

Also he was an Orphan as he had admitted so there was no one to take him in.

Seeing as he was a Bastard i doubted that there was anyone that wanted to, 

especially after today and him turning into a fuzzy four legged beast.

So, what now?

Nea was of little help there seeing as she was a warrior.

I'd just have to ask Rikaad or Norrin then, 

Rikaad was the king so he could probably assure his safety and Norrin had experience so he'd know what to do.

“So what to do now? I mean, this guy is no criminal, not even any sort of fighter at all so we can’t feasibly throw him in prison.

Maybe Rikaad will know what to do?”

Nea just shrugged while Rowley continued to drink an absurd amount of water.

So much water couldn't be good though.

“Slow down, you're gonna choke.

I think Rikaad is at the castle so I suggest we bring him there?”

Nea snatched the water skin from Rowley who flinched back in startlement.

“Ya sure, maybe he’ll let me stab that fuck! And you lil lad shouldn't drink so much water at once or yer gonna vomit!”

He looked unhappy at that but I did have to agree with Nea on this.

Besides I didn't want the guy to throw up,  He was already thinner than a stick.

“Alright then, let's go to the castle and see if we find them.”

Nea climbed down from the cart once again and I helped Rowley get down.

How he hadn't keeled over by now was a miracle considering he couldn't weigh more than a baby goat.

I debated shifting so he could hitch a ride but that was a bad idea for two reasons.

One; the way bigger Ardua from might scare him, especially after what had happened and two; I was covered in bandages and I had no idea if they would stay in place.

So I just ended up offering a normal piggyback ride to the kid while Nea shoved everyone out of the way with her crutches and sword.

I did wonder about the sword though, it was huge and if she was a guy I'd say she was compensating for something.

Also how the fuck could she hold it with only one hand? 

The thing was as big as her!

“Hey Nea, why do you have that oversized sword? And how the fuck can you hold it with only one arm? It looks heavy as fuck”

She looked at the sword for a moment.

“That's a Claymore, they are like that,  well mines specially made from casted iron instead of forged.

It's actually hollow on the inside, well it's still at least half an inch thick on either side but it's not as heavy as it could be.

I like it because it does a ton of damage if you know how to use it!

Also I have hidden snacks inside of it in the past but don't tell anyone!”

I let out an amused snort at the last addition,  I didn't expect her to do something like that.

Then again I also hadn't expected the sword to have a hollow part inside.

The hike uphill was largely uneventful considering nobody was on the slope.

At some point halfway up Rowley did fall asleep,  His adrenaline had run out no doubt.

Nea and I went to the main gate as the other ones were probably bolted shut right now, though something seemed amiss.

Eh it was probably nothing.

Walking into the throne room I realized I had no idea where the castle's prison even was.

Basement probably but I had no idea where that was either.

Luckily Nea did but I thought that we shouldn't bring Rowley underground, not after what happened to him at the tower.

Not that I knew much of that.

We left the sleeping boy in the care of an older wall Guard who Nea assured me was nice before she led me to a side corridor and opened a sturdy looking door that was largely painted like the wall.

No wonder I hadn't found it.

Seriously, why was the entire thing built like this?

The way down was dark and the stone was cold, 

which honestly made me a little uneasy.

“Aight, they ought ta be down there! There are high security cells deeper down too, but i don't think anyone wants ta free that jerk”

She used the metal railing to stabilize herself and went down the surprisingly roomy staircase.

Some torches were lit and we followed them till we heard voices.

Nea stopped then and put a hand on my shoulder.

“Oi, can ya like, not tell them I tried to get ta tha battle? 

They'll lock me in my room or summat”

I gave her a thumbs up and reassured her I wouldn't,  she did help me after all.

After that we went to where the voices came from and there was indeed Rikaad and Norrin as well as some other Guards I did not know.

“Rikaad! I need to talk to you!”

He turned to look directly at me.

“What about? I'm currently trying to get this tyrant to talk”

My eyes flitted to the other Guards,  I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk to Rikaad while they were here, 

Not to mention that Winton was also right there in a cell.

Rikaad caught where my eyes went and sighed.

“Alright, I'll need some fresh air anyway,  and it's better Winton knows as little as possible.

Nea you can try to get the guy to talk, just don't Permanently maim him, and please remember that the other Guards are here too”

“On it boss! That swine will talk like a waterfall when I'm done with him!”

Nea cracked her knuckles and I really wished she didn't always sound so cheerful when she talked about being violent.

She patted me encouragingly on my non injured shoulder as she went past me which still made the area feel sore.

I was kinda glad now that we were leaving,  I really wasn't keen on seeing what Nea did.

Rikaad led the way back out in silence and as soon as we were back above ground turned to face me.

“What did you want to talk about? Also i'm glad you survived the river, what were you thinking jumping in like that anyway?”

Well the river thing was pretty self explanatory but there were more important things right now.

“Well I got the other Ardua, but as it turns out that's a thirteen year old child Winton locked in THAT tower for who knows how long,  also he put the bracelet on humans to see if it worked on any of them.

And now, well i felt sorry for the guy so i brought him with me, 

but i have no idea what to do, like what do we do with another Ardua?

Oakley is dead so he can't help- and and that's my fault, i should have-”

Rikaad put a hand on my shoulder.

“Calm down, you are talking yourself into a panic attack, and I can assure you Oakleys death is not your fault, he chose to go on the battlefield and could have ditched anytime he wanted, okay?”

I nodded slowly and tried to calm myself as he instructed me.

“Good, now as for the Boy you said he's only thirteen? 

By God Winton is the worst!

He can stay here for now till we get a better idea,  in the meantime we could go get Arthur and tell him we know which tower his cousin is locked in.”

“Oh thank you, it's just that I feel really sorry for the little guy,  I mean he's tiny!

Also I thought Arthur was with you? 

But i'm sure he’ll love to hear you know where his cousin is”

Rikaad nodded.

“He was, let's say displeased with Winton so i told him to go look for Robin instead”

Ah, good call, Arthur would have immediately maimed Winton.

“Yeah that was probably a good idea,  So wait, does that mean we are going to Maringand?”

“Very probable, though we’d need Arthur to guide us through the terrain”

True, we did not know tha area at all so having someone that did was practical.

Also we were going there to find Arthur's cousin sooo.

“You said he's with Robin? 

Last i saw him he went to the kitchen to protect the staff there”

“The kitchen? Alright let's see if both of them are there”

To get to the Kitchen we walked around the castle as neither of us wanted to deal with the stupid hallways right now.

And after the wide open battlefield being inside felt, well, strange.

We reached the kitchen door and window soon enough and Rikaad politely knocked.

Good idea, just barging in might scare someone.

Myril was the one to open the door with the biggest rolling pin in one hand and a mean looking firehook in the other.

“Oh, it's you! Thank God, everyone had been worried! 

Is the battle over? Did you win? Wait let me get you some soup”

She turned away in a hurry before anyone could say anything and we just walked in after her.

I looked around the room and sure enough there was a familiar mess of red hair right next to Arthur.

“Robin! There you are!”

He turned around and as he saw me leapt up and went to go hug me.

“Donovan! You're alright!”

While it was nice that he cared he was holding on rather tightly which my wounds did not agree with.

“Ow ow don't squeeze! A lot of people threw stuff at me today, I'm sore!”

He immediately let go.

“Oh, I'm so sorry! I won't do it again!”

I doubted that he wouldn't do it again,  his brain was all over the place on a good day.

“Eh, it's fine don't worry, but i'm definitely gonna feel that tomorrow”

Arthur also came up to us,  well more came up to Rikaad and i knew what he was gonna ask.

“So did he tell you where Amicia is? Please say he did”

Rikaad nodded and the relief was very visible on Arthur's face.

“He said she was on the south tower,  not sure which one exactly that is but it is something”

“Oh I know that one! She's probably locked in the top part of it! 

I need to go and see if she's alright!”

He turned to leave but was stopped by Rikaad who had grabbed his lower arm.

“I'm not sure if you should go alone,  Maringand might still have some Guards or who knows what else”

Arthur turned back looking disappointed.

“So what now? 

I'm not leaving the only family member i actually liked in that tower”

“I'm not saying you shouldn't go, im saying to at least take proper safety precautions, i'll come with you,  i have to declare the defeat of Winton to Maringand anyway”

Oh right, the people of Maringand had no idea that Winton was now locked in a dusty basement prison.

Rikaad was right in that, someone did have to inform them.

“So we are going to maringand? Who else is coming with us then?”

Rikaad shrugged and out of the corner of my eye I could see Robin sneaking some snacks while no one was looking, well aside from me.

“Id say whoever is fit enough,  some Guards and Soldiers, maybe a medic will join too”

Robin had finished stuffing leftover cookies into his pockets and turned to face Rikaad.

“Oh so we're gonna see Maringand? That's cool! Where is Oakley? Maybe he wants to come too! He does know a lot of stuff after all!”

There was dead silence after.

Of course Robin had no idea that the winged man was dead,  he hadn't been there.

Now more than ever I was glad he stayed behind and didn't have to witness that.

The Ginger seemed to notice that it had gotten uncomfortably silent around him.

“I- is there something wrong? What happened?”

I really didn't want to say it out loud, not again, that just had such a weird sense of finality.

Luckily I didn't have to, seeing as Rikaad stepped up to speak.

“Robin, Oakley is dead, he got hit by a burning net and didn't make it”

The rustheads face fell and I could make out the beginning of tears in his eyes.

“Wh- what? No that can't be, he's Oakley,  he can use magic and all that he can't be dead!”

Nobody gave a retort to that, even the kitchen staff had gone silent.

Then Rikaad sighed.

“Come on let's go outside, at least for a bit”

We left the kitchen and ended up in the shade of a large tree.

Robin looked like he was doing his best not to cry.

He just clung to the next best person,  in this case Arthur and refused to let go while he was shaking.

Well, at least he wasn't squeezing my wounds.

Nobody said anything for a good two minutes.

“I think we should get ready to go to Maringand,  Robin if you don't feel up to it you can stay here if you want”

Robin shook his head.

“Gimme a bit, i'll be fine, and i wanna see Maringand”

It still took some time for him to calm down but with mine and Arthur's combined efforts we managed it.

While we calmed the poor ginger down Rikaad was assembling whoever was fit and wanted to go to Maringand.

It was an hour or so later that he had everything set up and we were ready to go in an actual fancy carriage.

I had never sat in one before and I wondered if Arthur would be okay sitting in that thing.

He did have horrible Motion sickness after all.

Yep, judging by his face he was not thrilled at all.

But he seemed willing to bear it to go help his cousin.

It still didn't make the ride anymore pleasant with him hanging out the window and throwing up.

At least the cushions and the rest of the carriage was nice.

Robin spent most of the ride in silence and Rikaad was sitting outside of the carriage to give Orders to the riders who had come with.

He had also taken the crown Winton had been wearing as a sign that he was defeated.

The only good thing that had happened today was Arthur's look of joy when we told him that Nea was keeping an eye on Winton.

I also hoped that the little guy, Rowley, was alright.

He looked so scared when we brought him to the castle, scared and frail.

The carriage had to go back and forth for a bit to find a stable bridge over the river but after some time over uneven terrain and avoiding what I hoped was just stone and fallen wood we reached Maringand.

I knew though that it had not been stones and tree trunks.

The carriage stopped and I pulled Arthur inside again.

He looked rather green in the face though.

The door was opened and I saw that we were standing on some sort of Plaza.

Rikaad had already gone and began telling the population that Winton was defeated, holding the crown he took up in the air as he did so.

From the threehundered people that were here only about nine started to fuss about it, all some rich fucks by the looks of it.

The rest of the crowd seemed to be relieved that the tyrant was finally gone.

There had been some questions about who was in charge now since Winton killed the competition.

Rikaad simply answered that we were on the way to the castle to sort it out.

While he spoke Arthur made sure to not show his face in case anyone recognized him.

Since the rich fucks here had seemed to side with Winton that was probably a smart move.

We stopped two more times on the way to the Maringand castle until we finally reached it.

The castle itself was very different from the Kamerasc one. 

This one had a different shape and was built with a dark gray stone and reddish brown roof shingles and was located right into the mountainside.

But it was easy to make out the south tower seeing as south was where the ocean was.

Though somehow the place where it was built seemed oddly familiar, and not from the time I had spent trapped in that outpost tower.

Then I realized it, that was the place from the book! 

The place where the Maringand creature had gone to die!

That really made me wonder how historically accurate it was.

But that could come later, for now we needed to find Arthur's cousin.

Luckily he already knew where to go and led the way through the way less confusing halls of the Maringand castle.

Man, why couldn't the Kamerasca Castle have been built like this? 

This was way easier to navigate!

Arthur then led us to a door that opened to reveal a lot of stairs going upwards in a spiral.

I hoped the Tower wasn't too tall but was disappointed in that as it took a good ten minutes to get to the top.

At least the sight from the occasional window was pretty.

At the top was a blue painted door with silver ornaments and Arthur immediately went to open it in his anticipation of seeing his cousin he even forgot to knock.

He had barely made it two steps inside before what looked to be the leg of a chair collided with his abdomen and he went to the floor.

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

A figure appeared from the blind spot of the door and I could definitely say that this must be Arthur's cousin.

They had the same eye and hair colors and looked similar overall.

She was also wearing what appeared to be a hastily sewn pair of pants and clutching the chair leg.

“ARTHUR? Wait, what the hell? I was told you were dead!”

She went to hug the fallen man but did not apologize for hitting him.

“Yeah yeah, why'd you hit me? 

And where did you even get that chair leg?”

Arthur slowly got up and Amicia tossed the wooden furniture piece aside.

“What leg? Now please tell me how you are alive! 

Winton said you got eaten by some beast he refused to describe!”

I felt my ears heat up, right I kinda had brushed off that part.

And I was actually glad Winton didn't describe what I looked like or else this would have gotten extremely awkward.

Arthur finally got up and brushed some dust off of him before he was immediately swept into a hug again with Amicia holding and poking his face as if to make sure he was real.

“Amicia, I'm fine, I'm here to rescue you! Winton lost! 

Kamerasca won and he's rotting in a dark cell for now.

We also left him with one of the most terrifying guards so he wont have a good time”

Yep, Nea was probably making this hell right now.

Amicia looked past Arthur and seemed to see us for the first time.

“And who are these guys? They don't exactly look like soldiers”

That was true, I was still in my normal everyday clothing aside from a new shirt, Robin was wearing a sleeveless red tunic with an off white undershirt and Rikaad was wearing what I assumed to be some uniform.

Yeah we did not look like soldiers.

“Oh, those are my friends! After I uh, ‘left’ the castle I ended up in Kamerasca, they were nice enough to help me when I needed it!”

Amicia waved all of us inside her little chamber which was surprisingly well decorated and looked all of us directly in the face as we passed her.

Being stared at made me uncomfortable on a good day and today was not a good day.

I self consciously put my hands over my ears as she looked at them.

She seemed to get it and instead scrutinized Rikaad’s uniform.

“Are you a General or something?”

She looked rather distrusting of those in power which nobody could blame her for, but she also looked like a weird mirror of when Arthur was distrusting of me.

Yep, definitely related.

Rikaad didn't seem bothered by the hostility though,  Instead he bowed and introduced himself.

“My Name is Rikaad Drayton, and I'm the King of Kamerasca.

Pleased to make your acquaintance Lady Amicia”

I found him to be overly formal now but considering that Arthur planned to give Amicia the right to rule it was probably just some dumb formality.

Amicia blinked for a second before turning back to Arthur.

“What the Hell? You're friends with the King? 

Wait, I thought the King was some old guy?”

I started to wonder how much she knew of what had been going on, considering she was trapped in a tower for who knows how long probably not much.

Arthur just shrugged.

“I mean yeah? Didn't know he was the Heir when i met him though, besides the only reason we became friends is because Robin started hanging out with both of us”

He turned around to try and introduce Robin but the ginger had climbed into the bay window that faced towards the sea and looked out to the land below.

Yep, Brain all over the place once again,  i'd better get him in case the glass wasn't stable.

“Robin? What are you doing? C’mere and say hello”

I lifted him up from where he was like one would hold a cat they just caught and carried him over to where we were before setting him on the ground again.

He pouted up at me but I ignored it,  he could at least say hello to Arthur's cousin after all.

He then turned to face Amicia who was the only person in the room that had the same height as him.

“Hi! Im Robin”

Amicia just stared at the cheerful little rusthead for a few seconds before she answered him

“Nice to meet you? It's nice Arthur finally found some friends!”

Then her eyes flitted to me once again.

“And you are? As far as I recall Fae are banished from Kamerasca, where are you from?”

Oh, was she under the impression I was a full blooded elf?

Well that wasn't correct.

“Im Donovan, and well, i'm only half Fae,  Besides with Rikaad in charge the Fae Ban doesn't exist anymore”

She looked briefly to Rikaad, now with just a tiny bit less hostility.

“Well that's nice of him, since i'm freed now or whatever why don't we get some tea? Or some other beverage you want”

I could tell she wanted to get out of this room already,  not that she could be blamed for that.

She spent possible months here without being able to go wherever she wanted.

But that also meant going down all those stairs again.

Damnit.

But we did end up a little while later in a smallish room adjacent to the kitchen that had a table and six chairs.

Tea and some sort of tiny little cakes were served that smelled of Lemon.

The meager staff here then left as fast as they could and closed the door behind them.

I doubted any of them would lock it but even if there was a window and we were only on the second floor.

Amicia then addressed us again.

“So you guys won? With how Winton bragged about a secret superweapon that would make you turn tail and flee,  I'm surprised you were this fast, what was the weapon anyway?”

Secret weapon? Oh, she must be talking about Rowley.

Rikkad leaned forward a little before speaking.

“Secret weapon? Well there was a magic based being do you mean that? Also what do you mean by ‘this fast’?”

I was glad Rikaad didn't mention the Ardua or Rowley, 

who knew what kind of problems that could cause.

But yeah what did she mean by this fast?

“Oh well Winton was really just setting himself up for failure,  Almost everyone hated him! 

Of course his Soldiers would half ass the fights and turn as soon as they got the chance!

I mean come on, he was THE most disliked person in the Kingdom!

I'm not surprised he lost, nobody is, I just find it funny he lost so fast!”

The most disliked person in the Kingdom sounded accurate enough, If the only people that like you are some greedy rich fucks you are doing something severely wrong.

“Thats, well you are right it is not surprising, he’s currently being questioned by, how do you put it? Most skilled Guard”

Rikaad assured her and I had to hold back a laugh,  most skilled Guard, that was one way to put it.

Well she was skilled, a lot so but she was also somewhat unhinged and I would not be surprised if there were broken fingers when we came back.

“Most skilled? I hope so,  Winton deserves every bad thing he's got coming!”

As much as I was against violence I did have to agree with her.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Robin eyeing the tiny cake I had gotten with the strawberry tea and I shoved it in his direction.

He happily went to munch on it.

If I was honest this entire thing was weirdly uncomfortable,  at least for me.

Arthur was happy that his favorite cousin was alright and Rikaad seemed to be at least somewhat okay.

Robin of course had no concept of awkwardness and just munched his small cake which was previously mine.

I just slowly sipped my tea to try and avoid talking.

Amicia then decoded to make it awkward for everyone as she addressed Arthur again.

“So you still like boys or was I wrong about that?”

Arthur spit out the Tea he'd been offered and started coughing.

Liked boys? Amicia was really just outing the poor guy in front of us? 

That was really fucking rude.

Being rude must lay in the family, at least this branch of it.

Arthur slammed the cup angrily and flustered back on the table.

“I told you before that I like both! Men, women who cares! 

Now shut the fuck up thats not even any of your business!”

He was redder than he'd ever been before and looked like he wanted to disappear into the chair he sat on.

Well what Amicia just did was rather uncalled for.

It took me a few seconds to register that another reason why Arthur was so upset about it was that a LOT of humans didn't take kindly to men liking men or women liking women.

So having that information out in the open could be really dangerous to someone, especially if the church heard about it.

I didn't care about all that though. 

If Arthur liked both so be it,  it really wasn't any of my concern what he did with his life.

Though now I was convinced that Amicia liked chaos,  at least judging by the look on her face.

It was not the most surprising thing though.

Considering the circumstances of everything she either had to be a Noble lady with barely any freedom or was locked in a tower for possibly months on end.

Saying stuff out loud and seeing people's reaction to it was probably her only source of entertainment for years.

To be honest in the past i would have found it funny to see Noble fuckers react vividly to stuff they deemed improper.

Still, that had been really inconsiderate of her.

“Arthur, you told me before you left that by a specific date you'd tell people, did you not check the calendar? That date was four weeks ago”

Wait, so she just assumed we already knew? Well this had gotten even more awkward now, but at least she didn't do it out of Malice.

Arthur however still looked extremely embarrassed.

“I fucking forgot, there was too much going on at the time,  you could at least make sure in advance before you just say it outloud”

Amicia now looked actually regretful but still tried to cheer him up.

“Oh come on it's not that bad, I mean, Robin, right? what do you like?”

Robin looked up from where he tried to sneak Rikaads tiny cake.

“Cake!”

Rikaad shoved his cake as well to Robin who immediately bit into it.

“Yeah okay that question was badly worded, What about you Donovan?”

Me? I didn't actually know,  I had been preoccupied by surviving instead of figuring that out.

Also I really did not care.

“Dunno, was more busy with not getting murdered,  also i kinda don't care”

Why were we even talking about this now? 

That was not what we were here for.

Luckily Rikaad interjected before she could ask him as well.

“As nice as talking about mundane things is that is not what we are here for”

Amicia looked confused at him.

“What else are you here for besides freeing me? 

Oh wait, with Winton in jail Maringand has no king!

You're here to give Arthur his title back!”

Close enough, probably,  but Arthur did not want the title nor rule this place.

Amicia was nice enough if a bit tactless,  but she was the only other living relative that could lay claim to the title.

Which Arthur just told her bluntly.

“No, i'm not gonna be King, i don't want to lead people that did not give a fuck about me when i need help,  you can have this entire shitshow but im leaving”

Amicia just stared at Arthur.

“...are you sure? I know most people still think you are dead but if you show them that you are not maybe they'd change?”

Arthur just shook his head and I felt like we should have left these two alone to sort it out.

“Yeah, I'm sure, this place has been hell to me and I'm not staying here!”

“So, I'm the one in charge now? Some people wont take kindly to that”

“Eh just don't tell anyone that i'm still alive and they cant really complain”

“Okay, but only if you come visit at least once a month! 

And write me letters!”

“Sure! Now have fun sorting out all the logistic stuff!”

While they talked Rikaad motioned for us to sneak out, which we did.

Robin did snag Arthur's small cake as well before we left though.

We quietly closed the door behind us.

“Amicia is very similar to Arthur”

Robin mumbled into his cake.

“Yeah, they are for sure related, should we go back? 

To Kamerasca i mean,  Arthur can just come back later after he's done with whatever this is”

Rikaad nodded.

“He's probably going to take a while,  i’ll inform him, you can go ahead to the carriage”

He knocked on the door we had just left and I steered Robin outside again while he was munching on what I assumed to be his fourth cake.

“You really like that Cake huh”

He nodded.

“Mhm, it's good”

I could see that, he had crumbs all over his vest and his fingers were sticky with what was probably jam.

“Sure, now let's go to the carriage, i don't like being out in the open here”

He nodded and followed me while trying to flick the jam off his fingers.

“Maybe you should get a hat? 

If you don't like people looking at your ears”

Of course that was the thing he picked up on.

“I don't like hats, besides that could fall off or someone could yank it from my head, also i just don't have a face for hats”

I generally didn't like them, it alway felt like something was about to fall on my head.

“Mhhm then not, do you have a cloth for my hands? 

I don't wanna make the pretty carriage dirty”

I fished out the new handkerchief I got some time ago and handed it to him.

“Here ya go,  now let's get a move on or Rikaad will end up there before us”

He laughed and quickened his pace while he cleaned his fingers.

“He does have longer legs than us, well at least right now”

That drew a laugh out of me,  yeah i could just shift and then he wouldn't even reach to my knee.

But shifting here probably was not a good idea.

“True, but i'm not gonna shift here, i'm not keen on causing a panic”

I was not keen on getting shot at again.

“You would be faster than the carriage though!”

“I'm also covered in bandages and i have no idea what would happen to them”

While it was true that my clothing shifted with me I didn't know how that would be with wounds covered in bandages,  Would the bandages fall off? 

Would they also disappear like my shirt did and reappear? 

Yeah not testing that.

We reached the carriage pretty quickly and hopped in before any of the Marignand people could get a closer look at my ears, Man id be glad as soon as all of this was over.

Just then the door of the carriage opened again and Arthur and Rikaad came in.

And Amicia.

What?

———————————————————————————

NEXT / PREVIOUS / OVERSIGHT

[samtheflamingomain]

strike one

As someone whose working life actually started in a union, and a mother (derogatory) who was a union activist (abusers can be outwardly good people blah blah), I have a pretty solid understanding of the ins-and-outs of unions.

I got my first job at 14 in a chain grocery store floral stand. I was automatically in a union. It never affected me until my manager warned me we might be on strike soon. I asked why and he looked at me, fresh out of 8th grade, making less than minimum wage (because it's actually legal to pay students less even though I was working almost full-time) with no benefits and still technically on probation and thus not entitled to the 10% off groceries card that came with the job and remembered volunteering to take my mothers' cart thru the checkout to get us that 10% off till I did get my card, and this is a run on sentence for good reason. He said, "I can't give you a good reason."

"Can you give me *a* reason?"

"Full-timers are holding out for a health care insurance increase." Oh. Okay. I'm a child and don't understand 85% of those words.

Luckily we didn't strike, but looking back, I completely disagree with his initial statement. He *did* give me a good reason - or at least a fairly decent one. For 2007, downright progressive.

But a few days pass and next time I see him I ask my manager about it and he says not to worry [about the strike, not about him], we made a deal. To me this sounded kinda shady, because I'm a child and have only heard the term "make a deal" used on CSI when someone is getting stabbed etc. I asked what the deal was.

"We got 85% [health care] coverage." Oh, that's good. The more the better, right? I'm a child.

He looks at me as if I'd just spoken tongues. "Why would you even care? It doesn't affect you, you're technically part-time [and thus not entitled to ANY health care]?"

Maybe now's a good time to say that he's a boomer. The concept of someone actually wanting someone else to have something they don't have genuinely shocked him.

I think it's also the time to mention that I'm Canadian - when we bargain over health care, we're talking eyes/teeth/mental health care - all should be included but they're not.

"Because... everyone should have full health coverage?" It just sent him.

I may have mentioned that I was a kid through all of this - because even as a marginalized class of worker, I still held solidarity with the people in my department.

Now, I'm a cook by trade but an artist by passion (and occasionally commission). I work in 2 departments. And even though the SAG-AFTRA are higher-ups and full-timers and I am not, I still hold solidarity.

I fully believe we should ALL support this strike, but I'd like to appeal to the artists among us, and the creative within all of us:

If any of us ever want to be fairly compensated for art - generated by a human with a soul and passion - we have to support "higher ups" getting fairly compensated for same.

Remember how I said I was a kid earlier? And I came to that ~incredibly enlightened~ position? Yeah, it was a kid just shoehorning the concept of "union bargaining" into "The Golden Rule". Because it doesn't take a lot of thought to show our work on that exercise.

It really is that simple. Treat the writers and actors the way you, a hopeful fiction writer or a local theatre actor, or you, an Etsy jewelry maker or custom portraiteer, the freelance taxedermist, the for-hire graphic designer, would like to be treated. With, at minimum, fairness.

The situations aren't 1:1, and of course I'm in favor of all of us getting a fair deal, if we want to set a precedent, now has never been a better time.

Stay Greater, Flamingos

[ratcatcher0325]

Hi this is a question for both Alexander and Natalie, what is one thing that you like about the other person? (It can be a silly answer or an actual serious one, whatever you guys choose)

Hello Anon!

Another dual question, I see. Natalie, you should be grateful my loving and faithful audience has deemed you worthy to occasionally include you in these asks. You're welcome! I believe some small amount of my celebrity has rubbed off on you.

Oh please, no one ever said you were humble, did they? Well, I hate to break this to ya, but there isn't exactly much star power to begin with, little sir! You're only as big as my hand, you can only shoulder so much!

How original. We're going straight for the height jokes. Fantastic. That was a low blow, Ms. Marquez.

... Now you're roasting yourself, I don't even have to do anything. This is amazing!

I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Shall we actually answer this question now? Or are we going to continue to waste this poor person's time and space on their screen with ridiculous banter?

Fine. Alright, I'll wave the white flag. Let's see... Oh, what do we like about each other? Jeez.... Nothing is really coming to mind....

Oh... Right. Yes. I find her rather infuriating most of the time.

Uh huh, we'll see what you have to say next time I give you more pain meds... High Alexander loves me.

You have no proof of that! I still think you're fabricating that entire ordeal!

What I like about him is how easy he is to tease. You should see his little face right now, Anon, he's all flustered and red, it's awesome! No, but on a serious note, I really admire his intelligence and work ethic. He's like... a little machine. He won't stop when he's set his mind on something. It's kinda amazing (and super annoying when it causes you to get stabbed in the eye with pieces of wadded up paper). But, yeah, he's probably one of the smartest people I've ever met, in this adorable travel sized package! It's great! (he just rolled his eyes at me, Anon, I can tell he loved that.)

I suppose common courtesy requires that I respond in kind? Fine, but I'm only doing because I'm being pressured. For the vast majority of our time together, I've found Natalie to be clumsy, bumbling, loud and, honestly rather annoying. But.... I suppose... If I had to say something... I'd say I appreciate her giving heart. She may not always get things right, but she can't be knocked for trying her damnedest. She's been a very attentive nurse of sorts (excepting the bath/smoke alarm incident which we will not discuss here, because I have no desire to raise my blood pressure at the moment) and I appreciate her learning more and more how to handle me with care. I suppose... and this stays between us Anon, I don't mind it when she holds me. It can sometimes even be pleasant.

Wow, you heard it here, first folks. Ol' Xandy gave me a compliment and he didn't immediately burst into flames. Incredible!

Do you see what I have to endure, Anon?

Don't be fooled, he loves it! He'll just never admit it cuz he's a little grouch at heart!

Thanks for the ask!

Love,

Natalie

&

Alexander

[mchiti]

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9pNTgniffa/?igsh=MjY4azBucDQxd3p1

Hey why isn't Promes inside and why is Ziyech talking to him?😭

they talk because they are still best friends and he has no intention of dumping him I guess...do I like this, eh, I wish they weren't but at the same time I've always said that I'm no one to judge pr*mes' situation and I won't. there are things that definitely I'm going to judge people over. targeted violence on minorities or on women for instance or any fascist / nazi ideology that's where my moral compass is at. him stabbing his cousin in the leg after a family fight tho? yeah I hate violence, I despise it and I'd never hurt a fly, but also it's a family business, I had no idea what happened. same with the dr*g trafficking that was absolutely messed up, it's terrible that he ended this way but at the end of the day he's ruining his life himself, for money or whatever. I know he was convicted in absentia and he was arrested in dubai and on top of that how fucking stupid it was to go there loool I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to go to jail, he was convicted so of course he should be locked up. but he still could have spent the rest of his life in ru**ia if he wanted to avoid jail, instead he goes to dubai to live the rich life on holiday in a place that you must know it cooperates with europe and from the luxury you end up in prison. Just so you can get an idea of the character...he's dumb, he's stupid, you can tell he worships money more than anything, he's the epitome of the dumb rich footballer, and sadly I suppose he grew up with that desire to be extremely rich, he had it so bad in life to the point he chose to turn narcos while he already had millions. (I'm not trying to excuse, but he definitely had a shitty life). Like it's despicable and it deserves to serve his sentence, it's just not where I choose to draw the lines you know, it's his life and his shitty choices, I worry more about multiple times r*pists being free to walk in the streets. Last I've heard he was in jail tho, I genuinely have no idea why he's free rn lol it's only my opinion anon eh, you're free to despise the guy as much as you want and find it annoying that hakim still hangs out with him but they'e been best friends since the early ajax days so what can we do about it.

[arlequinelunaire]

Danganronpa Showa: Prologue Part 8

<Prev <<First AO3

"This is wrong!" I then burst out crying, "All wrong! The war was supposed to be over; we shouldn't have to go through this!" "Weren't you in the air force, sonny boy, what sort of soldier descends into a blubberin' mess like this? Hmph, if an American soldier had acted like you just did, not that they ever would, we'd have used their sorry ass for target practice!" Columbird once more snapped. "The fighting and violence will end when America says so! However," he then stated, his voice growing relatively softer, "We are the shining city on the hill, the new leader of the Western world, not some savages in squalor! Therefore, in honor of our great nation's legal and judicial foundations, anyone killing another shall promptly begin a trial to determine the godforsaken murderer". "A trial?" Genpachi chuckled as he remarked, "Awful ironic with you tellin' us to start murdering each other. Suppose you have to cling on to some semblance of civility, don't ya?" "Bah, I won't be taking any backtalk from some limp-wristed, hemp-smoking, lover of speakeasy devil music! All you here will kill, you will go to court, the killer will be found and executed or you will die trying, and you will like it, son!" Columbird went off again. "What do you mean, 'you will die trying'?" Manami asked. Before Columbird could actually answer, he went off on a tangent to me, "Ya see here, Wings Bay-island? This is the professional manner in which a real shoulder conducts himself! Or herself, figures you <Japanese's> cleaning ladies would make better soldiers than your men. Anyway, yes. Should you fail to identify the actual killer in court, they will leave with their FREEDOM, whilst all you who failed to catch him will be executed for your incompetence. Is that clear?!" he got around to his answer. With that, the United States of America declares the Killing Military School Life officially begun! Godspeed, and God bless our glorious nation!" Columbird saluted, before he finally left the Gym. This was... this was really happening. Right now, any of my classmates could turn around and stab me- No, they wouldn't. Firstly, because we were all gathered in the Gym, so anyone who tried would be immediately found out, and secondly- Because I'd been drafted into the air force. I knew what killers were like, and for little I'd known everyone here, I could tell they weren't that sort of people.

"Alright, everyone calm down!" Toranosuke was quick to assume authority. "As if any reasonable citizens of Japan would start killing each other on such flimsy pretense". "Hold on, 'Citizens of Japan'?" Jeanne and Dejan simultaneously pointed out, while Hildegard just flinched. Aoko sighed before she said, "Toranosuke dear, much as I wouldn't want to be a downer... you're being too generous, I'm afraid. I know death, runs in the family after all, so I know seemingly fine people have killed over less than this". As an ex-soldier, I didn't need reminding of that. Deflecting Aoko's words, just like a real politician I guess, Toranosuke resumed, "All of us came to Hope's Peak Academy promised an education that would best hone our Talents. Even- even despite this disruption, as our nation's future Prime Minister and most senior student here, I shall endeavour to deliver on such an education. I swear it". Kagura had to give him a side-eye. "'Senior'? Aren't you the same age as the rest of us?" she stated. Meanwhile, Genpachi burst out laughing. "Yeah, real cute kid, a complete fuddy-duddy like you's gonna teach us all about performing miracles, funeral practice, and being some half-beast freak? Don't make me laugh. 'Sides, fact that yer the 'Ultimate Manager' alone proves you got no right to take charge," he then said, for some reason. Glaring at him, Toranosuke just hissed, "Explain". "Y'ever heard of a little somethin' called mauvaise foi?" Genpachi said. "That's 'bad faith'," Jeanne had to translate. "'Mala fides', if you will," Kanji Iwai felt the need to add. "Right, means 'cause you've spent all this time becoming what society deems the 'Ultimate Manager' that when the chips are down, ya can't think for yourself, see? Already it's clear the normal rules just don't apply anymore, yet you're still clingin' to the old ways like some geezer. Yer head's hopelessly inside the box, or in short, ya can't improvise, kid," Genpachi explained, pointing a finger at his temples. "As little regard as I have for this man's rambling, he does have a point," Fuhito suddenly said, "I fear Toranosuke's meddling in others' affairs may only obstruct an investigation". He sounded like he took it as a given that we'd start killing. Toranosuke was at the point of seething now, "Who are either of you to judge my leadership, given you too only just got here? And isn't stability exactly what we need in a crisis situation? Your philosophy, Sakamoto, seems like it would only accelerate this madness." "Also Sakamoto, aren't you being hypocritical? You're an Ultimate too, remember?" Manami gave a cold glare at Genpachi. Again, Genpachi gave his steely, screechy laugh and said, "Ultimate Jazzman, dollface, world of difference there. Jazz doesn't cling to fogey old tradition, it improvises, it thinks, and it don't care for rules or polite society. I ain't some military brat, with a buncha orders beaten into me till I can't think otherwise".

Next>

[the-firebird69]

So John remillard was threatening Woody harrelson so smart guy and with a fire axis like the one that was threatening our son it was Aaron same guy same fire racks in valley center. He had enough of them there he is doing this reminder s*** so we're going to start hitting him. Okay that guy is a huge a****** and a massive failure and he needs to go down and they keep screwing around with people and telling people everything's fine so today Terry went over and talked to him put him in cuffs uncuffed and talk to him and left and he said don't make me come back cuz they'll have me arrest you so he goes inside and you left him alone he's sleeping wakes up grabs the fire ax and puts in the shed locks it goes inside and sleeves cherry cheese when it comes back as a sheriff and says I told you not to do that he says I brought it to the shed cuz it was in my house and he goes okay but what did I tell you because he did it when he was outside and he's watching. And Cherry cheeseman said it's the threaten people who are protecting him and stuff for protecting his in the Midwest and in that and we might be them he knows I need you to get on the ground and yeah. Cherry cheeseman called other cops and they're standing there and he didn't see them didn't look got on the ground it's hard swearing at him you know what this is about the boys taking advantage of us and he goes not really but okay it looks that way and you know it he's saying this crap about you and the guy can you get him to shut up and he says not really and so they brought him in on disorderly conduct public drunkenness and wielding a fire accident way and they told Terry cheesman he did a good job no I said you avoided the duty but we can see why he's threatening you you want to file charges and he said not really he says how about we following you then instead I said okay I'll file charges so he's finally charges on Trump and Trump rears his head in the sheriff's department and starts threatening Terry cheesman he's being filmed and he got taken into questioning and they put him in solitary and he's yelling what he's going to do to Terry cheesman and to you and he hears you say I'll have your skin to life and you can run around and try to get help and he stops he says why it says who cares no one shut up came back around to bother you and he said this I'm not bothering you but I'm going to have you stabbed 39 times with a thorium blade and he started getting the message says two things we have to do to this a****** stay there my prison so we heard him say this I don't think I can go through the first one that's what I think that you're probably going to go through it or will burn you after it stupid. Susan solitary can find me yelling don't let him get at me so if I want to walk in there I'd use the antidote and babe formula and nobody can stop me that was small arms and he said screaming Small arms is not enough they're coming for me. Also they thought maybe he's telling his people that so they stopped him and they put him under a sedation and underwatch and he's there right now fingerprinted them cross-checked it and he's this criminal who was here before he's arrested well that's the way it should go and it didn't go that way he's making the story I come out like that because he's crafty

Thor Freya